Podcasts about Merit

THE NEW MODEL ARMY AND THE REGICIDE Colleague Jonathan Healey. Parliament reorganizes its forces into the New Model Army under Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, prioritizing merit over social status. After defeating the Royalists at Naseby, political divisions emerge between Presbyterians and Independents regarding the settlement. The Army debates a new constitution at Putney, pitting Henry Ireton against democratic Levelers. Charles I's refusal to negotiate leads to a second civil war. Concluding the King is a tyrant, radicals try and execute Charles I in 1649, a shocking public act performed in the name of the people. NUMBER 527TH CENTURY LONDON

The cost of college is skyrocketing! To make sure you're not paying those sticker prices, we brought in New York Times 'Your Money' columnist, Ron Lieber. He is also author of 'The Price You Pay for College' and joins the show for a brutally honest walkthrough of what is actually going on behind the scenes. In this episode he breaks down: List price vs. cost of attendance Why most families don't pay rack rate How to read a school's 'Common Data Set' Merit vs. need-based aid How net price calculators and pre-reads can keep you from falling in love with a school you can't afford DEALS & DISCOUNTS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS:   MONARCH MONEY The modern way to manage money! Monarch will change the way you organize your financial life. Track, budget, plan, and do more with your money – together. Get 50% off the first year using this link and entering code: CATCHINGUP50   ALLOY The Alloy Market offers a seamless and efficient way to sell your gold, silver, and platinum jewelry, regardless of its condition. They are committed to transparency and fairness, ensuring you get the best possible value for your items. Use this special Link and enter code CUTOFI15 to get a $15 bonus when you sell items over $199 (limited time offer).    For a full list of current deals and discounts from our partners, sponsors and affiliates, click here: catchinguptofi.com/our-partners    SUPPORT THE SHOW

