Podcasts about ironically

Seth and Sean discuss LeBron James saying he doesn't understand the ring culture, but ironically a guy with no rings in Charles Barkley gets it.

Send us a textRHOA-Oil, Tears & Crystals: A Grenada RebirthPodcast Summary: RHOA S16 E15 – “Chapter 3: The Rebirth”The trip continues in Grenada, and the ladies are riding the emotional rollercoaster of sisterhood, secrets, and spiritual shedding.After a wild night of twerking and bonding, everyone seems to be in good spirits—at least for a moment. Drew and Angela reflect on how nice it was to see the women truly having fun. But the cracks are starting to show in Britt and Kelli's friendship, especially when Britt confronts Kelli about feeling unsupported, particularly over the donation drama and deeper emotional distance. Kelli wants Britt to rise to her purpose—but also resents her borrowing her glam squad. Their energy feels off, and neither is sure if the other still has her back.Meanwhile, Phaedra stirs the pot with commentary about glam teams, fake friendships, and even a bit of anatomy humor that takes a wild turn involving hooded clits and KKK comparisons. Porsha, of course, fuels the chaos with jokes and giant sun hats.While Shamea checks in on her daughter, Kelli receives heavy legal news from her attorney. Drew opens up about her almost-vow renewal, which never happened due to Ralph. Ironically, she and Kelli share the same meaningful date—August 21st.The group heads to Jab Jab, a powerful cultural celebration rooted in Grenadian resistance history, where they oil up, wear black thongs, and release their inhibitions. It's messy, meaningful, and liberating. Drew calls it a moment of community and connection; Phaedra simply calls it “blackity black.”The next morning, there's oil on everything—clothes, walls, and egos. Britt showers with Phaedra, who helps her clean every crevice (“spread your cheeks!”), and Kelli's crystal breaks in half—symbolizing the end of a relationship. She decides to throw it into the ocean to let go of the pain.72 hours later, Kelli is still not divorced… but her ex is in jail. And she hasn't spoken to Britt since.TakeawaysThe housewives know how to have a good time, even off-camera.Friendship dynamics can shift quickly in high-pressure situations.Contradictions in behavior often arise during conflicts.Cultural celebrations like Jab Jab hold significant meaning.Phaedra's humor often masks deeper issues within the group.Glam team drama can strain friendships and create tension.Personal struggles can overshadow group dynamics.The importance of community and culture in celebrations.Reality TV can blur the lines between real and scripted drama.Future conflicts are likely as unresolved issues linger.Volleybird Subscription BoxesVolleybird.shop for curated pickleball subscription boxes delivered every 8 weeksSupport the showhttps://www.wewinewhenever.com/

The first portion commences"In the days when the judges ruled". The book sets the times, as paralleling the time of the second appendix to Judges 19-21, and is as vital in preparing us for David's kingship as the end of the last book was in establishing Saul's origins. Even the locality is the same in Bethlehem/Judah(' the house of bread and praise'). We are told that there was literally a famine in the land at that time, undoubtedly spiritual as well as literal; a scarcity of the word of God. Ironically the man Elimelech('my God is king'), representing what the nation should have known; yet living as though there was no king and doing what was right in their own eyes; believing sustenance could be found apart from the people of God, left for Moab. The two sons marry non-covenanted wives and die (their names also emblematic of their unfaithfulness - sickly and pining). Death overtakes them leaving faithful Naomi heirless. On hearing that "God had visited His people with bread" the three women commence the homeward journey. Orpah stays in Moab, but Ruth passionately and imploringly pleads her loyalty to Israel's God (1 verses 16-17). They arrive home at Passover- the time of the barley harvest.Chapter 2, introduces us to faithful Boaz whose description matches that of Gideon in Judges 6. Providentially he extends to Ruth the care and compassion of the Creator to strangers and widows. She is blessed bountifully and we await developments in the unfolding story. We are impressed by the Godly environment that Boaz has created for his workers despite the deplorable spiritual conditions which prevailed throughout the nation.Isaiah 44 announces the superabundance of blessings that God will bestow upon children responding to His gracious pleas. Verses 1-5 speak of the blessings Yahweh will give to Israel, His chosen people. Verse 5 tells of the time when their Sovereign's children identify with Him by surnaming themselves as the people of the God of Jacob. This theme is picked up in the Servant prophecies in chapter 65:15-19. In Isaiah 44:6-8 Yahweh declares that He alone is God and Israel's Saviour. That understanding is the reason that His people in verse 5 now choose to be known as the people of the God of Israel. Verses 9-20 contrast the Omnipotent Creator to dumb, useless, impotent idols. There is wonderful irony in the way that the prophet ridicules the idols and their makers. The fashioner of the graven image wearies himself in the task of making his image and uses a part of the same tree to warm himself and bake his bread. What complete folly there is in the idolater's failure to see the stupidity of idols and those that form them. Verses 21-25 tell us what the LORD was about to do in saving His people. Verses 26-28 reveal the work of Cyrus the Persian as the man chosen by Yahweh to overthrow Babylon. He would also decree liberty for the captives and send exiled Israel home to rebuild Jerusalem. This prophecy was made about one and a half centuries before Cyrus accomplished this great work of the LORD.. Cyrus' name is symbolic of his typical role, as the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning "one like the heir".

Send us a textHi everybody and welcome to Attendance Bias. I am your host Brian Weinstein. Get ready for some venue whiplash; after three nights at the largest indoor venue on the tour in Chicago, Phish leaves the second city to arrive in New York. More specifically, July 22 and 23 at Forest Hills Stadium in Forest Hills, Queens; home to The Ramones, Simon and Garfunkel, and Peter Parker. If you've listened to Attendance Bias for any amount of time, you've probably heard me mention that I live in Forest Hills, so today's episode is a homecoming; I don't think I've ever lived closer to any music venue. Before these shows, I've never been able to walk to a Phish concert from my front door. And who would be the best guest in the world to give a preview of this venue and this neighborhood? None other than my wife, Michela Ratto. Michela has been on Attendance Bias once before, and while I mostly give background information and context about this venue that is new to the Phish world, she gives plenty of tips and tricks to help any listeners coming to these two shows, filling everyone in on what to expect.We cover a lot in today's episode; the history of the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, what the neighborhood is like, the best ways to get there, and of course we give our takes on the controversial headlines about the stadium that crop up ahead of every summer concert season. Ironically, this is the longest episode of this venue preview series, but there are no music clips, since Phish has not only never played the stadium before but they've never played the entire borough of Queens!So join Michela and I to get the inside scoop on the Forest Hills Stadium, our theories as to why Phish chose to play the smallest New York City venue they've played in years, and where to get the best food once you get inside on July 22 and 23rd. 

Morning Mantra: “Don't worry about whether people like you, most people don't even like themselves.”It can feel icky when someone puts you down, argues or tries to make you feel bad.  Try not worry about what people think of you though or about the way they try to make you feel. If people want to see you as a "good" person, they will. If they want to see you as a "bad" person, absolutely nothing you will do can stop them.  This seems to be even more true in today's world of social media and it's negative influence.Ironically, the more you try to show someone your good intentions, the more reasons you give them to knock you down- if they are committed to misunderstanding you.  It's like adding fuel to their fire of misunderstanding.  More words, apologies, deeds or sucking up won't put that fire out.  They are committed to it.  They are fanning the flames.It can be really frustrating in some cases and really hurtful in others, but try and remember it rarely has anything to actually DO with YOU.  Their determination to dislike you is more about what they see in you that they lack, or because they are too emotionally immature to see another view, clap for another's success or let go of their pain.Keep your head up high and be confident in what you do, who you are, and spend the energy elsewhere- somewhere you are appreciated, respected and loved.#BeAmazingAnyway #BeHappy #BeHorsey #BeHippie #HorseHippie #MorningMantra #WordsToInspire #InspirationalQuotes #HorseHippieBoutique #SmallBusinessOwner #WomenOwned #HorseHippieBoutique

As much as we tried to celebrate last week's excellent economic numbers regarding the food and fibre, the bullishness of Fieldays, the boost in elective surgery and the boom in teacher numbers, what you can't ignore is the manufacturing read for April. It hit a brick wall. It fell over six points and is below the 50 point expansionary mark. A couple of key things about that - while services and sentiment and spending figures have been bad manufacturing, for months now, has been on the increase each and every month. It has been above 50, it has been growing. It has been a significant green shoot in the overall economic picture. The other thing is employment. That is a sub category that had its biggest reversal in the history of the index. What makes this worse? For those of you saying "oh, it will be Trump", the experts don't think it is. So the big question is, how much of it is the world? Remember the World Bank last week reduced global growth all over the place. So how much of it is the world vs how much of it is the U.S? Has New Zealand Inc hit a tough spot? For trainspotters it was suggested fairly far and wide at the time that April and May seemed to be an issue. All the momentum that we felt we had at the start of the year had suddenly run out of puff. These numbers would tend to suggest the vibe was real. Ironically this week we get the GDP figures for Q1, that's January, February and March, and the broad consensus is that we will have seen good growth. They think about 0.7% for the quarter. If you annualised that out it gives you a number very close to 3%, which anyone would take in this troubled and turbulent world. But we can't annualise it out, not with manufacturing numbers like this. It might be short term. It may involve the Reserve Bank and that idea they had that things were a bit neutral and therefore not needing a gee up. They may well be hopelessly wrong. Politically it's a hole in the head the Government don't need, because its not like they aren't pedalling fast. But when one of your major economic reads that was good, now isn't, it doesn't take an economics degree to recognise a big, fat, red flag. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Birthday United States Army! Some people over the weekend attended celebrations of the US Army's 250th birthday, others attended gatherings of people who hate Trump. Ironically, the reason why they were able to hold their anti-Trump demonstrations was because of the Army that was celebrating its birthday. Israel continues its fight for survival, having hit many military, energy and government targets in Iran. Iran retaliated by striking mainly civilian targets inside Israel. The military operations against Iran's nuclear infrastructure are expected to go on for days, probably weeks. Sources: Multiple officers injured in Portland after violent rioters attempted to breach ICE facility – One America News NetworkIsrael Strikes Iran Again! Says Operation Could Last Two Weeks | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hoft

As much as we tried to celebrate last week's excellent economic numbers regarding the food and fibre, the bullishness of Fieldays, the boost in elective surgery and the boom in teacher numbers, what you can't ignore is the manufacturing read for April. It hit a brick wall. It fell over six points and is below the 50 point expansionary mark. A couple of key things about that - while services and sentiment and spending figures have been bad manufacturing, for months now, has been on the increase each and every month. It has been above 50, it has been growing. It has been a significant green shoot in the overall economic picture. The other thing is employment. That is a sub category that had its biggest reversal in the history of the index. What makes this worse? For those of you saying "oh, it will be Trump", the experts don't think it is. So the big question is, how much of it is the world? Remember the World Bank last week reduced global growth all over the place. So how much of it is the world vs how much of it is the U.S? Has New Zealand Inc hit a tough spot? For trainspotters it was suggested fairly far and wide at the time that April and May seemed to be an issue. All the momentum that we felt we had at the start of the year had suddenly run out of puff. These numbers would tend to suggest the vibe was real. Ironically this week we get the GDP figures for Q1, that's January, February and March, and the broad consensus is that we will have seen good growth. They think about 0.7% for the quarter. If you annualised that out it gives you a number very close to 3%, which anyone would take in this troubled and turbulent world. But we can't annualise it out, not with manufacturing numbers like this. It might be short term. It may involve the Reserve Bank and that idea they had that things were a bit neutral and therefore not needing a gee up. They may well be hopelessly wrong. Politically it's a hole in the head the Government don't need, because its not like they aren't pedalling fast. But when one of your major economic reads that was good, now isn't, it doesn't take an economics degree to recognise a big, fat, red flag. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It Took Cupid's ArmyCan I woo the girl who knows my embarrassing childhood?Based on a post by Mac G. Listen to the podcast at Connected.Even though it is right in front of you, you don't always see what's good for you. Sometimes you need a little nudge. This is about a couple of mine.When I was five, Jenny's family moved in directly across the street from us. Our families became good friends right away. Due to the fact that there was nobody else our age living nearby (Jenny is three months older than I am), we soon became inseparable.She had no trouble keeping up with me in the rough and tumble things I wanted to do, and I had no problems playing house with her when she wanted. One of our parents always had to shoo us home at night because we would never think about it ourselves. I once tried to get my parents to let Jenny spend the night, but they said it was not right for girls to spend the night with boys.Although I missed it at the time, the first indication that Jenny and I would end up together came when we were fourteen. I was over at her house watching TV with her and her dad. As we sat there, the doorbell rang. Jenny got up to answer it. She came back a moment later followed by a policeman."Mr. Adams," he said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news."Jenny's dad got up to stand next to her. I stood a few feet behind them."I'm really sorry to say that there has been an accident. A drunk ran a red light and hit your wife's car," the policeman stated."What! When? Where? How is she?" Mr. Adams asked."The paramedics did their best, but I'm afraid she didn't make it. I am truly sorry."At this point, Jenny turned around and looked at me, tears pouring from her eyes. She ran to me, buried her head in my shoulder and sobbed. I guided her to the couch and sat her down. Holding her gently, I let her cry herself out, trying to soothe her as best as I could.After about fifteen minutes, Mr. Adams finished up with the policeman and came over to sit next to us. Jenny had calmed down a little and was just crying lightly. He took Jenny in his arms and held her. I got up and called my parents telling them what had happened. They both came right over.After a lot of consoling and grief, Dad left with Mr. Adams to tend to the body while Mom stayed with Jenny and I. Mom told me later how proud she was of me and for handling the situation and comforting Jenny so well. Years later, Mr. Adams said he'd kill me if I told Jenny, but that it hurt a little when Jenny turned to me, instead of him, for comfort upon hearing the news about her mom.The First NudgeI have always thought differently about Jenny than anyone else. Even during those awkward adolescent times all boys go through in which girls are gross and have cooties, I never felt that way about Jenny. It was like my mind thought, 'That's not a girl, that's Jenny'. The trouble was that as I grew into a teenager and began to notice girls, it was the same thing; I didn't realize just how beautiful Jenny was becoming.Ironically, it was on a date with someone else in the summer between our Junior and Senior years that her beauty was pointed out to me. We had been having a great time: Dinner, movie, and ice cream afterwards. It was close to time to take my date home."Anne, can I ask you a question?" I asked."Sure, what's up?""Well, when I asked you out, you seemed a little surprised. Pleased, but surprised. I got the same response from Sarah Jansen last month, and I was wondering if it was true you were surprised, and if so, why?"Anne smiled and hesitated a moment before answering."Yes, it's true I was a little surprised and I'm sure Sarah was as well. The reason is we keep expecting you two knuckleheads to wake up and see what a good thing you've got.""Knuckleheads? What two knuckleheads?" I asked."Okay, it looks like it's up to me to straighten you out, although I really shouldn't," she sighed. "I'm going to do this in a roundabout way. I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions. Some of them may seem silly, and some might be embarrassing, but I need you to trust me and answer them all honestly.""Okay, I'll try.""Good. Now first question: Do you think I'm pretty?""Of course I do. Most guys in school do.""Thank you," she said, blushing a little, "Now, I know all guys have different ideas about the ideal woman, but am I your ideal? Be honest.""No, you're not." I said a little chagrinned."Hey, don't worry about it. I asked for honesty. I'm somebody's ideal and I'll find them one day. Let's concentrate on your ideal woman. I'll say an attribute and you tell me what you like. You okay with this?""I guess.""Ok, height?""Your height, perhaps a little taller.""Hair?""Red, long and straight.""Longer than my shoulder length?" Anne asked."Yes.""Eyes?""Green.""Mouth?""Don't know. Never thought about that.""Not a problem. Now, don't get embarrassed, but look at my tits."I couldn't help it, I turned crimson, but I looked briefly. She had very nice tits."That's what I like about you, Tony; even with permission you don't ogle at a girl's chest. Most guys would be glued there right now. Ok, what would you change?""Nothing, I really like your tits," I said, turning even redder, if that were possible."Thanks, so do I. There's definitely something there to attract attention, but not too much. What about the butt? Do you like big butts?""Not really.""What about legs?""Long, with a good muscle structure.""Great. Now, here is what you just told me is your ideal woman; 5'9" or 5'10" tall, long, straight red hair, green eyes, an athletic build, long muscular legs leading up to a nice tight butt. Is that an accurate description?""Yes, that would be correct.""And you still don't see it do you?""I guess not. See what?""You just perfectly described Jenny Adams."I sat there for a moment. She was right of course, but I had never made the connection."Did you know that most guys think Jenny is the best looking girl in school? Many also think you are an idiot for not dating her. You've been best friends for so long you two cannot see it any other way. You should start looking at Jenny as the beautiful woman she is. With the great friendship you've already built, you two would make a perfect couple. Think about it, you dope," Anne ordered with a grin."I will, I promise," I said. "Now, I'd better get you home before your dad sends out the posse."I drove her home in silence. When I walked her to the door, I said, "Thanks a lot for telling me that, Anne. I guess it's true it's sometimes hard to see what is right in front of your nose.""You're welcome. I'm sure you two will be very happy together. Now, I don't usually do this on a first date, but as I'm pretty sure I've just ensured there won't be a second one, kiss me good night.""Gladly."I leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. She was having none of that. Throwing her arms around my neck she pulled me in for a nice, hard kiss. It seemed to last forever, breaking only when we ran out of air."Thanks, that's just what I wanted," she said smiling. "Now, go get her, Tiger!" With that, she turned and went inside.It's a good thing the route home was so familiar, as I was not paying too much attention to where I was going; I was thinking about Jenny. She was beautiful. She was also a great person. She was funny and fun to be around; kind to everyone; caring with genuine compassion; helpful whenever you needed her. She had so many wonderful qualities that it's hard to think of them all.Two days later, Jenny was over at my house watching TV. As the movie ended, she turned to me, saying, "Okay, Tony, what's up? You've been quiet all day and you've been giving me some funny looks."I hesitated before answering, unsure as to how to answer. I was really nervous about how this would go. I took a deep breath."Jenny, will you go out with me on Friday?" I asked her."Sure, we can get together and...""No, please, that's not what I mean. I don't want to just get together; I want to go on a date, a real date."She looked at me with her eyebrows raised. I could see the wonder in her eyes."Look, Jenny, I know we've been friends for a long time, you've always been my best friend, but lately I've been seeing you in a different light. I've always known you were pretty, but I'm starting to see just how beautiful you really are. I've always known you were a girl, but now I'm seeing you as a woman. We're friends but I'd like to see if maybe we could be more."She sat there, deep in thought. I waited for her to decide.After several minutes I added, "I know this is sudden. You don't have to answer now if you want to think about it for a while. Don't be afraid to say no. Nothing will change if you say no."She smiled at me and said, "I don't need to wait. Of course I'll go on a date with you. I just wasn't expecting it. What brought this about?""I'll tell you, I promise, but not right now. What time do you want to start?""Um, I'll let you know.""Fine. Want a Coke?""Sure."I went a got one for each of us. We watched some more TV, neither one of us talking much. When she left to go home, she paused at the door and gave me a long look, smiling slightly.The rest of the week seemed to last forever. Jenny must have said something to her dad, and he spoke to my parents, because on Wednesday evening Mom came into my room, announcing, "Let me know what you plan on wearing for your big date Friday, and I'll make sure it's clean and nicely pressed.""Okay, Mom, thanks. I'm not sure...wait, how did you know about Friday?""Moms just know," she said, grinning. "If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know."When Friday came, I had still not told her what I wanted to wear, having changed my mind several times. I went out in the afternoon to get a haircut. When I got back home, there was a brand new outfit laying on my bed waiting. It was perfect. As I was getting ready, my dad came in my room."Here, try some of this," he said, handing me a bottle of cologne. "It's a very popular scent.""Thanks, Dad.""Also, a good date needs a good ride. Take my car tonight."I was stunned. Dad rarely let's anyone drive his car. He had saved for years to afford it. "Are you sure?" I asked."Yes, I'm sure. I got it cleaned up nicely today and it's got a full tank of gas. Enjoy yourself.""Wow, thanks, Dad! You're awesome."When the time came, I walked across to her house and knocked. Mr. Adams answered."Come on in Tony, she'll be right down. Where are you going tonight?" he asked."I made a reservation at that new Italian place south of the mall. After that, we'll just see. Probably a movie later on," I answered.We heard the sound of Jenny coming down the stairs. I turned to see her and was stunned. She was wearing a light green sun dress that stopped just above her knees. Her legs looked great, tapering to a pair of strappy sandals with a 2½-inch heel. Her red hair cascaded down over the front of her shoulders, framing her face nicely. Jenny's eyes were sparkling and she was grinning from ear to ear.I walked up to her as she got to the bottom of the stairs."I've never seen you look more beautiful," I said.She blushed a little and said, "Thanks, you look great, too."We walked back to her dad."Have fun tonight you two," he said. "I've talked to your parents, Tony, and for tonight, and tonight only, there is no curfew for you two - just don't push it too far.""We won't, Mr. Adams, I promise," I said.We walked across the street to the car. Jenny's eyes got huge when she saw we were heading to Dad's car. We drove to the restaurant in an awkward silence. As we were waiting for the table, I reached out and took her hand in mine. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, as I figured she could feel that my heart was beating about 200 times a minute. Jenny just smiled at me and squeezed it gently.Dinner went well. The talking started slow, but we loosened up some as things went on. By the end I think I had my heart down to about 150.

It Took Cupid's ArmyCan I woo the girl who knows my embarrassing childhood?Based on a post by Mac G. Listen to the podcast at Connected.Even though it is right in front of you, you don't always see what's good for you. Sometimes you need a little nudge. This is about a couple of mine.When I was five, Jenny's family moved in directly across the street from us. Our families became good friends right away. Due to the fact that there was nobody else our age living nearby (Jenny is three months older than I am), we soon became inseparable.She had no trouble keeping up with me in the rough and tumble things I wanted to do, and I had no problems playing house with her when she wanted. One of our parents always had to shoo us home at night because we would never think about it ourselves. I once tried to get my parents to let Jenny spend the night, but they said it was not right for girls to spend the night with boys.Although I missed it at the time, the first indication that Jenny and I would end up together came when we were fourteen. I was over at her house watching TV with her and her dad. As we sat there, the doorbell rang. Jenny got up to answer it. She came back a moment later followed by a policeman."Mr. Adams," he said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news."Jenny's dad got up to stand next to her. I stood a few feet behind them."I'm really sorry to say that there has been an accident. A drunk ran a red light and hit your wife's car," the policeman stated."What! When? Where? How is she?" Mr. Adams asked."The paramedics did their best, but I'm afraid she didn't make it. I am truly sorry."At this point, Jenny turned around and looked at me, tears pouring from her eyes. She ran to me, buried her head in my shoulder and sobbed. I guided her to the couch and sat her down. Holding her gently, I let her cry herself out, trying to soothe her as best as I could.After about fifteen minutes, Mr. Adams finished up with the policeman and came over to sit next to us. Jenny had calmed down a little and was just crying lightly. He took Jenny in his arms and held her. I got up and called my parents telling them what had happened. They both came right over.After a lot of consoling and grief, Dad left with Mr. Adams to tend to the body while Mom stayed with Jenny and I. Mom told me later how proud she was of me and for handling the situation and comforting Jenny so well. Years later, Mr. Adams said he'd kill me if I told Jenny, but that it hurt a little when Jenny turned to me, instead of him, for comfort upon hearing the news about her mom.The First NudgeI have always thought differently about Jenny than anyone else. Even during those awkward adolescent times all boys go through in which girls are gross and have cooties, I never felt that way about Jenny. It was like my mind thought, 'That's not a girl, that's Jenny'. The trouble was that as I grew into a teenager and began to notice girls, it was the same thing; I didn't realize just how beautiful Jenny was becoming.Ironically, it was on a date with someone else in the summer between our Junior and Senior years that her beauty was pointed out to me. We had been having a great time: Dinner, movie, and ice cream afterwards. It was close to time to take my date home."Anne, can I ask you a question?" I asked."Sure, what's up?""Well, when I asked you out, you seemed a little surprised. Pleased, but surprised. I got the same response from Sarah Jansen last month, and I was wondering if it was true you were surprised, and if so, why?"Anne smiled and hesitated a moment before answering."Yes, it's true I was a little surprised and I'm sure Sarah was as well. The reason is we keep expecting you two knuckleheads to wake up and see what a good thing you've got.""Knuckleheads? What two knuckleheads?" I asked."Okay, it looks like it's up to me to straighten you out, although I really shouldn't," she sighed. "I'm going to do this in a roundabout way. I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions. Some of them may seem silly, and some might be embarrassing, but I need you to trust me and answer them all honestly.""Okay, I'll try.""Good. Now first question: Do you think I'm pretty?""Of course I do. Most guys in school do.""Thank you," she said, blushing a little, "Now, I know all guys have different ideas about the ideal woman, but am I your ideal? Be honest.""No, you're not." I said a little chagrinned."Hey, don't worry about it. I asked for honesty. I'm somebody's ideal and I'll find them one day. Let's concentrate on your ideal woman. I'll say an attribute and you tell me what you like. You okay with this?""I guess.""Ok, height?""Your height, perhaps a little taller.""Hair?""Red, long and straight.""Longer than my shoulder length?" Anne asked."Yes.""Eyes?""Green.""Mouth?""Don't know. Never thought about that.""Not a problem. Now, don't get embarrassed, but look at my tits."I couldn't help it, I turned crimson, but I looked briefly. She had very nice tits."That's what I like about you, Tony; even with permission you don't ogle at a girl's chest. Most guys would be glued there right now. Ok, what would you change?""Nothing, I really like your tits," I said, turning even redder, if that were possible."Thanks, so do I. There's definitely something there to attract attention, but not too much. What about the butt? Do you like big butts?""Not really.""What about legs?""Long, with a good muscle structure.""Great. Now, here is what you just told me is your ideal woman; 5'9" or 5'10" tall, long, straight red hair, green eyes, an athletic build, long muscular legs leading up to a nice tight butt. Is that an accurate description?""Yes, that would be correct.""And you still don't see it do you?""I guess not. See what?""You just perfectly described Jenny Adams."I sat there for a moment. She was right of course, but I had never made the connection."Did you know that most guys think Jenny is the best looking girl in school? Many also think you are an idiot for not dating her. You've been best friends for so long you two cannot see it any other way. You should start looking at Jenny as the beautiful woman she is. With the great friendship you've already built, you two would make a perfect couple. Think about it, you dope," Anne ordered with a grin."I will, I promise," I said. "Now, I'd better get you home before your dad sends out the posse."I drove her home in silence. When I walked her to the door, I said, "Thanks a lot for telling me that, Anne. I guess it's true it's sometimes hard to see what is right in front of your nose.""You're welcome. I'm sure you two will be very happy together. Now, I don't usually do this on a first date, but as I'm pretty sure I've just ensured there won't be a second one, kiss me good night.""Gladly."I leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. She was having none of that. Throwing her arms around my neck she pulled me in for a nice, hard kiss. It seemed to last forever, breaking only when we ran out of air."Thanks, that's just what I wanted," she said smiling. "Now, go get her, Tiger!" With that, she turned and went inside.It's a good thing the route home was so familiar, as I was not paying too much attention to where I was going; I was thinking about Jenny. She was beautiful. She was also a great person. She was funny and fun to be around; kind to everyone; caring with genuine compassion; helpful whenever you needed her. She had so many wonderful qualities that it's hard to think of them all.Two days later, Jenny was over at my house watching TV. As the movie ended, she turned to me, saying, "Okay, Tony, what's up? You've been quiet all day and you've been giving me some funny looks."I hesitated before answering, unsure as to how to answer. I was really nervous about how this would go. I took a deep breath."Jenny, will you go out with me on Friday?" I asked her."Sure, we can get together and...""No, please, that's not what I mean. I don't want to just get together; I want to go on a date, a real date."She looked at me with her eyebrows raised. I could see the wonder in her eyes."Look, Jenny, I know we've been friends for a long time, you've always been my best friend, but lately I've been seeing you in a different light. I've always known you were pretty, but I'm starting to see just how beautiful you really are. I've always known you were a girl, but now I'm seeing you as a woman. We're friends but I'd like to see if maybe we could be more."She sat there, deep in thought. I waited for her to decide.After several minutes I added, "I know this is sudden. You don't have to answer now if you want to think about it for a while. Don't be afraid to say no. Nothing will change if you say no."She smiled at me and said, "I don't need to wait. Of course I'll go on a date with you. I just wasn't expecting it. What brought this about?""I'll tell you, I promise, but not right now. What time do you want to start?""Um, I'll let you know.""Fine. Want a Coke?""Sure."I went a got one for each of us. We watched some more TV, neither one of us talking much. When she left to go home, she paused at the door and gave me a long look, smiling slightly.The rest of the week seemed to last forever. Jenny must have said something to her dad, and he spoke to my parents, because on Wednesday evening Mom came into my room, announcing, "Let me know what you plan on wearing for your big date Friday, and I'll make sure it's clean and nicely pressed.""Okay, Mom, thanks. I'm not sure...wait, how did you know about Friday?""Moms just know," she said, grinning. "If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know."When Friday came, I had still not told her what I wanted to wear, having changed my mind several times. I went out in the afternoon to get a haircut. When I got back home, there was a brand new outfit laying on my bed waiting. It was perfect. As I was getting ready, my dad came in my room."Here, try some of this," he said, handing me a bottle of cologne. "It's a very popular scent.""Thanks, Dad.""Also, a good date needs a good ride. Take my car tonight."I was stunned. Dad rarely let's anyone drive his car. He had saved for years to afford it. "Are you sure?" I asked."Yes, I'm sure. I got it cleaned up nicely today and it's got a full tank of gas. Enjoy yourself.""Wow, thanks, Dad! You're awesome."When the time came, I walked across to her house and knocked. Mr. Adams answered."Come on in Tony, she'll be right down. Where are you going tonight?" he asked."I made a reservation at that new Italian place south of the mall. After that, we'll just see. Probably a movie later on," I answered.We heard the sound of Jenny coming down the stairs. I turned to see her and was stunned. She was wearing a light green sun dress that stopped just above her knees. Her legs looked great, tapering to a pair of strappy sandals with a 2½-inch heel. Her red hair cascaded down over the front of her shoulders, framing her face nicely. Jenny's eyes were sparkling and she was grinning from ear to ear.I walked up to her as she got to the bottom of the stairs."I've never seen you look more beautiful," I said.She blushed a little and said, "Thanks, you look great, too."We walked back to her dad."Have fun tonight you two," he said. "I've talked to your parents, Tony, and for tonight, and tonight only, there is no curfew for you two - just don't push it too far.""We won't, Mr. Adams, I promise," I said.We walked across the street to the car. Jenny's eyes got huge when she saw we were heading to Dad's car. We drove to the restaurant in an awkward silence. As we were waiting for the table, I reached out and took her hand in mine. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, as I figured she could feel that my heart was beating about 200 times a minute. Jenny just smiled at me and squeezed it gently.Dinner went well. The talking started slow, but we loosened up some as things went on. By the end I think I had my heart down to about 150.

Happy Friday the 13th... It is Time For Change!Despite its spooky reputation, Friday the 13th has been a surprisingly positive and even lucky day for many people throughout history—especially when you look past superstition. Here are some great things that have happened (or regularly happen) on Friday the 13th:

This week on The She Said It First Podcast, Jerrilyn Lake aka Indeskribeabull and Lynee’ Monae discusses various topics, but before they get into that, they tell the fans What Irritated Them this week. Lynee’s neighbor is not taking care of their mental health and now Lynee’ has had it up to here. And Jerrilyn does not want to see another black woman struggle movie. During Girl, What Happened, Jerrilyn and Lynee’ wants to know when it is okay to move on after your partner passes away. This question comes after Vanessa Bryant was rumored to be pregnant, and social media went up in an uproar. With June being Men’s Mental Health Month, Jerrilyn and Lynee’s spoke about being in couple's therapy. They also speak if they require the men that they are dating to have gone to therapy at some point. They urge men to take care of their mental health. During Girl Talk, in honor of Black Music Month, Jerrilyn and Lynee’ speak about their music crushes when they were growing up. Ironically, they share the same crush. Jerrilyn and Lynee also talked about the things they wish they knew when they were twenty-five. And Jerrilyn and Lynee’ are Unlicensed Professionals, giving you all of the advice you need, with zero credentials. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@u1pn Follow: @urban1podcast @indeskribeabull @lynee_monae Executive Producer: Jahi Whitehead/ @Jahi_TRG Video/Social Media Producer: Walter Gainer II See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's never a good look for a law firm to lose partners in bunches, and that's what's been happening at Paul Weiss in the past few weeks. Some of the firm's high-profile litigators have announced their departures, following the deal it struck with the Trump administration to avoid a punitive executive order. Ironically, the firm negotiated the White House agreement—which includes a pledge to provide $40 million in free legal services on shared priority causes—in part to avoid a run on partners. On today's episode of our podcast, On The Merits, Bloomberg Law reporters Roy Strom and Justin Henry explain why this is a setback for Paul Weiss, but not a catastrophic one. They note that, thus far, only trial lawyers have departed the firm, leaving intact its ability to operate in the lucrative deals space. Do you have feedback on this episode of On The Merits? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Ironically, there is no end in sight for the drama between “It Ends With Us” co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The feud stemming from their fractured working relationship during the film's production and release continues to offer up splashy headlines almost daily. Allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation led to smear campaigns and then further lawsuits claiming defamation, extortion, libel, and more. Can we make sense of their tangle of legal actions? Tracy Brammeier and Kellie Snyder welcome a panel of legal experts including Jeff Becker, James Hemphill, and Kyla Miller to discuss the details of this case, the intensity of public perception and social media reactions, and what we might expect as the case moves forward.    Kyla Miller is an attorney in Mayer Brown's employment, litigation, and counseling practice where she counsels employers in highly sensitive personnel matters. James Hemphill is a trial and appellate lawyer with Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody where he has practiced First Amendment and media law for more than 30 years. Jeffrey Becker is founder of Swanson, Martin & Bell's entertainment and media law practice group where he helps clients resolve contractual and business disputes. 

Ironically, there is no end in sight for the drama between “It Ends With Us” co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. The feud stemming from their fractured working relationship during the film's production and release continues to offer up splashy headlines almost daily. Allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation led to smear campaigns and then further lawsuits claiming defamation, extortion, libel, and more. Can we make sense of their tangle of legal actions? Tracy Brammeier and Kellie Snyder welcome a panel of legal experts including Jeff Becker, James Hemphill, and Kyla Miller to discuss the details of this case, the intensity of public perception and social media reactions, and what we might expect as the case moves forward.    Kyla Miller is an attorney in Mayer Brown's employment, litigation, and counseling practice where she counsels employers in highly sensitive personnel matters. James Hemphill is a trial and appellate lawyer with Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody where he has practiced First Amendment and media law for more than 30 years. Jeffrey Becker is founder of Swanson, Martin & Bell's entertainment and media law practice group where he helps clients resolve contractual and business disputes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony breaks down Rob Pelinka's performance last year, which was defined by inactivity heading into the season and quite possibly one of the best trades in Lakers history. Ironically, the former doomed the latter, and makes Anthony a lot less confident than he'd like to be in the Lakers' chances of maximizing their opportunity with Luka fro here on out. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ironically, it might be a good time to buy an RV. https://www.lehtoslaw.com

Recently, I attended a conference which centered on what I suspect will be the future of money in a more digital world. One of the best presentations I sat through was from author (of a book called 'Broken Money') and macro-analyst Lyn Alden - 'Nothing stops this train'. The current form of money we use (fiat currency) is tethered to a leveraged system with no easy way to deleverage. Ironically, the strategy we can use as households to build wealth (leverage to buy scarcity) is what may help our governments survive the train wreck coming. Read more.Book in a free 15-min phone call with Darcy Ungaro (financial adviser).Sign up to the fortnightly newsletter!Thank You Provincia: Whether you're looking to invest, or you have a commercial property that needs better management - they the true one-stop shop for wholesale industrial investors. Check out Provincia.co.nz for more.Affiliate Links!The Bitcoin Adviser: Plan for intergenerational digital wealth. Hatch: For US markets.Sharesies: For local, and international markets.Easy Crypto: To buy and sell digital assets.Sharesight: For tracking and reporting on your portfolioExodus: Get rewards on your first $2,500 of swapsRevolut: For a new type of banking.Online courses:The Home Buyers Blueprint: Get a better home; Get a better mortgage.The KiwiSaver Millionaire Roadmap: Get a Rockstar Retirement!New Wealth Foundations: Personal finance from a wealth-builder's perspective.Take the free, 5-part online course Crypto 101: Crypto with Confidence Get Social:Check out the most watched/downloaded episodes hereFollow on YouTube , Instagram, TikTok: @theeverydayinvestor, X

1947's Crossfire, directed by Edward Dmytryk, is based on the novel The Brick Foxhole by Richard Brooks.  In Brooks' novel, a gay man is murdered by a soldier on leave but the film had to adhere to a Hays Code which didn't allow for depictions of homosexuality so anti-Jewish sentiment became the reason for the killing.  Ironically, it was the film's theme of anti-semitism that put it's makers in the crosshairs of Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist HUAC hearings.  It's director and writer John Paxton ended in prison for their views.  The film stars the Robert dream team of Robert Ryan, Robert Young and Robert Mitchum. Dan and Vicky discuss the noir thriller and lots of recently seen including Babygirl, The Damned, Thunderbolts, Nonnas, Lilo and Stitch, horror classics (!) Nekromantick and Nekromantick 2 and comedian Mateo Lane. Our socials:  hotdatepod.com FB:  Hot Date Podcast Twitter: @HotDate726 Insta:  hotdatepod

Stop believing society's lie that you have time...you don't. It seems harmless but its a poison pill designed to keep you productive and spend money on things that don't mean much to you. It blinds us to what we really want. That's why its so important we get clarity on what we want and why we want it. When you know what that is with certainty, you won't waste time. You won't chase money at the expense of letting your dreams die. It will enable you to live the life you want and guard you from a life of regret.Please Give A Review If you like the show, it'd be awesome if you could take 10 seconds and leave a review on Apple Podcasts (click here to leave a review) Connect With Stephen Visit our website at www.lifebuilder.co Connect with me on LinkedIN Get the show and additional episodes on YouTube About the Podcast If working a 9-5 for 60 years so you can retire with a little money and die a few years later is what you want to do, then this is not the podcast for you. Stephen is an executive coach that works with executives and entrepreneurs to build the life that they want, personally and professionally.This podcast is about contrarian investment strategies around time, energy and money to build the 4 types of wealth and utilize lifestyle design to create the life we want. The interviews are with hi-earning individuals on how they make money so you can copy us and grow wealth too! Reaching that first $100k milestone is crucial and then the game changes.Learn how the wealthy view time, energy and money so you can apply these proven strategies to your life.

Wiggins High School Principal Randy Wilson joins in the first segment because JC Cole has a technology challenge. Ironically when JC gets hooked up he reminds us to read the book, When Technology Fails.

Unusual Deaths The history of unusual deaths is a fascinating, if sometimes macabre, collection of bizarre and unexpected demises that span centuries and cultures. These stories often highlight the unpredictable nature of life, the oddities of human behavior, and sometimes, the limits of scientific understanding. While many accounts are well-documented, others exist as legend or have been subject to modern re-evaluation.Deaths by Unforeseen Accidents and Objects:Aeschylus (c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC): The ancient Greek playwright is famously (and possibly apocryphally) said to have died when an eagle dropped a tortoise on his bald head, mistaking it for a rock to break the tortoise's shell. Ironically, he was said to have gone outside to avoid a prophecy about a falling object.Hans Staininger (16th Century): The burgomaster of Braunau am Inn, Austria, was known for his extraordinarily long beard (reportedly 4.5 feet or 1.4 meters). He died when he tripped over his own beard during a fire evacuation, breaking his neck. His beard is reportedly still preserved in a local museum.James Betts (1667): An English suitor who, while hidden in a wardrobe by his lover to avoid her father, became trapped and suffocated to death.Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (1710–1771): This monarch is reported to have died from overeating. On February 12, 1771, after consuming a massive meal of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, kippers, and 14 servings of his favorite dessert (semla, a sweet bun), he succumbed to digestive problems.Tycho Brahe (1546–1601): The eccentric Danish astronomer reportedly died from a burst bladder after refusing to leave a banquet to relieve himself, considering it impolite. Modern analysis of his remains in 2010 found no evidence of poison, supporting this theory.Clement Vallandigham (1871): A lawyer and politician who accidentally shot himself in court while demonstrating how a victim in a murder case might have shot himself. He was attempting to prove that the victim could have self-inflicted the fatal wound.Franz Reichelt (1912): Known as the "Flying Tailor," Reichelt was an Austrian-born French tailor who died testing his self-designed parachute from the Eiffel Tower. His invention failed, and he fell to his death.Roger Wallace (2002): A 60-year-old man who was flying his 5-foot wingspan remote-control plane when he lost sight of it in the sun. The plane struck him in the chest, killing him.Jose Luis Ochoa (2011): A man in California died after a cockerel (rooster) participating in an illegal cock-fighting match stabbed him in the leg with a knife that had been strapped to it for fighting.Brittanie Cecil (2002): A 13-year-old girl who died from injuries at an NHL game after being struck in the temple by a deflected hockey puck. She was the first and only fan fatality in the league's history.Chandler Hugh Jackson (2005): A 12-year-old boy who died after falling on his 9-iron golf club, which broke and pierced his aorta through his chest.Steve Irwin (2006): The "Crocodile Hunter" and Australian wildlife expert, died after a stingray's barb pierced his chest while he was filming in shallow water off the Great Barrier Reef.Deaths with Mysterious or Disputed Circumstances:Alexander the Great (356–323 BC): Died at the age of 32 after a two-week illness. Theories range from malaria, typhoid fever, or West Nile encephalitis, to even Guillain-Barré syndrome, which could have left him paralyzed and appearing dead before he truly was. His body reportedly showed no signs of decay for six days after his "death." and there's moreGrigori Rasputin (1869–1916):.Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849): The Somerton Man (1948):Elisa Lam (2013): The Dyatlov Pass Incident (1959):#UnusualDeaths, #StrangeDeaths, #BizarreDeaths ,#HistoricalMysteries ,#FatalFollies ,#DeathByDesign, #UnexplainedDeaths ,#MacabreHistory ,#OddDemises, #TrueCrimeStrangeCases, #WhenDeathGetsWeird, #HistoryFacts #CreepyButTrue,

Episode 270: This episode is about the one word our graduates and salespeople have in common: Resilience!   I was having dinner with my niece, Alanna, and celebrating her graduating from the University of Cincinnati - Go Bearcats. I was thinking over her past four years, starting with the challenges of her roommate on day one, a new world of living independently, creating new friends, and navigating school workloads and social calendars. I shared with her at dinner that the one word I felt described her four years was that she was resilient. I was so proud of her learning and growing through each situation.   Big congratulations to all the students! And a special shoutout to the parents and mentors who have been the pillars of support in their journey.   I was thinking about how each of us is Resilient. In our relationships, we all had our first love, which we learned from, and then we had our second love and third love until we found that one person.   I was thinking back to my college days as well. I thought about the one class where we had to learn audio and video when producing a show. My part was to do the soundboard for audio; I had no idea what I was doing. The professor yelled in the class, "Thal, you will never make it in broadcasting." If I wasn't resilient, I would not have created a successful 38-year career in broadcasting. Ironically, I created the Three Word Podcast, which included understanding recording audio.   Resilience isn't just about bouncing back from setbacks but learning, growing, and emerging stronger. Whether you're a student or a sales professional looking for ways to create new clients. Resilience is a universal trait that we all possess and can develop.   It's the secret ingredient to success, whether you're a student pursuing your dreams or a sales professional navigating challenging markets.   What is Resilience   So, what is resilience? At its core, it's the ability to recover quickly from adversity. Resilience is not a trait you're born with; it's a skill you can develop over time. And the amazing thing is, the more you train it, the stronger it becomes. It's like a muscle. For students, resilience may look like managing stress during exam season or bouncing back after a less-than-awesome grade; for sales professionals, it means overcoming rejection, staying consistent, and adapting to a competitive industry.   Resilience is not just about enduring hardships; it's about adapting to them and building success on the other side.   Mini Challenge for you:   For today, think about one situation where you faced a major challenge. In your next sales meeting, discuss situations where your team was resilient. Now ask yourself: What did you learn? How have you grown? Identifying those moments helps us see resilience in action.   How to Build Resilience   Building resilience doesn't happen overnight, but it's doable with the right approach. Here are three strategies tailored for students and sales professionals alike. 1. Shift Your Mindset   Students: View failure as feedback. That C on your biology test? It's not the end of your academic career; it's a wake-up call to refine your study approach. Sales Professionals: Instead of dreading rejection, consider it an opportunity to refine your pitch. Remember, every 'no' brings you closer to 'yes.' 2. Build a Support Network   Surround yourself with people who uplift you. For students, this could be study groups or mentors. For sales pros, lean on your team during challenging times. 3. Practice Adaptability   Life throws curveballs. Learn to pivot. Students might shift their study method partway through a semester while salespeople adapt to changing market trends.   Why Resilience Equals Long-Term Success   Here's the bottom line. Resilience isn't just about surviving difficult situations; it's about thriving because of them. It's about progress, growth, and staying in the game.   Remember this mantra: "I am adaptable. I am strong. I am resilient."   Share this episode with a friend or colleague if it resonates with you. And remember, your growth and success are our top priorities. Subscribe to never miss an episode, and let's continue this journey of resilience and personal growth together!   Stay strong and keep showing up. Because success isn't about never falling down; it's about getting back up every single time. Until next time.   See you in the next episode!   Connect with Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathal/ http://threewordmeetings.com http://threewordpodcast

Today we have Santino. He is 37 years old from Taunton, MA and took his last drink on May 24th, 2022.   This episode brought to you by Better Help – 10% off of your first month Exact Nature use code RE20 to save 20% off your order   Recovery Elevator has merch! We have hoodies, patches, shirts, tank tops and bracelets. Help us keep this project going and shred the shame!   Last call for registration to our sober travel trip to Peru. Registration closes tomorrow June 3rd.   A study on the state of restaurants revealed that 40% of restaurants in 2025 plan to dedicate more space on their menus for alcohol-free drink offerings. And Door Dash reported an 82% jump in non-alcoholic beer orders in 2025 alone. Things are changing and they are changing fast!   [03:29] Thoughts from Paul:   On episode 527, Paul talked about how Gallitin County, Montana is the drunkest place in America. Ironically, this is where much of this podcast is recorded, and this is where Paul got sober. We are reminded that quitting drinking can happen wherever, whenever, regardless of how drunk we think our cities/counties/states are.   Recently Paul read in a newsletter about a local event that said, “come join us for a night of alcohol-free country line dancing, swing dancing and two step”. Paul reached out to the organization putting it on and they thanked him for his support and said that they believe that country, swing and line dancing shouldn't be exclusive to bars.   We at Recovery Elevator couldn't agree more. Rule 22 for the win!   [08:18] Paul introduces Santino:   This is Santino's fourth appearance on the podcast. He first appeared on episode 397, and then returned for episodes 449 and 491.   Santino is 37 years old, has been married for 10 years and they have two children aged six and almost one. He is originally from the Midwest but currently lives in Massachusetts. Santino is currently working on writing a memoir regarding his childhood.   Drinking got out of control for Santino in his late twenties when he realized he was becoming a daily drinker. Trying to moderate didn't work as the line in the sand got further and further away for him and he was drinking in isolation. Santino says before he could reconcile with the fact that he didn't know how to stop, he had to first define what an alcoholic was.   Santino had dabbled in AA in the past while in active addiction as well as during a court order after a DUI. He never identified with it because he wasn't ready to quit. After reconciling that he had a problem, he started going to AA regularly and participated in the meetings. Santino really resonated with the idea of a higher power.   The first six months into his recovery Santino says he struggled with shame. Coming to terms with his past is something that he knows he will be living with indefinitely.   Santino works in the addiction field and understands that relapses can be part of many people's recovery. And while he feels that relapse isn't a bad thing but is greatly stigmatized.   Santino says the most profound healing that took place when he stopped drinking was his perception of himself. He stopped putting so much stock into how other people viewed him.   To put his years of sobriety in terms of themes, Santino shares that the first year was “darkness” the second year was “climbing” and the third year so far has been “practice”.   Since Santino's last interview he has welcomed his second son, continued to work on his relationships, still has the same job with the homeless and people with addictions, and working on being the best dad he can be to his two sons.   Santino's parting piece of guidance: you have to treat sobriety like you would treat anything else delicate in your life. It requires carefulness, it requires mindfulness, but it also requires full vulnerability.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You have got to take the stairs back up. You can do this.   RE on Instagram Recovery Elevator YouTube Sobriety Tracker iTunes       

If you grew up on Jumble (as, apparently, the author did), then you'll feel right at home tackling this awesome homage to anagrams, an impressive debut by Sam Brody. Ironically, the word anagram does not have an anagram, and so it is with great pride that we introduce the newest word in the English language, gramana, (n., a feeling of bliss that a grandmother feels upon first meeting the reason that they have ascended to the rank of grandmother). Show note imagery: Fanny HESSE, who revolutionized microbiology through her brilliant suggestion to use AGAR, instead of gelatin, to culture microorganisms.We love feedback! Send us a text...Contact Info:We love listener mail! Drop us a line, crosswordpodcast@icloud.com.Also, we're on FaceBook, so feel free to drop by there and strike up a conversation!

Ironically, upwards of 65% of the population face challenges to clothe their bodies.Why does the fashion industry ignore such a huge target market? It confounds her, but it is not the primary influence on fashion.She exclaims “style” is the distinguishing characteristic. It is not about size. It is about Style”. Style is the difference between ‘fine' and fabulous. Why the fashion industry ignores the majority in favor of a tiny minority makes no sense, but Style makes all the difference!“Style” is THE distinction” it is not about size it is about style,” she says.“Style” is the difference between just putting on clothes and ‘dressing,' the dash of spice or color, the well-chosen accessory or textural combination that makes the difference between fine and fabulous.” Clothing that fits, flatters, and enhances can be a most significant contribution to one's self-esteem and confidence.Helping others develop their own personal style is a path she began at an early age and has pursued her entire career. She is the author of "Fashion's Stepsister, A Journey to Style: A Memoir." https://gaylabentley.com/http://www.yourlotandparcel.org

In this episode, Dr. Mo continues the series, Resurrection and Relationships. Today's focus is when we find ourselves engaging in the difficult work of reconciliation and there is frustration and grief from the perpetrator. We are discussing and thinking about practical ways to participate in the work of reconciliation. Dr. Mo reads from John 21:15-17 as we focus on this interaction between Jesus and Peter. Ironically, this is the third time that Jesus appears to the disciples following the Resurrection. And here we see Jesus asking Peter three times if Peter really loves Him. Theologians suggest that Jesus asked this question three times as a way to redeem Peter. One time for each of the three denials of Jesus. Tune in to this episode as we think about how Jesus might be inviting perpetrators of betrayal to engage in reconciliation especially when one might be grieved at the duration of the process and the repeated interrogations. Information for Dr. Mohttps://www.drmoniquesmithgadson.com/Link to order “Finding Hope in A Dark Place”:https://lexhampress.com/search?query=Finding%20Hope%20in%20a%20Dark%20Place%3A%20Facing%20Loneliness%2C%20Depression%2C%20and%20Anxiety%20with%20the%20Power%20of%20Grace&sortBy=Relevance&limit=30&page=1&ownership=all&geographicAvailability=allhttps://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hope-Dark-Place-Loneliness/dp/1683596358/ref=rvi_sccl_7/138-1785751-1148333?pd_rd_w=decCb&content-id=amzn1.sym.f5690a4d-f2bb-45d9-9d1b-736fee412437&pf_rd_p=f5690a4d-f2bb-45d9-9d1b-736fee412437&pf_rd_r=GMEBCA5ZB54MM98HHN5F&pd_rd_wg=pwctW&pd_rd_r=0cf054c6-aedd-427d-ac2a-563757407228&pd_rd_i=1683596358&psc=1Follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/And-The-Church-Said-Podcast-106848090932637https://instagram.com/drmoniquesmithgadson?igshid=1bmt2hei1j6i8Support And The Church Said:Cash App:  https://cash.app/$andthechurchsaidPayPal:  https://paypal.me/andthechurchsaid?locale.x=en_US. 

Send us a textCan you make a viable living from creating a wheelthrown mug that you charge $45 for? According to a video currently racing around the internet, the answer is no. But is that true? According to some of the past potters I've talked to here on the podcast over the last 4 years, that answer would be no, that's not true. In fact, they are making a living for their entire households.On this episode we dig into 4 particularly important things to consider when it comes to definitive statements like this one and whether or not you can actually make a living with the work you make:  1) The early-stage career reality check, 2) The crucial Market Fit Venn Diagram we all have to find a solution for, 3) How it is actually possible to make a living from a handmade $45 mug, and 4) A tiny bit of tough love to connect it all together. Ironically, and unplanned, the full version of the shortened video I'm referencing in this episode also mentions how the first thing you have to figure out how to do is take good photos of the work you make. If you do need help taking better photos of your work, you can now access the Maker's Photography Styling System and The Maker's DSLR Masterclass whenever you need it! Click here to learn more. Love this podcast? Support an episode! Click here to learn more. Follow The Maker's Playbook on Instagram @themakersplaybookHave questions about the show or want to say Hi? Email us at: podcast (at) makers-playbook (dot) com

Welcome to this weeks Dark Minisode: Catherine, Samuel…& The Devil.Today we hear from “MJ” (pseudonym), who recounts a litany of some of the most terrifying things ever crammed into one minisode. Ironically, “MJ” questions if her experience is “dark enough” to make it on the show, and I think you'll agree with me when I say a few moments into her experience the answer is a resounding yes.Stay safe,Kevin.By making the choice of joining our Patreon team now, not only gives you early Ad-Free access to all of our episodes, including video releases of Dark Realms, it can also give you access to the Patreon only podcast, Dark Bites. Dark Bites releases each and every week, even on the down time between seasons. There are already well over 100+ hours of unheard true paranormal experiences for you to binge at your leisure. Simply head over to:www.patreon.com/thedarkparanormal To send us YOUR experience, please either click on the below link:The Dark Paranormal - We Need Your True Ghost StoryOr head to our website: www.thedarkparanormal.comYou can also follow us on the below Social Media links:www.twitter.com/darkparanormalxwww.facebook.com/thedarkparanormalwww.youtube.com/thedarkparanormalwww.instagram.com/thedarkparanormalOur Sponsors:* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code DARKPARANORMAL for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's Tuesday, May 27th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Trump delegation investigates violations of free speech in U.K. The Trump administration has sent a delegation  to investigate the violations of free speech in the United Kingdom. They met with five people who have been arrested, and even convicted, of praying silently near abortion mills in Glasgow, Scotland as well as Birmingham and Bournemouth, England. At issue is the U.K.'s equating protesting near abortion clinics with silent prayer, and the government's antipathy towards pro-lifers expressing their opinions about killing children.  Only 39% of Americans “extremely proud” of citizenship Are Americans losing a sense of patriotism?  A 2023 Gallup Survey found only 39% of Americans are “Extremely Proud” of their citizenship status.  And a Wall Street Journal/National Opinion Research Center survey found the percentage of Americans who considered patriotism “very important” has dropped from 70% in 1998 to 38% in 2023.  Keep in mind Isaiah 40:5-7. It says, “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; look, [the Lord] lifts up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.” Russia launched largest aerial attack on Ukraine since war's start Russia launched  298 drones and 69 missiles on Kiev over the weekend, reports the Associated Press. It was the largest aerial attack on the capital of Ukraine since the beginning of the 3-year war. Altogether, Russia sent 900 drones into Ukraine over the weekend. President Trump responded on his Truth Social account calling Putin “absolutely crazy,” reports The Financial Times. TRUMP: “I'm not happy with what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is doing. He's killing a lot of people. I don't know what happened to Putin. I've known him a long time. Always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it at all. Okay? We're in the middle of talking, and he's shooting rockets into Kiev and other cities. I don't like it at all.” And Trump warned that any attempt on the part of Russia to take all of Ukraine would "lead to the downfall of Russia.”  Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” goes to the Senate As The Worldview reported on Friday, Trump's “Big, Beautiful Bill” passed the House of Representatives by a single vote on Thursday.   The major highlights of the bill include tax cuts, the elimination of $700 million of Planned Parenthood funding, a national private school dollar-for-dollar tax credit to scholarship donors, and an expanded child tax credit. If you have not yet called your two Senators, call them TODAY at 202-224-3121 and ask them to DEFUND Planned Parenthood. We can expect maybe even a bigger fight in the Senate over the spending bill. Republican Senators are split on the bill.  Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri does not want to cut Medicaid spending.  And Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky described the spending cuts this way.  PAUL: “I support spending cuts. I think the cuts currently in the bill are wimpy and anemic.” Texas legislature passed Ten Commandments bill on Sabbath The Texas legislature has approved a bill requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools throughout the state come September. Ironically, they passed the bill on the Sabbath, breaking the fourth commandment! The bill heads back to the Senate, after which Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign it into law. A similar law, enacted recently in Louisiana, is hung up in a federal court. Oregon has more elderly than children The state of Oregon's demographics are not doing well. The state now has more elderly over 65 years of age than children under 18 years of age, presenting a demographic challenge, reports The Oregonian.  In 1985, there were twice as many children as elderly. At this rate, in 10 more years, Oregon will have 40% more seniors than children.   The state holds the position as the eighth worst demographic in the nation. The other states are located on the eastern seaboard. Oregon was the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. That was in 1994. Here is what God says in Deuteronomy 30:19. “I call Heaven and Earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” 500,000 new homes are on the market The U.S. construction industry should beware!   Inventory of new homes has reached 2007 levels — now 500,000 on the market, up from 150,000 homes in 2012. America is most generous nation America is the most generous nation in the world, by a long shot.   That's the conclusion in the most recent Global Philanthropy Report produced by the Lilly Foundation.    The US is the highest charitable contributor to other nations, by percentage of gross national income. With a total of $50 billion of philanthropic outflow, Americans contribute 70% of the world's philanthropic outflow to other nations, whereas it only makes up 4% of the world's population. Other generous nations included the UK, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Australia, and South Korea.  The late Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty proclaimed Jesus And finally, Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame has died at the age of 79. His family announced Sunday that he has gone to be with the Lord.  Willie and Korie Robertson Instagrammed that “He reminded us often of the words of Paul.  ‘You do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.'” Phil said, “When I die, don't cry. Sing. Dance. But don't cry when I die.  When I die, you say, ‘He made it!'” His son and daughter-in-law spoke of the lives who “have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus.” Listen to Phil share his love of evangelism in this excerpt from his Unashamed podcast. PHIL: “It's been the most exciting one thing I've ever done in my life.” WILLIE: “What?” PHIL: “To see people go from lost to saved.” WILLIE:  “Oh, that's right!” PHIL: “It's the most exciting thing I've ever done in my life is being a part of that. The guy that ordered the duck call. That's all he wanted was a duck call. And in the midst of that, he cursed God. ‘G.D. this and G.D. that.'  Before we hung up, he said, ‘You got my duck call coming?' I said, ‘Yeah, I got it coming.' “I said, ‘By the way, why do you keep cursing the only One that could save you from death?' It was silence.  He said, ‘Hey, send me my duck call.'  (Dial tone. He hung up). “Well, about 10 minutes went by and the phone rang. He said, ‘Hey, it's me again. You know what? I never thought about that.' I said, ‘Well, you're cursing Him. Unless He can get you out of here alive, I don't know no one else that could. You know what you ought to do. You ought to come over here and I'll tell you about the One you're cursing. You may change your mind.' He said, ‘I might do that.' I said, ‘Well, you ought to.'  Well a week goes by, knock on the door, he steps in the door, and he said, ‘I'm the one that was cursing God. And you told me you're going to show me why I shouldn't.' “So, I told him about Jesus. He was converted. About 15 or 20 years later, I ran into him, and he was one of the leaders at that church where I was speaking. So, you never know.” The Duck Dynasty reality program aired on A&E between 2012 and 2017. At its peak, the reality program reached 10 million viewers.  Sadly, the network pulled the program after Phil Robertson referred to homosexual behavior as “sinful.”  Watch the trailer for the movie about Phil called The Blind and rent the movie itself here. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, May 27th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

[EP 25-212] In case you wonder how people can be so blinded in their ideology, I have the answer. And what I discuss is the blindspot for many people. However, most people overcome this at some point in adulthood, except Leftists.They have been trained to ignore reality and believe whatever hype the media gives them. Ironically, they believe this is how Conservatives are. Ask yourself who is more willing to debate.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kevin-jackson-show--2896352/support.

DITCH YOUR DOCTOR! https://www.livelongerformula.com/wam Get a natural health practitioner and work with Christian Yordanov! Mention WAM and get a FREE masterclass! You will ALSO get a FREE metabolic function assessment! HELP SUPPORT US AS WE DOCUMENT HISTORY HERE: https://gogetfunding.com/help-wam-cover-history/ GET NON-MRNA FREEZE DRIED MEAT HERE: https://wambeef.com/ Use code WAMBEEF to save 20%! GET HEIRLOOM SEEDS & NON GMO SURVIVAL FOOD HERE: https://heavensharvest.com/ USE Code WAM to save 5% plus free shipping! GET YOUR APRICOT SEEDS at the life-saving Richardson Nutritional Center HERE: https://rncstore.com/r?id=bg8qc1 Use code JOSH to save money! Josh Sigurdson reports on the incoming artificial intelligence takeover as Trump has signed a 500 billion dollar investment in AI, met with Saudi leaders to form an AI weapons and manufacturing agreement and now is signing an executive order to create skynet itself, not just with the so-called "iron dome" but with nuclear technology. The new executive order has highlighted the need for AI controlled nuclear technology including for warfare. So robots will decide who lives and who dies. Congress has also seized AI regulatory power from individual states to the federal government. Elon Musk said this week that all jobs will be taken over by AI and you won't need to work. He's also pushing UBI. Ironically, he claims AI will destroy humanity while he's the main person developing it. With the agreements made between the Pentagon, Elon Musk's starlink and Palantir's AI system, there's no doubt that the end goal of the left with the climate agenda is the same as the right under the guise of "national security." This so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" is supposed to put a nail in the coffin of the Green New Deal, yet the end goal of the green new deal is to bring in technocracy and digital control. The same bill has a hidden part in section 43201 detailing the federal government's total monopoly on AI and the digital system to come. Meanwhile, from the climate perspective as expected, California is using imminent domain to seize all remaining Malibu property to establish 15 Minute Cities following the Pacific Pallisades fire. Grant Cardone exposed the fact that his home (the last remaining on the Malibu coast) is being taken by Newsom. All of these things correlate. As the UK brings in their federal digital ID by July and the EU brings theirs in as well as their CBDC by October at the latest, the US government signed the STABLE Act and the GENIUS Act to utilize centralized stable coins as a CBDC system complete with KYC. Censorship is exploding in Europe and Canada but despite Trump saying he is pro free speech, it is also exploding in the US under the guise of stopping "antisemitism." Criticism of Israel could be considered "hate speech." This makes the path to the ultimate censorship of the nature of humanity itself via digital control all the more easier. Stay tuned for more from WAM! Get local, healthy, pasture raised meat delivered to your door here: https://wildpastures.com/promos/save-20-for-life/bonus15?oid=6&affid=321 USE THE LINK & get 20% off for life and $15 off your first box! SIGN UP FOR HOMESTEADING COURSES NOW: https://freedomfarmers.com/link/17150/ Get Prepared & Start The Move Towards Real Independence With Curtis Stone's Courses! GET YOUR WAV WATCH HERE: https://buy.wavwatch.com/WAM Use Code WAM to save $100 and purchase amazing healing frequency technology! GET ORGANIC CHAGA MUSHROOMS HERE: https://alaskachaga.com/wam Use code WAM to save money! See shop for a wide range of products! GET AMAZING MEAT STICKS HERE: https://4db671-1e.myshopify.com/discount/WAM?rfsn=8425577.918561&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=8425577.918561 USE CODE WAM TO SAVE MONEY! GET YOUR FREEDOM KELLY KETTLE KIT HERE: https://patriotprepared.com/shop/freedom-kettle/ Use Code WAM and enjoy many solutions for the outdoors in the face of the impending reset! BUY GOLD HERE: https://firstnationalbullion.com/schedule-consult/ PayPal: ancientwonderstelevision@gmail.com FIND OUR CoinTree page here: https://cointr.ee/joshsigurdson JOIN US on SubscribeStar here: https://www.subscribestar.com/world-alternative-media For subscriber only content! Pledge here! Just a dollar a month can help us alive! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2652072&ty=h&u=2652072 BITCOIN ADDRESS: 18d1WEnYYhBRgZVbeyLr6UfiJhrQygcgNU World Alternative Media 2025

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comActs 11 Peter returns to Jerusalem, where Jewish believers take issue with him for associating with Gentiles. He recounts his vision of unclean animals and God's command not to call impure what He has made clean. Peter reveals how the Holy Spirit descended on the Gentiles, confirming that God has granted them the repentance that leads to life. Meanwhile, some scattered Jewish believers begin preaching to Greeks in Antioch, and many turn to the Lord. The church in Jerusalem sends Barnabas to Antioch to encourage the new saints, and he ultimately recruits Saul, working with the church there for a year. Disciples of Jesus are first called Christians in Antioch. These disciples hear of a famine in Judea and send funds for the relief of the brethren, which Barnabas and Saul deliver.  Peter introduced something new to the saints in Jerusalem, and they were not initially receptive. However, they were willing to listen as he shared how God brought salvation to the Gentiles. Change is always challenging, especially when it means acceptance of others, but humble hearts will keep open ears and learn to embrace what honors the will of God. Fortunately, this paved the way for more Jews to share the gospel with Gentiles, allowing the church to thrive and expand. Perhaps changing attitudes toward others and a willingness to broaden outreach can benefit local churches today. Ironically, Gentile Christians in Antioch sent funds to assist needy Jewish saints. A thriving fellowship emerges when brethren step beyond their comfort zones.  Compassionate God, thank You for granting us repentance that leads to life. We are unworthy of Your grace, yet we live in the peace and joy of reconciliation with You through Jesus Christ. Please open our hearts to the way You are working to reach others and prepare us to have open arms. Help us to be like Barnabas, a man full of the Holy Spirit and faith and therefore ready to work for Your cause. And like the Christians who sent funds to help their brothers, teach us how to be more generous and involved in supporting fellow believers.  Thought Questions: -       How do you remain open to God's will, even when it challenges your expectations and traditions, like when Peter accepted Gentiles?  -       If God sent you to go and encourage new saints for a year, would you be willing to do it? How can you do such work where you live now? -       New Christians sent funds to help believers they did not even know. How should you emulate that in the way you support needy Christians?

On this episode of Talk About It, we break out the Gold Jacket to chat with Alan Faneca, retired NFL offensive lineman and NFL Hall of Fame Inductee! Alan and Greg have become friends through advocacy for epilepsy awareness over the years, because Alan was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was a teenager and played at the highest levels of football with the condition. He also has a daughter with a rare form of epilepsy, so this cause is really close to his heart. Ironically, Nick also has a connection to Alan through his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers and hosting events together, so this is really a friend reunion show! They discuss his diagnosis, how his family helps him deal with the condition, going through the process again with his daughter, and - of course - his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. This is an episode that you are seriously not going to want to miss! The Talk About It podcast is excited to be sponsored in part by Neurelis. The Talk About It podcast is excited to also be sponsored in part by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Hello lovely friends,Welcome to the very first edition of The Sketchbook Dispatch! I'll be sharing one of these each month — a mix of what I've been working on in my sketchbooks and a spotlight on the incredible things our Creating Wild community has been dreaming up, sketching out, and bringing to life inside our member space.Honestly, I'm in awe. There's something so nourishing about being surrounded by curious, magical minds, and it's such a joy to be able to share even a small piece of their work with you.Alongside their creations, I'm also giving you a little peek into my own process this month. A video walk-through of my sketchbooks — eclectic, evolving, and full of both fast timed sketches (that challenge my recovering perfectionist tendencies) and slower, more thoughtful explorations (my preferred modus operandi!). I've been feeling a real pull toward “slow art” lately, but also experimenting with quicker studies to loosen things up for my illustrated work.If I had to name a theme that's emerged through all of this, it would be permission — giving myself the space to try something new (like storytelling through illustrated essays) and letting delight lead the way, even if it means stepping off the well-worn path or confronting what I thought I was and wasn't “good at.”So, with that, I hope you enjoy the video. Let's dive into what our amazing community has been creating.Before I send you off into the wild...If you'd like to be part of the Creating Wild community, you can learn more about it here. We've built a private, cozy corner away from the noise of social media. A space to explore creativity together through monthly workshops, weekly prompts, and a shared practice studio where you can connect, ask questions, and share what you're working on. We'd love you to be a part of it.

Last March, a community health activist in Myanmar published a warning about escalating violence. By Wednesday, it vanished, flagged, filtered, and disappeared by content algorithms she'll never meet, applying standards she wasn't shown, through processes no one can appeal. Halfway across the world that same day, a political influencer with ten million followers posted similar warnings. His remained visible, amplified, promoted. These decisions join the 3.8 billion moderation verdicts algorithms make daily. According to industry data, 94% receive no human review whatsoever. More telling still: 28% of posts containing keywords like "protest" or "rally" face automatic temporary visibility restrictions, with the severity varying by geographic origin data. Neither decision was explained. Neither was argued before judges or juries. There were no briefs filed, nor precedents cited, no dissenting opinions. Just lines of code executing their silent calculus of who deserves to be heard. We've replaced courthouse steps with server farms, legal arguments with machine learning parameters, and public deliberation with proprietary algorithms. This isn't simply a technological upgrade. It's a fundamental restructuring of how expression is governed, who holds the power to silence, and which voices carry. Content moderation algorithms don't just enforce rules; they write the rules by deciding which enforcement patterns become normalized. The EU Digital Services Act requires platforms to publish content moderation statistics. Fourth-quarter numbers showed 217 million removed posts globally. Researcher access to raw data remains restricted. Three platforms have faced preliminary fines for non-compliance with transparency requirements. Four have challenged these fines successfully. The tech companies building these systems operate in a curious gray zone: too powerful to be mere platforms, too unaccountable to be proper governments, yet exercising authority that rivals both. Meta moderates more speech daily than all courts globally combined. Since 2021, Trust and Safety teams at major platforms have shrunk by an average of 72%, even as moderation decisions continue to multiply. This selective enforcement isn't a bug in the system of algorithmic governance. It might be its defining feature. Let's take a closer look at who gets silenced and who doesn't. Twitter (I Refuse to Call It by That Single-Letter Rebrand) - A Broken Dream of Neutrality and Algorithmic Fairness There was a lot of speculation around the intentions and goals of Elon Musk when he wanted to buy Twitter, which he rebranded as Twitter. It promised a "free speech absolutist" utopia. Instead, it exposed a stark reality: AI content moderation is a tool of selective enforcement. Musk swiftly reinstated banned accounts, including those of Donald Trump and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, while touting algorithmic transparency. Ironically, the latter was even more controversial, considering Alex Jones's involvement in the lawsuit regarding the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Yet, within months, Twitter quietly rolled back these policies under advertiser pressure, banning critics like journalist Aaron Rupar for "abusive behavior" while allowing far-right influencers like Andrew Tate to thrive. This naturally raised questions about Elon Musk's commitment to free-speech, considering the double standards on its implementation on the platform. This flip-flop epitomizes a broader pattern across tech platforms: public claims of neutrality mask opaque, politically convenient enforcement that privileges tech elites and MAGA-aligned voices. A separate yet still worth considering fact was that one of the first decisions after Twitter's acquisition was firing roughly 80% of the staff (particularly engineers) working in Trust and Safety. The worst part is this trend is not limited to Twitter. Other platforms are using content moderation to benefit certain groups while marginalizing others. Me...

(0:00-12:12) The New York Knicks squandered a late lead in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers during the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Connor found satisfaction in the outcome, as he was watching the Knicks with a sense of disdain. (12:12-20:54) In Ohio, a 24-year-old individual was competing in high school sports, having falsely claimed to be younger. Ironically, despite his age advantage, he failed to secure a spot on the varsity team and was relegated to the junior varsity squad. (20:54-31:07) The Phillies achieved a sweep against the Rockies, marking their seventh consecutive victory. Connor wonders why the enthusiasm among fans appears to be less than he anticipated. (31:07-45:41) The results of our Twitter poll are in, and Jeff Lurie emerged as the clear winner. Additionally, we continue to discuss the Phillies' recent victory over the Colorado Rockies. Follow The Station x.com/975TheFanatic instagram.com/975thefanatic/ https://www.facebook.com/975thefanatic/ Follow The Show x.com/975BestShowEver https://x.com/ConnorThomas975 https://x.com/rickybottalico https://x.com/sylvanakell

Today we had a fantastic conversation with Daan Struyven, Co-Head of Global Commodities Research and Managing Director, Head of Oil Research, alongside his colleague Lina Thomas, Commodities Strategist, with Goldman Sachs. Daan joined Goldman in 2015 and previously co-led the Goldman Global Economics team as well as the firm's Canada Economics research effort. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT. Lina joined Goldman after earning her Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, where she focused on safe-haven assets. We were thrilled to welcome these Ph.D. powerhouses for a deep dive into a topic we haven't yet explored on COBT – the gold markets and how they intersect with oil, gas, copper, interest rates, tariffs, geopolitics, central banks, structural market changes, and more. In our discussion, Lina provides a detailed overview of the historical inverse relationship between gold and interest rates, and highlights the unusual strength of the gold rally that began in 2022. She describes that the rally was triggered by the freezing of Russian central bank assets in February 2022, which prompted central banks, particularly those geopolitically aligned or close to Russia, to increase gold purchases to reduce reliance on politically vulnerable reserve assets. Lina explains that in addition to modest investor inflows, ongoing central bank demand has played a critical role in sustaining gold's price rise and discusses how geopolitical proximity is a key predictor of central bank gold buying. We explore Goldman's approach to estimating actual central bank purchases, which are underreported in official data, Russia's gathering of gold reserves ahead of its invasion of Ukraine, the effects of the war and subsequent sanctions, and how Russia rerouted its gold exports similar to its post-sanction oil trade. Daan outlines Goldman's copper market outlook, including their view on proposed copper tariffs, the anticipated supply deficit by 2026 due to limited investment in new projects, their copper price forecast, and the key short-term drivers influencing copper prices. We cover gold's unique role as a stock rather than a flow asset, with only about one percent of tradable gold coming from annual mine supply, why central banks favor gold over silver, Goldman's four structural investment themes (Dollar Diversification, Defense Spending, Disinvestment in Supply, and De-risking Energy Systems), the firm's crude oil outlook over the next year, and much more. We greatly appreciate Daan and Lina for sharing their time and perspectives. Mike Bradley opened the discussion by noting that “Trumpatility” has faded considerably, with the S&P 500 Volatility Index now trading near year-to-date lows. Ironically, this introduces some degree of risk as broader markets are now technically overbought. Moody's downgraded U.S. debt by one notch this past week but U.S. bonds and equities shrugged it off, mostly because U.S. bonds don't typically move on ratings changes, but more so on inflation and employment growth, while broader equities are driven mostly by forward earnings estimates. The U.S. dollar weakened slightly on the U.S. debt downgrade while Bitcoin and gold prices are trading near all-time highs, likely a reflection of growing U.S. debt levels. He wrapped up with a roundup of notable Energy & Electricity headlines, including: Blackstone Infrastructure's $11.5 billion acquisition of TXNM Energy; Strathcona Resource's $6 billion takeover offer for MEG Energy; Phillips 66's Proxy vote battle with Elliott (involving four board nominations); Trump's unexpected reversal of his recent shutdown of Equinor's Empire Wind 1 project off Long Island; and the recent decline in Permian oil rig count and the potential associated gas growth implications. Jeff Tillery also joined and peppered in his thoughts to the discussion. We hope you find today's discussion as insightful and interesting as we did. Our best to you all!

Fresh out of the two day CQB Fundamentals course here in Michigan, I share my debrief on the class, what I learned, what I liked, and why it's all so important. As civilians, we're constantly told and reinforced that we can't or shouldn't learn skillsets like structure clearance, or CQB. Either we'll never use it, other than as a singleton, or that knowledge in the hands of "folks like us" is a unnecessary danger to law enforcement. Ironically, whenever we're told we can't or shouldn't have things for almost any other part of the 2A space, we push against that narrative. Regardless, this was an incredible experience, and it was wonderful being able to help facilitate this kind of valuable learning to the folks in my local community. If you're looking into learning these skills for yourself, or perhaps interested in Orion Training Group and what they offer, give this a listen, and see for yourself what you've been missing out on.Visit our sponsors!Our Patreon - www.patreon.com/prepared_mindset_podCustom Night Vision - www.customnightvision.comOrion Training Group - www.oriontraininggroup.comOne Hundred Concepts - www.onehundredconcepts.com

[EP 25-201] I know the secret to President Trump. And it's impenetrable, undefeatable. The Left are powerless against it.Ironically, many Leftists know the secret and still refuse to use it for themselves. And the secret is laughably simple.Trump uses the most basic psychology to endear himself to America and the world: he just lets you know him.That's it. No strings, no filters, no five-person committee telling him which words won't get him canceled. Just Trump—unvarnished and unfiltered. Other politicians are like used-car salesmen with nicer suits. They only let you see what they think you want to see, and they speak in 'political-speak,' that carefully crafted, sanitized nonsense that makes you want to disinfect your ears.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kevin-jackson-show--2896352/support.

We discuss 2 important moments in Peggy Fletcher Stack's career: "We don't apologize," and "What about the women? Peggy Fletcher Stack is the senior religion reporter at the Salt Lake Tribune. The focus of the conversation turns to the persistent challenges within religious coverage and the dramatic evolution of the journalistic landscape itself. For Peggy, certain topics consistently emerge as central "pressure points" or "conflicts." Drawing on Apostle Boyd K. Packer's 1993 speech, she observes that issues surrounding feminists, gays, and intellectuals have dominated her reporting because, as she puts it, journalists cover "planes that crash," not "planes that land on time." https://youtu.be/KmaKAKKtyH4 Don't miss our other conversations with Peggy: https://gospeltangents.com/people/peggy-fletcher-stack/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved LGBTQ+ Issues She highlights the continued intensity of LGBTQ+ issues, noting they remain "very very hot." Her archive reveals nearly 700 articles containing the word "gay," underscoring its consistent prominence. While public protests on issues like ordination might have decreased since events like Kate Kelly's excommunication, Peggy firmly states that gender issues have "absolutely not died down," citing ongoing concerns among younger women and pushes on topics like allowing young women to pass the sacrament or women sitting on the stand. "We Don't Apologize" Moment Peggy Fletcher Stack recalls a meeting with Apostles Todd Christofferson and Dallen H. Oaks around the time the church was announcing a "compromise" on LGBTQ+ issues. She asked them, in the context of trying to promote civil discourse, if the church would ever apologize for the rhetoric of some members on this topic as a way to improve civility. Elder Oaks responded directly, "No. We never apologize." Peggy notes that this response to a specific question was later interpreted by some as being a statement of general church policy, which she clarified was not the case. She also mentions that Elder Oaks repeated a similar sentiment on a video podcast (Trib Talk no longer exists), stating that apology "isn't in the Bible," which caused a "huge flap" and led to people blaming her, the messenger. She said this illustrates how something said can come to be seen as policy. The "What About the Women?" Question Peggy describes a press conference in January or February 2018 with President Russell M. Nelson and Elder Oaks where reporters were limited to one question each. Peggy had prepared a question asking what would be done to increase diversity in leadership, specifically mentioning "women, people of color, and non-Americans." President Nelson's initial response was to focus on his personal connection to Peggy and her family, an "awkward moment" for her. After speaking about non-Americans, and feeling they were finishing their answer without addressing women, Peggy, despite the one-question limit, called out from her seat, "What about women?" President Nelson then spoke about loving women, highlighting his daughters and mothers. Peggy characterized this moment, which occurred on live KSL TV, as a "weird existential moment" balancing the personal and professional. Ironically, she felt it ended up being a "win-win" for her, as critics from different perspectives interpreted the interaction in ways that subtly improved her standing with them. Don't miss our other conversations with Peggy: https://gospeltangents.com/people/peggy-fletcher-stack/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved  

HMB presents the tall (and not so tall) tale of Troll and Jason in its entirety.

Welcome back to The Culture Garden Podcast! This week, Rachel and Kieron head back to 2006 and dive into the Denzel Washington-led thriller Déjà Vu. Ironically, the conversation kicks off with a real sense of déjà vu — both hosts recall loving this movie way more than they do now. It's not bad, just… slower than they remembered.In this episode, we explore the film's take on time travel, the emotional and historical significance of it being the first major movie filmed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and why the writers of Déjà Vu point fingers at director Tony Scott for its unrealized potential.As always, we appreciate you for rocking with us. Don't forget to subscribe, like, comment, and share.Y'all be cool how y'all be cool!

In part two of Janna's conversation with Ryan, he opens up about his decision to wait until marriage to have sex—a choice rooted in a desire to escape the guilt he'd carried for most of his life. While the experience was fine at first, their intimacy gradually faded. Over time, Ryan began to feel isolated and deeply unloved. Determined to fix their relationship, he turned to podcasts and books for advice. But as his frustration grew, he found himself blaming his wife for not putting in the same level of effort.Ironically, it was his wife who discovered the Doing It Together course and suggested they try it. Ryan admits that much of the content wasn't entirely new to him. What was new, however, was seeing that information through the lens of intimacy within marriage. It shifted his entire perspective. Instead of focusing on what he saw as her "problem," Ryan began to reflect on his own role in their dynamic. The course helped him realize the powerful impact of making changes on his side—both emotionally and physically—which began to transform their connection, in and out of the bedroom.The next round of Doing It Together is open for registration! Get $300 off for this round only! Register now!Learn about the Doing It Together program details, schedules, testimonials, and Q&A.Janna's new Wanting It More Foundations self-paced course for women is open for registration.Leave a podcast review: We'd so appreciate your ​rating and review​ to help the podcast reach more couples.

Dr. Gregory Jantz developed a successful treatment center to help patients suffering with anxiety and depression. Ironically, he hit a wall and began to experience burnout. Speaking from experience, he shares 6 keys for overcoming burnout, using a whole-person approach. He prescribes personal inventory, healthy habits and diet, and spiritual renewal through Christ. He’ll help you to streamline your stress, reclaim your true self, find sanity through simplicity, and more to find replenishment. Receive a copy of Beyond Burnout and an audio download of "Overcoming Burnout to Find Balance and Hope" for your donation of any amount! Get More Episode Resources If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

Bodyoid Horror: MIT's Trial Balloon to Grow Humans for Parts Unleashes Ethical Hell MIT floats a nightmare—grow “bodyoids” in labs for drugs, organs, maybe meat! No pain, no brains, they claim, but the transhumanist abyss yawns wide. Is this science or a soulless descent into Brave New World? Apple Readies “AI Agent Doctor” & Robotics is About to Have An “iPhone Moment”, Going Viral Apple's is nearing release of an AI agent to act as “doctor”, spy on your life, and dox you to whoever pays them.  But that's just the start: AI agents and humanoid robots are exploding onto the scene, with NVIDIA's CEO predicting streets swarming with bots by 2030 and the CEO of Figure says the 3 necessary tech hurdles to enable the trillion-dollar bot boom are here. It's totalitarianism meets voyeuristic tech terror Autism Apocalypse: Vaccine Giants Fuel a Silent Epidemic Autism rates are skyrocketing, with a 17% surge in just two years—now hitting 1 in 31 kids! While Big Pharma pumps 76 shots into vulnerable children, they dodge blame, claiming “better diagnosis” and use measles fearmongering to distract us. It's a profit-driven plague, destroying a generation while silencing voices screaming for truth! AI's Soulless Secret Unveils Meaning of “Image of God” and the Dignity of Humans Bryan Trilli's explosive book, Soulless Intelligence: How AI Proves We Need God, reveals AI's fatal flaw.   Ironically, AI may teach us what being in the image of God means and why ALL humans have value regardless of differing degrees of intellectual and physical abilities AI Twins: Digital Clones as Personal Assistants or Something Family Can Interact with When Your Gone      A new wave of AI startups is crafting digital twins—eerie replicas that mimic your voice, thoughts, and actions, taking your meetings, answering emails, and even “comforting” loved ones after your death!      Are they trying to replicate Michael Keaton's Multiplicity or Marlon Brando's computer tutor for his son in Superman? Supreme Court Showdown: Parents Battle School Board's ‘Pagan Pedophilia' Curriculum Pushing LGBTQ Sex Stories on 3-Year-Olds       A Maryland school board's sinister plan to force pre-K kids as young as three into explicit LGBTQ-themed storybooks—like same-sex playground sex—has ignited a court challenge      The case exposes a chilling state takeover of children's minds, funded by your skyrocketing property taxes. First 100 Days: Trump says “I Run the Country and the World”      With 130 executive orders in under 100 days, he's bypassing Congress and the judiciary, claiming sweeping powers over trade, immigration, and speech.  He says he “runs the country” and he's talking about a third term.  What would George Washington say?       Is this the end of constitutional governance and the rise of an imperial presidency?        What will Democrats do with this kind of power? Trump's Medicine Madness: 5 Years Later History Rhymes      He shrugs, 'Take your medicine,' blaming 'stupid leaders' for jobs fleeing to Mexico and China. But wait—wasn't he the mastermind behind USMCA? It's flaming hypocrisy as his flip-flopping tariffs spark an 'earthquake' of hidden damage—broken markets, shattered foundations, and a $37 trillion debt he won't touch!       Meanwhile, The chaos & uncertainty are more damaging than his “medicinal” tariffs as he locks down the economy       Trump's ‘medicine', focused on countries not industries, are sanctions by another name—while the real enemy, government debt and control, lurks in the shadows Punishing Those Found “NOT GUILTY” is OK with US Courts In a shocking abuse of power, Illinois cops seized a plumbing company's truck after a drunk driver crashed into it—and they've held it for over 15 months without a warrant or explanation!      And, as stealing property without even charging people with a crime has become standard practice so has “acquitted-conduct sentencing” where judges ignore NOT GUILTY jury verdicts and punish people for conduct the jury has acquitted — and the Supreme Court allows it to continue! Trump Goes Full Knucklehead with MS-13 Tattoo Tantrum Over a Photoshopped Lie       Trump's unhinged meltdown over a crudely photoshopped MS-13 tattoo exposes not only his shocking ignorance but an administration cowed into sycophancy, afraid to tell him when he forgets to wear his pants.      His administration is ignoring REAL evidence of cartel activity by the individual in question and doubling down on fake evidence out of pride and a determination to never admit a mistake.  How typical.  How telling.  How amusing and dangerous at the same time. China's Rare Earth Stranglehold: A Wake-Up Call for America      China's iron grip on over 90% of the world's rare earth mineral processing threatens to cripple U.S. technology, healthcare, and defense industries overnight as China's ready to turn off the tap in a high-stakes trade war in response to Trump's tariffs.       Join Josh Ballard, CEO of USA Rare Earth (USARE.com, NASDAQ:USRE), as he exposes the strategic maneuvering that gave China its monopoly, and unveils a bold plan to rebuild America's supply chain from the ground up.       How long will it take, and what happens in the interim? Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silver For 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHT Find out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.comIf you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

Send us a text“I would like to see Christians and Jews having a conversation about how we can stop hurting one another…” Today's topic is on Anti-Semitic (Anti-Jewish) sentiment or theology in Christianity. We discuss how defining antisemitism is difficult, how understanding Jesus's Jewish context is imperative to understanding Jesus, we touch on Jesus' relationships with women and how the “feminist Jesus” came about, and finally we hear AJ's vision for how Jews and Christians can relate to one another. I have been sitting on this episode since July of 2023 (nearly two years). Part of why I haven't released it sooner was because the timing didn't feel right with the ongoing genocide in Gaza. I didn't want to give the impression that by doing an episode on antisemitism that I was pro-the state of Israel's actions of apartheid and genocide against Palestinians. Then I came to the realization that not releasing this episode holds up a false dichotomy that you can't at one time, be against Palestinian suffering and Jewish suffering. Ironically there is a lot of Zionist rhetoric in fundamentalist Christianity that operates alongside anti semitic theology. And, as Christians (not just fundamentalist Christians) it is important to take a look at how the way we talk about Jesus is implicitly or explicitly anti-Jewish. AJ talks about simply naming Jesus and his actions as radical can be problematic. If you are looking for a Palestinian voice on the podcast, in season four you will get to hear a profound conversation I had with Issa Amro, a 2025 Nobel peace prize nominee who is a Palestinian Muslim working for nonviolent action and protest against the Israeli military and settlers. Bio: Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace.(Read Full Bio here: https://www.hartfordinternational.edu/faculty/amy-jill-levineResources: AJ's email: alevine@hartfordinternational.eduSupport the showFollow us for more ✨bad✨ content: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calledtobebad_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calledtobebad Website: https://calledtobebad.buzzsprout.com/ Want to become part of the ✨baddie✨ community? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/calledtobebad Have a ✨bad✨ topic you want to talk about on the show? Get in touch with host, Mariah Martin at: calledtobebad@gmail.com #ctbb #podcast #podcastersoffacebook ...

As the flames of the Karmelo Anthony-Austin Metcalf controversy simmer, a new spark threatens to reignite the firestorm of racial tension. On today's Fearless Monday, Jason reacts to the story of Shiloh Hendrix, a Rochester, Minnesota, native who raised over $600,000 after calling a young black autistic child the N-word. How did we get here? On one hand, you have Karmelo Anthony — a high school student who allegedly fatally stabbed a white classmate, allegedly due to a lack of emotional control. On the other, an emotionally immature white woman hurling racial slurs at children, then raising hundreds of thousands for her “relocation” after receiving backlash she arguably deserved. These are two sides of the same dysfunctional coin. None of it makes sense on the surface. There has to be something deeper going on. Who in their right mind donates hard-earned money to individuals entrenched in racial idolatry? To complicate matters further, Dr. Umar claims to have new evidence allegedly exonerating Karmelo Anthony, suggesting that both Austin and Hunter Metcalf “jumped” him, forcing him to act in self-defense. In other news, Caitlin Clark offers fans a glimpse of what's to come this WNBA season as the Indiana Fever face off against Brazil's national team. Ironically, the women of Brazil's national basketball squad — many of whom are women of color — seem to show more appreciation for Clark's global impact on women's basketball than many of her own American peers. No wonder men are becoming “passport bros” — Western morality appears to be collapsing. Thanks for making us part of your day. Tune in! ​​Today's Sponsors: Relief Factor With Relief Factor, you'll feel better every day, and you'll live better every day. Get their 3-Week QuickStart for only $19.95 – that's less than a dollar a day. Call 1-800-4-Relief Or Visit https://ReliefFactor.com  Lean Having trouble losing weight even with diet and exercise? LEAN can help! Visit https://takelean.com and use code FEARLESS20 for 20% off. SHOW OUTLINE SHOW OUTLINE 15:39 Brazilian National Team Shows Their Appreciation For Caitlin Clark  26:24 Shiloh Hendrix Raises Over $600K After Racial Incident at Playground 39:06 Dr. Umar Johnson Defends Karmelo Anthony We want to hear from the Fearless Army!! Join the conversation in the show chat, leave a comment or email Jason at FearlessBlazeShow@gmail.com Want more Fearless content? Subscribe to Jason Whitlock Harmony for a biblical perspective on everyday issues at https://www.youtube.com/@JasonWhitlockHarmony Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time we spoke about the Battle for the Great Wall of China. In 1933, the Kwantung Army faced logistical struggles and sought political deals with Chinese warlords to seize North China. Despite capturing key areas, chaos reigned as their unauthorized operations defied Tokyo's orders. When Emperor Hirohito demanded a withdrawal, the army reluctantly complied, derailing a coup attempt. Though peace talks followed, distrust persisted, and rogue Japanese commanders plotted fresh offensives. Amid international tensions and League of Nations' inaction, chaos loomed over China's battle-scarred plains. As tensions rose in North China, General Muto hesitated to advance without orders from Tokyo. With imperial approval, he launched a renewed offensive on May 3rd, leading the Japanese 6th and 8th Divisions to sweep through Chinese defenses. Despite Chinese concessions led by pro-Japanese Huang Fu, the Japanese pushed toward Peiping. Failed coups and desperate peace talks ensued. By May 25th, ceasefire talks began, but Japan's strengthened position left China scrambling to secure stability.   #148 The Tanggu Truce 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. As we last left off the IJA 6th and 8th Divisions had just taken up new positions threatening the Peiping-Tientsin area. Meanwhile the Tientsin Special service Agency had tried every scheme they could think of to establish a coup against Peiping. All of these actions were done to increase Japan's poker hand at the negotiating table. On May 17th Huang Fu arrived at a very panicked Peiping. Two days prior, the Japanese had taken an even harsher stance, demanding the Chinese forces withdraw to a line running between Shunyi, Paoti and Lutai. This demand would send the Chines further west than the line agreed upon for the ceasefire. So the Chinese ignored the demand and this inturn brought the negotiations to a standstill. On the 18th the Army General staff in Tokyo drew up a new draft titled “essentials for the Guidance of North China”. Having been chasing around the Kwantung Army like a dog chasing a car, Tokyo HQ wanted to finally draft some real legislation to reign in their unruly pet. On the 19th the General staff submited an ultimatum instructed the Kwantung Army to withdraw to Manchukuo after it reached an agreement with the Chinese, specifically to obtain the right to garrison specified locations within the Great Wall. On the 21st the Kwantung Army drew up its version of a ceasefire proposal, submitted it to the General staff who approved it. Here is a complete breakdown of it: “1) The cease-fire agreement is of a purely military nature and excludes political factors. For by returning to Manchukuo in general as quickly as possible, the imperial Japanese army will demonstrate that it acts in the cause of justice and fairness and will manifest the essence of the Japanese spirit.  2) The withdrawal line of the Chinese army and the cessation line of the Japanese army should conform generally to that referred to in the "Basic Outline" of the General Staff; that is, it should conform to the policy of the Kwantung Army and to Nagatsu's proposal. However, the return of the Japanese army to Manchukuo will be voluntary, after observance of the cease-fire terms by the Chinese army has been confirmed, and will not be specifically prescribed in the text of the agreement.  3) In order to prevent any delay in the establishment of a ceasefire, the designs of the Tientsin Special Service Agency will be terminated.  4) The site of the cease-fire agreement must be selected with consideration for the issuing of commands to military units in accord with the plans of the Japanese army command with respect to any situation which may necessitate military action at any time during the course of negotiations for cease-fire. Furthermore, a location convenient to the gathering of foreign diplomatic officials and press correspondents and to meddling intervention by third powers must be carefully avoided.” On the 22nd, the Kwantung Army ordered the Tientsin agency to discontinue their activities as the Japanese were now willing to accept a ceasefire. The Japanese and Chinese then agreed on a date and place, that being located along the Peiping-Shanhaiguan railway to sign a ceasefire agreement. For the talks, the Japanese naval attache at Peiping, Lt Commander Fujiwara Kiyoma was chosen who visited Huang Fu's residence on the 22nd. Talks began and by 2am the next day, He Yingqin received a letter officially instructing him to abide by the ceasefire terms. Thus the first step had been taken. On the 25th Chinese officials Li Zuyi and Xu Yenmu rode with Fujiwara to Miyun, then a temporary HQ for the IJA 8th Division. There they passed mounds of dead chinese placed specifically along the roadside, obviously to intimidate them. They arrived to Miyun at 4am to officially show the ceasefire proposal letter to General Nish of the 8th division. Then they got a slap in the face, a new demand was tossed at them.  "As the first step, in order to verify the compliance of the Chinese army, the Japanese army may at any time use airplanes or other means to inspect the withdrawal of the Chinese army. The Chinese authorities shall afford them the necessary protection and facilities."This last minute new demand was imposed because Tokyo HQ believed it was necessary to have aerial observation to make sure both parties did not breach the agreement. The two Chinese officials did not want to devolve the talks so they signed it and returned to Peiping. The official negotiations began on May 30th at Tangu. The Kwantung delegation was led by Major General Okamura Yasuji, their vice chief of staff. He was assisted by Colonel Kita Seiichi, Lt colonel Nagatsu Sahishige, Majors Kono Etsujiro, Endo Saburo and Fujimoto Tetsukuma, Captain Okabe Eiichi and Secretary Hayashide Kenjiro of the Japanese embassy in Manchukuo. The Chinese delegation was led by Lt General Xing Pin and assisted by Chen Zungzu, Xu Yenmu, Chang Xukuang, Li Zeyu and Li Shuzheng. At the offset the Chinese Army declared Tangu under martial law as the Japanese navy dispatched the battleship Kamoi with the 14th destroyer squadron to cruise offshore. The first session of the talks began at 4pm, only lasted some 30 minutes as both sides exchanged formal credentials and such. During that night both sides proded each other trying to figure out what either would accept. Nagatsu decided to show some of the Chinese delegates a document titled “annex document concerning the Organization of Police”. This had been drafted by the Kwantung Army to try establish a demilitarized zone in northeastern Hubei, whose security would be maintained by Chinese police units. The specifics of the document said such a feat would require a force no larger than 20,000 men, with no single units exceeding 200 and they should be armed with nothing stronger than a rifle, pistol or bayont. Nagatsu personally believed this was way to much to ask of the Chinese and advised changing the wording to what the Chinese police could wield as  "shall not be constituted of armed units hostile to Japanese feelings." After seeing the faces of the Chinese upon reading the document, Nagatsu would remark "This evening the Chinese appear to have gained the impression that our proposal will be excessively harsh."  The second session of talks began at 9am the next day whereupon General Okamura presented their draft accord:  “1) The Chinese army shall immediately withdraw to the regions west and south of the line from Yench'ing to Ch'angp'ing, Kaoliying, Shunyi, T'ungchou, Hsiangho, Paoti, Lint'ingk'ou, Ningho, and Lut'ai, and undertakes not to advance beyond that line and to avoid any provocation of hostilities.  2) The Japanese authorities may at any time use airplanes or other means to verify carrying out of the above article. The Chinese authorities shall afford them protection and facilities for such purpose.  3) The Japanese army, after ascertaining the withdrawal of the Chinese army to the line stated in Article 1, undertakes not to cross the said line and not to continue to attack the Chinese troops, and shall voluntarily withdraw, in general, to the Great Wall.  4) In the regions to the south of the Great Wall and to the north and east of the line defined in Article 1, the maintenance of peace and order shall be undertaken by the Chinese police force. The said police force shall not be constituted of armed units hostile to Japanese feelings. feelings.  5) The present agreement shall come into effect upon its signature.” To these demands Xing Pin stated that since the Chinese army had alrady withdrawn to or even beyond what was asked of them, the Japanese forces should respond promptly by withdrawing from the battle zone and to the Great Wall. Xing Pin added that he hoped his Japanese colleagues understood the Chinese Army might be required to help quell bandits that might disturb the vacuum caused by the Japanese withdrawal. To this the Japanese neither agreed nor disagreed and the meeting ended by 9:20. During the interlude the Chinese frantically sought to push further concessions. But the Japanese took a hard stance and stated they would accept nothing until their demands were signed upon. Talks officially resumed at 10:57 and within only 15 minutes both teams signed a truce agreement. Not a single change had been made in the draft the Kwantung Arym had presented. By 2 pm Xing Pin began a request that the Chinese Army be permitted to deal with bandits in the evacuated zone, as police alone most likely would not be enough.  Once the Tangu truce had been signed, the Chinese began to fear rebellious warlord types, particularly Feng Yuxiang might try to exploit the demilitarized region now that the Chinese Central Army had been withdrawn. The Japanese took a solid stance opposing any exceptions to their truce and would never allow Chinese Army units within the demilitarized region. The Japanese in response to the Chinese demands stated "In case there shall be in the Demilitarized Zone armed units disturbing peace and order which the police force shall be unable to cope with, the situation will be dealt with by common accord between the two parties." The Chinese had no choice but to agree to this. The final session resumed at 3:45 pm, whereupon the Chinese tried to obtain agreement on two specific aspects of the truce:  The Japanese reconnaissance aircraft would not conduct inspection flights without giving prior warning The Japanese Army would not misconstrue a move by the Chinese Army which had already withdrawn behind the line established in the truce agreement to return to the authorized line. The Japanese simply refused to even discuss these issues and a 4:05 pm the Chinese simply signed. The Japanese then submitted 4 new demands: 1) Withdraw the two cavalry divisions [formerly of the Northeastern Army] from the area southwest of Fengning in Jehol province.  2) Move the forty divisions of the Chinese Central Army presently in the Peiping-Tientsin region to some other appropriate region for the restoration of peace and order in that region.  3) Remove the entrenchments and military establishments of the Chinese army [used by Yii Hsueh-chung's army] in the area around the mouth of the Pai River.  4) Exercise strict control over anti-Japanese activities, which are the basic cause of Sino-Japanese conflict. To this the Chinese agreed with the last 3 demands and promised to “investigate” the first. At 4:10 the truce talks officially ended. As a consequence of the Tangu Truce, the Japanese Army had gained a foothold in northeastern Hubei. They would press further in the coming years, thus this truce was basically their first step in conquering north China. As you can imagine the Japanese were not done milking every drop from the Chinese. During the entire Tangu treaty talks, the Japanese had intentionally kept everything limited to military matters. The Japanese also sought to deal with what was expected to be a collosal anti-japanese movement in north china. To this end Foreign Minister Uchida Yasuya was given a list of demands to press upon the Chinese:   1) The Peiping Political Affairs Council will unreservedly suppress all anti-Japanese movements and other related anti-Japanese activities of the Kuomintang in the area under its jurisdiction.  2) The said Council will unreservedly suppress all activities that disturb the peace in the area along the Great Wall by the use of militia units, or other means, from the area under its jurisdiction.  3) The said Council will unreservedly remove all obstacles to legal peaceful traffic across the Great Wall.  4) The said Council will, with the agreement of the Japanese, establish facilities for the maintenance of order in the cease-fire district.  The Japanese preferred this be met by a written agreement, rather than a formal treaty that would only hurt the face of China further, thus creating even more anti-japanese movements. Real talks began at Dairen on July 3rd, where the Kwantung Army suggested that responsibility for civil administration and maintenance of order in the demilitarized region be transferred from the Hubei provincial government to the Political Affairs Council at Peiping. The reason as to why, because the Japanese believed they could easily control said body. When the IJA 6th and 8th Divisions withdrew from the demilitarized zone, they had left behind small units at Miyun, Chenchangying, Xiachangcheng, Fengtai and Yutien who went to work exerted silent pressure upon the Chinese during these future negotiations happening at Dairen. The Chinese at Dairen were represented by Li Shuzheng, the director of the Peiping-Lioaning Railway; Yin Tung and Xue Qiyen of the Political affairs council and Li Qichen the head of the Mukden-Shanhaiguan Railway Bureau. General Okamura and Colonel Kita came to the meetings, but only in capacity for observation. Included in the agenda of conversation was the disposal of pro-manchukuo militia forces in the demilitarized region and railway service between China proper and Manchukuo. Now the idea to transfer administrative responsibility over the demilitarized region to the Political affairs council in Peiping offered numerous challenges. The council was essentially an organ of the Executive Yuan of the Nanjing government. Their purpose was to overlook negotiations for Nanjing. Moreover their membership lacked prestige and they commanded no military forces, thus had little influence over Northern China. If they tried to influence the demilitarized region, a single army, such as one led by Li Qichen would easily overpower their authority. Northern China was still very much warlord dominated by this period. Li Qichen was a particularly strong warlord in the region. By December of 1932 he had begun recruiting men in the Qinxi district of Liaoning where he was receiving aid from the Japanese. His men assisted the Kwantung Army at Xumenzhai and later fought under the guidance of Captain Okada Kikusaburo at Shanhaiguan. However by Japanese standards, Li Qichengs army was nothing more than a bandit force. Thus after the Tanggu Truce, the Kwantung Army chose to distance itself from Li Qicheng and instead focus all their efforts in cooperating with the Political affairs council.  Ironically one of the first things the Kwantung Army consulted with the council was a new policy to dispose of Li Qichens Army and others. Thus 4000 of Li Qichen's forces were reorganized into a peace preservation corps with the rest simply disbanded. The finer details on how this would occur were negotiated between Li Qichen and the council, meditated by Kwantung officers at Tangshan on July 16th. It was also decided the Kwantung Army would set up an office at Tangshan headed by Li Qichen who would overlook the dispersal of militia units in the demilitarized region. By August 12th, the peace preservation corps was fully established. Many pro-manchukuo militia units were reorganized via the first Dairen conference as it became known. Xu Yuan's army at Qinhuangdao was reorganized into a  reserve peace preservation corps under the direct guidance of Lt Colonel Nakano Hidemitsu. They would be stationed at Yutien. Another force station near Qinhuangdao which had been recruited by the Kwantung army during Operation Nekka was ordered to transfer 2000 of its troops to Manchukuo and have the rest disbanded. Additionally there existed some 15,000 bandits operating in the demilitarized region. The largest of these bands was the East Asia Federation Combined Forces led by Guo Yazhou. He was in league with Xu Yusan and equipped like a regular Chinese Army. Once the ceasefire had been in effect, his men were conscripted in Manchukuo and would be used unofficially by the Kwantung Army. Another large bandit army was led by Lao Haozu, known colloquially as the “old rat”. Many of these bandit groups were made up of discharged troops and deserters from pro-Manchukuo militia units. After much discussion the Political affairs council took over the civil administration for the demilitarized zone, excluding the area consisting of the Great Wall. Another large item of discussion at the first Dairen conference was the restoration of train services between China Proper and Manchukuo. During the conflict the Chinese Army had ripped up a ton of railway track between Peiping and Shanhaiguan. By April 21st trains from Peiping could only operate as far as Tanggu. Meanwhile Mancukuo's Mukden to Shanhaiguan railway was operating 3 trains a day between Shanhaiguan and Tangshan after numerous repair efforts by June 1st. Service between Tanggu and Tangshan was only restored by July 3rd when the Japanese garrison at Tientsin began guarding operations between the two cities. At Dairen both sides agreed to rapidly restore the railway service between Mukden and Peiping while making Tangshan the temporary connecting point.  The section between Shanhaiguan and Tangshan was to be administered by the Mukden- Shanhaiguan railway, thus by Manchukuo while from Peiping to Tangshan would be retained by the Chinese governed Peiping-Liaoning railway. The Chinese argued that once the railway lines were all restored, management over Tangshan to Shanhaiguan should be returned to the Chinese. However the Manchukuo representatives instead argued for joint control over the railway from Peiping to Shanhaiguan.  Despite all the agreements met at Dairen, so much remained unresolved with the demilitarized region. The area immediately adjacent to the Great Wall had not been turned over to the political affairs coucil, the demilitarized region was still infested with bandits, many council members were not keen on any of the ongoings and relations between them and the Kwantung Army were anything but cooperative. Given all of this, in October of 1933, Huang Fu and He Yingqin came to the Japanese asking if they could form more official dialogue to deal with the problems and this led to the Peiping conference of November 1933. The Chinese were led by Huang Fu, He Yingqin, Yin Zung, Yin Juken and Cao Shangming. The Japanese were led by General Okamura, Colonels Kita ad Kikuchi Monya, Lt Colonels Nemoto Hiroshi and Shibayama Kaneshiro and Secretaries Nakayama and Hanawa Yoshitaka of the Peiping Legation. Because the talks had been opened by the Chinese, they had hoped they would control the agenda and in that they were sorely mistaken. The Japanese immediately pounced upon them and brought forth such demands. “1) The Kwantung Army hopes the Political Affairs Council will, as it solidifies its ability to maintain law and order, quickly and 5 safely assume administration in the area south and west of the Great Wall, exclusive of the Great Wall.  2) For the time being, the Political Affairs Council recognizes, in the area under its jurisdiction, the various agencies designated by the Kwantung Army as necessary for the handling of transportation, economic matters, and other affairs. The council will provide assistance in the operation of these agencies.  3) For the time being, the council agrees to lease to the Japanese army the land and buildings in the area under its jurisdiction which are needed for the purpose of stationing Japanese troops.  4) To provide facilities for trade, transportation, and communications in the area south of the Great Wall, the Political Affairs Council will appoint a delegate who will immediately begin consultations with a delegate designated by the Kwantung Army.” The Chinese agreed to the second demand allowing for the establishment by the Kwantung Army at Shanhaiguan, Gubeikou, Xifengkou, Panqiaokou, Lengkou and Qielingkou that Japanese garrisons could be stationed at Shanhaiguan, Xumenzhai, Chenchangying, Taitouying, Lengkou, Xifengkou, Malankuan and Gubeikou. The Chinese also agreed to part 4 in regards to airline connections. Thus with that the Japanese had effectively taken away China's ability to defend the Great Wall. Furthermore on the pretex of guarding said Great Wall, the Kwantung Army had forced the Chinese to recognize its right to garrison troops along the area just inside the Great Wall. Fully satisfied, the Japanese delegation departed Peiping on November 10th. The Kwantung Army still sought to extend the Peiping-Liaoing railway services to Mukden, but this inevitably raised the issue of China Proper recognizing Manchukuo. In December Yin Zung, head of the Peiping-Liaoning Railway, traveled to Nanjing to discuss said issue, but would return to Peiping empty handed. Additionally Sun Fu who led a faction within the KMT, began persuading the Central Political Council to pass some legislation specifically withholding Huang Fu from holding authority in handling issues involving North China, because it was feared amongst many it would lead to a mistake that would see recognition of Manchukuo. On April 11th of 1934, Huang Fu attempted a discussion at Nanchang between himself, Chiang Kai-Shek and Wang Jingwei. The result of this discussion was him receiving greater authority over matters involving postal services, train services and tariffs. Despite this, the anti-Japanese part of the Nanjing government continued their efforts to hamper the efforts of Haung Fu and Yin Zung.  In May, Major General Ushiroku Jun of the Kwantung Army, Attache Shibayama and Usami Kanji the chief of the Manchukuo railways Bureau, began secret talks with Yin Zung over at Shanhaiguan. They all agreed to establish a new corporation, the Eastern Travel Bureau, who would receive a million yuan provided in equal shares by the Mukden-Shanhaiguan railway bureau in Manchukuo and the Peiping-Liaoning Railway Bureau. Profits and losses would be shared equally; the general manager would be chosen from one bureau with the assistant manager chosen from the other and trains would run daily from Mukden and Peiping performing a transfer at Shanhaiguan. This idea was bitterly fought over at Nanjing, but after specific amendments would be ratified by July 1st. The first train departed Peiping on July 1st and ironically it would be interrupted midway between Tanggu and Lutai by a bomb explosion on the track. Many Chinese civilians were hurt, but no incident broke out. And we all know that little bomb had to be part of some grand false flag scheme.  The establishment of air services between China Proper and Manchukuo would prove to be the most difficult one to settle. During the talks in Peiping, the Chinese agreed to provide transportation facilities that would include airline connections. But this did not materialize until February of 1935 when the Kwantung Army came up with a draft for a Sino-Japanese corporation. It would be funded equally by both sides, the Chinese would furnish the airfields and facilities, while the Kwantung Army would supply pilots and crews through the Manchukuo Aviation Corporation. The Kwantung Army also had a nefarious plot involved in this deal. By securing the civilian airline service they hoped to provide pilots and crews who at the flip of a coin could become covert military operators, providing direct flights into China Proper.  At first the Chinese showed no interest in such plans, so the Kwantung Army began military transport flights to Peiping from Jinzhou to twist their arm. By June the agreement extended to airfields at Paoting, Xuzhou and Qingdao. The Chinese fought these demands as best they could, but would continuously be outplayed. Still the Kwantung Army was impatient to implement the civilian airline change and presented a new deal in June of 1935 offering to provide 55 percent of the funding from their side. To this the Chinese counter proposed the airfields be located along the border, but the Japanese would not agree to this. By August China sent conditions to ratify the idea: “1) two-thirds of the capital investment would be provided by China and one-third by Japan 2) airport facilities would be restricted to the Peiping-Tientsin region; and  3) flight operations would be entrusted to the aviation department of the Eastern Travel Bureau.” The Japanese still made demands, now seeking flights to all 5 provinces of North China. To this the Chinese officials stated they would await instructions from Nanjing. The Kwantung Army broke off the talks and stated they would do whatever action they considered necessary to resolve the issue. By early September Fu Zuoyi, the governor of Suiyuan province authorized a military flight to Paotou, then on September 28th and October 10th, Japan conducted civilian test flights between Tiantsin, Tsinan and Qingdao.  Following the resolutions over the railway issues, on July 9th of 1934 Yin Zung went to Shanghai with Huang Fu and then to Dairen by July 23rd to meet with General Okumara, Colonel Kita and Attache Shibayama to make deals over other issues. One issue was Japanese control over the entrance of Korean and Japanese into the demilitarized region; the transfer to the Chinese of the Qing Dynasty's mausoleum in Malanyu; the disposition of the peace preservation units and the need for a postal service between China and Manchukuo. While this all sounds perhaps stupid to even mention, every single issue discussed was basically indanger of the Chinese accidentally recognizing Manchukuo, which was the crux of it all. In the end the Japanese made enormous inroads into North China through these negotiations. They forced the accommodation on rail and communication services between China Proper and Manchukuo, to normalize most trade between them and place their loyal proteges within the demilitarized region as so called police units. This was all accomplished through the Peiping Political Affairs Council who de facto had recognized Manchukuo. All of this severely weakened the position of Nanjing in North China and enhanced Japan. But it was not Japan proper, but the Kwantung Army really running the show. However there was absolute chaos going on in Japan during the times, known as “government by assassination”. Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi was assassinated on May 15th of 1932, leading to the collapse of his cabinet. On May 26th a unity cabinet was formed under Admiral Saito Makoto. Civilian politicians were being knocked out by the military, particularly right-wing military figures. Admiral Saito Makoto selected Uchida Yasuya for foreign minister. At the time he was a retired diplomat and president of the South Manchuria Railway Company. Saito was plunged into the wild times of Kwantung insubordination. To meet the chaos he advocated 3 general principals: “(a) its separation from policy toward Manchukuo and Mongolia (b) an emphasis on economic measures; and  (c) cooperation with the western powers” By reading not so between the lines, you can see the official Japanese policy was basically to let the Kwantung run amok and plan accordingly for what seemed to be an enormous annexation program targeting North China and Inner Mongolia. It was to be an extremely volatile balancing act of encroaching upon Nanjing, but not enough so to bring the wrath of the western great powers down upon Japan. Minister Uchia had served a foreign minister for 4 cabinets. In 1928 he signs the Kellogg-Briand Pact and during the Manchuria crisis he tried to fight the Kwantung Army, pushing them to stop their invasion. Yet it was also he who helped recognize Manchukuo in 1932 and he who withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933. He oversaw Operation Nekka and the resulting Tanggu Truce. All of this spat in the face of international cooperation and basically showcased Japan to be a bully. Thus he was really failing his initial goals and resigned in 1933 due to old age. He was succeeded by Hirota Koki who initially began his tenure advocating for establishing better relations with the US, USSR and China and specifically to normalize Sino-Japanese relations. Hirota was also confronted with a naval disarmament conference scheduled for 1935. There Japan would be asked to make conciliatory moves with the US. Alongside this a lot of problems were brewing with the USSR because of the establishment of Manchukuo. On the other side, Chiang Kai-Shek and Wang Jingwei continued their appeasement stance, only to see Japan seize more and more from China. Yet Chiang Kai-Shek was adament, they must finish off the internal communist threat before embarking on what seemed to be an existential threat in the form of Japan. 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. The Kwantung Army was not only efficient at slicing up China with its dagger, but rather capable with the pen as well. Continuous negotiations were leading the Chinese to hand more and more over to Japan. How long could the Chinese people continue to support their seemingly incapable government during these times of crises?

God's provision of grace is throughout the Bible even during the times of His wrath. In the last days of judgment on earth, He will again show his grace by providing a place of refuge for His remnant people of Israel, the 144,000 preachers of righteousness.  Ironically that place will be in the land of their enemies.  God's care for his people both Jew and Gentile is evident in the grace he affords despite our failures yesterday, today or in the future. VF-2036 Revelation 12 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2025 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved