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Zach Marks talks about AI-driven finance and the future of small-business lending. Zach is co-founder and CEO of Jia, a company focused on expanding access to capital for small businesses in emerging markets. He works at the intersection of AI, finance, and economic opportunity, helping businesses gain access to funding. Listen for three action items you can use today. Host, Kevin Craine Do you want to be a guest? https://Everyday-MBA.com/guest Do you want to advertise on the show? https://Everyday-MBA.com/advertise
Are you constantly putting other people's needs before your own? Do you struggle to say no, leave unhealthy relationships, or stop carrying emotions that don't belong to you?In this episode of Ripples by Jia, I dive into a hidden survival mechanism many empaths unknowingly use: shape-shifting.Shape-shifting isn't just people-pleasing. It's an energetic protection strategy that happens when highly sensitive people absorb emotions so deeply that they begin changing themselves to avoid conflict, discomfort, or emotional overwhelm.If you've ever felt exhausted from managing other people's feelings, this conversation is for you.Remember: You do not need to shrink, shape-shift, or abandon yourself to keep the peace.Like/ follow/ comment. Your feedback means the world to me. In gratitude and love,Jia Gratitude Coffee- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/connectwithjiaWebsite-https://www.ripplesbyjia.com/Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/ripplesbyjia/Youtube- www.youtube.com/@RipplesbyJia Substack:https://substack.com/@ripplesbyjia
In this rare 2004 archive interview, legendary drummer John Blackwell discusses the loss of his daughter Jia, the creation of the Jia Kennie Blackwell Memorial Scholarship, and the support he received from Prince, Larry Graham, family and friends during one of the most difficult periods of his life.Blackwell also reflects on:Prince and the Musicology TourThe New Power GenerationThe Rainbow ChildrenBerklee College of MusicLive music vs technologyPerforming with purposeCreating "A Song For Jia"A deeply personal conversation with one of the most beloved drummers of his generation.Originally broadcast in December 2004.Hosted by Joe Kelley.
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unlocking History: A Journey Across the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-06-01-07-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 炽热的夏日里，长城在阳光下宛如一条巨大蜿蜒的龙，横跨大地。En: In the scorching summer sun, the Changcheng, or the Great Wall, stretches across the land like a gigantic, winding dragon.Zh: 游客们川流不息，喧闹声中隐约能听见不远处的龙舟节庆祝活动声。En: Streams of tourists come and go, and amidst the noise, the sounds of nearby Longzhouwu Festival celebrations can be faintly heard.Zh: 今天的文化交流项目中，三位角色扮演着不同的角色。En: In today's cultural exchange program, three characters take on different roles.Zh: 小雨是一个对历史充满热情的学生，她渴望向大家展示她的文化遗产之美。En: Xiaoyu is a student passionate about history, eager to showcase the beauty of her cultural heritage.Zh: 明则是一个充满怀疑的参与者，他对古代和现代文化的比较充满好奇。En: Ming is a skeptical participant, curious about the comparison between ancient and modern culture.Zh: 佳是活动的组织者，她努力让整个团队保持着浓厚的兴趣。En: Jia, the organizer of the event, works hard to maintain the group's strong interest.Zh: 小雨带着一群参加交流项目的游客，走在古老的长城上。En: Xiaoyu leads a group of tourists participating in the exchange program, walking along the ancient Great Wall.Zh: 她兴奋地讲解每一块石头的历史，与此处冲锋陷阵的战士们的故事。En: She excitedly explains the history of each stone and the stories of the warriors who fought here.Zh: 然而，明时不时打断她的话，他总是将古代的事情与现代科技一一对比，让小雨开始怀疑自己的讲解方式。En: However, Ming frequently interrupts her, always comparing ancient events with modern technology, causing Xiaoyu to doubt her approach.Zh: 山风清爽，迎面吹来。En: A refreshing mountain breeze blows in.Zh: 为了调和气氛，小雨决定让明带领一段讲解。En: To ease the atmosphere, Xiaoyu decides to let Ming lead a portion of the explanation.Zh: 明虽犹豫，但还是答应了，他开始和其他游客分享他的观点："现代世界带来了巨大的改变，可这个古老的长城还能给我们什么启示呢？En: Although hesitant, Ming agrees, and he begins to share his perspective with the other tourists: "The modern world has brought about great changes, but what insights can this ancient Great Wall still provide us?"Zh: "走到长城的一座古老烽火台上，明停下来说道：“站在这里，我能感受到古代士兵在此保家卫国的坚定。En: Upon reaching an ancient beacon tower on the Great Wall, Ming stops and says, "Standing here, I can feel the determination of ancient soldiers defending their homeland."Zh: ”他环顾四周，感悟着脚下的历史，这一刻他的疑虑渐渐消散，内心被无限的敬意填满。En: He looks around, contemplating the history beneath his feet, and in that moment, his doubts gradually dissipate, his heart filled with boundless respect.Zh: 活动结束后，明对小雨说道：“我对古代文化有了新的理解，谢谢你。En: After the activity, Ming says to Xiaoyu, "I have a new understanding of ancient culture, thank you."Zh: ”小雨由衷地微笑，安心了。En: Xiaoyu smiles sincerely, feeling relieved.Zh: 通过这次的体验，小雨更加自信能够有效传达她对文化的骄傲；而明则意识到历史的价值，愿意在未来更多地探索这些承载着古老故事的地方。En: Through this experience, Xiaoyu gains more confidence in effectively conveying her pride in her culture, while Ming realizes the value of history and is willing to explore these places filled with ancient stories more in the future.Zh: 佳看着两人，不禁会心一笑，欣慰于这次难忘的文化交流之旅。En: Watching the two of them, Jia can't help but smile, content with this unforgettable cultural exchange journey.Zh: 明亮的天际线吞没了夕阳，长城依旧静静伫立着，仿佛在述说着更多未尽的历史篇章。En: The bright skyline swallows the sunset, and the Great Wall still stands quietly, seemingly telling more untold stories of history. Vocabulary Words:scorching: 炽热的gigantic: 巨大winding: 蜿蜒beacon: 烽火台faintly: 隐约skeptical: 怀疑heritage: 遗产eager: 渴望organizer: 组织者participant: 参与者contemplating: 感悟着perspective: 观点insights: 启示determination: 坚定convey: 传达boundless: 无限relieved: 安心cultural: 文化curious: 好奇ancient: 古老modern: 现代breeze: 山风doubt: 疑虑sincerely: 由衷pride: 骄傲unforgettable: 难忘journey: 旅overwhelm: 填满amidst: 中shimmering: 明亮
We're joined by Jia (you may know them as @JiaAnimalSelfies), a Pittsburgh creator with roots in Chengdu, Sichuan, and a deep love for the kind of food that doesn't apologize for being specific. Jia shares their family's path from China to Pittsburgh, including stories shaped by the Cultural Revolution, immigration, and the restaurant work that helped make education possible. We talk about what “secret menu” really means, why it exists, and how to explore it without treating culture like a dare. For anyone chasing authentic Sichuan cuisine in Pittsburgh, Jia defines what mala actually is, how to prep your stomach before hot pot, and how sesame oil and soy milk fit into the tradition. Jia drops a smart Squirrel Hill hack for finding QR-code promos and ordering off-menu through delivery apps, plus local recommendations including dry hot pot at Little Corner Grill House and late-night options when the shift ends after midnight. If you like Pittsburgh food podcasts, Asian American stories, and real tips you can use tonight, hit play and come hungry. Subscribe to The Pittsburgh Dish, share this with a friend who always orders the same thing, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Support the show
Joey's ex-wife said their daughter Jia is saying Michael Jackson's famous "HEE-HEEEE" phrase around the house too much, and it's driving her crazy. Was there a phrase you made your kids stop saying, or one you said growing up? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey's ex-wife said their daughter Jia is saying Michael Jackson's famous "HEE-HEEEE" phrase around the house too much, and it's driving her crazy. Was there a phrase you made your kids stop saying, or one you said growing up? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey's ex-wife said their daughter Jia is saying Michael Jackson's famous "HEE-HEEEE" phrase around the house too much, and it's driving her crazy. Was there a phrase you made your kids stop saying, or one you said growing up? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Have you ever wondered if the voice criticizing you is actually yours?In this episode of Ripples by Jia, I explore the deeper roots of self-esteem, self-doubt, comparison, and emotional healing.Many of us assume low self-esteem comes from within, but what if the thoughts keeping you small were learned from your environment, past experiences, or voices you've unconsciously adopted along the way?In this episode, I discuss:✨ The hidden origins of self-doubt✨ How environments and relationships influence self-esteem✨ Why comparison creates suffering✨ Understanding emotional triggers and subconscious programming✨ Practical exercises for emotional alchemy and self-reflection✨ How to transform jealousy, anger, sadness, and frustration into personal growth✨ Rewiring your mind and nervous system for self-trust✨ Returning to your own truth instead of living through someone else's lensI also share a simple journaling exercise to help identify recurring emotional patterns and consciously transform them into fuel for growth, confidence, and alignment.If you've been struggling with confidence, self-worth, comparison, or feeling disconnected from your true self, this conversation is for you.Remember:You are already whole.
What's a recession indicator you've noticed?Lately, one answer keeps resurfacing online: "You can see celebrities' ribs again." And as unserious as that sounds at first, history suggests it may not be entirely wrong.In this episode, I dive into Ozempic, recession aesthetics, quiet luxury, heroin chic, and the return of thinness as a cultural ideal. From celebrity weight loss trends to the politics of appetite, I explore how beauty standards shift during periods of economic anxiety, social instability, and cultural fear- and why women's bodies so often become the place where those anxieties are projected.Are. You. Ready?****************Sources & References: Bordo, Susan. Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body. University of California Press, 1993.Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Translated by Richard Nice, Harvard University Press, 1984.Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. Zone Books, 1994.Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage Books, 1995.Foxcroft, Louise. Calories & Corsets: A History of Dieting Over 2,000 Years. Profile Books, 2011.Rose, Nikolas. Governing the Soul: The Shaping of the Private Self. Free Association Books, 1999.Stearns, Peter N. Fat History: Bodies and Beauty in the Modern West. New York University Press, 2002.Strings, Sabrina. Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia. NYU Press, 2019.Tolentino, Jia. Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion. Random House, 2019.Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. Oxford University Press, 2007.Wolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women. Harper Perennial, 2002.Additional reporting and cultural analysis referenced throughout the episode includes coverage of Ozempic and Wegovy, celebrity weight loss culture, recession aesthetics, heroin chic and 1990s fashion culture, wellness culture, self-optimization, and digital body surveillance from contemporary journalism, academic commentary, and media analysis.****************Leave Us a 5* Rating, it helps the show!Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beauty-unlocked-the-podcast/id1522636282Spotify Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/37MLxC8eRob1D0ZcgcCorA****************Follow Us on TikTok & Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!YouTube:@beautyunlockedspodcasthourTikTok:tiktok.com/@beautyunlockedthepod****************Intro/Outro Music:“Fame Inc” by Savvier — https://icons8.com/music
What if your next level in life isn't actually hard to reach…but you've simply been conditioned to believe it is?In this episode, I dive into one of the most common questions I receive from clients and from myself as someone constantly evolving:“How do I reach the next level in my life?”Whether it's a new career, a new city, more abundance, deeper purpose, or becoming a completely new version of yourself the moment the vision arrives, most people immediately focus on the difficulty.“How will this happen?”“What if it takes too long?”“What if I fail?”But what if the obstacle isn't the goal itself…what if it's your relationship to the process?In this raw and unscripted episode, I speak about:✨ Why your vision exists for a reason✨ How the “3D world” conditions us to expect struggle✨ Reframing obstacles as simple steps✨ Why time is actually on your side✨ The connection between belief, frequency, and aligned action✨ How to stop emotionally resisting your next level✨ Why the journey may feel lonely, but the top is abundantI also share practical examples from my own life, including recording this very episode while sitting in New York City in my pajamas with zero motivation… simply because I realized I had the time, and momentum matters.The truth is:Your next level is not asking you to suffer more.It's asking you to decide.Once you decide truly decide and take aligned action, the universe responds.You take one step.Life takes ten toward you.You are the portal.And the timeline you desire is waiting for you to meet it.
Stuttering occurs in every culture with a spoken language. So why do many communities treat it as a source of shame? Two speech-language pathologists and a comedian help Anita question cultural assumptions about stuttering and explore the growing movement to embrace speech diversity.Meet the guests:- Dr. Derek Daniels, licensed and certified speech-language pathologist and associate professor in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Wayne State University, shares his own experience of stuttering and what we know about what causes stuttering- Jia Bin, doctoral student at Michigan State University, talks about growing up in rural China with a stutter and what she's hoping to bring back to the stuttering community there- Nina G, comedian and author of "Stutterer, Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn't Happen," explains why she decided to embrace her dream of doing stand-up and shares how her stuttering has impacted romantic and platonic relationshipsDig Deeper:Follow Nina G's comedy on InstagramJia on stuttering as a superpowerStuttering content on YouTube by Courtland Crain and Matice AhnjamineNational Stuttering Association websiteRead the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platformFollow Embodied on Instagram Leave a message for EmbodiedPlease note: This episode originally published March 31, 2023.Updates: You can learn more about Jia's work at the Spartan Stuttering Lab here. You can learn more about National Stuttering Awareness Week here. Nina G is in the midst of the making the comedy docu-special: Comedians with Disabilities Act: Going Beyond The Punchlines.