For the first regular episode of the year (excepting our New Year's recap) we take a look at the New Year Traditions at Temmu's court.  How did the court celebrate the New Year in the late 7th century? For more, check out our blogpost:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-141 Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 141: Temmu's New Year's Traditions   The chill winter air meant that most of the assembled crowd had donned multiple layers of robes.  Men and women had assembled together, upon the open, rock-covered courtyard, both to see and be seen.  To the north and east of the courtyard were the walls and gates of the buildings that made up the royal palace, the rooves of the buildings just visible beyond the gates. The onlookers stood arrayed around the open lanes that had been created for the event—at one end of the rocky field were targets, while at the other were archers, also arrayed in their finest outfits.  While technically they wore hunting robes, cut to allow greater movement in the arm, many of these fabrics had no business being anywhere near a moor or the dirt of open fields.  After all, this wasn't just some hunt:  They were demonstrating their skills in the center of the State.  At the officials' command, the archers let loose their arrows.  The crowd murmured at the soft crack of the bowstring, the faint whisper of arrow as the fletchings cut through the air, and the thud as the arrows struck their targets.  Looking downrange, approval bubbled through the crowd: the targets were well-struck.  Behind the archers on the field, another group awaited their turn. The events of the day would be the talk of the court, from the lowest clerk to the highest prince , for days to come.   Not just the well-placed shot, but also the grace and poise of the one who had let loose an arrow of particular note.  And heaven forbid an arrow miss its target.  Even kicking up stones or scraping the earth could have negative social consequences.  A particularly good showing could inspire poetry, and beyond the prizes being offered to the winner, could also bring notice to those from more obscure backgrounds. The new year had just started, and a good performance might be just what was needed to help put the rest of the year on a good footing.     Welcome back!  This is the first episode of the new year, 2026, and we are still going through the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tenno, covering the period from 672 to 686. Before we get started, though, a quick shout out to Suzuki for supporting us on Patreon.  It means a lot and helps us keep this thing going.  If you would like to support us or our efforts to maintain the website, where we also have the Armor manual, clothing, and a miscellany on various topics, we have information at Sengokudaimyo.com and we will have more information at the end of this and every episode.  Support is appreciated as I really do want to try and minimize ads—I don't put any into the podcast myself, though some platforms may place ads around the podcast, which I cannot always control.  Now we've covered a lot this reign, but this episode we are going to cover three things in particular.  First off, and perhaps a bit of a tangent, we'll talk about some of the issues with the Chronicles when it comes to reading it,especially in translation.  It seems quite clear to me that even the sources that the Chroniclers were using weren't always in agreement with each other on how they spelled certain things or even in properly recording when things happened. After that we'll cover the major topics of this episode, focusing primarily on the New Year traditions of the court—we'll look at the major events of the first month for each year in the reign, allowing us to see some of the similarities, and differences. Finally, we'll look at the last year of Ohoama's reign, particularly as he grew ill, because it can be a fascinating question:  What did people do when disease struck before we had modern medicine?  Here the Chronicles reveal a lot about not only the beliefs of the time, but of their syncretism: how people were willing to reach out to whatever power they could in order to cure disease.  Whether it was Yin-yang divination, beseeching the local kami, or attempting to make merit, all of these things were on the table when it came to illness and mortality. And so, let's get into it. One of the first things I want to talk about is the problem that we have in trying to read the Chronicles, both in the way they are written and then the translation issue on top of that.  Even in Japanese the Chronicles have to be translated out of an ancient form of kanbun—basically a Japanese version of Chinese, using Sinitic characters.  Like any document written by non-native speakers, the Chronicles have their idiosyncrasies that make it different from what someone in Chang'an might be writing at the same time.  There are times and places where it is clear that something is meant to be read in the Japanese pronunciation, which itself was different from modern Japanese.  Add to this the fact that there are many times that different Sinitic characters sound alike in Japanese—especially in modern Japanese.  So any English translation of the Chronicles which doesn't give the actual characters in the source text can add to the confusion.  This is why I like to consult either the Japanese Historical Text Initiative or an electronic version of the National History series text—though even those have issues at times when the characters used in the text don't exist in modern character sets, though that seems to be less and less of a problem. One example I want to give of the complexities of reading the Chronicles, and the need to dive deeper into the original language and consult multiple versions, is a set of records for Ki no Omi no Abemaro and others.  He is our first mention of a member of the Ki family: on the 9th day of the 8th month of 673, the first year since Ohoama's ascension and one year after the Jinshin no Ran, we are told that Ki no Omi no Abemaro and others were given favors and rewards for their service during the war in Iga province.  Indeed, Ki no Omi no Abemaro is listed prominently in the records of the Jinshin no Ran and appears to have been one of the generals for Ohoama and the Yoshino faction in general.  Less than a year later, on the 28th day of the 2nd month, Ki no Omi no Abemaro died and was posthumously awarded the rank of Daishi, which was 5th from the top in the old system of 26 ranks.  A rather respectable rank, to be sure. Later that same year we get a note that Ki no Omi no KATAmaro—another member of the family, apparently--was appointed, along with a "Prince Mino" as a commissioner for the erection of the Great Temple of Takechi. Two years later, however, we get a record on the 22nd day of the 4th month of 676 that the sovereign, Ohoama, sent an order to the Governor of Mino telling him to let the children of Ki no Omi no Abemaro, resident in the district of Toki, be removed to the East country and become peasants in that country.  On the face of it, this appears to be an incredible fall from grace.  Ki no Omi no Abemaro is basically one of the top generals and heroes of the Jinshin no Ran, but his children are so unruly that they are banished to the East and stripped of their noble status?  There has to be a story there, right? Then in 679, on the 3rd day of the 2nd month, we are told that Ki no Omi no Katamaro died.  For his service in the Jinshin War he received the posthumous rank of Upper Daikin.  That would have been roughly the 7th rank—two below Ki no Abemaro.  So was the Ki family back in the good graces of the court?  What is going on? First off, when we go to the original text, we see that Aston, whose translation of the Nihon Shoki we've been working on Ihas made an apparent error in translation.  Remember, Aston was translating the Chronicles back in 1896, without the aid of modern computers, along with a lot of other research that has happened since then, and I can hardly fault him for missing things here and there.  This is why, if you cannot check the original, you may want to also look at the new translation from John Bentley.  Here we can see that he translates the name not as "Ki no Omi no Abemaro", but rather that of "Ki no Omi no KASAmaro".  And if we compare Ki no Omi no KaSAmaro with the previous entry on Ki no Omi no KaTAmaro we can see that these are actually the exact same names except for a single character.  Which leads us to the question:  Are these the same person, and the scribes simply miswrote one of the characters in the name?  It may not even be on the Chroniclers so much as whatever texts they were, themselves, working on.  This isn't helped by the fact that we later on see another entry for Ki no KATAmaro, but that one uses character for "KATA", meaning "hard", using the kun'yomi, or Japanese reading, rather than using two phonetic characters in the on'yomi reading.  So is this just another way to write "KATAmaro" or is this a different person altogether? Ultimately, we cannot be entirely sure.  It does seem wild that there would be two "Ki no Omi no Katamaro" at court at the same time and nobody otherwise distinguished the two.  The question about KaSAmaro and KaTAmaro, and whose kids were sent into exile, is a bit harder to untangle. And, truth be told, it is ultimately a minor point.  We have only a couple of lines here, and maybe these passages will help illuminate something later in the histories, but for now, they are just fragments of the story of what was happening.  Parts of the tattered tapestry from which the royal history was ripped out and restitched together, the rest of the story largely discarded, unless it made its way to us through other means. The Chronicles may be flawed, but they are still our main source for the period, and while we might challenge individual items, we still get a glimpse at how things operated back at this time.  For instance, if we look at the events happening around the New Year, we can see some common threads. The New Year is an important tradition in many cultures.  Whether it was a solar or lunar cycle—or some combination—the new year indicated a new cycle, and was often accompanied by associated symbols and rituals.  Today in the US it is often celebrated with fireworks and champagne, followed by making resolutions for the new year.  In Japan, people will often go to their local shrine or temple for an important first visit, and temple bells will ring out 108 times. Another tradition is the osechi-ryori, the  traditional new years foods.  This has grown over time from a tradition of eating a large bowl of rice to various other foods that are seen as auspicious or having special properties, such as the hardening of teeth—a major concern before the era of modern dental hygiene!  Then there are traditions such as the Kagami Biraki, or opening of the mirror, and the creation of special mochi, or rice cakes for the purpose.  Of course all of these traditions started somewhere and have evolved over time, so what do we know about the New Year celebrations during the late 7th century? One caveat: in the Chronicles, we only really see what was happening in the court, and the Yamato court at that.  There may have been local traditions that others were following that, unless we find documentation about them, we likely would never know.  But many of the court traditions were passed down to later generations. These traditions appear to include the giving of gifts; large, celebratory banquets; and the annual archery tournament. Banquets are some of the first and most common things we see.  We see a banquet as Ohoama assumed the throne in 673—which probably was the event that overshadowed anything else they might have done that year.  The following year, 674, there doesn't seem to have been much recorded, and I wonder if they were still pulling everything together after the turmoil of Ohoama's ascension.  And so it is that in the first month of 675 we really get to see the annual new year's events in their full form.  On the second day of that year, from the Royal Princes on down, all of the public functionaries presented their respects to the sovereign.  I suspect that this was a large ceremony, where everyone gathered in the courtyard of the palace together or something similar, not that each person individually went up and presented their respects—I doubt Ohoama would have wanted to sit through all of that.  Also, as we've already seen, there were limits on what parts of the palace different functionaries were allowed to enter.  So some of these well-wishers may have been "outside", others in the courtyard, and others in the palace building itself, depending on their rank and importance in the bureaucratic hierarchy. On the following day, all public functionaries, from the initial rank upwards, presented firewood.  Aston notes that this is the first mention of what would become a yearly practice.  Firewood may not seem like much, but it would have likely been important to keeping things running, especially given how early people were supposed to arrive at the palace and administrative complex each day.  This wasn't firewood for a fireplace—they didn't have those—but probably would have been used either for cooking or, I suspect, for the large braziers that burned with wood and pitch to light the darkness, particularly in the winter months.  Firewood could also be processed into smaller pieces of coal for other uses.  It is interesting that for the first ceremony, the Chronicles describe the court from the Royal Princes on down, while for the giving of firewood the order is from the initial—which is to say the lowest—ranks upwards.  This could indicate the order in which things progressed in these cases. Several days after that, on the 7th day of the first month, a banquet was given at court for the Ministers—so only the higher ranking functionaries.  But ten days later, on the 17th, everyone of rank—the Ministers of State; the Daibu, or high officials; and all of the public functionaries from the initial rank upwards had an archery meeting in the Court of the Western Gate. Archery and archery contests had been important to the Yamato people for ages—and the same on the continent.  Confucius, in his day, suggested that archery was a martial skill that even nobles should cultivate.  I believe we've noted before how archery could be used both for warfare and for just feeding your family.  As such, it was considered a particularly useful skill for just about everyone to have.  It probably also helped that it was a martial skill that noblemen and others could use to show off without actually risking any injury to themselves in the process.  I'm just saying.  And as we described at the top of the episode, this particular archery contest would, for both participants and spectators, likely have been a chance to show off the top of their game, whether in martial prowess, clothing, or behavior. And since we are looking at the new year's celebrations, let's keep this going and look at later years in Ohoama's reign. As I go through these you'll start to see the patterns, where the events I've just described will generally recur year after year, but not identically, sometimes with a shuffle in the schedule. In 676, we see that the Ministers and public functionaries pay their respects on the first day of the new year.  On the 4th day, the sovereign granted gifts to the higher level officials, from Royal Prince Takechi, down to the high officials, or Daibu, of Shoukin rank.  Their not so secret Santa gifts included robes, hakama, lined garments, obi for their waist, leg straps, and staves, or walking sticks.  We are also told that everyone above the rank of Shoukin also got an armrest thrown in, as well.  Further gifts or grants were given out several days later, on the 7th, to everyone from Shoukin on up, based on their individual circumstances.  Then, on the 15th, we again see all of the functionaries present firewood and then they were all entertained at a court banquet. The following day they held the annual new year's archery contest, with prizes, at the court of the western gate.  Those who hit the target received prizes of different values.  In his recent translation of the Nihon Shoki, Bentley references Kuroita on Article 41 of Miscellaneous Statutes, saying that this archery event was apparently a regular new year's occurrence, and even the prizes were noted as varying over time. The same day they held the archery contest, that year, Ohoama held a banquet at the Shima Palace.  Shima was the name given to the Soga Prime Minister, back in the day, so I assume that this was at or near the site of the old Soga residence? In 677, by comparison, we don't see nearly as much referenced.  There is archery at the South Gate, vice the west gate, but that is it.  The festivities in 678 similarly only talk about the archery at the south gate.  There is also mention of a preparation for worshipping the kami of heaven and earth, for which a purification was held throughout the state.  In addition, an abstinence palace, or saiguu, was erected on the bank of the Kurahashi river.  Kurahashi appears to refer to a tributary of the Ohara river, in Sakurai.  This feels less like a New Year's celebration, however, and more like a sign of merit-making.  The Saiguu would have likely been to prepare for a trip to Ise shrine, and three months later Ohoama was preparing to go to the Saiguu, but that is when Princess Towochi suddenly died, and they scuttled the plans. In 679, the court greeted the New Year with a new decree.  Ohoama declared that Princes, Ministers, and public functionaries—anyone in service to the government, basically, were to refrain from paying respects during New Years or other ceremonies to anyone except relatives of the grade of elder brother, elder sister, and above, or to the senior members of the Houses.  Princes weren't even to pay respects to their own mothers unless they were, themselves, princesses.  Ministers were likewise not to pay respects to their mothers if they were of "mean" rank.  In other words, if they were commoners. These kinds of statutes are interesting.  First of all, you ask yourself why?  In all likelihood, there were various local traditions and individuals paid respects to their parents as well as to others to whom they owed respect for one reason or another.  Here the State is ordering society such that there is a clear hierarchy, at least among the members of the court.   Since women often found advancement by marrying up, it was usual for one's mother to have been born a lower rank in society than oneself.  And so we see them enforcing the social order. That new order was based on Confucian concepts of hierarchy, and this seems to go along with those same ideas. What we don't really see is how this was enforced—if at all.  The day after that, the yearly archery competition took place at the West Gate of the palace. The next year, 680, we see a New Year's Banquet at the Court of the Great Hall.  Ohoama himself occupied the Mukai-kodono, which appears to refer to one of the smaller wings.  Based on the palace layout that we see in the posthole remains, this probably means that he was set up in the smaller wing, likely in a more intimate space, while most of the other guests were in the large hall, maintaining that crucial separation of sovereign and subjects. This New Year's archery event included Princes of the Blood all the way down to the rank of Shouken—the very lowest rank in the court—and it was held at the South Gate. You may be noticing a pattern, that the archery competition is listed as being held at either the south or west gates.  The south gate probably refers to the main gate of the later Okamoto—aka the Kiyomihara—palace.  The West gate refers to the west gate of the Ebinoko enclosure.   We talked about these and the general layout of the palace back in Episode 134, and you can check out that podcast blog post for some images of what things looked like, as well.  These gates were on the north and east sides of a large, rectangular courtyard, which was likely the actual event location.  So it isn't as if these were separate areas, just a difference of where things were set up in what was otherwise the same relative space. The following year, 681, we see similar ceremonies.  We see offerings made to the kami of Heaven and Earth, and we once again see a note about various functionaries paying their respects at court.  Even though this wasn't mentioned every year, it could have been an annual thing and just wasn't always recorded so the Chroniclers just wrote down what they had records for.  There are certainly other things we don't necessarily witness in the records, such as the annual promotions and promulgations.  We see irregular promotions, of course, such as on someone's passing, but the regular administration of the government and promotions of people to new positions is not something we really see regularly documented, since it doesn't really shed much light on the sovereign and the royal household.  And so we sometimes see things if they get mentioned, but otherwise we only see glimpses.  That would change as records became more administrative and the histories were more about simply recording what was happening—though still from a particular angle.  At this point, however, we aren't dealing with a single court record, but rather with numerous records, stories, and recollections.  That same year, 681, we also see another banquet, with Ohoama situated in the Mukai no Kodono, while the Princes of the Blood and non-royal Princes were both introduced into the inner reception chamber.  Ministers attended in the outer reception chamber.  They all received sake and musical performances, and rank advancements were given out.  Kusakabe no Kihi no Ohogata was graduated from the rank of Upper Daisen to Lower Daikin, and given the title of Naniwa no Muraji.  A few days later, Sakahibe no Muraji no Iwazumi was granted a fief with 60 horses and received presents of coarse silk, floss silk, cloth, and one hundred mattocks—the last one being a rather interesting gift, I have to admit.  Of course, in true Chronicles fashion, we have no idea why these gifts were made—we don't even have another reference to Iwazumi around there, but he must have done something. We are later told that there was the annual archery shoot, and then a decree, possibly unrelated to New Years, that the various provinces were ordered to repair the shrines to the kami of heaven and earth. The year 682 is an anomaly.  There is no mention of a banquet, nor of an archery tournament.  I wonder if this may have to do with some of the sad events of that first month.  While it started fine—Toneri no Miyatsuko no Nukamushi was raised from Daisen to Lower Shoukin—we are told that on the 18th, Lady Higami, one of Ohoama's consorts, died in the palace.  The next day there was an earthquake, and she was buried on the 27th.  A prominent illness and death may have put a pall on the ceremonies, and could explain why we don't see any mention of them for that year. It is also possible that some of this New Year tradition had become so routine that people were no longer commenting on it, and therefore the Chroniclers weren't including references to it. The following year, in 683, we again see the functionaries paying their respects.  We also see the presentation of a three legged sparrow by the Viceroy of Tsukushi, Tajihi no Mabito no Shima, along with others.  A three legged sparrow would have been something: it is reminiscent of the three legged crow, often depicted in the sun.  It is unclear if it was still alive, but that wasn't the point.  They invited the Princes of the Blood down to the Ministers to great hall, the Daigokuden, for a banquet, where the three legged sparrow was displayed. .  Later that month, Ohoama issued a decree in regards to all of the auspicious omens and made presents to everyone, from Shouken rank upwards.  There was also a general amnesty—all crimes were pardoned, from capital offenses on down, and all forced labor was remitted, so that people didn't have to provide the normal service.  The phrasing for this particular entry is intriguing.  Ohoama is mentioned as Yamato Neko Sumera no Mikoto and is specifically called a "God Incarnate".  This is one of the rare times that we see the Chronicles explicitly call out the sovereign as a living deity.  Of course, they trace the royal lineage back to Amaterasu, but there isn't a lot suggesting that the sovereign is necessarily a deity. And in reality, this was probably something that was more honorific than anything else.  Heck, at times in Japanese history we would see sovereigns selling their calligraphy to help keep the royal palace funded while warriors went around actually being in charge of things.  However, this divine language did show up in the 19th and 20th century, especially as the Tennou, now called Emperor in English terminology, once again was recognized as the Head of State, and people would actually pray to him.  Not necessarily like praying at a shrine, but out of respect.  And remember, a lot of time the Tennou was kept out of sight of regular people and hidden, much like the way that the kami were treated.  The concept of the Emperor's divinity was very much tied up in the elevation of the State and the general sense of Nationalism that had gripped Japan in the early half of the 20th century.  And so the allies quite explicitly had Emperor Showa renounce his divinity after Japan  World War II. Those studying Japanese history have probably heard of this concept, and so it is interesting to see evidence of it here, as well as the nature of the royal house, where the sovereign is kept at a distance from those of lower rank, unless they are directly serving him.  But it was not as though the sovereign was a god in the sense of being all powerful.  Even if he were considered a living, visible kami, the kami were not omnipotent, and there was no getting over the fact that our particular sovereign, Ohoama, was getting older.  Only a year or so earlier, he had suffered a rather bad illness, so he clearly was not invincible.  And it is of course possible that this language was simply royal exaggeration, rather than any attempt to define the sovereign as something more than he was.  Still, that concept would continue to play a part throughout Japanese history. The same day in 683 that Ohoama issued the pardons, we are told that there was a special performance at the Woharida Court of dance and music from Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla—the "Three Countries" of the Korean peninsula, even if only one of them was still going strong.  The Woharida palace is thought to have been north, along the banks of the Asuka River.  It may have been moved over time—there appears to have been a palace in the Furumiya area, near Toyoura, but there is also evidence of a palace by a shared name over by Ikazuchi-no-oka, on the other side of the river.  Excavations at Ikazuchi no oka revealed pottery with the name of the palace, suggesting that this was the site, but even then, that pottery was from the later Tempyo era.  Regardless, it seems that the Asuka valley was just chock full of palaces, new and old, though the older ones were not as regularly used for government functions, one assumes. The following year, 684, we again get told about the annual archery shoot.  It took place in the Eastern court this time, with Ministers in attendance.  Apparently they had men skilled in archery shooting alongside palace attendants and little people—the word used in Japanese is "Shuju" or "Hikihito".  This word is often translated as "dwarf"; it appears to be a derogatory term for anyone considered short of stature, though it is also used to refer more generally to those seen as either lacking wit or to actors and performers. This isn't the first time we see the term.  Back in 675, about 9 years prior, Ohoama had sent orders to a number of regions near the capital, from Awaji to Tamba, to Afumi and to Mino and Wohari, among others, to send as tribute common people who could sing, shuju—or dwarfs—and jugglers.  More generally they seem to be referring to entertainers, and it strikes me that could be what is meant here.  Either way, the entertainment industry was hardly a lucrative one, and we can see that performers are almost more of a commodity, to be "paid" as tribute, rather than a professional who is "hired" to work.  I suspect that, as in many other times and places, individuals who were shorter than average often found work as entertainers in this sense—whether they wished it or not. The year 685 we don't see any mention of archery, though it probably still happened.  Instead the Chronicles focus on the various government officials paying their respects to their sovereign.  The rest of the entries for the month are largely concerned with changes to the rank system as of that year. The year 686, we get the last records of various new years festivals—four months later, the sovereign would grow terribly ill, and he would eventually pass away later that year.  However, for those still celebrating the new year in 686, that was all in the future. The last year of Ohoama's reign started out relatively like others. Ohoama went to the Daigokuden, the Great Hall of Audience, and gave a banquet to the Princes and High Officials.  There he decided to have something of a riddle challenge.  He would ask riddles, and then offer prizes for the correct answer. And no, unfortunately we don't have any of the riddles, at least that I have seen.  Aston calls these "conundrums" and notes that they are specifically nonsensical questions, and provides examples such as "Why does a horse, after a rapid run, listen to the earth? Why does a dog, when he goes slowly, raise his leg?"  Ohoama's son, Prince Takechi, answered correctly, and so did Prince Ise.  Their prizes differed in content, but in both cases were pretty extensive.  The winners received ceremonial robes, brocade or purple hakama, numerous bolts of coarse silk, many pounds of thread, hundreds of pounds of flossed Silk, and hundreds of bolts of cloth. I think that makes it quite a bit more lucrative than any of the quiz nights I've ever been to. Later that month, there was another banquet, this time for nine Buddhist monks of Daikan-daiji. Besides its status as a national temple, this may have also been related to the year before, when Ohoama had fallen ill, and prayers had been offered at Daikandaiji for his recovery.  The courthad likewise provided gifts to the temple in the last month of the previous year, and then, at the banquet, gave to the attending monks silk and cloth, based on their rank. But that wasn't the end of the gifts.  The following day the Princes and High Officials all received upper garments and hakama—likely referring to official garments—each getting one suit, each. Then, on the 13th day of the new year, the court invited 20 exceptional individuals to a banquet.  These were talented people, professors, divination specialists, and physicians.  They were also wined and dined and presented various gifts. On the 16th day, the Princes and High Officials were then invited to a banquet in the Daigokuden.  They were given gifts of silk and cloth, based on their rank.  Then they held another riddle competition, with correct answers rewarded with gifts of coarse and flossed silk. This was only a short time after disaster had struck, though a bit removed—two days earlier, in the evening, the royal storehouse at Naniwa had caught fire, eventually burning the entire Toyosaki palace complex to the ground.  Some claimed that it was actually started at a private residence,  that of Ato no Muraji no Kusuri, and then spread to the Palace.  In the end, only the military storehouse was spared. This would have been quite the tragedy for the government, but it did not halt the festivities happening down in Asuka.  The Naniwa Palace appears to have been a major government center for the administration of the state, but it was not the royal court which had been in Asuka for over a decade.  Indeed, I imagine that the news probably reached Asuka around the time of the Banquet itself. And yet, rather than putting a damper on the festivities, they continued another couple of days – presumably everything was already prepared and there was no point in canceling.  On the 17th, the court sponsored a banquet in the rear palace, presumably for the Queen and members of the imperial family.  Then the following day there was a great revel at the palace.  Ohoama took his place in front of the royal muro and made presents to performers, as well as to the singers.  As before everything varied according to rank. Asuka wasn't the only place to get in on the festivities.  The same month, the court also sponsored a banquet for the Silla envoys in Tsukushi, sending Prince Kawachi and others. Regrettably, that would be the last new year that Ohoama would see.  In the fifth month, he grew ill, and what we see in the Chronicles after that is an interesting look into how people of the time dealt with sickness. First, the court had the Sutra of Yakushi expounded at Kawaradera and held a Buddhist retreat in the palace, inviting monks to come and expound Buddhist teachings.  Yakushi, or Yakushi Nyorai—Bhaisajyaguru in Sanskrit—was known as the Medicine Buddha, and his name in Sinitic characters was basically "Master of Medicine".  It is said that he was responsible for the Eastern Pure Land, and that, as a Bodhisattva, he had made 12 great vows to cure the illnesses of all living beings in the world.  For that reason, Yakushi Nyorai was often called upon to cure illness.  In fact, six years earlier, when the Queen, Uno no Sarara Hime, had taken ill, Ohoama erected an entire temple to Yakushi Nyorai, known as Yakushiji.  He then had 100 people take vows as priests, and they attributed her recovery to this effort. In this case, however, it seems that it didn't have quite such an effect, and Ohoama remained under the weather.  We are also told that the court sent Palace Attendants, the Oho-toneri, to clean the pagodas of various temples and that a general amnesty was announced for all under heaven, emptying the prisons.  All of this points to the idea of making merit in the hope of bringing good karma, and thus healing. But the following month, Ohoama was still ill.  Divination was performed by the Onmyoji, the court diviners, and they claimed that there was a curse from Kusanagi, the sword that is considered one of the three main royal symbols.  This is the sword that was said to have been found by Susanowo in the tale of Yamata no Worochi, and which gained its name, Kusanagi, when used by Yamato Takeru, cutting down the grass to save him when his enemies tried to catch him by setting fire to the field where he was hunting.  For more on that, check out Episodes 34 and 35. Given the importance of Kusanagi, I suspect that the idea of destroying it to remove the curse was out of the question, and so it was sent to Atsuta Shrine, where it was enshrined and would largely stay except when needed for enthronement ceremonies.  And yet, even after the sword was taken away, the illness remained.  Six days later, on the 16th day of the 6th month, the court sent Prince Ise and officials to Asukadera and asked the monks there to make and oath with the Buddha to make Ohoama whole through the power of the Three Treasures of Buddhism.   For their work, the three Buddhist Officers, the Master of the Law, and the Upadhyaya and temple directors, as well as those monks with the rank of "master" each received a donation of one robe and one cover, or "Ohi". Three days later, the court ordered the hundred officials to go to Kawaradera and perfom the ceremony of lighting lanterns and giving offerings to Buddha.  Then they held a great feast and offered repentance for their transgressions.  All of this sounds like a continued attempt to make merit for the state, and thus for Ohoama. We then see the court granting the monks Hounin and Gishou 30 stipend-households to provide for them in their old age, which may be more merit-making, or possibly was related to some of the many other activities so far.  There are a few issues with this entry, and Aston and Bentley don't seem to agree on the actual date.  Bentley has it on the 28th, but that seems odd as it comes before the entry for the 22nd of the same month.  Aston has it as the 20th, but then claimes that there is something odd about the date of the 22nd. On the 22nd, we are simply told that the district kitchen of Nabari caught fire.  Aston notes that this would have been the official government arm in the district gathering food to supply the royal household—rather than being a kitchen in terms of a place to prepare food. Merit-making continued into the 7th month.  We see the Soujou and Soudzu, the primary and secondary prelates of the Asukadera, performing ritual repentance.  The following day there is another general amnesty, and Aston specifically mentions performing a Oho-harai, or cleansing. The day after taxes were halved from the provinces and corvee labor with local conscripted labor was exempted for the year.  Then we see the court presenting paper offerings to the Kunikasu Kami in Ki provinces, as well as the four shrines in Asuka and the Great Suminoe—aka Sumiyoshi—shrine. On the 8th day of the 7th month, 100 monks were invited to the court to read the Golden Light Sutra—Konkoymyou kyou.  And on the 15th there was another court issued amnesty. Despite all of these attempts to make merit and intercede with the Buddha or with various kami, Ohoama's illness continued.  We see that the court issued a decree that all things that should occur, great or small, should be reported to the queen and the crown prince—presumably because Ohoama was no longer in a state to be able to do so. Continuing with their efforts, the court declared that destitute commoners who had been forced to borrow rice seed or money before the 12th month of the previous year would be exempted from repayment.  And then the court changed the name of the year to Akami-tori, or Shuuchou.  They also renamed the palace in Asuka to "Kiyomihara"—again, go check Episode 134 for more on the palace.  "Shuuchou" is the Red Bird, likely referring to Suzaku, though Aston also points out that "Asuka" here is given as "flying bird", as well, and there had been numerous bird-related omens reported throughout the reign. Although these names would not have been used prior to this point—the 7th month of the final year of the reign—the Chroniclers applied the nengo, Shuuchou, to all of the entries for this year, and the name of the palace is often given as "Kiyomihara" is given to distinguish it from the Later Okamoto Palace, even though it was simply the latter palace with the addition of the Ebinoko enclosure. The changing of the era name was likely another attempt to change the seemingly inauspicious year, along with all of the merit-making that the court had been undergoing. And yet they kept going. The court selected 70 people who were diligent in keeping Buddhist laws and had them take the tonsure, and they sponsored a feast—or festival—in the Royal Muro of the Palace. At the same time the various princes had a statue of the Boddhisatva of Compassion, Kannon, made for the sovereign and had the Lotus sutra—the sutra where Kannon is first mentioned—read out at Daikandaiji. Kannon, or Avalokitesvara, was originally seen as a male Boddhisatva, but is often depicted as a woman.  They are also known as Guanyin, from which we get Kannon in Japanese.  Guanyin is also seen as Goddess of Mercy, and is one of the most popular figures across multiple sects of Buddhism and even outside of the Buddhist faith, where she is still seen as a goddess.  In this case, however, it seems clear that the princes were seeking compassion to relieve the sovereign of his affliction. And yet it persisted. They had 80 more people take the tonsure, and then 100 more men and women, placed 100 statues of the Boddhisatva, Kannon, in the palace, and then read out 200 volumes of the Lotus Sutra. And then they made prayers to the kami of Heaven and Earth.  And they dispatched Hata no Imiki no Iwakatsu to present paper offerings to the Tosa great shrine.  Nothing seemed to be working. In the 9th month, we see the royal princes and others, down to the various ministers, all gathered at Kawaradera making oaths for the health of the sovereigns.  This last ditch effort would go unrewarded.  Five days later, and Ohoama would pass away.  Of course, they couldn't just say that he died:  The Chronicles actually say that he divinely departed.  After all, didn't they call him an incarnate kami? Two days later, the court began the ritual of mourning, raising voices in lamentation, and setting up a temporary palace of interment in the courtyard, south of the palace.  Ohoama's body was placed there some thirteen days later, and people mourned his passing. For the rituals, we see monks and nuns performing ritual lamentation in the courtyard between 3 and 5 am, around the time that court officials would normally be waiting at the gates.  Over the next several days, various ceremonies were held and eulogies given.  We are told that the court presented offerings of food for the dead for the first time, and over the next several days monks and nuns would offer their laments and then various individuals would provide their eulogies.  Finally, on the last day of the ninth month, the eulogies concluded with Nyang-u, a Baekje prince, who pronounced a eulogy on behalf of his father, and then the Miyatsuko of various provinces came and did likewise.  There were also performances of all manner of singing and dancing. With that, the reign of Ohoama would come to an end.  The government would continue under his wife, the Queen, and Crown Prince.  We'll get into the succession in a later episode.  For now I'll just say that he was eventually buried in a large tomb in the modern Noguchi area of Asuka, and you can still go see it. And while that does bring us to the end of the reign, we still have a few more things that I want to discuss.   This episode just seemed a good time to talk about all of the various new years ceremonies, and that seemed to lead naturally into the very last year, but there is still more to discuss.  For one thing, we still haven't quite covered the spread of Buddhism and the changes in the structure.  There are also various laws and punishments that are worth covering.  Finally, there are the Chronicles themselves: we've talked about it all along, but the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki are attributed to this era, as is the start of what would become the capital of Fujiwara-kyo—many works that Ohoama would not live to see to the end, but is largely held responsible for starting. But until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

TODAY ON THE ROBERT SCOTT BELL SHOW: Revolutionary Resolve Rising, Vaccine Liability Shift, Pro-Parent CDC Policy, Tellurium Metallicum, Merit Over Credentials, Weight Regain Reality, Drug Faith Fading, Fluoride Labels Changed, Hidden Household Toxins and MORE! https://robertscottbell.com/revolutionary-resolve-rising-vaccine-liability-shift-pro-parent-cdc-policy-tellurium-metallicum-merit-over-credentials-weight-regain-reality-drug-faith-fading-fluoride-labels-changed-hidden-ho/https://boxcast.tv/view/revolutionary-resolve-rising-vaccine-liability-shift-pro-parent-cdc-policy-merit-over-credentials---the-rsb-show-1-12-26-y1mnmq0rcn06hrgrovfl Purpose and Character The use of copyrighted material on the website is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public through information, critique, teaching, scholarship, or research. Nature of Copyrighted Material Weensure that the copyrighted material used is for supplementary and illustrative purposes and that it contributes significantly to the user's understanding of the content in a non-detrimental way to the commercial value of the original content. Amount and Substantiality Our website uses only the necessary amount of copyrighted material to achieve the intended purpose and does not substitute for the original market of the copyrighted works. Effect on Market Value The use of copyrighted material on our website does not in any way diminish or affect the market value of the original work. We believe that our use constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you believe that any content on the website violates your copyright, please contact us providing the necessary information, and we will take appropriate action to address your concern.

Send a Message to the TeamIn this episode, the team examines the ramifications of martial law not being declared in Poland in 1981.Panel:Dylan, Kai, Evan, and Special Guest Larry ReedBackground on Professor Reed-A good high-level summary of Reed's work in Poland:https://fee.org/articles/a-tribute-to-the-polish-people/Reed receiving the Order of Merit, and various links to Reed's Poland-related works:https://fee.org/articles/fee-s-president-emeritus-lawrence-reed-to-be-honored-in-warsaw-and-receive-order-of-merit/You can follow and interact with A Fork In Time on….Discord: https://discord.com/invite/xhZEmZMKFSFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/aforkintimeTwitter: @AFITPodcastOur YouTube ChannelIf you enjoy the podcast and want to support it financially, you can help by:Supporting us monthly via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aforkintime....or, make a one-time donation via Podfan to A Fork In TimeWebsite: www.aforkintimepodcast.comE-Mail: aforkintimepodcast@gmail.comTheme Music: Conquer by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.comSupport the show

To welcome and celebrate an auspicious new year, we will look through the beautiful and meaningful words of our 'Dedication of Merit', or Eko, as it is called in Japanese. The eko is recited during services, after the chanting of sutras and verses, directing the merit, or good will, good aspirations, to all beings or for specific causes.  For more information on Treeleaf Sangha teachings, practice and offerings, please visit treeleaf.org

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Brigadier General (Ret.) Michael Fleming, a distinguished military leader and veteran advocate, as we explore his journey from the battlefield to influential roles in business and education. In this episode, Cam and Otis delve into General Fleming's extensive experience in leadership, his dedication to veteran advocacy, and his efforts to bridge the gap between military and civilian sectors."Leadership is about service," General Fleming shares, reflecting on his career spanning over 30 years in the military and his subsequent roles in community relations and veteran support. From founding the Jacksonville Military Veterans Coalition to his work with the Cohen Veterans Network, General Fleming offers invaluable insights into creating opportunities for veterans and addressing critical issues like veteran suicide.Whether you're a military professional transitioning to civilian life, a business leader seeking to understand veteran perspectives, or someone passionate about community service, this episode provides a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.More About General Fleming:Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Michael “Mike” Fleming is a respected Northeast Florida military and veteran leader with senior experience across the military, business, and higher education sectors. He currently serves as Senior Manager, Community Relations for Cohen Veterans Network. Previously, he held leadership roles with the Stephen A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone, Jacksonville University, and Deutsche Bank, where he was a Managing Director and Site Lead in Jacksonville.A career military officer with more than 30 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps and Army National Guard, he retired as a Brigadier General. He holds degrees from Jacksonville State University, the University of North Florida, and the U.S. Naval War College, and completed fellowships at Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and the U.S. Congress.Gen. Fleming is the founder and chair of multiple veteran-focused coalitions, including the Jacksonville Military Veterans Coalition, and chairs The Fire Watch, a regional initiative to prevent veteran suicide. His honors include the Legion of Merit, the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame, and numerous military and civilian leadership awards.#10xyourteam #VeteranLeadership #ServantLeadership #MilitaryToCivilian #VeteranAdvocacy #LeadershipWithPurpose #MissionDriven #CommunityLeadership #VeteranSupport #PurposeDrivenLeadership #ImpactThroughServiceChapter Times and Titles:Introduction to General Mike Fleming [00:00 - 10:00]Overview of General Fleming's career and achievementsTransition from military to civilian leadership rolesFounding the Jacksonville Military Veterans CoalitionLeadership Lessons from the Military [10:01 - 20:00]Key leadership principles from military serviceThe importance of adaptability and resilienceInsights from international competitions and fellowshipsVeteran Advocacy and Community Relations [20:01 - 30:00]General Fleming's role in the Cohen Veterans NetworkInitiatives to support veteran employment and mental healthThe impact of public/private partnershipsBridging Military and Civilian Worlds [30:01 - 40:00]Challenges and opportunities in veteran transitionsBuilding relationships with government and business leadersStrategies for effective community engagementCreating Opportunities for Veterans [40:01 - 50:00]Success stories from the Jacksonville Military Veterans CoalitionAddressing veteran suicide through The Fire Watch initiativeFinal thoughts on leadership and serviceClosing Remarks and Resources [50:01 - End]How to connect with General Fleming and his initiativesEncouragement for listeners to get involved in veteran supportFinal reflections on leade

A talk by Thanissaro Bhikkhu entitled "Complete Merit"

pWotD Episode 3164: 2026 PDC World Darts Championship Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 180,522 views on Tuesday, 30 December 2025 our article of the day is 2026 PDC World Darts Championship.The 2026 PDC World Darts Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2025/26 Paddy Power World Darts Championship) is an ongoing professional darts tournament that is being held from 11 December 2025 to 3 January 2026 at Alexandra Palace in London, England. It is the 33rd World Darts Championship to be organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and the 19th to be held in Alexandra Palace. The event is being hosted in Alexandra Palace's West Hall for the final time before moving to the venue's Great Hall for subsequent editions. The winner will receive £1,000,000 from a total prize fund of £5,000,000, as part of the PDC's biggest prize money increase in its history.The tournament features a 128-player field for the first time, expanded from 96. The top 32 players on the PDC Order of Merit were seeded for the first round. A total of 28 players made their PDC World Championship debut. By defeating Jeffrey de Graaf in the first round, 71-year-old Paul Lim became the oldest player to win a match at the event. Nitin Kumar, Stefan Bellmont and David Munyua achieved the first PDC World Championship wins for India, Switzerland and Kenya, respectively.Luke Littler is the defending champion, having defeated Michael van Gerwen 7–3 in the 2025 final to win his first world title.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:18 UTC on Wednesday, 31 December 2025.For the full current version of the article, see 2026 PDC World Darts Championship on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Ruth.

The Trump Administration ordered universities to turn over data to prove they're not considering race in admissions. But education expert Richard Kahlenberg argues that for college admissions to look at merit fairly, they need to look at class. *** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: www.wbur.org/giveonpoint

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that the purpose of visualizing the mandala is to attain those paths within one's own heart. To collect the most extensive merit for this practice, Lama Tsongkhapa advised to do the visualizations clearly and visualize as many as possible.Rinpoche describes how to start the day with a bodhicitta motivation and a meditation on impermanence-death. We should think how wonderful it is to wake up alive again as a human being. Every second of our life is more precious than the whole sky filled with wish-granting jewels. By reflecting on impermanence and the precious human rebirth, we should determine to practice the three levels of teachings based on correctly devoting ourselves to the virtuous friend.After that, Rinpoche advises to think, ‘I'm going to die today.' By thinking like this, you'll engage in practice, and you'll be prepared for death. Then, the question arises, ‘What should I do?' The answer is to cherish other sentient beings. By thinking of the shortcomings of self-cherishing and the benefits of cherishing others, we then engage in tong-len practice. From this, we conclude to never separate from bodhicitta. In this way, all our activities become the cause of enlightenment.Rinpoche completes the oral transmission of the Arya Sanghata Sutra and talks about the benefits of this sutra. He says that even hearing one word of it brings unimaginable purification.Rinpoche says that for all attendees who undertook hardships to complete the retreat, there's some benefit. However, he emphasizes that intellectual understanding is one thing, but what he is really looking for is practice and to have some effect, some change in the heart.From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/

In this episode, Lisa and Brian discuss:Strategies for maximizing college scholarships given by the institutionsThe difference in merit vs. need-based financial aidThe role of GPA and standardized testing, ACT, and SAT, in scholarship awardsColleges with merit scholarship grids where students can know the amount they can earn for good grades and scoresTransparency of college financial aid policiesKey Takeaways: Merit aid is often more predictable than need-based aid because many colleges offer fixed scholarships based on GPA and ACT and SAT scores, making it easier to estimate college costs.Skipping standardized tests can cost students thousands in scholarships, as many schools that are “test-optional” for admission still require test scores for merit aid or reduce the award if applying test-optional.At some universities, it is possible to calculate the number of additional correct answers on the ACT that a student needs to raise their merit aid award, making test prep a highly valuable investment.Over 90% of scholarship money comes directly from colleges rather than private sources, meaning that researching a school's financial aid policies is more effective than chasing small external scholarships. “When the airplane is going down, you put the mask on yourself first—you first, your kids second. The merit aid from the school is the 'putting your mask on yourself'… after that, if a kid has free time, definitely apply to some of the outside scholarships.” – Brian EufingerAbout Brian Eufinger: Brian Eufinger is the President of Atlanta-based Edison Prep and has tutored over 14,000 students for a combined 35,000+ hours on the SAT, PSAT, and ACT over the past two decades.Episode References:Merit Aid Grids: https://meritaidgrids.com/Student Email Template: How to Get Clear Answers About College Merit Aid https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/merit #042 Will grade inflation hurt your teen with Brian Eufinger?  https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/042 Get Lisa's Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career...(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).flourishcoachingco.com/videoConnect with Brian Eufinger:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edisonpreptutoring/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edisonprepWebsite: https://www.edisonprep.com/Email: brian@edisonprep.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eufinger/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EdisonPrepTutoringConnect with Lisa:Website: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flourishcoachingcoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/flourishcoachingco/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishcoachingco/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flourish-coaching-co

ROMAN KINGSHIP: FROM CITIZEN SELECTION TO THE IDEAL OF SERVICE Colleague Professor Edward J. Watts. Early Roman kings were selected by citizens based on merit rather than heredity, but figures like Servius Tullius began bypassing this consent. Conversely, Cincinnatus exemplifies the Roman ideal of service; he accepted absolute dictatorial power to save the state during a crisis, then immediately resigned to return to his farm. NUMBER 9 1583 LIVY

Loose connections … GUEST Dr Tim Muehlhoff ... Prof of Communication at Biola Univ ... author of “Winsome Conviction: Disagreeing Without Dividing the Church,” winner of the Award of Merit in Christianity Today’s Best Books of 2022 list … Tim’s ”Winsome Persuasion: Christian Influence in a Post-Christian World," was CT Book of the Year in the category of evangelism/apologetics in 2019. Christmas and New Babies… GUEST Mischa Willett … author of "The Elegy Beta," and "Phases" ... His poems, essays, translations, and academic articles appear widely ... He teaches at Arizona Christian University.... Follow his work at mischawillett.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

התוכן מעלת נר ה' דחנוכה (אף שיש אומרים שזה קשור עם גאולת אדה"ז ממאסרו השני בשנת תקס"א, אבל עפ"י הכלל ש"מגלגלין זכות ליום זכאי" מוכרח לומר שישנה מעלה ביום זה מצ"ע): ענינם של נרות חנוכה הוא להאיר על ידם את חושך העולם (כנ"ל), ומובן שעיקר החידוש בזה הוא בימי החול של חנוכה ולא ביום השבת (וכמ"ש במדרש הטעם למה לא נאמר בשבת "ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר" כי בשבת "אין חושך"!). וזוהי מעלתו של נר ה' דחנוכה, כי זהו יום היחיד בחנוכה שאי אפשר לחול בשבת! ואין בו ענין של "שבת" אפי' "בכח" (משא"כ שאר ימי החנוכה שיכולים לחול בשבת יש להם ענין שבת "בכח" עכ"פ).משיחת מוצאי זאת חנוכה ה'תשל"ד ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=19-12-2025 Synopsis To explain the special quality of the fifth day of Chanukah and why among the days of Chanukah it is one of particular celebration (some explain that it is the day of the Alter Rebbe's release from his second imprisonment in the year 5561 (1800), but based on the principle that “Merit is brought about on a meritorious day,” we must say that the day itself possesses a special quality): The purpose of the Chanukah candles is to illuminate the darkness of the world, and the main novelty here lies in the weekdays of Chanukah, not on Shabbos Chanukah (when there is no darkness, as the Midrash says: regarding Shabbos the verse doesn't say “there was nightfall and there was morning,” because on Shabbos “there is no darkness”). And this is the unique quality of the fifth day of Chanukah: it is the only day of Chanukah that can never fall on Shabbos. It contains no aspect of Shabbos, even potentially (unlike the other days of Chanukah, which can fall on Shabbos and therefore have at least a potential connection to Shabbos).Excerpt from sichah of Motzaei Zos Chanukah 5734 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=19-12-2025

In criticizing the progressive notion of equity, or equality of results, critics of such views embrace an order of “meritocracy.” F.A. Hayek, however, understood that in a free society, inequality is inevitable, and it is something we must accept.Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-hayek-rejected-merit-based-equality

This week Dalanie and Katie talk about jealousy. IN THIS EPISODE: Video episodes are now available on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@classicallyblackpodcast WE HAVE NEW CHRISTMAS MERCH!: https://www.classicallyblackpodcast.com/store JOIN US ON PATREON!: https://patreon.com/ClassicallyBlackPodcast FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! https://linktr.ee/classicallyblack Tourte Cello Bow Breaks Record After Fetching €375,000 https://theviolinchannel.com/tourte-cello-bow-breaks-record-after-fetching-e375000/ Brazil Abandons Proposed Ban of Pernambuco Wood and Trade https://theviolinchannel.com/brazil-abandons-proposed-ban-of-pernambuco-wood-and-trade/ Do We Truly Celebrate Each Other's Success? On Envy, Empathy, and the Illusion of Merit in Classical Music https://icareifyoulisten.com/2025/11/do-we-truly-celebrate-each-others-success-on-envy-empathy-and-the-illusion-of-merit-in-classical-music/?fbclid=PAdGRleAN4fjpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacBuqDX4f1EMjZriLU7Gum_keJjGQknnStQNucbnnxnq44AZFtBr7_Qzxe7Xw_aem_Hx3Wd9y0WxhQVOx74cxGDg Black Excellence: Maxwell Arceneaux https://www.stagehand.app/artists/3418 Piece of the Week: Nutcracker Suite - Duke Ellington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKwydJkCkvA

In criticizing the progressive notion of equity, or equality of results, critics of such views embrace an order of “meritocracy.” F.A. Hayek, however, understood that in a free society, inequality is inevitable, and it is something we must accept.Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/why-hayek-rejected-merit-based-equality

In this episode, first Luke talks to Anita, then we hear Anita's interviews with Professors Denise Grocke and Alison Short. Sandwiched between these two longer interviews there are some shorter conversations with Pip Reid, Lucy Bolger, Wendy Magee, Helen Cameron, Catherine Threlfall and Emma O'Brien. This all took place at the AMTA conference in October 2025, in Melbourne. Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke PhD, RMT, RGIMT, FAMI, L. Mus. Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke completed her music therapy qualifications at Michigan State University, USA, and holds a Masters degree in Music Therapy, and a PhD in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), both from the University of Melbourne. She has worked as a music therapist with people living with mental illness, neurological disorders and dementia. She is trained in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, and is a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery in the U.S. She established the music therapy course at the University of Melbourne in 1978, and for 33 years was Head of Music Therapy. From 1998-2012 she was Director of the National Music Therapy Research Unit (NaMTRU), which she established to promote research in music therapy at a national level. She co-founded the International Consortium of Music Therapy Research Universities in 2002, which enabled large international multi-site trials to advance the Profession. She was President of the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT) from 1999-2002, having served three terms as Chair of the Commission of Education, Training and Registration. She co-founded the Australian Music Therapy Association in 1975 and served two terms as its President. Professor Grocke has written extensively on music therapy and Guided Imagery and Music. She is co-author of Receptive Music Therapy (2024, with Dr Katrina McFerran); editor of Guided Imagery and Music: The Bonny Method and Beyond 2nd edition (2019); Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) and Music Imagery Methods for Individual and Group Therapy (2015; co-edited with Torben Moe); co-author of Receptive Methods in Music Therapy (2007) with Tony Wigram, and co-editor of Music Medicine 3 (1999) with Rosalie Rebollo Pratt. In addition she has published 30 book chapters, 50+ refereed journals articles, Cochrane reviews, and online publications. In 2012 she was presented with an Award of Merit, by the American Music Therapy Association, in recognition of service to the field of music therapy. In 2013 she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Australian Music Therapy Association and Honorary Life Membership of the World Federation of Music Therapy, the Australian Music Therapy Association, and the Music and Imagery Association of Australia. In 2016 she was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for services as a pioneering practitioner, researcher, author and teacher in music therapy, and services to professional Organisations. Assoc. Prof. Alison Short Alison Short, PhD, MA (MT), BMus (MThy), GCULT, DipTh, CertIV, RMT, MT-BC, RGIMT, FAMI, is Associate Professor of Music Therapy/Music and Health at Western Sydney University, Australia. Alison trained in the very first music therapy course in Australia at the University of Melbourne, then completed her Masters in music therapy at New York University and her PhD at the University of Technology, Sydney. With over 43 years of practice as an Australian Registered Music Therapist, and 34 years holding Board Certification, Alison's clinical experience encompasses aged and palliative care, mental health and more, in the context of both medical and community settings. In addition, Alison worked for 10 years as a health services researcher on a range of projects and health applications, mostly within the Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia). Alison is an internationally recognised music therapy academic demonstrating innovative evidence-based and music-focussed expertise with an extensive publication record and frequent international invitations. Alison's work has been recognised with Honorary Life Membership of both the Australian Music Therapy Association and the Music and Imagery Association of Australia, and she is currently appointed as Regional Representative to the Council of the World Federation of Music Therapy. References  Gracida, Maclean and Coombes 2025 Music Therapy with Displaced Persons: Trauma, Transformations and Cultural Connections. Jessica Kingsley Publishers Scrub choir video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1YtT0qLjDA

Is it Nepotism or Merit? Ben and Dylan draft the worst political appointments of recent memory. Are these appointments deserving of their positions, or did they kiss the right rear-end to get a top position in the cabinet? These picks will make you question who's running the show. Which appointments will measure up to the worst of the worst? You decide!!   Round 1 - 3:30 Round 2 - 17:00 Sponsor - RFK for Secretary of HHS 34:00 Round 3 - 40:00 Round 4 - 56: 00 Duel : 1:19:00

Court Leader's Advantage Podcast Series, December 16th, 2025, EpisodeThere are strong arguments favoring the selection of court managers based on objective merit-focused criteria criteria. While there is little desire to expand the “merit system” to themanagerial level, hiring and promotion decisions rooted in proven competence and performance can certainly strengthen both leadership quality and institutional integrity. Yet just beneath the surface lies a dilemma courts have wrestled with for decades: what exactly counts as “merit,” and how objective can we really be in a system shaped by politics, personalities, and pressure? Is managerial hiring grounded on objective criteria even possible in our court system? Can the administrative machinery ever be fully insulated from the political milieu in which courts operate? This tension creates a shadow over the ideal of purely merit-based hiring, as political alignments and institutional loyalties can sometimes weigh as heavily as managerial skill.  Selection based on objective criteria prioritizes quantifiable results, efficiency, budgeting, and project outcomes, yet this focus risks pushing aside intangibles such as empathy, fairness, and cultural awareness. So the question becomes: can we measure what truly matters, or are we only measuring only what is immediately measurable? Are Merit-Based Decisions Possible?Consider these six commonly used criteria:Effective Communication and Interpersonal Competence Determining if a candidate can effectively communicate and demonstrate interpersonal competence is one of the more objective criteria, however, an interview might have to choose between interpersonal competence and say legal, or court operational knowledge.       Leading Teams and Analyzing ProblemsLeading court teams and analyzing complex problems are vital in court administration, but with few objectivemeasures, an interview panel might favor the candidate who tells the more compelling story.  Education, Certifications, & Professional DevelopmentDegrees and certifications, which show one's continuing professional development might be the most objectively measured criteria.Knowledge of the Law, Court Operations, or TechnologyLegal, technical, or operational expertise is easier to objectively assess, however candidates outside the court system are at a huge disadvantage compared to internalcandidates. Fresh Thinking and InnovationDemonstrations of fresh thinking and innovation in an area outside the courts can be challenging for an interview panel to assess how a candidate might perform in a court environment. ·        Loyalty to the Court           Loyalty to the Court can be highly subjective and might not even be discussed during the hiring process.This month, we are exploring merit selection. Can truly objective, measurable criteria be applied when choosing court management leaders, or is the ideal of merit always just slightly out of reach?  Today's Panel Beth Urban Deputy State Court Administrator for the Unified Judicial System in Pierre, South DakotaWhitney Blighton Senior Management Analyst for Superior Court, in Vancouver, WashingtonZennell Brown Fairness & Accountability Administrator for the Michigan State Court Administrative OfficeErica Payne-Santiago Deputy Court Administrator and Jury Commissioner for the Prince George's County Circuit Court in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.Become part of the Conversation. Submit your comments and questions to CLAPodcast@nacmnet.org Please take a moment to share this episode on your Facebook or LinkedIn pages. The more people we bring into this dialogue, the stronger our collective understanding of courts and court administration becomes. 

It's Christmas time. There's no need to be afraid. Instead, it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy The bunkered Podcast's annual review of the last 12 months. MVP, LVP, Most Bats**t Moment, Quote of the Year… Michael, James and Lewis hand out awards for all of these categories plus so much more. Elsewhere, there's a final Podder of Merit update for 2025, Michael raps (oh yes he does), and “Sadie Says” makes a much anticipated and welcome return. Tune-in now! And on behalf of the whole team, here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks for listening, watching, engaging, reviewing and more. We'll be back - bigger, better and uncut - in January! --       ⛳️ Chat to us on social and subscribe to the magazine for the best golf news, reviews, comment and more, direct from the home of golf!                    ⓣ https://twitter.com/thebunkeredpod                                                 ⓕ https://www.facebook.com/thebunkeredpodcast                                                ⓨ https://www.youtube.com/bunkeredonline                                                  ⓘ https://www.instagram.com/bunkeredgolfonline                                                Get the magazine every month: https://www.bunkered.co.uk/suboffer 

Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a computer scientist and the inventor of the World Wide Web. He was born in 1955, a golden year for technology innovators. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were also born in the same year. A curious child, he learned about electronics from his train set and spent his pocket money on transistors. His first significant connecting invention was building an intercom as a teenager for the family home before moving on to build his first computer. His parents were both mathematicians and coders who met whilst building one of the first commercially available computers in the early nineteen fifties. Sir Tim came up with the idea of the World Wide Web whilst working at CERN and insisted that the technology be released to the world without commercial reward so that it would be free for everyone to use. He was knighted for his world changing invention and also appointed to the Order of Merit. In 2016 he was given the Turing Award. Sir Tim Berners-Lee divides his time between the US, the UK and Canada with his wife Rosemary, who is also a technology entrepreneur.Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah TaylorDesert Island Discs has cast many computer scientists away over the years including Dame Wendy Hall and Sir Demis Hassibis. You can hear their programmes if you search through BBC Sounds or our own Desert Island Discs website.

Unlocking the Power of Stagecraft with Merit Khan: From Keynotes to ComedySUMMARYIn this episode of Present Influence, join John as he converses with Merit Khan, a dynamic speaker and performer, about the art of landing paid speaking engagements and refining your stagecraft. Merit shares insights from her journey, emphasising the importance of mastering sales skills to sell your talks before perfecting your stories. She discusses her diverse career, including keynoting for serious audiences, coaching sales professionals, and her one-woman show, 'Optimistic Personality Disorder.' Discover how improv, comedy, and understanding your audience can enhance your presentations and contribute to a thriving speaker ecosystem. Whether you are just starting out or looking to expand your existing speaking business, this episode offers practical strategies and inspirational stories to help you succeed.Find out more about Merit at meritkahn.com or her one-woman show at opdshow.comHere's the link to that article on why so many great speakers are broke: CLICK HERE TO READ ITCHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview00:40 Meet Merit Khan: Sales and Comedy Expert01:36 Contrarian Viewpoint: Sales Skills First03:30 Building a Business Ecosystem06:19 Adapting to Market Needs09:44 Balancing Multiple Business Ventures17:55 The Importance of Sales Experience22:35 Creating a One-Woman Show24:44 Unexpected Connections and Personal Growth26:09 Diving into Standup Comedy29:35 The Power of Humour in Speaking32:13 The Art of Storytelling and Performance36:39 Personal and Professional Growth in Speaking42:24 Lessons from Standup and Knowing Your Audience46:25 Podcasting and Future Projects49:33 Final Thoughts and TakeawaysVisit presentinfluence.com/quiz to take the Speaker Radiance Quiz and discover your Charisma Quotient. For speaking enquiries or to connect with me, you can email john@presentinfluence.com or find me on LinkedInYou can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PresentInfluenceThanks for listening, and please give the show a 5* review if you enjoyed it.

For Lakenna Booker, Memphis Merit Academy is about so many things — helping young kids with literacy, creating a thriving school for parents and their children, investing in her neighborhood, and more. Booker, who is the executive director of Memphis Merit Academy, joined Eric Barnes to talk about the charter school she founded in Parkway Village in 2019.

Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU65vnqkBmE When two of the world's leading ALS researchers meet for the first time on a podcast, something remarkable happens. Dr. Merit Cudkowicz - Tim's close friend and arguably the world's foremost ALS expert, returns to Nothing Left Unsaid for her third appearance, this time joined by Dr. Tanya Daigle from the Allen Institute, who's pioneering genetic tools that could transform how we treat neurodegenerative diseases. Together, they reveal a future for ALS research that's closer than most people realize. This isn't your typical medical conversation. Merit and Tanya speak with unguarded hope about gene therapies that have stopped disease progression in 40% of patients, AI-driven drug discovery that's accelerating at unprecedented rates, and precision targeting tools that could deliver treatments directly to dying motor neurons without invasive brain surgery. They discuss the real bottlenecks between laboratory breakthroughs and patient impact, why most ALS drug trials aren't actually failures, and how the field has evolved from a handful of researchers to a global collaborative effort spanning continents. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Trailer01:09 Intro02:55 Current State of ALS Research05:19 Misconceptions About ALS09:32 Progress and Future of ALS Treatments21:17 Innovations in Genetic Tools for ALS31:59 A New Frontier in ALS Research35:03 Efficiency of Platform Trials in ALS Research36:59 The Importance of Funding and Science Collaboration37:55 Advancements in Treating ALS Smarter38:52 The Role of Biomarkers and Individualized Therapies41:31 Dream Trials and Future Prospects48:01 The Impact of AI in ALS Research54:08 The Next Big Pivot in ALS Research58:18 Hope and Collaboration in ALS Research01:01:04 How to Be Part of ALS Community RESOURCES & LINKS: Allen Institute: https://alleninstitute.orgHealey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General: https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/als SPONSORS:ElevenLabs: Thanks to ElevenLabs (https://elevenlabs.io) for supporting this episode and powering Tim's voice. SOCIAL:Website: https://nlupod.com/X: https://x.com/nlutimgreenFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NLUpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nlupod LISTEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-left-unsaid/id1734094890Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/Nothing-Left-Unsaid/B0CWTCRKGZCastbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/id6405921?country=usOvercast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1734094890iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-nothing-left-unsaid-155769998/ PERSONAL: Tackle ALS: https://www.tackleals.comTim Green Books: https://authortimgreen.comTim's New Book - ROCKET ARM: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062796895/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The way of purging sins by the blood of Christ is mysterious. There is no discerning of its glory but by spiritual light,—no experience of its power but by faith. Hence it is despised and neglected by the most, that yet outwardly profess the doctrine of the gospel. Men generally think there are a thousand better ways for the purging of sin than this by the blood of Christ, which they cannot understand. Wherefore, having lost the substance of this truth, and all experience of its power, to retain the use of its name, they have made sundry little images of it,—creeping things,—whereunto they ascribe the power of purging sin; such as holy water, pilgrimages, disciplines, masses, and various commutations. But they quickly found, by experience, that these things would neither purify the heart, nor pacify the consciences of sinners.

Join us for an evening with Colonel Chuck Bechtel, whose new memoir, Sent to War, Returning for Peace: My Reconciliation with the Vietnam War, traces a long soldier's journey from the jungles of Vietnam to a quiet reckoning half a century later. Chuck was drafted in 1966, a kid from Pennsylvania who suddenly found himself leading a 43-man infantry platoon with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in 1968–69. His book tells that story—training, combat, fear, loss, and the strange return home to a country that didn't know what to make of its soldiers. But it also reaches beyond the war. Chuck writes about the decades that followed, the invisible weight so many veterans carried, and the hard work of finding peace in the long after. A centerpiece of the memoir is his return trip to Vietnam in 2022 with his wife and a small group of veterans organized by Mrs. Lei Williams, whose own life was shaped by the war. That journey—walking old ground with former enemies and longtime friends—became a turning point. The book captures the tenderness, the surprises, and the healing that can happen when you're finally ready to face the past. Over thirty-five years in uniform, Chuck rose from Private E-1 to full Colonel, commanded at every level from company to brigade, deployed during Desert Storm, and later played a key role in building the Army's 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. His record includes the Bronze Star with “V” for valor, Air Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Combat Infantry Badge, Legion of Merit, and many more. After retiring, he continued serving as a volunteer Ambassador for Veterans' Outreach of PA, helping launch Veterans Grove, a 24/7 therapeutic community for unhoused veterans. Ten percent of his book royalties support that mission. Chuck lives in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with his wife Joan. They have two children and three grandchildren. This livestream will be a conversation not just about a war, but about what it means to come home from one—and how reconciliation can grow, even decades later. We hope you'll join us. We're grateful to UPMC for Life  for sponsoring this event!

Go to https://surfshark.com/punters or use code punters at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! This week, we expose the jobs-for-mates scandal the government tried to bury, watch David Pocock absolutely demolish ministers in Senate estimates with straight facts about Japan reselling our gas, and deliver a comprehensive punters audit on Cosplay Canavan that reveals exactly why you should never trust a word he says. The independent review Labor didn't want released just dropped, confirming the appointment system "looks like nepotism" and isn't fit for purpose—but instead of fixing it with actual laws, they're going with a vibes-based framework and rejecting cooling-off periods so they can keep hiring their mates immediately. Minister Katie Gallagher pulls the classic resume pad when grilled about giving away 50% of our gas exports royalty-free, while Tim Ayres dismisses Japan's billion-dollar gas resale scam as just "dinner party discussion." Plus, we break down why Matt Canavan deliberately confuses total investment with government spending to mislead punters on net zero costs, reveal his brother's 7% stake in a coal mine and executive role at Peabody Energy, and discuss how a Bachelor of Economics honours graduate who worked at KPMG somehow pretends he doesn't understand basic economic concepts he's pushing. Bypass the Algorithm, Sign up to the Punter Times Newsletter  https://www.punterspolitics.com/pages/email-sign-up Buy Punters T-shirts Support We the Punters on PATREON  What Punter are you? Take the Quiz! Buy Punters Stickers & T-shirts Be a dark money funder to help hire a lobbyist for the punters: https://chuffed.org/project/134297-fund-australias-first-punter-powered-lobbyist

12-8 DIrty Work Hour 1: Jeff Kent is voted into HOF: did his career merit induction? And what does it say about Barry Bonds?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12-8 DIrty Work Hour 1: Jeff Kent is voted into HOF: did his career merit induction? And what does it say about Barry Bonds?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Timcast's White House Correspondent, Elaad Eliahu, sits down with Pentagon Press Secretary, Kingsley Wilson, to discuss today's most pressing issues.  BUY CAST BREW COFFEE TO SUPPORT THE SHOW - https://castbrew.com/ Become A Member And Protect Our Work at http://www.timcast.com Host: Elaad @ElaadEliahu (X) Guest: Pentagon Press Sec. Kingsley Wilson @PressSecDOW (X) @KingsleyCortes (X) Producer: Serge @SergeDotCom (everywhere) My Second Channel - https://www.youtube.com/timcastnews Podcast Channel - https://www.youtube.com/TimcastIRL

Story of the Week (DR):Netflix to Buy Warner Bros. in $83 Billion Deal to Create a Streaming GiantThe deal to acquire the Hollywood giant's television and film studios as well as HBO Max will bulk up the world's biggest paid streaming service.The acquisition is expected to close after Warner Bros. Discovery carves out its cable unit, which the companies expected be completed by the third quarter of 2026. That means there will be a separate public company controlling channels like CNN, TNT and Discovery.Trump administration views Netflix and Warner Bros. deal with ‘heavy skepticism,' senior official saysThe New York Post on Thursday reported that, “Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison met with Trump officials and key lawmakers in Washington DC on Wednesday to press his case against Warner Bros. Discovery's potential selection of Netflix as its merger partner.”Costco is poking the Trump bear MMBig public companies have mostly treated President Donald Trump with kid gloves during his second term. They've quietly avoided conflict while seeking favor with ornate gifts, large donations to his pet projects and strategic deployments of CEOs to the Oval Office.That's what made Costco's decision last week to sue the Trump administration so shocking.Costco filed a lawsuit that contends Trump overstepped his emergency powers by imposing sweeping tariffs – and claimed the company is due a refund.Biden commerce secretary to join Costco board as company sues over Trump's tariffsCostco board now 50/50Gina Raimondo led the agency responsible for crafting U.S. trade policy during all four years of Democrat Joe Biden's presidency.Rhodes Scholar Raimondo led Biden's Commerce Department; former governor of Rhode Island (2015-2021)AT&T Commits to Drop DEI Programs and GoalsIn the letter, AT&T makes a series of commitments, including stating that:“AT&T does not and will not have any roles focused on DEI”“we removed training related to “diversity, equity and inclusion” as well as any references to it from our internal and external messaging”“It is AT&T's longstanding practice to pay and advance individuals based on merit and qualification”From Brendan Carr's tweet: NEW on DEI: AT&T has now memorialized its commitment to ending DEI-related policies in an FCC filing and “will not have any roles focused on DEI.” This follows the big changes @robbystarbuck already announced earlier this year.AT&T promised the government it won't pursue DEI. FCC commissioner warns it will be a ‘stain to their reputation long into the future'Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the FCC: “AT&T's reversal isn't a sudden transformation of values, but a strategic financial play to curry favor with this FCC/Administration. Companies should remember that abandoning fairness and inclusion for short-term gain will be a stain to their reputation long into the future.”AT&T eliminates DEI programs, says hiring and advancement will now be merit-basedZillow Doesn't Care If Climate Change Destroys Your New HomeThe real estate platform recently removed climate risk scores from its listings—a potentially ruinous development for some buyers.Classified board; co-founders/co-Executive Chairs Lloyd D. Frink 36% and Richard N. Barton (Netflix; Qurate Retail) 40%10 votes per share of Class B common stock55% voting power; less than 12% economic interestCombined $83M in pay over last 3 years; primarily optionsGender Influence Gap (-23%): April Underwood 2%; Amy C. Bohutinsky 2% (former Zillow COO and CMO); Claire Cormier Thielke 1%LT directorsCompensation committee chair Jay Hoag (2005-)!Netflix, TripAdvisor, Peloton 65%Audit committee chair Greg Maffei (2005-)Qurate Retail, Charter Communications; Live Nation Entertainment; TripAdvisor; Liberty Broadband; SiriusXMAlso: Erik Blachford (2005-); Gordon Stephenson (2005-)Also: CEO Jeremy Wacksman and earnings underperformer: J. William Gurley (Stitch Fix .094 earnings; Nextdoor .010 earnings)Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Melinda French Gates slams billionaires who aren't giving away enough of their wealthThere are more billionaires than ever — and they have almost $16 trillionMM: Billionaire heads on robot dogs pooping photos go viral at major Miami art fair MMAssholiest of the Week (MM):The “arrogant pricking” of CEOsPalantir CEO Alex Karp defends being an ‘arrogant prick'—and says more CEOs should be, tooIn Karp's worldview, “arrogance” is a necessary survival mechanism for a leader who intends to be right even when it is unpopular.“The only people who pay the price for being wrong in this culture, in complete fashion, are poor people,” Karp said. “The rest of us somehow outsource all the times we're wrong and stupid to the whole society.”Meanwhile, we're now hearing from Sundar Pichai (who's trying Cassandra on for size), never ending diatribes from Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and everyone else with a 6000x CEO pay ratio… “Merit based” ass kissingAT&T eliminates DEI programs, says hiring and advancement will now be merit-basedFCC boss Brendan Carr claims another victory over DEI as AT&T drops programsSo how "merit-based" is the board? Top knowledge: economics (useful for phones... somehow...). Team TSR performance: 0.482 (where 0.500 is the average return for a board). Controversies performance is an excellently horrible 0.204, with CEO John Stankey as one of the worst performers... ON EARTH at 0.028 (meaning, he's in the worst 3% of all people on boards for controversies facing their companies). For most of the board, it matters more to be connected than good.Replacing government safety nets with billionaire whims DRJeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combatting homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning'Sánchez Bezos recounted meeting families benefiting from local organizations to which the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund offered grants… she met one woman who had been kicked out of her home with her infant daughter, but the organization took her in for the night, gave them a bed with sheets and a locked door. “It brought tears to my eyes seeing this little baby and seeing her flourish,” Sánchez Bezos said. “Selfishly, it fills my heart meeting these families. It really, really does.”Michael and Susan Dell to donate $6.25 billion to fund 'Trump accounts' for 25 million U.S. kidsHeadliniest of the WeekDR: Zuckerberg Basically Giving Up on Metaverse After Renaming Entire Company “Meta”DR: Nvidia CFO admits the $100 billion OpenAI megadeal ‘still' isn't signed—two months after it helped fuel an AI rallyNvidia CFO Colette Kress told investors that the much-hyped OpenAI partnership is still at the letter-of-intent stage: “We still haven't completed a definitive agreement,” Kress said when asked how much of the 10-gigawatt commitment is actually locked in. That's a striking clarification for a deal that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang once called “the biggest AI infrastructure project in history.MM: Children Sob as Waymo Runs Over DogWho Won the Week?DR: CostcoMM: Robot dogsPredictionsDR: Based on this headline (Jamie Dimon Once Called Bitcoin a ‘Fraud.' Now, JPMorgan Is Quietly Making Blockchain History and Betting This ‘Crypto Winter' Will Be Short-Lived), Jamie decides to invest in Volcano-Powered NFT Mining FarmsMM: Costco will start selling a new kind of robot dog (they already sell one) that has Gina Raimando and Jeffrey Raikes face and poops out pictures of Howard Lutnick

I hope you guys enjoy my podcast with Matthew Pierson, founder of Merit Oak Capital.Merit Oak is a long-biased hedge fund focused on long-term capital appreciation through concentrated, multi-year investments in outstanding public companies that are determined to be undervalued based on extensive fundamental research.”Matt is an American hero, one of the toughest dudes I've ever met, and a solid emerging manager.Enjoy!

Topics discussed: Does Jaylen Brown merit MVP consideration after recent stretch of elite play? // Has Joe Mazzulla found his rotation, or are Celtics players adjusting to their roles? // ESPN ranks Best NFL players at 109 different skills; which Patriots were included? // NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran on Bill Belichick's first-ballot Hall of Fame merits // Former Bruins goalie Andrew Raycroft joins the show in-studio // Why the public perceptions of Jaylen Brown + Jayson Tatum do not match // Patriots fans chime in with their opinions on the ongoing Belichick-Hall of Fame debate // These are the most elite Patriots players at 10 different skills in 2025 // Three Point Stance, The Drive, Odds and Ends + more!

Sylvie Legere sits down with Dr. John Prunskis to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and pain management. This episode unpacks the role of AI in identifying and treating chronic pain, particularly through innovative therapies like spinal cord stimulation. Dr. Prunskis shares his expertise on how AI is not only enhancing patient care but also transforming how healthcare is delivered, with a specific focus on reducing dependency on opioids. Dr. Prunskis discusses the mechanism of spinal cord stimulation, a procedure leveraging AI to dynamically interact with a patient's activity, offering personalized, non-invasive pain relief. By implementing AI, patients experience improved quality of life without the irreversible changes caused by traditional surgeries. The conversation also touches on potential hurdles, regulatory frameworks, and the exciting future of AI in healthcare, setting the stage for broader discussions at The Policy Circle Summit on AI's role across sectors.  Dr. John Prunskis Dr. John V. Prunskis, MD, FIPP, is a double-board-certified interventional pain physician internationally recognized for his leadership in pain management, regenerative medicine, and healthcare innovation. He is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Illinois Pain & Spine Institute, established in 1992, and currently serves as Director and Chair of the Medical Executive Committee at DxTx Pain and Spine, which he co-founded in 2020. Under his leadership, DxTx has expanded to more than 60 clinics across 10 states and delivered over one million patient visits. A 25-year Castle Connolly “Top Doctor” honoree as voted by his peers, Dr. Prunskis has dedicated his career to advancing evidence-based, minimally invasive treatments for chronic pain. Beyond clinical practice, he has played a pivotal role in shaping national policy, serving as a Presidential White House appointee to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pain Management Best Practices Task Force and co-authoring its landmark 2019 Final Report. He also served three consecutive four-year terms in the Lithuanian Parliament/World Lithuanian Community Commission representing 900,000 Lithuanian Americans. For his philanthropic and professional contributions, he was bestowed the Knight of the Order of Merit by the President of Lithuania. He is Vice Chair of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division, serves on the Advisory Board of Hippocratic AI, and is the founder of The Regenerative Stem Cell Institute. With over four decades of expertise, Dr. Prunskis bridges clinical excellence, innovation, and thoughtful public policy to expand access to ethical, effective, and technology-driven healthcare. Check out the Illinois Pain and Spine Institute's website.

Tadeáš “Teddy” Teťák is a Slovak professional golfer who began playing at age five and rose through top junior programs at IMG and Bishops Gate before competing for South Carolina and UCF. A decorated junior and national team member, he made global noise with a 65 at the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur. After turning pro, he won the 2023 Riedhof Open and added two ProGolfTour victories in 2024, finishing 3rd in the Order of Merit to earn Challenge Tour status. His strong performance at DP World Tour Q-School secured his 2025 Tour card, making him the first Slovak golfer to reach that level. With a T-13 finish at the 2025 Magical Kenya Open and ambitions for the world top-50 and the 2028 Olympics, Teddy continues to establish himself as Slovakia's breakthrough talent in professional golf.

In this episode we welcome former student and dear friend, Merit Patterson, onto the front porch. We discuss his high school cross country days, his transition to becoming a "rat" at the Virginia Military Institute, to fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a United States Marine. Merit tells us what service means to him and what the attributes of a good leader are. Get your Front Porch Merch! Support the show

In this first episode in our 2025 12 Day of Breeders, we talk to AKC Breeder of Merit, Kim McGuirk of Newbliss Chicago Lagotto, who built explosive business success by focusing on radical customer service and smart delegation. Kim shares the secret to her longevity: building an incredible community of owners through fun bi-annual social events, and the brilliant management strategy she uses to prevent burnout—including a puppy socialization hack using high school and college students on a shift spreadsheet! You'll learn how Kim's anti-snob approach to treating clients with respect attracted buyers fed up with poor communication elsewhere, and why the Lagotto Romagnolo is the ultimate purebred alternative to a Goldendoodle. If you're ready to pivot from stress to success, this episode is mandatory listening.

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.This episode actually originated at AUSA during the Sergeant Major of the Army's Professional Development Forum. When CSM Curry submitted a question asking whether physical training during PME would actually be strenuous, I knew I wanted to hear his perspective. And then when I found out he already listened to this podcast, it was a done deal.Command Sergeant Major Shaun D. Curry is a native of Wauwatosa, WI and he enlisted in Army in February 2001. CSM Curry's previous assignments include 2nd Ranger Battalion (JBLM, WA), Human Resources Command / 75th Ranger Regiment Headquarters (Fort Knox, KY), 3rd Ranger Battalion (Fort Benning, GA), 6th Ranger Training Battalion (Eglin AFB, FL), Operations SGM of 2nd Battalion 5th SFAB (JBLM, WA), Battalion CSM of 1st Battalion 21 Infantry Regiment (Schofield Barracks, HI). His most recent assignment was the Brigade CSM for 3rd Infantry Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Schofield Barracks, HI).CSM Curry completed all levels of the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Military Education up to and including the Sergeants Major Academy (Class 69). His additional military schooling includes Airborne School, the 75th Ranger Regiment Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP), Static Line Jump Master School, Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE-C), Reconnaissance Senior Leaders Course (RSLC), Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Foundation Course (SHARP), the Common Faculty Development Program Instructor Course (CFDPIC), Master Resilience Training Course (MRT), Combat Advisor Training Course (CAT-C) and Jungle Operations Training Course (JOTC). CSM Curry holds a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.CSM Curry deployed 14 times for a total of 61 months to both Afghanistan and Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, Bronze Star Medal (3rd award), Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal (5th award), Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, the Ranger Tab, Master Parachutists Badge, and he is a member of the Order of Saint Maurice.CSM Curry is married and has three children.https://flowcode.com/p/wR6h4oKsT https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Muddy-Boots/Warfighting-Readiness/

Te gândești să devii antreprenor în România? În acest episod discutăm despre tranziția către antreprenoriat: de la pregătirea financiară și provocările reale, până la fiscalitate, validarea ideilor și construirea unui business sustenabil.CE VEI DESCOPERI ÎN EPISOD:Mituri despre bani și timp în antreprenoriat Deschiderea către antreprenoriat pe categorii de vârstă (16-50+ ani)Nevoi comune pentru tranziția de succes către antreprenoriatPregătire financiară: de ce ai nevoie de 6-12 luni economiiAbilități esențiale pentru antreprenori (comunicare, perseverență, vânzări)Time management vs Bugetare energetică - cum eviți burnout-ul Parteneri vs Colaboratori: cum alegi înțelept Cum să construiești o rețea de suport (mentori, comunități)CUI I SE ADRESEAZĂ EPISODUL:- Angajați care se gândesc la tranziția către antreprenoriat- Soloprenori sau freelanceri care vor să înființeze o firmă- Antreprenori la început de drum (primele 6-12 luni)- Oricine vrea să înțeleagă realitățile antreprenoriatului în RomâniaResurse:1. Podcast Founders (biografii antreprenori celebri)2. The E-Myth, Michael Gerber3. This is Marketing, Seth Godin4. Episod cu Simon Squibb: https://youtu.be/brTn6Fqk9e8 5. Tipare de stres: https://youtu.be/_JFAd6BGCgs 6. Bugetare energetică: https://youtu.be/DXff_ZNBEGgAcest episod este produs și distribuit cu susținerea E.ON Energie România.

In this episode of Restitch America, host Alma Ohene-Opare sits down with content creator Nyisha (@nyishaloraine) to dive deep into the provocative essay “Why Merit Matters More Than Representation.” Together, they explore what it looks like to value excellence and character above identity, and why merit should not be abandoned in the name of equality.Nyisha shares her own journey as a media-maker, discussing how she navigates identity politics, excellence, and opportunity in a digital age. Alma and Nyisha challenge the often polarized narrative that pits representation against merit — arguing instead for a society rooted in shared principles, hard work, and personal responsibility.In this conversation, you'll hear about:Why representation can't be the ultimate goal — and how merit preserves freedom, dignity, and long-term excellenceThe risks of identity-first culture for civic trust and institutional integrityNyisha's personal experiences balancing identity, creativity, and excellenceHow merit-based thinking can help us build a more just, cohesive, and forward-looking AmericaConcrete ideas for how individuals and institutions can recommit to merit, while still being inclusiveTune in if you believe:Real opportunity means appreciating character, not just categoriesIdentity politics shouldn't overshadow the pursuit of excellenceRebuilding America's moral and civic fabric requires valuing substance over mere representationConnect with Us!Substack: www.willfulpositivity.comTikTok, IG, Facebook: @willfulpositivityConnect with our Guest!Instagram: @nyishaloraine

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureTrump is leading the economy and the Fed is trying to crash it. The people will see that in the end we do not need the Fed. The fake news/[CB] narrative is falling apart. Trump puts up graph showing they are lying. The economy, Bitcoin and Gold/Silver are about to boom. The [DS] infiltration runs deep in DC and across the country. The [DS] players, Obama/Soros and other had many years to create their system. Trump is exposing and dismantling their system at lightening speed. Trump is now pushing for peace in regards to Ukraine and Russia, the [DS]/EU/NATO do not want peace and they will fight back to the very end. The entire corrupt criminal system is being exposed to the people . Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/TKL_Adam/status/1993316668232417726?s=20  https://twitter.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/1993075213194740140?s=20 Political/Rights https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/1993306352358506974?s=20 https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1993054375854719415?s=20 https://twitter.com/CMDROpAtLargeCA/status/1993018252466045032?s=20 https://twitter.com/MJTruthUltra/status/1993124677582033146?s=20 the grand jury in the Epstein (Southern District of Florida) and Maxwell (Southern District of New York) cases. This includes a broad set of DOJ-held files related to Epstein, including: – Investigative materials from Epstein’s cases. – Internal DOJ communications about the investigations. – Files referencing individuals involved in Epstein’s prior cases (e.g., potential “client list” mentions). – Details on sex-trafficking allegations. – Records concerning Epstein’s 2019 death in custody (initially ruled a suicide but long questioned). These materials stem from Epstein’s 2008 Florida plea deal, his 2019 federal charges (which ended with his death), and Maxwell’s 2021 conviction. This targeted unsealing could reveal long-buried details about Epstein’s network, high-profile associates, and DOJ coverups. DOGE https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1993106213480112322?s=20 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1993087579105775858?s=20 What is Trump Going to Use It For?The executive order positions the Genesis Mission as a tool to unleash a “new age of AI-accelerated innovation and discovery” to solve 21st-century challenges and maintain U.S. technological dominance. Specifically, Trump intends to use it for: Accelerating Scientific Breakthroughs: By harnessing the world’s largest collection of federal scientific datasets (built over decades) to train AI foundation models and create AI agents that test hypotheses, automate research workflows, and drive discoveries comparable to historical efforts like the Manhattan Project. Combining National Resources: Integrating efforts from American scientists (including at DOE national labs), pioneering businesses, world-renowned universities, existing research infrastructure, data repositories, production plants, and national security sites to achieve dramatic advancements in AI development and utilization. Addressing Key Domains: Focusing on national priorities to revolutionize areas like infrastructure, data management, production, and security; build on innovations in semiconductors and high-performance computing; and secure energy dominance. Economic and Strategic Benefits: Dramatically enhancing workforce productivity, multiplying returns on taxpayer investments in research and development, strengthening national security, and furthering America’s global strategic leadership in technology. Broader Impacts: Enabling AI-directed experimentation, manufacturing, and problem-solving to tackle existential risks and opportunities, while ensuring secure, interoperable systems across government and partners. This initiative is framed as a response to global competition in AI, building on prior actions like America’s AI Action Plan, with an emphasis on urgency to outpace adversaries and foster economic growth. Geopolitical https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1993073948704096715?s=20  Second Amendment rights for MILLIONS of Americans,” AG Bondi said https://twitter.com/MJTruthUltra/status/1993094085570126026?s=20  prohibited on private property open to the public unless the owner explicitly opts in. It would establish nationwide that the Second Amendment, post-Bruen, FORBIDS states from inverting the historical presumption—carry is allowed on such property unless the owner affirmatively prohibits it—forcing Maryland, California, New Jersey, New York, and any similar regimes to FLIP their private-property rules and dramatically expand where permit holders may carry for self-defense. It's set to be ruled on likely in June 2026, and to me, it's a GUARANTEED WIN Trump ready to talk with Maduro – Axios US President Donald Trump plans to speak directly with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro despite Washington's move to designate him as the head of a terrorist organization, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing administration officials. The US has formally designated the ‘Cartel of the Suns' – a purported criminal network alleged to operate within Venezuela's security services – as a foreign terrorist organization, putting it in the same category as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. Announcing the step on Monday, the US Treasury reiterated long-standing allegations that Maduro, whose legitimacy Washington disputes, heads the group. Source: rt.com War/Peace https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/1993323843482427656?s=20 EU Approves €1.5BN Plan To Build Up Ukraine’s Military-Industrial Sector Even as the Trump-backed Ukraine peace plan is said to be advancing as negotiations intensify ahead of a Washington-imposed deadline of Thursday, the European Union continues its efforts to ramp up support to Ukraine’s defense sector. On Tuesday European Parliament voted to approve a 1.5 billion euros ($1.7bn) program which seeks to deepen integration between Ukraine and Europe on military-industrial relations.  Source: zerohedge.com Ukraine Tentatively Agrees To Trump-Backed Peace Plan, Sending Oil Sliding A US official privy to negotiations is claiming major progress Tuesday, telling ABC News the Ukrainian delegation has agreed to the United States’ potential peace plan, at a moment it’s still being hotly debated, especially among the Europeans. “The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal,” the US official said, but without specifying much in the way of details. “There are some minor details to be sorted out but they have agreed to a peace deal.” Of course, the proverbial devil is in the details, along with each side’s ‘red lines’ – and so this claim should be taken with caution at this still very early point. The Trump White House has set a deadline of Thursday, or Thanksgiving Day in America, for the warring sides to reach a deal. This suggests these talks are moving along with intensity and a sense of urgency. Source: zerohedge.com Proceed Carefully: U.S. Media Reporting Zelenskyy Has Agreed to President Trump Terms for End to Ukraine-Russia Conflict Remember, (1) Zelenskyy is ideologically opposed to coming to terms for a ceasefire against Russia. (2) Zelenskyy has the full support of the European nations to continue fighting. (3) Ukraine has a habit of using positive statements as tools to try and box in President Trump, only to hold firm to certain positions in an effort to derail peace negotiations. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com Medical/False Flags https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1993298834714403297?s=20 [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1993329083606827182?s=20  defender, acquitted Abdi Fatah Yusuf on all charges after jurors found he and his wife ran a fake home-health business out of a mailbox and stole $7.2M in Medicaid funds. Jurors say they are stunned because the evidence of fraud, overbilling and luxury spending was “obvious.” Community pressure and political considerations are now being blamed for the decision. Yusuf walks free while taxpayers eat the loss. Abdi will get to keep his new wardrobe from Coach, Canada Goose, Michael Kors, Third Degree Heat, Nike, and Nordstrom and his whip a Porsche 911. https://twitter.com/drawandstrike/status/1993178893960851620?s=20 housing.   affiliates in our major cities start going under. Because their cheap illegal labor is no longer going to be affordable. And I’m going to enjoy watching every minute of it. President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/1993319619403169935?s=20  to do anything. “Sen. Rand Paul on Sunday warned that President Donald Trump's focus on Venezuela may lead to a “fracture” among those who were drawn in by his campaign promise of avoiding foreign wars.” “Over the last few months, Trump has launched a campaign to eliminate alleged drug trafficking in international waters near Central and South America, mostly through controversial boat strikes – although he has also floated the idea of taking the strikes to land. On Monday, the Trump administration will officially designate Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization – a decision Paul on Sunday criticized. “I think by doing this, they are pretending as if we are at war,” said Paul, chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. “They're pretending as if they've gotten some imprimatur to do what they want,” he warned. “When you have war, the rules of engagement are lessened.” How many years has Rand Paul, been in office and when has he ever lifted a finger to go after the drug cartels? Trump is the first president who is waging a real war against drug cartels worldwide and Rand is doing his best to try and stop him. Trump cares about the millions of Americans who are dying from drug addiction and the families, who have lost loved ones. Rand Paul cares more about the drug cartels. And he's crying because Trump doesn't need him for anything. “Democrats in Congress have also expressed outrage over the strikes and the lack of briefings on the administration's actions – something Paul said he too has not received despite his position on the Senate Homeland Security Committee.” “I've been given zero, not one briefing because I am skeptical of what they are doing,” Paul said. “They don't brief me or the general Senate at all. A few hand-selected people may have gotten a briefing but I have not been invited to any briefings on Venezuela.” Why isn't Trump briefing Rand Paul or the democrats? Because you don't brief your enemies on your plans, when you are engaged in war. Rand Paul is nothing but a grandstanding politician and he can't stand the fact, that Trump ignores him and doesn't need him for anything. Do you want to know why else, Trump doesn't listen to him about fighting drug cartels? Here's Rand's solution to the problem: “Paul conceded that the flow of drugs into the country remains an issue but insisted that the government should focus on eliminating the demand for drugs here at home. “We should be trying to work on the demand side, treating it as a health problem, as an addiction problem in our country and trying to lessen demand. And that is part of the overall solution,” he said.” https://politico.com/news/2025/11/23/rand-paul-gop-venezuelan-strikes-00666488 To Rand Paul, millions of Americans dying from “illegal” drugs is just an “issue.” He thinks the solution is to pass legislation that takes more money from the American taxpayer and puts a bandaid on the problem. Trump on the other hand, is enforcing the laws already on the books and waging war against narco drug trafficking states that are clearly killing Americans for profit. We don't need Rand Paul in the Republican Party. He's only trying to get in the way and slow down Trump's efforts to Make America Great Again. The sooner he is removed from Congress the better.  Marjorie Taylor Greene's Resignation Could Spark Another Shutdown Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-GA) resignation from Congress could handicap Republicans in a critical period during which government funding expires, with dire consequences for the MAGA movement. Georgia law dictates that within ten days of a congressman's resignation, the state's governor must call a special election to take place after at least 30 days from his pronouncement. If no candidate wins a majority in the jungle election (during which all candidates run against one another regardless of party), a runoff with the top two vote-getters takes place 28 days later. By prolonging her election, Greene all but assures her seat will be empty during a period where Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) — and the American people dependent on a functioning federal government — may need every vote they can get. Greene, by prolonging her resignation for a month and a half, removes much of the urgency of scheduling a special election. Georgia political operatives project Kemp to set a date in March. Source: breitbart.com Vindman Brothers, Who Helped Impeach Trump In 2020, Are Now Under Investigation Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., and his twin brother Alexander are reportedly under investigation for illegally acting as “paid brokers” for U.S. defense firms seeking business in Ukraine. “Pentagon General Counsel Earl Matthews alleges that Vindman and his twin brother Alex did not have approval from the U.S. government before seeking to act as ‘paid brokers' for American defense firms pursuing contracts with Ukraine after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion,” the Washington Post revealed over the weekend, citing a Nov. 19 letter for War Secretary Pete Hegseth.   https://twitter.com/YVindman/status/1992069421372985528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1992069421372985528%7Ctwgr%5E5f28cda2d29a3d17d474e14a7cdd0e88aa077fe9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fgeopolitical%2Fvindman-brothers-who-helped-impeach-trump-2020-are-now-under-investigation Source:zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/1993025823268651228?s=20  application and committed bank fraud. The prior U.S. attorney refused to prosecute these Democrat operatives. So the Attorney General picked a new one who is unafraid to follow the law. What is the Democrats' response? Unsurprisingly, an Obama judge hand-selected a Clinton judge. Then the Clinton judge tossed both indictments. And the first sentence in both nearly identical orders, in which the Clinton judge personally and gratuitously attacks Lindsey Halligan, makes it crystal clear this judge is a Democrat partisan. Democrat politicians, including in robes, shamefully protect their own. Unfortunately, we have two systems of justice. One Democrats weaponize against enemies. And one Democrats weaponize to protect allies. The Justice Department must appeal. And it must move aggressively to bring charges against the Lawfare Democrats in Fort Pierce, Florida. https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1993096660734689379?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/1993064224420249957?s=20 https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/1993348171221659741   the Senate Judiciary Committee. Because too many Republicans would vote NO. Home-state senators do not want to give away their power to hand-select the U.S. attorney who would prosecute them, the U.S. district judge who would oversee their trial, and the U.S. marshal who would escort them to prison. The solution is simple: Have all Senate Judiciary Republicans and at least 50 Senate Republicans sign a letter saying this: “We will vote to confirm President Trump’s U.S. attorney nominees who lack blue slips from home-state senators.” Then Grassley can move forward with a committee vote. But why would Grassley anger all his colleagues and waste limited committee resources, if the nominees will fail? https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/1993291465137831953?s=20 https://twitter.com/C__Herridge/status/1993308443667472479?s=20 Kash Patel Talks In Depth About Attempted Trump Assassin And His Motives FBI Director Kash Patel told investigative journalist Catherine Herridge that hatred for the U.S. government and the two-party system played a role in Thomas Matthew Crooks' attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pa. Herridge asked Patel what motivated Crooks, 20, to try to kill Trump, then the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Patel's answer appeared to depart from previous FBI statements when bureau officials said they were unable to find a motive or ideology behind the assassination attempt. The FBI director — appearing on Herridge's show “Straight to the Point” by the Los Angeles Times Media Group — told her that Trump was “satisfied” with his agency's investigation into that fateful day. Patel stopped short of saying the case was closed. “He [Crooks], as has been publicized, had a basically hateful relationship with the United States government, talked disparagingly about both political parties, to include President Trump, and talked about the need to take matters into his own hands. And, unfortunately, that's what he did,” Patel said when Herridge asked about Crooks' motive.  Patel was later asked if Trump was satisfied with the FBI's findings regarding the July 2024 assassination attempt. He emphatically responded “yes.” Herridge asked Patel, “Is the Thomas Crooks case a closed case?” “How we treat cases like this of such great public importance is we put them in a pending-slash-inactive status, so if there's new information that comes in, we can receive it and react to it, and we don't want to foreclose that possibility,” the director said. Source: dailycaller.com https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1993323400173887975?s=20   like the Kuwait Liberation Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal sit in more prominent inboard positions. On the ribbon bar, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon are placed ahead of higher-precedence decorations such as the Air Medal and Navy Commendation Medal. On the medal cluster below, the Legion of Merit and Air Medal are buried beneath service medals like the NATO Medal and National Defense Service Medal, which should be near the bottom of the stack. These reversals violate Navy precedence rules requiring the highest honors to appear inboard and for full-size medals to match the order of their corresponding ribbons. https://twitter.com/overton_news/status/1993150617770996056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1993150617770996056%7Ctwgr%5E44d0521508949894625558b46595b8eb2aec23cc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fsister-toldjah%2F2025%2F11%2F25%2Fmark-kelly-makes-a-damning-admission-when-asked-specifically-about-illegal-orders-n2196541   specific, potentially illegal orders that you were thinking about that were the sort of precipitating cause for you guys to get together and do that?” KELLY: “Here's the thing, Rachel. You don't want to wait for your kid to get hit by a car before you tell them to look both ways.” In other words, no examples and no specifics. https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1993282070152724582?s=20 https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1993345626067853800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1993345626067853800%7Ctwgr%5Eca09c94a37f7c22b3856e0c640694000c3fafa26%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fnick-arama%2F2025%2F11%2F25%2Ffbi-to-interview-the-six-democrats-who-made-illegal-orders-video-n2196542 https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/1993367383281746424  the lower ranks of the nation's military against said elected leadership. https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/1993138036385701971?s=20   confirmed plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), the White House formally announced on Monday evening that the president has initiated the process to classify specific chapters and subdivisions of MB as FTOs.” “Trump’s order cites MB’s violent activities and support for militant factions, including participation in attacks on Israeli civilians and military targets after October 7, 2023, as well as calls for violence against U.S. allies. These actions, the order says, threaten American citizens and destabilize the Middle East.” https://zerohedge.com/political/trump-tells-john-solomon-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-designation-imminent Do you think it's just a coincidence, that Mamdani just met with Trump at the White House and the meeting was nothing like what anybody expected? Instead of the meeting being tense, Trump and Mamdani were joking around and acting like old friends. Both willing to work together for the benefit of the people in New York. And now Trump just designated the group that was one of Mamdani's biggest fundraisers, as a terrorist organization. Just a coincidence? The ball is now in Mamdani's court. Trump proved to the world, by how he treated Mamdani, that what he really cares about, are the people of New York. Is Mamdani going to work with Trump, or choose to be a puppet of the Muslim Brotherhood? Mamdani now gets to choose which side he is on. https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1993079037611397563?s=20 President Trump Recognizes Certain Muslim Brotherhood Chapters for Potential Foreign Terrorist Designation The Muslim Brotherhood is the political arm of authentic Islam, and can be considered much like the umbrella organization for a host of different factions of Islamic fundamentalism. The Brotherhood is the unified political voice of many regional chapters, each with a varying degree of authentic Islam behind it. Qatar is the central bank for the Muslim Brotherhood; Turkey represents the Brotherhood's biggest national support network, and Egypt is the intellectual or scholastic battleground where the values of political Islam are debated. The executive order instructs the State Dept to officially begin the process to look at each chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood as a separate entity, and then see if the designation of a terrorist organization can apply to that chapter. As noted in the Executive Order, “relevant here, its chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns.”  It looks like Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt chapters of the Brotherhood will get the first review. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi already dealt with the extremist Muslim Brotherhood once, kicking their leadership out of Egypt.  The leaders fled to Qatar, and then ultimately ended up in Turkey, where Recep Erdogan absolutely loves the usefulness of the Brotherhood. Jordanian King Abdullah has been balancing the Muslim Brotherhood influence for years, and Lebanon is a hot mess with the Hezbollah faction of the Brotherhood.  The Muslim Brotherhood, as a political structure, holds all kinds of extremist factions under its umbrella (al-Qaeda, al-Nusra etc.).   Source: theconservativetreehouse.com 1237 Apr 22, 2018 1:31:31 AM EDT Q !xowAT4Z3VQ ID: 3e4934 No. 1141069  “The process of settlement is a ‘Civilization-Jihadist Process' with all the word means. The Ikhwan [MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers…” https://clarionproject.org/muslim_brotherhood_explanatory_memorandum/ Q 3881 Feb 24, 2020 8:36:43 PM EST Q !!Hs1Jq13jV6 ID: b03e04 No. 8238822  EMHyS2xXkAA8JrB.png https://twitter.com/cain_nate/status/1231066589996318720 Listen carefully. Think: re: why [no] arrests (justice) yet? What if (almost) every critical position [sr] within the US GOV apparatus was infiltrated? WHAT MUST BE DONE FIRST? THE SWAMP RUNS DEEP. +Sleepers Backgrounds are important. MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD List of ‘in the news now [names]‘ w/ known ties to Islam? THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 4-YEAR ELECTION. [assumptions correct – package well rec [known]] Q (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Melanie Bender is the founder and CEO of Lore, a new fragrance brand that creates entire worlds in every bottle. Before becoming a leader in the beauty industry, Bender initially thought she'd enter the world of STEM. In college, she studied aerospace engineering and environmental science before becoming an environmental planner in her home state of Hawai'i. But her love for fashion and beauty led her to New York. It was there that she started a career that would make her an expert in every part of the process of brand-building—from PR to product development to marketing. Her natural talent and reputation led her to help grow beauty brands Versed and Merit before she was tapped to serve as the CEO of Hailey Bieber's Rhode. But she never abandoned what she learned when she studied STEM. She often credits the scientific method as the formula to entrepreneurial success that's gotten her to where she is today. Now, after more than a decade of building businesses across the beauty industry and leading them to new heights, Melanie's launched her own with Lore—her fragrance line that debuted at Sephora this year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're recapping an unreal Friendsgiving weekend, talking about the parenting moments we want to carry into our own home (hello, polite kids!), and unpacking Alex's latest pregnancy mystery: is the chiropractor helping… or is it all a scam?! (like DENTISTS!) We also get into solo date nights, the official debut of the Caddy, the comeback of corded headphones (??), and if it's better to overshare or gatekeep (guess which one of us does which LOL).  Plus: Tate's newest developments, the most random thing that instantly stops her from crying, and two wild DMs — McDonald's blank-box Happy Meals and a designer who rebranded Gushers into a “healthy” fruit chew. As always, LOVE YOU GUYS!  Timestamps: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast! 00:00:38 It's Thanksgiving eve week (LOL) 00:05:15 The art of a solo dinner date  00:07:15 We're finally talking about the Caddy!!  00:10:30 Triple-tasking: laptop, TV & music 00:12:50 Are corded headphones back? 00:17:40 Oversharing vs. gatekeeping 00:19:58 My experience is a chiropractor for Pregnancy back & neck pain 00:22:58 Giving back this holiday season 00:27:14 Friendsgiving at the ranch  00:32:05  00:35:06 Is it cheating to re-plate store-bought food? 00:39:05 Quick pause for some Tate developmental updates  00:41:59 Raising polite kids 00:43:08 What's the most unique thing you can do to make a kid stop crying? 00:44:59 Things We DMed Each Other: McDonald's _______  Meals 00:49:53 Things We DMed Each Other: Rebranding Gushers as a health gummy 00:53:40 LOVE YOU GUYS!  #twoparentsandapod --------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsors this week: *Aura Frames: Get $45 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://www.auraframes.com with code TWOPARENTS. *Calm: Get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription at https://www.calm.com/TWOPARENTS. *Merit Beauty: Get 20% off sitewide during Merit's only sale of the year at https://www.meritbeauty.com with code EATWOPARENTS (Nov 21–23). *Magnetic Me: Get 25% off select styles during their Black Friday sale at https://www.magneticme.com. *Regain Couples Therapy: This episode is sponsored by Regain Couples Therapy powered by BetterHelp—get 10% off your first month at https://www.regain.com/TWOPARENTS. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple: https://www.youtube.com/@twoparentsandapod https://open.spotify.com/show/7BxuZnHmNzOX9MdnzyU4bD?si=5e715ebaf9014fac https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-parents-a-podcast/id1737442386 --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Two Parents & A Podcast: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/twoparentsandapod TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@twoparentsandapod Follow Alex Bennett: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/justalexbennett TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@justalexbennett Follow Harrison Fugman: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/harrisonfugman TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@harrisonfugman --------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House – https://www.justmediahouse.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Princlings, Grassroots, and the Politics of Restoration. Joseph Turigian discusses how Xi Jinping gained entry to Qinghua University based on political reliability rather than merit in 1975, although his father remained un-rehabilitated. While princlings were generally unpopular, Xi Jinping made the atypical choice to climb the ranks from the grassroots. Xi Zhongxun's full rehabilitation was slow and politically sensitive because Mao himself had persecuted him. Xi Jinping served as secretary to a powerful military leader and skillfully used public relations to raise his profile. Xi Jinping married famous singer Peng Liyuan, bonding over their shared suffering during the Cultural Revolution. Guest: Joseph Turigian. 1906

In today's episode Kail sits down with the Dude Dads for a candid, funny, and unexpectedly tender catch-up that hits everything from joining the “dead dads club,” visiting her estranged father before he passed, and what closure actually feels like. Tom and Jerry open up about losing their dads, addiction in the family, and why the first holidays without someone you love can wreck you.They swap stories about fatherhood, lineage, and the quiet pressure of being “the one who handles it". It's messy, honest, and weirdly healing exactly the kind of conversation we want you to send to the men you love.This episode is full of laughs, hard truths, and a reminder to keep traditions (and yourself) going. And if you need a new pod for your favorite guy, the Dude Dads want your follows and reviews.Listen to The Dude Dads here and Follow them for more!For full video episodes head to patreon.com/kaillowryThanks for supporting the show by checking out the sponsors!Hiya: for 50% off their best selling children's vitamin head to hiyahealth.com/famousBoll And Branch: Now's your chance to change the way you sleep with Boll and Branch. Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at bollandbranch.com/barelyfamousOPositiv: Take proactive care of your health at opositiv.com/famous for 25% off your first purchaseMerit: Right now, you can get early access to Merit's only sale of the year when you go to MeritBeauty.com and use code E A FAMOUS from 11/21-11/23 You will get 20% off site wide- plus a gift with purchase, while supplies last.PAKA: To grab your PAKA hoodie and free pair of alpaca crew socks, head to GO.PAKAAPPAREL.COM/BARELYFAMOUS and use my code BARELYFAMOUS.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode, Ryan sits down with his friend and collaborator, Joe Byerly, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, writer, and host of From the Green Notebook. The two talk about the overlap between Stoicism and service, the discipline it takes to think clearly, and why wisdom isn't something you're born with. Joe Byerly is a recently retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years of service, including combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and command of a cavalry squadron in Europe. He's earned multiple honors, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.In 2013, he founded From the Green Notebook, a platform that helps leaders reflect, grow, and share their experiences. Joe's passionate about the power of reading, writing, and self-reflection—and he's the author of The Leader's 90-Day Notebook and co-author of My Green Notebook: “Know Thyself” Before Changing Jobs.Follow Joe on Instagram @FromTheGreenNotebook and on X @jbyerly81Check out Joe's podcast From The Green Notebook on YouTube, Apple Podcast, and Spotify See more of Joe's work on his website: https://fromthegreennotebook.com/

Topics: meeting at Whitney Port's party, sitting at the head of the table, Zara doesn't want us, nepotism is king in LA, a Housewife at the Beach Club, changing your kids name, friendship breakupsSponsorsSKIMS: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at SKIMS.com. Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsMerit: Get early access to Merit's only sale of the year at MeritBeauty.com and use code EATAYLOR from Nov 21-23 for 20% off site wide - plus a gift with your purchaseBellesa: EVERYONE who signs up wins a FREE WhisperVibe™ OR a FREE Rose toy with any Whisper™ order!Vital Vitamins: 20% of all orders with code TAYLOR at myvitalvitamins.comBobbie: get 10% off with code TAYLOR at hibobbie.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.