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Our hosts return to the Podtower and watch “Fury Part 1” for the very first time.Alex and Will discuss Aresia, a rogue Amazon who's determined to give every male on the planet the Man Flu. Ironically, Alex is coming down with a cold during this review as well, so that's fun! Aresia teams up with Lex Luthor's not-so-famous Injustice Gang, which means more Copperhead and The Shade... yay..But, hey! At least Solomon Grundy is back! And he's a super nice guy now!Plus, Batman admits he wears make-up, Superman gets everyone sick, German Germ Warfare is created, and Grundy hangs out with the gals on Paradise Island while watching The Real Housewives of Gotham City.Support Us:Tip Jar: https://buymeacoffee.com/batmantaspodPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/RobsonBrosWill's Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.patreon.com/willrobsonYouTube Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@batmantaspod/membershipSpeech Comics Website⁠: https://www.speechcomics.comWill's WhatNot Page: https://www.whatnot.com/user/speechcomicsRetro Robsons Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@retrorobsonsPodcast:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/batmantaspodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2VeKJS8qt9Iofr3F0jTOZR?si=D-8w82YjT5q8qBoicbhXBQ&utm_source=copy-linkApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/batman-the-animated-series-podcast/id1643408436Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/batman-the-animated-series-podcast/id1643408436Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batmantaspod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Will's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robsonink/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatmanTASPodTikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.tiktok.com/@batmantaspod?_t=8zn1yhsgnfz&_r=1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: https://twitter.com/batmantaspod1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Will's Twitter: https://twitter.com/robsoninkWant to chat with us and with fellow NERDS just like you? You can join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/bQF76V3nUs

For nearly 30 years, Willie and I remodeled an old house built in the late 1800s. Looking back, I'm not sure whether we owned that house or that house owned us. We bought it when our daughter was 2 and our son, William, was 6. To say it needed a little TLC would be an understatement. We gutted it. There wasn't a wall, floor or ceiling we didn't eventually remodel. Ironically, about the time we finally got the house the way we wanted it, we decided to sell it. Some of my favorite memories aren't of the finished house. They're... Article Link

Welcome back, my fellow creatives!Yup, I'm back to looking at the first five pages of various stories, for those five pages can make or break the engagement of a reader--or an agent. So, let's scope out others' stories to see how they hook an audience!Now, this one I stumbled upon while trying to find something a little different from my previous selections. Ironically, I picked The Franchise because it reminds me of something I have read before. But I'll explain in a second."Game of Thrones meets The Truman Show in this epic tale of a Hollywood-owned fantasy world where nothing is quite as it seems to the people who live and die at the studio's whim."This blurb immediately made me think of Diana Wynne Jones' The Dark Lord of Derkholm, which is about a planet that's being used as a tourism site where people pay to come and be on the stereotypical fantasy quest. So, Elrod's giving us another fantasy realm being controlled by others for nefarious reasons. I'll take it!I admit, I got caught up in the first chapter even though the chapter's not on the fantasy world or dealing with Hollywood. Rather, it's in October of 1962 in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Wendell, who publishes a scifi/fantasy magazine, is contemplating the assured end of the world when a peculiar French-sounding man arrives with a massive manuscript he hopes will be published.At first, I was bummed we had no allusions to Hollywood, dimensional travel, magic, etc. Nope. Just two guys talking about an unsolicited manuscript. Where's the excitment in that?Yet there's this tug with all that talk about the end of the world that makes one wonder...could this certainty about the end of the world motivate how others choose to control that fantasy world promised in the novel's premise? There is a mystery, too, with this Frenchman who insists he's from Boston and has no money to get home. At the beginning of the meeting, Wendell is quite ready to chuck the Frenchman and go back to putting his affairs in order, but by the end of the interaction, he imagines an amazing media empire, all because of this book, this unknown book by this unknown man. Wendell hasn't looked at a single word, yet is ready to give a large sum and a publishing contract.Quite the turnaround there, without any reason other than feared doomsday.Unless, of course, something else is going on....So yes, I got surprisingly caught up in this little interaction between two characters who may very well not appear in the novel ever again. No flash or whizz-bang spectacle--just a vivid interaction with the undercurrent that something is not quite right.And when the writing's strong and the premise promising, that's all one needs for a solid first chapter. If you're looking for a different avenue into a fantasy realm, something a little dark and weird and odd like The Franchise sounds like a pretty good fit.And what will we discover in the next story's five pages?We'll have to wait and see. xxxxRead on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Under the Prabowo Subianto government, the Indonesian military's (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI) long-cherished role in national economic development and governance has been vastly enhanced. The TNI seems to be everywhere. Active-duty officers now run ministries, head a state food company, and even manufacture medicine. Soldiers cook meals for Prabowo's flagship nutrition program. Prabowo has long argued that the military provides an efficient and committed labour force for the Indonesia's development ambitions. But this too was his father-in-law, President Suharto's argument, and that line justified a 32-year-long, vastly corrupt authoritarian military regime that ultimately had to be overthrown through people power. Ironically, these political developments are occurring at a time of historic good relations between the Indonesian military and the Australian Defence Force. Much has changed since former president B.J. Habibie famously tore up the AMS, the Agreement on Maintaining Security, in 1999 after Australia announced it would lead a force into East Timor. In the last two years under the Labor government, we have seen the Australia-Indonesia Defence Cooperation Agreement superseding the 2008 Defence Cooperation Agreement and this year, the Jakarta Treaty, or the Australia-Indonesia Treaty on Common Security, in which both countries agree to communicate on matters of mutual security. Both are landmark security agreements, but they occur at a time when the military's domestic role is transforming rapidly. To help us understand how civil-military relations are changing under the Prabowo government and its impact on Australia's defence relations with Indonesia, meet my guest Dr Natalie Sambhi. Natalie is Founder and Executive Director of the independent think tank Verve Research, which provides analysis on Southeast Asian foreign policy and security issues. She is also a Non-Resident Fellow with the Brookings Institution, where she publishes on Indonesian foreign and defence policy issues as well as Southeast Asian security. Natalie holds a PhD on the history of the Indonesian military from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University.

Two guests, a climate scientist and a climate prisoner. Still on Parole for just talking about a protest, UK Co-Founder of Extinction Rebellion Roger Hallam joins us. Ironically his two latest books argue against any violence in the climate movement. As promised for  …

“I think patrimonialism is exactly the right phrase to describe the way in which the current administration is governing.” — Peter Hall Neoliberalism is dead. So what comes next? Peter Hall, a Harvard political economist for the last four decades, says the capitalist locomotive left the neoliberal station years ago. His new book, Governing Growth, names the next stop: the “knowledge economy,” the digital, globalized capitalism of the 21st century. The knowledge economy made San Francisco, New York and Boston very rich. It left almost everyone else behind. Out of that came a new political cleavage — college degree versus no college degree — and, on both sides of the Atlantic, the populist wake-up call. But as Jonathan Rauch and Jeff Kopstein have argued on this show, populism has since curdled into something worse: patrimonial capitalism, government on behalf of pitchfork-wielding oligarchs like Orbán and Trump. Ironically, it only deepens the inequalities that produced it. And it's going to get worse. In the AI age, I suspect, we may end up looking back with nostalgia at good old late twentieth century neoliberalism. Five Takeaways •       Three Growth Regimes. Hall's framework is simpler than it sounds. A growth regime is the combination of what governments do and what firms do, reinforcing each other. The postwar era of modernization ran from 1945 to the mid-1970s, as Europe rebuilt to compete with American industry. Then came liberalization in the 1980s and 1990s — Thatcher and Reagan, shareholder value, companies shedding everything but their core competencies and outsourcing the rest. And around 2000 a third regime began: knowledge-based growth, driven by digital technology, investment in intangibles such as research, marketing and organization rather than plant and machinery, and the explosive growth of global value chains. His distinctive move is to treat corporations as agents of change on a par with governments — his own life, he notes, is shaped as much by Harvard's practices as by Washington's.•       Thirty Cities. The knowledge economy has a geography. Skill-biased technological change rewards people with college degrees, and it concentrates: about half of US GDP growth over the past twenty-five years, Hall says, has taken place in some thirty large metropolitan areas. His example is Kendall Square next to MIT, which when he arrived in the late 1970s was auto body shops and small machine tool shops and is now a centre of pharmaceutical engineering. Andrew's is Central Square down the road, where he bought his first place in the early nineties — “you should have held on to that place,” Hall told him. The effect of all this is that many people feel left behind, and most Americans and Europeans now expect their children's lives to be worse than their own.•       The Populist Cleavage. Politics follows economics through what Hall calls cleavages — systematic divisions between social groups. In the 1950s and '60s the dominant one was class, blue-collar against white-collar, and it pushed working-class grievances to the top of the agenda; that, he argues, is what built the welfare state, in Europe after the war and in America in the 1930s under a Roosevelt who sounded, Hall says, like a raving leftist. Today the dominant cleavage is education. Its roots lie in the inequality of the 1980s and 1990s, supercharged by the knowledge economy and now by AI. Mainstream parties have responded by turning back towards intervention: Bidenomics, with its investments conspicuously placed in red states; the EU's first collective bonds; Germany's new semiconductor plants located in the East, where the AfD is strongest. But a return to the New Deal, he thinks, is wishful thinking.•       A Political Stomach. Andrew's most persistent question: what are Hall's politics? Big-name professors, Andrew suggested, sometimes hide behind their social science. Hall wouldn't say — he doesn't wear his political heart on his sleeve, he has a political stomach, perhaps — though he cares about climate change and inequality and lets the listener infer the rest. He was more forthcoming on populism: a good thing at one level, a democratic wake-up call for mainstream parties, with bad consequences at another, since right-wing populists tend to become what his colleagues Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson call plutocrats with pitchforks. On Trump he was unusually direct. Patrimonialism is exactly the right word, he said, for an administration governing on behalf of favored oligarchs, as Orbán did in Hungary. And to Andrew's suggestion that the real convergence is between Trump's patrimonial capitalism and China's statist model: “I think you're all too right about that.” Whether it outlasts 2028, he wouldn't bet.•       Growth, Climate and a Fourth Regime. Hall is an environmentalist who thinks the no-growth movement is a political mistake. Climate policy needs sticks as well as carrots — regulations that cost ordinary people something — and people will pay those costs only if there is growth and it is fairly shared. He quotes a French yellow-vest protester answering a climate campaigner: you're worrying about the end of the world, I'm worrying about the end of the week. On AI, he sees a general purpose technology like electricity or steam, and the possible start of a fourth growth regime. How to regulate it? He doesn't know — nor, Andrew added, do the people building it. But the lesson of history going back to the nineteenth century, Hall says, is that we have to figure it out. Andrew's suspicion: the cleavages get so chasmic in the AI age that we may one day look back nostalgically at late twentieth century neoliberalism. About the Guest Peter A. Hall is the Krupp Foundation Professor of European Studies at Harvard University. His books include Governing the Economy, The Political Power of Economic Ideas and, with David Soskice, Varieties of Capitalism. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Governing Growth: The Postwar Transformations of Capitalism and Democracy (Princeton University Press, September 22, 2026) is his latest. He lives in Massachusetts. References: •       Governing Growth: The Postwar Transformations of Capitalism and Democracy by Peter A. Hall (Princeton University Press, 2026).•       The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order by Gary Gerstle — the framework Hall builds on and revises.•       Modern Capitalism by Andrew Shonfield (1965), with which Hall's book opens.•       Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson on “plutocrats with pitchforks.”•  &nbs...