What if the moment you say“I can't do this anymore”isn't failure… but surrender?In this episode, I speak about the deeper spiritual meaning behind burnout, overwhelm, and the moment we finally release control.So many people think they're failing when they reach their limit. But what if that moment is actually a green light from the soul? A moment where your spirit steps in because your human self has exhausted every strategy, every attempt to control, fix, and force outcomes.I share how overthinking, over-functioning, and trying to manage every detail creates energetic leaks that block support from the unseen realms guides, spirit, God, angels, synchronicity.The moment we surrender and detach from controlling the outcome… life begins to move differently.In this episode, we explore:✨ Why burnout can be a spiritual signal, not a weakness✨ How trying to control everything blocks magnetic attraction✨ What happens when you finally surrender the outcome✨ Why your job is not to force — but to become magnetic✨ Reframing “good” and “bad” experiences through consciousness✨ Choosing how you experience reality through free will✨ Moving from survival mode into thrivingThis conversation is a reminder that you were never meant to carry everything alone.Sometimes the breakdown is actually the moment your spirit says:“I've got this now.”You are supported.You are guided.And life may have something far greater planned than what your mind was trying to control.
In this episode, I sit down with Tammy Franklin, Psychic Medium, Galactic Shaman, Spiritual Teacher, and founder of Transcending Belief, to explore the deeper layers of consciousness, energy, and sovereignty.Tammy's work goes far beyond traditional ideas of psychic ability. Rather than prediction or surface-level insight, she helps people become aware of the unseen energies influencing their lives and supports them in clearing, healing, and reclaiming their power.Together, we explore what it really means to move beyond fear-based consciousness and step into true self-awareness.This episode is not about fear.It's about clarity, responsibility, and sovereignty.Because once you see what's been influencing you…you can choose differently.Connect with Tammy:http://www.tammyfranklin.nethttps://www.facebook.com/transcendingbelief/https://www.instagram.com/tammyfranklinpsychic/Like/ follow/ comment. Your feedback means the world to me. In gratitude and love,Jia Gratitude Coffee- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/connectwithjiaWebsite-https://www.ripplesbyjia.com/Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/ripplesbyjia/Youtube- www.youtube.com/@RipplesbyJia Substack:https://substack.com/@ripplesbyjia
Jia, her little brother Jihoon, and a Zumba-loving medium must stop a dokkaebi, a goblin-like creature from Korean Mythology. (It may involve some K-Pop.) | Goblin Games (A Korean Mythology Adventure) was written by Keri Griggs and directed by Keri Griggs and Brian Tanner. The cast included Jisoo Shin as Jia, Sylvia Shin as Mom, Jaden Choi as Jihoon, Jared Hendricks as Jake, Brian Tanner as Bernard, and Taehyeon Kim as Dokkaebi. | The sound team was led by Trent Reimschussel and Dan Carlisle, with engineering by Gracie Davis, Kiplin Merrill, and Trent Reimschussel; dialogue editing by James Call and Luke Gunnerson; sound design by Jim Cassler, Dallin Jeppsen, Kiplin Merrill, and Cameron Rhodes; music editing by Hannah Evans, Aaron Findlay, Taehyeon Kim, and Cameron Rhodes; and mixing by Jim Cassler, and Luke Gunnerson. | This episode was produced by Brian Tanner, Keri Griggs, Wendy Folsom, and Sam Payne. The Kaboom writing team includes Kay Hendrickson, Garrett Gunnell, Keri Griggs, and Paige Jensen-Rutter. Our theme music was written by Sam Clawson. All Kaboom original art was created by Adrian Walsh, and Ikaika Kamimoto is our marketing manager. | For more great storytelling for families check out our companion podcast The Apple Seed, available wherever you get your podcasts. Kaboom is a production of BYUradio.
What if your astrology chart isn't something to interpret… but something to embody?In this episode, I'm joined by Rachel Hard. A somatic coach, educator, astrologer, and author of The Shape of Happiness. With over 30 years of studying astrology and deep training in somatic work, Rachel brings a powerful perspective: your birth chart is not separate from you, it lives in your body.Astrology is not just symbolic or intellectual. It's a language of energy patterns already moving through your patterns your body can feel long before your mind can name them.Together, we explore what it truly means to embody your chart, rather than analyze it.In this conversation, we dive into:✨ Astrology as a living, felt experience not just information ✨ Why the body understands your chart before the mind does ✨ Moving from interpretation into embodiment ✨ How somatic awareness deepens intuitive and astrological insight ✨ Reconnecting to your inner wisdom through the bodyYou are not separate from the stars. You are an expression of them.Connect with Rachel:Certification Program: https://go.rachelhardy.com/astrology-waitlist?am_id=jiadafu3584Website: RachelHardy.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel_hardy_coaching/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rachel_hardyLike/ follow/ comment. Your feedback means the world to me. In gratitude and love,Jia Gratitude Coffee- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/connectwithjiaWebsite-https://www.ripplesbyjia.com/Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/ripplesbyjia/Youtube- www.youtube.com/@RipplesbyJia Substack:https://substack.com/@ripplesbyjia
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Serendipitous Trails: A Journey Beyond GPS Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-04-27-22-34-01-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 张家界国家森林公园在春天是一个美丽的地方。En: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in spring is a beautiful place.Zh: 天蓝如洗，树木青翠，鸟儿在空中飞翔。En: The sky is clear blue, the trees are lush green, and birds fly through the air.Zh: 五一劳动节，许多人利用假期去旅行，享受大自然的美好。En: During the May Day Labor Day, many people make use of the holiday to travel and enjoy the wonders of nature.Zh: 勇，梅和佳一起计划了一次徒步旅行。En: Yong, Mei, and Jia planned a hiking trip together.Zh: 勇自信满满地说：“我有一张地图，保证我们走最好的路线。”En: Yong, full of confidence, said, "I have a map and guarantee we'll take the best route."Zh: 这张地图是勇自己画的，但其实已经过时了。En: The map was one he had drawn himself, but it was actually outdated.Zh: “勇，你确定要用这张地图吗？”梅皱着眉头问，“我们可以用GPS啊，更加准确。”En: "Yong, are you sure you want to use this map?" Mei asked with a frown, "We can use GPS; it's more accurate."Zh: “不，我们要有冒险精神！”勇挥舞着地图说，“相信我吧，这会很有趣。”En: "No, we need a sense of adventure!" Yong said, waving the map, "Trust me, this will be fun."Zh: 于是，他们出发了。En: So, they set off.Zh: 一路上，树林葱茏，野花芬芳。En: Along the way, the forest was lush, and wildflowers were fragrant.Zh: 勇一路带领，指点江山。En: Yong led the way, confidently narrating the journey.Zh: 但不久后，他们发现情况有些不对劲。En: But soon, they realized something was off.Zh: “这地方看起来不像地图上说的。”佳笑着说，“你确定这对吗，勇？”En: "This place doesn't look like it does on the map," Jia said with a laugh, "Are you sure about this, Yong?"Zh: 勇停下脚步，看了看地图，再看看四周。En: Yong stopped to look at the map and then at the surroundings.Zh: 他心里有点慌，但脸上依旧强作镇定。En: He was a bit flustered inside but appeared to maintain his composure.Zh: “当然，这只是一个特别的转弯。”En: "Of course, it's just a special turn."Zh: 但“特别的转弯”越来越多。En: But there were more and more "special turns."Zh: 他们越走越深，逐渐偏离了热门的游览路线。En: They walked deeper and deeper, gradually straying from the popular tourist routes.Zh: 梅再次建议看看手机，但勇固执地摇摇头。En: Mei suggested again that they check the phone, but Yong stubbornly shook his head.Zh: 他不愿认输，只想带来一场非同寻常的旅行。En: He didn't want to admit defeat; he just wanted to provide an extraordinary trip.Zh: 突然，他们来到一处僻静的山谷。En: Suddenly, they arrived at a secluded valley.Zh: 眼前有一处美丽的瀑布，水流如银带，阳光透过水雾形成彩虹，景色如梦如幻。En: Before their eyes was a beautiful waterfall, the water flowing like a silver ribbon, and sunlight creating a rainbow through the mist, a scene as dreamlike as a fantasy.Zh: “哇，这真是意外的惊喜！”梅惊叹着，“这地方地图上也没有啊！”En: "Wow, this really is an unexpected surprise!" Mei exclaimed, "This place isn't on the map either!"Zh: 勇也惊讶地说：“看来我的地图还是有点用处的吧。”En: Yong also exclaimed in surprise, "Looks like my map is somewhat useful."Zh: 大家都笑了，佳拍拍勇的肩膀说：“有时候，错误的路也能带来惊喜。”En: Everyone laughed, and Jia patted Yong on the shoulder, saying, "Sometimes, a wrong path can also bring surprises."Zh: 在这片未被开发的美景前，他们心情舒畅。En: In front of this undeveloped beauty, they felt at ease.Zh: 尽管已经偏离了计划，但这次冒险让他们更加亲近。En: Although they had deviated from their original plan, this adventure brought them closer together.Zh: 勇也明白，有时候依靠朋友，享受旅途中的不确定性同样重要。En: Yong also understood that sometimes depending on friends and enjoying the uncertainties of the journey is equally important.Zh: 天色渐晚，他们带着笑声，回想起这场特别的旅行。En: As it grew late, they carried their laughter, reminiscing about this special trip.Zh: 勇开始明白，旅程本身就是一种发现的乐趣。En: Yong began to realize that the journey itself is a joy of discovery.Zh: 而梅和佳也感受到友谊的珍贵。En: Mei and Jia also felt the preciousness of friendship.Zh: 那天，他们三人成为朋友们中最有故事可说的人。En: That day, they became the friends with the most stories to tell.Zh: 张家界的这次旅程，将永远留在他们的记忆中，成为他们美好回忆的一部分。En: The Zhangjiajie trip would forever remain in their memories, becoming a part of their cherished recollections. Vocabulary Words:lush: 葱茏fragrant: 芬芳frown: 皱眉adventure: 冒险confidence: 自信stubbornly: 固执地outdated: 过时composure: 镇定extraordinary: 非同寻常secluded: 僻静waterfall: 瀑布rainbow: 彩虹mist: 水雾undeveloped: 未开发deviated: 偏离cherished: 美好reminiscing: 回想narrating: 指点江山plan: 计划guarantee: 保证explore: 探索discovery: 发现intrigued: 好奇straying: 偏离surroundings: 四周unexpected: 意外preciousness: 珍贵uncommon: 不寻常intuition: 直觉nurture: 滋养
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Springtime Adventures: A Blossoming Bond in the Garden Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-04-26-07-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 每年春天，月和佳都会去附近的中国植物园。En: Every spring, Yue and Jia visit the nearby Chinese botanical garden.Zh: 这一年，他们决定参观一个特别的稀有植物展览。En: This year, they decided to see a special exhibition of rare plants.Zh: 展览在一个玻璃墙的展馆里，阳光透过玻璃洒在各种奇特的植物上，显得格外耀眼。En: The exhibition was held in a pavilion with glass walls, where sunlight streamed through, casting a dazzling light on an array of exotic plants.Zh: 月对植物充满了好奇，En: Yue was filled with curiosity about the plants.Zh: 她边走边兴奋地说："看这些植物多有趣！"En: As she walked, she excitedly said, "Look at how interesting these plants are!"Zh: 佳跟在她身后，小声提醒："记得这里有‘禁止触摸'的规定。"En: Jia, following behind her, quietly reminded her, "Remember, there's a 'Do Not Touch' rule here."Zh: 月点点头，但她的眼睛已经被一株造型奇特的植物吸引住了。En: Yue nodded, but her eyes were already drawn to a uniquely shaped plant.Zh: 这株植物的叶子像一把把小扇子，在阳光下泛着微微的光泽。En: Its leaves looked like small fans, shimmering slightly under the sunlight.Zh: 月不由自主地靠近观察，她还蹲下来仔细端详。En: Unable to resist, Yue moved closer to observe it and even crouched down to examine it closely.Zh: 佳拉了拉她的衣角："小心点，别靠得太近。"En: Jia tugged at her sleeve, saying, "Be careful, don't get too close."Zh: 月笑笑，心里却忍不住想再近一点。En: Yue smiled but couldn't help wanting to get a little closer.Zh: 就在她慢慢伸出手时，她不小心碰到了一个小牌子，牌子立刻晃了晃。En: Just as she slowly reached out her hand, she accidentally bumped a small sign, which wobbled immediately.Zh: 牌子晃动的瞬间，那株植物也开始轻轻摇晃，似乎就要倒下来。En: As the sign wobbled, the plant also began to sway gently, as if it was about to fall.Zh: 佳立刻紧张地盯着，准备随时拯救月。En: Jia immediately watched nervously, ready to rescue Yue at any moment.Zh: 幸运的是，植物只是摇了摇，最终稳稳地挺立在原地。En: Fortunately, the plant just swayed a bit but ultimately stood firmly in place.Zh: 月的脸一下子红了，她连忙站起来，战战兢兢地对周围低声说："对不起，对不起，是我不小心。"En: Yue's face turned red, and she hurriedly stood up, sheepishly apologizing to those around her, "Sorry, sorry, it was an accident."Zh: 佳无奈地叹了口气，拉着月快步走出了展览。En: Jia sighed helplessly and swiftly led Yue out of the exhibition.Zh: 一出展馆，月和佳对视了一眼，然后大笑起来。En: As soon as they exited the pavilion, Yue and Jia exchanged glances and then burst into laughter.Zh: 佳摇头说："你总是这样，但我知道你不是故意的。"En: Jia shook her head and said, "You're always like this, but I know you didn't mean it."Zh: 月点头，说："下次我会小心点，远距离欣赏它们的美。"En: Yue nodded and said, "Next time, I'll be more careful and admire them from a distance."Zh: 他们走在阳光明媚的植物园小径上，感受着春天的温暖。En: They walked along the sunlit paths of the botanical garden, feeling the warmth of spring.Zh: 尽管有惊无险，他们都知道这一趟植物园之旅将成为一次难忘的回忆。En: Despite the minor scare, they both knew this trip to the botanical garden would become an unforgettable memory.Zh: 在那个阳光灿烂的季节，他们不仅看到了美丽的植物，也领悟到了尊重自然之美的方法。En: In that bright sunny season, they not only saw beautiful plants but also learned a way to appreciate the beauty of nature with respect. Vocabulary Words:botanical: 植物exhibition: 展览pavilion: 展馆dazzling: 耀眼exotic: 奇特curiosity: 好奇cautiously: 小心点unique: 造型奇特shimmering: 光泽examine: 端详slightly: 微微bumped: 碰到wobbled: 晃了sway: 摇晃nervously: 紧张地firmly: 稳稳地sheepishly: 战战兢兢地apologizing: 对不起exchanged: 对视glances: 眼burst: 大笑admire: 欣赏unforgettable: 难忘的memory: 回忆appreciate: 领悟到respect: 尊重quietly: 小声resist: 不由自主地rescue: 拯救fortunate: 幸运
Hosts: Dr. Daniel Ennis, Dr. Janet PopeGuests: Dr. Marinka Twilt (Pediatric Rheumatologist, University of Calgary; ASM Program Committee Chair), Dr. Mo Osman (University of Alberta; Abstract Chair & ASM Planning Committee Co-Chair)We're coming to you almost live from Halifax for Day 3—the final day of the Canadian Rheumatology Association ASM. The day featured strong podium presentations, a high-yield state-of-the-art lecture on Still's disease, and a powerful closing keynote on health equity.Podium sessions highlighted emerging science across the spectrum, including sex-based differences in psoriatic arthritis linked to genetic and epigenetic factors, novel monogenic variants in pediatric lupus with neurocognitive involvement, and ongoing inequities in access to therapies for JIA across provinces.The state-of-the-art lecture on Still's disease emphasized its spectrum across pediatric and adult care, with practical treatment strategies and increasing recognition of associated interstitial lung disease. Key points included the role of HLA-DRB1*15 as a risk marker, the importance of early treatment, and the potential for IL-1 and IL-6 therapies to contribute to complications in select patients.Workshops reinforced these themes, focusing on practical approaches to diagnosing and managing Still's disease, including lung involvement and the role of JAK inhibitors in refractory cases.The meeting closed with a distinguished investigator lecture from Dr. Cheryl Barnabe, highlighting inequities in care for Indigenous populations and the importance of culturally safe, community-based care to address both geographic and systemic barriers.Main TakeawaysGenetic and epigenetic factors may explain sex differences in psoriatic arthritis Monogenic variants continue to reveal complexity in pediatric lupus Significant inequities persist in access to therapies for JIA across provinces Still's disease spans pediatric and adult care with shared mechanisms HLA-DRB1*15 may help predict lung complications in Still's disease Culturally safe, community-based care is essential to improving health equityWhat's NextCRA ASM 2026 will be held in Vancouver.More highlights coming next year—see you in Vancouver!
Send us Fan MailGrenade by Alan GratzOkinawa is a relatively small island off the southern tip of Japan, but at the end of World War II it was the place of the last and bloodiest battle of the whole Pacific Ocean war.Hideki is a native Okinawan and he and his family have been separated due to the war. Hideki has stayed behind with a bunch of other boys around his age of 14 to become part of the Blood and Iron Student Corps to fight for the Japanese Imperial Army. However, Hideki realizes very quickly that the JIA has no real intention of trying to help any of the Okinawan and in many cases will use them in horrible ways.Another boy, not much older than Hideki is heading to war too, only he is an American named Ray, in the marines. Both Ray and Hideki struggle to find footing in this new war torn world they both exist in. The question is what toll will this take on both of them, and will they make it out alive?Recommended for grades 7 and up.Support the show
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Blossoms of Balance: Lian's Journey to Self-Care Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-04-02-07-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 阳光透过大窗户，洒在办公桌上。En: The sunlight streamed through the big window, falling on the desk.Zh: 在这个春天，办公室里樱花盛开，给人一片美好的景象。En: In this spring, cherry blossoms in the office bloomed, presenting a beautiful scene.Zh: 莲是公司里最努力的员工，她总是加班加点，渴望在这次重要项目中崭露头角。En: Lian was the most diligent employee in the company; she always worked overtime, eager to stand out in this important project.Zh: 她对自己的要求很高，总担心自己做得不够好。En: She had high expectations of herself and was always worried that she was not doing well enough.Zh: 明是莲多年的同事和朋友，总是默默支持她。En: Ming had been a colleague and friend of Lian for many years, always silently supporting her.Zh: 他在公司里以可靠著称。En: He was known for being reliable in the company.Zh: 佳是办公室经理，一个总是井然有序的人，但近日来因为最后期限的逼近而有些压力过大。En: Jia was the office manager, a person who always kept things orderly, but recently she had been under too much pressure due to looming deadlines.Zh: 这一天，办公室里照常忙碌，大家都在电脑前忙碌着。En: On this day, the office was busy as usual, everyone engaged with their computers.Zh: 清明节快到了，这个项目关系到莲的晋升。En: Qingming Festival was approaching, and the project was crucial for Lian's promotion.Zh: 她一心想着把项目做好，心里暗暗发誓这次一定要成功。En: She was focused on doing the project well and secretly vowed to succeed this time.Zh: 突然，莲感到一阵眩晕。En: Suddenly, Lian felt a bout of dizziness.Zh: 她按捺住不适，强迫自己继续工作。En: She suppressed her discomfort and forced herself to keep working.Zh: 她告诉自己这是疲劳，只要坚持下去就能完成项目。En: She told herself it was just fatigue and that enduring it would allow her to complete the project.Zh: 明看出了莲的不对劲，关心地问她是否需要帮助。En: Ming noticed something was off with Lian and asked sympathetically if she needed help.Zh: 莲摇摇头，勉强地笑了笑。En: Lian shook her head and forced a smile.Zh: 就在一次关键会议上，莲终于支持不住，身体向前倾倒。En: During a critical meeting, Lian finally couldn't hold on, and her body leaned forward.Zh: 明和佳马上跑过来，佳立刻叫救护车，而明扶着她，轻声安慰。En: Ming and Jia immediately rushed over, Jia quickly called an ambulance while Ming supported her, gently comforting her.Zh: 在医院里，莲逐渐恢复了意识。En: In the hospital, Lian gradually regained consciousness.Zh: 医生告诉她需要好好休息，不要再过度劳累。En: The doctor told her she needed to rest well and avoid overworking.Zh: 明站在床边，他说：“你不能一个人扛下所有，适时求助没有关系。En: Ming stood by the bedside and said, "You can't carry everything alone; it's okay to ask for help when needed."Zh: ”佳重新调整了项目的时间表，团队决定在莲恢复期间全力支持她。En: Jia adjusted the project's timeline, and the team decided to fully support Lian during her recovery.Zh: 莲明白了自己需要照顾好身体，她决定以后要学会依靠信任的人。En: Lian understood she needed to take care of her body and decided to learn to rely on trusted people in the future.Zh: 樱花依旧在窗外盛开，阳光依然温暖。En: The cherry blossoms continued to bloom outside the window, and the sunlight remained warm.Zh: 莲感到了从未有过的轻松。En: Lian felt a sense of ease she had never experienced before.Zh: 她学会了平衡自己的雄心壮志与健康，她开始相信身边的人会在她需要时伸出援手。En: She learned how to balance her ambitions with health and started to trust that people around her would lend a hand when needed.Zh: 故事在樱花飞舞中结束，莲对未来充满了信心。En: The story ended amidst the fluttering cherry blossoms, and Lian was filled with confidence about the future.Zh: 她知道，只要身心健康，一切都是可以再从头开始的。En: She knew that as long as she was healthy in body and mind, everything could start again. Vocabulary Words:streamed: 透过blossoms: 樱花bloomed: 盛开diligent: 努力的eager: 渴望overtime: 加班looming: 逼近approaching: 快到了promotion: 晋升focused: 一心dizziness: 眩晕suppressed: 按捺fatigue: 疲劳sympathetically: 关心地discomfort: 不适critical: 关键ambulance: 救护车consciousness: 意识overworking: 过度劳累relied: 依靠trusted: 信任fluttering: 飞舞confidence: 信心vowed: 发誓leaned: 倾倒soothe: 安慰timeline: 时间表ambitions: 雄心壮志ease: 轻松balance: 平衡
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Lan's Quest: Tradition Meets Creativity in Ancient Beijing Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-03-30-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 繁忙的古老北京集市，此时充满了活力和喧闹声。En: The bustling ancient Beijing market was full of energy and noise at this moment.Zh: 市场里色彩斑斓，叫卖声此起彼伏。En: The market was colorful, and the cries of vendors rose one after another.Zh: 空气中弥漫着鲜花和新鲜蔬果的芬芳，这是春天来临的气息。En: The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables, a sign that spring was here.Zh: 大家都在为即将到来的清明节做准备。En: Everyone was preparing for the upcoming Qingming Festival.Zh: 蓝是一位年轻的女孩，手里拿着一个小篮子，神色认真。En: Lan was a young girl holding a small basket and looking serious.Zh: 她肩上的长发微微飘动，对身旁的嘉说：“我们得找到最好的传统装饰，才能好好纪念祖先。En: Her long hair gently swayed on her shoulders as she said to Jia beside her, "We need to find the best traditional decorations to properly honor our ancestors."Zh: ”嘉挤了挤眼睛，微笑道：“当然，蓝。En: Jia winked and smiled, "Of course, Lan.Zh: 我知道你对传统一向很讲究。En: I know you always care about tradition."Zh: ”他们穿行在拥挤的市场街道中，寻找合适的装饰品。En: They wove through the crowded market streets, looking for suitable decorations.Zh: 许多摊位前都摆满了纸花、纸钱和香烛。En: Many stalls were filled with paper flowers, paper money, and incense.Zh: 忽然，他们在一个摊位前停下。En: Suddenly, they stopped in front of one stall.Zh: 摊主是位名叫伟的商人，他正忙着招呼顾客。En: The vendor, a businessman named Wei, was busily attending to customers.Zh: 蓝看中了一个装饰品，一串精美的灯笼，但价格不菲。En: Lan took a liking to a decoration, a string of exquisite lanterns, but they were quite expensive.Zh: 她心想：“这是我送给家人的最好选择，但这个价格……”伟看到她犹豫，笑着说：“姑娘，这可是难得一见的好货。En: She thought to herself, "This is the best choice for my family, but the price..." Seeing her hesitation, Wei smiled and said, "Miss, this is a rare find.Zh: 要不然，你看别的？En: Otherwise, you might want to look at something else?"Zh: ”蓝知道，寻找合适的装饰并不容易。En: Lan knew that finding the right decorations wasn't easy.Zh: 嘉拍拍蓝的肩膀，低声道：“也许我们应该看看其他摊位。En: Jia patted her shoulder and whispered, "Maybe we should check out other stalls."Zh: ”蓝点点头，但心里不甘心。En: Lan nodded but felt unwilling in her heart.Zh: 她想起自己亲手为祖先准备祭品时的那种安宁和尊重。En: She remembered the peace and respect she felt when she prepared offerings for her ancestors.Zh: 也许，自己可以找到其他方法。En: Perhaps, she could find another way.Zh: 正当他们准备离开时，蓝的目光忽然被一角吸引。En: Just as they were about to leave, Lan's attention was caught by something in the corner.Zh: 那是一个低调但极具风格的花灯藏在席棚的一角。En: It was a low-key yet stylish lantern hidden in the corner of the stall.Zh: 蓝眼睛一亮，呢喃道：“这正是我想要的。En: Lan's eyes lit up, and she murmured, "This is exactly what I want."Zh: ”她回头看伟：“这个灯笼卖给我，可以吗？En: She turned back to Wei, "Can you sell me this lantern?"Zh: ”伟微微犹豫，这东西虽小，却独特。En: Slightly hesitant, Wei knew the item was small but unique.Zh: 他故作思考，最后说：“好，给你个亲民价。En: Pretending to think it over, he finally said, "Alright, I'll give you a friendly price."Zh: ”嘉在一旁装作无意地说：“那么多顾客可在等呢，价格公道，就买吧！En: Jia casually added, "So many customers are waiting, a fair price, just buy it!"Zh: ”蓝见伟考虑再三，借机进攻：“我真心喜欢这花灯，能否再优惠一些？En: Seeing Wei reconsider, Lan seized the opportunity: "I really like this lantern; can you offer a bit more of a discount?"Zh: ”伟终于被蓝坚持的态度打动，笑着说道：“好，好，我让一步。En: Wei was finally moved by Lan's persistence and smiled, "Alright, alright, I'll make a concession."Zh: ”最终，蓝顺利带着她心仪的装饰品离开市场。En: In the end, Lan happily left the market with her desired decoration.Zh: 她开心地对嘉说：“谢谢你帮忙，我学到不少。En: She gratefully said to Jia, "Thank you for helping; I've learned a lot."Zh: ”走出市场，蓝觉得春日的阳光格外温暖。En: As they walked out of the market, Lan felt the spring sunlight was especially warm.Zh: 她明白到，传统与创意结合，能带来意想不到的美好结果。En: She realized that the combination of tradition and creativity could lead to unexpectedly beautiful results. Vocabulary Words:bustling: 繁忙的ancient: 古老vendors: 商贩fragrance: 芬芳upcoming: 即将到来的honor: 纪念traditional: 传统的decorations: 装饰weave: 穿行stalls: 摊位exquisite: 精美hesitation: 犹豫unique: 独特persistence: 坚持concession: 让步stall: 摊位peace: 安宁respect: 尊重offerings: 祭品pair: 双wove: 穿行casual: 随意的hesitant: 犹豫的lantern: 灯笼seized: 抓住opportunity: 机会spring: 春天quietness: 宁静sign: 迹象combination: 结合
Why does looking "effortless" cost so much?In this episode, I'm breaking down the myth of low-maintenance beauty and why "natural" is often anything but. From aristocrats who had other people do the work for them to today's hyper-curated "clean girl" aesthetic, what looks effortless is usually carefully constructed behind the scenes. I'll get into how this illusion became a class signal, who it actually benefits, and who gets left out.Because in beauty culture, effort doesn't disappear...it just gets edited out.Are. You. Ready?****************Sources & Further Reading:Class, Taste, and BeautyBourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (Harvard University Press).Lemire, Beverly. Dress, Culture and Commerce (Palgrave Macmillan).History of Beauty & CosmeticsPeiss, Kathy. Hope in a Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture (Metropolitan Books).Jones, Geoffrey. Beauty Imagined (Oxford University Press).Beauty, Labor, and SociologyWolf, Naomi. The Beauty Myth (HarperCollins).Waring, Marilyn. If Women Counted (University of Toronto Press).Modern Beauty & Digital CultureTolentino, Jia. Trick Mirror (Random House).Elias, Ana Sofia et al. Aesthetic Labour (Palgrave Macmillan).****************Leave Us a 5* Rating, it helps the show!Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beauty-unlocked-the-podcast/id1522636282Spotify Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/37MLxC8eRob1D0ZcgcCorA****************Follow Us on TikTok & Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!YouTube:@beautyunlockedspodcasthourTikTok:tiktok.com/@beautyunlockedthepod****************Intro/Outro Music:“Fame Inc” by Savvier — https://icons8.com/music
It is not often that I see a child with possible rheumatologic disease in the pediatric ER. What to ask, what to check for and what labs to order are always important things to think about. That is why I asked Dr. Robert Lowe to come on the show and discuss the management of those patients. Dr. Lowe Advice on Labs to order when suspecting Rheumatological condition: For suspected JIA. Most important to confirm joint swelling on physical exam AND a history of one or more joints being swollen continuously for 6 weeks or longer. Systemic JIA (only 15% of kids with JIA) ESR and CRP are both elevated like you would see with an infection or with inflammatory bowel disease with the added presence of significant joint swelling and daily recurring high fevers (>102F usually) without other symptoms of infection for Systemic JIA. For other systemic autoimmune disease High ESR with normal or near normal CRP can suggest the presence of another systemic autoimmune disease such as SLE D-dimer Ferritin LDH UA with Random protein to Cr ratio Dont order ANA and instead check ONLY the following: · Double Stranded DNA (dsDNA) Ab, · Smith antibody (not Smooth muscle antibody), · Ribonuclear protein Ab (RNP Ab), · SSA and SSB Abs (Sjogrens syndrome antibodies) Please consider contributing to PEM Rules at https://ko-fi.com/pemrules And check out www.pemrules.com Copyright PEM Rules LLC DISCLAIMER By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use these resources as medical advice to treat any medical conditions in either yourself or others, including, but not limited to, patients that you are treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast or website. Under no circumstances shall PEM Rules, the PEM Rules podcast or any guests or affiliated entities be responsible for damages arising from their use. This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including, but not limited to, establishing "standard of care" in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the website or in the podcast.
Kenopsic Radio 88 with JIA Follow Kenopsic: linktr.ee/kenopsic instagram.com/kenopsicevents Bio: Recognized as a DJ, promoter, and the founder of 6AM Group. Born in Guam, of Taiwanese descent, currently based in Los Angeles, JIA has shaped 6AM into a leading platform that unites artists, promoters, and fans, with a deep commitment to underground culture. Through 6AM, JIA has curated impactful events, offered valuable resources for emerging artists, and built a community that resonates globally. As a DJ, JIA's techno sets are known for his energy and connection with the dancefloor, earning him residencies at Avalon, Vanguard (now CREATE), WORK, Compound, Factory93, CRSSD Fest, and Beyond Wonderland where has shared stages alongside some of the industry's best such as Richie Hawtin, DVS1, Luke Slater, Fjaak, I Hate Models, 999999999, Pan-Pot, Amelie Lens, Charlotte De Witte, Drumcell, Truncate, Alarico, Chlär, Perc, and have DJ'd across the world sharing his unique track selections, remixes, edits, and 4-deck mixing from LA to Amsterdam to Berlin to Tokyo and many other cities and countries through his journey since 2007. Beyond his performances, JIA mentors artists under his ArtistMap Institution, emphasizing resilience, consistency, and the power of seizing opportunities. JIA is also the co-founder of WORK and RE/FORM in Los Angeles, an event series and boutique festival celebrating techno and rave culture. His philosophy of giving one's best effort and staying true to the core values of the scene drives his work, making him an impactful figure in today's electronic music community. Follow JIA: https://soundcloud.com/jia6am https://www.instagram.com/jia6am https://linktr.ee/jia6am https://ra.co/dj/jia Tracklist: Uun – Trinity Aspect Linear System & Yrsen – XX 25 A2 Linear System & Yrsen – XX 25 B1 Esilum – Enengive Esilum – Maintain Stability Joshua Calleja – Moral Beliefs Esilum – Art of Living Shaun Moses – Moody Memories V2 Joaquin Ruiz – XX 24 A2 Joaquin Ruiz – XX 24 B1 Linear System – Alternate Linear System – Expander NØNE – XX 26 A1 Müld3r – Chewing On The Eclipse (Original Mix) Muld3r – Make It a Phone Call (Dubbed Original Mix) Müld3r – Shards Between My Teeth (Original Mix) Shaun Moses & Edgar de Ramon – The Amposta Diaries Alinep – Petmalu NØNE – XX 26 A2 Skeef Menezes – Orb Ma Haiping – Artificial Ecstatic (Secus Remix) Ecilo – Mars Conflict (Original Mix) Hakkon – Volt Flux (Original Mix)
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Finding Home at Yueyang Tower: A Spring Festival Reunion Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-03-17-07-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 阳光柔和地洒在岳阳楼上，塔下的洞庭湖波光粼粼。En: The gentle sunlight softly graces the Yueyang Tower, while beneath the tower, the Dongting Lake shimmers with light.Zh: 桃花盛开，红灯笼装饰着塔楼四周，春意盎然。En: Peach blossoms are in full bloom, and red lanterns decorate the surroundings of the tower, exuding the vibrant spirit of spring.Zh: 每年这个时候，家家户户都忙碌地准备春节，期盼着与家人的团圆。En: At this time every year, every household busily prepares for the Spring Festival, anticipating the reunion with family.Zh: 贾是一位年轻的建筑师，今天，他回到了久别的家乡岳阳。En: Jia is a young architect, and today, he has returned to his long-lost hometown Yueyang.Zh: 虽然事业蒸蒸日上，但贾常常感到与家人的距离越来越远。En: Although his career is flourishing, Jia often feels increasingly distant from his family.Zh: 春节是个团圆的日子，他希望重温儿时的亲情。En: The Spring Festival is a time for family reunions, and he hopes to relive the family warmth of his childhood.Zh: 他的家人早就在期待他的归来。En: His family has been eagerly awaiting his return.Zh: 姐姐美和弟弟雷已经在家忙碌着准备年夜饭。En: His sister, Mei, and brother, Lei, have been busily preparing the New Year's Eve dinner at home.Zh: 温馨的气氛充满了整个家，贾却心中有些矛盾。En: The cozy atmosphere fills the house, but Jia feels conflicted in his heart.Zh: 他担心陪伴家人的时间会影响他的工作。En: He worries that the time spent with family might impact his work.Zh: 早晨，贾跟家人一起到岳阳楼参观。En: In the morning, Jia went to visit Yueyang Tower with his family.Zh: 他们穿过街市，散步在湖边。En: They walked through the marketplace and strolled by the lake.Zh: 贾一直很喜欢建筑，他好奇地望着岳阳楼，感慨它的设计与历史。En: Jia has always been fond of architecture and curiously admired the Yueyang Tower, marveling at its design and history.Zh: 忽然，雷指着塔楼说：“哥，岳阳楼的设计和你的作品有相似之处吗？En: Suddenly, Lei pointed to the tower and asked, "Brother, does the design of Yueyang Tower have any similarities to your works?"Zh: ”贾停下脚步，微微一笑：“建筑其实没那么重要，重要的是让人感受到家的温暖。En: Jia stopped, smiled slightly, and said, "The architecture itself isn't that important; what matters is that it makes people feel the warmth of home."Zh: ”夜幕降临，全家围坐在岳阳楼上的餐桌前，灯火辉煌。En: As night fell, the whole family sat around a dining table at Yueyang Tower, surrounded by brilliant lights.Zh: 大家都很兴奋，气氛热烈。En: Everyone was excited, and the atmosphere was lively.Zh: 贾遇到了一个难得的安静时刻，他鼓起勇气，对家人打开了心扉：“这些年，我一心扑在工作上，常常觉得累。En: During a rare quiet moment, Jia mustered up the courage to open his heart to his family: "These years, I've been wholly devoted to work, often feeling exhausted."Zh: ”美温柔地说：“家永远是支持你的地方。En: Mei gently said, "Home will always be the place that supports you.Zh: 别忘了我们都会在你身边。En: Don't forget we will always be by your side."Zh: ”贾静默了一会儿，他感受到了一股久违的温暖。En: Jia was silent for a moment, feeling a long-lost warmth.Zh: 他明白，家人对他的关怀从未改变，而这种支持会给他力量。En: He understood that his family's care for him had never changed, and this support would give him strength.Zh: 春节的假期过后，贾回到了繁忙的工作中。En: After the Spring Festival holiday, Jia returned to his busy work.Zh: 但他不再怀疑，与家人相处的重要性。En: But he no longer doubted the importance of spending time with family.Zh: 他决心安排更多时间陪伴家人，珍惜这份无可替代的亲情。En: He resolved to make more time to accompany his family and cherish this irreplaceable family bond.Zh: 贾在岳阳楼前举头望天，笑着对自己说：“回家的感觉，真好。En: Standing in front of Yueyang Tower, Jia looked up at the sky and smiled to himself, saying, "It feels so good to be home."Zh: ”他终于找到了生活与工作的平衡，心里满是对家乡和文化的感激。En: He finally found a balance between life and work, his heart filled with gratitude for his hometown and culture.Zh: 春节，这个温馨的节日，让他重新爱上了家的味道。En: The Spring Festival, this heartwarming holiday, made him fall in love with the taste of home all over again. Vocabulary Words:graces: 洒shimmers: 波光粼粼bloom: 盛开reunion: 团圆flourishing: 蒸蒸日上anticipating: 期盼eagerly: 期待cozy: 温馨conflicted: 矛盾strolled: 散步marveling: 感慨mustered: 鼓起exhausted: 累lively: 热烈support: 支持cherish: 珍惜irreplaceable: 无可替代gratitude: 感激balance: 平衡vibrant: 盎然spirited: 精神饱满architecture: 建筑curiously: 好奇地admired: 欣赏brilliant: 辉煌fond: 喜欢devoted: 扑design: 设计quiet: 安静hometown: 家乡
Joey's daughter, Jia, finally gets her iPad back after being punished last week. What did she learn? What did YOU learn from what you remember? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey's daughter, Jia, finally gets her iPad back after being punished last week. What did she learn? What did YOU learn from what you remember? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey's daughter, Jia, finally gets her iPad back after being punished last week. What did she learn? What did YOU learn from what you remember? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
FM highlights significance of relations, emphasizes necessity of multipolarity外交部长王毅阐述中美关系重要性，强调多极化的必要性Calling 2026 a "big year" for China-United States relations, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that the agenda for bilateral high-level exchanges "is already on the table", and both sides need to "treat each other with sincerity and good faith". 3月8日，外交部长王毅在两会记者会上表示，今年是中美关系的“大年”，高层交往的议程已经摆在“桌面上”。双方应以诚相待，以信相交。"China is always committed and open. It is critical that the US side work in the same direction," Wang said at a news conference on the sidelines of the annual two sessions in Beijing.王毅外长表示："中方的态度始终是积极的，也是开放的，关键是美方也要相向而行。""What the two sides need to do now is to create a suitable environment, manage the differences that do exist, and remove unnecessary disruptions," he said.王毅外长强调："现在需要做的是，双方为此做出周全的准备，营造适宜的环境，管控存在的风险，排除不必要的干扰。"President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have been maintaining good interactions at the top level, the foreign minister noted.王毅外长表示，两国元首身体力行，在最高层次上保持了良好交往。The two leaders "have provided important strategic safeguards for the China-US relationship to improve and move forward, and they have brought the relationship back on an even keel after the ups and downs", he added.两国元首"为中美关系的改善发展提供了重要战略保障，也推动中美关系历经跌宕起伏实现了总体稳定。"When the two sides treat each other with sincerity and good faith, they will be able to lengthen the list of cooperation areas and shorten the list of problems, the minister said.王毅说，只要双方以诚相待，以信相交，我们就能不断拉长合作的清单，持续缩短问题的清单。Also, by doing so, the two sides can produce results that are satisfactory to both peoples, achieve a consensus that is welcomed by the whole world, and make 2026 "a landmark year of sound, steady and sustainable development of China-US relations", he added.王毅表示，通过这样的努力，就能在两国元首战略引领下，取得让两国人民都满意的成果，达成国际社会都欢迎的共识，让2026年成为中美关系走向健康、稳定、可持续发展的一个标志性年份。Regarding the ties' far-reaching and global implications, Wang said that "sliding into conflict or confrontation could drag the whole world down".王毅表示，中美关系牵动各方、影响全球，两国不打交道只会导致误解误判，走向冲突对抗更将殃及世界。"Neither side can remodel the other, but we can choose how we want to engage, that is, to commit to a spirit of mutual respect, to hold the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and to strive for the prospect of win-win cooperation," he said.王毅指出："中美都是大国，都改变不了彼此，但可以改变相处方式。那就是秉持相互尊重的态度，守住和平共处的底线，争取合作共赢的前景"Chen Bo, president of the China Institute of International Studies, said Wang's comments "illustrate Beijing's proactive gesture in advancing ties with major countries and its goal to break new ground in seeking peaceful common growth".中国国际问题研究院院长陈波表示，王毅外长的讲话"表明了中国积极推动大国关系发展、努力在寻求和平发展方面开创新局面的姿态"。Whether China-US ties can take a solid step forward this year "largely depends on whether Washington will work toward the same goal with Beijing", she said.中美关系能否在今年迈出坚实的一步，"很大程度上取决于美方能否同中方相向而行"。Jia Qingguo, a professor and the director of Peking University's Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding, said, "As long as the US' overarching goal of seeking strategic competition against China remains unchanged, the US government will continue introducing hard-line policies targeting China, and in that case Beijing surely will respond."北京大学国际关系学院教授、北京大学中外人文交流研究基地主任贾庆国表示："只要美国对华战略竞争的总体目标不变，美国政府就会继续推出针对中国的强硬政策，在这种情况下，北京方面肯定会作出回应。""The two sides should step up communication and interactions at various levels", and through dialogue mechanisms of different levels and formats, the two sides can quickly clarify their positions when a problem arises, put it under control at its initial stage and avoid escalation, said Jia, who is also a deputy to the National People's Congress.作为全国人大代表，贾庆国指出："双方应加强各级别的沟通和互动。"他表示，通过不同层级和形式多样的对话机制，双方可以在问题出现时迅速阐明立场，在问题初期加以控制，避免事态升级。When asked whether Beijing accepts the "G2" concept, which suggests that the US and China co-manage global governance, Wang said that "we should not forget there are more than 190 countries on our planet".在被问及中方是否接受“中美共治”框架时，王毅外长表示：“我们不应忘记，这个星球上有190多个国家。”"The future of humanity will be forged through the collective efforts of all nations", and "multipolarity is what the international landscape should look like", he said.王毅说："人类未来一直由各国人民共同创造，多元共生才是人类社会本来的面貌，多极共存才是国际格局应有的样子。"He noted that, in history, great-power rivalry and bloc confrontation have invariably inflicted disaster and pain on humanity.王毅表示，回看历史，每一次大国争霸、阵营对抗，都给人类带来了灾难和痛苦。"Therefore, China will never take the beaten path of seeking hegemony as its strength grows, nor do we subscribe to the logic that the world can be run by major countries," he said.王毅说："为此，中国绝不走国强必霸的老路，也不认同“大国共治”的逻辑。"Wang stressed that building an equal and orderly multipolar world should be the common responsibility of all countries.王毅强调，建设平等有序的世界多极化应当是各国的共同责任。"With more resources and capabilities, major countries should be more generous, shoulder more responsibilities, and set an example of observing rules, honoring commitments and upholding international law," he added.王毅表示："大国拥有更多资源、更大能力，更应展现胸怀担当，带头守规矩、讲信用、遵法治。"When talking about the head-of-state diplomacy that Beijing has planned for this year, the minister said President Xi will host guests from various countries and "undertake several important visits abroad".在谈到今年中国元首外交重点时，王毅外长表示，习近平主席将在国内接待各方来宾，还将开展数起重要的出访。Xi will chair major diplomatic events hosted by China, including the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the second China-Arab States Summit, Wang said.王毅外长指出，习近平主席将主持亚太经合组织领导人非正式会议、第二届中国—阿拉伯国家峰会等重大主场外交。"Head-of-state diplomacy is bound to further advance China's relations with the world in a positive direction, open up new space for building a community with a shared future for humanity, and enable the Chinese nation to make new, greater contributions to world peace and development," he added.王毅表示："元首外交必将推动中国与世界的关系朝着更加积极的方向迈进，必将推动人类命运共同体建设开辟新的境界，必将推动中华民族为世界的和平与发展事业作出新的贡献。"Gao Fei, president of China Foreign Affairs University, said that "China's major-country diplomacy has entered a phase of yielding greater achievements" under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and head-of-state diplomacy.外交学院院长高飞表示，在习近平外交思想的指引下，在元首外交的引领下，"中国的大国外交已经进入到一个大有作为的新阶段"。"The country's diplomacy effectively secures its own development, facilitates world peace and stability, and spreads innovation, win-win spirit, inclusiveness and great morality," he added.中国的外交"有力地保障了中国自身的发展，促进了世界和平与稳定，始终传递着创新、共赢、包容和大义的积极力量"。bring the relationship back on an even keel /brɪŋ ðə rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp bæk ɒn ən ˈiːvən kiːl/使关系恢复稳定overarching /ˌəʊvərˈɑːtʃɪŋ/首要的；支配一切的hard-line policy /ˌhɑːdˈlaɪn ˈpɒləsi/强硬政策multipolarity /ˌmʌltɪpəʊˈlærəti/多极化great-power rivalry /ˌɡreɪt ˈpaʊə ˈraɪvəlri/大国竞争bloc confrontation /ˈblɒk ˌkɒnfrənˈteɪʃən/集团对抗take the beaten path of /teɪk ðə ˈbiːtn pɑːθ ɒv/走...的老路head-of-state diplomacy /ˌhed əv ˈsteɪt dɪˈpləʊməsi/元首外交major-country diplomacy /ˌmeɪdʒə ˈkʌntri dɪˈpləʊməsi/大国特色外交
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Secrets and Tea: Healing Bonds Beneath Lantern Lights Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-02-26-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在杭州的一个冬日，茶香四溢的茶馆内，隐约传来街外灯笼节的热闹声。En: On a winter's day in Hangzhou, in a tea house filled with the fragrance of tea, the distant sounds of a lantern festival could be heard faintly from the street outside.Zh: 明在茶馆里忙碌，他用心冲泡每一壶茶，温暖的灯光映射在木雕上，空气中弥漫着绿茶的香气。En: Ming was busy in the tea house, carefully brewing every pot of tea.Zh: 而此时，明的心中比外面的空气更冷，因为一桩过去的错误在折磨着他。En: The warm light reflected off the wooden carvings, and the air was filled with the aroma of green tea.Zh: 莲，是明的老朋友，也是一位热衷写旅行游记的作家。En: Yet, at this moment, Ming's heart was colder than the air outside because a past mistake was tormenting him.Zh: 她这次回来，希望能从明的茶馆中找到新的灵感。En: Lian, Ming's long-time friend and a writer passionate about travel journals, had returned, hoping to find new inspiration in Ming's tea house.Zh: 对于莲来说，茶馆不仅仅是一个喝茶的地方，更是一个让人心静的空间。En: To Lian, the tea house was more than just a place to drink tea; it was a space that brought tranquility.Zh: 和明谈话间，莲感觉到了一丝异样，她知道明有什么心事。En: During her conversation with Ming, Lian sensed something was off; she knew Ming had something on his mind.Zh: 嘉，是茶馆的新学徒，他年轻、好奇，总是渴望学到更多。En: Jia, the new apprentice at the tea house, was young and curious, always eager to learn more.Zh: 不过，他心里也有一个秘密，与家族有关。En: However, he also had a secret related to his family.Zh: 他不知道该如何面对，也不知道应该告诉谁。En: He did not know how to face it, nor whom to tell.Zh: 随着灯笼节的到来，茶馆里的人逐渐多了起来。En: As the lantern festival approached, more people gradually gathered in the tea house.Zh: 明知道是时候了，他要面对过去那个错误。En: Ming knew it was time to confront the mistake from his past.Zh: 他决定向莲倾诉，也许，老朋友能给他一些建议。En: He decided to confide in Lian, hoping that an old friend might offer some advice.Zh: 他把莲叫到了角落：“莲，其实我有件事一直困扰着我。En: He called Lian to the corner: "Lian, there's something that has been troubling me."Zh: ”“是什么？En: "What is it?"Zh: ”莲温柔地问道。En: Lian asked gently.Zh: “我犯了一个错误，我无法原谅自己，那件事导致我的师傅离开了。En: "I made a mistake that I cannot forgive myself for, a mistake that led to my master's departure," Ming said in a low voice.Zh: ”明低声说。En: Jia, who was nearby, overheard the conversation.Zh: 在一旁的嘉，正好听到了这番话。En: He was shocked because the master Ming mentioned was a member of his family.Zh: 他心里一震，因为明提到的那个师傅，正是他家族的一员。En: It turned out they shared a common connection that he had never realized.Zh: 原来，他们之间有着共同的联系，而他从未意识到。En: On a night when the lanterns were hanging high, Ming and Jia sat together, outside the tea house were flickering lights and a joyous crowd.Zh: 在灯笼高挂的夜晚，明和嘉坐在一起，茶馆外是闪烁的灯光和欢腾的人群。En: Ming looked up and said, "Jia, I think we should do something for our master together."Zh: 明抬起头，说：“嘉，我想我们应该一起为师傅做些什么。En: Jia thought for a moment and agreed: "Yes, we can restore his honor."Zh: ”嘉想了想，答应了：“是的，我们可以恢复他的荣光。En: Ming and Jia decided to revitalize the reputation of the tea house, carefully crafting each pot of tea so that every guest could feel the dedication and passion their master once had.Zh: ”明和嘉共同决定，重振茶馆的名望，用心制作每一壶茶，让每位来客都能感受师傅当年的那份执着与热情。En: They finally let go of their burdens and felt no more secrets weighing them down.Zh: 他们终于放下了心中的负担，感觉再无秘密压迫。En: As winter passed and spring approached, everything was coming back to life.Zh: 随着冬日过去，春日将临，万物复苏。En: Ming smiled with relief, his heart warming as well.Zh: 明释然地微笑着，他的心也随之变得温暖。En: For Jia, he found his direction forward and learned how to face the past and cherish the present.Zh: 对于嘉来说，他找到了前行的方向，学会了如何面对过去，珍惜眼前。En: Under the glow of the lanterns, the tea house appeared especially serene.Zh: 茶馆在灯笼的照耀下，显得格外宁静，暖风轻拂，勾勒出一幅完美和谐的画卷。En: The warm breeze gently swept through, sketching a scene of perfect harmony. Vocabulary Words:fragrance: 香气carvings: 木雕tormenting: 折磨inspiration: 灵感tranquility: 宁静sensed: 感觉到apprentice: 学徒confide: 倾诉gentle: 温柔forgive: 原谅overheard: 听到reputation: 名望dedication: 执着burdens: 负担relief: 释然harmony: 和谐flickering: 闪烁serene: 宁静curious: 好奇restored: 恢复passionate: 热衷realized: 意识到drewing: 冲泡departure: 离开cherish: 珍惜approached: 到来gently: 轻拂sketching: 勾勒honor: 荣光crafted: 制作
Ask yourself, "Do I really believe that God uses all things to work together for my good?" My answer, sisters, is YES! God uses EVERYTHING. Nothing is wasted by God because God uses even the waste that we want to discard to make His greatest masterpiece of our lives. Tragedy is a by-product of loss, destruction, dismantling, and toxicity. However, it is also God's opportunity to show us His faithfulness. I am of the belief that if we stopped, paused, and looked at many of the things we have overcome, even those that were tragic, we would see that God used each situation in ways we could have never imagined. Today, Dr. Jia charges you to declare, "God, use my tragedy!" And then watch God work!
Joey received a DM about how his daughter Jia shouldn't be pumping gas because that's a BOY job. What are your thoughts on the conversation? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey received a DM about how his daughter Jia shouldn't be pumping gas because that's a BOY job. What are your thoughts on the conversation? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey received a DM about how his daughter Jia shouldn't be pumping gas because that's a BOY job. What are your thoughts on the conversation? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
"We need an answer by the end of the day." Ten words. And the moment you hear them, something shifts inside your chest. Your pulse ticks up. Your focus narrows. Careful thinking stops. The clock starts. You probably haven't even asked the most important question yet. Is that deadline real? Most of the urgency you feel every day is fake. Manufactured by someone who benefits from you deciding fast instead of deciding well. Most people can't tell a real deadline from a manufactured one. By the end of this, you will. Let's get into it. What Time Pressure Actually Does to Your Brain Last episode, we talked about decision fatigue. How your brain degrades over a long day. Time pressure is different. Fatigue is a slow drain. Time pressure is a switch. When the clock is ticking, your brain stops analyzing and starts reacting. Normally, the front of your brain runs the show: careful analysis, weighing trade-offs, long-term thinking. Under time pressure, a faster, older, more emotional region takes over. You don't feel less accurate. You feel more confident. Decades of decision science research have found that under time pressure, people's confidence in their decisions goes up while their actual accuracy goes down. You're not just thinking worse. You're thinking worse while being more sure you're right. That false confidence makes you predictably worse at three specific things. Evaluating trade-offs. You lock onto whichever side your gut grabs first. Considering consequences beyond the immediate. Second-order thinking goes offline. Recognizing what you don't know. Because you feel certain, you stop looking for what you're missing. And that's exactly what manufactured urgency is designed to exploit. This is mindjacking in its purest form. Someone engineers the pressure, your brain switches modes, and you make their decision instead of yours. The Urgency Trap: Real vs. Manufactured Not all time pressure is the same. Some deadlines are real. Your tax filing date is real. The board meeting on Thursday is real. The patient who needs a decision in the next ten minutes? That's real. These deadlines exist because of actual constraints in the world, not because someone manufactured them. A huge portion of the urgency you experience? It's engineered. "This offer expires at midnight." Really? Will the company stop wanting your money tomorrow? "We need your decision today." Why today? What actually changes between today and Wednesday? Manufactured urgency is one of the most effective persuasion tools ever invented. Countdown timers on websites that reset when you refresh the page. "Limited time" sales that somehow run every month. Negotiators who invent deadlines because pressure extracts concessions. Manufactured urgency is everywhere. And it works because of what we just covered. Time pressure flips you into fast-decision mode. When someone engineers urgency, they're not just rushing you. They're changing which part of your mind makes the call. The decisions that actually shape your career almost never show up with a countdown timer. The urgency trap pulls your attention to whatever is loudest, while the ones that matter sit quietly in the background. Until it's too late. Five Tests for Manufactured Urgency How do you tell the difference? I use five tests. Test One: The Source Test. Ask yourself: who benefits from me deciding quickly? If the answer is "the person creating the deadline," that's a red flag. Real deadlines serve the situation. Fake deadlines serve the person imposing them. The car salesperson who says "this price is only good today"? That deadline serves the dealership, not you. The surgeon who says "we need to operate within the hour"? That deadline serves the patient. Test Two: The Consequence Test. Ask: what actually happens if I wait? Not what I'm told will happen. What actually happens. "The offer expires." Does it? What would happen if you called back next week? In most cases, the offer magically reappears. Real deadlines have real, verifiable consequences. Manufactured ones have threats that evaporate on contact. Test Three: The History Test. Has this "urgent" situation happened before? If the company has run "ending soon" promotions every month for a year, that's not urgency. That's a business model. If a colleague marks everything "urgent" in their emails, that's not urgency. That's a habit. Test Four: The Reversibility Test. This one builds on our earlier work in the series. How reversible is this decision? If you can cancel, return, or renegotiate, urgency matters less. But if the decision is hard to reverse, like a long-term contract or a major hire, artificial urgency is especially dangerous. The less reversible the decision, the more suspicious you should be of anyone rushing you. Test Five: The Separation Test. Remove yourself from the pressure source and check if the urgency survives. Step out of the room. Sleep on it. Call back tomorrow. Real urgency persists when you leave. Manufactured urgency dissolves. You don't need all five to spot fake urgency. Two or three is usually enough. And once you start applying these tests, something shifts. You realize how much of the urgency in your life was never yours to begin with. I've watched this happen with more than one friend. A cancer diagnosis. Doctors giving them a timeline. And in every case, the same thing happened. Not panic. Clarity. Every manufactured urgency in their lives just fell away. The stuff that didn't matter stopped getting their attention. The stuff that did got all of it. They're well past the timelines their doctors gave them. The outlook is good. But the clarity never went away. They don't need the five tests. They already know which pressure is real. Most of us won't get that kind of forced clarity. So we need tools to create it for ourselves. When "I Need More Time" Is the Problem Everything I just said could become a very sophisticated excuse to never decide anything. "I need more time to think about it" is sometimes wisdom. And sometimes it's avoidance wearing wisdom's clothes. They feel identical from the inside. And that's what makes this so difficult. Recognizing avoidance in yourself is one of the hardest skills in this entire series. We spent all of Episode 10 on it because there's no quick trick for telling the two apart. If you haven't watched that one, I'd recommend going back to it. For this episode, the key connection is this: manufactured urgency and avoidance are opposite problems that feed each other. The more you've been burned by fake deadlines, the more justified "I need more time" feels. And the more you default to delay, the more vulnerable you become when real urgency hits. But watch for this: if you're using the Five Tests to justify delay rather than to evaluate urgency, that's avoidance borrowing the language of skepticism. The tests are meant to help you evaluate the deadline, not to give you another reason to avoid the decision. Calibrating Speed to Stakes So how do you calibrate between moving too fast and waiting too long? Jeff Bezos talks about one-way and two-way door decisions. I've expanded that into what I call the Stakes-Reversibility Grid. Two questions: How much does this matter? And how hard is it to undo? Low stakes, easy to reverse. Which project management tool to try. Where to hold the offsite. What to order for lunch. Decide immediately. These are the decisions people waste hours on that deserve minutes. High stakes, easy to reverse. A new marketing campaign. A pilot program. A hire with a 90-day probation period. Decide quickly, but build in a review date. You can course-correct, so speed matters more than perfection. Low stakes, hard to reverse. The subscription you never cancel. The small clause in a contract nobody reads. These are sneaky. They don't feel important, so you rush. But they're hard to undo, so they accumulate. High stakes, hard to reverse. A merger. A long-term contract. Shutting down a product line. This is where you slow down. This is where you deploy every test for manufactured urgency. This is where anyone rushing you should make you suspicious. Most people get this backwards. They spend weeks picking a laptop and fifteen minutes reviewing an employment contract. The grid fixes that. Be fast on what doesn't matter so you have the bandwidth to be slow on what does. From Knowing to Doing Early in my career, I watched all of this play out in a single conversation. I was negotiating a major technology partnership. The other side's lead negotiator dropped this line: "We need a signed term sheet by Friday or we're moving to the next candidate." Friday was two days away. I felt the shift. That tightening in my chest, that narrowing of focus. My brain immediately started racing toward "how do we make this work by Friday?" Not "should we?" Not "are these the right terms?" Just speed. Then I caught it. Source Test: who benefits from this Friday deadline? They did. We were their preferred partner and they knew it. Consequence Test: what actually happens if we miss Friday? They go to a backup they'd already passed over once. So I said: "We're serious about this partnership and we want to get the terms right. We'll have our response by next Wednesday." Pause. Then: "Okay." The deadline was never real. That's what this skill gives you. Not the ability to stall. Not the excuse to avoid commitment. The judgment to know which pressure deserves your speed and which deserves your skepticism. Next time you feel that tightening in your chest, that rush to decide, run two tests before you respond. The Source Test: who benefits from me deciding fast? The Consequence Test: what actually happens if I wait? You don't need all five every time. Those two alone will catch most manufactured urgency before it catches you. That's not indecisiveness. That's intelligence. Closing In Episode 10, we tackled uncertainty. In Episode 11, depletion. Now you can spot manufactured urgency. But there's a pressure harder to resist than any deadline. A room full of people who've already made up their minds, and they all disagree with you. The CEO nods. The team nods. Everyone nods. And you're sitting there thinking, "They're wrong." What do you do with that? That's next time. Subscribe so you don't miss it. Before You Go You've got the Source Test and the Consequence Test. Use them this week. Then drop a comment and tell me: what's the most obvious manufactured deadline you've ever seen through? I want to hear these stories. If mindjacking is a new concept for you, I've got a full episode that breaks down how your thinking gets hijacked, sometimes by outside forces, sometimes by yourself. Link's below. For those who want to support the work and the team behind these episodes, you can become a paid subscriber on Substack. That link is below too. Share this with someone who needs to hear it. We all know someone who either rushes every decision or can never pull the trigger. I'll see you in the next one. Sources and References: Less deliberation time leads to higher confidence (inverse relationship): Smith, J.F., Mitchell, T.R. & Beach, L.R. (1982). "A cost-benefit mechanism for selecting problem-solving strategies." Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 29(3), 370–396. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0030507382900343 Time pressure reduces processing efficiency and accuracy in decision-making: Dambacher, M. & Hübner, R. (2015). "Time pressure affects the efficiency of perceptual processing in decisions under conflict." Psychological Research, 79(1), 83–94. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24487728/ Time pressure increases risk-taking and alters neural outcome evaluation: Lin, C.J. & Jia, H. (2023). "Time pressure affects the risk preference and outcome evaluation." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3205. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9963851/ Time pressure shifts exploration strategies and dampens uncertainty processing: Wu, C.M., et al. (2022). "Time pressure changes how people explore and respond to uncertainty." Scientific Reports, 12, 3955. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-07901-1 Comprehensive review of the speed-accuracy tradeoff: Heitz, R.P. (2014). "The speed-accuracy tradeoff: history, physiology, methodology, and behavior." Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8, 150. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4052662/ Stress rapidly impairs prefrontal cortex function and shifts control to subcortical structures: Arnsten, A.F.T. (2009). "Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10, 410–422. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2907136/ The amygdala's role in decision-making under emotional and time pressure: Gupta, R., et al. (2011). "The amygdala and decision-making." Neuropsychologia, 49(4), 760–766. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3032808/ Stress and decision-making — a neurobiological integrative model: Pabón, E., et al. (2024). "Decision-making under stress: A psychological and neurobiological integrative model." Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11061251/ Jeff Bezos's Type 1 / Type 2 decision framework (2015 Letter to Shareholders): Bezos, J. (2015). Amazon Annual Report — Letter to Shareholders. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000119312515144741/d895323dex991.htm The 70% information threshold (2016 Letter to Shareholders): Bezos, J. (2016). Amazon Annual Report — Letter to Shareholders. https://ir.aboutamazon.com/annual-reports-proxies-and-shareholder-letters/default.aspx Time pressure effects on decision-making in loss scenarios (eye-tracking): Zhou, Y-B., et al. (2024). "Time pressure effects on decision-making in intertemporal loss scenarios: an eye-tracking study." Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1451674. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1451674/full How time pressure in different phases affects human-AI collaboration: Cao, S., Gomez, C. & Huang, C-M. (2023). "How Time Pressure in Different Phases of Decision-Making Influences Human-AI Collaboration." Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 7(CSCW2), Article 277. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3610068 All sources were active and validated as of February 2025.
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unveiling the Forbidden City's Long-Lost Secrets Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-02-16-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 冬天的北京，紫禁城被一层薄薄的雪覆盖着。En: In the winter of Beijing, the Forbidden City was covered with a thin layer of snow.Zh: 鲜红的灯笼悬挂在宫墙间，点亮了冬日的夜空，增添了节日的气氛。En: Bright red lanterns hung between the palace walls, lighting up the winter night sky and adding to the festive atmosphere.Zh: 李伟是个专注的历史学家，他在城里走动，总是带着对历史深厚的敬意。En: Li Wei is a dedicated historian who walks through the city always carrying a deep respect for history.Zh: 有一天，李伟在一处石雕间发现了一张古老而神秘的纸条。En: One day, Li Wei discovered an ancient and mysterious note among some stone carvings.Zh: 纸条上的字迹潦草而古老，他感到心中泛起一阵好奇与激动。En: The handwriting on the paper was sloppy and old, stirring a sense of curiosity and excitement in him.Zh: 他坚信，这张纸条蕴藏着关于紫禁城的重要秘密。En: He believed firmly that this note concealed an important secret about the Forbidden City.Zh: 新年临近，他的朋友明与佳正忙于准备春节的庆祝活动。En: As the New Year approached, his friends Ming and Jia were busy preparing for the Spring Festival celebrations.Zh: 李伟知道，春节时节是合家团圆的日子，人人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中，但他始终惦记着那个纸条上的秘密。En: Li Wei knew that the Spring Festival is a time for family reunions and everyone is immersed in the festive cheer, yet he couldn't stop thinking about the secret on that note.Zh: 李伟试图解读那些古文字，但总是徒劳无功。En: Li Wei attempted to decipher those ancient characters, but his efforts were always in vain.Zh: 他请求明和佳的帮助，但他们对此表示怀疑：“这个可能只是个玩笑吧，过来一起庆祝新年嘛！En: He asked for help from Ming and Jia, but they were skeptical: "This might just be a joke, come join us to celebrate the New Year!"Zh: ”节日的喧嚣使李伟难以专注。En: The hustle and bustle of the festival made it hard for Li Wei to focus.Zh: 终于，李伟决定求助于一些熟悉古文字的老人。En: Finally, Li Wei decided to seek help from some elderly people familiar with ancient scripts.Zh: 他们耐心地向他解释这些字迹的可能含义。En: They patiently explained the possible meanings of the handwriting to him.Zh: 在长辈们的指导下，李伟终于在除夕夜的午夜掌握了些许线索。En: With the guidance of these elders, Li Wei finally grasped some clues at midnight on New Year's Eve.Zh: 钟声敲响十二点，新年到来，烟花升空。En: As the clock struck twelve and the New Year arrived, fireworks lit up the sky.Zh: 就在这时，李伟终于解读出纸条的意义。En: At that moment, Li Wei finally deciphered the meaning of the note.Zh: 它详细描述了一种失传已久的仪式，曾在紫禁城隆重举行，是古老的传统之一。En: It detailed a long-lost ritual that was once grandly performed in the Forbidden City, one of the ancient traditions.Zh: 这个发现顿时引起了历史学界的注意。En: This discovery immediately caught the attention of the historical community.Zh: 人们对于这个被遗忘的仪式产生了浓厚的兴趣。En: People developed a keen interest in this forgotten ritual.Zh: 李伟的努力不但得到了认可，也给大家带来了一种新的节日传统。En: Li Wei's efforts not only gained recognition but also brought a new tradition to the festivities.Zh: 通过这次经历，李伟明白了集思广益的重要性。En: Through this experience, Li Wei realized the importance of collective wisdom.Zh: 他学会了更加开放地接纳他人的意见，意识到解决历史之谜常常需要大家的共同努力。En: He learned to be more open to accepting others' opinions and understood that solving historical mysteries often requires everyone's joint efforts.Zh: 在节日欢乐的背景下，李伟不仅获得了成功，也更多了一份对团结合作的理解。En: Against the backdrop of holiday cheer, Li Wei not only achieved success but also gained a deeper understanding of the value of unity and cooperation. Vocabulary Words:thin layer: 薄薄的dedicated: 专注的historian: 历史学家handwriting: 字迹sloppy: 潦草ancient: 古老concealed: 蕴藏approached: 临近reunions: 团圆decipher: 解读vain: 徒劳skeptical: 怀疑hustle and bustle: 喧嚣patiently: 耐心地guidance: 指导grasped: 掌握ritual: 仪式grandly: 隆重keen interest: 浓厚的兴趣collective wisdom: 集思广益accepting: 接纳joint efforts: 共同努力unity: 团结cooperation: 合作recognized: 认可mysterious: 神秘curiosity: 好奇excitement: 激动festival: 节日immersed: 沉浸
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Yu Garden's Hidden Stories: Lanterns & Legends with Mei Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-02-06-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 梅站在豫园的门口，围着一条红色围巾，呼出的白气在冬天的空气里显得格外明显。En: Mei stood at the entrance of Yu Garden, wrapped in a red scarf, her breath forming visible white puffs in the winter air.Zh: 今天是春节期间，整个豫园都被五彩斑斓的灯笼装点着，醒目的红色对联迎风飘扬，游客络绎不绝。En: It's during the Spring Festival, and the entire Yu Garden was adorned with colorful lanterns, eye-catching red couplets fluttering in the wind, and a continuous stream of visitors.Zh: 梅是一位经验丰富的导游，她带着一群游客在园中游览。En: Mei is an experienced tour guide, leading a group of tourists through the garden.Zh: “大家好，我是梅，今天很高兴带大家一起探索豫园。En: "Hello everyone, I'm Mei, and I'm delighted to explore Yu Garden with you today," Mei said enthusiastically.Zh: ”梅热情地说。En: Her voice was clear and crisp, giving a warm feeling.Zh: 她的声音清脆，让人感觉温暖。En: Among the tourists were Jia and Liang, a young couple from the north.Zh: 游客中，家和亮是一对来自北方的小夫妻。En: They seemed particularly interested in the stories Mei told.Zh: 他们对梅讲述的故事似乎特别感兴趣。En: She skillfully described the history and legends of each sight in the garden.Zh: 梅熟练地描述着园中每一处景观的历史和传说。En: However, inside, she had a small desire to personally experience an adventure different from her daily routine.Zh: 然而，她心里却有一个小小的愿望，想要亲自感受一些与日常不同的冒险。En: Suddenly, the noise of the Spring Festival drew Mei's thoughts back to the present.Zh: 突然间，春节的喧闹声把梅的思绪拉回到眼前，她发觉人群开始分散，有人被不远处的集市吸引，有人则在拍照留念。En: She noticed the crowd beginning to disperse, some drawn to the nearby market, others taking photos as souvenirs.Zh: 梅一边轻声叹气，一边想要重新集中大家的注意力。En: Mei sighed softly, wanting to regain everyone's attention.Zh: “大家请跟我来，那里有个地方我从来没在其他团提到过。En: "Please follow me, everyone.Zh: ”梅心一横，决定不照着既定的路线走。En: There's a place I've never mentioned to other groups," Mei said decisively, choosing not to stick to the usual route.Zh: 她指向园子里一个宁静的角落，那里有一座被岁月遗忘的小亭子。En: She pointed to a quiet corner of the garden, where there was a small pavilion forgotten by time.Zh: 家和亮紧紧跟随着，其他游客也纷纷走向那里。En: Jia and Liang followed closely, and other tourists also made their way there.Zh: 梅停下脚步，转身微笑，她开始讲述自己的一段特殊故事：“多年以前，我偶然在这里发现了一本古旧的日记，里面写满了这个园子的秘密。En: Mei stopped, turned with a smile, and began to tell a special story of her own: "Many years ago, I stumbled upon an old diary right here, filled with the secrets of this garden."Zh: ”随着梅的故事，游客们仿佛看到了不同时代的人在这里生活和欢笑，听到了他们的故事和愿望。En: With Mei's story, the tourists seemed to see people from different eras living and laughing here, hearing their stories and wishes.Zh: 小亭子在梅的讲述中活跃了起来，游客们被深深吸引。En: The small pavilion came to life through Mei's narration, deeply captivating the visitors.Zh: 游览结束时，家对梅说：“谢谢你，你的故事让这里变得如此特别。En: At the end of the tour, Jia said to Mei, "Thank you, your story made this place so special."Zh: ”游客们带着满足的微笑离开，梅的心中也是暖洋洋的。En: The tourists left with satisfied smiles, and Mei felt a warm sensation in her heart.Zh: 梅站在那里，看着绚丽的灯彩，感受到一种新的充实感。En: Mei stood there, looking at the brilliant lanterns, feeling a new sense of fulfillment.Zh: 她意识到，每一个细节，每一个故事，都是生活中的冒险。En: She realized that every detail, every story, was an adventure in life.Zh: 虽然暂时没有远行，但她已经在自己的工作中找到了满足感。En: Although she hadn't traveled far, she had found satisfaction in her work.Zh: 豫园依旧热闹，梅知道，自己的冒险，将从这些动人的故事开始。En: The Yu Garden remained lively, and Mei knew her adventures would begin with these enchanting stories. Vocabulary Words:scarf: 围巾puffs: 白气adorned: 装点lanterns: 灯笼couplets: 对联fluttering: 飘扬stream: 络绎不绝experienced: 经验丰富enthusiastically: 热情地crisp: 清脆sight: 景观desire: 愿望disperse: 分散market: 集市souvenirs: 留念decisively: 心一横pavilion: 亭子forgotten: 遗忘stumbled: 偶然diary: 日记secrets: 秘密captivating: 吸引satisfied: 满足sensation: 感fulfillment: 充实感adventure: 冒险narration: 讲述brilliant: 绚丽era: 时代enchanting: 动人
Joey is in a pickle figuring out what to save for. Which party should he throw for his daughter Jia? What did you do and how much did it cost? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey is in a pickle figuring out what to save for. Which party should he throw for his daughter Jia? What did you do and how much did it cost? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey is in a pickle figuring out what to save for. Which party should he throw for his daughter Jia? What did you do and how much did it cost? Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: The Lanterns of Unity: A Winter's Tale of Hope and Light Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-31-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在一个寒冷的冬天，雪静静覆盖着小村庄的屋顶和道路。En: On a cold winter day, snow quietly covered the rooftops and roads of the small village.Zh: 村庄坐落在温柔的山丘之间，似乎被时间遗忘了。En: The village was nestled between gentle hills, seemingly forgotten by time.Zh: 红灯笼沿着狭窄的街道闪烁着金色的光芒，将夜晚点缀得分外温暖。En: Red lanterns flickered with golden light along the narrow streets, making the night feel especially warm and inviting.Zh: 今天是元宵节。En: Today was the Yuanxiao Festival.Zh: 全村的人都忙着最后的准备，希望能举办一场特别的庆祝活动。En: Everyone in the village was busy with final preparations, hoping to hold a special celebration.Zh: 村子里，年轻又充满活力的的梁正在计划一场与众不同的灯会。En: In the village, the young and energetic Liang was planning an extraordinary lantern festival.Zh: 他站在村口，手里拿着计划书，眼里满是期待。En: He stood at the entrance of the village, holding a blueprint, his eyes filled with anticipation.Zh: “这个灯会要成为我们村有史以来最美的一次，”他自信地对儿时的好友嘉说。En: "This lantern festival will be the most beautiful in the history of our village," he confidently told his childhood friend Jia.Zh: 嘉是个务实的人，善于手工。En: Jia was a practical person, skilled in handcrafts.Zh: 她听了梁的计划，却忍不住拧眉。En: She listened to Liang's plan but couldn't help furrowing her brow.Zh: “梁，我们没有那么多资源和时间，你的计划太庞大了。En: "Liang, we don't have that many resources and time; your plan is too ambitious."Zh: ”梁不愿放弃，于是他决定去找村民帮忙，让大家一起参与。En: Unwilling to give up, Liang decided to seek help from the villagers and get everyone involved.Zh: 他耐心地说服嘉，让她负责带领制灯团队。En: He patiently convinced Jia to lead the lantern-making team.Zh: 嘉虽然担心，但还是答应了，她知道梁做事总是很有激情。En: Although concerned, Jia agreed because she knew that Liang was always passionate about what he did.Zh: 几天过去了，全村的人在嘉的指导下忙碌着制作灯笼。En: A few days passed, and under Jia's guidance, everyone in the village was busy making lanterns.Zh: 在华美的灯笼落成那天，大家都以为一切顺利。En: On the day the magnificent lanterns were completed, everything seemed to be going smoothly.Zh: 然而，就在活动刚要开始时，一阵强风骤起，灯笼险些被吹散。En: However, just as the event was about to begin, a strong wind suddenly arose, nearly scattering the lanterns.Zh: 大家喊着跑来跑去，场面一片混乱。En: People shouted and ran back and forth, and the scene turned chaotic.Zh: “快！En: "Quick!Zh: 我们得加固它们！En: We need to secure them!"Zh: ”嘉喊道。En: Jia shouted.Zh: 梁也加入其中，他来回奔波着帮助大家。En: Liang also joined in, running around to help everyone.Zh: 在所有人的共同努力下，灯笼终于被稳稳固定住。En: Through the collective effort, the lanterns were finally secured firmly.Zh: 夜幕降临，月亮如银盘般高挂，灯笼在风中轻轻摇曳，整个村庄被温暖的光包围着，人们的笑声回荡在寒冷的夜空中。En: As night fell, the moon hung high like a silver platter, the lanterns gently swayed in the breeze, and the entire village was enveloped in warm light, with people's laughter echoing in the cold night sky.Zh: 在这次节日之后，梁意识到，团结和务实是成功的关键。En: After this festival, Liang realized that unity and pragmatism are the keys to success.Zh: 传统是美好的，但只有在大家一起努力下，才能绽放出最绚丽的光芒。En: Traditions are beautiful, but they can only shine their brightest with everyone's effort.Zh: 从此，梁懂得更多地倾听别人的意见，学会在理想与现实中寻找平衡。En: From then on, Liang understood how to listen more to others' opinions and learn to seek a balance between ideals and reality.Zh: 即便是一场小小的灯会，也能教会他成长。En: Even a small lantern festival can teach him about growth.Zh: 元宵节夜晚，全村的人都沉浸在欢乐里，故事就在这样的温馨中结束。En: On the night of Yuanxiao Festival, the entire village was immersed in joy, and the story ended in such warmth. Vocabulary Words:nestled: 坐落flickered: 闪烁inviting: 温暖anticipation: 期待practical: 务实furrowing: 拧ambitious: 庞大secure: 加固chaotic: 混乱collective: 共同enveloped: 包围pragmatism: 务实traditions: 传统growth: 成长immersed: 沉浸struggling: 挣扎extraordinary: 与众不同gentle: 温柔blueprint: 计划书confidently: 自信resources: 资源patiently: 耐心magnificent: 华美swayed: 摇曳success: 成功balance: 平衡lantern-making: 制灯effort: 努力shouted: 喊festival: 节日
Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Lanterns of Change: Wei's Journey to Follow His Dreams Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-26-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 丽江河畔，阳光洒在河面上，红灯笼随风轻轻摇曳。En: By the riverside of Lijiang, sunlight cascades over the water, and red lanterns sway gently in the breeze.Zh: 每年春节，丽江河总是热闹非凡。En: Every year during the Spring Festival, the Lijiang River is always bustling with excitement.Zh: 这里曾经是一家人欢聚的地方，但今年的团圆却有些不同。En: It used to be a place for family reunions, but this year's gathering feels somewhat different.Zh: 大儿子伟站在窗前，凝望远方。En: The eldest son, Wei, stands at the window, gazing into the distance, bearing immense pressure.Zh: 他心中承受着巨大的压力。En: His father hopes he will inherit the family business, but Wei feels lost about this future.Zh: 父亲希望他继承家族生意，但伟对这个未来感到迷茫。En: He has his own dreams but does not want to disappoint his family.Zh: 他心里有自己的梦想，却不愿让家人失望。En: His sister, Lian, is a perfectionist who has always sought family approval.Zh: 妹妹莲是个完美主义者，她一直努力希望得到家庭的认可。En: This year, she meticulously planned a special New Year's Eve dinner, hoping to satisfy the family.Zh: 今年，她特意策划了一场特别的年夜饭，希望能让家人满意。En: Lian's plan is flawless, yet she doesn't know how to truly help Wei with his troubles.Zh: 莲的计划完美无缺，却不知道如何真正帮助伟解决他的烦恼。En: On the other side, their grandmother, Jia, sits quietly in the courtyard, watching the children busily preparing.Zh: 在另一边，奶奶嘉坐在院子里，安静地看着孩子们的忙碌。En: Jia always mediates family conflicts, knowing that the Spring Festival is the most likely time for tensions to rise.Zh: 嘉总是那个调解家庭矛盾的人，她知道春节时最容易产生摩擦。En: This time, she notices the growing tension between Wei and Lian.Zh: 这次，她发现伟和莲之间的紧张气氛更浓。En: As night falls, the whole village is illuminated by the glow of lanterns.Zh: 夜幕降临，整个村庄被灯笼的光芒照亮。En: The New Year's Eve dinner begins, with the aroma of the dishes filling the air.Zh: 年夜饭开始了，菜肴的香气弥漫在空气中。En: However, the conversation quickly turns to the family business.Zh: 然而，席间的话题很快转向了家族生意。En: The father mentions that he hopes Wei can take over since he is the eldest son.Zh: 父亲提到希望伟能接手，因为他是家中长子。En: Wei remains silent, feeling as if a thousand pounds weigh on his heart.Zh: 伟沉默了，心中仿佛有千斤重担。En: Lian looks at Wei, conflicted inside.Zh: 莲望着伟，心中也很纠结。En: She knows about his troubles but doesn't know how to open up.Zh: 她知道伟的困扰，却不知道如何开口。En: At that moment, grandmother Jia softly says, "Wei, if you have concerns, you can tell us.Zh: 就在这时，奶奶嘉轻声说道：“伟，如果有心事，可以告诉我们，家人会理解的。En: The family will understand."Zh: ”伟抬起头，看向奶奶，微微一笑。En: Wei raises his head, looks at his grandmother, and smiles slightly.Zh: 他知道是时候说出自己的心声了。En: He knows it's time to express his true feelings.Zh: “奶奶，爸爸，妈妈，其实我想做些不一样的事情。En: "Grandma, Dad, Mom, actually, I want to do something different.Zh: 我希望追随自己的梦想，但也不想让你们失望。En: I hope to follow my own dreams, but I also don't want to disappoint you."Zh: ”房间里一片安静，大家都沉思着。En: The room falls silent as everyone ponders.Zh: 嘉也轻轻点头：“每个人都有自己想走的路，也许我们可以找到一个两全其美的方法。En: Jia nods gently, "Everyone has their own path to follow; perhaps we can find a way that works for both."Zh: ”其他人点头赞同。En: The others nod in agreement.Zh: 莲终于开口：“大哥，不管你做什么，我们都会支持你。En: Lian finally speaks up, "Big brother, no matter what you do, we will support you."Zh: ”伟感到一阵轻松，仿佛解开了心中的结。En: Wei feels a wave of relief, as if a knot in his heart has been untied.Zh: 随后，大家一起放灯笼，许下各自的心愿。En: Afterward, everyone sets off lanterns, making their own wishes.Zh: 虽然外面是寒冷的冬天，但家的温暖化解了一切争执和误解。En: Although it is the cold winter outside, the warmth of family melts away all disputes and misunderstandings.Zh: 在这个新年，他们找到了新的方向和理解。En: This New Year, they found a new direction and understanding.Zh: 随着灯笼飞向夜空，伟知道，未来尽管充满未知，但他不再恐惧，因为家人的支持就是他最大的力量。En: As the lanterns ascend into the night sky, Wei realizes that while the future is full of the unknown, he no longer fears it because his family's support is his greatest strength. Vocabulary Words:cascade: 洒sway: 摇曳bustling: 热闹非凡reunions: 欢聚immense: 巨大的perfectionist: 完美主义者meticulously: 特意flawless: 完美无缺courtyard: 院子mediate: 调解tensions: 摩擦illuminated: 照亮aroma: 香气bear: 承受ponder: 沉思conflicted: 纠结concerns: 心事ascend: 飞向disputes: 争执misunderstandings: 误解knight: 微微realize: 知道rendition: 演绎immaculate: 完美无瑕resolution: 解决incidentally: 顺便insight: 见解consideration: 考虑plenitude: 丰富emanate: 放射出
It's Xifeng birthday, so everyone is having a good time, even if labor relations in the Jia household leave room for improvement.Support the show
Joey brought up a topic about his ex-wife and daughter Jia getting in an argument when there was a plot twist....she got pulled over during the call! Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey brought up a topic about his ex-wife and daughter Jia getting in an argument when there was a plot twist....she got pulled over during the call! Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Joey brought up a topic about his ex-wife and daughter Jia getting in an argument when there was a plot twist....she got pulled over during the call! Follow us on socials! @themorningmess
Every once in awhile, I talk with someone who completely changes how I view independent filmmaking and those creating the most inventive films. Lately, that was writer/director/dancer Sam Mandich, whose work was influenced by her beginnings in dance. When you watch her films, it all makes sense -- the spare movement and the focused direction -- it comes from her amazingly unique background.An experimental dance film? A psychological coming of age horror? Sign me up for the next few years of Sam Mandich's work. What an astonishing person and I'm so glad to talk with her today for the pod.In this episode, Sam and I discuss:how dance informs her filmmaking;the amazing through-line in dance, conformity, and coming of age stories;what she got out of attending incredibly selective programs like the Paris College of Art and the American Film Institute;why she was selected by her peers at programs like these for higher honors and how it relates back to dance;the signs that people handled selective opportunities poorly;the simplicity -- and complexity -- of her latest works like JIA (2025) and ANGELS;her work on a new experimental dance film (!!);what it is like for her directing other peoples' projects;how she developed her writing skills and working on a script she didn't write;the fact that coming of age stories have become more immediately told and what that means for the future;the various stages of release for her films and the emphasis of top film schools on festivals;what Square Peg Social was like for her;what's next.Sam's Indie Film Highlight: MA (2015) dir. by Celia Rowlson HallMemorable Quotes:"when I was living in New York and commuting everywhere with my headphones on, suddenly everyone's a dancer.""With dance, it's so interesting because it's an art that's about honing in on your personal craft, and how your singular way of expression feels.""Going back to dance, there's been so many times where you're thrown into environments where you don't know anyone and you're immediately expected to be open and soft and receive like people's most vulnerable stories and then tell them through your own body.""All of these experiences I've been reflecting on so much when I'm doing...I try to journal every morning and try to understand why I am feeling the way I'm feeling about something.""Even though art is so personal, it's really healthy to try to not take things personally.""Directing is a pretty lonely profession...so I think for certain stories, I'm really drawn to collaboration for that sense.""Working on my own scripts, there is a certain vulnerability that comes with the solitude of that...manifests in the story as well.""When you're choosing to make a film with someone, you're choosing to be in a relationship with them. So it's it's a little bit of you. It's a little bit of me, and we figure it out together.""Coming of age can happen at any age."Links:Follow Sam On InstagramSam Mandich's WebsiteSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content
Joint pain is a common concern in pediatric practice. If a child is limping after sports or describes vague aches and pains, it often points to a minor injury or a self-limited condition. But in some cases, joint pain may signal something more serious. The challenge for pediatricians is knowing how to distinguish benign, mechanical causes from symptoms that warrant further evaluation. In this episode, we explain how to identify red herrings versus true red flags in pediatric joint pain. While awaiting a rheumatology referral, we'll talk about what primary care pediatricians can do in the meantime to support children and families facing the possibility of arthritis. This episode was recorded on the exhibit floor at the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference in Denver, Colorado. Angela Chun, MD, is the associate program director for the Division of Rheumatology at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. She is also an assistant professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Some highlights from this episode include: The most common reasons for joint pain in children Understanding juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and how it presents Common pitfalls that may lead to misdiagnosis What providers can do in their offices before a referral For more information on Children's Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.
We return to the podcast circuit in 2026 to examine Scott Galloway: NYU professor, prolific podcaster, and, more recently, part-time life coach for struggling young men.Joining him on an episode of Modern Wisdom with Chris Williamson, we are invited into one of the few remaining forbidden conversational spaces: men, masculinity, and men's problems. You may have been misled by the relentless popularity of Joe Rogan, Modern Wisdom, The Tucker Carlson Show, Triggernometry, The Diary of a CEO, Huberman Lab, and several dozen adjacent properties into thinking these topics are already discussed at length on a near-weekly basis. Alas, this turns out to be a dangerous illusion.In reality, even mentioning men's issues requires an extended ritual acknowledgement of women, failure to perform which risks immediate cancellation. Braving these cultural headwinds, we wade into manly dialogue about masculinity, sex differences, and male malaise. Along the way, we ponder the intricacies of culture war evolutionary psychology, anthropological wars over Man the Hunter, optimised dosages for manly whingeing, and whether making boys learn French verb conjugations qualifies as a human rights abuse.So get your notebooks ready for some important notes from two of the most masculine men in the modern male podcasting space. Men...LinksModern Wisdom: The War On Men Isn't Helping Anyone - Scott GallowayThe Diary of a CEO: Scott Galloway: We're Raising The Most Unhappy Generation In History! Hard Work Doesn't Build WealthAcademic papers ReferencedChanges in gender-based hiring bias (large meta-analysis): Schaerer, M., Du Plessis, C., Nguyen, M. H. B., Van Aert, R. C., Tiokhin, L., Lakens, D., … Gender Audits Forecasting Collaboration. (2023). On the trajectory of discrimination: A meta-analysis and forecasting survey capturing 44 years of field experiments on gender and hiring decisions. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 179, 104280.Epidemiology of alcohol use disorder by marital status (US, NESARC-III): Grant, B. F., Goldstein, R. B., Saha, T. D., et al. (2015). Epidemiology of DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(8), 757–766.Protective effects of marriage on life expectancy (US Medicare sample): Jia, H., & Lubetkin, E. I. (2020). Life expectancy and active life expectancy by marital status among older US adults: Results from the US Medicare Health Outcome Survey (HOS). SSM – Population Health, 12, 100642.Widowhood and well-being (contrary to claims of increased happiness): Adena, M., Hamermesh, D., Myck, M., & Oczkowska, M. (2023). Home alone: Widows' well-being and time. Journal of Happiness Studies, 24(2), 813–838.Meta-analysis of the widowhood effect on mortality (men and women): Shor, E., Roelfs, D. J., Curreli, M., Clemow, L., Burg, M. M., & Schwartz, J. E. (2012). Widowhood and mortality: A meta-analysis and meta-regression. Demography, 49(2), 575–606.Marriage and life satisfaction across the life course (multi-country): Mikucka, M. (2016). The life satisfaction advantage of being married and gender specialization....
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