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the Malayan Campaign. In December 1941, Japan invaded British Malaya, aiming to cripple Allied power. Despite British defenses, General Yamashita's battle-hardened 25th Army overwhelmed them. The British fumbled early, failing to strike Japanese beachheads, while the sinking of Force Z left Malaya without naval protection. At Jitra, the absence of tanks proved devastating for the Indian defenders. Yamashita employed blitzkrieg tactics, using tanks and bicycles to exploit the terrain. The British, spread thin and under-resourced, retreated south, facing constant attacks and encirclements. The evacuation of Penang further demoralized the Allies, with locals turning against their colonial rulers.   #220 The Malayan Campaign Part 2: The Collapse of Johore Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War.   While British forces retreated southward in disarray, a different response was taking shape within the local Chinese population. Ethnic Chinese volunteers, motivated by decades of Japanese aggression in Asia and the brutality of Japan's ongoing war in China, began organizing into military formations to resist where the British colonial administration was failing. These volunteers lacked the resources of official forces, but they possessed something the dwindling British garrisons did not: deep roots in Malayan territory and an existential stake in defeating the Japanese. As British commanders abandoned town after town, Chinese resistance fighters prepared to stay and fight.   Despite acts of heroism, such as at Kampar, the Japanese advanced relentlessly. The defenders prepared a new line of defense at Trolak, five miles north of Slim River. Reinforcements arrived, and the 45th Brigade was dispatched to repel the enemy's advance on Kuala Selangor. General Paris established a new defensive line at the Slim River, approximately 50 miles north of Kuala Lumpur. Though the river presented a significant anti-tank obstacle with its consistent 200-yard width, insufficient troop numbers prevented complete coverage. The next delaying action was staged at Trolak, a narrow point 9 miles north of the river. Paris positioned Lieutenant Colonel Ian Stewart's depleted 12th Brigade in the forward constricted area, the 28th Brigade to cover the road and railway, and the 15th Brigade in reserve at Tanjong Malim. This represented a defense-in-depth strategy. Stewart deployed his battalions strategically, but the forward commander, Lieutenant Colonel Wilson Haffenden, was wounded in an air attack shortly after taking position. Japanese fighters exploited the predictable concentration of defenders along the narrow road, attacking with impunity against limited anti-aircraft defenses. The forward battalion's role was to serve as a tripwire, alerting the brigade to large-scale attacks and delaying the Japanese advance. A critical weakness was the inadequate deployment of artillery. Only eight 25-pounder guns were positioned forward, while over sixteen were kept further back for safer withdrawal across the river. The forward defenses also lacked mines and anti-tank guns, though these were available to the supporting battalion. By this point, the campaign had drained morale—troops were exhausted, underfed, unwashed, and sleep-deprived from constant movement, aerial attacks, and minimal time for proper defensive construction. A Tamil laborer reported seeing at least 80 "tanks" in a nearby village. British officers dismissed the report, mistakenly assuming he confused trucks for tanks. The men remained unaware of the imminent danger. The Japanese initiated minor probes along the railway that morning, repelled by artillery fire with approximately 60 enemy dead. The remainder of the day was quiet. Stewart requested 48 hours' rest for his exhausted men. Paris agreed and sent divisional reserves to positions south of Trolak. Ninety minutes after they arrived, the Japanese attacked. Major Hajime Shimada commanded approximately 30 Type 95 tanks and 10 light tanks, plus trucks carrying infantry. After setbacks at Kampar, Shimada convinced his superiors to permit a night armored assault—uncommon in World War II but calculated as a worthwhile risk given the narrow defensive front where artillery could devastate his concentrated force. At 3 a.m. on January 7th, heavy rain fell. Defenders in foxholes along the jungle road heard gunfire at dusk, indicating Japanese attempts to pinpoint positions. At 3:30 a.m., Japanese mortars and artillery shells opened fire. Fifteen minutes later, Japanese infantry within 300 yards attempted to breach barbed wire obstacles. At 4 a.m., tanks arrived, their yellow tracer rounds causing widespread panic. The forward anti-tank gun remained silent, its crew possibly dead or fled. Defenders retreated in chaos. At 4:30 a.m., one of Shimada's tanks detonated an anti-tank mine. The tank behind was disabled by a Boys anti-tank rifle. Punjabi defenders on high ground began launching Molotov cocktails against the vehicles. Shimada's plan backfired. His immobilized armored column became vulnerable to artillery fire, illuminated by the burning Molotov cocktails. The tanks lacked radios; commanders opened hatches to shout orders, exposing themselves to grenades. Ironically, the Molotov fires revealed escape routes, and Shimada's force managed to break through. The opportunity to destroy the entire column was lost, possibly due to the newly arrived reinforcements failing to establish telephone lines for directing artillery fire. By 6 a.m., most Japanese tanks had advanced, mopping up infantry. The leading tanks were halted again by another anti-tank mine. Molotov cocktails were deployed, and two anti-tank guns engaged, destroying one tank. But the crews soon fell silent, possibly unnerved by advancing Japanese infantry. By 7 a.m., organized resistance collapsed, and defenders fled the Trolak area. In the central sector, Captain Kenneth McLeod watched turbaned soldiers stream past: "I stood there like a traffic officer to whom no one pays any attention." Roadblocks were hastily established as commanders attempted to prepare bridge demolition charges. The first four tanks appeared in the remaining darkness, easily overcoming initial roadblocks. The second defensive line included armored cars and Boys rifles. One tank was set ablaze by Molotov cocktail and immobilized by a Boys shot. The armored cars were hit and disabled. Defenders heroically pushed the damaged vehicles to the southern end of the Trolak bridge to delay the Japanese before destroying it around 6:30 p.m. Many Japanese forces bypassed this sector, attempting to encircle fleeing defenders before they reached the Slim River. Tank ambushes along roadways forced many into the jungle. Second Lieutenant Ian Primrose was knocked unconscious during an ambush. Upon regaining consciousness, he discovered Japanese soldiers taking prisoners and segregating the wounded. Primrose recalled: "Everybody had heard the stories about Japanese atrocities in China, but that was Asians dealing with Asians. We never expected this sort of thing to happen to us." Afterwards, surviving prisoners were forced to dig graves for the murdered and carry wounded Japanese soldiers. En route south of Trolak, Paris's reinforcements approached with ammunition and heavy weapons. Shimada's vanguard, led by 2nd Lieutenant Sadanobu Watanabe, ambushed the approaching vehicles. The first two companies—approximately 250 men—were decimated. Watanabe pushed on. Near the Slim River, his tanks attacked the Gurkha brigade's headquarters. Captain Tom Mooney, rather than seeking cover, "drew his .455 revolver, stood his ground and fired upon the tanks until he was shot dead." Watanabe's objective was seizing the Slim road bridge. He encountered Gurkha forces, many young recruits. Major Winkfield recalled: "The next thing I knew a machine-gun blazed in my ear; a bullet grazed my leg and I dived into the ditch as a tank bore down on me. It had passed through half my battalion without my realizing that anything was amiss." The casualties were severe. Colonel Fulton was wounded and later died in captivity. At his headquarters in Tanjong Malim, Archibald Paris remained unaware of the rapid collapse. Two hours after the Japanese attack, intelligence ceased. Reports of enemy breakthroughs surfaced. Paris dispatched Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Harrison to investigate. Harrison recalled: "The next thing I knew was a deafening volley as machine gun bullets shattered my windscreen. I wrenched the wheel hard to starboard, crashed into the ditch, opened the door, leapt out and ran like hell over 50 yards of open ground to flimsy security of some scattered rubber." Behind him, his driver Ghulam, holding a wounded shoulder, asked in bewilderment: "Are those our armored cars, Sahib?" Watanabe continued his advance, killing Lieutenant Colonel Charles Holme, and reached the bridge, defended by Bofors gunners and Hong Kong Artillery men. Their anti-tank guns, using air-burst ammunition, proved ineffective against the Type 95's armor. The gunners fled. Watanabe, injured, remained on the bridge, cutting the wires to the demolition charges. Ensign Toichero Sato led three tanks south of the river toward Tanjong Malim, killing Colonel Augustus Murdoch. A Japanese soldier later remarked of Sato: "He died in an officer-like manner, with his hand on the hilt of his service sword." Tsuji, visiting the wreck, observed: "Sato had collapsed beside his gun like a dish of ame." Harrison, reflecting on the experience in his unpublished history of the 11th Division, could not conceal his admiration for the Japanese: "Heedless of danger and of their isolation they had shattered the division; they had captured the Slim bridge by their reckless and gallant determination." The Battle of Slim River represented a catastrophic collapse of British defenses. In a single night of audacious tank assault, Yamashita's forces had shattered the 11th Indian Division, secured a critical crossing, and opened the road to Singapore. The campaign's southern phase had begun.   As British formations collapsed at Slim River and scattered across northern Malaya, Dalforce—the Chinese volunteer army officially formed on December 25th—was already seeing combat. This 4,000-strong unit, hastily organized under Lieutenant Colonel John Dalley and comprised predominantly of ethnic Chinese recruits, had begun operations despite severe handicaps. Many fighters carried sporting rifles rather than military-grade weapons; critical supply shipments had been lost when the SS Empress of Asia sank. Yet they fought. Dalforce members, drawn from Chinese communities throughout Malaya and Singapore, were motivated by more than military duty. Japanese forces had invaded China in 1937, and the brutality of that occupation—massacres, forced labor, cultural suppression—was well known to these volunteers. Many had family connections to China and viewed the Japanese invasion of Malaya as an extension of the same imperial aggression. Unlike British forces, which operated under colonial orders, Chinese volunteers fought for their own survival and that of their communities. Their involvement during this phase remained largely in supporting roles and guerrilla actions, as Dalforce units engaged Japanese forces in skirmishes and ambushes across the peninsula. Though initially integrated with British command structures, their effectiveness and commitment stood in sharp contrast to the demoralization gripping the official military hierarchy. While British brigades were fragmenting and retreating in confusion, Chinese resistance fighters demonstrated the kind of stubborn determination that would characterize their struggle throughout the coming Japanese occupation. General Sir Archibald Wavell arrived in Singapore on January 7th as Percival's forces were collapsing at Slim River. Wavell carried considerable prestige. Despite his mixed record against Rommel in North Africa, even the Desert Fox himself rated Wavell highly. Auchinleck, Wavell's replacement in the Middle East, later wrote of him: "In no sense do I wish to infer that I found an unsatisfactory situation on my arrival—far from it. Not only was I greatly impressed by the solid foundations laid by my predecessor, but I was also able the better to appreciate the vastness of the problems with which he had been confronted and the greatness of his achievements, in a command in which some 40 different languages are spoken by the British and allied forces." Churchill had relieved Wavell in June following failed operations, and he was subsequently appointed commander in chief of ABDACOM (American, British, Dutch, Australian Command) for the Far East. Upon landing, Wavell assumed control of the British Far East Command and immediately traveled to Rasa to assess the situation. He encountered Brigadiers Stewart and Selby—the men responsible for defending Trolak and Slim River. Wavell recalled: "I have never seen two men look so tired." The scale of the catastrophe became apparent. Stewart's 12th Brigade, once formidable, could muster only 430 officers and men—roughly one-sixth its original strength, with barely 200 armed troops fit for combat. Selby's 28th Brigade fared slightly better at 750 men. The sight shocked Wavell, and he immediately suspected serious command failures under Percival. What Wavell did not know was that Percival had already decided to abandon central Malaya forty-eight hours before the Japanese reached Slim Bridge. This strategic decision, however, was proving catastrophic in execution. Wavell quickly grasped that Johor—the last state before Singapore—would be decisive. He needed to buy time for reinforcements and reorganize the scattered forces into defensible positions. Wavell appointed the 8th Australian Division under Major General Gordon Bennett to defend northwestern Johor, while Indian forces took responsibility for southern and northeastern Johor. Bennett, however, was frustrated by the defensive posture. The plan involved retreating 140 miles and abandoning key terrain to establish a new line in northern Johor, bolstered by incoming East Anglian Territorials. Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Harrison, who had narrowly escaped Japanese tanks at Tanjong Malim, later wrote that he "could not conceal his admiration for the men who almost killed him." Japanese officer Mustaph Ghulam observed their "heedless of danger and of their isolation they had shattered the division; they had captured the Slim bridge by their reckless and gallant determination." Even Stewart acknowledged mistakes: "I am rightly criticised for the location of Brigade Headquarters, and for not using the Field Artillery in an anti-tank role...It is no excuse, but I had never taken part in an exercise embodying a coordinated anti-tank defence or this type of attack. The use of tanks on a road at night was a surprise." Wavell intervened decisively in the dispute between Percival and Bennett. Accepting the withdrawal to Johor, he overruled Percival's reluctance to commit the Australians to the threatened western coast. As Bennett put it, they were "going into bat, we must take certain risks on the east coast temporarily in order to organize a good defense on the western side which is immediately threatened." Wavell reorganized Bennett's forces into Westforce, positioning them to counter Yamashita's inevitable coastal advance. Westforce dug in along the Muar River to buy time for Indian forces to reorganize. As the British retreated, they employed scorched earth tactics—burning rubber factories, mines, and fuel stocks. Percival acknowledged the cost to British prestige: "Pillars of smoke and flame rose into the sky as rubber factories, mine machinery, petrol and oil stocks were denied. Small wonder that British prestige sank to a very low ebb among the population." Booby traps inflicted additional casualties on the pursuing Japanese. The 5th Army advanced toward Gemas, where Captain Jack Duffy's engineers prepared a devastating surprise. When the bridge over the Gemensah River exploded, Duffy recalled the chaos: "Japanese bodies, bicycles, timber, rocks and earth flew far and wide in a huge red flash leaving a gaping space where the bridge had been." The 8th Australian Division's ambush mauled the Japanese column. Lieutenant Colonel Frederick "Black Jack" Galleghan held the position, his anti-tank gunners methodically dismantling enemy armor. Sergeant Kenneth Harrison, commanding a 2-pounder, described the grim ballet of tank warfare: "These burst on contact and the flash enabled me to see where we were hitting, and to adjust the sights accordingly. Eventually our infantry sent a message, 'Tank destroyed. Save ammunition.' It lay there with men crawling out like wood bugs from a burning log." After inflicting heavy losses, Harrison and his partner reflected on the moment: "we wave back rather lamely, but that was without doubt the proudest moment either of us will ever know." After 24 brutal hours, Galleghan withdrew. Tsuji, observing the Australians' ferocity, wrote they "fought with a bravery we had not previously seen." Fresh reinforcements—including the 53rd Infantry Brigade—arrived in Singapore, kindling hope that momentum might shift. Yet south of Gemas at Muar, Brigadier Horatio Duncan's 45th Brigade faced Japan's elite: Nishimura's Konoye Imperial Guards Division. The disparity was stark. By January 16th, Muar fell. Lieutenant Colonel John Williams, leading a Jat battalion of teenage recruits, was caught in a Japanese encirclement after being bypassed upstream. He was beheaded by a Japanese officer wielding a katana. On January 17th, Australian reinforcements under Lieutenant Colonel Charles Anderson arrived to stiffen the line at Bakri, but the situation remained precarious. As Duncan's brigade retreated, Percival grasped the threat: the Imperial Guards had become the spearhead. He committed Anderson's 19th Battalion to hold the door open while the 53rd Brigade deployed immediately into combat. One Australian officer, watching newly arrived British soldiers take up positions, noted their shock: "they were a fine body of men but almost dazed by the position in which they found themselves." The contrast was stark—while Australians fought for their lives, a British officer was reportedly heard discussing getting "the officers mess going." At Bakri, the air attacks became horrifying. Lieutenant Ben Hackney witnessed devastation that defied quick description: "just beside the road a naked waist with two twisted legs lay about two yards from a scarred bleeding head with a neck, half a chest and one arm." Gunner Russell Brandon saw their best soldier fall: "the black bastard was dead, our best soldier had not survived and we were now surrounded." The Imperial Guards attacked from multiple directions, tightening their encirclement. Malaya's situation had become critical. The defenders faced a dire situation. Muar had fallen with heavy losses to the 45th Indian Brigade, forcing a disheartening retreat. The Australians were driven from Gemas, and remnants of both forces regrouped at Bakri, establishing a defensive perimeter as Japanese forces converged. Nearly all of Duncan's officer staff had been killed in an aerial attack. The newly arrived 53rd Brigade—the 5th & 6th Norfolks and 2nd Cambridgeshires, fresh from three months at sea—were thrown into the frontlines without adequate acclimation or training for jungle warfare. Percival ordered a counterattack to recapture Muar, mobilizing the Garhwalis reserves for a three-pronged advance. But Lt. Colonel James Woolridge, the Garhwalis' commander, was killed during a dawn reconnaissance patrol. The counterattack collapsed into disaster. Most remaining British officers were killed or wounded; survivors seized Bren guns and attempted to hold a rubber estate before retreating to Bakri amid artillery and aerial bombardment. Australian gunners, watching the fleeing sepoys, dubbed them the "Galloping Garhwalis." On January 18th, General Nishimura of the Imperial Guards Division launched a three-pronged assault that turned into a siege. Captain Shiegeo Gotanda led a tank vanguard at 6:45 AM without infantry support, inspired by Shimada's success at Slim River. Waiting were 2-pounder guns commanded by Lance Sergeant Clarrie Thornton. As six tanks approached in single file through a narrow, heavily vegetated cutting, Thornton's crew hit the first, third, and fourth tanks. The armor-piercing rounds penetrated the T-95s with devastating internal damage. All six tanks were immobilized. A Japanese sniper shot Thornton in the thigh before he was evacuated; he received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery. Encouraged by this victory, Percival decided to contain the Muar front but misjudged Japanese strength, believing it to be small when it was the entire Imperial Guards Division. Some Japanese forces had landed further down the coast, preparing to cut off the Muar-Bakri line from the south. Colonel Robertson was shot in the leg while riding a dispatch rider's motorbike and did not survive. Duncan, still recovering from an aerial bombardment that killed his officer staff, relinquished command to Lt. Colonel Charles Anderson. Anderson found himself commanding about 1,000 teenage Indian boys—just over a battalion—many only 17 years old. Though he held Indian soldiers in high regard from his East Africa experience, he expressed concern about their immaturity and lack of training. Some of Anderson's Australians launched a counterattack west of Bakri and trapped 200 Japanese soldiers. Platoon commander Patrick Reynolds described the chaos of Japanese soldiers "running in circles." When a seemingly dead enemy soldier suddenly rose with a grenade, Reynolds shot him just as it exploded, injuring himself. Another Japanese attempted to push his rifle toward Reynolds; when his pistol jammed, his batman shot the enemy soldier. The Australians increasingly believed rumors that the Japanese were "fanatics." Sergeant Desmond Mulcahy was searching a fallen Japanese sergeant's body when the man suddenly sprang up with a grenade. Mulcahy grabbed it to prevent detonation, but the Japanese sergeant struck him with it and punched him until another soldier bayoneted the attacker. Private Bluey Watkins set down his rifle to inspect Japanese bodies; one seized it and nearly shot him. The lesson was harsh: capturing Japanese alive was too risky. Private Charles Warden of B Company, just five months shy of 17, remarked, "from the first engagement we learned not to trust their wounded." The Australians killed approximately 140 of the 200 trapped Japanese, suffering only 10 casualties and 15 wounded—their high point in the campaign. By dawn on January 20th, Anderson received orders to withdraw toward Yong Peng. The Imperial Guards Division had established so many roadblocks that encirclement seemed imminent. A single company from the 19th Indians held off the Japanese while the rest retreated toward Parit Sulong, then found themselves nearly surrounded as the Japanese set up additional roadblocks. At the first roadblock, Anderson instructed his Australians to charge with bayonets while singing "Waltzing Matilda." Leading personally, he fired as he directed movements; the men likened him to a comic book hero come to life. As they neared Parit Sulong, Duncan—still recovering from concussion—commanded the rearguard and led a bayonet charge of Jats to recover lost vehicles. Anderson described him as "a very able and gallant officer," but Duncan was killed during the charge. By January 21st, they approached the Parit Sulong bridge, held securely by the Japanese. Two RAF Fairey Albacores and three Brewster Buffalo escorts arrived from Singapore to drop supplies, but when Australians rushed to collect them, they found only canned beetroot instead of bully beef. By January 22nd, Anderson knew holding the triangular perimeter was impossible. He attempted one final assault on the bridge. The Japanese had set up three barricades using sandbags, oil drums, and timber, covered by heavy machine guns on high ground. Approximately 30 Australians stormed while 100 provided cover fire. They breached the first barricade, reached the third, but machine gun fire blew apart the sandbags. With only five Australians left alive, they crawled back. Anderson ended the sacrifice, deeming it futile. He faced an impossible choice: abandon 150 severely wounded and break through the jungle to Yong Peng, about 12 miles away. They believed wounded would receive decent treatment; the Japanese had allowed Australian ambulances to pass at Gemas without interference. They did not yet know the truth. Initially, the Japanese were slow to close in, contenting themselves with sniping and probing. By 2:30 PM, wounded Lieutenants Hackney and Tibbitts lay beneath a wrecked utility truck supporting the rearguard with a Bren gun until ammunition ran out. The first Imperial Guards approached from the west, bayoneting and shooting anyone unable to escape. Those who made it across a drainage ditch were assembled in front of Public Works Department buildings and garages, sitting naked except for boots while Japanese searched them for weapons or maps. Requests for medical attention and water were denied. Many passing troops stopped "to have fun at the expense of the wounded defenders." Hackney noted, "the wound in my back attracted the attention of many who, whenever possible, took delight in kicking and belting the place." The Japanese did not reserve their hatred for whites alone. An Indian soldier with half his hand blown off and bleeding profusely from a thigh wound was beaten into unconsciousness, then when he rose groaning, subjected to frenzied kicks before a bayonet repeatedly thrust into him pushed him into the drainage ditch. When his head surfaced gasping for air, he was shot. Wounded prisoners were crammed into sheds. Hackney described it as "a stinking, scrambling hellhole, full of tortured, groaning, delirious soldiers." Lt. General Takuma Nishimura arrived and ordered disposal of the wounded. Guards appeared with water canteens and cigarettes as war correspondents photographed prisoners reaching for them. Once the correspondents left, the water was poured out, cigarettes pocketed, and prisoners forced back inside. Most Australians were tied together and shot. Japanese officers drew samurai swords to execute Indians. Many were doused with petrol and set alight. In Russell Braddon's words, "after their incineration, they were systematically run over, back and forth, by Japanese-driven trucks." Lance Havildar Benedict knocked the rifle from his executioner's hands and dove into the water, swimming away while Japanese fired wildly. Hackney, stabbed by a bayonet, pretended dead, hearing men burned alive nearby. He eventually found two survivors, Sergeant Ron Croft and another private, both reeking of petrol, who had escaped into the jungle. This became known as the Parit Sulong Massacre. Yamashita later claimed that had he commanded instead of Nishimura, such a massacre would not have occurred. Nishimura later oversaw occupational forces in Singapore and allegedly presided over the Sook Ching Massacre. He received a life sentence after the war but served only four years before returning to Japan. The Australian government apprehended him, subjected him to military court, convicted him, and executed him on June 11, 1951. The Muar battle signaled the end of serious Johore defense. Percival's last chance was a lateral line from Batu Pahat to Mersing, but Yamashita struck with a three-pronged offensive across both coasts and the central trunk road. On January 26th, a Hudson patrol spotted Japanese transports heading toward Endau. Air Vice Marshal Conway Pulford's squadrons—21 Vildebeest and Albacore torpedo bombers, 9 Hudsons, 15 Buffalos, and 8 Hawker Hurricanes—launched a mass daylight attack. The Hurricanes, equipped with air-intake filters and 12 machine guns instead of the usual 8, were less maneuverable than the Zero below 20,000 feet. Among the 24 pilots were 5 Australians, 1 Texan, and 4 Canadians, including future Australian Prime Minister John Gorton, who survived a crash that injured his face against his gunsight. Leading the first wave, Tim Rowland's Vildebeests were outfitted with 250-500 pound bombs due to shallow waters. The wave broke through clouds at 2,000 feet, heavily laden and slow—"an anti-aircraft gunners dream." Rowland's aircraft exploded mid-air before starting his bomb run. RAF Flight Lt Tom Lamb dived toward the beaches, later recalling: "It's a wonder the old crate didn't fall apart. Within seconds the sky was thick with aircraft… it was disconcerting to see rows of holes appearing all over the place in the fabric and hear the twang of parting wires. I could hear Sharp [his Australian gunner] blazing away and I heard him shout that he had got a Zero. At one time I could see five parachutes in the sky and two aircraft going down in flames… I dropped my bombs at little more than tree-top height… doing some vicious skids whenever attacked. Suddenly Gil Sharp gave a shout… A shell had got him right through the knee and the lower half of his leg was hanging off. Wills [sergeant observer] took over the gun." The initial wave faced not only anti-aircraft fire from IJN warships but 19 Nates and a single Nakajima Ki-44 "Tojo." It lost 5 Vildebeests but successfully bombed 2 transports and shot down 1 Nate. The second wave—9 Vildebeests, 3 Albacores, 4 Buffalos, and 7 Hurricanes—encountered problems as escorts arrived late. Before support could assist, 10 Nates and 2 Tojos intercepted them, resulting in the loss of 5 Vildebeests, 2 Albacores, and 1 Hurricane. Over 38 aircrew went missing, with 27 confirmed dead, including both squadron leaders. Air Vice Marshal Paul Maltby assured returning pilots there would be no more daylight attacks like that. Subsequent unescorted waves had little impact. That night, HMS Thanet and HMAS Vampire attempted a hit-and-run torpedo attack. Most torpedoes missed; both destroyers came under searchlight fire. Thanet was hit in the engine room, and her crew abandoned ship. Vampire could not safely rescue them and retreated to Singapore. Of Thanet's crew, 50 men, including Captain Lt. Commander Davis, struggled to reach shore on a grueling march back to Singapore. Some 30 sailors were rescued by the IJN destroyer Shirayuki, including Sub Lt. Danger, Thanet's torpedo officer. The Shirayuki later landed at Endau, where all sailors except Danger were murdered. Danger became significant as the first Royal Navy officer captured by the IJN. Endau fell to the Japanese 18th Division. Japanese forces bypassed Mersing, defended by the Australian 18th Battalion, who were ordered to withdraw as part of a general retreat to Singapore. At dawn, the 18th Battalion reached the Nithsdale rubber estate north of Jemaluang, where they ambushed a Japanese vanguard. Using Bren guns, 16 25-pounders, and mortars firing simultaneously, they trapped Yamashita's 18th Division troops between two companies. However, orders came to disengage and retreat to Jemaluang. By January 27th, Percival instructed all commanders to gather on Singapore; the causeway would be destroyed on February 1st. On January 28th, the 26th Australian Battalion covered Westforce's rearguard south of Simpang Rengam. After a frontal assault, the Japanese launched an outflanking maneuver through rubber plantations to cut the Trunk Road. Anticipating this, Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick "Black Jack" Galleghan launched a decisive counterattack using armored cars, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing retreat in disorder. However, Japanese toxic smoke bombs forced the Australians to withdraw hours later. By January 30th, Galleghan's 26th Battalion reached Singapore safely. Meanwhile, the 15th Brigade garrison at Batu Pahat, including survivors from Slim River and the 5th & 6th Norfolks and 2nd Cambridgeshires, was tasked with holding the defense to facilitate withdrawal. However, they lacked sufficient manpower for multiple choke points. During the Muar operation, the Japanese had inserted a battalion by boat into the area that now reinforced by Nishimura's Imperial Guards, penetrated British defenses on bicycles and established roadblocks similar to those used against Anderson's men. Brigadier Bernard Challen, recently taking over after Moorhead's death, had requested permission to retreat to Senggarang, 10 miles down the coast. Percival insisted on holding the large airfield, only 60 miles from Singapore, awaiting two additional brigades from the 18th East Anglian Division. As time passed, Percival ordered Challen to withdraw, but the message came too late; Challen's approximately 3,000 men were already retreating when they encountered a roadblock just 500 yards beyond a bridge. His force probed the defenses and discovered another block being established behind them. Challen's troops were becoming encircled, and his wireless communications with divisional HQ were down. A relief effort was initiated, sending men with two armored cars to advance 5 miles north of Rengit. They were immediately fired upon from all sides, with another roadblock established behind them. Vehicles and heavy guns were abandoned as they retreated to an outpost at Rengit, soon under siege. A small relief force reached Challen, informing him that Singapore's evacuation was imminent and they needed to hurry. Thus, Challen faced a situation similar to Anderson's at Parit Sulong—forced to leave the wounded behind. One night, as the force tried to cross a river, "a burst of machine gun fire and a salvo of mortar bombs scattered the leading company. The panic spread; many men were drowned in a swamp." Challen attempted to restore order but became hopelessly lost. He encountered Japanese soldiers who shot his Indian orderly. After crawling along the roadside and climbing over barricades (which the Japanese mistook him for one of their own), he stole a bicycle and rode away. At dawn on January 29th, after being separated for over 24 hours, he was captured by an Imperial Guards patrol as he exited a hut. He was the highest-ranking British prisoner captured to that point. Colonel Morrison took command and worked to restore order. Realizing they were cut off, he decided to lead 1,500 men back to the coast and attempt to arrange a naval pickup after dark. Morrison established a defensive perimeter in a coastal village about three miles south of Rengit, less than a mile from the coastal road. The navy responded by dispatching the Yangtze River gunboats Scorpion and Dragonfly, which towed numerous small boats, sampans, and dinghies. As troops navigated through mangroves, the situation drew comparisons to Dunkirk. Men were transported partially submerged in water at night, anxiously wondering about venomous snakes or crocodiles. The force successfully reached Singapore on February 1st after Indian sappers used naval depth charges to create a 70-foot-wide gap in the Causeway. The withdrawal went remarkably smoothly, with the Japanese not pressing hard. Defenders left to the sound of Argyll pipers playing "Blue Bonnets O'er the Border." Despite their good fortune, the cost was significant—several hundred men missing, all artillery abandoned, and about 80% of their Bren guns left behind. The situation on the central front was far worse. Brigadier George Painter's 22nd Indian Brigade, already weakened during fighting in Kuantan and numbering around 2,000 men, was cut off and disappeared while trying to escape into the jungle. The problem occurred because General Arthur Barstow's 9th Indian Division kept Painter's 22nd and Lay's 8th brigades farther inland to prevent outflanking of the Eastern Australians. A railway bridge between the two brigades was blown up prematurely, possibly by accident, severing the telephone line that facilitated communication. Painter had already sent back most wheeled transport, Bren gun carriers, and notably, his headquarters' wireless truck. Without the telephone line, Lay's 8th Brigade could not inform Painter's 22nd of their movement. The Japanese from the 5th Division quickly exploited the gap, inserting themselves between the brigades and effectively cutting off Painter's 22nd. When Barstow realized what happened, he exploded at Lay: "You've sold the show...hel take you, man, get a battalion on that high ground." Barstow made his way to the railway line, intent on warning Painter. Accompanied by two Australian officers and a Sikh, they boarded a push-pull flatbed trolley. They arrived at the blown-up bridge and continued on foot, with Barstow leading the way, distinguished by the red band around his major-general's service cap—a prime target for Japanese snipers, who ultimately shot him dead. After Admiral Phillips, Barstow became the second highest-ranking officer killed in the war to that point. The 22nd was at risk of complete encirclement, prompting their retreat into the jungle. They had not received rations or supplies in some time and had several wounded soldiers whom they refused to abandon. Captain Denis Russell-Roberts noted the stretcher bearers' struggle through jungle swamps at night: "Shortly all four men were floundering in the bog. The man on the off fore position suddenly staggered, his knees were shaking wildly. He sank to one knee with a shout of terror in his hoarse voice and the stretcher lurched over on its side… This was an awful moment and it happened over and over again in one form or another. I think it was the groans and at times the shrieks of the wounded which struck the deepest note of horror… On the other side of the crossing the same difficulties were encountered. There the wounded man would almost inevitably find himself tilted backwards at the same steep angle with his head close to the level of the mud and his body uncomfortably positioned in a semi-vertical position. And through this hell passed twelve stretchers, twelve wounded men who were by now gangrenous, delirious and half-mad, forty-eight gallant men who carried the stretchers… a slow-moving picture of unforgettable misery." Despite their efforts, they ultimately had to leave the wounded behind, entrusting them to Tamil rubber workers at a large estate. The remainder of the brigade continued southward. They encountered approximately 300-400 Japanese soldiers but chose to bypass them; their own men were starving and lacked strength for combat. Just as they prepared a rearguard, they were ambushed. Commander Parkin raised his Thompson submachine gun and urged his men to fire at every visible Japanese soldier, even though most were low on ammunition. Many Indians mistakenly believed Parkin intended to surrender and were stunned when he opted to fight instead. Painter's personal battalion soon encountered more Japanese forces and was forced to surrender. The day after the causeway was destroyed, Brigadier Parkin arrived in Singapore with 24 of his soldiers, having commandeered a Chinese truck, driven to the northern side of the straits, and signaled sampans for rescue. In following days, a few stragglers from Painter's 22nd also reached Singapore, bringing the total to 63 men. Painter's 22nd brigade suffered catastrophic loss, all due to a severed telephone line. Many men did not make it to Singapore, but those who did found only brief respite. Yamashita was now preparing to lay siege to the "Gibraltar of the East," the Fortress of Singapore. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Trapped at Parit Sulong, Anderson's Australians fought through Japanese roadblocks before being forced to abandon 150 wounded—who faced massacre at enemy hands. Meanwhile, Endau fell after a costly RAF raid. Challen's brigade at Batu Pahat retreated through chaos, while Painter's 22nd Indian Brigade vanished in the jungle after a severed telephone line cut them off. Singapore's fortress awaited.

Read OnlineFrom Sinner to SaintAs Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.” Matthew 9:9Saint Matthew, whom we honor today, makes following Christ seem so simple. Jesus said, “Follow me,” and Matthew did so, leaving behind his former life and all the baggage he carried. Or did he? Though Matthew's instant response is inspiring, we should not presume that everything became easy from that moment on. When we have deeply ingrained habits of sin, it takes time and grace to root them out. But none of that healing can begin until we take the first step, which Matthew courageously did in today's Gospel.After leaving his customs post, Matthew hosted a dinner for Jesus in his home. Though his home may have been comfortable and the food rich, Matthew—like any new convert—had a long way to go. Tax collectors were despised by nearly everyone, except fellow tax collectors and those branded as sinners. The Jews saw them as traitors to both faith and nation, often barring them from synagogue and Temple worship. Their families, too, were commonly treated with contempt, sometimes even disowned. Ironically, even the Romans, for whom they collected taxes, looked down on them, as they were not true members of the Empire.This religious and social isolation inflicted deep suffering on these “sinners.” Though tax collectors may have lived outwardly lavish lives, their hearts often bore the sting of loneliness and rejection. It was into this wounded world that Jesus stepped when He encountered Matthew.The fact that Matthew followed Jesus quickly and eagerly reveals much about Matthew's inner life. He had heard of this new preacher—perhaps even whispers that He might be the Messiah—and the news had stirred something within. When this rabbi not only noticed him but spoke compassionately to him, commanding him to follow and accepting an invitation to dine in his home, it must have awakened a flood of emotion. Perhaps for the first time in years, Matthew felt something stirring within that had long been buried. Freedom, excitement, hope, and curiosity filled him, and he was willing to walk away from the past and begin anew.But conversion is not the end; it's only the beginning. Consider the weeks, months, and years that followed. Like us, Matthew likely wrestled with second thoughts. He would have struggled with guilt and shame, felt unworthy to be among Jesus' disciples, missed aspects of his old life, and faced the unfamiliar turmoil of inner transformation.For Matthew, as for all disciples, conversion is the first step. Discipleship is the ongoing journey by which the light of Heaven slowly and steadily penetrates every dark corner of our hearts. We begin to see our attachments more clearly, to understand the harm we've caused others, and to navigate the confusion that often arises when grace begins its work within.Today, we honor Saint Matthew because he kept going after that first step. The three years he spent at Jesus' side during the public ministry would have been years of profound transformation. After the Ascension, that transformation deepened as the Holy Spirit enlightened him from within, leading him to even more glorious things.Reflect today on the long and often painful journey of conversion and purification that Saint Matthew endured faithfully until the end. According to tradition, Matthew eventually traveled to the region south of the Caspian Sea—modern-day Iran or Armenia—where he gave his life in martyrdom. His most enduring legacy, however, is the Gospel he wrote. If God could use a tax collector and sinner like Matthew to do such great things, He can use each of us as well. Seek Saint Matthew's intercession. Ponder his Gospel. And pray for the grace to imitate his holy perseverance, one step at a time. Saint Matthew, when Jesus called, you followed without hesitation. Please pray for me, that I may respond to every prompting of grace as soon as it is offered. Intercede for me, that I—and all followers of Christ—may imitate your heroic journey: from sinner, wounded and isolated, to saint, dwelling forever in the glory of God's Kingdom. Jesus, call me as You called Matthew, and grant me the grace he received to follow You faithfully to the end. Jesus, I trust in You. Image: Saint Matthew the Evangelist, by Liviu Dumitrescu Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Title: Glorious, Abounding Grace Text: Ephesians 1:4-6 FCF: We often struggle praising God for His glorious grace. Prop: Because The Father elects and predestines people to be His children in Christ, we must praise the Father for His grace. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Ephesians chapter 1. In a moment we'll read verses 4-6 from the New English Translation. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As I said last week, verses 3-14 are one sentence, one prayer, one thought of Paul's. And it is this one thought that governs the rest of the letter both in teaching and in application. As such, it is incredibly important not only to get the meaning of every single word correct, but then to see how those words relate to each other. Don't expect too many short sermons as we move forward, and definitely expect to have grammar lessons every week… this week included. So let's get to it. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Sovereign and infinite Father, You sit on a throne above all things. You created time, matter, space, light. You brought order from chaos. You have formed and shaped all that is and all that will be. You have decreed what is Your will and published it. And not one decree or purpose You have made, can be altered or thwarted by any being. You are in absolute control over all things in Your creation, including the salvation of Your people. I pray that You would help us to see and understand this, so that we, as Your children, may praise You rightly for Your glorious grace. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “All objections to predestination proceed from the wisdom of the flesh” Martin Luther “The reason for the predestination of some and the reprobation of others must be sought for in the goodness of God.” Thomas Aquinas [Slide 3] “To get rid of predestination we have been willing to degrade our God into a godling.” B.B. Warfield “Let a man go to the grammar school of faith and repentance before he goes to the university of election and predestination.” George Whitefield And with Mr. Whitfield's comment, the bell has rung and class in the University of God the Father has begun. Let us set out to study God's Spiritual blessing to us of election and predestination. I.) God, in His love, chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be justified, so we must praise Him for His grace. (4) a. [Slide 4] 4 - For he chose us in Christ i. The first word in the sentence here is an adverb. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and answer questions concerning the words or phrases they modify. ii. In this case, the question being answered is “to what degree” or “in what way specifically” iii. Paul has just said that God is to be praised because He has favored believers with every Holy Spirit benefit by uniting us to Christ. iv. Now Paul moves on to explain to what degree God has blessed us with Holy Spirit benefits in Christ. v. He begins by telling the Ephesians that He, meaning God the Father, chose them. vi. The word chosen means selected or elected out of many alternatives. The Greek word is also in the middle voice which indicates that the action of choosing is being done to or for the one doing the choosing. vii. This means that the choice being made is for God's own reasons and to God's own purposes. viii. Now some Christians oppose or take issue with the doctrine of election and predestination. They have interpreted these passages differently to assuage their discomfort with God choosing individuals for salvation. In this, they see God's choice as a choice of a group or a kind of people rather than individuals. 1. They would say that God predestined the church, believers, whoever they may be. 2. They would say that God selected the cruise ship to get us to salvation, ie Jesus Christ, but not who specifically would board that cruise ship. It is up to each of us to decide whether we want a ticket or not. 3. The phrase “in Christ” in this text seems to support their point. And even what we've said last week puts that spin on it. God only gives these promises to Christ and we inherit them by being united with Him. 4. Ironically, although these Christians use Ephesians 1:4 to support corporate, non-individual election, Ephesians 1:4 is actually very challenging to such a view. 5. Not because of the words “in Christ” but because of the little pronoun, “us.” 6. In the context, the word “us” cannot refer to the universal church as a whole. 7. It can APPLY to the universal church, but the only people to whom Paul has referred in this letter so far are himself and those who are saints in EPHESUS. 8. That is a very specific collection of individuals. 9. Furthermore, if we are to assume that the Spiritual blessings mentioned in verses 3-14 are applied to each individual saint and not simply to the church as a whole, then we must understand this choosing to have been done individually and not just corporately. 10. Additionally, it is impossible to think about a group of people without also meaning, to some degree, individuals who make the group. 11. Taking the cruise ship example, any who are on the cruise ship get to go on the cruise. But to be on the cruise ship you must have a ticket. And how are tickets distributed? Individually. Even if you get a “group rate” how are those tickets dispersed? Individually. 12. Added to this, the word for God's choosing here is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament almost exclusively when God chooses individuals. 13. Therefore, the only consistent understanding of God's election of people is on an individual level which produces as an effect, a corporate body. 14. In other words, we must think of it as BOTH individual and corporate and not merely corporate. 15. God has chosen individuals to be in Christ forming His universal church. ix. Why should God the Father be praised? Because He chose us, every believer, individually, by name, in the lamb's book of life. x. And He did this in Christ. xi. But rather than seeing “in Christ” as though God only chose Christ and not individuals… xii. The preposition “in” here refers to location, meaning that Him choosing us is choosing us TO BE united to Christ. xiii. God did not choose us when He chose Christ… instead He chose us to be united to Christ, to be inside the covenant in which Christ is the mediatorial head. xiv. All the blessings of the New Covenant come to Christ alone. But we as individuals, are chosen to be in Christ which means we are chosen to receive those same blessings. xv. When did God choose this for us? Was it when we believed? xvi. No. Long before that. b. [Slide 5] before the foundation of the world i. The preposition simply introduces something that occurs before something else. ii. Foundation here means establishment or laying of a foundation of a house. iii. This phrase foundation of the world then, establishes that God's individual election of each believer to be united to Christ occurred before God created the world. iv. Before Adam fell, God already chose individuals to be united to Christ through faith and create a group of people that would be His kingdom of priests. v. Taking the cruise ship example, did God choose to put our names on our tickets when we decided we wanted one? No. He purchased the ticket with our name on it before the foundation of the world. vi. The scriptures speak of a book called the lamb's book of life. vii. In it are recorded all those INDIVIDUALS who are part of God's Kingdom and in Revelation 13 the scriptures teach us that those names written in this book have been there since before the foundation of the world. viii. This utterly destroys the corporate election idea. It is simply not what the scriptures teach. At least not in isolation. God thinks individually and corporately for both sinners and His elect. ix. This also cripples the argument that God assigns our names upon our confession of Christ. It is simply not true. God has assigned our names to the lamb's book of life before the foundation of the earth. Before we did any good or evil. Before we had any capacity to believe or not, God chose us to be united to Christ. x. Some object and say, that God looked into the future to see who would believe and chose them. 1. Not only does this add significantly to the definition of the word foreknowledge, but it also creates more problems and doesn't solve the problems it tries to. 2. The problem it tries to solve is that God punishes people for sin when He had not elected them for salvation. But if God looks ahead to see who would choose Him, and chooses them, why then would God create the people who wouldn't choose Him. By creating people who He knew would not choose Him, isn't He just as culpable for their punishment? Isn't that election for reprobation too? 3. Furthermore, it is hard to see how God electing us to salvation because we would choose Him, is NOT works based salvation. Does God ever tell us that He make these choices based on the qualities He sees in us? Is that what the scriptures teach? And if He does, how is salvation a work of God and not of our doing? xi. No. As difficult as it may be, we must see it as the apostle Paul sees it here. God chooses who He will put into Christ and He does so before the foundation of the world without considering any worth we may have. xii. But for what purpose? Why did God do this? c. [Slide 6] that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight i. God the Father chose this for individuals, not simply so that they would be saved, not simply that they would inherit the blessings of the covenant relationship between the Father and the Son… ii. But so those who inherit these blessings would also be His true people. A people who He sees as holy and unblemished. iii. Again, this hints at both individual and corporate election. iv. God chose individuals in Christ so that we might be something collectively… namely… a holy and unblemished people who accurately image Him. v. There is some scholarly debate as to whether Paul refers to justification or sanctification. Is this talking about God's declaring us righteous or is this talking about becoming more holy and blameless? vi. In favor of the justification view, 1. The words “In His sight” might hint at this being about justification. 2. Being holy and unblemished in His sight could mean something different than actually being holy and unblemished. And I think if we are honest, it kinda has to. For none of us are holy and unblemished. Not really. 3. But in Christ… because Christ is holy and unblemished and we are chosen to be in Him, we inherit that status legally. We are as good as our covenantal head, even if we as individuals are still sinners. God sees us as holy and unblemished. And Christ will present us holy and unblemished to the Father. 4. This also keeps the focus on God and His work rather than moving to our works. vii. However, in favor of the sanctification view, 1. This actually sets up the rest of the letter in that Paul will urge the Ephesians to actually live holy and blameless lives. 2. Holy meaning different by loving righteousness and blameless meaning lacking a love for sin. 3. Why must they live these lives? 4. Because they have been called by Christ's name. They have been chosen to be something that they should live up to. viii. I think I slightly favor the justification view, but really, you can pick either one, both are biblically sound. d. [Slide 7] in love. i. It is difficult to know how to interpret the final two words of this verse. ii. It largely depends on what it modifies. Is it referring to God choosing in love, for us to be holy and blameless in love, to be before him or in his sight in love or could it go with what follows in verse 5? iii. What's the difference? iv. Well, if God elects, predestines, or if we are justified in His sight in love, then this is emphasizing God's motive in His sovereign role in salvation. That it is not a mindless, random, or cold choice but one done in love toward those He chooses, predestines, or justifies. v. If it goes with holiness and blamelessness then it would emphasize how God's electing of us produces a holy and blameless living person who is also loving to others. vi. I slightly favor the view that this deals with God's sovereign role in salvation. Mainly because that seems to be Paul's point through this. It is giving glory to God for His role. It also fits a pattern that is repeated in verse 5 where God does something for a purpose from a certain motive. vii. But in reality, either view is biblically true. e. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Paul recounts just one of the Holy Spirit blessings that the Father has given to us. Namely that in love, God chose each believer individually, before the foundation of the world, to be put into Christ for the purpose that they would be holy and unblemished in His sight. As far as blessings go… Paul starts with a banger. Can you think of a greater blessing to start with? That, if you are truly a Christian here today, God chose you before time began, to be His possession and secured under His covenant which He made in His Son, so that you would receive the benefits of that covenant and be seen as though you were as holy and unblemished as the head of that covenant… which is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. Wow. If we are in the right frame of mind, I can think of two responses this should produce in us. First… is the question why me? And second is the need to praise the Father for His divine election. [Slide 9 (blank)] Transition: But this is only the first part of God the Father's Spiritual Blessings that He gives to us. He has chosen us. But wait… there's more! II.) God, by His mere good pleasure, predestines to adoption those whom He chooses in Christ, so we must praise God for His grace. (5) a. [Slide 10] 5 - He did this by predestining us i. The words “He did this by” are not actually in the Greek text. ii. But the NET actually does us an interpretive favor, because we might wonder what the relationship is between God's choosing us in Christ and His predestining us. iii. Predestining is a circumstantial participle. Circumstantial participles tell us the circumstances under which another action occurs in the sentence. iv. Since the only action that has occurred in this sentence so far has been God's choosing us, predestining us must provide the circumstances under which His choosing occurred. v. When circumstantial participles are in the aorist tense, like it is here, most of the time this means that the participle occurs prior to the verb and in some way necessitated or led to the main verb happening. vi. Ok, after all that Grammar gobbledygook, what does that mean? vii. God chooses us because or after, or according to His predestining of us. Meaning He predestines us and then He chooses us, all occurring when? Before the foundation of the world. viii. But what does it mean to be predestined? ix. The Greek word breaks down into two words. Marked out-beforehand. Or we could say, predetermined. x. The idea here then, is that God chooses us to be holy in His sight because He has predetermined for us… a destiny. xi. God does not give us a choice… He gives us a destiny. xii. Jesus says that those who believe in Him will not be condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because only Christ can save. xiii. In other words, we all start as condemned. We all start as unbelievers. We all start with one destiny. xiv. It is only those whom God the Father has predestined that are given a different destiny than condemnation. xv. And what is that destiny? b. [Slide 11] to adoption as his sons i. The preposition “to” is a preposition of purpose. ii. God has predestined us for the purpose that we would be adopted as His sons. iii. Our destiny is that we would become children of God by adoption. iv. Once again, this destroys the idea that God predestines and then elects a corporate entity. The metaphor of adoption makes absolutely no sense if this is not seen as individuals. v. In fact, the metaphor of adoption proves that God elects and predestines from individual to corporate. You are adopted individually to become part of a family. This is exactly what Paul is saying. It doesn't work the other way. Whether you look at Greek, Roman, or Jewish adoption law, all three emphasize the paternal authority to adopt individual children. vi. How does He accomplish this? c. [Slide 12] through Jesus Christ, i. The preposition through here is a preposition of means. ii. Christ is not the instrument or tool to accomplish our adoption. Rather Christ is the path or the process for us to be adopted as sons of God. iii. Again, this emphasizes the Father's role in adoption and the Son as the mediatorial head of a new covenant. He is the means to being made to be fellow sons and daughters of God with Him. iv. The NET here omits two words which are in the Greek. It was difficult picking a translation to use for this sermon. All had their pros and cons. This is a big con here for the NET. v. The two words omitted are “to Himself” vi. To is a preposition of direction, indicating for us that this adoption as sons through Jesus is a path that leads to God the Father. Essentially this is John 14:6 again, where Jesus says, “No one comes to the Father but by me” vii. Or perhaps another way we could say, “No one gets to call Him Father except through me.” viii. Well, how did God go about predestining and choosing us for this? d. [Slide 13] according to the pleasure of his will i. God chooses and predestines individuals in Christ to be holy by giving them a destiny for the purpose of making them His family members… and He made those decisions before the foundations of the world according to the pleasure of His will. ii. What does that mean? iii. According to is a preposition of reference. It is used to mark out the source of information, a plan, or an agreement. iv. What follows then answers the question, from what source did God consult to make these decisions. v. Pleasure here is actually good pleasure. It is a delightful intention or fixed intention of benevolent favor. vi. Will is the attitude of the mind to favor or choose one alternative over another. vii. The source God consulted to predestine and choose us, is His favorable will. viii. Again, this indicates that God did not predestine and choose in a cold, random way. Rather in a loving and benevolent way. ix. I've said this several times before but I'll say it again. God doesn't leave us guessing why He predestined and elected us to salvation. He tells us. We just don't like the answer because it doesn't tell us enough. x. God predestines and elects according to His good will. And that is it. xi. It is pure grace. Man has no part in any of this. e. [Slide 14] Summary of the Point: Paul's second point here on this blessing of the Father is connected by the word “predestining.” His predestining is what led to the action of Him choosing us in Christ. As the firstborn Christ inherits all from the Father, and Christ has shared all with those whom the Father has adopted according to His good will. God didn't give a choice – heaven or hell. He gave us a destiny. We were born with a destiny of condemnation. But because of His predestination and election before the foundation of the world – He gave us a new destiny. A new family through Christ's atonement. A path carved out for our adoption. So, what should we do with this knowledge? What should this doctrine produce in us? Praise. Praise to the Father for His sovereign plan. [Slide 15 (blank)] Transition: So, we have seen what God has done. He has chosen us in Christ to holiness and blamelessness in His sight in love, by predestining us to adoption though Jesus according to His benevolent will. But why? What is His goal in all this? What is His purpose? III.) God graces us with grace in Christ, so we must praise Him for His grace. (6) a. [Slide 16] 6 - to the praise of the glory of his grace i. To is a preposition of purpose. And it marks out the purpose of this destiny of sonship. ii. It is to gain for Himself sons and daughters who praise Him. iii. But for what? iv. The glory, which means the majesty or the honor, or the esteem, or the fame of… v. His grace. vi. Not only is grace something that we should be wishing to others. Not only is grace the lifeblood of the Christian walk. vii. His Grace being big in our eyes and worthy of great praise, is the purpose of our election and predestination. viii. God elects and predestines us so that we will praise Him for His MATCHLESS GRACE! ix. It is so important for us to empty election and predestination of anything of men. Why? Because only then can we see the grace of God as truly matchless and glorious. x. A grace that predestines and elects based on what we will do or who we are… is no gift of grace at all. It is merely a reward for work. xi. But a grace that elects us out of pure favor and love, is a grace that is glorious indeed. xii. But how much grace has God given to us? b. [Slide 17] that he has freely bestowed on us i. The Greek word means to bestow grace. But several translations add the word freely or lavishly. ii. This is because it would literally be translated, “He graced us with grace.” Which forms an idiom of abundance. iii. To freely or lavishly bestow is to do so without end or without limit. That God gives grace without stopping. iv. God freely and lavishly bestows His glorious grace on us in our election and predestination. And we must praise Him for it. c. [Slide 18] in his dearly loved Son. i. Again, this is a preposition of location. ii. It refers to our unity to Christ. iii. We are one with Christ and therefore, just as Christ received unlimited blessing and giftings from the Father through the Spirit, so also, we are given unlimited grace through the Father choosing and predestining us to be adopted children who praise Him for His glorious and abounding grace. d. [Slide 19] Summary of the Point: Paul finishes the first stanza of His doxological eulogy about God the Father. He has told us that God has chosen us in Christ by predestining us to be adopted through Christ. He has told us that this is because He loves us and has good will toward us. He has told us that He has done all this before the world was created and without any consideration on who we are or what we might be or do. All of this sets up the Father's glorious purpose in our predestination and election. And it is so we, as adopted members of His family, would accurately worship Him for His glorious grace which He has lavished upon us in Christ. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 20] In Paul's opening words of his good word of praise to God the Father, he told us that God has blessed us with every Holy Spirit benefit and kept them for us in the heavenlies in Christ. Now Paul expands on what some of those Spiritual blessings are and how they lead to all other Spiritual blessings. And he opens with one of the most perplexing and unfortunately one of the most controversial doctrines in the scriptures. Yet Paul clearly has no intention of starting a fight or argument. He wants his readers to be swept away by the magnitude of God's grace. So, however we understand this passage, we must see God's grace loom as large as possible. And that means taking the most straight forward reading of the text, which is that God predestines and elects those who will be adopted as sons and be part of His family and He does this according to His own good will without consulting anything about who we are or what we've done. God doesn't give us a choice; He gives us a destiny. A destiny we weren't born with and one we'd never see if He did not give it to us. THAT indeed, is glorious grace. And we should praise Him for it. But let me break this down and, unfortunately, defend these doctrines which are so plain in the text this morning. 1.) [Slide 21] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God chooses before the foundation of the world who will inherit the blessings Christ purchased in His atonement. a. A clear and straight forward reading of this text brings us to this exact conclusion. b. God lovingly chooses before the foundation of the world individuals who will become holy and blameless in His sight both in their justification and in their sanctification. c. Who He chooses is a mystery and the individuals He chooses certainly form a corporate group of people who all have been chosen together… d. But with those caveats aside, whether we want to or not, we cannot help but confess that this doctrine is 100% true. e. It is by God's Sovereign choice in electing individuals that they inherit the blessings of the New Covenant. f. And when we go back to the passages about the New Covenant, passages like Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31, we read about this. God gives them a new heart not as a nation, but as individuals within the nation. God guarantees that they will follow Him. He guarantees that each individual will not need to be taught about Him because they will know Him. God tells them it isn't for them He will do this but for His name, or for His posterity. For His family. He tells them He will make them unblemished and cleanse them from their uncleanness. g. Then in Ezekiel 37 directly after this, He illustrates the New Covenant to the prophet by having him preach to the valley of dry bones. Bones cannot hear, much less respond to preaching. Yet Ezekiel preached and the bones came to life, took on flesh, and fled. h. Whatever God does in the New Covenant, it is clear from the Old Testament passages, that God does it by Himself. Why? Because WE are dry bones. We have 1 destiny. i. God chose, before He created the world, who He would unite to Christ. 2.) [Slide 22] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God chooses based on His predestining us to be adopted into His family. a. Because of the relationship of the words in the text, we must understand that predestination precedes or in some way contributes to God's choice before the foundation of the world. b. This means that God's plan to give a destiny of adoption into His family preceded or contributed to who He would choose to be in Christ. c. This helps us to understand why predestination and election seem to have a corporate feel to it. d. Because God began with the intention to gain for Himself and family by adoption, He then chose individuals to be in Christ to form that family. e. There is an unmistakable corporate nature to this plan of God's but it is accomplished through individual names put in the book of life before the foundation of the world. f. And we must recognize that this plan of God's for His elect is not merely to save us from sin and death. It is to save us TO adoption. To be in God's family, bear His name, and to be holy and blameless in His sight. g. God has a plan for us first and then puts names to it. h. He is truly sovereign over all – including salvation. i. Because these things are true, we must… 3.) [Slide 23] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God chooses and predestines us based on something we are or something we have done or will do. a. God tells us what source He used to predestine and choose us. b. It was the good pleasure of His will. c. Now this answer doesn't satisfy us. We kinda want to know more. d. But what this answer refutes, and what the scriptures refute, is that God determined these destinies and choices based on something He saw in us. e. God did not look ahead to see who would believe before he made their destiny to adoption and chose them in His Son. f. He consulted His good will and predestined and chose according to it. g. To say otherwise endangers the very core of the gospel being not of works and not of man. For if God chose us because of something we are or will do… is there no room for boasting? I see a lot of room for boasting. h. Instead, if God chose me because He is good and delighted to choose me… I have nothing but praise to offer. 4.) [Slide 24] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God chooses and predestines a group and not individuals. a. I came into this text fully resolved against the idea that God predestines and elects corporately. b. Through this text, I have come to the conclusion that I was wrong. God most certainly predestines and elects those who are saved in a corporate way. He predestines a group. A family. c. But He doesn't predestine and elect empty spots in his family. He elects individuals to adoption into His family. d. Based on this text and the rest of the New Testament, this must be how we see this. e. Because the blessings of the New Covenant are given to Christ individually, and because each of us must express individual faith in Christ for God to unite us to Him, and because God will give new hearts to individuals within that New Covenant, and because God has written individual names in the book of life who will not be cast into the second death and who will not be blotted out… f. We must come to the conclusion that this election and predestination is of individuals to a corporate destiny found in and through Jesus Christ. g. We must deny that God only elects a non-individual group to salvation. For this does not hold up to the scrutiny of the entire New Testament's teaching on the matter. h. Based on all we've discussed this morning… There is one thing we must stop doing. 5.) [Slide 25] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop fighting these doctrines and submit to them instead. a. Notice I did not say we must stop fighting OVER these doctrines, although that is also true. We must certainly stop fighting each other over these things. And I think I know how we can do that… b. Emboldened by this text, I exhort all of us to stop fighting these doctrines. Full Stop. c. Now, even when we lay aside all the caricatures and false representations of these doctrines, it does not make them easy to swallow. d. They are uncomfortable. I'll give you that. It is uncomfortable to put all of our salvation in the hands of God and leave nothing for us. e. It is uncomfortable to think that there are many people God has not predestined and elected to salvation. f. But the scriptures rarely call us to believe what is comfortable. Most of the time the scriptures call on us to believe things that are quite uncomfortable. g. Paul makes it quite clear. God alone predestines and chooses who will be part of His family. In the same way God alone chose Seth, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David. God predestines and chooses. And we just need to yield to that teaching. h. It is ONLY when we yield to that fully that we can obey the true command of this text. i. Which is what? 6.) [Slide 26] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must praise God for His glorious grace in predestination and election. a. God planned to adopt sinners into His family through Christ's path. b. If you are a believer today… c. God then picked you before time began to be united with His Son and in the New Covenant. d. God did all this because He loves you and in accordance with His good and favorable will. e. He put your name in the lamb's book of life. f. He chose Seth to produce a line that would lead to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and eventually to the Messiah who would be your new covenantal head. g. He sent His Son in the fullness of time to pay for your sins. h. His Son was the firstborn of many brothers so you would be adopted into the family of God through His atonement. i. He did all of this… for you. For me. j. Why? k. So, we would praise the wonder, the power, the majesty, the glory… of His grace. l. God's grace, his powerful favor to make you what He predestined and elected you to be. m. Your application from this text is not to go home and fight these doctrines. It is not to go home and argue with God thinking you are arguing with me. n. Your application is to praise the Father for the wonder of His grace! o. If you leave here and do anything less – it is disobedience to the scriptures. 7.) [Slide 27] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God didn't just choose to save us from sin. He has appointed us to be in His family, inherit His name, and live like He wants us to live. a. I know we've mentioned this already but let me just draw attention to it one more time. b. God designed a destiny first and picked our names for that destiny second. He decided what He would do and then to whom it would apply. c. This is FAR BEYOND escaping hell. d. We were sons and daughters of Satan my friends! We were like our father the devil. e. But God didn't give US a choice, HE chose us for a DESTINY. One He marked out before the foundation of the world. f. Do you not feel loved? Do you not feel comfort of the good pleasure of God's will? 8.) [Slide 28] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” Even though God predestines and elects those who He will save, God does not reveal to us the individuals for whom He has done this. Therefore, the invitation to repent and believe is given to all. And that means you! a. One of the dangers of preaching the doctrines of predestination and election is that it is largely an intramural discussion. b. As Whitfield said, one should start with grade school teachings before moving to university teachings. c. The gospel call is for people to repent and believe. Only after someone has done this will they come to recognize that their repentance and faith were gifts of God given to make sure they become what He chose them to be before time began. d. But a danger in preaching these things is that unbelievers become quite fatalistic. They conclude that if God has already decided this… then no matter what I choose, it doesn't actually matter. I'm not going to change my destiny. e. But that is the thing… God doesn't offer a choice; He offers a new destiny. And one piece of information God conceals from us… is to whom He offers this destiny. f. If you are here today and you are not a believer, then you know the destiny you have. That is condemnation. It is death. It is the wrath of God for your sin. g. But perhaps for the first time you've been made aware of another destiny in the family of God. One that God provides to all whom He unites to His Son by true faith. h. How do you know you have that destiny offered to you? i. By receiving it. Turn from your sin. Trust in Jesus as your new representative. Both to take away your guilt of sin and to give you holiness and blamelessness. j. Walk in a new family and live up to the family name. k. If you do this, then you know that God has destined you for it. l. It is kinda the way we always determine destiny isn't it? How do you know you were destined to be a great singer? You sing. How do you know you were destined to be a great baseball player? You play. m. How do you know God has destined you for His family? You turn from your sins and you trust in Jesus as God's Son and your new representative. In short, you trust what your Father says. n. Is that you today? [Slide 29 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the English reformer Henry Airay. Set apart and dedicate our hearts, Lord, with the touch of your Holy Spirit, so we may worship you in spirit and in truth, and so we may rejoice in your Son Christ Jesus our salvation. Teach us to renounce all confidence in anything that does not include him! Purge us daily more and more from all overdone affections, and from all those unbridled desires which may draw us away from you or hinder us from serving you. Renew in us a right spirit, so we may worship you-not in a comfortable way that we dream up on our own, but in spirit and in truth, according to your holy word. Set us apart and make us holy through your Holy Spirit, so that as we completely abandon all worldly confidence, we may wholly and only rejoice in Christ Jesus forever and ever, amen. Benediction: Now may your rising soul survey The mercies of your God; May you be lost in wonder, love and praise, So that through every period of your life His goodness you will pursue, Until our Lord Comes again. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use. This week, we chew on the new documentary now in theaters, "You Had To Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way)." As depicted in the delightful film, if you ever wondered how a whole parcel of comedy greats got their starts, it was in a Canadian production of "Godspell" in 1972 that was a resounding success at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre. All stars aligned to bring together the constellation of Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin and Jayne Eastwood, with musical director Paul Shaffer. Ironically, the musical depicting Jesus and his disciples was heavily Jewish -- sometimes with comical results. Let’s hear who gave this film an “oy,” “meh” or the prized “not bad” this week on The Reel Schmooze. The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isaiah Called Out the Daughters of Zion by Autumn Dickson There is a passage in Isaiah about the daughters of Zion. Not gonna lie…it can be a hard one to read. It calls out the women in Zion for their pride in the form of outward ornamentation, and it prophesies of their downfall. And though it's a difficult topic, I want to talk about this passage and its insights into modesty. Isaiah 3:16-18 16 Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: 17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts. 18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, There are a couple of things in there that we're going to talk about, but let's start with the beginning. They are haughty, walking with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet. In other words, these girls are working the room. Their stretched forth necks make them taller, more noticeable. Their wanton eyes were flirtatious and inviting. Their “mincing” means that they were taking these tiny steps that were fashionable. In fact, some even had chains around their ankles that would limit their gait so they would have to take tinier steps. Their tinkling feet announced they were coming and invited everyone to pay attention to their status and wealth. So let's talk about immodesty. Traditionally (at least since the 1900's onward), modesty has an association of covering yourself up with clothes, and these verses don't necessarily say anything about whether these women were wearing revealing clothing. It mainly talks about their ornamentation and purposes. The word modesty has been reduced to talking about how much skin you're showing; it used to mean so much more. Modesty is an attitude. It can be reflected in one's dress, but one could be wearing a plethora of different styles and find themselves modest or immodest depending on their heart. If an immodest heart were to speak aloud, it would say, “Look at me. Pay attention to my looks, status, wealth. You don't really have to even consider anything else about me. Just look at me. I want your attention.” A modest heart would say, “How can I do good?” Completely uninhibited by the opinions of others or the need for someone to notice them. Outwardly, you can wear a great many things. You can make yourself look nice and have fun expressing yourself, and this goes for both men and women. Modesty is an attitude, not clothing. There have been plenty of times in my life that I've walked around with an immodest attitude. Especially growing up, I remember trying to draw attention to myself even though my clothes were considered perfectly modest. I craved attention. It made me feel better, but it never lasted. Focusing yourself on drawing attention is a vastly empty endeavor; it doesn't feel good for very long. It also affected how I felt about myself. I reduced the entirety of myself to how much attention I could attract rather than focusing on what I could truly give to the world. When you're only feeling rewarded for being noticed for how you look, you sometimes lose the best parts of yourself. This attitude wasn't constant in my life, but it was present enough to cause problems. And while I think that clothing can affect your attitude, I don't think it's an end-all. I wore perfectly “modest” clothes, and yet, I was plenty immodest in my heart. There are a great many curses that follow after this attitude, but one of the phrases in these verses that really caught my attention in these verses was the idea that the Lord would take away the BRAVERY of their ornamentation. We see that plenty. It is hard to feel beautiful, even with ornamentation, when we're competing with an illusion on the internet. It is hard to be brave and defend yourself when you're merely arming yourself with beauty. Even when you do well, you still get attacked. And so we change. Instead of walking into a room and trying to impress everyone so that we can make friends, we forget about ourselves and really try to think about others. When we're having a conversation, sometimes we talk in a certain way or say certain things because we have this great desire to be loved. Sometimes it's not just about being admired; we are truly seeking love. Ironically, if you really want to be loved, your most effective strategy is a focus on making the other person feel special. I have found deeper relationships, more acceptance, and more fulfillment with this strategy than my previously desperate attempts to be liked. We don't know exactly what the last days will look like, but if we get to the end and find ourselves without the ornamentation, we won't feel bereft and have to go through the process of completely redefining ourselves. We will still have a basis for loving ourselves. One last thought. Reading these verses can cause some inward reflection about whether we're personally seeking attention. This is a good reflection and reminder. It can also cause us to reflect on others we know who are seeking attention. Refrain from making ultimate judgments or removing yourself from them. I would tell you to stop making judgments completely, but I don't think that's necessarily wise either. Humans are given judgment to protect ourselves and help us make better decisions. We just can't take that judgment beyond its proper bounds and write a person off. In this chapter, Isaiah was warning against pride. It would be rather ironic to dress the opposite of the daughters of Zion and find yourself with pride over the idea that you are not like them. Instead, when you notice signs that someone may be seeking attention, recognize they are probably seeking love but don't know how to do it in a way that's healthy. Make a friend and try to help them see themselves as so much more than ornamentation. Consistently draw attention to qualities that matter more than how they look. Love them enough that eventually they don't feel a need to seek love in ways that won't fill them. I testify that an attitude of modesty is a blessing. Focusing on others can inoculate us against emptiness and despair. It can shield us when the world pronounces unfair judgment. There are much happier ways to live, and I'm grateful the Lord seeks to teach us of His ways. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 1–12 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the head of Realign for Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse. Before Alkhatib gives us an overview of the conditions on the ground right now in the Gaza Strip, he speaks to social media allegations that he is a "Zionist" or "pro-Israel stooge" because of his staunch anti-Hamas stance and willingness to engage with Israelis and Jews. He speaks to how the "pro-Palestine industrial complex" marches in lockstep to condemn and blame Israel, giving two examples: the recent Haaretz report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned about the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel and the unreserved acceptance of the narrative portrayed in the new film "NAZA." Alkhatib goes through the recent claims made against Netanyahu and explains how, in his assessment, there are other agendas at work by a variety of actors. Something doesn't add up, he says. Turning to "NAZA" and its unprecedented 25-minute standing ovation, Alkhatib again turns the spotlight on the double standard the world employs when discussing Hamas versus Israel. "Ironically, Israelis are believed when they criticize their government and their military and their people and their army, but Palestinians against Hamas in Gaza... they're not believed. They're called traitors, or they're silenced or they're viewed as inconvenient, by the same people that gave that long standing ovation," he says. "It's enraging to me that Hamas is afforded the benefit of the doubt," he says, adding that residents of Gaza are likewise enraged that they remain held captive by a terrorist regime that is given a "pass" by the international community and pro-Palestine activists. Finally, Alkhatib announces that his new short book, "Hamas and its Two Million Hostages" -- part memoir, part an attempt to explain how Hamas's stranglehold on the people in the Gaza Strip is only tightening -- will soon be translated into Hebrew. (Arabic is also in the plans.) And so this week, we ask Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, what matters now? What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Nolan is one of the few directors in the world of film using traditional techniques mixed with practical modern effects to make his movies. For years he was accused of whitewashing and downplaying women alongside of criticism for telling his stories in a non-linear fashion with variations in the audio. He is also criticized for relying on explanatory dialogue instead of an overload of stimulating images. Suddenly, however, his movie The Odyssey is being called "woke" for the casting of racially-different actors and for interpreting the original story in a modern way, even portraying Odysseus as weak because the movie relied on the psychology of trauma. Ironically, the so-called diverse cast saw very little air time, and some of them were not horrible performances. Portraying Odysseus as more human and interpreting his journey through a modern lens is not in any way new to a Nolan film. Most of his films rely heavily on psychology and somewhat unorthodox dialogue. Some castings don't work, but others do; like when he was criticized for casting Heath Ledger as the Joker, which turned out to be one of the single greatest performances in cinema history. When asked about the "woke" accusations, Nolan doubled down on his body of work and made no attempt to justify it based on politics, race, gender, etc. In other words, it appears that accusations of "woke" are based on nothing but broken, hollow arguments that are looking for conspiracies and something to be angry about. In this case, it is coming from the right rather than the left. Furthermore, Nolan uses practical effects to create plane crashes, atomic bombs, and even giant cyclopes, instead of relying on CGI, something that again, ironically, something the anti-woke people are usually complaining about in Hollywood needing to change. *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. Subscribe to remove ads. The show has no sponsorship and has been banned countless places. 

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, the head of Realign for Palestine, an Atlantic Council project that challenges entrenched narratives in the Israel and Palestine discourse. Before Alkhatib gives us an overview of the conditions on the ground right now in the Gaza Strip, he speaks to social media allegations that he is a "Zionist" or "pro-Israel stooge" because of his staunch anti-Hamas stance and willingness to engage with Israelis and Jews. He speaks to how the "pro-Palestine industrial complex" marches in lockstep to condemn and blame Israel, giving two examples: the recent Haaretz report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned about the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel and the unreserved acceptance of the narrative portrayed in the new film "NAZA." Alkhatib goes through the recent claims made against Netanyahu and explains how, in his assessment, there are other agendas at work by a variety of actors. Something doesn't add up, he says. Turning to "NAZA" and its unprecedented 25-minute standing ovation, Alkhatib again turns the spotlight on the double standard the world employs when discussing Hamas versus Israel. "Ironically, Israelis are believed when they criticize their government and their military and their people and their army, but Palestinians against Hamas in Gaza... they're not believed. They're called traitors, or they're silenced or they're viewed as inconvenient, by the same people that gave that long standing ovation," he says. "It's enraging to me that Hamas is afforded the benefit of the doubt," he says, adding that residents of Gaza are likewise enraged that they remain held captive by a terrorist regime that is given a "pass" by the international community and pro-Palestine activists. Finally, Alkhatib announces that his new short book, "Hamas and its Two Million Hostages" -- part memoir, part an attempt to explain how Hamas's stranglehold on the people in the Gaza Strip is only tightening -- will soon be translated into Hebrew. (Arabic is also in the plans.) And so this week, we ask Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, what matters now? What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oh no, China! That's what all the techbros are saying. Let's test that theory with some shownotes generated by Qwen 3.8 Max. The max is for MAXIMUM. This is the maximum. EPISODE SUMMARYIt is Hong Kong Jack's birthday, and the Two Jacks mark the occasion with a long, wide-ranging episode recorded on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.The show opens with Pauline Hanson's refusal to remove a cartoon from her website branding Liberal MP Andrew Hastie a traitor — eight times over. Barnaby Joyce has apologised, One Nation candidates are expressing discomfort, but Hanson will not budge. Jack the Insider argues her truculence is a delusion shared by populists everywhere: the belief that backing down is weakness. Ironically, the affair has burnished Hastie's credentials as a potential Coalition leader. From there, the hosts turn to the Prime Minister's handling of the Marrickville Golf Club membership controversy — a one-day story turned into a one-week saga by Albanese taking umbrage rather than simply admitting an oversight.The conversation broadens into the global rise of populism: revelations about a One Nation candidate in Victoria; ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess's expression of deep regret over the October 9 Opera House rally and his warning that normalised behaviours raised the temperature and increased the permission for politically motivated violence; and Germany's state elections, where the AFD's surge in Saxony comes despite the state having one of the lowest foreign-born populations in the country. Chancellor Merz, with 75 per cent disapproval, may be finished. A proposed Constitutional Court ban on the AFD is, in Hong Kong Jack's view, just about the worst thing Germany could do.Across the Atlantic, the Lindsay Clancy mistrial in Massachusetts — a jury split 11-1 for acquittal after 40 hours, with postpartum depression at the centre of the defence — prompts a wider discussion of the US justice system. Donald Trump's midterm rally speech earns scrutiny too: the pledge of five thousand dollars for every adult male, his claim to have outrated the NFL (2.5 million viewers against 28.3 million), and his falling asleep during the reading of the names at the 9/11 commemoration. The hosts close that section with reflections from John Howard and Kevin Rudd on where they were 25 years ago.Finally, the footy: an NFL crowd of 100,000 at the MCG to watch the 49ers beat the Rams; Russell Jackson's ABC story on racism allegations at Hawthorn and North Melbourne, which the Jacks find lacking in evidence; Cricket Australia's BBL privatisation push; and finals predictions for the AFL and NRL. The birthday show signs off, fittingly, with the arrest of a Nigerian prince in California.TIMESTAMPSAll times include the 25-second theme music.00:00:27 — Welcome; happy birthday Hong Kong Jack00:01:19 — Pauline Hanson refuses to remove Andrew Hastie "traitor" cartoon00:05:30 — The PM and the Marrickville Golf Club: a one-day story becomes a one-week saga00:07:03 — Populists and the delusion that they can do no wrong00:08:08 — One Nation's Victorian candidate: drugs and sexual deviance allegations00:18:17 — ASIO's Mike Burgess on the October 9 rally and politically motivated violence00:40:13 — Germany's state elections: the AFD's surge in Saxony00:48:15 — The AFD, remigration rhetoric and anti-Semitism00:57:44 — Chancellor Merz at 75 per cent disapproval; the proposed AFD ban00:59:34 — The Lindsay Clancy mistrial in Massachusetts01:10:03 — Trump's midterm speech: five grand for every adult male and the ratings claim01:11:38 — 9/11 at 25: Trump asleep at the commemoration; Howard and Rudd remember01:25:42 — NFL at the MCG: the 49ers down the Rams before 100,00001:28:33 — Russell Jackson, the ABC and the Hawthorn–North Melbourne racism allegations01:38:01 — Cricket Australia and BBL privatisation01:39:42 — AFL finals: Freo, the Swans, the Hawks and the Lions01:41:27 — NRL finals: Panthers, Warriors, Sharks and Cowboys01:42:43 — A Nigerian prince finally caught — in California

Are you tired of feeling like you never have enough time, no matter how much you optimize your life? In this episode of the No Vacation Required podcast, Kent and Caanan break down the "efficiency lie." Discover why outsourcing your daily chores might actually be making you miserable, why "workism" is ruining our health, and how to redefine your measures of success away from the endless pursuit of more money.CHAPTERS(00:00) Introduction: Redefining your measures of success(00:51) The time trap: Why we never feel like we have enough(02:54) The efficiency lie: How outsourcing is hurting our health (05:59) Why doing your own chores actually brings joy(09:33) Money vs. Freedom: What you actually wantCOMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE❓Why does "buying back my time" make me feel more stressed? We live in an efficiency culture that encourages us to outsource basic human tasks – like cooking, cleaning, or running errands – so we can work more. Ironically, these "chores" are often the very things that regulate our nervous systems and bring us a sense of grounded fulfillment.❓What is "workism"? Workism is the belief that work is not just necessary for economic survival, but the centerpiece of one's identity and life's purpose. It leads us to optimize our personal lives solely so we can be more productive for our employers.❓Do I really need more money, or just more freedom? If your basic needs are met, the desire for "more money" is usually a masked desire for more freedom. True fulfillment often comes from stepping off the endless earning treadmill and choosing to reclaim your time instead.❓How can I start reclaiming my time today? Start small. Instead of optimizing a task out of your existence, lean into it. Make the meal from scratch or walk to pick up the meal you ordered instead of having it delivered. Embrace the things that take time.SUPPORT NO VACATION REQUIREDIf this episode resonated with you, please leave a review. It is one of the best ways to help more people discover the podcast.✅ Subscribe: Never miss an episode by hitting the follow button✅ Visit Our Website: https://novacationrequired.com/✅ Read The Book: https://novacationrequired.com/book✅ Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novacationrequired/✅ Talk To Us: https://novacationrequired.com/contactLINKS AND RESOURCES

Last time we spoke about the fall of Hong Kong. As dawn broke on December 20, 1941, Japanese battalions tightened their grip on Hong Kong Island. While the defenders fought desperately at Repulse Bay Hotel, Wongneichong Gap, and the heights around Mount Nicholson and Mount Cameron, piecemeal counter-attacks by exhausted Canadians, Royal Scots, Rajputs, and Hong Kong Volunteers were shattered by rain, darkness, and poor coordination.Resistance stiffened at Stanley Peninsula, but ammunition ran low and hope faded. On Christmas Eve, the Japanese stormed St Stephen's College hospital. They bayoneted wounded soldiers in their beds, murdered doctors, and raped nurses in an orgy of horror that became known as the St Stephen's Massacre.On Christmas morning—forever "Black Christmas"—Governor Young surrendered the colony after seventeen days of fighting. As white flags rose, Rear-Admiral Chan Chak and a small party made a daring escape by sea under fire, eventually rescued by Chinese Communist guerrillas of the East River Column who would save hundreds more lives in the months ahead.   #219 The Malayan Campaign Part 1: Bicycle Blitzkrieg   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Now in the last episode we spoke about the battle of Hong Kong, which of course was fought on Chinese territory and did involve Chinese participation. I took some time to think about what aspects of the early Pacific War should be covered in depth here, ie: what pertains the most to the Chinese experience. We are not going to talk about the Philippines or Dutch East Indies, but the Malayan campaign and fall of Singapore I would argue need to be dived into. There was a lot of ethnic Chinese participation in this campaign. No worries after this brief series on the Malayan Campaign we will be jumping back to China. Following World War One, Britain sought to counter growing Japanese ambitions by establishing a major naval base in Singapore during the 1920s. The location offered strategic advantages, particularly its exemption from the Washington Naval Treaty's non-fortification clause, making it ideal for housing a powerful deterrent fleet. The plan was straightforward: maintain overwhelming naval superiority to discourage Japanese expansion. Yet this calculation proved dangerously optimistic. Japanese aggression accelerated throughout the 1930s, while the European war's outbreak in 1939 drained Britain's resources, leaving its Far Eastern colonies—Malaya, Burma, and Hong Kong—dangerously exposed. Churchill remained convinced that Japan would not strike in 1941, prompting him to channel reinforcements toward the Mediterranean theater. The defensive strategy hinged on buying time; should Japan attack, British forces would delay the enemy while holding Singapore as a fortress until relief arrived. This plan contained a fatal flaw: Britain lacked the capacity to actually send reinforcements to the region. Commander-in-Chief Robert Brooke-Popham led Britain's Far Eastern Command from Malaysia, acutely aware of the challenge ahead. Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival commanded ground forces comprising 31 poorly trained infantry battalions—approximately 88,600 personnel total—largely untrained for jungle warfare. These troops were distributed across three divisions. Air defense proved equally problematic. With only fourteen squadrons flying outdated aircraft, the RAF faced a critical shortfall. Squadrons were scattered across multiple airfields: Vickers Vildebeest and PBY Catalina aircraft at Seletar; Bristol Blenheims at Tengah; Brewster Buffalos at Sembawang and Kallang; further Buffalos and Blenheims at Sungei Patani; Lockheed Hudsons at Kota Bharu; and additional Blenheims at Kuantan and Alor Setar. Allied units occupied three strategic zones. The Indian 11th Infantry Division under Major General David Murray-Lyon held northern Malaya, defending airfields and the Thai frontier from positions near Kota Bharu, Jitra, and Alor Setar. These installations remained lightly garrisoned and vulnerable. The Indian 9th Infantry Division occupied central Malaya, tasked with holding delaying positions at Jitra and Gurun—positions themselves poorly constructed and uncoordinated. Australia's 8th Division under Gordon Bennett anchored the south near Mersing and Johor, forming the last line before Singapore's fortress. Singapore itself bristled with coastal defenses and commanded a substantial naval garrison, expected to repel any Japanese approach. A week before Japan's offensive erupted, Churchill sent Force Z to Singapore—the battleship Prince of Wales, battlecruiser Repulse, and four destroyers. Despite vigorous objections from admirals, particularly Captain William Davis, who warned the Prince of Wales without air cover would be "a hostage to fortune," Churchill overruled them, seeking to project confidence and maintain American goodwill. Admiral Sir Tom Phillips commanded Force Z. Known as "Tom Thumb" for his diminutive stature, Phillips sparked controversy—critics labeled him a "desk admiral"—yet Field Marshal Smuts called him "an admirable choice" and American Admiral Thomas Hart praised his administrative acumen. Phillips' record was mixed. He advocated astutely for tank deployment in Malaya and correctly questioned the Brewster Buffalo's effectiveness, urging Hurricanes instead. Yet he fatally underestimated the threat aircraft posed to capital ships, believing the Prince of Wales' anti-aircraft batteries could defend a maneuvering vessel. An unnoticed handicap compounded this: tropical humidity had disabled the Prince of Wales' fire-control computer before she ever fired. Force Z reached Singapore on December 2, 1941, amid misplaced confidence. Nineteen-year-old Richard Smith recalled: "Everyone believed the Japanese fleet was made of rice paper and string. We assumed we would crush them effortlessly." Churchill's public declaration seemed to goad Japan into action. Admiral Yamamoto responded decisively, dispatching thirty-six Mitsubishi bombers to reinforce existing aircraft and ordering intensive training for "ship-killing"—specialized torpedo and bombing attacks. Three air groups, led by Miyauchi, Nakanishi, and Shoji, trained relentlessly in low-level runs and ocean navigation. Phillips, stripped of air cover, commanded only aging destroyers alongside his capital ships. The stage was set for disaster. In November 1940, the German raider Atlantis captured the British steamer Automedon in the Indian Ocean, seizing documents destined for Air Marshal Brooke-Popham that exposed Singapore's vulnerabilities. The Germans shared this intelligence with Japan in December. By January 1941, the Japanese had also broken British Army codes, revealing the weakness of Singapore's defenses and enabling them to plan an invasion accordingly. The invasion of Malaya followed an audacious strategy devised by Colonel Tsuji Masanobu. Japanese forces would conduct amphibious landings in southern Thailand and northern Malaya, then push 400 miles through jungle terrain toward Singapore. The 25th Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Yamashita Tomoyuki and initially comprising two divisions, led this operation, supported by Admiral Kondō Nobutake's 2nd Fleet, which provided convoy escort. Thailand's strategic position was crucial; the British could not defend it, offering Japan a favorable staging ground. Marshal Plaek Phibun, Thailand's leader, had informally agreed to allow Japanese passage but simultaneously negotiated with British and American diplomats, creating uncertainty. A second force, the 15th Army under Lieutenant-General Iida Shōjirō, was preparing to invade Burma through Thailand. If the Thai withheld passage by December 7, these forces would advance directly from Indochina. Brooke-Popham devised Operation Matador to counter the Japanese threat. This ambitious plan called for the 11th Indian Division to preemptively seize Singora and Patani—critical Thai ports essential to Japanese invasion plans. The operation's centerpiece was capturing the Ledge, a key terrain feature south of Patani. Control of the Ledge would allow British forces to block roads from Patani, securing retreat routes for the 11th Division and denying the Japanese access to rear areas. Failure would expose the British to encirclement and force withdrawal from Perak and Kedah. However, Matador faced insurmountable obstacles. Britain was uncertain whether Thailand would resist or accommodate Japan, and invading neutral Thai territory risked driving the Thai government into Japanese arms. Command hesitation, combined with poor intelligence, created fatal delays. Matador was never approved. Instead, authorities authorized Operation Krohcol, a scaled-down alternative named after the town of Kroh. This operation tasked a small British-Indian force with advancing into southern Thailand to capture the Ledge, destroy bridges and roads, and delay Japanese movements. Though far less ambitious than Matador, Krohcol represented Britain's final attempt at preemptive action. It would be activated only after Japan opened hostilities, but by then, opportunity had already slipped away.   On December 4, Japanese transport ships escorted by Admiral Kondō's fleet departed Hainan Island toward their objectives. Two days later, British reconnaissance spotted the fleet, but Brooke-Popham lacked authorization to intervene—he could only alert his forces. At 23:00 on December 7, Japan issued an ultimatum to Thailand, demanding passage and giving a two-hour response window. Unable to locate Prime Minister Phibun until late morning, Thailand was invaded hours later. From Indochina, Japanese Imperial Guards and the 55th Division landed at Phra Tabong and pushed northwest toward Aranyaprathet. The 5th Division's regiment landed at Patani while the division's main force seized Singora, quickly overwhelming Thai defenders. From Saigon, elements of the 15th Army conducted additional naval landings across Thailand but encountered unexpectedly fierce Thai resistance that stalled their progress. Just before Pearl Harbor came under attack, the Japanese 18th Division landed at Kota Bharu. The defenders—the 8th Indian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier B.W. Key, supported by artillery from the 21st Mountain Battery and the 73rd Field Battery—faced a daunting task. The 3/17th Dogra Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel G.A. Preston, held a 10-mile coastal stretch fortified with mines, barbed wire, and pillboxes overlooking the narrow beaches of Badang and Sabak, separated by estuaries and surrounded by creeks, lagoons, and swamp islands. The Dogras unleashed devastating fire as Japanese landing craft approached at midnight. Colonel Masanobu Tsuji observed that enemy pillboxes "responded with such overwhelming force that our men lying on the beach, partially submerged in water, could not lift their heads." The first waves were pinned down, with casualties mounting from artillery, machine gun fire, and Allied aircraft from nearby airfields. British Hudsons bombed the invasion fleet and stranded soldiers, sinking one Japanese transport and destroying seven of their own aircraft in the process. The defenders inflicted heavy casualties, but intense hand-to-hand combat eventually breached the line's center by 03:45, threatening the nearby airfield. Simultaneously, 17 Japanese bombers attacked Singapore with minimal damage and 61 casualties, surprising the British with evidence of enemy long-range aircraft. Japanese fighters and bombers dominated the skies over Kota Bharu and northern Malaysian airfields, demonstrating clear air superiority. Amid the chaos, counterattacks by Malayan battalions failed, forcing the British to destroy northern airfields to prevent capture. The defenders retreated from the beaches to Kota Bharu itself that night. As confusion engulfed British headquarters, Operation Krohcol commenced at 15:00. This scaled-down preemptive operation aimed to delay the Japanese invasion by securing and destroying the Ledge—a six-mile road carved through steep hillside with a sheer drop into a river. Blowing this section would severely impede enemy advance. The force consisted primarily of the 3/16th Punjab Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Moorhead, supplemented by engineers, traveling in Marmon-Herrington trucks provided by the Australian Motor Transport Company. Krohcol was undermanned from the start; the 5/14th Punjab Regiment and artillery battery failed to arrive on schedule, forcing the column to proceed without them. Crossing the border at Kroh, Indian troops encountered determined resistance from Thai police under Major Prayoon Rattanakit in Betong. These roadblocks delayed the Indian advance for two full days while Prayoon's officers simultaneously engaged Japanese forces at Patani. After several hours of combat, Japan and Thailand reached an armistice by midday, with Phibun granting Japan passage, though Thai forces remained neutral. Japanese forces at Patani, navigating poor roads but facing no opposition, began their advance toward the Ledge—approximately 60 miles distant—initiating a critical race against Krohcol to determine who would occupy this vital position first. Meanwhile, renewed fighting erupted at Kota Bharu as Japanese forces infiltrated around British strongpoints, causing alarm among commanders. By December 10, with the situation deteriorating, defenders received authorization to abandon Kota Bharu and withdraw south to Machang.   Just hours after the Pearl Harbor attack, Admiral Phillips ordered Force Z to intercept Japanese invasion forces in the South China Sea without air support. Phillips believed he could "finish quickly and escape to the east before the Japanese could organize a significant attack." Ten Brewster Buffaloes were assigned to support the fleet, but he departed without requesting their cover. Force Z failed to locate the Japanese fleet, which had moved northwest into the Gulf of Siam. By afternoon on December 9, Japanese submarine I-65 detected Force Z, followed by reconnaissance aircraft. When Phillips altered course toward Kuantan, crews grew complacent. Bert Wynn recalled shipboard conversation centered on sinking Japanese warships. A flag officer remarked to CBS correspondent Cecil Brown, "Oh, but they are Japanese. There's nothing to worry about." That evening, Brown questioned whether the British were overconfident given Pearl Harbor. Officers conceded theoretically but remained dismissive. One replied, "We just don't think the enemy is much good. They could not beat China for five years." At 11:00 AM on December 10, Japanese aircraft struck. Three waves of Nell and Betty bombers from Indochina, after more than five hours aloft, approached from the horizon. With no air support—Phillips had maintained radio silence—defense rested entirely on anti-aircraft batteries. Nells attacked at 12,000 feet, dropping 250 kg bombs. Repulse twisted violently, evading most, but one struck her seaplane deck, killing two dozen men instantly. At 11:30, seventeen Nells attacked at wave-top level, focusing on Prince of Wales. Nine aircraft divided their approach, flying below 100 feet from both bows. The ship's inexperienced anti-aircraft crews, hampered by inoperable radar from tropical humidity, struggled to track targets. Once torpedoes were released, the planes sped away, losing only one aircraft.   A single torpedo struck Prince of Wales near the outer propeller shaft. When restarted, water flooded engine room B. Auxiliary power failed, halting drainage and causing an 11.5-degree list to port. Her 5-inch guns became powerless; she slowed to 15 knots, severely crippled. At 12:20, twenty-six Bettys attacked in coordinated "anvil" assaults with simultaneous torpedo drops on both bows. Repulse evaded initially but two or three torpedoes found their mark. One crew member recalled, "Suddenly there was a massive explosion. I immediately knew we'd lost Repulse, for within seconds she took on a frightening list to port, so rapid no amount of counter flooding would save her." Captain's last order: "You've put up a good show, now save yourselves." At 12:23 PM, Repulse rolled over and sank stern-first, her enormous hull protruding vertically from the water. Men jumped into oil-blackened water; many drowned during hours of waiting while destroyer escorts frantically retrieved survivors. Cecil Brown described it as "a confusing, macabre game"—orange flames, white tracers, and gray aircraft "astonishingly close, like butterflies pinned on blue cardboard." With Repulse gone, bombers concentrated on the damaged Prince of Wales. At 12:44, a 500 kg bomb struck between her stacks where wounded crew sheltered, causing devastating casualties. Men ordered to abandon ship faced drowning if trapped below deck. Destroyers rushed in to save swimmers, though HMS Express nearly capsized in rescue efforts. Ten Buffaloes arrived as Prince of Wales sank—too late. One pilot recalled, "After an hour, lack of petrol forced me to leave, but during that hour I had seen many men in dire danger waving, cheering and joking, as if they were holiday-makers waving at a low-flying aircraft. It shook me, for here was something above human nature." In just over an hour, the battleship era ended: 47 British officers and 793 men perished, including Admiral Phillips. Repulse's captain later acknowledged, "The enemy's attacks were undoubtedly carried out magnificently and pressed home effectively. The high-level bombers maintained tight formation and did not veer off course." By December 10, Krohcol reached Betong, just 26 miles from the Ledge. However, a Japanese ambush caught them off-guard near the target, forcing retreat when they were only a mile away. The 5th Division's regiment reached the Ledge by midday, dealing the Indians significant casualties. By December 13, Krohcol was pushed back to Kroh, the operation failed. Meanwhile, the 5th Division advanced south from Singora toward Jitra. Major-General David Murray-Lyon commanded the 11th Indian Division's weak defensive positions at Jitra's road junction, unaware that the critical Alor Setar airfield had already been abandoned. His forces—6th Indian Brigade holding a 10-mile coastal sector, 15th Brigade covering the road, and 28th Brigade in reserve—had sent two delaying detachments on December 9. On December 11, Japanese tanks overwhelmed these covering battalions, inflicting heavy casualties. Murray-Lyon committed his reserves prematurely, leaving Alor Setar lightly defended. That night, Japanese tanks reached the main position north of Jitra, with the 5th Division following. Heavy fighting ensued between Japanese armor and demoralized Indian troops. British defenses penetrated around 06:00, forcing successive Indian units to be overrun. Murray-Lyon repeatedly requested withdrawal permission. At 19:30 on December 12, General Percival finally approved. Due to poor communication and confusion, the 11th Indian Division suffered heavy casualties but disengaged by December 13, withdrawing to Gurun. The primary British defenses in northern Malaya had been breached, the 11th Division severely weakened, and the Japanese advance down the peninsula had begun unstoppably. Percival's first significant defense occurred at Jitra on December 11th, intended to push the Japanese as far north as possible and protect remaining Allied airfields. The Japanese quickly overwhelmed the Indian defenders, and Colonel Tsuji observed the engagement firsthand: "Our tanks were ready on the road, and the twenty or so enemy armored cars ahead were literally trampled underfoot. The enemy armored cars could not escape by running away, and were sandwiched between our medium tanks. It was speed and weight of armor that decided the issue." Major General Murray-Lyon commanded the 11th Indian Division. A World War I veteran, he had served with distinction in the Highland Light Infantry, earning the Military Cross for bravery in Flanders and the Distinguished Service Order for his actions at Moeuvres. The citation stated: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the enemy attacked and penetrated the line after intense fighting and continual bombing attacks, by his courage and personal example he succeeded in driving them out and held his position against further heavy attacks with splendid coolness and determination." This was no desk officer, but a frontline commander faced with an impossible task. Murray-Lyon's division appeared formidable on paper but was severely compromised. It contained only two regular British battalions—the Leicestershire and East Surrey Regiments—with the remainder consisting of four newly raised Indian Army battalions and three inexperienced Gurkha battalions. The Gurkhas, though renowned as elite soldiers, were primarily composed of 18-year-old recruits fresh from deployment. Like all Allied forces in Malaya, the division lacked tanks while facing an enemy flush with armor. After only days of intense combat, Murray-Lyon sought permission to withdraw, convinced the Japanese forces greatly outnumbered him. Ironically, Yamashita's army was outnumbered two to one. The Japanese commander employed Blitzkrieg tactics inspired by his time as a military attaché in Berlin, coordinating air and ground forces with remarkable precision. His approach involved fast-moving tanks, bomber aircraft deployed as mobile artillery, and—most unusually—bicycle-mounted infantry. Prior to the invasion, Japanese planners decided bicycles were ideal for the tropical jungle terrain. Rather than shipping thousands, they seized bicycles from the local population. The offensive typically began with bombing raids on Allied defensive positions, followed by tanks smashing through. As defenders retreated, bicycle infantry continuously harassed and attacked, while coastal amphibious assaults flanked positions along the shore. Colonel Alfred Harrison of the 11th Indian Division reflected on the psychological toll: "Fatigue had stretched the men's mind to the limit and the moral ascendancy which the Japanese achieved in these few weeks included a psychic side. The troops were beginning to attribute almost supernatural powers to the Japanese." Yamashita had rehearsed these tactics extensively on Hainan Island, conducting exercises in amphibious landings, bridge destruction and repair, and jungle operations. The bicycle innovation proved revolutionary—troops covered greater distances more quickly with less fatigue, repeatedly outflanking British forces who found themselves pushed off roads and encircled. The rapid movements created a psychological multiplier effect; British commanders, mistaken about enemy numbers, believed they faced far larger forces than actually present. This "Bicycle Blitzkrieg," as it became known, echoed Mongol tactics—a single swift force striking multiple targets so quickly that enemies believed they faced several armies. Tanks were crucial to this success. The British had deployed no tanks to Malaya before the war, a fatal omission. Combined with bicycle infantry, Japanese armor allowed them to engage British forces before defensive positions could be established. Percival authorized withdrawal from Jitra, directing troops south to Gurun, but those defenses remained unfinished and the Japanese advance was too rapid. Percival later reflected in his memoir, War in Malaya: "This withdrawal would have been difficult under the most favorable conditions. With the troops tired, units mixed as the result of the fighting, communications broken and the night dark, it was inevitable that orders should be delayed and that in some cases they should never reach the addressees. This is what in fact occurred. The withdrawal, necessary as it may have been, was too fast and too complicated for disorganized and exhausted troops, whose disorganization and exhaustion it only increased." From the start, British forces stretched too thinly across a 14-mile front in challenging terrain—dense jungle on the right flank, monsoon-soaked rice fields and rubber plantations in the center, mangrove swamps to the left. Yamashita's concentrated attacks breached the line. Repeated retreats cost both personnel and equipment, as overrun positions offered no opportunity for evacuation and bicycle infantry prevented orderly withdrawal. The Jitra defeat exposed a fundamental strategic error: deploying under-resourced troops across Malaya's entire breadth rather than establishing a shorter, more defensible line further south, which could have shortened British supply lines while lengthening Japan's—a disadvantage the Japanese could not exploit. The Allied retreat continued southward to the Gurun area, though the chaotic withdrawal from Jitra itself inflicted more casualties than the fighting had—many frontline units never received withdrawal orders, while others became lost crossing the Bata River. Murray eventually fell back to the Muda River, establishing defensive positions along the Krian River some thirty miles south. Percival, increasingly desperate, realized his entire strategy had depended on holding the Japanese as far north as possible to minimize air threats to Singapore. The rapid Japanese advance made this impossible. Reluctantly, he ordered a general withdrawal south of the Perak River, while his field commanders pleaded for reinforcements they would never receive. Though Percival had an Australian division in Johor, he refused to commit them north, fearing a Japanese naval invasion further south could threaten Singapore itself.   As Yamashita's 25th Army advanced westward toward Penang, Japanese bombers subjected the island to daily raids. British command, recognizing the island as indefensible, evacuated European residents on December 17th—leaving the local Malay population to face the Japanese. Mrs Muriel Reilly's recollection captures the moment's bitter legacy: "it still hurts to think how the white race 'let down hundreds of similarly faithful servants who trusted in us, and looked to us for protection from the hated Japanese." The abandonment had strategic consequences. In their haste, the British left massive stockpiles of arms and supplies in Penang that fell directly into Yamashita's hands. More profoundly, local Malays turned against their former colonial rulers. Some historians now argue "the moral collapse of British rule in Southeast Asia occurred not at Singapore, but at Penang." Under subsequent Japanese occupation, Penang endured three years and eight months of hardship—food shortages, rampant hyperinflation from the "banana dollar," and systematic repression including comfort women camps and the Sook Ching massacres targeting Chinese communities the Japanese feared might become guerrillas.  The Japanese occupiers' fears about Chinese resistance were prescient. Among the Chinese communities of Malaya and Singapore, anti-Japanese sentiment had been building for over a decade. Since Japan's 1937 invasion of China, ethnic Chinese populations had viewed Tokyo with deep hostility. The Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, followed by the escalating horrors of the Second Sino-Japanese War, had created a reservoir of determination to resist Japanese expansion wherever it might emerge. As British colonial authority crumbled, this sentiment transformed from passive resentment into active organization. The Battle of Jitra exposed a fundamental miscalculation: attempting to defend all of Malaya with an undersized army. A more strategic withdrawal to Johore would have shortened British supply lines while extending Japan's. As December ended, Murray-Lyon was dismissed from command—a casualty of circumstance. He had spent weeks preparing for the cancelled Operation Matador while neglecting proper defenses at Jitra and Gurun. At fifty-one, this decorated soldier, who had earned the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order in the Great War, became a civilian during Britain's darkest hour. He was replaced by Brigadier Archibald Paris, equally inexperienced in jungle warfare, who paradoxically proved more effective by facilitating the retreat of Murray's division while inflicting unexpected casualties on overconfident Japanese units. By December 26th, the Japanese 5th Division and 4th Guards Regiment crossed the Perak River, preparing an assault on Kampar. This position was crucial—located halfway between Penang and Kuala Lumpur, its terrain was unsuitable for tanks and difficult to outflank, offering a rare opportunity to make a stand. Paris gathered infantry battalions, many composed of Jitra and Gurun survivors: British battalions from the Leicesters and East Surreys, along with Jat and Punjabi units including Sikhs. The 12th Brigade hastily dug trenches, strung wire, and cleared fields around Kampar's ridges to improve visibility. After three weeks of continuous fighting and retreat, the defenders' morale had collapsed. Colonel Alfred Harrison observed on Christmas Day: "fatigue had stretched the men's mind to the limit and the moral ascendancy which the Japanese had achieved in these few weeks included a 'psychic' side. The troops were beginning to attribute almost supernatural powers to the Japanese." The Japanese, by contrast, had grown accustomed to victory and approached each engagement with unshakeable confidence. Yamashita employed German-inspired tactics using aircraft as mobile artillery—vital in terrain where conventional gun placement was impossible. Engagements began with bombing raids on Allied positions, followed by frontal assaults to establish a line, then flanking maneuvers through jungle to encircle defenders. When the assault came from the western coastal roads, Japanese tanks struck the 12th Brigade along a three-mile rural stretch near Gopeng. Small arms and heavy machine gun fire erupted as infantry dismounted from trucks and spread into the brush. Some tanks advanced alone onto a bridge near Dipang, where they encountered defenders with Lanchester submachine guns and Bren gun carriers equipped with anti-tank rifles. Lt Colonel Ian Stewart noted the grim reality: "the anti-tank rifle made no impression against the Jap mediums, while their 37 mm guns went through our armour like paper." The Japanese tankers, closing their hatches in the oppressive subtropical heat—what they described as a "Turkish bath"—approached cautiously, aware of potential counterattacks. British defenders fired desperately at vision slits, their bullets ricocheting uselessly. A 2-pounder anti-tank gun destroyed a single tank, prompting Japanese armor to withdraw and wait for infantry support. Meanwhile, two hundred defenders on the opposite side prepared to destroy the bridge. Fortunately, Kampar's shallow water allowed most to wade across a mile downstream. Stewart's 12th Brigade had purchased time. The British established a strong perimeter around Kampar Hill, resembling a "goose egg" on the map. Their artillery, better supplied than the Japanese equivalent, was concealed in the jungle with two hundred rounds stacked beside each gun. The 15th/6th Brigades occupied the low ground where the road and railway ran through town. Unlike earlier battles where Japanese forces kept defenders pinned with close contact, Kampar's expansive fields of fire and terrain offered space to maneuver—a rare advantage the British would finally exploit. Major General Saburo Kawamura led the attack on Kampar with his 9th Brigade. On December 31st, he probed the 28th Gurkha Brigade entrenched on the hill. Japanese howitzer fire drew return artillery that effectively repelled their advances. At midnight on New Year's Eve, Lt. Colonel Augustus Murdoch ordered a 12-gun salute fired at the Japanese—perhaps a cheeky gesture. Seven hours later, Kawamura launched his main assault on the western side targeting the trunk road. The brunt fell on a newly formed British battalion, the Leicesters and East Surreys, under Lt. Colonel Esmond Morrison. The 48-year-old, though some dismissed him as a "polo-playing playboy," proved a serious soldier despite his peacetime reputation, frequently sharing front-line dangers with his men. Japanese infantry emerged from the mist carrying mortars. Mortar fire became intense—one casualty was a company commander whose jaw was shattered by a splinter. However, observation officers from the 88th Field Regiment pinpointed Japanese advances, unleashing devastating artillery fire. Colonel Masanobu Tsuji observed "a continuous stream of casualties coming back down the hill to safety, either carried on stretchers or supported on the shoulders of comrades who were themselves wounded." Japanese artillery pieces were covertly moved through secondary jungle to hide their positions. During the fighting, one of Morrison's lieutenants encountered Japanese soldiers in a trench, fired his revolver, and retreated. A gunnery driver named Walker, noticing a nearby Bren position overrun, exited his vehicle armed with a Thompson submachine gun and launched a surprise attack, forcing the Japanese to retreat—earning him a medal. Troop Sergeant Major Hugill, commanding an outlying observation post connected by field telephone, received a distinguished conduct medal for calmly calling in protective artillery fire while cut off. When the attack subsided, he encountered isolated Japanese soldiers who had captured a Vickers-Berthier machine gun. Hugill gathered five infantrymen and led a bayonet charge to reclaim it. Emergency commissioned officer Lt. Edgar Newland commanded a platoon of 30 men in one of the most forward positions. His platoon was surrounded for much of the battle yet successfully repelled numerous assaults over two consecutive days. General Percival specifically praised Newland and his men. Newland received a Military Cross; his platoon sergeant, Euan McDonald, received a distinguished conduct medal. After two days, Japanese forces captured part of Thompson's Ridge. Morrison ordered two platoons of Sikhs and Gujars to bayonet charge under mortar fire. Tragically, 34 soldiers died, including their 21-year-old commander, Charles Lamb, killed in the initial charge. Captain John Graham lost both legs to a grenade but continued encouraging his men, throwing grenades at Japanese trenches before bleeding to death—but they had retaken the position. Courage, artillery, and terrain proved insufficient. Yamashita decided to outflank Percival with seaborne landings on the Malayan west coast. He transported 40 small craft by rail to Alor Star and ordered landings near Telok Anson, 30 miles southeast of Kampar. If successful, he would cut off Percival's 11th Indian Division defending Kampar. Yamashita devised a three-pronged attack: the Imperial Guards Division would paddle down the Perak River into town; another force would approach from the west on landing craft entering from the opposite direction; a third would move up the Bernam River and march north toward Telok Anson. Lt. General Takuro Matsui commanded the landings. While Kampar held, 1,500 of Matsui's men crowded onto landing craft. One steamer towing ten craft went too far south, attempting the Selangor River defended by a Jat battalion with artillery. The Japanese were repelled, losing one to three craft before moving north. In Perak, four landing rafts ran aground on a sandbar and required rescue. A British patrol boat spotted them but left to report—no action followed. Percival later remarked: "unfortunately neither the navy nor the air force were able to take advantage of this unique opportunity." Despite setbacks, Japanese forces landed and advanced on Telok Anson. On January 2nd, they encountered the 3rd Indian Cavalry and 1st Independent Company under Stewart, equipped with armored cars and Thompson and Bren guns. They inflicted significant casualties but with only 250 men couldn't hold. Stewart ordered delaying actions instead. Telok Anson fell, leaving Kampar defenders at risk of encirclement. Although Kawamura's forces showed no signs of breaking after four days of fighting, Paris feared his main supply route had been cut. He requested permission from Percival to withdraw to the Slim River defensive line. Paris prioritized preserving troops over territory: "With no reserves in hand, we were still in a position of being unable to accept major losses." The 12th Brigade held while Paris organized the division's withdrawal. An unusual discovery emerged during delaying actions: Brigadier Stewart found the body of a dead European cyclist in British uniform. Earlier, a Punjabi sentry had shot a man on a bridge attempting to grab his Thompson. Both were likely German deserters from Vichy Indo-China's Foreign Legion, in contact with the Nazi embassy. The British Legation in Bangkok had warned of such infiltrators offering sabotage and espionage assistance. Percival was particularly struck by the German who tried single-handedly to disarm a sentry and seize a bridge. The 12th Brigade discovered another European body—a German political refugee and former mining engineer who had disappeared weeks earlier. Exhausted after three weeks of near-constant combat, the 12th Brigade continued delaying actions. Japanese air forces wreaked havoc on vehicles; Stewart estimated half his casualties—around 90 killed and wounded from 4,000 troops—resulted from aerial attacks. Stewart expressed satisfaction: "It had been an eminently successful battle," though it was more a series of brief skirmishes than traditional battle. Kampar fell when Telok Anson was captured. Percival might have committed Australian brigades from Johore or garrison battalions from Singapore, but concentrating forces at Kampar risked prompting Yamashita to attack elsewhere. The Kampar defenders retreated 30 miles to the Slim River. Tsuji reluctantly acknowledged Yamashita's breakthrough was impressive, if risky. On the east coast, defenders faced more resistance at Kuantan. Percival clung to the airfield, determined to deny the Japanese RAF facilities and limit their ability to strike at reinforcement convoys approaching Singapore. The first convoy from Bombay, carrying the half-trained 45th Brigade under Brigadier Horatio Duncan, was 24 hours away. The 22nd Indian Brigade, led by Brigadier George Painter, defended Kuantan against the Takumi detachment of the 18th Division. One battalion, commanded by a veteran of Kota Bharu, fortified the airfield with barbed wire and trenches. When Takumi's forces approached, the Japanese encountered 4.5-inch howitzer fire inflicting significant casualties. The defenders fought fiercely, each equipped with six grenades instead of two, creating deadly chaos. Tsuji noted the airfield "was obstinately defended," particularly at night when grenades rolled into confined trenches with devastating effect. Word reached the defenders that General Barstow's entire 9th Indian Division was retreating through Kuala Lipis-Jerantut-Raub. The 22nd Brigade demolished installations and prepared to withdraw, though their rearguard risked encirclement. One night, investigating his southern flank with Captain Ian Grimwood, battalion commander Cumming spotted Japanese soldiers climbing barbed wire meters away. Armed with a .455 Webley revolver, Cumming and Grimwood faced seven Japanese soldiers charging with bayonets. They fired as they were knocked down, killing all attackers, but Cumming suffered two bayonet wounds to his stomach. Grimwood dragged him to battalion HQ for first aid. As the airfield was overrun, Cumming ordered withdrawal. A grenade or mortar round knocked him unconscious. He regained consciousness in a vehicle where Private Albel Singh reported a Japanese roadblock ahead. Spotting a fallen tree creating passage, Cumming ordered Singh to charge through. Machine gun fire rained down; Cumming was hit again with a shattered arm, possibly from an anti-personnel mine, while Singh endured a .256 armor-piercing bullet through both thighs yet maintained control, driving 30 miles per hour. The vehicle arrived at brigade HQ covered in blood from six occupants. Cumming would receive the Victoria Cross for his heroism. Painter held the airfield long enough for reinforcements to approach, though it cost much of one of the best Indian battalions. Painter, fixated on flanking fears, believed it "better to lose half a battalion than an entire brigade." The 22nd Indian Brigade lost a third of its strength but retreated by January 3rd. While this unfolded eastward, Yamashita's forces advanced south. Defenders prepared a new defensive line at Trolak, five miles north of Slim River. Reinforcements had arrived; the 45th Brigade was immediately dispatched to repel the enemy's advance on Kuala Selangor, which held another crucial airfield. Whether defenders could withstand Yamashita's onslaught remained to be seen.   While British forces retreated in disarray toward Singapore, another chapter was quietly beginning in the shadows of the collapsing colonial order. On December 25, 1941—Christmas morning, even as Governor Young raised the white flag over Hong Kong—Chinese volunteers in Singapore formalized their resistance. That day, the Singapore Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, officially known as Dalforce, was established under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Dalley. Dalforce emerged from urgent necessity. As the Japanese invasion accelerated and British defenses crumbled, recruitment of local Chinese volunteers escalated dramatically. What had begun as an informal volunteer effort in 1939 now crystallized into organized military structure. The initial cadre of 200 volunteers swelled to 4,000 members as the invasion reached Singapore's doorstep. These were not professional soldiers—Dalforce members came from the Chinese civilian population, motivated by the knowledge that Japanese occupation would target them specifically. Many lacked military training; some were armed only with sporting firearms due to critical shortages of military weapons. Supply ships intended for Dalforce, such as the SS Empress of Asia, were sunk before their cargo could reach Singapore. Yet the volunteers pressed forward, organizing themselves despite severe handicaps: makeshift uniforms, inadequate equipment, and internal divisions between Communist and Kuomintang factions, each trained separately by British officers. Dalforce would soon earn the nickname "Dalley's Desperadoes" from British forces—a name reflecting both affection for their fierce combat effectiveness and incredulity that such a hastily assembled, poorly equipped force could fight with such determination. Unlike the demoralized British and Indian troops retreating southward, these Chinese volunteers were not defending a colonial order they had experienced as oppressive. They were fighting for their homes, their families, and their survival against an enemy they had every reason to fear and oppose. As the Malayan Campaign entered its final phase and the focus shifted to Singapore itself, Dalforce would play a role that British military historians had largely overlooked but that Chinese participants would never forget. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.   In December 1941, Japan invaded Malaya. British commanders placed their faith in "impregnable" Singapore, but disaster struck immediately. On December 10, Japanese bombers sank Force Z—battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse—in a stunning air attack.Using tanks and bicycles in a lightning "Bicycle Blitzkrieg," Japanese troops shattered Allied lines at Kota Bharu and Jitra, sending exhausted British, Indian, and Australian forces reeling southward in chaos.  

In this week's episode, I take a look back over the last fifteen years and recount how I learned to write quickly. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Stone, Book #5 in the The Ghosts series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: FALLSTONE The coupon code is valid through September 28, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 320 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is September 11th, 2026, and today I'm discussing how I learned to write fast. Before we get to all that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Stone, Book #5 in The Ghosts series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store. That coupon code is FALLSTONE. As always, we will include the links and the coupon code in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through September 28th, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we have got you covered. Now let's have an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. For Blade of Visions, which is my main project right now, the rough draft is done, the first editing pass is done, and I'm hoping to start on the second editing pass as soon as I finish recording this episode. So if all goes well and nothing unexpected happens, I very much hope that the book will be out a week from when this episode goes live. So a week from whenever you listen to this, check your favorite ebook store and hopefully Blade of Visions will be there. And of course you can always listen to this podcast and watch my website and social media for other announcements. My secondary project is Elven-Warlock, the seventh book in the Rivah Half-Elven series. I am currently 16,000 words into that. As soon as Blade of Visions is published, Elven-Warlock will then be my new main project and if all goes well, I hope to have that out in October sometime. In audiobook news, as I mentioned last week, Blade of Thieves and Cloak of Worlds should now be available at all the different audiobook stores. Hollis McCarthy is currently recording Cloak of Summoning and we should have some updates on that soon. In a bit of exciting audiobook news from that or related to that, I should mention that Hollis McCarthy was announced as a finalist for Narrator of Distinction for the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association for her work on Cloak of Embers, which was Cloak Mage #10. So if you get a chance, be sure to congratulate Hollis for that if you hang out on my social media pages. So that's where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:25 How I Learned to Write Fast Now let's move on to my main topic, how I learn to write fast. Occasionally I will see a new indie author looking with dismay at how much time it takes to write and expressing the opinion that it must be impossible to write a million words a year without the aid of generative AI. Ha, no. I should point out that I wrote a million words in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 and back then the current AI tech bros were still searching for the big scam that would one day make them rich. They tried crypto and NFTs in the interim. ChatGPT would not be inflicted upon the world until the end of 2022. Admittedly, I didn't write a million new words in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but that was from a combination of personal issues taking up time and illness. I still hit between 800,000 and 900,000 in those three years. In 2024 and 2025, I wrote a million new words. I might or might not hit a million new words in 2026, and it largely depends on how the rest of the year goes. I had to take a lot of time off in spring and summer, and that really slowed me down. I did hit 700,000 words once Blade of Visions was done, so we'll see what happens the remaining four months of the year. But yes, if you're writing full-time, a million words in a year is certainly achievable, though as with all things it takes practice and can be subject to events. With that in mind, I thought I would explain how I was able over time to ramp up to writing a million new words in a year. It was less something I set out consciously to do when I started this in 2011 and more a step-by-step evolutionary process that took several years. By the grace of God, I have been indie publishing for almost 15 and a half years now. So here's the process of how I ended up writing a million words in a year. #1: Tech Writing Back in the second half of the 2000s, I used to do a lot of tech blogging, mostly about Linux, and I also did tech support, which frequently involved writing FAQs and guides for how to connect your Blackberry or Windows Mobile device to the company email or whatever. In retrospect, Blackberry and Windows Mobile were both terrible operating systems, so it's not surprising the iPhone and later Android blew them out of the water. Anyway, tech blogging taught me the value of writing quickly. Back then, you could still make money off Google AdSense, and so if I could write quickly on a tech topic, I could post it, get Google traffic, and then make a little bit of money from Google Ads. Writing FAQs and guides also taught me the value of writing as concisely and as clearly as possible. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said of public speaking that the best approach to public speaking was "be sincere, be brief, be seated", and that's also true of technical guides. Back then, I was working on novels as well, specifically what would end up becoming the first three Caina books, but I never wrote more than a thousand words a day of fiction unless I was bored or I was really inspired, neither of which happened all that often. #2: Soul of Serpents By the end of 2010, I had sworn off trying to get traditionally published and decided to focus on tech blogging, but then I got my first Kindle after Thanksgiving in 2010, and I realized there had to be a way to make money off this thing. This led me to discovering Kindle Direct Publishing, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and the other early self-publishing platforms. I published Demonsouled, Soul of Tyrants, and the first three Caina books, and then I decided I'd write one more Demonsouled book to finish off the story. It always annoyed me to no end that I'd never gotten to write a sequel to Soul of Tyrants, but now that the opportunity was here, I decided that I would have a Demonsouled trilogy and Soul of Serpents would be the last novel I would ever write, which goes to show I may not be that great at telling the future. Soul of Serpents was the first book I ever wrote specifically intended for self-publishing instead of submitting it to legacy publishers. I wrote it over the summer of 2011, and I figured if I wrote 1,500 words a day, I could get the rough draft of the book done by the end of the summer, which I did, and I ended up publishing it at the end of August of that month. That was also why I made Demonsouled and Child of the Ghosts free for the first time, which meant that their sequels started to sell a little bit. I was actually beginning to make a little bit of money off my novels for the first time in my life, which was very exciting. It also meant that I wanted to continue the Demonsouled series past the third book, which leads us to the next phase of our story. #3: Soul of Dragons In the second half of 2011, I was extremely busy. I had a full-time job and I had a part-time job that required a lot of off-the-clock preparation. Despite that, I was determined to write Soul of Dragons, so I pushed onward when I could. This was when I began writing during my lunch break for the first time, but I often didn't get to my 1,500 words a day during lunch. So by the time I got home at the end of the day, which was frequently between 9:00 and 10:00 PM, I would frequently squeeze in my remaining words (sometimes all my words), before I went to sleep, only to wake up at 5:45 AM to go to the gym. This level of workload, as you can imagine, was absolutely exhausting, and I don't recommend it, but I still did it. I think it was necessary to learn to write a novel under a state of extreme strain since that was good practice for the 160 books that would follow Soul of Dragons. If I wrote only when I was perfectly calm and there was nothing else demanding my time or attention, I would never get any writing done at all. I really hate to give career advice to younger people since so much of the advice they receive these days is obsolete at best and malicious and condescending at worst. In economic terms, 2026 might well be another planet compared to 1976 or 2000, but sometimes in life you really do have to put in a maximum effort over a sustained amount of time (even if it's approaching midnight, you have to get up in five hours, and you still have 500 words to go before you can sleep). That said, if at all possible, I would advise only putting in that kind of effort if you're working for yourself and not for an employer that will lay you off the instant the stock price dips slightly. It took a while, but I did it. Soul of Dragons came out in February of 2012 and sold pretty well. By this time, the books were selling well enough that while I didn't want to go full-time, they were providing a nice cushion against the unexpected vagaries of life. My full-time employer was also heading towards trouble, so I decided to keep writing. #4: Ghost in the Storm My next book in early 2012 after finishing Soul of Dragons was Ghost in the Storm. Like with Demonsouled and Soul of Tyrants, I was always disappointed that I never got to continue Caina's story past the end of Ghost in the Blood, and so I was excited to start Ghost in the Storm. Little did I know that Caina's story would continue for another 30 books past that. I wanted to write faster, so I settled on a goal of 3,000 words a day for Ghost in the Storm. I would write as much as I could in the morning, then over my lunch break, and then finish my 3,000 words, hopefully in the evening before I went to bed. I very distinctly recall that in March of 2012, I was in the process of moving to a new apartment. I bought a couch and scheduled it to be delivered that morning at about 10:00 AM. So I took the morning off, brought my laptop and a folding chair to the empty apartment and wrote, and I kept writing and writing, and the couch never showed up. Finally, in exasperation, I had run out of my hours off, so I had to go to work only to get the call at 4:00 PM that the couch guys had finally showed up and needed me to let them in. I begged them to stay where they were, broke the speed limit to get back to the apartment, and arrived just as they were walking back to their truck. Thankfully, I was able to convince them to deliver the couch. As annoying as that day turned out to be, it worked out well because I got the new couch and I also wrote a bunch of Ghosts in the Storm, which ended up coming out towards the end of April 2012. #5: Ghost Aria In summer 2012, I wrote Soul of Sorcery, which was a huge book that took a long time to write, but it was also the first book I ever wrote that made it to any bestseller list of any kind on amazon.com, which was a pleasant milestone. After Soul of Sorcery, I started working on Ghost in the Stone and finished it up in early 2013. For both Soul of Sorcery and Ghost in the Stone, I had stuck to 3,000 words a day. By then, I had started working more on marketing, so I had an email newsletter. It had occurred to me that giving something away for free in the newsletter might be a great way to drive newsletter engagement, and I'd always liked writing short stories back in the 2000s. So why not write a bonus short story related to the book and give it away for free? So that was where Ghost Aria came from. It was the first short story I gave away for free with my newsletter. Since then, I've written hundreds of short stories and given away tens of thousands of them, so I think it was a good decision. #6: Dual projects In 2015, I had the opportunity to write a tie-in novel for a game product, which I wanted to do, yet I hesitated because I was working on Ghost in the Inferno at the time, and I knew Ghost in the Inferno would actually sell and make some money. The tie-in book was a roll of the dice, but it was a good enough opportunity that I wanted to take it, or so it seemed at the time, but I didn't want to stop working on Ghost in the Inferno, so I did both. Ghost in the Inferno was my main project, and the game book was my secondary one where I squeezed out a couple hundred words a day. Once Ghost in the Inferno was done, I finished the game book relatively quickly. Of course, nothing ever came of it. The game company and the book company fell out and then respectively went out of business, and the game tie in book never saw the light of day. I would've been better off not writing the tie in novel, except I gained a valuable skill from the experience. Before that, I had only ever worked on one fiction project at a time. Now I had taught myself to do two at once. Ever since then, I have followed my primary/secondary project model while trying to get as many words down as possible in my primary project, but I also write 250 words or so of my secondary project before I go to the gym in the morning while I'm having my coffee. So when I finish my primary project, I'm usually about 10,000 to 20,000 words into my secondary project, which gets promoted to my new primary project. For example, Blade of Visions is almost done, but my secondary project, Elven-Warlock, is currently at 16,000 words, so that gives everything a nice little speed boost. I suppose this is yet another example of the lesson that if you're going to work really, really hard on something, if possible, you should be working for yourself and not on spec for someone else. Anyway, the primary/secondary project system has been really helpful to me, especially after I went full-time, which we will discuss next. #7: Time for Full-time So that was the paradigm I followed for the next four years from 2012 to 2016. I aimed for 3,000 words a day and mostly kept to it. I usually ended up writing between 500,000 and 600,000 words a year. I finished Demonsouled and The Ghosts and started on Frostborn and Ghost Exile, and then on a whim started writing Cloak Games in 2015 as a secondary project. 27 books later, Cloak Games/Cloak Mage has likewise turned out to be much longer than I thought. Frostborn also really took off in 2016, which was nice. I would've been perfectly content to continue working full-time and writing as a side gig, especially since I no longer had that part-time job because the books were paying better. That said, I knew in the back of my mind I could go full-time if it became necessary, especially if my employer went under or had layoffs. I admit going full-time started to become tempting as I took on more work and responsibilities after the layoffs. From 2012 to 2016, I got up at 4:30 AM every workday so I'd have time to get everything done. Admittedly, that's not a big deal and lots of people have to do that, yet I admit to this day, I still find 4 in the morning the worst time to get up to use the bathroom or to wake up before a long road trip or whatever. Somehow waking up and seeing 4 on the clock just seems so hateful. Ironically, for all the time I spent thinking about layoffs and preparing contingency plans about what I do afterward, I never actually got laid off. In 2016, I ended up needing to move to a new US state for a combination of family and personal reasons, so I had to quit. I thought about finding a new job in the tech field, but decided the time had come to start writing full-time. Since this was now my full-time job, there was no reason not to write as much as possible. In fact, that was probably a good idea if I wanted to eat, and that's when I started to trying to hit a million words a year. #8: The Rest of the 2010s So from 2016 onward, I wrote full-time. I had a million new words in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. I finished Ghost Exile and started Ghost Night, finished Frostborn and Sevenfold Sword and wrote most of Dragontiarna. I finished Cloak Games, started Cloak Mage, and I wrote, I think, the first nine books of Silent Order and also finished Malison. I also started doing self-published audiobooks in 2018 with Child of the Ghosts and Frostborn: The Dark Warden. 2017 was my absolute peak for word count since I hit 1.4 million words that year. Not surprisingly, that was probably my best year of sales ever since I finished Frostborn and started Sevenfold Sword in 2017, but I did hit a million words every year for the rest of the 2010s, including 2020. However, after 2020, there was trouble ahead, and you've probably guessed what it is. #9: Fun with COVID 2020 was a productive year for writing since I reached 1.2 million words and I took some Photoshop classes, which turned out to be really valuable in terms of cover design and creating marketing and ad images. It's pretty rare that I don't use Photoshop for something at least once a day now. However, as it would turn out, my big long-term problem was that the gyms in my local area closed for a long time during COVID, and I never found an adequate replacement for them. I ended up gaining a bunch of weight (with all the related health concerns that causes). In 2021, I only reached 974,000 words. Not a big deal. I thought. I'll hit a million next year. However, that didn't work as well because for a variety of personal health reasons in 2022, I only reached 814,000. I also tried a couple of new things during the early 2020s that really didn't work. In 2021, I published the two Cormac Rogan books, which people liked, but it really didn't have an audience. In 2022, I published the first book of what would become the Stealth & Spells Online trilogy, and that didn't sell very well because I misread the audience for LitRPG. Essentially, the LitRPG market wants Isekai/portal fantasy or system apocalypse type stuff, and I've written a science fiction thriller with LitRPG elements. Then in 2023, I actually got COVID, and that just laid me flat for six weeks. I barely got any work done in May and about half of June, and I realized I was going to have to make some changes. #10: Rivah Half-Elven to the Rescue First of all, I realized that I was doing too much by myself. I thought about stopping audiobooks and the podcast entirely, but instead I hired an audiobook proofer and a transcriptionist/researcher to help with that. Second, I still wanted to try something new. Cormac Rogan and Stealth & Spells hadn't worked all that well, but in April of 2023, I'd written about 8,000 words of what would become Half-Elven Thief. When I got sick over the summer, I stopped working on it to focus on finishing Dragonskull and the Silent Order series, but at the end of 2023, I dusted off the Word file, finished it, and published it in December of 2023. It had a substantially stronger first month than Stealth & Spells, so it was time to embark on the Half-Elven Thief series. #11: The Super Summer of Finishing Things I also realized that I gotten too scattered with five ongoing series at once. I decided to cut it down to three. So in the summer of 2025, I finished The Shield War, Stealth & Spells Online, and Ghost Armor. My ongoing series would be Blades of Ruin, Cloak Mage, and Half-Elven Thief. I wouldn't start on a new series until I finished one of these. From summer 2023 onward, things improved a good deal over 2021 through 2023. Audiobooks were a lot easier to do with an audiobook proofer to do the final listen, so I've done quite a bit more of those. From 2024 to 2026, I got my weight back down to a pre - COVID level with a lot of calorie counting and exercise (aided by sublimating the desire to snack into blowing up space pirates in Starfield). I did hit a million new words in both 2024 and 2025. As I mentioned, I'm not sure if I will hit a million words in 2026 or not. As I said earlier, I had to take a lot of time off this year, and it will depend on how the rest of the year goes, but I think 900,000 will be definitely achievable. #12: So What Have We Learned From All of This? As you can see, while I can write a million words a year, it took a long time to learn how to do it and a lot of practice, and if enough other things demand time and attention in a year, it's not going to happen. I think the biggest keys to writing as many words as possible in a year are persistence and tenacity. There will be many times you don't want to write, like at midnight when I still had 500 words to go on Soul of Dragons before I could go to bed, but you will need to push through and get to it. Maybe you cut back a little on time-wasting activities like TikTok, doomscrolling, and TV, especially TikTok. It is distressing to see people repeating the nonsense they see on TikTok as absolute fact. Or maybe you learn to type on 15-minute bursts in your phone in those odd blocks of time like waiting rooms or being on hold that would otherwise go to waste. I have read interviews with several people who wrote their novels on their phones while taking the train to and from work. Tenacity is also important. If you wait until circumstances are perfect to write, you will never get anything written. Granted, there are times when writing has to take a backseat to more important things in life. That's okay, that's as it should be. If you can't get a thousand words written, aim for 500. If you miss one day, then tomorrow is another day and you can try again. That is also true over a long time scale as well. If I miss writing a million words in one year, well, tomorrow is another day and next year is another year. And of course, thank you for reading all the books. There'd be no point in writing a million words a year if people didn't read them. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.  

Ironically, although AI promises a life of leisure by eliminating hard work, very often the exact opposite takes place. As AI prioritizes endless productivity and hyper-efficiency, AI often promotes a life of hurry. But an overly busy life can be one of the great challenges to following Jesus as humans made in God's image. An important antidote to a life of hurry is to play. Play is the free and fun enjoyment of God's good creation, which in turn leads us to more deeply enjoy God Himself. As such, we need to play well by creating margins and rhythms for play and by giving thanks to God as we play.

From Jerry: The following remarks were given by me at All Saints Episcopal Church shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I was asked to speak by the priest of that church, Father Jay Geisler, and the first minute or so is about his work with addicts. Ironically, after this call for us to continue to reason together as Christians and to not try to shut out, shut up, or cancel our opponents, shortly after these remarks, the bishop acted to impair me from serving in any leadership post at all in any parish in the diocese. One year later, after we see the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the hateful and intolerant reaction of many to it, I thought the time had come to publish these remarks here. For what it's worth, knowing that I would be driven out of leadership in a denomination that I had served in for a quarter of a century in reaction to speaking, I still wouldn't change a thing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I often help clients through a very specific cycle. It starts with finally getting what they want, followed by what I call the pit of despair. Here's how it usually works. You build up energy, beliefs, patterns, and expectations around something you want. Maybe it is more money, more success, a bigger business, or a major goal. You think about it constantly. You visualize it. You work toward it. You send the emails, make the calls, and do everything you believe you are supposed to do. Then suddenly, things start happening. The opportunities arrive. The money comes in. The growth begins. And then, almost immediately, you crash. That crash is important to understand. What usually happens is that you hit an internal wall. A subconscious limit. A place where part of you believes, "This is enough," even though another part of you knows you want more. The truth is, human beings naturally expand. Once we experience growth, we often desire more growth. That drive itself is not wrong. It is part of how we evolve. The key is learning how to pursue more in a way that is authentic and aligned with who you really are, not through performance or comparison. Everyone has their own rhythm, personality, and way of creating success. Your path will not look like anyone else's. Most people experience success in waves. They rise, then fall. Rise, then fall. Peak and valley over and over again until eventually they become exhausted and want to quit. Ironically, that moment is often right before the breakthrough. But most people do not understand the process. They do not know how to recover from burnout mentally, emotionally, energetically, and physically. Burnout is not just physical exhaustion. It is also mental fatigue. Your mind gets tired from constantly pushing toward the next level. And when the mind gets tired, the body follows. This is the stage where quitting becomes tempting. I have seen it thousands of times. People quit while building businesses, launching courses, expanding financially, selling companies, or pursuing meaningful goals. There are also smaller quits along the way. Quiet moments where people slowly pull back from their own potential. The important thing to realize is that many of those quitting patterns were learned. Most people were conditioned to operate only within a certain level of success, visibility, or comfort. Going beyond that can feel unfamiliar or even unsafe. Some people call this fear of success. I see it differently. I believe many people simply reach a level where life becomes "okay," and they were taught that okay is enough. I disagree with that. You are capable of growth beyond survival, beyond settling, and beyond repeating the same peaks and valleys. What you really want is what I call an upward trending spiral. Growth that continues sustainably, without constantly crashing back down. That requires unlearning burnout patterns and building a new relationship with success, energy, and expansion. If you want help with that, visit sheevaunmoran.com, explore the other videos, and keep learning. It is your turn. It is your time. Right now. See you soon. Follow & Let's Get in Touch! Official Links Website: https://sheevaunmoran.com/ Conference: http://epiclifesuccesssummit.com Blog: https://blog.sheevaunmoran.com/

LEVITICUS LESSON 2 PART 2 If you haven' listened to Lesson 2 Part 1 here's the link - https://lightofmenorah.podbean.com/e/leviticus-2-lesson-1-lev-1-2-burin-it-all-up/?token=4e58b98c5da23e559726199bf8d9c9b0   Why the bull then the goat/sheep and then a turtledove or pigeon?  As we study further into Leviticus we'll see that God is clearly doing something awesome.  He is making it easy for anyone, rich or poor, to participate in a Burnt Offering to “come close” to the Lord.  One can do a search on the internet and find the following. The Bull (Most Expensive): for the rich or more powerful people of the community. The Lamb / Sheep (Moderate Cost): The standard offering for an average household or individual guilt/sin offering. The Pigeon or Turtledove (Least Expensive): Designated specifically as a gracious provision for the poor. If a person could not afford a lamb, God permitted them to bring pigeons or doves.  Pigeons could be freely caught in the wild. For example, Mary and Joseph offered pigeons (or turtledoves) at the temple during Jesus' dedication because they lacked the funds for a lamb. Historical Estimates Modern historians and biblical economists have estimated relative values in ancient Near Eastern currency to modern equivalents: Bull / Ox: Highly valuable capital asset; modern equivalent estimates up to $1,200. Lamb / Sheep: Worth a fraction of a large bovine; modern equivalent estimates range from $150 to $300. Pigeon / Dove: Plentiful and cheap (or able to be caught wild); modern equivalent estimates range from $5 to $10. [1] https://biblehub.com/topical/o/offering_of_birds.htm [2] https://heartstounderstand.com/2022/09/27/animal-sacrifices-by-value/ [3] https://www.gotquestions.org/Old-Testament-sacrifices.html [4] https://weirdanimalworld.com/animals-sacrificed-in-the-bible/   The Role of Pigeons and Bread and Honey Bread and honey were sacred, daily offerings laid out on temple altars to sustain the gods and nourish the souls of the dead in ancient Egypt. See https://www.agricultureforlife.ca/post/food-offerings-in-ancient-times-honouring-gods-and-ancestors The Foundation of Life: Bread (called aish, meaning "life") and beer formed the literal and symbolic core of the Egyptian diet and offering rituals, representing the very first items presented to deities. The Sweetness of the Gods: Honey was highly prized and associated with nefer—the concept of goodness, beauty, and perfection—making it a fit luxury for temple ceremonies. Divine and Funerary Offerings: Pharoahs and priests daily placed fine loaves, beer, and honey-sweetened cakes (sometimes made with tiger nuts or dates) before gods like Amun-Ra. Similar provisions and honey-baked bread were placed inside tombs to feed and preserve the ka (soul) in the afterlife. In ancient Egypt, thousands of pigeons and doves were used as temple offerings and ritual sacrifices to feed the gods, symbolize fertility, and serve as pure provisions for the afterlife.   The sheer volume of pigeon sacrifices is documented in historical texts. According to the Great Harris Papyrus—the longest surviving papyrus from Egypt—Pharaoh Ramses III donated 6,510 doves and 57,810 pigeons to the Temple of Amun alone. Ironically, while tens of thousands of pigeons were funneled into temples every year to appease the gods, Egyptian priests were strictly forbidden by religious decree from eating pigeon meat. Because pigeons were viewed as sacred symbols of fertility and love, the living clergy had to maintain purity by abstaining from eating them, keeping the birds strictly reserved as a "food of the gods". Finally, here's some final thoughts on Jesus and the Hebrew word, Qorban קָרְבָּן which is a Hebrew word that means “something brought near.”  It comes from the Hebrew verb karav (קָרַב), which means "to draw near" or "come close".  So, a Qorban קָרְבָּן is something we bring near as a "closeness gift" meant to bring a person into closer fellowship with God. Jesus was our true Qorban.  He was the final sacrifice.  Instead of temporary animal offerings, Jesus offered Himself on the cross.  In Him we are brought near just as Paul wrote in Eph. 2:13.  Paul wrote that we believers who were once far away are brought near through Christ's blood.  [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korban [2] https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Mark%207%3A11 [10] https://www.biblicalunitarian.com/articles/jesus-christ-our-approach-offering Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? (John - on the Nile at Luxor Egypt) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Derek and JR continue their “I Think You'll Like…” series with Derek picking 2024's cosmic horror true crime mockumentary “Strange Harvest”. Little does he know, JR absolutely HATES true crime. Two grown men learn a bit more about themselves as their friendship deeps. Ironically, JR turns this episode into a possible true crime podcast by the end of it…

We take Labor Day seriously around here. Which is to say, "off." We take Labor Day off. Not always, of course. Which undermines the earlier premise. But we're not not doing it today, so who cares? What we are doing is re-running our September 8, 2025 show. And won't you be surprised by how very similar certain parts of the news still are? Here's what we were up to at about this time, one year ago: David Waldman catches us up on the multiple disasters since Friday. Greg Dworkin catches us up on the multiple disasters since Thursday. Boooo! Trump was booooooooed at the US Open. If they don't want to hear boos, they shouldn't invite Trump. Or Winsome Earle-Sears. Tiny hands, deep throat, Donald K. Trump was an FBI Snitch according to Mike Johnson, the last guy anyone would trust to keep a secret. The Miami Herald and New York Times seek to unseal records on Jeffrey Epstein's estate, while we all know that Jeffrey Epstein and everyone on the Epstein list has been brought to you by capitalism. Zohran Mamdanimentum continues as Americans are beginning to see capitalism about as badly as they do Trump. LG Energy specialists squeezed into 90+ day rotations to set up a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia were caught in violation of that "+" part, were belly-chained and hauled out of the country. The plant they were setting up won't be hiring Americans any time soon, thanks to Karen-Republican Mar-a-Lago wannabe Tori Branum. Don't expect to hear more from Branum but do expect a lot more plants to be shut down. The Department of War begins its Midway Blitz, which is not a war, it is simply a police action. Why do so many Republicans think Trump is more liberal than he is? If people die in Florida because of lack of vaccines, it will be a surprise to Florida Surgeon General Ladapo. RFK Jr. will have seen it all coming, as he always does a year or so later. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists will save lives in the future by ignoring the CDC today. Ironically, the owner of one of the most punchable faces in politics, Scott Bessent, keeps wanting to punch others in their faces. This time it was the quite punchable Bill Pulte and for the same reason as Scott picked ever punchable Elon Musk. Scott heard both were bad mouthing him to Donald. Scott almost took Bill out, back there on the cement slab they have over the White House septic tank. E. Jean Carroll won her judgement against Trump again.

Why "Any Questions?" Is Killing Your Board Discussions   I've facilitated hundreds of board retreats over the past 20 years, and I've noticed something fascinating. The moment a board chair or CEO finishes a presentation and says, "Any questions?" the room almost always gets quieter—not livelier.   A few people glance at their notes. Someone takes a sip of coffee. Another checks the agenda. Then someone eventually says, "Nope." And just like that, the conversation is over.   Ironically, everyone loses.   The Fastest Way to End a Conversation Here's the problem: "Any questions?" isn't really a question. It's permission to end the discussion. It's broad. It's vague. And it puts the burden on everyone else to think of something brilliant in the moment.   In my experience, silence rarely means agreement. It usually means people are still processing, they're unsure if it's the right time to speak, or they're wondering whether someone else should go first.   I've seen this pattern at organizations with $200,000 budgets and at organizations with $200 million budgets. The size of the nonprofit doesn't matter. Human nature does. Tune in to learn more!

Here's the headline: "3000 hospitality businesses close in a year". That's what the media not only does, but loves. They would perceive it as bad news and they can't pedal bad news enough. But in the numbers are the real story. The 3000 is made up of closures and liquidations. A closure can mean nothing more than a person leaving the country or closing one establishment to open another. That happens all the time. It's not a sign of anything other than mood or inspiration. It's important to also remember that there are more openings than closures. That's the real story, so in essence the hospitality scene is actually growing. Not that a headline about 3000 closures would ever tell you that. Ironically, it's also perhaps an insight into the reality of hospitality, which is to say it's a very easy entry into business, given a lot of hospitality is hole-in-the-wall sandwich-type stuff, often by migrants, that comes and goes. So on one hand we are growing and on the other it's an in-and-out sort of operation that is not really reflective of a wider economy, or its story. The next part of the stats dump is liquidations. They tell us liquidations are up 42% year on year. That sounds bad, until you hear the next number, which is 1.3%. The 1.3% is the percentage of businesses that actually end up liquidated, which of course is hardly any. 98.7% are not liquidated, so the 42% is off an extremely low base and not, if you were being honest, worthy of a headline. But remember the key here; it's all about bad news. Do you want a worse one? Takeaway liquidations were up 143%. That's a shocker, except, remember that takeaways is a subset of overall liquidations and the liquidations only represent 1.3%. So imagine how small the actual number of fish and chip shops this actually involves is. So, 143% of what? So, to the narrative. If a headline is all you ever see you will believe we are a dump, it's a mess and things aren't improving. And yet the truth is a whole different thing. In these numbers and the narrative is the modern-day story of news and information; what's real versus what they want you to think is real. It sadly requires work on your part to get to the real story. And in this case, it is nowhere near as bad as they make out. In fact, it's almost entirely the opposite. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaymee Jay joins us on a swapcast with William Ramsey & Hans Utter to discuss the Jonestown massacre & it's psychological connections to the Covid-jab campaign of 2021. This is part 19 of our Manchurian Candidate series. Jim Jones was an evil man running multiple mind control experiments in the jungle. With cult programming, psychic driving, shame & humiliation he dominated the individuals who moved to his compound in Guyana. This deep state operation was an experiment to learn how best to manipulate a crowd into murdering themselves and their children. Ironically, this cyanide poison was not only mixed with Flavor-aid, most of the deaths were due to injections from hypodermic needles. Find more from Jaymee here:⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUSKTphNVIY⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvMyQsiDEYODEel3zK97B44lOyBVmaZE2&si=9_QWFAS28TE0cVf8⁠⁠Find William Ramsey here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.williamramseyinvestigates.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/william-ramsey-investigates/id1388815042⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.williamramseyinvestigates.com/store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find The Resonant State & Dr. Hans Utter here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hansutter.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1mlCW7CCQ2rfSavOImbkiA?si=7832d7f9fdfc4b3a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/DrHansUtter/posts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bitchute.com/channel/oyiUU2hKYQpO⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rumble.com/c/c-7513576⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://odysee.com/@sacredmusic769:1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/HansUtter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hansutter@hotmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Please donate to Wake the Dead! Send donations toSean McCann, PO box 93, Oberlin, OH 44074⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onegreatworknetwork.com/sean-mccann/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BTC (bitcoin) address: 3Ptmi463Pu6HH1duop7rCKaxBriQkb4ina⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wakethedead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/seanmccannabis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Wake the Dead's store!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wakethedead.creator-spring.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find Sean McCann on X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/SeanWakeTheDead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the Wake the Dead telegram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.me/wakethedeadpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find Wake the Dead on Discord:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/W6fDghnf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Society needs more strong dads.  Dads have been depicted and programmed into our minds as goofy, dufus-like characters in many of history's top sitcoms; think of Homer Simpson and Al Bundy.  Ironically, I believe that becoming a strong dad starts with developing a deeper understanding of the feminine energy.  I cover a lot in this episode, including: -Training, reflection, providing direction, growth, being an individual and ultimately becoming the wise elder.  It's a war and you need to be prepared to win this war.  Be Unconventional, Kyle Newell aka Panda Man P.S. - If you want to become more wise and start to master your body and mind, then hop on over and join my FREE fasting and mindset community here:  https://pandamanofficial.com/free-fasting-community-access

IntroductionGod shows his grace in capturing an unlikely prisoner. Saul assumed that Christ was a failure. Saul's goal is to do everything in his power to destroy Jesus. Saul sees Jesus as the failed liar who ended up on a cross. Saul was breathing threats and murder. This makes explicit that he was consumed with destroying the church. He had received authority to travel to Damascus, find those who confessed Jesus Christ as the Messiah, bind them, and bring them back to Jerusalem. Saul's entire identity and purpose were wrapped up in opposing Christ and destroying his people. He will not bow the knee to the self-proclaimed Messiah. Saul soon realizes that he is closer to Pharaoh than to Moses. A Changed PlanSaul's plan is to stamp out the church. However, the Lord had another plan. The Lord is going to take the Pharaoh oppressor and turn him into an agent of revelation like Moses. Before Saul ever arrived in Damascus, Christ met him on the road. Heavenly glory surrounded him, and Saul was helpless on his knees. Ironically, he bows before the Lord he seeks to destroy. This is the reality of God's sovereign grace. Saul did not change his own heart. He did not decide one day that perhaps he had been wrong. Christ confronted Saul in such a way that a stubborn man is kneeling before him. The Lord has a way of disrupting our plans when our plans are contrary to his will. Christ captured Saul on the road to Damascus. We are reminded that we are truly saved by the Lord's grace. It is by the Lord's power. We can kick against the goads, but the Lord always gets his man. Pharoah may have rebelled, but eventually he released the Lord's people. An Intended DestinationSaul might have a letter from the high priest, but the true heavenly high priest has different orders for Saul. He is still bowed down before the Lord. He hears a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”Christ does not say, “Why are you persecuting Christians?” He says, “Why are you persecuting me?” Christ is identified with his people. He heard the groanings of his people in Egypt. So, he experiences the persecution of his people. Christ is present with his people, literally feeling their pain. That should be a tremendous comfort to the church. We can sometimes think that Christ is far away. We see the struggles of the church. We experience suffering. We wonder whether the Lord sees what is happening to his people. Acts 9 reminds us that the Lord does not just see it, but he feels it. The church's persecution is persecuting Christ. Saul asks, “Who are you, lord?” As Saul recounts his kicking against the goads, this is probably not affirming that Christ is God. Rather, it is just Saul affirming that someone with a bright light has captured Saul's attention. And then Saul hears the words that overturn his entire world: “I am Jesus.”The Jesus that Saul thought was a failure is very much the messiah. Stephen's sermon was not fluff, but the substance of Isaiah's servant songs. Stephen correctly understood the connections of Christ in scripture. Saul must come to grips that his whole identity is his own self-deception. Saul is not putting down a deviant movement. No, Saul is the deviant movement that seeks to destroy the Lord's work. A New CommissionWhen Saul arrives at Damascus, he is no longer following the directive of the high priest's letter. No, he is fasting. He realizes that these threats and murder were against Christ. He realizes that he has destroyed the very thing he is called to build. Then the Lord sends Ananias. Ananias is resistant to his mission. He knows that Saul is not someone who casually disagrees. No, Saul is here to arrest, haul back to Jerusalem, and potentially kill if he can get away with it. So, we can understand why Ananias does not run out the door. But Christ assures Ananias that the Lord has taken hold of Saul and Saul has a mission. His mission is to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, and even his own people. Saul is going to suffer on account of Christ. Saul will not only be the messenger, but he will be invested in this message. Ananias enters and addresses him as “Brother Saul.” A man who had intended to drag believers away as prisoners is now welcomed into the fellowship of God's people. The Lord restores his sight. Saul is baptized. He receives strength. We see how the grace of the Gospel works. And the Lord gives him a new commission. Yes, Saul will suffer for Christ. He will proclaim Christ. He will bring the gospel to Jews and Gentiles. The man who once sought to destroy the people of God will spend the rest of his life serving the people of God and proclaiming the Christ he once hated.Ananias is not giving him an assignment to undo what he has done, but commissioning him. Saul will suffer like the other disciples. Only the grace of God can produce such a transformation.Thus, the Lord captures his prisoner of war. Little did Saul realize that he was going to be more Moses than Pharaoh. ConclusionWhat, then, is the point of Saul's conversion?It reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of Christ.Saul was actively opposed to Christ. He had heard the preaching of Stephen. He had seen the testimony of the church. He had heard voices calling for restraint.The Lord had been pricking and prodding Saul, as Saul recounts in Acts 26. However, Christ will break his people. We may look at someone and think there is no way that person will ever come to Christ. We may see anger, hostility, rebellion, and hatred toward the gospel.The wisdom of the world would never have chosen Saul to become an apostle. Ananias certainly would not have chosen him. The church probably would have considered him one of its greatest threats.The Lord's grace will overcome. Christ will prevail. The reality is that we may taste the suffering of this present age, but we are not a defeated people. Christ is in the midst of our suffering. He conquered death. He gives us life. So let us not think that Christ is distant. Let us not think that his grace is weak. Let us not think that anyone is beyond his reach. Let us not limit God's power. May we draw near to our Savior as his redeemed people. Let us trust in his power. Let us not test the boundaries of his grace. Let us see the joy that the Lord has made the unworthy share as the worthy only in Christ. Let us see the sweetness of his grace, his mercy, and his complete redemption. Let the peace of God rule within us so the joy of the Lord exudes from us.

Episode 517: How a Bloody Trauma Case Cured My Lifelong Blood Phobia Hosts: Kevin Cornelius, LMFT Dr. David Burns Episode Summary Can your greatest fear become one of your greatest strengths? In this deeply personal episode, Dr. David Burns shares the remarkable true story of how a severe lifelong blood phobia nearly ended his medical career—and how one unforgettable day in the emergency room transformed that fear forever. David recounts his unconventional path to becoming a psychiatrist, including almost dropping out of medical school, taking years away from medicine, living without money while trying to create a life centered around helping others, and eventually finding his way back to psychiatry through a residency at Highland Hospital in Oakland. On his very first day in the emergency department, David was confronted with what seemed like his worst nightmare: a critically injured bombing victim covered in blood. Unable to avoid the situation, he was asked to help clean gunpowder from the patient's wounds. What began as overwhelming terror became an unexpected turning point that permanently erased his blood phobia—and ultimately shaped his career treating anxiety disorders. Along the way, David and Kevin explore why exposure is one of the most powerful treatments for anxiety, why motivation is essential for lasting change, and why courage doesn't require the absence of fear. This inspiring conversation is a reminder that the experiences we most want to avoid can sometimes become the doorway to profound growth. In This Episode Why David never intended to become a physician—and almost quit medical school. The childhood experiences that contributed to his lifelong blood phobia. How avoiding feared situations keeps anxiety alive. The extraordinary trauma case that unexpectedly became David's own exposure therapy. The surprising moment his fear disappeared completely. David's concept of the "200% cure"—when something you once feared becomes something you genuinely enjoy. Why therapists sometimes avoid using exposure therapy, even though it is one of the most effective anxiety treatments. Why motivation often determines whether people are able to face their fears. The role of acceptance and willingness during exposure. A moving reunion with Highland Hospital decades later through the surgeon who recently performed David's successful colon surgery. Key Takeaways Exposure works because avoidance keeps fear alive. The natural impulse is to escape what frightens us. Unfortunately, every act of avoidance teaches the brain that the feared situation is dangerous. When we stay in the feared situation long enough, anxiety eventually peaks and then naturally declines. The feared catastrophe rarely occurs, and our confidence grows. Courage means acting while you're afraid. Kevin highlights an important distinction: You don't have to eliminate fear before taking action. Real courage is moving forward even while your anxiety feels overwhelming. David's anxiety remained at a 100 out of 100 for nearly fifteen minutes before it suddenly dissolved. Anxiety cannot remain at its peak forever. One of the biggest misconceptions about anxiety is the belief that once it starts, it will continue indefinitely. In reality, anxiety naturally rises and falls. If we stop escaping and allow ourselves to experience it, it eventually loses its power. Motivation makes exposure possible. For years David simply avoided blood. Everything changed because he had something more important than avoiding fear: he wanted to become a psychiatrist. Having a compelling reason to face anxiety often makes difficult exposure exercises possible. Sometimes fear transforms into enthusiasm. David describes what he calls the "200% cure." A 100% cure means you're no longer afraid. A 200% cure means you actually enjoy doing the very thing you once feared. Many people who overcome fears discover new passions that once seemed impossible. Therapists can become afraid of their patients' anxiety. Kevin and David discuss an important obstacle in treatment: therapists themselves sometimes avoid exposure because they're afraid it will overwhelm the client. Ironically, protecting people from anxiety often prolongs suffering. Learning that anxiety is uncomfortable—but not dangerous—is one of the most healing discoveries patients can make. Exposure requires willingness, not comfort. The goal is never to feel relaxed before confronting a fear. The goal is to become willing to experience anxiety while pursuing what matters. Memorable Quotes "When you confront the thing you're afraid of, you discover that the monster has no teeth." "You don't have to be a hero. You just have to make the decision to do it." "The 100% cure is you're no longer afraid. The 200% cure is that you love doing the thing you were once afraid of." "The real harm is believing that anxiety itself is dangerous." Resources Mentioned Dr. David Burns' accompanying Psychology Today article, "How a Bloody Trauma Case Cured My Lifelong Blood Phobia." TEAM-CBT and exposure techniques for treating anxiety disorders. If You Enjoyed This Episode If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe to The Feeling Good Podcast, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with someone who struggles with anxiety or avoidance. Your support helps more people discover practical, evidence-based tools for overcoming fear and building happier lives. Listener Survey We'd love to hear from you!Your feedback helps shape future episodes and allows us to create content that is as helpful and meaningful as possible. Please use this link to take the feedback survey and share your thoughts with us about this episode.Your voice matters—and as David points out in this episode, sometimes the most important conversations begin when we're willing to express what we're really thinking and feeling. Thank you for listening to The Feeling Good Podcast! Contact Information Kevin Cornelius, LMFT is a Level 5 Certified Master TEAM-CBT Therapist and Trainer and the Clinical Director of Feeling Good Institute--Silicon Valley. He specializes in the treatment of trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship problems and insomnia. You can reach Kevin at kevin@feelinggoodinstitute.com and visit his website at www.tools4change.me. You can reach Dr. Burns at david@feelinggood.com. Feeling down in these turbulent times? Take a ride on our Feeling Great app. Feeling Great feels wonderful! You owe it to yourself to feel GREAT! Give the Greatest Gifts of ALL--Love and Happiness!

WWE is loving the factions these days. This past week, we saw the debut of Royce Kets & OTM. Ironically, this happens during the buildup of Survivor Series- War Games. The guys come back this week bigger and badder with our takes on how this new faction will impact the climate of WWE while on the road to War Games. We also dissect the emergence of Solo Sikoa, and why your enemy may become your bets friends once again. Is it time for the WWE to push a new woman in the company? Has Liv Morgan lost her appeal? ALL THAT AND MORE ON A BRAND NEW EPISODE OF SUNSET FLIP RADIO! TOP GUYS OUT.

Today's "Headlines from the End Times" include the story of how a Nashville-based Jewish author's neighborhood bookstore recently cancelled her book launch event when anti-Zionist protestors bombarded the store with complaints. Ironically, her book addresses rising antisemitism and cancel culture. Massachusetts is considering legislation to grant preferential state positions to Muslims. Plus, recent headlines demonstrate how progressive Christianity preaches a false works-based gospel rooted in legalism. Josh Davis details these stories and connects the dots to Bible prophecy on today's Watchman on the Wall episode.

MATT KITTLE fills in for SIMON and this hour brings you stories from across the globe, including the horrible outcome from 2 air traffic controllers kicking off work early and absolute insanity from the Canadian Broadcasting Company in their pursuit to not offend anyone. Ironically, they've offended almost the whole of the United States in the process! What do you think - do you agree or are you offended?

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into Ezra Booth's anti-Mormon letters from October 1831, examining how this early apostate mounted his attack against our fledgling church. What fascinates us most is that Booth personally witnessed miracles, including Elsa Johnson's arm being healed, yet later dismissed such spiritual experiences as delusion or deliberate fraud.  We highlight striking logical contradictions in his arguments: he claims only Joseph saw angels, then attacks witness testimonies about seeing them. His scattershot approach, depicting believers as liars, crazy, or stupid, mirrors modern anti-Mormon rhetoric perfectly. Ironically, Booth himself confirms early church members used "Melchizedek priesthood" language and testified of spiritual experiences, undermining later revisionist claims these were later developments. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

It may be hard to believe, but it has been 16 ½ years since Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints captured their one and only Super Bowl title. February 7, 2010 marked the greatest day in Saints history. The New Orleans Saints began play as an NFL expansion team in Tulane Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams on September 17, 1967.  The opening kick-off was returned by Saints wide receiver John Gilliam for a touchdown as 80,000 fans roared their approval. Sadly, the Saints lost Game #1 27-13 and finished their initial NFL season with a 3-11 record. Twenty years later, the New Orleans Saints had yet to post a winning season.  Successful former USFL coach Jim Mora was hired to lead the team.  Coach Mora turned around this franchise and posted five winning seasons over the next seven years. They finally made the playoffs for the first time in 1987. WhoDat Nation was born in the mid 1980’s! Fans gleefully chanted “Who Dat say they gonna beat ‘dem Saints?” as New Orleans had finally became a regular contender in the NFC. Until they weren’t. The 1992 NFL playoffs marked the final post-season appearance for the Saints for another eight seasons.  A surprising 2000 New Orleans Saints team finished 10-6 and finally won the first playoff game in the history of this long-suffering franchise. In 2006, it was new head coach Sean Payton and newly acquired quarterback Drew Brees teamed-up to rebuild the Saints into a long-time NFC powerhouse over the next 15 seasons. Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season.  He was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Coach Sean Payton “retired” a year later. He opted for the television booth with FOX Sports.  The Denver Broncos coaxed him to return to coaching with an eye-popping contract offer in 2022. Sean Payton has turned-around another NFL franchise.  His Broncos have become top playoff contenders in the AFC after only three seasons as the team’s head coach. Those two legends are no longer part of the NFL franchise in New Orleans.  Saints fans still love their football team, but the playoffs seem like a distant memory. Successive years of 5-12 in 2024 and 6-11 in 2025 are making many Saints fans wax nostalgic about “the good old days” of two decades ago. Is Kellen Moore a miracle worker or will he become just another short term coach? The Saints hired and later fired former defensive coordinator Dennis Allen after 2 ½ seasons following the departure of head coach Sean Payton. The 2025 season saw New Orleans hand the coaching baton to Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore with the top job.  Moore was a dynamic quarterback in college with Boise State during the Broncos’ ascension in major college football twenty years ago. Kellen Moore then played five seasons in the NFL before becoming the quarterbacks coach in Dallas.  He would be elevated to the team’s offensive coordinator for three seasons.  Moore earned a Super Bowl ring as the OC for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024. Ironically, that Super Bowl victory came in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Kellen Moore became the new head coach for the New Orleans Saints less than one week later. Moore’s offensive knowledge did not seem to help the Saints’ putrid offense last season.  New Orleans scored only 18 points per game to finish in 28th place in the NFL. Saints fans saw a glimmer of hope after second-round rookie draft pick Tyler Shough (pronounced “Shuck”) was inserted into the line-up for the second half of the season. The Saints offense immediately caught fire as New Orleans won four of its last five games to finish 6-11. An underappreciated Saints defense finished in the middle of the NFL pack (16th) and allowed only 22 points per game for the 2025 season. Off-season moves have firmed-up the Saints offense The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh saw the New Orleans Saints select: Round 1 – Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver, Arizona State Round 2 – Christen Miller, defensive tackle, Georgia Round 3 – Oscar Delp, tight end, Georgia Round 4 – Jeremiah Wright, offensive guard, Auburn Round 4 – Bryce Lance, wide receiver, North Dakota State Round 5 – Lorenzo Styles, defensive back, Ohio State Round 6 – Barion Brown, wide receiver/return specialist, LSU Round 7 – T.J. Hall, defensive back, Iowa That made three wide receivers and a talented tight end taken with the eight draft picks. Fifth year wide receiver Chris Olave has grabbed passes for more than 1,000 yards in three of his four years with the Saints.  He and quarterback Tyler Shough got their wish in the NFL draft.  There are significant new weapons with this impressive trio of wide receiver draft selections plus a top tight end prospect in Oscar Delp. It’s hard to believe that running back Alvin Kamara is entering his tenth NFL season. The 2017 Rookie of the Year has been slowed by injuries over his career.  Kamara has not played a full regular season since that initial 2017 campaign. The team’s all-time leading rusher will be joined in the backfield this season by newly acquired running back Travis Etienne.  He comes to the Saints from the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Etienne (like Alvin Kamara) is exceptional at catching the ball coming out of the backfield. This tandem should give NFC South defenses plenty to be concerned about. The New Orleans Saints lost long-time offensive standout Taysom Hill to retirement at the end of last season.  This versatile former BYU quarterback had played back-up quarterback, tight end, and running back over his nine seasons with the Saints.  The oft-injured Hill became a fan favorite in New Orleans. Can the Saints defense do it again in 2026? A quick look at this year’s Saints draft picks showed that defense was definitely not a priority for the team. Consider how ineffective the New Orleans Saints offense was in 2025.  The team’s inability to score points kept the Saints defense on the field for longer than the NFL average.  New Orleans’ 16th rated defense may show further improvement this season if the team’s offense stays on the field longer and give the defense more rest. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley (the former head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers) put together an opportunistic and relatively young defensive unit for the Saints in 2025.  The team collected 20 turnovers last season.  It was also ranked #3 in the NFL at shutting down the opposing offense on third down. Former Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry and former Washington first round defensive end selection Chase Young led a hungry New Orleans Saints defensive unit in 2025. New Orleans’ popular and eight-time Pro Bowl selection Cameron Jordan was drafted in 2011.  Now age 37, he remains a force at the other defensive end position for New Orleans. A lack of depth may unravel the Saints this season Injuries happen – especially in the NFL.  For as optimistic as things look for the Saints first team units, a lack of quality depth (especially at quarterback) could sink the Saints chances in 2026. Preseason games generally feature back-ups so that the coaches can determine which players deserve a spot on the team’s regular season roster. The Saints 34-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend in the second preseason game showed just how weak this team’s back-ups seem to be.  They were skunked by the reserves from a Rams team which went 12-5 last year. Seeing the other team’s reserves blank the Saints back-ups raised some warning flags about the upcoming season. Speaking of back-ups, New Orleans is attempting to transform another top first round draft selection into a future weapon at quarterback. Former New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (the #3 overall pick in 2021 out of BYU) threw more interceptions (25) than touchdowns (23) during his three years with New York.  Wilson was then shipped to Denver in 2024 and moved again last season to Miami as a reserve QB for the Dolphins. Will head coach Kellen Moore (a former NFL quarterback) be able to restore the confidence of Zach Wilson and turn him into productive offensive weapon for the Saints? Prediction time! The first seven games in 2026 will tell us a lot about this year’s New Orleans Saints team. New Orleans opens with two tough road games – at the Detroit Lions and at Baltimore to play the Ravens. They’re likely to be 0-2. However, the next five games are all winnable (home for Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Minnesota), on the road at the New York Giants, and a (fake) home game in Paris against the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Saints are 5-2 or even 4-3 heading into the second half of the season, they have a realistic chance of going 9-8 this year.  That record might be good enough to win a very balanced (but weak) NFC South. I predict the Saints will finish 8-9 this season. Anything better than 8-9 this season will have all Saints fans (me, included) downright giddy about the future of this football team. Put away those paper bags (at least for now), Saints fans. It’s “Who Dat!?” time once again in N’awlins! The post Hype or Hope for this year’s New Orleans Saints? appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

People decide whether to trust you before they've had time to fully evaluate your expertise. Before they process your words, they're reading your energy, pace, posture, eye contact, and certainty. The question is: Does the way you show up match the brilliance you bring? In this milestone 200th episode, I'm sharing seven practical ways to build trust quickly, strengthen your credibility, and influence the room with Powerhouse Presence™. 1. The Handshake Moment: Trust Starts Before Your Content Does People experience you before they process what you're saying. Your posture, facial expression, eye contact, pace, and energy are already communicating a message. Before your next high-stakes conversation, ask yourself: How do I want to be experienced in this room? Choose three words, such as calm, credible, clear, and let those guide how you show up. 2. Calm Certainty Builds Credibility Powerhouse Presence™ isn't about being the loudest or most charismatic person in the room. It's about communicating: I belong here. I know what I bring. And I don't need to prove it. Slow your pace. Finish your sentences. Let your words land. Confidence doesn't rush. 3. Your First Words Matter Don't waste your opening warming up, qualifying your opinion, or giving unnecessary backstory. Instead of: “I've been thinking about this, and I'm not sure everyone will agree, but…” Try: “Here's what I recommend.” Use BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front. Lead with what matters most. 4. Remove the Language That Leaks Authority Pay attention to words and phrases that unintentionally weaken your message: just, sorry, I think, maybe, hopefully, or does that make sense? You don't have to become aggressive or overly direct. The goal is to communicate with greater clarity and certainty. Before you speak, ask: Am I softening this because it needs to be softened, or because I'm uncomfortable owning it? 5. Stand Out by Being Concise Over-explaining can come from wanting to prove your credibility. Ironically, it can have the opposite effect. Make your point. Give the necessary context. Then stop. Challenge yourself to cut the runway and eliminate the first 20–30% of what you would normally say. The more important your point, the less you should bury it. 6. Make Sure Your Presence Matches Your Brilliance You can be exceptionally talented and still have a gap between what you know and how others experience you. I call this the Credibility Gap: the distance between the expertise you possess and the confidence, clarity, and authority others experience from you. Your goal isn't to become someone else. It's to make sure the room can see the value that's already there. 7. Build Trust Through Consistency Powerhouse Presence™ isn't something you turn on for the big presentation or board meeting. Trust is built in the everyday moments: keeping your word, being prepared, communicating clearly, handling pressure well, and saying what needs to be said. People trust leaders when they know what they can count on from them.   Your Powerhouse Challenge This week, don't try to be more impressive. Be more intentional. Speak sooner. Say less. Slow down. Trust your own voice. Because when your presence matches your brilliance, you don't have to fight to command the room. People feel it. Some resources for you: Get 3 Strategies to Speak Up in Meetings here. Project more confidence and credibility with my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos My book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/   Connect with me: Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial  Episodes also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videos   About me: Many years ago I found myself tongue-tied in a boardroom, my colleagues and executives staring at me. My stomach in my throat, I was unable to get the words out (in spite of being in a senior leadership role).  Then, I heard my boss shut down the meeting. My heart sank. I was mortified. She pulled me aside and said, "You didn't trust your gut. You could've tabled the meeting like I did." Why didn't that option occur to me in the moment? Why did I feel like I needed permission? That was the day I set out to change. I began a journey of personal growth to discover the root of the problem. Once I did, I wanted every woman to experience that same freedom. I'm now on a mission to silence self-doubt in 10 million women in 10 years by giving them simple strategies to speak up and ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond, resulting in more clients, job promotions, and negotiation wins. Companies like NASA, Netflix, Google, and Sephora have been propelled toward more effective communication skills through my signature framework, The Confidence Cocktail™. This is your invitation to step into your most confident self so you can catapult your career! Karen Laos, Communication Expert and Confidence Cultivator, leverages 25 years in the boardroom and speaking on the world's most coveted stages such as Google and NASA to transform missed opportunities into wins. She is fiercely committed to her mission of eradicating self-doubt in 10 million women by giving them practical strategies to ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond. She guides corporations and individuals with her tested communication model to generate consistent results through her Powerful Presence Keynote: How to Be an Influential Communicator. Get my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos Connect with me:Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial Facebook: Ignite Your Confidence with Karen Laos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/karenlaosconsultingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlaos/Episodes also available on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videosMy book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/

Ironically, the only people without phones seem to be rich and famous. Artists shouldn't be doom scrolling their comments, but why are people leaving hate comments for anyone?! Let's discuss!

Ironically, the only people without phones seem to be rich and famous. Artists shouldn't be doom scrolling their comments anyway, right? Maybe Meghan Markle isn't fired after all! Scott Budman is on the show! The Meta trial is really just getting started. Surprise! People are finding Meta glasses creepy. Vinnie is excited about the potential new Apple Watch. Scott thinks the price will likely stay the same. Humanoid robots are getting… athletic.

Hour 1: Can you guess which Disney character teamed up with the 49ers? Katey Sagal celebrates 40 years of sobriety. Let's eat some headlines! Spider-Man to sink Titanic out of the top 5 biggest movies ever. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days is getting a sequel. Will Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson be returning? 49er owner Jed York didn't have a sad lady sitting at home, but he is a bad tipper. If Alien life were confirmed tomorrow, would you take the bear? Another day, another list of dating turn-offs. Hour 2: Ironically, the only people without phones seem to be rich and famous. Artists shouldn't be doom scrolling their comments anyway, right? Maybe Meghan Markle isn't fired after all! Scott Budman is on the show! The Meta trial is really just getting started. Surprise! People are finding Meta glasses creepy. Vinnie is excited about the potential new Apple Watch. Scott thinks the price will likely stay the same. Humanoid robots are getting… athletic. Hour 3: Speaking of Meta, check us out on Instagram - @alice973! 90210 alum AnnaLynne McCord married retired rugby player Danny Cipriani are in the hot seat for crowdfunding their wedding gifts. Pumpkin's daughter has been thrown out of school. Kit Harrington is joining the cast of the new Harry Potter series as Gilderoy Lockhart. Your significant other may be “cushioning” and you wouldn't even know it. PSA: Contribute to your 401K, and if you have kids, a 529. And guess what, teens are about to learn this in school! Hour 4: Sometimes it takes a few tries to learn the ropes. It's time for a little Taylor Swift content. She opens up about choosing fame and how she accepts the consequences. Bob says the Empire State Building doesn't know anything. Kiss and make up! Then, share a banana split. A possible update on the Nancy Guthrie case. Pixar's first project was about the lamp! Mark Wahlberg and Juaquin Phoenix turned down Brokeback Mountain. As a kid, Vinnie was afraid Kiss would think he was gay. Plus, a new and amazing game!

MTD returned from the beach, Mark came back for another week of bad movies, and within five minutes the movie review had somehow become a pitch meeting for reality television. Brad introduced Life Stinks, where rich people have to survive homeless for 30 days, before Mark improved it with Life Swap, where a guy from rural Nebraska gets dropped into New York City while a city slicker gets sent to a farm and spends the next month being called "City Boy." Honestly, the guys may have accidentally come up with a better idea than the movie they were reviewing. Eventually they remembered they were supposed to talk about Backrooms. Brad's one-minute synopsis somehow made more sense than the actual movie. A struggling furniture salesman discovers mysterious endless hallways beneath his failing store, tells his psychiatrist about them, brings his coworkers inside, everyone starts disappearing, and somehow the psychiatrist decides that's enough evidence to go exploring herself. Sure... why not?The biggest surprise of the episode wasn't the movie—it was Mark. He admitted he genuinely loved the first hour of Backrooms, while Brad looked at him like he'd just nominated Madame Web for Best Picture. The debate lasted most of the episode, with Mark defending the atmosphere and Brad insisting the movie forgot one tiny detail... explaining literally anything. The one thing everyone agreed on was that the real star wasn't the furniture salesman or the psychiatrist—it was the backrooms themselves. Endless yellow hallways, buzzing fluorescent lights, abandoned office furniture, and that unsettling feeling of being somewhere you definitely shouldn't be. Brad even admitted the creepiest place he'd ever worked wasn't a haunted house—it was helping his girlfriend at Bath & Body Works after the mall closed. Apparently empty shopping malls at night are nightmare fuel all by themselves. As they broke down the movie, the questions just kept piling up. Why is Clark sleeping on mattresses he's supposed to sell? Who wants to buy a bed that's doubled as a grown man's apartment? How is this furniture store still in business when no customers ever appear? And who's paying the electric bill for an underground maze with enough fluorescent lights to power a small city? Naturally, none of those questions stayed on topic for long. Somehow the conversation turned into Brad explaining that if he ever lost an arm, he wouldn't want a modern prosthetic—he'd want a full Captain Hook hook. Not because it would be practical, but because people would remember him as "the hook-hand guy." By the end of the conversation they were designing interchangeable hook attachments like they were building the Swiss Army Knife of pirate hands. Then the movie paused so the guys could discuss psychiatry. Brad decided he'd make an awful therapist because he'd spend sessions doodling his autograph instead of listening. He also admitted he'd constantly want to tell Mark about the bizarre patients he'd seen that day, which is probably why becoming a psychiatrist was never in the cards. Ironically, the movie finally became its strongest once everyone entered the backrooms together. The found-footage scenes were genuinely creepy, the atmosphere worked, and both Brad and Mark were convinced the movie was about to take off. Instead, it introduced more mysteries than answers. Who was the figure lurking in the halls? What exactly are the backrooms? Why do they exist? The answer, apparently, is that you're supposed to watch the YouTube series first.By the end of the episode, the biggest mystery wasn't Backrooms. It was how a movie can make hundreds of millions of dollars while still leaving Brad convinced that the scariest thing in the entire film was buying a mattress that Clark had been sleeping—and farting—on for months.

Ralph welcomes Dr. Mimi Syed to discuss the recent report from Brown University's Costs of War Project: “Lethal Precision Without Accountability: Israeli Government ‘Quadcopter' Use in Gaza.” Then, Ralph speaks to Joel McCleary (former Deputy Assistant to President Jimmy Carter and international consultant) about his “Dancing in the Dark” essay series on the strategies that Trump is using to hold onto power at almost any cost.Dr. Mimi Syed is an emergency medicine physician and assistant clinical professor at University of Washington and Washington State University, and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Syed served in Gaza at both al-Aqsa Hospital and Nasser Hospital, where she documented severe injuries from drone strikes and she has firsthand experience treating civilians targeted by the IDF. She is co-author of the Costs of War Project's new report: Lethal Precision Without Accountability: Israeli Government “Quadcopter” Use in Gaza.A lot of the attention has essentially fallen off from Gaza because of this so-called ceasefire…And the media (Western media) unfortunately is complicit in this—has no interest in covering Gaza, has no interest in covering the ongoing slaughter that's happening in Gaza.Dr. Mimi SyedThe irony of all of this is that the drones and the capabilities that these drones have to shoot and to distinguish between a civilian and a combatant—the whole purpose of this is to mitigate civilian harm. And instead, perversely, they're being used for the opposite. They're being used to target civilians and children. And in the U.N. report, they specifically talk about a soldier describing the experience, saying that it's like a video game. He can be sitting somewhere far away, away from the dangers of a military zone, away from the dangers of combatants, and essentially target whoever he wants, and shoot. And these drones have the capability of distinguishing between a child, an adult, a combatant. And most of these cases that I documented, the child was by themselves. There was no other adult harmed.Dr. Mimi SyedJoel McCleary served as Deputy Assistant to the President during the Carter Administration. As president of the Sawyer-Miller Group he oversaw international strategic advisory work for fourteen prime ministers and presidents. Currently, he is Managing Partner of Four Seasons Ventures, which has conducted in-depth studies for the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security on biodefense. These studies reviewed the emergency powers of the President in the event of a pandemic or major biological weapons attack. He is co-founder of the nonpartisan nonprofit Keep Our Republic.November 3rd is just the prelude to January 3rd—the game (so to speak) is who controls the Speakership. And that is determined by the certified members who are certified by the current House—they will determine who meets on January 3rd. So obviously what Trump does not want (or any President does not want) is there to be an opposing party's Speaker.Joel McClearyWe're not saying that anything is inevitable. We're just saying what is possible if you look at what they're saying and if you look at where they might go if they feel compelled to do so. So NSPM-7 is probably the most frightening aspect of this whole thing. And what's most frightening is how few people have focused on it. All of us need to read these documents at the ACLU (the Brennan Center has done fantastic work). And Mark Medish and I just are appalled that still, in Democratic circles or other circles, we are not yet comprehending the meaning of NSPM-7 and how it threatens each one of us in reality.Joel McClearyNews 8/21/26* This week, another round of primaries were held, most notably in Florida. For progressives, the biggest victory is that of Angie Nixon, a DSA-backed member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing Jacksonville. Nixon trounced her opponent – Alex Vindman, who testified against Trump during the 2019 impeachment effort – winning 56% of the vote to his 44% despite being outspent by a margin of 16 to 1. Forbes reports that in her victory speech, Nixon said “We have proved that everyday people are more powerful than corporations and billionaires…We went up against the political establishment, against millions of dollars of outside spending…and we won. This win was for the little guys and girls…We, the hardworking everyday people of Florida, sent a shock wave to the Washington, D.C., establishment.” Unfortunately, Nixon's candidacy, like that of any statewide Democratic campaign in the Sunshine State, remains a long shot. The last Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat in Florida was former astronaut Bill Nelson in 2012.* More disappointing were the down-ballot results in these primaries. In the 20th congressional district, a majority-minority district centered on Broward County, Debbie Wasserman Schultz won with 45% of the vote, according to NBC. She defeated four Black candidates, including young progressive Elijah Manley. Wasserman Schultz previously represented the 25th district, but following the Republican-led mid-decade redistricting program carried out in Florida, she opted to seek reelection in this heavily Democratic seat. The Black candidates had tried and failed to consolidate behind a single choice.* And in Florida's 25th congressional district, ultra-zionist incumbent Congressman Jared Moskowitz “warded off” a challenge from his left in the form of Oliver Larkin, a DSA-backed union organizer. Larkin drew substantial media attention, first when he appeared on Fox and, asked about immigration and crime, he demanded accountability for “this pedophile president Donald Trump” and others implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and again during an interview with WPLG Local 10 when Larkin was “faced with genocide denial.” According to the Middle East Eye, Larkin “raised the topic of Israel's genocide in Gaza, pointing to statements and findings from institutions such as the United Nations, Amnesty International and Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem,” which the interviewer, Glenna Milberg incorrectly dismissed as “factually incorrect.” Larkin “outlined Israel's deliberate targeting of civilians, restrictions on humanitarian aid and attacks on churches, schools and other places of worship,” and Milberg again “interrupted and said his account was ‘factually not correct.'” The Middle East Eye writes that the exchange was then “cut short when Milberg said she was being told they had to wrap up the interview.”* Turning to Texas, NOTUS reports Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico – capitalizing on the acrimonious primary battle between sitting Republican Senator John Cornyn and his victorious primary opponent Texas AG Ken Paxton – has taken the extraordinary step of bringing a Cornyn aide onto his campaign. According to this piece, “Jacob Smith, who worked for Cornyn for five years as a deputy legislative director and policy adviser, is taking on the role of deputy policy director for Talarico's campaign.” In a statement, Smith said that he is “proud” to join Talarico's campaign and that “Instead of playing partisan politics, Talarico speaks to the needs of everyday people who day in and day out work too hard for too little.” Smith also laid into Paxton, calling him “the most corrupt, self-dealing politician in Texas who would sell their futures to the highest contributor just to hold onto power,” and urging “fellow Republicans who know Ken Paxton is unfit to serve in the Senate to finally hold him accountable at the ballot box.” This piece quotes an anonymous “Republican operative” who characterized this kind of “cross-party hire” as “unheard of.” He added that Talarico has a “better chance than any Democrat has had in the state in a very long time.”* In more primary news, last week we discussed the victory of former Hartford, Connecticut Mayor Luke Bronin over 14-term incumbent Congressman John Larson. That same day, the Lever published an exposé of Stephen Mandel, a Connecticut-based billionaire hedge fund manager and Democratic mega-donor who is the “largest bankroller of a nascent political machine promising to ‘redefine' the Democratic Party.” Via two organizations – Majority Democrats and the Bench – Mandel and his wife have funneled tens of millions of dollars to candidates of their choosing in an attempt to form a “new [political] center.” According to this report, Bronin amassed a “sizable war chest,” during his primary challenge against Larson, much of which traces back to Mandel. Not only that, apparently, Bronin “used to be on the payroll of a nonprofit funded by the billionaire,” and his campaign's policy stances reflect the network's preferences and priorities. The Lever notes that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Mandels did not return their requests for comment.* In more Connecticut news, in the wake of Larson's defeat, local media is beginning to question whether Senator Richard Blumenthal should run for another term in 2028, with WTNH noting that he will be 82 at the end of his current term. While Blumenthal has not formally announced that he will run for a fourth senate term, he did confirm that he has a campaign committee and it is raising money. This piece notes that Blumenthal is the second oldest member of Connecticut's congressional delegation, behind only Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, 83, who represents the state's third congressional district. With the increased scrutiny on aging Democrats, and donors like Stephen Mandel bankrolling primary challenges by younger candidates, Blumenthal's decision of whether or not to run or anoint a successor could prove critical. For his part, Blumenthal is quoted saying “Age is a state of mind…and I am very, very happy doing my job right now, as energetically as I feel is appropriate.”* Senator Blumenthal features prominently in another story this week from a different part of Washington. NOTUS reports that on K Street, lobbyists for the defense industry – literally the military industrial complex – are “girding for aggressive investigations of President Donald Trump's Pentagon and the companies that do business with it,” if the Democrats retake one or both houses of Congress in the midterm elections. This piece emphasizes that Democrats have “spent two years seething that the Trump administration shut Congress out of decisions about the Pentagon, from the Iran war to politically connected contractors and a defense budget that's ballooned to $1.5 trillion.” Lobbyists are reported to be particularly wary of their clients being caught between outraged congressional Democrats and an uncooperative White House for the next two years. Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Investigations Subcommittee, is already zeroing in on 1789 Capital, where Donald Trump Jr. is an investor, and American Ventures, where Eric Trump is an investor, both of which received billions of dollars in government awards. He is quoted saying “We need to look into whether Trump's sons are profiting from investments in defense contractors that involve insider information or contracts awarded in ways that compromise defense interests.” Other investigations he signaled they might pursue include a probe of “the administration's growing reliance on single-source contracts and whether the administration has given preferential treatment to companies with political ties, particularly those that donated to Trump's White House ballroom project.” In the House, Democrats on the Armed Services Committee will likely focus on “military strategy, acquisition decisions and the Pentagon's rapidly growing budget,” while the Oversight Committee, is more focused on “corruption, conflicts of interest, companies connected to Trump allies such as SpaceX and other ethics issues.” When Republicans won control of the House, Senate, and presidency in 2024, many lobbying firms axed their Democratic staff. It seems they are beginning to regret that decision.* Our next two stories have to do with the AI boom. First, in Wisconsin, the politics of AI data centers have come to in large part define the ongoing race to succeed Democrat Tony Evers as Governor. DSA-backed candidate Francesca Hong rode her vow of a moratorium on new data center construction to front-runner status in the primary, only to lose by a hair to Evers' last minute chosen successor, David Crowley. Since becoming the nominee, Crowley has refused to adopt Hong's signature issue and his opponent, Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany is taking full advantage. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, Tiffany's campaign has released a new TV ad labeling his opponent “data center David Crowley.” In the ad, Crowley is “seen saying Wisconsin has the opportunity to be ‘an AI and a data hub not only for the entire country, but for the entire globe.'” Ironically, Tiffany himself has cast “pro-data center votes in Congress” and Crowley's campaign argues that Tiffany “wouldn't be as hard on developers as his campaign claims,” though he is now campaigning on “ending state subsidies for data centers and creating additional protections for ratepayers and the state's farmland and water.”* Next, a stunning feat of reporting by 404 Media exposed how “Amazon is buying massive quantities of books, scanning them for AI training data, and destroying them in the process.“ To investigate this, the outlet placed a tracking device in a rare book that they suspected would be acquired by an AI company for training data. Then, when indeed it was, they followed the book around the country to its final destination – an Amazon warehouse in Las Vegas, Nevada – where employees say that “all [they] do is scan books..Some are assigned to cut books, and others go to receive where they get books and scan the bar codes.” The printed book is destroyed in the process. The logo of the Amazon team that works at this warehouse, called VGT3, is a dinosaur, brandishing its teeth and with a book in its hands. The piece notes that the AI company Anthropic has previously been sued for engaging in the practice of destroying rare books in order to feed them into their large language models, or LLMs, on copyright grounds, but the “judge in the lawsuit ruled it was fair use and not a copyright violation for Anthropic to scan a book for training data in part because it destroyed the original, printed copy.” The author of this piece notes that these rare books are not necessarily monetarily valuable – they could be rare because “not many copies of them were ever printed,” or “they are in a foreign language not many people speak.” Still, as one bookseller said “There are different types of value…[besides monetary value] There's historical value, intellectual value, sentimental value. All sorts of things, and all of those the AI companies don't care about. They just want the content as a bunch of words strung together.”* Finally, we turn to the Vatican, where, Drop Site reports, Pope Leo XIV is using his pulpit to call for the opening of humanitarian corridors for civilians in Sudan. In his weekly Angelus address, the first American Pope highlighted “the plight of civilians in the besieged city of el-Obeid.” In addition to his call for humanitarian corridors, the pontiff called for both sides to “cease attacks on civilian targets.” Drop Site explains that El-Obeid, the largest city in Kordofan – the region comprising central Sudan – has faced intense drone attacks as the rebels of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) battle the Sudanese army for supremacy in the region. An RSF siege has “left over 500,000 people in famine conditions for months and without supplies.” The United Nations warns that if El-Obeid falls, it could follow in the mold of el-Fasher, which fell to the RSF last year and resulted in “mass ethnic cleansing massacres by the RSF that killed an estimated 60,000 people.” We can only hope that the world will heed the Pope's plea for peace and humanitarian assistance to the civilian population of Sudan.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

This week on Mel & Floyd: Pet portrait night; Ironically named “Department of Justice” planning to send out 1,000 election monitors; GOP presidential hopefuls; USS Abraham Lincoln fallout; Meta's days in court; Data confirms BMW drivers are the worst; ABC sues FCC; Darth Vader supports Flock cameras; And other random topics; Notice something missing?  For the complete Mel and Floyd Experience, buy the CD “The Very Best of James Brown” and play it on your Hi-Fi while listening to this podcast!  Or listen live at 89.9 FM or wortfm.org/listen-live/ every Friday from 1 to 2 PM Central Time. Photo courtesy Nanang Adi on Unsplash Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Jackhammers Are Great! appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Tuesday's election ushered in a group of people who believe in bigger government, more government spending, probably higher taxes and a move away from legacy industries in favor of subsidized wind and solar. Most of them rejected the Republican Party Platform as extreme or a purity test. At the same time, they'll spout the "Code of the West" all day long. Ironically, the platform has more to do with our state's motto than the candidates have with the R they used to get elected. Tuesday's election was decisive for more and bigger government that has nothing to do with the platform or the code of the west.

Episode Overview In this nostalgic episode, host Larry Weishuhn sits down around the mic with his longtime friend Jim Zumbo. Zumbo is a legendary outdoorsman, author, and the former long-time hunting editor for Outdoor Life magazine. The two swap stories from decades of shared adventures, reflecting on the evolution of the outdoor industry, memorable hunts, and the chaotic fun of their early promotional tours. The Colorado Moose Hunt: Jim recounts drawing a rare, once-in-a-lifetime moose tag in Colorado. Early in the hunt, he passed on a massive 50-inch bull because it was standing too close to an active camp of elk hunters. On the final day, wanting to bring home the meat, Jim ended up shooting a much smaller bull. Ironically, he later found out that a chiropractor from Boulder harvested the exact same giant bull he had walked away from. NRA Great American Hunters Tour: Larry and Jim reminisce about traveling across the country together in a van for the NRA. They recall the grueling yet hilarious realities of the tour, which included speaking at unconventional venues like a freezing ice-skating rink in West Virginia. They also share a comical incident in California where they thought their blue van was stolen, only to eventually realize the parking garage's yellow lighting had created an optical illusion, making the van look white. Historic Writer's Camps: The pair discusses the wild, early days of outdoor media gatherings, specifically a 30-person camp at Tony Knight's farmhouse in Illinois. This event featured outdoor industry pioneers like Bill Jordan and marked the first major industry appearance of Jim Shockey, who famously showed up in a solid white hunting suit. The Genesis of a Writing Career: Jim shares the origin of his prolific career, which includes authoring over 20 books. While attending forestry school in the Adirondacks, he shot a legendary local buck named "Old Joe" and wrote about it for the student newspaper. Encouraged by a professor to write for a wider audience, he pitched an ice-fishing story to Outdoor Life, launching a massive career in outdoor journalism. Upcoming Adventures: Wrapping up the episode, Jim talks about his upcoming participation in the prestigious One Shot Antelope Hunt in Lander, Wyoming. He will be hunting on a team alongside close friends, including Rick Lambert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're with someone you're attracted to. Things are going well. You want to have sex. And then your body doesn't respond the way you expected. Within seconds, your mind starts racing. What's wrong with me? Why is this happening? What is my partner thinking? For many men, the erection )and whether it works or not) isn't the biggest problem. It's what happens next. The self-doubt. The panic. The pressure. The fear that it will happen again. Ironically, those thoughts are often what keep the cycle going. The truth is, erection difficulties are rarely just about attraction, masculinity, or even desire. More often, they're about what's happening in your nervous system. When your brain shifts from pleasure to performance, your body has a much harder time responding naturally. And if you're the partner of someone who's experienced this, it's easy to assume they're no longer attracted to you. In reality, the opposite is often true. Performance anxiety can happen even in deeply loving, highly desirable relationships. In this Language of Love Bite, I explain what's really happening in the brain and body during erection difficulties, why shame and pressure make the problem worse, and what you can do instead. I also share practical ways partners can help create safety, reduce anxiety, and strengthen intimacy, along with a simple practice you can begin using tonight to feel calmer, more connected, and more confident in the bedroom. In this episode, you'll learn: Why erection difficulties often have nothing to do with masculinity, attraction, or desire How performance anxiety activates your stress response and interferes with arousal What happens when your brain slips into "monitoring mode" Why trying to force an erection usually backfires The connection between chronic stress, nervous system overload, and sexual performance How overstimulation can disconnect you from natural arousal Why slowing down can improve intimacy and sexual response What partners can do to reduce pressure and create emotional safety A simple breathwork exercise to calm your nervous system in the moment Practical strategies to rebuild confidence, trust, and connection without shame Whether you've experienced erection challenges yourself or love someone who has, this episode will help you understand what's really happening beneath the surface and offer practical, compassionate tools to move forward with confidence. If you're ready to go deeper, Sex Magic  explores how to work with the body's energy in ways most people never learn, and my Quantum Sex course  is built to help you create lasting confidence and connection, not just fix a moment. For more tools, guidance, and support, visit healwithlaura.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Of the four values provided on any standard cholesterol panel, the triglyceride value reveals the most about your health. Ironically, it is often the value most commonly ignored or dismissed, or simply treated using the wrong agents. Here is what you can expect if you keep triglycerides 60 mg/dl or less. Support the showYouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WilliamDavisMDBlog: WilliamDavisMD.comMembership website for two-way Zoom group meetings: InnerCircle.DrDavisInfiniteHealth.comBooks:Super Gut: The 4-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose WeightWheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health; revised & expanded ed

Sometimes the biggest threat to cash flow isn't empty chairs, it's not believing in the value of your services.In this Fail Forward episode, Sadie Stewart shares the story of a dental practice consulting engagement that felt, at the time, like a painful professional setback. Despite improving collections, tightening systems, and supporting the team through serious cash flow challenges, one deeper issue kept holding the practice back: a generous owner dentist who wasn't ready to change the discounting habits that were undermining the business. Sadie eventually made the difficult decision to step away, only to be called back later in an entirely different role as a neutral professional during a difficult practice transition. That experience opened a new path into conflict resolution, mediation, and dental practice transitions, reminding us that failure isn't always the end of the story. Sometimes, it's the moment that redirects your career toward the work you're uniquely equipped to do.Listen in for a quick, honest reminder that the setback you're carrying may be pointing you toward your next meaningful chapter!‍‍Listen to Sadie's Other Episodes Here:Cloud, AI, and Teamwork: The Easy Way to Onboard New Practice Management Technology | Sadie Stewart | 556 – The Dental Marketer Podcast‍Host: Michael AriasJoin my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Love the Podcast? Follow on Your Favorite App! https://lnkfi.re/TDMPod‍ Click to read full transcript Sadie: Aloha. This is Sadie Stewart from Honolulu, Hawaii, and this is my Fail Forward story about turning a professional setback into a very meaningful growth experience in my career. I've been consulting with privately owned dental practices for about ten years, and when I think about a failure that ultimately led to growth and new opportunities, one client immediately comes to mind. At the time, I was still a relatively new consultant. I was excited and determined to help transform a practice that had been struggling with serious cash flow issues. Because I knew finances were already tight, I wanted to be respectful of my consulting fees and focus on strategies that could create the biggest impact using the team they already had. We took a very holistic approach. At first, we cleaned up patient accounts, reviewed aging reports and accounts receivable, worked through insurance claims to increase collections, improved billing systems, and implemented strategies to recover outstanding balances. We also focused on schedule management, making sure the doctor and hygiene schedules stayed as full and productive as possible. Every week, I ran reports, measured progress, adjusted strategies, and kept looking for ways to improve the practice's financial health. But every month, I noticed the same pattern. Thousands of dollars in treatment were being discounted or written off, all personally authorized by the dentist. No matter how much we improved collections or filled the schedule, we could never outpace the revenue that was walking out the door through unnecessary discounts. I realized the problem wasn't a systems problem; it was a mindset problem. The dentist had an incredibly generous heart, as most do. He genuinely wanted to help every patient and often felt uncomfortable charging the full value of the care he provided. I spent a lot of time talking with him about the psychology of dentistry. I explained that there were really two sides of owning a practice. One side is definitely caring for patients with compassion, but the other side is running a healthy business that can continue serving those patients, pay the team, invest in new technology, and keep the doors open. I also had to explain that because he was contracted with insurance companies, routinely discounting services could create compliance issues with those agreements. The staff had become discouraged. They worked incredibly hard to collect balances, improve accounts receivable, and follow our financial policies, only to have the dentist override those efforts by giving additional discounts. It created confusion and frustration, and it made it nearly impossible for the systems we had built to succeed. After several months, I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my consulting career. I realized that despite everyone's best efforts, I couldn't want success more than the practice owner did. I respectfully stepped away from the engagement because I didn't feel it was right for him to continue spending his limited cash flow on consulting services when he wasn't ready to make the changes that were necessary. About a year later, I learned that the practice had been sold. The transition was incredibly difficult. There were disagreements between the previous owner and the new owner. The entire team was let go, and the situation ultimately required professional mediation. Ironically, I was asked to come back, but not as a consultant focused on operations; I was asked to come back as a neutral professional to help mediate the situation. This experience completely changed the direction of my career. It introduced me to practice transitions, conflict resolution, and mediation. I discovered an entirely new area where I could help dental practices navigate some of the most challenging moments of their business. Looking back, I once viewed that consulting engagement as a failure because I couldn't save the practice, but today I see it completely differently. That experience taught me that success isn't always measured by changing the outcome for one client. Sometimes success is allowing a difficult experience to shape your own growth and reveal a new path that you never expected. That one practice opened the door to an entirely new chapter of my consulting career, and because of it, I've been helping more and more practices and dentists through practice transitions and some of the most significant decisions they'll ever make. Sometimes the greatest opportunity is hidden inside the very thing you didn't think would work out.

She didn't blame the political climate. She blamed herself. Julie Kratz lost 90% of her clients in a single year, let her team go, and then did something almost no one in her position does: she spent 60 hours interviewing the very people her industry had written off, and discovered the entire approach to building inclusive organizations had been wrong from the start. Not wrong because of resistance. Wrong because the people with the most power to change culture were never actually invited in. What she found about why organizations lose talent, why one-time training makes outcomes measurably worse, and what she got personally wrong, not the industry, her, is the part of this conversation most people in her position would never say in public. This is not a political conversation. It is a leadership one. In this episode: Why 90% of leaders including white men in C-suites are either persuadable or already committed, and why that single finding changes the entire strategy What Julie got personally wrong, not the industry, specifically her, and why she couldn't have written this book today Why one-time unconscious bias training produces measurably more negative outcomes than positive ones The frozen middle: who they are, why they hold the key, and how to actually reach them The business case vs the human case for inclusive leadership, and why the business case alone has stopped working How AI is inheriting and amplifying organizational bias, and what leaders need to do about it now The dot-com bubble parallel: why the AI boom may be heading toward the same correction Iceland's 2008 financial crisis as a real-world case study in what mandated diversity on leadership teams actually produced Two real case studies from Julie's own client work: what catastrophic failure looks like, and what genuinely getting it right looks like Why shame as a leadership strategy produces the exact opposite behavior you want The parking lot story: three hours, a red shirt, and what actually changes minds What Dov's own team member revealed after years of listening to the show How to have one conversation with someone different from you that matters more than any training program What senior leaders really want when they get honest, and why quarterly returns are not actually the answer The difference between performative allyship and the quiet systemic work that actually changes organizations Connect with Julie:Website and free allyship training: https://nextpivotpoint.com Forbes weekly column: forbes.com — search Julie Kratz LinkedIn: Julie Kratz (K-R-A-T-Z) Book: We Want You: An Allyship Guide for People with Power. Website: https://nextpivotpoint.com International Allyship Day: nextpivotpoint.com Podcast: Allyship in Action — available wherever you listen Connect with Dov: Website: dovbaron.com Email: dov@dovbaron.com Apply to work with Dov: dovbaron.com   Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen. It makes a significant difference. Connect with Dov Baron:https://DovBaron.comdov@dovbaron.comRate, review, and send this episode to the most thoughtful builder you know. That is how the algorithm finds the people who still ask why. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Worship at the new temple has been established and the people of Israel begin to worship the Lord with renewed vigor and zeal. The Lord honors their worship and continues to love His people by providing for them and protecting them. King Solomon's wisdom and wealth become known across the ancient world, and royalty from nearby nations come to seek his counsel and insight. Ironically, Solomon's wisdom is not passed on to his son, Rehoboam, as one of his first decrees runs in direct contradiction to the council of elders. By trusting his friends more than the advice of wise men with experience, Rehoboam serves as a catalyst for division. 2 Chronicles 9 - 1:09 .  2 Chronicles 10 - 8:09 .  2 Chronicles 11 - 12:04 .  2 Chronicles 12 - 16:15 .  Isaiah 3 - 19:49 .  Isaiah 4 - 23:55 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Irish musician Glen Hansard, best-known for his band The Frames and his part in the 2007 film ‘Once,' died July 29 in a motorcycle crash. He was 56. Hansard got his start busking in the streets of Dublin. Ironically, it was his headmaster who urged him to drop out of school to pursue music. He spoke with Terry Gross in 2008, with his ‘Once' co-star Markéta Irglová. Their song from the film, “Falling Slowly,” won an Oscar for Best Original Song. Also, Kevin Whitehead pays tribute to Tony Bennett, who would have been 100 next week, and film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘I Want Your Sex.' Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube channel Check out the Fresh Air ArchivesSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy