Podcasts about ming

For Ming Min Hui, there's no single "right" path to arts leadership—only the one you build through curiosity, courage, and a willingness to evolve. Her career began far from the stage, in finance and corporate strategy on Wall Street. Today, as Executive Director of Boston Ballet, she sees that wide-ranging experience not as a detour but as the engine behind her leadership. In this episode, Ming reflects on the value of expansive career paths, the power of collaborative problem-solving, and how she uses her business acumen to deepen the relevance of a 400-year-old art form in Boston and beyond. LINKS: Boston Ballet - https://www.bostonballet.org/  NBC Boston | Citydance 30 Documentary - https://www.nbcboston.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/watch-the-boston-ballet-citydance-30-years-of-movement-documentary-saturday/2813042/ 

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Snowy Dreams: Lian's Journey to Medical Empowerment Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-04-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在这个寒冷的冬天，辽阔的白雪覆盖了地面，空气中飘着细小的雪花。En: In this cold winter, the vast white snow covered the ground, with tiny snowflakes floating in the air.Zh: 一群高中生来到医院，他们是来了解医疗工作者的职业生涯。En: A group of high school students arrived at the hospital; they came to learn about the careers of healthcare workers.Zh: 在这群学生中，有一个名叫连的女孩。En: Among this group of students, there was a girl named Lian.Zh: 她一直对医学充满热情，但也常常质疑自己的能力。En: She has always been passionate about medicine but often doubts her own abilities.Zh: 她的好朋友明站在她的身边，热情地鼓励她：“你一定能做到的！En: Her good friend Ming stood by her side, enthusiastically encouraging her, "You can definitely do it!"Zh: ”医院里很忙碌，医生和护士们穿着白大褂，忙碌地走来走去。En: The hospital was busy, with doctors and nurses wearing white coats, bustling back and forth.Zh: 学生们被带到了一个明亮的会议室，那里能看到窗外的雪景。En: The students were taken to a bright conference room, where they could see the snowy scene outside the window.Zh: 而今天，他们的导游是一个名叫陶的医学院学生。En: Today, their guide was a medical school student named Tao.Zh: 陶给学生们介绍了医学院生活的点滴。En: Tao introduced the students to the ins and outs of life in medical school.Zh: 他的眼中闪烁着对医学的热爱，让连既羡慕又紧张。En: His eyes sparkled with a love for medicine, making Lian both envious and nervous.Zh: 她不知道自己是否能像陶一样热情和专业。En: She was unsure if she could be as passionate and professional as Tao.Zh: “小连，你想成为一名医生吗？En: "Xiao Lian, do you want to become a doctor?"Zh: ”陶微笑着问她。En: Tao asked her with a smile.Zh: “嗯……我想是的。En: "Um...Zh: 但我不确定自己能不能做到，”连低声说。En: I think so.Zh: 陶笑了笑，鼓励地说：“我也曾有过许多疑问。En: But I'm not sure if I can do it," Lian said softly.Zh: 有时候会怀疑自己，但只要坚持，就会进步。En: Tao smiled and encouragingly said, "I had many doubts, too.Zh: ”听到这番话，连心里感到一阵暖意。En: Sometimes you might doubt yourself, but as long as you persist, you will improve."Zh: 她鼓起勇气问陶：“你是怎么克服挑战的？En: Hearing these words, Lian felt a warmth in her heart.Zh: ”“我也有过许多挑战，但学习和实践让我不断成长。En: She mustered up the courage to ask Tao, "How did you overcome challenges?"Zh: 在遇到困难时，记得找朋友和老师聊聊，这会让你轻松很多。En: "I've faced many challenges, but learning and practice have allowed me to keep growing.Zh: ”陶回答。En: When facing difficulties, remember to talk to friends and teachers; it will ease the burden a lot," Tao replied.Zh: 通过这次对话，连似乎看到了未来的一丝希望。En: Through this conversation, Lian seemed to see a glimmer of hope for the future.Zh: 她开始相信自己的潜力，并为自己的梦想感到兴奋无比。En: She began to believe in her potential and felt incredibly excited about her dream.Zh: 在参观结束时，连走出了会议室，心中充满新的决心。En: At the end of the visit, Lian walked out of the conference room, filled with new determination.Zh: 她更坚定地认为自己能够在医学领域找到自己的位置。En: She was more convinced that she could find her place in the field of medicine.Zh: 明拍了拍连的肩膀，“看吧，我说过你可以的。En: Ming patted Lian on the shoulder, "See, I told you, you can do it."Zh: ”连微笑着点点头，内心的自信如同窗外的阳光，愈发明亮。En: Lian smiled and nodded, her inner confidence shining brighter, just like the sunlight outside the window.Zh: 她现在知道，只要努力，她也能成为像陶那样出色的医学生。En: She now knew that with effort, she too could become an outstanding medical student like Tao.Zh: 于是，医院的白色走廊中，连和明并肩走着，雪花在她们身后轻轻飘落，为这段重要旅程留下了温暖的记忆。En: So, in the white corridors of the hospital, Lian and Ming walked side by side, snowflakes gently falling behind them, leaving warm memories of this important journey. Vocabulary Words:vast: 辽阔snowflakes: 雪花healthcare workers: 医疗工作者passionate: 热情abilities: 能力enthusiastically: 热情地bustling: 忙碌conference room: 会议室guide: 导游sparkled: 闪烁envious: 羡慕professional: 专业persist: 坚持warmth: 暖意mustered: 鼓起overcome: 克服challenges: 挑战ease: 轻松burden: 负担potential: 潜力determination: 决心confidence: 自信shining: 明亮outstanding: 出色snowy scene: 雪景tiny: 细小beyond: 超出gently: 轻轻memories: 记忆career: 职业生涯

Tales of trickery were popular in the late Ming dynasty. The translators of a new collection explain how they still resonate today.The China Books Podcast is a companion of China Books Review, a project of Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China. For any queries or comments, please write to info@chinabooksreview.com.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Whispers of Adventure: Discovering Zijincheng's Hidden Secrets Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-02-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 紫禁城的冬日早晨，雪花轻轻地飘落在砖红色的城墙和金黄色的屋顶上。En: On a winter morning in Zijincheng, snowflakes gently fell on the brick-red city walls and the golden-yellow rooftops.Zh: 明和夏跟随他们的老师和同学们，兴奋地走入这座壮丽的古老宫殿。En: Ming and Xia followed their teacher and classmates, excitedly entering this magnificent ancient palace.Zh: 明总是对历史充满好奇心。En: Ming was always full of curiosity about history.Zh: 他走在队伍的最后，看着周围的景色，心里想着如何能找到一个不为人知的地方，让自己从人群中脱颖而出。En: He walked at the end of the line, looking around at the scenery, pondering how he could find an unknown place to distinguish himself from the crowd.Zh: 他的朋友夏平时很安静，但她喜欢读各种冒险故事，暗中希望自己也能有一次冒险。En: His friend Xia was usually very quiet, but she enjoyed reading various adventure stories, secretly hoping she could have an adventure herself.Zh: "夏，我有个主意。" 明悄悄地对夏说。En: "Xia, I have an idea," Ming whispered to Xia.Zh: “什么主意？” 夏好奇地问。En: "What idea?" Xia asked curiously.Zh: “我们一起去找一个没有人去过的地方。我听说，在紫禁城里，有一些不在官方导览里的秘密。” 明低声说道，眼中闪烁着兴奋的光芒。En: "Let's find a place no one else has been to. I heard there are some secrets in the Zijincheng that aren't on the official tour," Ming said softly, his eyes sparkling with excitement.Zh: 夏犹豫了一下，但她也想尝试着去冒险一次。En: Xia hesitated for a moment, but she also wanted to try going on an adventure.Zh: 于是，她点了点头。“好吧，但我们要快点，不能被发现。”En: So, she nodded. "Alright, but we have to be quick and not get caught."Zh: 他们趁着一个转角，无声无息地脱离了队伍。En: When they reached a corner, they silently separated from the group.Zh: 走过几道长廊，他们终于发现了一扇半掩着的旧木门。En: After walking through several corridors, they finally discovered a half-closed old wooden door.Zh: 门后，他们进入了一个古老而寂静的庭院。En: Behind the door, they entered an ancient and quiet courtyard.Zh: 庭院被雪覆盖，显得格外安宁，四周的树枝上挂着晶莹剔透的冰晶。En: The courtyard was covered with snow, appearing extraordinarily peaceful, with crystal-clear icicles hanging from the branches around.Zh: "这里真美。" 夏轻声说道。En: "This place is so beautiful," Xia said softly.Zh: "是啊，这就是我想看到的东西。" 明回道，脸上露出了得意的笑容。En: "Yeah, this is what I wanted to see," Ming replied, with a satisfied smile on his face.Zh: 但时间渐渐过去，两人意识到他们停留得太久，可能会错过和小组会合的时间。En: But as time passed, they realized they had stayed too long and might miss the group's meeting time.Zh: 顿时，他们的心跳加速，赶紧按照来时的路返回。En: Suddenly, their hearts beat faster, and they hurried back the way they came.Zh: 幸好，他们及时赶回起点，同学们正准备上车。En: Fortunately, they returned to the starting point in time, as the classmates were just preparing to get on the bus.Zh: “我们做到了。” 明喘着气说道。En: "We did it," Ming said, panting.Zh: “是啊，这趟冒险真值得。” 夏微微笑着，眼里充满了感激。En: "Yes, this adventure was truly worth it," Xia said with a slight smile, her eyes filled with gratitude.Zh: 回到车上，明和夏对视一眼，心照不宣地决定将这次不寻常的探索作为他们的小秘密。En: Back on the bus, Ming and Xia exchanged a glance, tacitly deciding to keep this unusual exploration as their little secret.Zh: 从此以后，明变得更自信，而夏也觉得冒险比想象中更有趣。En: From then on, Ming became more confident, and Xia found adventure more fascinating than she had imagined.Zh: 紫禁城的冒险，让他们的友谊更加深厚，并激励他们在生活中寻找更多可能性。En: The adventure in the Zijincheng deepened their friendship and inspired them to seek more possibilities in life. Vocabulary Words:snowflakes: 雪花brick-red: 砖红色rooftops: 屋顶magnificent: 壮丽的curiosity: 好奇心pondering: 思考distinguish: 脱颖而出secretly: 暗中hesitated: 犹豫corridors: 长廊half-closed: 半掩着的icicles: 冰晶extraordinarily: 格外admiration: 崇拜heartbeat: 心跳tacitly: 心照不宣地exploration: 探索confidence: 自信possibilities: 可能性adventure: 冒险whispered: 悄悄地说glance: 对视gratitude: 感激starting point: 起点fascinating: 有趣separated: 脱离discover: 发现courtyard: 庭院branches: 树枝sparkling: 闪烁

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unearthed Secrets: A Journey Through Time in Zijincheng Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-02-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 冬天的清晨，紫禁城被一层淡淡的雾气笼罩。En: On a winter morning, the Zijincheng was shrouded in a light layer of mist.Zh: 漫步在宏伟的宫殿间，莲心中充满了好奇。En: As Lian strolled among the magnificent palaces, her heart was filled with curiosity.Zh: 莲是一名历史学的学生，特别迷恋古代文物。En: Lian is a student of history, particularly fascinated by ancient artifacts.Zh: 今天，她和考古学家明约在紫禁城的庭院中汇合。En: Today, she is meeting with archaeologist Mingyue in the courtyard of the Zijincheng.Zh: 对于莲来说，这是一场不同寻常的探险。En: For Lian, this is an extraordinary adventure.Zh: 几天前，他们偶然发现了一张神秘的地图。En: A few days ago, they accidentally discovered a mysterious map.Zh: 地图上描述了一个隐藏的宝物，据说就埋藏在紫禁城的某个角落。En: The map described a hidden treasure, supposedly buried in some corner of the Zijincheng.Zh: 莲兴奋地想要揭开这个秘密，她总觉得这个宝物能为她的身份寻根溯源。En: Lian was excited to uncover the secret, feeling that this treasure might trace the roots of her identity.Zh: 然而，明对此持怀疑态度，认为地图可能不可信，而且关于守护灵的传说更是无稽之谈。En: However, Ming was skeptical, believing the map might not be credible, and the legends of guardian spirits were nonsense.Zh: “可这地图是不完整的。”明拿着地图说。En: "But this map is incomplete," Ming said, holding the map.Zh: 他脸上露出几分担忧，“你不觉得这太冒险了吗？”En: His face showed a hint of worry, "Don't you think this is too risky?"Zh: 莲坚定地说：“我们必须试一试。也许这是一生一次的机会。”En: Lian replied firmly, "We must try. Perhaps this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."Zh: 于是，两人开始沿着地图上的指引前进。En: Thus, the two began to follow the directions on the map.Zh: 冷风吹拂，紫禁城的庭院中静得出奇，仿佛在等待着什么。En: The cold wind blew, and the courtyard of the Zijincheng was unusually quiet, as if waiting for something.Zh: 随着越往前，路径变得越来越难辨。En: As they progressed, the path became increasingly indistinct.Zh: 莲拉紧她的围巾，对明轻声说：“就快到了。”En: Lian tightened her scarf and softly said to Ming, "We're almost there."Zh: 沿途，他们开始感到一种难以名状的压力，就像被某种无形的力量监视。En: Along the way, they began to feel an indescribable pressure, as if being watched by some invisible force.Zh: 突然，空气中响起了奇异的声音，树叶无风自响。En: Suddenly, strange sounds filled the air, and the leaves rustled without wind.Zh: 莲和明心中都涌起了一阵恐惧。En: Both Lian and Ming felt a surge of fear.Zh: “也许传说是真的？”明不再那么坚定。En: "Perhaps the legends are true?" Ming was no longer so steadfast.Zh: 他开始有些动摇。En: He started to waver.Zh: 但莲没有放弃。En: But Lian did not give up.Zh: 她感受到使命感的驱动，继续朝前走。En: Driven by a sense of mission, she continued walking forward.Zh: 不远处，一扇隐蔽的门出现在她的视野中。En: Not far away, a concealed door appeared in her sight.Zh: 两人对视一眼，默契地走上前去，推开那扇看似普通的门。En: They exchanged a glance and stepped forward in unison, pushing open what seemed like an ordinary door.Zh: 他们进入了一个小小的密室，映入眼帘的不是宝物，而是一段刻在石板上的信息。En: They entered a small secret chamber, where they were greeted not by treasure but by an inscription on a stone slab.Zh: 文字简单，却充满力量：“遗产重于金银，守护胜于占有。”En: The words were simple yet powerful: "Legacy is weightier than gold and silver, protection surpasses possession."Zh: 虽然没有找到预期中的宝物，莲却从中领悟到了更深刻的道理。En: Although they did not find the treasure they anticipated, Lian gained a deeper understanding.Zh: 她转向明，微笑着说：“有些秘密是属于过去的，值得我们去保护，而非占有。”En: She turned to Ming and said with a smile, "Some secrets belong to the past and are worth protecting, not possessing."Zh: 明点头，同意地说道：“历史的分量在于保存，而不是探寻。En: Ming nodded in agreement and said, "The significance of history lies in preservation, not exploration.Zh: 我们都学到了宝贵的一课。”En: We have both learned a valuable lesson."Zh: 走出密室，雾气渐渐散去，阳光重新洒在紫禁城壮丽的屋檐上。En: As they walked out of the secret chamber, the mist gradually dissipated, and the sunlight once again shone on the magnificent eaves of the Zijincheng.Zh: 莲与明在这一刻都明白了，守护历史才是最珍贵的宝藏。En: At that moment, both Lian and Ming understood that safeguarding history is the most precious treasure. Vocabulary Words:shrouded: 笼罩curiosity: 好奇magnificent: 宏伟artifacts: 文物extraordinary: 不同寻常accidentally: 偶然mysterious: 神秘treasure: 宝物skeptical: 怀疑credible: 可信legend: 传说guardian spirit: 守护灵incomplete: 不完整opportunity: 机会unusual: 出奇indistinct: 难辨scarf: 围巾indescribable: 难以名状pressure: 压力invisible: 无形concealed: 隐蔽inscription: 刻legacy: 遗产possession: 占有significance: 分量preservation: 保存exploration: 探寻gradually: 渐渐magnificent eaves: 壮丽的屋檐safeguarding: 守护

MING's weekly Warmth radio show features the best in today's house and EDM as well as exclusive mixes and interviews from guest artists.MING Stuff >> https://solo.to/mingsmusic1001Tracklists >> https://1001.tl/lbknx3Beatport Track Charts >> https://hoodfamo.us/BPWRMTH

This week at Venture, we welcomed Pastor Jared Ming from Higher Vision Church as he continued our Journey Through Ephesians series with a powerful message from Ephesians 5. Pastor Jared teaches what it means to “be imitators of God” — that following Jesus is not just about believing, but about becoming more like our Father. Through humor, personal stories, and deep biblical insight, he unpacks two life-changing truths: 1. Walk in Love Love isn't just emotion — it's action, sacrifice, generosity, and self-control. Jared shows how true love is expressed through giving, and how it also means restraining the desires and behaviors that lead us away from God. 2. Walk in the Light We are called to leave the darkness behind. Jared challenges us to disconnect from anything that keeps us from God's best and to step fully into the light — through confession, truth, repentance, and following Jesus wholeheartedly. This message is practical, challenging, and full of moments that will help you grow closer to God and look more like Him in your daily life. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Venture Church Online00:06 – Drop your location in the comments00:20 – Service intro00:42 – Pastor Jared Ming takes the stage01:07 – Honoring Pastor Brandon, Pastor Di, and the team01:23 – About Higher Vision Church01:38 – Thanksgiving weekend humor02:03 – “Drumstick” joke02:24 – Diving into Ephesians 502:41 – Standing for the reading of God's Word02:57 – “Be imitators of God”03:31 – Opening prayer03:58 – What does it mean to imitate God?04:17 – Mimicking your Father in heaven04:42 – Family photo illustration05:19 – Do you resemble your Father spiritually?06:25 – What imitation really looks like06:49 – Encouraging the room07:16 – The call to “walk in love”07:56 – Love expressed through giving08:41 – God loved and gave09:05 – The five love languages09:27 – Gift illustration with Pastor Morgan10:51 – It's not love if there's no substance11:13 – Showing love through generosity and forgiveness11:43 – Love is demonstrated through action12:27 – Love is expressed through self-control12:59 – Hard topics: sexual immorality13:28 – Why Paul addresses sexuality14:28 – Fornication explained15:08 – God's call to holiness16:01 – Coveting and desires16:35 – Desires become actions16:57 – God protects us through boundaries17:53 – Love restrains18:01 – Controlling your words18:27 – All communication matters19:15 – Every word is recorded19:44 – Our words justify or condemn20:06 – Life and death in the tongue20:52 – The power of confession21:34 – Your words shape your future22:11 – Speak life, not defeat22:37 – Don't be deceived by empty words23:21 – Cultural lies vs. biblical truth24:06 – Reaping the results of belief24:51 – Speak God's promises25:19 – “The best is yet to come”25:35 – Walk in love recap26:15 – Point 2: Walk in the light26:35 – Leaving darkness behind27:06 – Know what is acceptable to God27:42 – Why you need the Bible28:15 – Light reveals what darkness hides29:17 – Stop blaming darkness — turn on the light29:53 – Jesus is the light30:15 – Jesus wants followers, not fans30:38 – Disconnect from darkness31:26 – “No thank you” illustration from Elf32:47 – What fellowship with darkness looks like33:37 – Expose what's hidden34:18 – Painful but necessary healing34:45 – Story of the plantar wart36:22 – It can't heal until you reveal36:50 – Break fellowship with darkness37:22 – Time to walk in love and light37:41 – Salvation invitation38:29 – Call to repentance39:12 – Prayer of salvation40:12 – Prayer over the church40:45 – Pastor Di wraps up service41:27 – How to go deeper this week41:47 – Christmas season starts next week41:53 – Closing remarks42:00 – End

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Braving the Arctic: Uncovering Secrets Beneath the Ice Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-26-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在遥远的北极冻原上，秋风呼啸而过，阳光微弱。En: On the distant Arctic tundra, the autumn wind howls through, and the sunlight is weak.Zh: 冰雪覆盖着整个大地，一片洁白无瑕。En: Ice and snow cover the entire land, a flawless white expanse.Zh: Ming、Lihua和Cheng正行走在这片无边无际的冰原上。En: Ming is walking on this boundless ice field with Lihua and Cheng.Zh: 他们三人都是科学团队的一员，肩负着一个重要的任务。En: The three are members of a scientific team, carrying an important mission.Zh: Ming是个充满好奇的科学家，总是想揭开自然的秘密。En: Ming is a curious scientist, always seeking to uncover the secrets of nature.Zh: 这次，他对冰下神秘的物体充满了热情。En: This time, he is full of enthusiasm about the mysterious object beneath the ice.Zh: 他相信，这个发现可能会带来前所未有的科学突破。En: He believes this discovery could lead to an unprecedented scientific breakthrough.Zh: 但内心深处，他也害怕失败。En: But deep down, he also fears failure.Zh: Lihua跟随Ming的脚步，她是个勇敢无畏的研究员。En: Lihua follows in Ming's footsteps—she is a brave and fearless researcher.Zh: 她对每个细节都非常敏感，因为她与过去的一次重大发现有着深刻的个人联系。En: She is very sensitive to every detail because she has a deep personal connection to a significant past discovery.Zh: Cheng是他们的向导，他小心谨慎，总是担心团队的安全。En: Cheng is their guide, cautious and always concerned about the team's safety.Zh: 他心里藏着深深的不安。En: He harbors a deep unease within.Zh: 他们沿着冰面缓缓前行，当Lihua突然停住脚步，指着前方说：“看，那里有一个东西！”En: They proceed slowly along the ice surface when Lihua suddenly stops, pointing ahead: “Look, there's something over there!”Zh: 他们走近一看，果然发现了一块被冰封住的奇异物体。En: Upon closer inspection, they indeed discover a strange object encased in ice.Zh: Ming十分兴奋，他想马上挖掘出来。En: Ming is very excited; he wants to excavate it immediately.Zh: 但Cheng皱起眉头说道：“温度很低，天冷风大，而且暴风雪马上要来了。”En: But Cheng frowns and says, “The temperature is very low, it's cold and windy, and a blizzard is coming soon.”Zh: 他提出先撤回营地，等待天气好转。En: He suggests they retreat to the camp first and wait for the weather to improve.Zh: Ming心情复杂，他知道Cheng说得很有道理，但心中的好奇心让他不愿放弃现在的机会。En: Ming feels conflicted; he knows Cheng makes a valid point, but his curiosity drives him to not give up this opportunity.Zh: Lihua支持Ming，认为他们应该尝试一下。En: Lihua supports Ming, believing they should give it a try.Zh: 就在他们犹豫不决时，天空忽然阴沉下来，暴风雪毫无预警地袭来。En: As they hesitate, the sky suddenly darkens, and a blizzard hits without warning.Zh: 风雪狂怒地拍打着他们，时间已不多。En: The wind and snow rage around them, and time is short.Zh: Ming迅速做出决定：“我们试着尽快取出一部分样本，然后马上撤退！”En: Ming quickly decides: “Let's try to extract a part of the sample quickly, then retreat immediately!”Zh: 三人合作迅速，在冰面上奋力挖掘，终于从冰中拿出一小块物体的碎片。En: The three work together swiftly, digging hard on the ice surface, finally extracting a fragment of the object from the ice.Zh: 在风雪中，他们慌忙撤回营地。En: Amidst the snowstorm, they hurriedly retreat to the camp.Zh: 虽然暴风雪带来了不少麻烦，但他们终于成功带回了样本。En: Although the blizzard caused considerable trouble, they successfully brought back the sample.Zh: Ming明白了自己需要学会在好奇与安全之间找到平衡。En: Ming realized he needs to learn to balance curiosity and safety.Zh: 他知道，有时候等待和团队合作是最明智的选择。En: He understands that sometimes waiting and teamwork are the wisest choices.Zh: 故事结束时，他们围坐在温暖的帐篷里，庆祝感恩节，共同分享这个成功。En: As the story concludes, they sit together in the warm tent, celebrating Thanksgiving, and sharing in this success.Zh: Ming微笑着看着手中的样本，心里满怀希望和满足。En: Ming smiles at the sample in his hand, filled with hope and satisfaction.Zh: 这片寒冷的土地，给他们带来了意想不到的收获。En: This cold land has brought them an unexpected harvest. Vocabulary Words:tundra: 冻原howls: 呼啸flawless: 无瑕boundless: 无边无际enthusiasm: 热情unprecedented: 前所未有fearless: 无畏researcher: 研究员sensitive: 敏感significant: 重大cautious: 谨慎harbors: 藏着unease: 不安inspection: 检查encased: 封住excavate: 挖掘frowns: 皱眉blizzard: 暴风雪conflicted: 复杂curiosity: 好奇心hesitate: 犹豫extract: 取出fragment: 碎片swiftly: 迅速retreat: 撤退considerable: 不少balance: 平衡teamwork: 合作concludes: 结束harvest: 收获

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Zoo Adventure: The Great Red Panda Escape Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-25-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 北京动物园的秋天，阳光明媚，红色的枫树叶随风飘落，地上铺满金黄的银杏叶。En: In the autumn at the Beijing Zoo, the sun shines brightly, red maple leaves fall with the wind, and the ground is covered with golden ginkgo leaves.Zh: 游客们兴致盎然，拿着手机拍照，享受着凉爽的秋风。En: Visitors are full of enthusiasm, taking photos with their phones and enjoying the cool autumn breeze.Zh: 就在这一天，丽华心急如焚，因为她负责的红熊猫不见了。En: On this very day, Li Hua is anxious because the red panda she is in charge of has disappeared.Zh: 丽华是动物园的饲养员，平常总是细心照顾动物，但今天早上，她一转身，红熊猫竟然消失了。En: Li Hua is a zookeeper who usually takes care of the animals attentively, but this morning, when she turned around, the red panda had vanished.Zh: 正好，她的堂弟明来参观动物园。En: Coincidentally, her cousin Ming came to visit the zoo.Zh: 他是个技术高手，又特别喜欢看侦探小说。En: He's a tech whiz and is particularly fond of detective novels.Zh: 还有一个是游客勇，他对中国文化特别感兴趣，趁着假期来动物园游玩。En: Another person is a tourist named Yong, who is especially interested in Chinese culture and is taking advantage of his vacation to visit the zoo.Zh: 当丽华把红熊猫丢失的事情告诉他们时，明兴奋地拍拍胸口说：“没问题，让我来帮忙。”En: When Li Hua told them about the missing red panda, Ming excitedly patted his chest and said, "No problem, let me help."Zh: 而勇也干劲十足地表示：“我可以四处找找。”En: Meanwhile, Yong also expressed with enthusiasm, "I can look around."Zh: 他们三人开始在动物园里寻找失踪的红熊猫。En: The three of them started searching for the missing red panda in the zoo.Zh: 丽华有点儿着急，因为她不记得最后一次看到红熊猫是在什么地方。En: Li Hua was a bit anxious because she couldn't remember where she last saw the red panda.Zh: 明拿出了手机，试图用卫星地图分析，但是很快发现，这里和小说中的侦探案子完全不同，找起动物来似乎没那么简单。En: Ming took out his phone and tried to analyze the area using a satellite map, but soon realized that this was completely different from detective cases in novels; searching for an animal seemed not so easy.Zh: 勇一路走一路看，看到每个角落都不放过。En: As Yong walked, he looked around, not missing a single corner.Zh: 他对每个动物都有问不完的问题，但此刻他只想找到迷路的红熊猫帮助丽华。En: He had endless questions about each animal, but at this moment, all he wanted was to find the lost red panda to help Li Hua.Zh: 不知不觉，他们走到了一个小树林。En: Unknowingly, they walked into a small grove.Zh: 突然，勇指着一棵树大喊：“看，那是红熊猫吗？”En: Suddenly, Yong pointed at a tree and shouted, "Look, is that the red panda?"Zh: 他们抬头一看，果然，是那只逃跑的小家伙，正懒洋洋地趴在树枝上。En: They looked up, and sure enough, it was the little fugitive, lazily lying on the branch.Zh: “真不该让它自己待着。”丽华自责道。En: "I really shouldn't have let it stay alone," Li Hua said, blaming herself.Zh: 他们想了个办法，把从其他地方拿来的竹子作为诱饵，慢慢诱导红熊猫下树。En: They came up with a plan and used bamboo from elsewhere as bait to slowly lure the red panda down from the tree.Zh: 经过一番努力，红熊猫终于回到了丽华的手中。En: After some effort, the red panda finally returned to Li Hua's hands.Zh: 丽华感激地看着明和勇：“谢谢你们，没有你们我都不知道怎么办好。”En: Li Hua looked gratefully at Ming and Yong and said, "Thank you. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do."Zh: 在重回笼舍的路上，丽华意识到，做好工作的同时，信任朋友也很重要。En: On the way back to the enclosure, Li Hua realized that while doing a good job is important, trusting friends is too.Zh: 明明白了，现实和书中的推理过程并不一样；而勇则更加欣赏动物园饲养员们的耐心和细心。En: Ming understood that reality and the reasoning process in books are not the same; while Yong further appreciated the patience and attention of the zookeepers.Zh: 最终，红熊猫安全回到它的家，没有人发现它曾经短暂的“冒险”。En: In the end, the red panda returned safely to its home without anyone noticing its brief "adventure."Zh: 他们笑着走出了树林，享受着秋日的北京动物园和相聚的时光。En: They walked out of the grove with smiles, enjoying the autumn day at the Beijing Zoo and the time spent together. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天brightly: 明媚enthusiasm: 兴致盎然anxious: 心急如焚vanished: 消失coincidentally: 正好detective: 侦探excitedly: 兴奋地pat: 拍拍eager: 干劲十足analyze: 分析corner: 角落unknowingly: 不知不觉fugitive: 逃跑的小家伙lazily: 懒洋洋地blame: 自责bait: 诱饵gratefully: 感激enclosure: 笼舍trusting: 信任patience: 耐心attention: 细心appreciated: 欣赏safely: 安全adventure: 冒险enjoying: 享受especially: 特别vacation: 假期plan: 办法zookeeper: 饲养员

Welcome to Central Asia's leading light - a country high on its own grandeur. Tajikistan is where the world's most spectacular mountain scenery meets warm hospitality and endless pots of green tea. Despite being scarred by civil war and overshadowed by its more famous neighbors, this Persian-speaking nation offers some of the planet's most dramatic landscapes, from the legendary Pamir Highway to crystalline alpine lakes that mirror Ming-vase blue skies.Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Tajikistan for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membershipThanks for all your support!TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MING's weekly Warmth radio show features the best in today's house and EDM as well as exclusive mixes and interviews from guest artists.MING Stuff >> https://solo.to/mingsmusic1001Tracklists >> https://1001.tl/lbknx3Beatport Track Charts >> https://hoodfamo.us/BPWRMTH

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Fearless Heights: Ming's Kite Adventure at the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-21-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天的长城，美丽如画。树叶变得五彩缤纷，微风轻拂着游人的脸颊。En: The Great Wall in autumn is picturesque, with tree leaves turning into a kaleidoscope of colors, and a gentle breeze brushing against the tourists' cheeks.Zh: 明、珍和莲站在一个观景台上，准备放风筝。En: Ming, Zhen, and Lian stood on a viewing platform, getting ready to fly a kite.Zh: 明充满激情地想拍下风筝在长城上空飞舞的照片。En: Ming was passionately eager to capture photos of the kite soaring above the Great Wall.Zh: 他相信这组照片会赢得本地摄影比赛。En: He believed that this set of photos would win the local photography contest.Zh: 然而，明有一个问题——他怕高。En: However, Ming had one problem—he was afraid of heights.Zh: 明看着悬崖边缘，心里有些犹豫。En: Ming gazed at the edge of the cliff, feeling a little hesitant.Zh: 风筝在他手里，轻轻舞动。En: The kite fluttered lightly in his hand.Zh: 珍稳重地拍了拍明的肩膀：“别担心，我们有备用计划。”En: Zhen reassuringly patted Ming's shoulder, saying, "Don't worry, we have a backup plan."Zh: 而莲兴奋地笑道：“明，别怕！我们在这里陪着你。”En: Lian excitedly laughed and said, "Ming, don't be afraid! We're here with you."Zh: 于是，他们开始了尝试。En: So, they began their attempt.Zh: 明小心翼翼地靠近边缘，他的心跳加速。En: Ming cautiously approached the edge, his heart racing.Zh: 风有时会停，时而又突然变大。En: The wind would sometimes die down and then suddenly pick up.Zh: 珍提议：“我们可以等风更稳定些，再放高风筝。”En: Zhen suggested, "We can wait until the wind is more stable before flying the kite higher."Zh: 他们决定三人一起合作，把风筝放得更高。En: They decided to work together to lift the kite higher.Zh: 莲在一旁鼓励着：“你能做到的，明！”En: Lian encouraged from the side, "You can do it, Ming!"Zh: 终于，风开始稳定。En: Finally, the wind stabilized.Zh: 风筝升得更高，在蓝天中划出一条美丽的弧线。En: The kite rose higher, tracing a beautiful arc in the blue sky.Zh: 明的手上冒出了汗。En: Sweat appeared on Ming's hands.Zh: 这时，一阵强风突然袭来，差点把风筝带走。En: Just then, a strong gust of wind suddenly hit, almost taking the kite away.Zh: 明知道这是他拍下完美照片的机会，但如果他放弃，这个完美的瞬间可能会消失。En: Ming knew this was his chance to capture the perfect photo, but if he let go, this perfect moment might vanish.Zh: 他必须做一个决定。En: He had to make a decision.Zh: “我不能放手！”明一脸坚定。En: "I can't let go!" Ming said with determination.Zh: 珍和莲紧紧抓着他的手臂，给他勇气与支持。En: Zhen and Lian held his arms tightly, giving him courage and support.Zh: 最终，他们齐心协力，把风筝顺利地拉回来。En: Finally, they worked together to successfully reel the kite back in.Zh: 明按下快门，捕捉到了风筝在长城上翱翔的动人瞬间。En: Ming pressed the shutter, capturing the moving moment of the kite soaring above the Great Wall.Zh: 回家的路上，明看着相机里的照片，满脸欣慰。En: On the way home, Ming looked at the photos in his camera, full of satisfaction.Zh: 他明白到，面对恐惧时，有朋友的支持是多么重要。En: He understood how important the support of friends is when facing fears.Zh: 同时，他也为自己克服了恐惧而感到骄傲。En: At the same time, he felt proud of himself for overcoming his fear.Zh: 长城的秋色依旧迷人，但明心中的那道墙却悄然消失了。En: The autumn scenery of the Great Wall remained enchanting, but the wall in Ming's heart had quietly disappeared. Vocabulary Words:picturesque: 美丽如画kaleidoscope: 五彩缤纷breeze: 微风cliff: 悬崖fluttered: 舞动reassuringly: 稳重地hesitant: 犹豫gust: 一阵强风vanish: 消失determination: 坚定support: 支持enchanted: 迷人overcoming: 克服passionately: 充满激情captured: 拍下belief: 相信stable: 稳定encouraged: 鼓励arc: 弧线shutter: 快门sweat: 汗courage: 勇气moment: 瞬间satisfaction: 欣慰racing: 加速capture: 捕捉attempt: 尝试successfully: 顺利地enchanting: 使人入迷quietly: 悄然

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Gobbling Up Surprises: The Inflatable Turkey Saga Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-18-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 叶子在地上沙沙作响，秋天的冷风轻轻吹过，阳光在明显冬季气息的空气中微微发亮。En: The leaves rustled on the ground as the chilly autumn wind gently blew by, and the sunlight shimmered slightly in the air, already bearing the distinct feel of winter.Zh: 在这宁静舒适的小区里，雷正在准备一个巨大的惊喜。En: In this quiet and comfortable neighborhood, Lei was preparing a huge surprise.Zh: 他计划在后院竖立一个巨大的充气火鸡，作为感恩节的一大亮点。En: He planned to erect a gigantic inflatable turkey in the backyard as a major highlight of Thanksgiving.Zh: 这天，雷充满了期待和兴奋，希望家人们会被这份意外感动。En: On this day, Lei was filled with anticipation and excitement, hoping his family would be moved by this unexpected surprise.Zh: 雷是一个热衷于策划惊喜的人。En: Lei is someone who loves planning surprises.Zh: 每到节日，他都会使出浑身解数，想要让家人和朋友都留下深刻的回忆。En: Every holiday, he goes all out, aiming to leave lasting memories for his family and friends.Zh: 这一次，他选中了一个硕大的充气火鸡，想动作神不知鬼不觉。En: This time, he selected an enormous inflatable turkey, wanting to act without anyone noticing.Zh: 他买下了它，并迫不及待地想要偷偷地把它搬到后院。En: He purchased it and couldn't wait to secretly move it to the backyard.Zh: 可是，这个任务并不像他想象中那么简单。En: However, this task was not as simple as he imagined.Zh: 火鸡太大，怎么进家都引人注目。En: The turkey was so large that it was conspicuous no matter how he brought it into the house.Zh: 雷的邻居喜欢窃窃私语，而他的伴侣明这一天比平时更早到家。En: Lei's neighbors liked to gossip, and his partner Ming happened to come home earlier than usual that day.Zh: 无奈之下，雷只好找来他的朋友莹来帮忙。En: In desperation, Lei had to ask his friend Ying for help.Zh: “我们可以趁着天黑再搬，”莹满脸疑惑地说，“为什么不就直接告诉大家呢？”En: “We could move it after dark,” Ying said, puzzled, “Why not just tell everyone directly?”Zh: “我就是想给他们一个大惊喜，”雷坚持，“太过明显的话，就没意思了。”En: “I just want to give them a big surprise,” Lei insisted, “If it's too obvious, it wouldn't be as fun.”Zh: 接受了雷的请求，莹也只得点头配合。En: Agreeing to Lei's request, Ying nodded and went along.Zh: 到了晚上，街灯洒下柔和的光辉，雷和莹偷偷溜进车库，开始艰难地移动充气火鸡。En: By evening, as streetlights cast a gentle glow, Lei and Ying snuck into the garage and began the difficult task of moving the inflatable turkey.Zh: 然而，正当他们穿过一个小路时，火鸡的庞大身躯卡在了篱笆上，动弹不得。En: However, just as they were crossing a small path, the giant turkey got stuck on a fence, unable to move.Zh: 正当雷和莹忙着设法将火鸡推进后院时，屋里的明听见了外面的动静，径直走了出来。En: While Lei and Ying were busy figuring out how to get the turkey into the backyard, Ming, inside the house, heard the commotion outside and came straight out.Zh: 雷和莹赶紧趴下，希望隐藏在篱笆的阴影里。En: Lei and Ying quickly crouched down, hoping to hide in the shadows of the fence.Zh: “雷，你在干什么？”明的声音从不远处传来。En: “Lei, what are you doing?” Ming's voice called out from not far away.Zh: 雷无奈地抬头，脸上露出一丝尴尬的微笑。En: Lei helplessly looked up, a trace of embarrassed smile on his face.Zh: “我……我们有一点小麻烦，”他终于承认。En: “I... we're having a little trouble,” he finally admitted.Zh: 闻讯而来的不仅仅是明，还有好奇的邻居们。En: It wasn't just Ming who came out, but also the curious neighbors.Zh: 他们纷纷过来帮忙，齐心协力地帮助雷把火鸡从木篱笆里救出来。En: They all came over to help, working together to rescue the turkey from the wooden fence.Zh: 最终，火鸡被成功竖立在后院，明亮而显眼地成为节日的中心。En: Finally, the turkey was successfully erected in the backyard, brightly and prominently becoming the centerpiece of the holiday.Zh: 雷望着眼前汇聚的家人朋友，心里充满了快乐。En: Lei looked at the gathered family and friends in front of him, his heart filled with joy.Zh: 虽然惊喜没有完全按照他的计划进行，但却带来了更多的欢乐和意外的团聚。En: Even though the surprise didn't go exactly as he planned, it brought more joy and unexpected reunion.Zh: 雷第一次明白，有时候，除了惊喜，分享和合作同样能带来深厚的快乐和温暖。En: Lei realized for the first time that, sometimes, aside from surprises, sharing and cooperation can also bring profound happiness and warmth.Zh: 在这样一个风和日丽的感恩节，所有人都满意地微笑着，享受着彼此的陪伴和节日的美好。En: On such a lovely Thanksgiving filled with sunshine and breeze, everyone smiled contentedly, enjoying each other's company and the beauty of the holiday.Zh: 雷意识到，生活中的意外，有时才是最珍贵的部分。En: Lei realized that sometimes, the unplanned moments in life are the most precious. Vocabulary Words:rustled: 沙沙作响chilly: 冷shimmered: 发亮erect: 竖立gigantic: 巨大的inflatable: 充气anticipated: 期待conspicuous: 引人注目gossip: 窃窃私语desperation: 无奈snuck: 偷偷溜commotion: 动静helplessly: 无奈地crouched: 趴下curious: 好奇prominently: 显眼centerpiece: 中心reunion: 团聚profound: 深厚contentedly: 满意地unplanned: 意外precious: 珍贵lastingly: 深刻trace: 一丝admitted: 承认rescue: 救silhouette: 阴影comply: 配合anticipated: 期待reluctantly: 不情愿

MING's weekly Warmth radio show features the best in today's house and EDM as well as exclusive mixes and interviews from guest artists.MING Stuff >> https://solo.to/mingsmusic1001Tracklists >> https://1001.tl/lbknx3Beatport Track Charts >> https://hoodfamo.us/BPWRMTH

This episode we cover the first silver mine in Japan, as well as the way that this sovereign is approaching offerings to the kami and handling family matters. For more check out: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-138   Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 138: Offerings and Covenants   A gentle summer breeze blew through the cherry-tree-covered hills of Yoshino valley.  The royal residence, a kind of summer home for the royal family, normally somewhat quiet, was suddenly abuzz with activity.  The regular groundskeepers and those who tended the site throughout the year mingled with servants sent from the capital to make it ready for a royal visit.  Rooms were aired out and swept. Metal fixtures were polished.  The kitchen was stocked and ready to go. It had been some years since the prince—now sovereign—had resided in the valley as an attempt to proclaim he had retired from the world.  Now he was sitting at the top of the state government, but as such, he was more often than not living in the grand palace in Asuka, which he had renovated at the start of his reign. This, the Yoshino palace, was left as more of a vacation home—though "home" hardly did it justice given its majesty compared to the meager dwellings that otherwise surrounded it. And now there was a massive royal procession on their way.  Sure, it was the sovereign and his queen, and only a handful of princes, but they would each need their own quarters and likely have their own household staff that would no doubt need to be fed and housed.  In such a way a "simple" outing for the royal family was so often anything but for those who had to make it happen. And yet, such labor was much preferred to toiling in the fields, especially as the heat of the day started to rise, and the height of summer loomed large in the all-too-immediate future.   Alright, so we are in the midst of the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, the brother of Naka no Ohoe, who came to power through the use of military force—purportedly used in self-defense—and the sovereign who would have a profound effect on solidifying the Ritsuryo state, as well as the Chronicles and the history of the archipelago as we know it.  We've talked about Ohoama's ascension to the throne, and even his first year.  We mentioned how, during his reign, he rewarded those who helped him, tweaked the rank system, and we talked a bit about what we know of the clothing and the material culture of the period. This episode, we continue looking at what occurred during Ohoama's reign.  Specifically we'll be covering some of the ways in which Ohoama and his court were shaping the government and the structures of power to serve him and his family.  This includes everything from ritual, such as making offerings to various kami, to the way that he seems to have centralized power to himself and his family, which would have lasting impacts through the Asuka and Nara periods. First, though, a tiny little digression about silver.  We start in the 3rd lunar month of the second year since Ohoama ascended the throne, or the year 674 by the western calendar.  We are told that Woshiumi no Miyatsuko no Ohokuni, the governor of Tsushima, the island that formed the main border between the archipelago and the mainland, reported that silver had been produced there for the first time, and sent in some as tribute.  This is the first recorded instance of silver being produced in Japan. At this time, silver mining was mostly limited to finding a vein of silver on the surface and digging it out as far as one could possibly go into the rock and stone.  Still, silver would eventually become an important resource for the archipelago.  Tsushima would continue to produce silver through modern times.  Granted, production was limited until new refining techniques were introduced from Joseon Korea in the 16th century.  This was just as Ming dynasty deposits were declining, and as such, silver would become a major export from the archipelago to the mainland.  Indeed, by the 17th century, it is said that Japan accounted for one quarter to one third of the entire world's silver production. For now, however, the discovery of native silver was certainly a good start, but the Yamato court wasn't switching to a silver coin currency just yet—rice and cloth were still the major currencies for tax and trade purposes.  Still this find seems not insignificant, and clearly the chroniclers thought so as well -- as did the court.  They granted Ohokuni, the governor of Tsushima, the rank of Lower Shoukin.  The silver produced by the mine was offered to the various kami of heaven and earth, and presents were made to the high ministers and others of the rank of Shoukin and above. Now back to the Chronicles, and to the meat of what I'll be talking about this episode. On the 3rd day of the 8th lunar month of 674, we are told that the Royal Prince Wosakabe was sent to Isonokami shrine to polish up the divine treasures, at which point the sovereign made a rather spectacular decree:  he declared that all of the precious things originally deposited in the sacred treasuries by the various houses should be returned to their descendants. This appears to be a reference to the long-standing practice by Yamato of demanding that those they had gained some level of hegemony over turn over their sacred objects for Yamato's keeping.    We talked about this back in episodes 19 and 29, for example, when we talked about how Mimaki Iribiko, aka Sujin Tenno, and Ikume Iribiko, aka Suinin Tenno, had both requested treasures from Izumo and elsewhere, to be stored in the treasure house of Isonokami. We aren't told what all of these treasures were, but we can deduce that these were sacred treasures of the different houses and localities, much as the mirror, jewel, and sword were sacred treasures of Yamato.  These were items that early on distinguished the elite class in the archipelago, and had come to be gathered in the divine store houses.  You may recall how, early on, we saw mentions in the Chroncles that ships sent out to meet with others from different lands would place such treasures on a makeshift tree on the deck as a way of depicting who they were—who they represented. It would seem that these sacred objects came to represent the divine ancestors of the elites, and so eventually were associated with the idea of power and authority.  As Yamato spread its influence, possibly as much through the spiritual authority of Mt. Miwa as through its economic and military capability, it seems to have demanded that the various lands that came under its sway place their sacred treasures in Yamato's storehouse—a powerful image of Yamato's authority.  In a sense, this was a kind of hostage situation: recognize our authority, or your most sacred treasures, representing your ancestors, will be at risk .  One wonders if this isn't part of the reason that we find buried caches of bronze ritual items, including weapons, bells, and other such things, perhaps as a means of keeping them safe from those who would steal them away. However, in the new era of the Ritsuryo system, those objects, while still considered divine and sacred, did not hold the same value as they once had.  Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but this really seems to me to be particularly illustrative of the idea that the cultural imaginary of state power and authority had shifted.  Yamato's power and authority was no longer based on its role as a spiritual powerhouse as much as it was centered on the continental framework of a heavenly mandate and a system of laws and punishments.   And so, the sovereign could return the sacred items back to their descendants, because to do so did not cost him anything, and at the same time would no doubt earn him goodwill.  He could appear magnanimous and, in so doing, solidify his position as the supreme hegemon of this new state.  In many ways this acknowledged the importance of the divine treasures to the people and to the kami while also no doubt reinforcing Confucian stereotypes of the benevolent ruler. More importantly, this shows how Ohoama was restructuring the rituals of the state.  After all, he had the Jingikan, an entire governmental department dedicated to administering the various shrines and sacred rituals; so even if the sacred treasures were returned, they were still technically under the control of the state apparatus.  We've already talked about the Daijosai, the Feast of First Fruits for a new reign, a central ritual to which Ohoama had added further pomp and circumstance.  But as no less a scholar than Herman Ooms has written about, Ohoama also initiated the practice of ordering regular centralized offerings to not just one particular kami, but to several or even a number of kami, or shrines, at any given time.  We see this in the following year, on the 23rd day of the first lunar month of 675, in an almost off-hand remark. Later, in the 10th month of 676 offerings were made to all of the "Ahimbe" kami of Heaven and Earth—that is all of kami that were part of the festival of first fruits held on the first day of the rabbit on the 11th lunar month.  Offerings were also made to all of the Heavenly and Earthly kami on the second day of the year in 681. Of course, these offerings would not just be enriching the shrines of these various kami, but it would also reflect on the various uji connected to each of those shrines, as well. Another example of the court's involvement in these ritual innovations appears to be the worship of the deities at Tatsuta and Hirose.  The first example of that is also in 675, in the 4th month of that year.  Prince Mino and Saheki no Muraji no Hirotari were sent to the Wind-gods at Tateno, in Tatsuta.  Aston notes that there is a litany to the Wind-gods mentioned in the Engishiki, a 10th century collection of information on various rituals of the time, so this practice seems to have taken hold, at least enough to persist over 3 centuries later.  Also in the 4th month of 675, Hashibito no Muraji no Ohobuta and Sone no Muraji no Karainu were sent to worship the Oho-imi deity at Kahawa, in Hirose. The Oho-imi appears to be a "big abstinence" deity, whom Aston identifies with Waka'ukahime, responsible for food.  Worship is again paid twice in the year 676, once in 677, then twice again in 679, continuing twice a year, almost exclusively in the 4th and 7th lunar months, through the end of the reign.  Why were these particular deities chosen for special worship by the court?  Ooms notes that these shrines were built downstream along the Yamato river, which, along with its tributaries, was responsible for the irrigation of the crops in the Nara basin.  This mirrors, in some ways, the responsibility of rulers in the Yellow River and Yangzi river regions to help ensure the flow of the rivers while preventing devastating flooding – a very continental idea of the responsibilities of the sovereign, though expressed here with a particularly Japanese style. Indeed, Aston associates the deity at Hirose, with the deity of food.   Likewise, the Wind-deities at Tatsuta were also related to helping to grow crops.  After all, Tatsuta would have been situated near the break in the mountains that surrounds the Nara basin, where the Yamato River flows out towards the Kawachi plain.  As anyone who lives near a mountain gap is no doubt familiar, those areas are notorious for channeling weather phenomena, including storms, which can bring rain, but could also bring terrible winds.  So it does seem a natural point to pray for good weather for your harvest or otherwise, given the geography that made up the sovereign's world. We also have, in this reign, considerably more discussion of Ise than we've seen, previously.  In 673 we have the Royal Princess Ohoku no Himemiko entering the Saigu, the Abstinence, or Purification, Palace, where she was to be purified before going to Ise, which she did in the 10th lunar month of 674.  Ohoku is said to have been the first official Saiou, the unmarried royal princess sent to oversee shrine operations, of Ise Shrine.  This is a practice we see at multiple shrines, although it's most prominent at Ise. The term for the position in general is Saiou, although at Ise the royal princess would also be known as the Saiguu, after the purification palace.  Although Ohoku is said to have been the first Saiguu at Ise, this is muddied somewhat by some earlier mentions in the Chronicles.  There are those who are said to have been sent as Shrine Princesses to Ise back in the time of Mimaki Iribiko and Ikume Iribiko, but the process was largely discontinued—or at least rarely mentioned—until this period.  There are certainly several named individuals who are said to have served the Deity of Ise previously, starting with the presumably mythical Yamato Hime, who is credited with founding the shrine.  There are also various royal princesses are noted as either having served or as having been made ineligible due to their indiscretions. However, those earlier mentions rarely go into the detail we see here —starting with the abstinence hall, where the would-be Shrine Princess must purify herself prior to approaching the shrine, a process that took some time.  Certainly we first really see this put into action with Ohoku, and from that time the position of Saiguu or Saiou at Ise does appear to have been regularly filled.  That Ohoku was actually the first "Saiguu" shrine princess appears to be confirmed by the "Fusou Ryakki", which states that the first Saiou was appointed when then Prince Ohoama, in the midst of the Jinshin war, made a prayer to Ise and offered the royal princess Ohoku no Himemiko in exchange for victory.  In fact, a lot of the focus on Ise seems to stem from its apparent involvement, at the behest of either Ohoama or his consort, Uno no Sarara Hime, in the conflict. The following year we are told that the Royal Princesses Towochi and Abe proceeded to Ise Shrine as well, though presumably just for a brief visit.  Towochi, you may recall, was Ohoama's daughter who had been married to Ohotomo, aka Koubun Tennou, whom Ohoama had defeated to take the throne.  Abe was a daughter of Naka no Oe, half-sister to Ohoama's queen, Uno, and would eventually go on to marry the Crown Prince, Kusakabe.  That gives you some idea of the position of those were going to the shrine. Princess Towochi herself would fall ill a few years later in 678.  In fact, it was just as the sovereign himself was preparing to go pay a visit to the abstinence palace, perhaps so that he could also head out to Ise.  The court had a divination to figure out when he would leave, officers had cleared the roads, and the public functionaries were in a line of procession when word came that Princess Towochi, suddenly took ill and died within the palace.  This stopped everything in its tracks, and in that year there was no sacrifice made to the kami of heaven and earth.  I suspect that this was in part due to mourning and in part due to the pollution more generally associated with death. Two weeks later, she was buried at Akaho, and Ohoama raised a lament for her. Later, in 686, we are told that the Royal Princess Taki, the Princess Yamashiro no Hime, and the Lady Ishikawa were all sent to Ise Shrine, though Princess Taki returned in less than a fortnight. Why all this focus on Ise?  Remember that the Chronicles were begun in this era, and so the "truth" they would tell would be the truth that Ohoama and his immediate successors orchestrated. The focus on Amaterasu, her shrine at Ise, and the role of the sovereign as Heavenly Descendant was thus part of the overarching narrative that the Chroniclers tried to promote.  Still, hints that the focus on Ise shrine may have been something largely created in this era, however, are scattered throughout the existing literature, despite the Chroniclers' best efforts. For one thing, it is fairly clear that early on, the focus in the Chronicles is on  Mt. Miwa and the deity  Ohomononushi, rather than Amaterasu.  We also see the fingerprints of deities like Takami no Musubi, who in one story is the one who is actually responsible for sending the Heavenly Grandchild down to earth in the first place. It also seems telling that Amaterasu is not mentioned in earlier court rituals.  Worship of Amaterasu by the royal family takes place at Ise shrine.  Meanwhile, there are various rituals preserved within the traditions of the palace that include many other, seemingly older deities. I have also noted in the past how Ise shrine isn't even the primary shrine of Ise no Kuni.  In fact, that is claimed by Tsubaki shrine, the shrine to Saruta Hiko no Ohokami, with a separate shrine to Ame no Uzume, who are both said to have met the heavenly grandchild on his descent. None of this is to say that Ise Jingu was brand new at the time of the Chronicles' writing —there does seem to have been a shrine on that spot for some time, though even the Chronicles suggest that it might have been moved from a shrine originally housed in the Nara basin.  It is also possible, and even likely, that the rise of Ise and Amaterasu coincided with other trends at the time.  Even if the Sun Goddess had not always been centered in Yamato ritual, she was not a new deity, and it may have been the case that her prominence, and that of her shrine in Ise had been growing in prominence before this time, and so the court was now adopting that popularity for themselves.  Of course, Ohoama and Uno don't exactly spell out what they were attempting to achieve, beyond the unification of the archipelago, more broadly.  How, exactly, their focus on Ise Shrine was meant to play into that I don't know that I could fully state, but it certainly seems to have allowed the sovereign to create a new cultic focus for kami worship with a story that touched on regions from Kyushu all the way to the eastern shore of the Kii peninsula. Given the decentralized nature of kami worship, I don't believe it was possible to completely rewrite all of the stories—hence the numerous and conflicting accounts given in the Chronicles.  However, that is also what would have made it easier to hide newly fabricated—or perhaps simply exaggerated—stories in the mix.  And of course, it wasn't necessarily that the Chroniclers were creating things out of whole cloth, but they were able to choose those things that people would remember and what would be lost and forgotten over time.  They had to make the decision, for instance, which story they told was the "main" storyline, and which were listed as coming from "other books", implying a degree of separation from the truth. Through all of this, it certainly seems that propping up the royal family and its lineage was a central focus—even if that lineage was largely something that had recently been created.  As a reminder, we see a lot heavier reliance at this point on royal princes as opposed to other elite families, and an actual or implied reliance, in particular, on the royal family, as that is where Ohoama was consolidating most of the power and authority. Kitayama Shigeo coined the term "Koushin Seiji" to refer to this idea of a consolidated royal—or imperial—family managing the affairs of state.  Literally it is something like "Imperial Family Government".   In Shigeo's concept this was specifically an autocratic authority executed by the sovereign, and those of his immediate family.  Of course, writing in the post-war era, it is more than a little likely that Shigeo and others were looking at the concept of Tennou in the 20th century compared with many other world monarchs.  In that vein, the Asuka and Nara periods do seem to have been one of the rare times—perhaps even the last time—that the sovereigns had such a direct hand in the government and the making and establishment of law and tradition. That said, not everyone ascribes entirely to the idea that Ohoama was a completely autocratic despot—after all, it was clear that there were still plenty of powerful families in the archipelago, and the Ritsuryo state itself was also being strengthened.  Still, it does seem that Ohoama had brought his queen, Uno no Sarara, and his descendants into government.  And they would not only assist him, but continue his work for the next generations, such that even though the histories would not be finished until well after Ohoama's death, they would still show his influence on events. The dedication of the royal family to work as one is perhaps most clearly demonstrated in the events of the 5th lunar month of 679.  It was then that the sovereign, and his family, proceeded to the Yoshino Palace.  Now Ohoama had plenty of offspring—among them 10 sons.  And as long as he was around, there would be a certain amount of civility, but he knew all too well how things could break down after a sovereign's death.  And so he brought them together and he made them enter into a pact, which we know as the Yoshino Covenant, or Yoshino no Meiyaku.  Besides Ohoama himself, there were several others in attendance, presumably those who might stand to one day inherit the realm.  These included his partner and queen, Uno no Sarara Hime, as well as her son, Prince Kusakabe, who would be named Crown Prince, only a couple of years later.  It also included the Royal princes Ohotsu, Takechi, Kawashima, Osakabe, and Shiki.  All of these individuals were made to swear an oath to support each other, even though they were all from different mothers, and they agreed. But so what?  Why does it matter?  It is all well and good that Ohoama brought them together for a bit of kumbaya in his old digs away from the capital, but was there anything really to this covenant. This covenant is significant in several ways.  First off, it is clear that Ohoama was pulling in his family and trying to ensure they were onboard with what he was doing and what was planned.  Furthermore, it set out a clear line of succession, something that had not really been done up to this point. We have ideas on what would have made a candidate eligible, but other than naming a particular crown prince there hasn't exactly been any clear process or rules of precedence for who would assume the throne.  Here, though, we have a list that appears to be in order of precedence, since it otherwise may not seem to make sense, at least from a modern perspective. A key clue in the Chronicles is often the order of the names.  The most important or highest ranking person is usually given first, and then names are typically given in descending order of precedence.  There are clues that this is the case, but it becomes even more stark when we actually see reference to an individual's court rank or the size of their fief.  Since this period brings about court rank even for royal princes, we have some of that, at least in later records.  As such, there is the idea that this order was actually providing for a line of succession.   As I mentioned, up to this point, the contest for the throne was a toss up with each monarch's death.  Claims from competing princes were often considered equally valid until one proved their claim through a political or military victory.  Ohoama appears to have been trying to add greater structure to this.  Specifically, we see that Uno no Sarara's son, Kusakabe, is given pride of place.  In fact, throughout the Chronicle it is typical that we see the Chroniclers designate a queen—a Kougou—that is considered the primary wife.  This queen is almost always found to be the descendant of previous royalty, granting their child a doubly royal lineage, through both the maternal and paternal lines.   There has been plenty of reason to doubt that this was actually the case, and it often seems like the Chroniclers stretched things more than a bit to make it all work out.  However, now we are almost more concerned with the very *truth* that the Chroniclers were attempting to burn into the social consciousness rather than the historical facts, because that gives us direct insight into how the court of the day viewed succession and legitimacy.And that does lead to another possible thought:  since the Chroniclers knew how things turned out it is possible that they were the ones ensuring that the order was as we have it.  So we cannot definitively say that this exactly mirrors's Ohoama's idea, but it certainly seems in line with his history and intentions and helps set the stage for us, at least, regarding what would later transpire in regards to succession.. Getting back to the covenant, as I noted, the first person listed, after Ohoama and Uno no Sarara Hime, is Prince Kusakabe.  He would be about 17 or 18 years old at this time, which is probably why he wasn't formally named Crown Prince until a couple of years later.  He isn't the eldest son, however.  Rather he was the second son.  Ohoama's eldest son, Prince Takechi, was actually third in line. Takechihad been with his father helping to lead the troops during the Jinshin War. While he was some 8 years senior to Kusakabe, he was nonetheless a son of Amago no Musume, one of Ohoama's consorts from a powerful clan, but not a royal princess like Uno no Sarara, Kusakabe's mother. Between Kusakabe and Takechi, in the second place spot for succession, was actually Prince Ohotsu, whom we also mentioned during the Jinshin War.  Ohotsu was likely 16-17 years old around this time.  While he was the third eldest child, he, like Kusakabe, was the son of a Royal Princess, Princess Ota, daughter of Naka no Oe, giving him greater bonafides than Takechi, apparently. So, in the top three slots, we have: Ohoama's eldest son by a royal mother, Ohoama's second eldest son by a royal mother, and finally Ohoama's eldest son by a non-royal mother. Fourth in line, and the 4th eldest, presumably, though I don't know that we have an actual age for him, is Prince Wosakabe.  He likely wasn't too young, however, as he had been given the task, previously, to polish the divine treasures in Isonokami's storehouse. It would appear that six of Ohoama's other sons didn't even get a mention.  That includes Princes Naga and Yuge, born to another daughter of Naka no Ohoe, Ohoye no Himemiko.  Then there is Prince Toneri, son of Royal Princess Nittabe, not to be confused with Royal Prince Nittabe, Ohoama's son by way of a daughter of Fujiwara no Kamatari.  Finally there was Royal Prince Hodzumi, a maternal grandson of Soga no Akaye, and Prince Shiki, a full brother to Prince Wosakabe. Prince Toneri is particularly conspicuous in his absence.  We know that he held the 5th rank, and two positions in government—that of Nagon, or Councillor, as well as the Minister of the Household, our Kunaikyou.  This may be because he was not doing so well.  We aren't told the story until the following year, on the 2nd day of the 7th lunar month of 680, when we are told that Prince Toneri took ill and was on the point of death.  His half-brother, Prince Takechi, went to check on him, and a day later Toneri passed away.  The way these are written it would be easy to believe that it all happened in a pretty short timeframe, but it is also just as likely that illness lingered, especially without modern medicine.  So it is possible that Prince Toneri was too sick at the time of the original covenant, though there could be some other reason we weren't told. This doesn't necessarily hold for all of the others, though.  For instance, we have the Princes Naga and Yuge mentioned in 693, well over a decade later, being granted the 2nd Broader Pure Rank at the same time that Prince Takechi is granted the 1st Broader Pure Rank.  So we can at least see that they were ranked below Takechi.   Similarly we see Prince Hodzumi likewise attained 2nd Broader Pure Rank at some point, and was still around to have his own fief and to receive houses to it in the following reign.  Hozumi even ranked above some of the others were in Yoshino, and yet was not present. It is possible that the princes not mentioned, assuming they had not met with an untimely end that was not mentioned in the record somewhere, could have been too young or too junior at the time of the meeting.  After all, when we look at the known ages of those who were there, we see that Prince Takechi may have been 25 years old, but Prince Kusakabe and Prince Otsu were just under 20, and it is unclear if others were older or younger than they were. There are two other princes who were part of the covenant who were not, perhaps surprisingly, sons of Ohoama.  Rather they were his nephews, sons of Ohoama's brother, Naka no Ohoe.  They were the princes Kawashima and Shiki. Kawashima is mentioned several times throughout the record.  Kawashima's mother was from a high ranking noble family, but given that Kawashima was married to his cousin, one of Ohoama's daughters, that may have brought him closer to the family.  He was about 22 years old at the time, too.  We see him often teaming up with Prince Osakabe on various projects, including the project to compile together the history of the royal household.  In fact, Prince Kawashima always precedes Prince Osakabe when they are mentioned together.  That said, we have evidence of Kawashima only being awarded up to 3rd Greater Pure rank, below even that of some who were not present, such as Prince Hodzumi.  His importance and impact, however, is noted through his numerous appearances in the record. In contrast, Prince Shiki has almost no mentions in the record.  It doesn't help that there are two Princes Shiki, one born to Naka no Ohoye and one born to Ohoama.  Their names are spelled differently, however, and although the first character of "Shiki" used in the Yoshino record matches neither name, the second character suggests that this was the son of Naka no Ohoye and not the Shiki that was brother to Prince Osakabe—though given that one followed the other in the record, there may have been some confusion on this point. And with all of that we have our apparent line of succession, as well as an idea of who the movers and shakers might be within the royal family.  From Ohoama and Uno no Sarara, we have Princes Kusakabe, Ohotsu, Takechi, Kawashima, Osakabe, and Shiki.  Six princes, four directly descended from the current sovereign, Ohoama, and two from the Naka no Ohoe lineage. Obviously, promoting the idea of a strictly patrilineal succession of father to son would have caused some problems for Ohoama's own legitimacy, not that anyone was going to gainsay him while he was on the throne.  However, with Kusakabe they seem to have established that in a de facto format, at least.  Furthermore it provided a blueprint for succession might fall to the other lines should the main line not work out.  This put Prince Ohotsu as next in line, should anything happen to Kusakabe, followed by Takechi.  That Kawashima may have had a shot over Osakabe and then Shiki is interesting as it suggests that it wasn't strictly about who descended from whom. We'll have to wait for Ohoama's death before we can fully appreciate how well this worked, of course.  Throughout history, agreements and covenants amongst powerful interests are often only as permanent as long as all of the interests remain aligned with one another, whether through mutual benefit or threat of consequences.  Once the power shifts, as it always does, those promises and treaties are almost always up for renegotiation, unless they are supported by some higher authority, whatever that might be. Following the royal family's off-site, they returned to the palace in Asuka.  There they had a formal ceremony in the Great Hall, the Ohodono, where the six princes all demonstrated their allegiance and paid respects to Ohoama.  Given the timing of this event, one can likely assume that it was a kind of public acknowledgement of the covenant and the agreement that they would all be working together as a united front on the project of the government. And with that, I think we can bring it to  a close for now.  There is plenty more about this reign to discuss before we move on, but we'll get there. 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.  

Send us a textIn this month's episode, the crew of the Pyrite El Dorodo tie up loose ends on Ming 3 and venture forth into exotic and hostile jungle climes of Ming 7. Continuing on their search for the lost Emperor, will they finally find the object of their quest, or will the danger lurking in the alien jungle find them first?

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we chat about the legendary five-digit Rolex era and how it's probably the greatest collection of modern watches. We discuss why and mention some of our favorite models. Enjoy the show!For many of us, it seems that the five-digit Rolex period was around forever. In fact, the watches debuted in the late 1970s and stayed in production until 2012! That's a long time! Of course, there were tweaks over the 30-plus years, but the watches remain relevant today. We discuss their impact and why owning one can be an endgame move.HandgelenkskontrolleWe kick off our show with a discussion about Mike's recent trip to the United States and his proximity to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then, we move on to watches. Mike recently spent a lengthy amount of time with the new Ming 37.11 Odyssey, a diver GMT that truly struck his fancy. Yes, he has ordered one. Then, Balazs mentions the new Louis Erard 2340, an attractive take on the integrated-bracelet sports watch. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, both of us are wearing a Ming 22.01 GMT. Mike's Gilt version is on the titanium Ming Universal Bracelet. However, Balazs scores the win with his Kyoto variant on the new titanium Ming Polymesh. It's fabulous!Five-digit RolexFor our main topic, we move on to five-digit Rolex and why it still reigns supreme as the greatest modern collection of watches. These pieces all had one foot in the modern era and one in the vintage period. Slim cases, stamped clasps, and mostly stamped end links are just some of the lovely old-world characteristics. Modern movements finally brought a quick-setting date function and modern frequencies. For those who enjoy aging, aluminum bezels, and the chance to find tritium, these watches tick a lot of boxes. Most importantly, though, these pieces can all be worn daily and should remain usable for decades to come. We also discuss how values are rising again after a post-pandemic drop.It's hard to go wrong with any five-digit Rolex, but each of us shares our favorite three models. Balazs enjoys the Submariner 14060 with tritium markers, an Explorer II 16570 with a polar-white dial, and the watch that brought Rolex into the mainstream, the Submariner Date 16610. As for Mike, he's in love with the flashy Submariner 16618 with blue dial, the ultimate classic Explorer 14270, and the under-the-radar Datejust 16200 or Turn-O-Graph 16264. Really, there's no wrong choice within the entire catalog, but we'd love to hear yours!We hope you enjoy today's episode. As always, thanks for listening, and feel free to share any topics that you'd like us to cover in the future.

For this episode's Opportunity Spotlight, we are joined by Elissa Ming Morrissette, Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer of BC Cancer Foundation, who talks about their new Executive Director role. She explains what they are looking for in their future ED, who will play a pivotal role in the largest philanthropic funder of cancer research in British Columbia. Elissa also explores her collaborative leadership style built on trust, as well as some compelling reasons why a seasoned leader should join their foundation.

In this episode of PNC C-Speak, Ming Min Hui, executive director of the Boston Ballet, shares her journey from a ballet-loving child to a Wall Street banker and ultimately to Boston Ballet. She discusses the importance of merging business acumen with arts management, the mission-driven aspects of her work, and how the Boston Ballet influences the community through education and accessibility.  “Because it is a nonprofit and it's a mission-fulfilling organization, we can keep at the center of everything we do a real focus on pushing the boundaries of dance forward,” Hui says. “Really taking the risks of innovating and investing in these large-scale artistic works that are not necessarily commercially driven.” Listen to hear more about: How Hui's career went from Wall Street to ballet (0:53)The involvement of Boston Ballet in the community (7:58) The ways the Boston Ballet is shaping Boston's cultural landscape (15:10)          What's next for the Boston Ballet (21:47)Download a transcript of this episode.

MING's weekly Warmth radio show features the best in today's house and EDM as well as exclusive mixes and interviews from guest artists.MING Stuff >> https://solo.to/mingsmusic1001Tracklists >> https://1001.tl/lbknx3Beatport Track Charts >> https://hoodfamo.us/BPWRMTH

Ming Johanson - Tech History History of Chess and the future of the game with AISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We return to our rundown of Flash Gordon, just as Flash and Prince Barin are being taken to the Hawkmen's planet to fight to the death!Flash Gordon was directed by Mike Hodges, the British filmmaker behind Get Carter and Pulp, and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis. Based on the King Features comic strip created by Alex Raymond, the film stars Sam J. Jones as the all-American hero Flash, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Ornella Muti as the dangerous Princess Aura, Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, and Topol as the eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. The supporting cast includes Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Peter Duncan and John Hallam — a line-up that reads like a who's who of cult cinema.We dig into the incredible production history of Flash Gordon, from De Laurentiis' first attempts in the 1960s to his decision to turn down George Lucas — a choice that helped inspire Star Wars. The film's troubled development included a scrapped version by Nicolas Roeg, with Debbie Harry once rumoured to play Princess Aura. Eventually, Hodges took the reins, working from a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr., the same writer who brought Batman's colourful POW! ZAP! style to TV in the 1960s. That influence is clear throughout, giving Flash Gordon its unmistakable comic-book tone.The film was shot mainly at Elstree and Shepperton Studios, pushing British set design and visual effects to the limit. For the famous Hawkmen sequence, the crew built a sixty-foot-high, hundred-foot-wide blue screen powered by a million watts of light. The result is one of the most gloriously excessive moments in sci-fi history — a flying army, Brian Blessed shouting “Gordon's alive!” and Queen blasting through the speakers.Speaking of Queen, we explore how their soundtrack revolutionised film music, paving the way for rock bands to score major blockbusters. The combination of Freddie Mercury's operatic flair and Howard Blake's orchestral compositions gave Flash Gordon a sonic identity that still feels fresh today.We also look at the film's eclectic cast. Sam J. Jones' brief but memorable career, Melody Anderson's move from acting to social work, and Ornella Muti's headline-grabbing life and legal troubles. There's Max von Sydow's path from The Seventh Seal to The Exorcist and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Topol's secret links to Mossad, Timothy Dalton's long and winding journey to becoming James Bond, and Peter Wyngarde's transformation from Department S to the gold-masked villain Klytus.And, of course, the mighty Brian Blessed — mountaineer, Shakespearean thunder-god, near-astronaut, and national treasure. From I, Claudius to Doctor Who, Cats, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and beyond, he's one of Britain's most extraordinary performers.In this episode, we unpack the layers of Flash Gordon as both cult classic and chaotic masterpiece: how its bright visuals masked a difficult shoot, how its camp sensibility influenced generations of filmmakers, and why it remains a cornerstone of British sci-fi fandom. Whether you're here for trivia, nostalgia, or the Queen soundtrack alone, this is one of our most detailed episodes yet — and we'll be back next week with part two to finish the adventure.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wu Hsin revient sans cesse sur trois points clés. Premièrement, sur le plan phénoménal, lorsque l'on cesse de résister à Ce-qui-est et que l'on entre davantage en harmonie avec Lui, on atteint un état de Ming, ou vision claire. Une fois ce stade atteint, toute action devient wei wu wei, ou action sans action (sans effort), et l'on travaille en harmonie avec Ce-qui-est pour accomplir ce qui est nécessaire. Deuxièmement, à mesure que la vision claire s'approfondit (ce qu'il appelle l'ouverture de la grande porte), on comprend qu'il n'y a personne qui fasse quoi que ce soit et qu'il n'y a qu'Un qui fasse tout à travers les nombreux et divers phénomènes objectifs qui lui servent d'instruments. De là découle la troisième et dernière étape : le moi apparemment séparé est une idée fausse, créée par l'esprit qui divise tout en pseudo-sujet (moi) et objet (le monde extérieur à ce moi). Cette apparente dualité (dva en sanskrit, duo en latin, dual en anglais), ce sentiment d'être séparé et distinct, est la cause profonde du malheur.   Wu Hsin, qui signifie "sans mental", est un sage chinois imaginé par Roy Melvin, qui aurait un siècle après Confucius. Ses messages, situés au carrefour du zen, du taoisme et de l'advaita, sont intemporels et pleins de paradoxes permettant ainsi de ralentir l'esprit, voire de l'arrêter, à l'instar des koans zen, révélant ainsi notre nature profonde.   Après avoir écouté cet audio, oubliez le.   Bibliographie: Les enseignements perdus de Wu Hsin (https://www.babelio.com/livres/Melvin-Les-enseignements-perdus-de-Wu-Hsin/1922242 )   Musique: Bruno Léger   Narration et réalisation: Bruno Léger   Production: Les mécènes du Vieux Sage   Que règnent la paix et l'amour parmi tous les êtres de l'univers.    OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.  

Circadian timing shapes how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, explains that keeping daily light, meals, movement, and sleep in step with the body's internal clock supports alertness, metabolism, and recovery. Panda notes that evening light and late eating can make it harder to fall asleep and may work against healthy glucose control, while thoughtful timing of activity can improve energy and rest. He highlights that when we take medicines matters because the body's response changes across the day. Travel and shift work challenge these rhythms, but simple habits with light exposure, meal timing, and sleep can ease the strain. Panda also describes ongoing efforts testing practical routines, including limited daily eating windows paired with light and activity strategies. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40733]

Circadian timing shapes how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, explains that keeping daily light, meals, movement, and sleep in step with the body's internal clock supports alertness, metabolism, and recovery. Panda notes that evening light and late eating can make it harder to fall asleep and may work against healthy glucose control, while thoughtful timing of activity can improve energy and rest. He highlights that when we take medicines matters because the body's response changes across the day. Travel and shift work challenge these rhythms, but simple habits with light exposure, meal timing, and sleep can ease the strain. Panda also describes ongoing efforts testing practical routines, including limited daily eating windows paired with light and activity strategies. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40733]

Circadian timing shapes how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, explains that keeping daily light, meals, movement, and sleep in step with the body's internal clock supports alertness, metabolism, and recovery. Panda notes that evening light and late eating can make it harder to fall asleep and may work against healthy glucose control, while thoughtful timing of activity can improve energy and rest. He highlights that when we take medicines matters because the body's response changes across the day. Travel and shift work challenge these rhythms, but simple habits with light exposure, meal timing, and sleep can ease the strain. Panda also describes ongoing efforts testing practical routines, including limited daily eating windows paired with light and activity strategies. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40733]

Circadian timing shapes how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, explains that keeping daily light, meals, movement, and sleep in step with the body's internal clock supports alertness, metabolism, and recovery. Panda notes that evening light and late eating can make it harder to fall asleep and may work against healthy glucose control, while thoughtful timing of activity can improve energy and rest. He highlights that when we take medicines matters because the body's response changes across the day. Travel and shift work challenge these rhythms, but simple habits with light exposure, meal timing, and sleep can ease the strain. Panda also describes ongoing efforts testing practical routines, including limited daily eating windows paired with light and activity strategies. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40733]

Circadian timing shapes how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, explains that keeping daily light, meals, movement, and sleep in step with the body's internal clock supports alertness, metabolism, and recovery. Panda notes that evening light and late eating can make it harder to fall asleep and may work against healthy glucose control, while thoughtful timing of activity can improve energy and rest. He highlights that when we take medicines matters because the body's response changes across the day. Travel and shift work challenge these rhythms, but simple habits with light exposure, meal timing, and sleep can ease the strain. Panda also describes ongoing efforts testing practical routines, including limited daily eating windows paired with light and activity strategies. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40733]

Circadian timing shapes how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, explains that keeping daily light, meals, movement, and sleep in step with the body's internal clock supports alertness, metabolism, and recovery. Panda notes that evening light and late eating can make it harder to fall asleep and may work against healthy glucose control, while thoughtful timing of activity can improve energy and rest. He highlights that when we take medicines matters because the body's response changes across the day. Travel and shift work challenge these rhythms, but simple habits with light exposure, meal timing, and sleep can ease the strain. Panda also describes ongoing efforts testing practical routines, including limited daily eating windows paired with light and activity strategies. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40733]

Circadian timing shapes how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, explains that keeping daily light, meals, movement, and sleep in step with the body's internal clock supports alertness, metabolism, and recovery. Panda notes that evening light and late eating can make it harder to fall asleep and may work against healthy glucose control, while thoughtful timing of activity can improve energy and rest. He highlights that when we take medicines matters because the body's response changes across the day. Travel and shift work challenge these rhythms, but simple habits with light exposure, meal timing, and sleep can ease the strain. Panda also describes ongoing efforts testing practical routines, including limited daily eating windows paired with light and activity strategies. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40733]

En 2001, dans le village de Dahong, niché au cœur de la province chinoise du Hubei, le Nouvel An lunaire battait son plein. Tandis que les feux d'artifice illuminaient le ciel, une autre série de détonations, plus sourdes, plus inquiétantes, a soudain résonné dans la montagne voisine… Les villageois ont aussitôt compris que des pilleurs de tombes tentaient de passer à l'action, et ils alertèrent immédiatement la police. L'emplacement de la tombe était connu de longue date, mais pas ce qu'elle renfermait… En pénétrant le mausolée, après l'arrestation des pillards, les archéologues envoyés par les autorités découvrirent alors un véritable trésor, datant de la dynastie Ming. Des milliers d'objets fabuleux en or, jade et pierres précieuses… Parmi lesquelles, des émeraudes venues de l'autre bout du monde. La Voix des Bijoux est un podcast de L'École des Arts Joailliers, avec le soutien de Van Cleef & Arpels. Avec la participation de Bei He, historienne de l'art et professeur à l'École des Arts Joailliers. Écrit par Martin Quenehenne et Aram Kebabdjian, interprété par Pierre-François Garel et produit par Bababam. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

A Dramatic WednesdayFirst,  a look at this day in History.Then, Escape, originally broadcast November 5, 1950, 75 years ago, Earth Abides, part 1 starring John Dehner.  The George Stewart story about the end of The Age Of Man, and the beginning of The Age Of The Rat.Followed by Boston Blackie starring Dick Kollmar, originally broadcast November 5, 1946, 79 years ago,  A New Face for Joe Harvey.  Joe Harvey has had plastic surgery and has a whole new face. The cops will never find him now...only, his new face is that of Donald Tate, a cop-killer. Then, Dangerous Assignment starring Brian Donlevy,  originally broadcast November 5, 1952, 73 years ago, Havana.  U.S. agent Steve Mitchell travels overseas on a covert mission to uncover corruption and espionage threatening American interests abroad.Followed by Nick Carter Master Detective starring Lon Clark, originally broadcast November 5, 1944, 81 years ago,  Death in the Pool.  Nick investigates a baffling murder case involving a mysterious disappearance and a deadly secret hidden behind an ordinary crime.Finally, Claudia, originally broadcast November 5, 1947, 78 years ago, The Broken Mandarin.  After a visit to the zoo, the Ming meets his ancestors.Thanks to Richard G for supporting our podcast by using the Buy Me a Coffee function at http://classicradio.streamCheck out Professor Bees Digestive Aid at profbees.com and use my promo code WYATT to save 10% when you order! Find the Family Fallout Shelter Booklet Here: https://www.survivorlibrary.com/library/the_family_fallout_shelter_1959.pdfhttps://wardomatic.blogspot.com/2006/11/fallout-shelter-handbook-1962.html

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: A Violin's Calling: Li Wei's Journey to Self-Belief Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-04-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 李伟站在学校的走廊上，微风轻轻拂过他的脸。En: Li Wei stood in the school hallway as a gentle breeze brushed against his face.Zh: 他手里握着小提琴，心里却像装着一只快乐的小鸟，总是想飞出去。En: He held a violin in his hand, but in his heart, there was a joyful little bird that always wanted to fly away.Zh: 深秋的校园被五颜六色的树叶装扮得格外美丽。En: The campus in late autumn was extraordinarily beautiful, adorned by colorful leaves.Zh: 晚秋的阳光明媚，但李伟的心情却紧张得像即将到来的暴风雨。En: The late autumn sun shone brightly, but Li Wei's mood was as tense as an impending storm.Zh: 李伟是个腼腆的学生，通常在人群中很少引起注意。En: Li Wei was a shy student, usually not attracting much attention in a crowd.Zh: 他的好朋友小林和明对他即将参加的学校才艺表演充满了期待。En: His close friends, Xiaolin and Ming, were filled with anticipation for his upcoming performance at the school talent show.Zh: 小林总是对李伟的才艺充满信心，但李伟自己却常常感到不安。En: Xiaolin always had confidence in Li Wei's talent, but Li Wei often felt uneasy himself.Zh: 他害怕在舞台上出错，害怕面对台下那么多双期待的眼睛。En: He was afraid of making mistakes on stage, scared of facing so many expectant eyes from the audience.Zh: 距才艺表演还有一星期，李伟在音乐教室练习，小提琴的声音在空气中回旋。En: With a week until the talent show, Li Wei practiced in the music classroom, the sound of the violin resonating through the air.Zh: 他开始犹豫，是坚持下去，还是退出比赛。En: He began to hesitate, unsure whether to persevere or withdraw from the competition.Zh: 就在这时，小林走了进来，她拍拍李伟的肩膀说：“你可以的，我们都相信你。”En: Just then, Xiaolin walked in and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "You can do it, we all believe in you."Zh: 明也点头赞同。En: Ming nodded in agreement.Zh: 李伟心里暖暖的，他决定不再逃避。En: Li Wei felt a warmth in his heart and decided not to avoid it anymore.Zh: 他找到了音乐老师，悄悄分享了自己的担心。En: He found the music teacher and quietly shared his worries.Zh: 老师微笑着说：“音乐是从心里演奏出来的，不用害怕，让它自然流淌。”En: The teacher smiled and said, "Music is played from the heart. Don't be afraid, let it flow naturally."Zh: 才艺表演的那天晚上，学校礼堂座无虚席，舞台灯光明亮。En: On the night of the talent show, the school auditorium was packed, and the stage lights were bright.Zh: 李伟穿着整洁的演出服，紧张地站在舞台一侧，他的手心微微出汗。En: Dressed neatly in performance attire, Li Wei stood nervously at one side of the stage, his palms slightly sweaty.Zh: 轮到他上场的时候，所有的灯光都对准了他。En: When it was his turn, all the lights focused on him.Zh: 台下一片安静，李伟却慌了神。En: The audience was silent, but Li Wei felt a wave of panic.Zh: 就在此时，他看见了坐在前排的小林，她正在对他微笑，并给了他一个坚定的点头。En: At that moment, he saw Xiaolin sitting in the front row, smiling at him and giving him a steadfast nod.Zh: 李伟深吸一口气，抚慰自己内心的紧张，慢慢将弓拉过琴弦。En: Li Wei took a deep breath, calming his inner nerves, and slowly drew the bow across the strings.Zh: 悠扬的琴声在寂静的礼堂中荡漾开来。En: The melodious sound of the violin spread throughout the silent auditorium.Zh: 当最后一个音符消散在空气中时，全场爆发出热烈的掌声。En: When the last note faded into the air, the entire hall erupted in enthusiastic applause.Zh: 李伟从未想过自己能得到这样的认可，他的心中涌出一股难以言喻的自豪感。En: Li Wei had never imagined receiving such recognition, and an indescribable sense of pride surged within him.Zh: 经过这次表演，李伟不再只是那个胆小内向的学生。En: After this performance, Li Wei was no longer just the timid and introverted student.Zh: 他发现自己可以在朋友和老师的支持下，面对任何挑战。En: He discovered that with the support of his friends and teachers, he could face any challenge.Zh: 他走下舞台，和小林、明交换了一个胜利的微笑。En: He stepped off the stage and exchanged a victorious smile with Xiaolin and Ming.Zh: 李伟知道，这是一个新的开始。En: Li Wei knew this was a new beginning.Zh: 通过这一次的努力和成功，他明白了一个重要的道理：自信是一点一点积累起来的，只要相信自己，就能创造出奇迹。En: Through his effort and success this time, he understood an important truth: confidence is built up bit by bit, and as long as you believe in yourself, you can create miracles.Zh: 秋天的校园仍然热闹非凡，而李伟的心情，已如同这灿烂的阳光，灿烂而温暖。En: The campus in autumn was still bustling, but Li Wei's mood was now as splendid and warm as the radiant sunlight. Vocabulary Words:hallway: 走廊breeze: 微风brushed: 拂过violin: 小提琴joyful: 快乐adorned: 装扮extraordinarily: 格外tense: 紧张impending: 即将到来的storm: 暴风雨shy: 腼腆anticipation: 期待performance: 表演uneasy: 不安persevere: 坚持withdraw: 退出steadfast: 坚定melodious: 悠扬resonating: 回旋auditorium: 礼堂attire: 服装slightly: 微微sweaty: 出汗panic: 慌了神calm: 抚慰enthusiastic: 热烈recognition: 认可pride: 自豪感victorious: 胜利splendid: 灿烂

A Funny Tuesday First, a look at the events of the day.Then, Abbott and Costello, originally broadcast November 4, 1943, 82 years ago with guest Lana Turner.   Abbott and Costello are having trouble getting into the NBC studio before they go on the air. This program is remembered as being broadcast on the day Lou Costello's infant son died by drowning. No mention of this tragedy is made until the very end of the show, when Bud Abbott tells the radio audience what happened. During the program, there was no sign by Costello of anything else on his mind but the next corny joke.  Followed by The Burns and Allen Show,  originally broadcast November 4, 1941, 84 years ago, Gracie playing Mrs North?   MGM wants Gracie to appear in the new movie to be made about "Mr. and Mrs. North." Gracie's not interested. The locket Paul Whiteman has for his wife complicates the plot. Then, The Milton Berle Show, originally broadcast November 4, 1947, 78 years ago, A Salute to Football.   Milton goes to see the "Fighting Irish." Followed by The CBS Radio Workshop, originally broadcast November 4, 1956, 69 years ago, Joe Miller's Joke Book.   A documentary about the history of jokes, including a fictionalized visit from the venerable Joe Miller himself!Finally, Claudia, originally broadcast November 4, 1947, 78 years ago, Roger's Visit.  David is given a beautiful Ming statuette...a short-lived gift.  Kathryn Bard and Paul Crabtree star.Thanks to Laurel for supporting our podcast by using the Buy Me a Coffee function at http://classicradio.streamCheck out Professor Bees Digestive Aid at profbees.com and use my promo code WYATT to save 10% when you order! If you like what we do here, visit our friend Jay at http://radio.macinmind.com for great old-time radio shows 24 hours a day

We and our guest writer Nate Ming discuss Shonen Jump manga Embers.   MAL Description: Middle school brawler Noboru Haitani has never lost a fight. But the bitter taste of a soccer defeat gradually warms him up to the sport, until one day Haitani finds himself in a match against a team featuring middle school soccer prodigy Takami. An outlaw fights his way into the world of soccer!   Show Notes: • You can reach us at Twitter @shonenflopcast, Tumblr shonen-flop, or email shonenflop@gmail.com   • You can find our guest at bsky.app/profile/nateming.bsky.social   • Become a member of our community by joining our Discord. You can hang out with us, submit your questions or six word summaries! Find it at https://discord.com/invite/4hC3SqRw8r   • Want to be a guest? You can ask to be on a future episode at bit.ly/shonen_flop_guest   Credits: • Manga by Nishii, Soutarou (Art), Kurumazaki, Kei (Story)   • Shonen Flop is hosted by David Weinberger and Jordan Forbes   • Additional editing assistance by Dylan Krider you can find his podcast, Anime Out of Context at animeoutofcontext.com   • Assistance with pronunciation, translation, and other miscellaneous research done by Tucker Whatley and MaxyBee   • Episode art by Merliel (IG: mer_liel)   • Cover art funded by our generous art benefactor Nigel Francis

MING's weekly Warmth radio show features the best in today's house and EDM as well as exclusive mixes and interviews from guest artists.MING Stuff >> https://solo.to/mingsmusic1001Tracklists >> https://1001.tl/lbknx3Beatport Track Charts >> https://hoodfamo.us/BPWRMTH

This episode we start to get more into the material culture of the period with court fashion, as we look at the court robes that went along with the updated court ranks.  Granted, we only have a few resources, but from those it does seem like we can construct at least a plausible idea of what the court may have looked like at this time. For more discussion, check out the blogpost:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-137   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 137:  Courtly Fashion. In the New Year's ceremony, the court officials lined up in front of the Kiyomihara Palace, arranged by their relative court rank, dressed in their assigned court robes.  The effect was impressive—the rows of officials painting the courtyard like the bands of color in a rainbow, albeit one with only a couple of hues.  The fact that they were all wearing the same style of dress and black, stiffened gauze hats only added to the effect.  The individual officers were all but lost in what was, at least in outward form, a single, homogenous machine of government, just waiting for the command of their monarch to attend to the important matters of state. We are covering the reign of Ohoama no Ohokimi, aka Ama no Nunahara oki no mabito no Sumera no Mikoto, aka Temmu Tennou.  Last episode we went over the changes he had made to the family titles—the kabane—as well as to the courtly rank system.  For the former, he had consolidated the myriad kabane and traditional titles across Yamato into a series of eight—the Yakusa no Kabane.   These were, from highest to lowest: Mabito, Asomi, Sukune, Imiki, Michinoshi, Omi, Muraji, and Inaki.  By the way, you might notice that "Mabito" actually occurs in Ohoama's posthumous name:  Ama no Nunahara oki no mabito, which lends more credence to the idea that that kabane was for those with a special connection to the royal lineage. Besides simplifying and restructuring the kabane, Ohoama also reformed the court rank system.  He divided the Princely ranks into two categories:  Myou, or Bright, and Jou, or Pure.  For the court nobles the categories were:                Shou – Upright                Jiki – Straight                Gon – Diligent                Mu – Earnest                Tsui – Pursue                Shin – Advancement Each category was further divided into four grades (except for the very first princely category, Myou, which was only two).  Each grade was then further divided into large, "dai", or broad, "kou". And this brings us to our topic today. Along with this new rank system, Ohoama's administration also instituted a new set of court sumptuary laws. Some are vague in the record—we can just make assumptions for what is going on based on what we know from later fashion choices.  Others are a little more clear.  We'll take a look at those sumptuary laws, particularly those that were directly associated with the new court rank system, but we'll also look at the clothing styles more generally. To start with, let's talk about what we know about clothing in the archipelago in general.  Unfortunately, fabric doesn't tend to survive very well in the generally acidic soils of the Japanese archipelago.  Cloth tends to break down pretty quickly.  That said, we have fragments here and there and impressions in pottery, so we have some idea that there was some kind of woven fabric from which to make clothing out of. And before I go too far I want to give a shout out to the amazing people at the Kyoto Costume Museum.  They have a tremendous website and I will link to it in the comments.  While there may be some debate over particular interpretations of historical clothing, it is an excellent resource to get a feel for what we know of the fashion of the various periods.  I'll also plug our own website, SengokuDaimyo.com, which has a "Clothing and Accessory" section that, while more geared towards Heian and later periods, may still be of some use in looking up particular terms and getting to know the clothing and outfits. At the farthest reaches of pre-history, we really don't have a lot of information for clothing.  There is evidence of woven goods in the Jomon period, and we have Yayoi burials with bits of cloth here and there, but these are all scraps.  So at best we have some conjecture as to what people were wearing, and possibly some ability to look across the Korean peninsula and see what people had, there. There are scant to no reliable records from early on in Japanese history, and most of those don't really do a great job of describing the clothing.  Even where we do get something, like the Weizhi, one has to wonder given how they tended to crib notes from other entries. There is at least one picture scroll of interest: Portraits of Periodical Offering of Liang, or Liáng -Zhígòngtú.  It is said to have been painted by Xiao Yi in the early 6th century, and while the original no longer exists there is an 11th century copy from the time of the Song Dynasty.  The scroll shows  various ambassadors to the Liang court, including one from Wa.  The Wa ambassador is shown with what appears to be a wide piece of cloth around his hips and legs, tied in front.  His lower legs are covered in what we might call kyahan today: a rather simple wrap around leg from below the knee to the foot.  He has another, blue piece of cloth around his shoulders, almost like a shawl, and it is also tied in front.  Then there is a cloth wrapped and tied around his head. It's hard to know how much of this depiction is accurate and how much the artist was drawing on memory and descriptions from things like the Weizhi or Wei Chronicles, which stated that the Wa people wore wide cloths wrapped around and seamlessly tied As such, it may be more helpful to look at depictions actually from the archipelago: specifically, some of the human-figured haniwa, those clay cylinders and statues that adorned the burial mounds which gave the kofun period its name.  Some of these haniwa are fairly detailed, and we can see ties, collars, and similar features of clothing. These haniwa primarily seem to cluster towards the end of the Kofun period, in the later 6th century, so it is hard to say how much they can be used for earlier periods, though that is exactly what you will typically see for periods where we have little to know evidence.  I'm also not sure how regional certain fashions might have been, and we could very much be suffering from survivorship bias—that is we only know what survived and assume that was everything, or even the majority. Still, it is something. Much of what we see in these figures is some kind of upper garment that has relatively tight sleeves, like a modern shirt or jacket might have, with the front pieces overlapping create a V-shaped neckline.  The garment hem often hangs down to just above the knee, flaring out away from the body, and it's held closed with ties and some kind of belt, possibly leather in some cases, and in others it looks like a tied loop of cloth.  There is evidence of a kind of trouser, with two legs, and we see ties around the knee.  In some cases, they even have small bells hanging from the ties.  Presumably the trousers might have ties up towards the waist, but we cannot see that in the examples we have. We also see individuals who have no evidence of any kind of bifurcated lower garment.  That may indicate an underskirt of some kind, or possibly what's called a "mo"—but it could also be just a simplification for stability, since a haniwa has a cylindrical base anyway.  It is not always obvious when you are looking at a haniwa figure whether it depicts a man or woman: in some cases there are two dots on the chest that seem to make it obvious, but the haniwa do come from different artisans in different regions, so there is a lot of variability. We also see evidence of what seem to be decorative sashes that are worn across the body, though not in all cases.  There are various types of headgear and hairstyles.  Wide-brimmed and domed hats are not uncommon, and we also see combs and elaborate hairstyles depicted.  On some occasions we can even see that they had closed toed shoes.  For accessories, we see haniwa wearing jewelry, including necklaces (worn by both men and women), bracelets, and earrings.  In terms of actual human jewelry, early shell bracelets demonstrate trade routes, and the distinctive magatama, or comma shaped jewel, can be found in the archipelago and on the Korean peninsula, where it is known as "gogok".  Based on lines or even colored pigment on the haniwa, it appears that many of these outfits were actually quite heavily decorated.  Paint on the outfits is sometimes also placed on the face, suggesting that they either painted or tattooed themselves, something mentioned in the Wei Chronicles.  We also have archaeological examples of dyed cloth, so it is interesting that people are often depicted in undyed clothing.  There is one haniwa that I find particularly interesting, because they appear to be wearing more of a round-necked garment, and they have a hat that is reminiscent of the phrygian cap: a conical cap with the top bent forward.  These are traits common to some of the Sogdians and other Persian merchants along the silk road, raising the possibility that it is meant to depict a foreigner, though it is also possible that it was just another local style. If we compare this to the continent, we can see some immediate difference.  In the contemporaneous Sui dynasty, we can see long flowing robes, with large sleeves for men and women.  The shoes often had an upturned placket that appears to have been useful to prevent one from tripping on long, flowing garments.  Many of these outfits were also of the v-neck variety, with two overlapping pieces, though it is often shown held together with a fabric belt that is tied in front.  The hats appear to either be a kind of loose piece of fabric, often described as a turban, wrapped around the head, the ends where it ties together trailing behind, or black lacquered crowns—though there were also some fairly elaborate pieces for the sovereign. As Yamato started to import continental philosophy, governance, and religion, they would also start to pick up on continental fashion.  This seems particularly true as they adopted the continental concept of "cap rank" or "kan-i". Let's go over what we know about this system, from its first mention in the Chronicles up to where we are in Ohoama's reign. As a caveat, there is a lot we don't know about the details of these garments, but we can make some guesses. The first twelve cap-ranks, theoretically established in 603, are somewhat questionable in their historicity, as are so many things related to Shotoku Taishi.  And their names are clearly based on Confucian values:  Virtue, Humanity, Propriety, Faith, Justice, and Wisdom, or Toku, Nin, Rei, Shin, Gi, and Chi.  The five values and then just "Virtue", itself. The existence of this system does seem to be confirmed by the Sui Shu, the Book of Sui, which includes a note in the section on the country of Wa that they used a 12 rank system based on the Confucian values, but those values were given in the traditional Confucian order vice the order given in the Nihon Shoki.   The rank system of the contemporaneous Sui and Tang dynasties was different from these 12 ranks, suggesting that the Yamato system either came from older dynasties—perhaps from works on the Han dynasty or the Northern and Southern Dynasty, periods—or they got it from their neighbors, Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo.  There does seem to be a common thread, though, that court rank was identifiable in one's clothes. As for the caps themselves, what did they look like?  One would assume that the Yamato court just adopted a continental style cap, and yet, which one? It isn't fully described, and there are a number of types of headwear that we see in the various continental courts. Given that, we aren't entirely sure exactly what it looked like, but we do have a couple of sources that we can look at and use to make some assumptions.  These sources l ead us to the idea of a round, colored cap made of fabric, around the brim that was probably the fabric or image prescribed for that rank.  It is also often depicted with a bulbous top, likely for the wearer's hair, and may have been tied to their top knot.     Our main source for this is the Tenjukoku Mandala Embroidery (Tenjukoku-mandara-shuuchou) at Chuuguuji temple, which was a temple built for the mother of Prince Umayado, aka Shotoku Taishi.    This embroidery was created in 622, so 19 years after the 12 ranks would have been implemented. It depicts individuals in round-necked jackets that appear to have a part straight down the center.  Beneath the jacket one can see a pleated hem, possibly something like a "hirami", a wrapped skirt that is still found in some ceremonial imperial robes.  It strikes me that this could also be the hem of something like the hanpi, which was kind of like a vest with a pleated lower edge.  Below that we see trousers—hakama—with a red colored hem—at least on one figure that we can see.  He also appears to be wearing a kind of slipper-like shoe. As for the women, there are a few that appear to be in the mandala, but it is hard to say for certain as the embroidery has been damaged over the years. That said, from what we can tell, women probably would have worn something similar to the men in terms of the jacket and the pleated under-skirt, but then, instead of hakama, we see a pleated full-length skirt, or mo.  We also don't have a lot of evidence for them wearing hats or anything like that. The round necked jacket is interesting as it appears to be similar to the hou that was common from northern China across the Silk Road, especially amongst foreigners.  This garment  came to displace the traditional robes of the Tang court and would become the basis for much of the court clothing from that period, onwards.  The round necked garment had central panels that overlapped, and small ties or fastenings at either side of the neck to allow for an entirely enclosed neckline.  This was more intricate than just two, straight collars, and so may have taken time to adopt, fully. The next change to the cap-rank system was made in 647, two years into the Taika Reform.  The ranks then were more directly named for the caps, or crowns—kanmuri—and their materials and colors.  The ranks translate to Woven, Embroidered, Purple, Brocade, Blue, Black, and finally "Establish Valor" for the entry level rank. The system gets updated two years later, but only slightly.  We still see a reference to Woven stuff, Embroidery, and Purple, but then the next several ranks change to Flower, Mountain, and Tiger—or possibly Kingfisher.  These were a little more removed from the cap color and material, and may have had something to do with designs that were meant to be embroidered on the cap or on the robes in some way, though that is just speculation based on later Ming and Qing court outfits. Naka no Ohoye then updates it again in 664, but again only a little.  He seems to add back in the "brocade" category, swapping out the "flower", and otherwise just adds extra grades within each category to expand to 26 total rank grades. And that brings us to the reforms of 685, mentioned last episode.  This new system was built around what appear to be moral exhortations—Upright, Straight, Diligent, Earnest, etc.  And that is great and all, but how does that match up with the official robes? What color goes with each rank category?  Fortunately, this time around, the Chronicle lays it out for us pretty clearly. First off we are given the color red for the Princely ranks—not purple as one might have thought.  Specifically, it is "Vermillion Flower", hanezu-iro, which Bentley translates as the color of the "Oriental bush" or salmon.  In the blogpost we'll link to a table of colors that the founder of Sengoku Daimyo, Anthony Bryant, had put together, with some explanation of how to apply it.  I would note that there is often no way to know exactly what a given color was like or what shades were considered an acceptable range.  Everything was hand-dyed, and leaving fabric in the dye a little longer, changing the proportions, or just fading over time could create slightly different variants in the hue, but we think we can get pretty close. From there we have the six "common" ranks for the nobility.  Starting with the first rank, Upright, we have "Dark Purple".  Then we have "Light Purple".  This pattern continues with Dark and Light Green and then Dark and Light Grape or Lilac.  Purple in this case is Murasaki, and green here is specifically Midori, which is more specifically green than the larger category of "Aoi", which covers a spectrum of blue to green.  The grape or lilac is specifically "suou", and based on Bentley's colors it would be a kind of purple or violet. The idea is that the official court outfits for each rank would be the proper color.  And yes, that means if you get promoted in rank, your first paycheck—or rice stipend—is probably going to pay for a new set of official clothes.  Fortunately for the existing court nobles at the time, in the last month of 685, the Queen provided court clothing for 55 Princes and Ministers, so they could all look the part. And the look at court was important.  In fact, several of the edicts from this time focus specifically on who was allowed—or expected—to wear what.  For instance, in the 4th month of 681, they established 92 articles of the law code, and among those were various sumptuary laws—that is to say, laws as to what you could wear.  We are told that they applied to everyone from Princes of the blood down to the common person, and it regulated the wearing of precious metals, pearls, and jewels; the type of fabric one could use, whether purple, brocade, embroidery, or fine silks; and it also regulated woollen carpets, caps, belts, and the colors of various things. And here I'd like to pause and give some brief thought to how this played into the goals of the court, generally, which is to say the goal of creating and establishing this new system of governance in the cultural psyche of the people of the archipelago.  From the continental style palaces, to the temples, and right down to the clothing that people were wearing, this was all orchestrated, consciously or otherwise, to emphasize and even normalize the changes that were being introduced.  When everything around you is conforming to the new rules, it makes it quite easy for others to get on board. The court had surrounded themselves with monumental architecture that was designed along continental models and could best be explained through continental reasoning.  Even if they weren't Confucian or Daoist, those lines of reasoning ran through the various cultural and material changes that they were taking up.  Sure, they put their own stamp on it, but at the same time, when everything is right in front of you, it would become that much harder to deny or push back against it. And when you participated in the important rituals of the state, the clothing itself became a part of the pageantry.  It reinforced the notion that this was something new and different, and yet also emphasized that pushing against it would be going against the majority.  So court uniforms were another arm of the state's propaganda machine, all designed to reinforce the idea that the heavenly sovereign—the Tennou—was the right and just center of political life and deserving of their position.  Getting back to the sumptuary laws and rank based regulations: It is unfortunate that the record in the Nihon Shoki doesn't tell us exactly how things were regulated, only that they were, at least in some cases.  So for anything more we can only make assumptions based on later rules and traditions.  A few things we can see right away, though.  First is the restriction of the color purple.  Much as in Europe and elsewhere in the world, getting a dark purple was something that was not as easy as one might think, and so it tended to be an expensive dye and thus it would be restricted to the upper classes—in this case the princely and ministerial rank, no doubt.  Similarly brocade and fine silks were also expensive items that were likely restricted to people of a particular social station for that reason. The mention of woolen rugs is particularly intriguing.  Bentley translates this as woven mattresses, but I think that woolen rugs makes sense, as we do have examples of woolen "rugs" in Japan in at least the 8th century, stored in the famous Shousouin repository at Toudaiji temple, in Nara.  These are all imported from the continent and are actually made of felt, rather than woven.  As an imported item, out of a material that you could not get in the archipelago, due to a notable lack of sheep, they would have no doubt been expensive. The funny thing is that the carpets in the Shousouin may not have been meant as carpets.  For the most part they are of a similar size and rectangular shape, and one could see how they may have been used as sleeping mattresses or floor coverings.  However, there is some conjecture that they came from the Silk Road and may have been originally meant as felt doors for the tents used by the nomadic steppe peoples.  This is only conjecture, as I do not believe any of these rugs have survived in the lands where they would have been made, but given the size and shape and the modern yurt, it is not hard to see how that may have been the case.  Either way, I tend to trust that this could very well have meant woolen rugs, as Aston and the kanji themselves suggest, though I would understand if there was confusion or if it meant something else as wool was not exactly common in the archipelago at that time or in the centuries following. The last section of the regulations talks about the use of caps and belts.  The caps here were probably of continental origin:  The kanmuri, or official cap of state of the court nobles, or the more relaxed eboshi—though at this time, they were no doubt closely related. In fact, a year later, we have the most specific mention to-date of what people were actually wearing on their heads: there is a mention of men tying up their hair and wearing caps of varnished gauze.  Earlier caps related to the cap rank system are often thought to be something like a simple hemisphere  that was placed upon the head, with a bulbous top where the wearer's hair could be pulled up as in a bun. The kanmuri seems to have evolved from the soft black headcloth that was worn on the continent, which would have tied around the head, leaving two ends hanging down behind.  Hairstyles of the time often meant that men had a small bun or similar gathering of hair towards the back of their head, and tying a cloth around the head gave the effect of a small bump.  This is probably what we see in depictions of the early caps of state.  Sometimes this topknot could be covered with a small crown or other decoration, or wrapped with a cloth, often referred to as a "Tokin" in Japanese.  But over time we see the development of hardened forms to be worn under a hat to provide the appropriate silhouette, whether or not you actually had a topknot (possibly helpful for gentlemen suffering from hair loss).  And then the hat becomes less of a piece of cloth and more just a hat of black, lacquered gauze made on a form, which was much easier to wear.  At this point in the Chronicle, the cap was likely still somewhat malleable, and would made to tie or be pinned to that bun or queue of hair.  This explains the mention of men wearing their hair up.  This pin would become important for several different types of headgear, but ties were also used for those who did not have hair to hold the hat on properly. Two years after the edict on hats, we get another edict on clothing, further suggesting that the court were wearing Tang inspired clothing.  In 685 we see that individuals are given leave to wear their outer robe either open or tied closed. This is a clue that this outer robe might something akin to the round-necked hou that we see in the Tenjukoku Mandala, where the neck seems to close with a small tie or button.  However, we do see some examples, later, of v-necked garments with a tie in the center of the neck, so that may be the reference..  Opening the collar of the formal robes was somewhat akin to loosening a necktie, or unbuttoning the top button of a shirt.  It provided a more relaxed and comfortable feeling.  It could also be a boon in the warm days of summer.  Leaving it closed could create a more formal appearance. The courtiers also had the option of whether or not to wear the "Susotsuki", which Bentley translates as "skirt-band".  I believe this refers to the nai'i, or inner garment.  This would often have a pleated hem—a suso or ran—which would show below the main robe as just a slight hem.  Again, this is something that many would dispense with in the summer, or just when dressing a bit more casually, but it was required at court, as well as making sure that the tassles were tied so that they hung down.  This was the uniform of the court.  We are also told that they would have trousers that could be tied up, which sounds like later sashinuki, though it may have referred to something slightly different.  We are also given some regulations specifically for women, such as the fact that women over 40 years of age were allowed the discretion on whether or not to tie up their hair, as well as whether they would ride horses astride or side-saddle.  Presumably, younger women did not get a choice in the matter.  Female shrine attendants and functionaries were likewise given some leeway with their hairstyles. A year later, in 686, they do seem to have relaxed the hairstyles a bit more: women were allowed to let their hair down to their backs as they had before, so it seems that, for at least a couple of years, women under the age of 40 were expected to wear their hair tied up in one fashion or another. In that same edict, men were then allowed to wear "habakimo".  Aston translates this as "leggings" while Bentley suggests it is a "waist skirt".  There are an example of extant habakimo in the Shousouin, once again, and they appear to be wrappings for the lower leg.  It actually seems very closely related to the "kyahan" depicted all the way back in the 6th century painting of the Wo ambassador to Liang. Even though these edicts give a lot more references to clothing, there is still plenty that is missing.  It isn't like the Chroniclers were giving a red carpet style stitch-by-stitch critique of what was being worn at court.  Fortunately, there is a rather remarkable archaeological discovery from about this time. Takamatsuzuka is a kofun, or ancient burial mound, found in Asuka and dated to the late 7th or early 8th century.  Compared to the keyhole shaped tombs of previous centuries, this tomb is quite simple: a two-tiered circular tomb nestled in the quiet hills.  What makes it remarkable is that the inside of the stone burial chamber was elaborately painted.  There are depictions of the four guardian animals, as well as the sun and the moon, as well as common constellations.  More importantly, though, are the intricate pictures of men and women dressed in elaborate clothing. The burial chamber of Takamatsuzuka is rectangular in shape.  There are images on the four vertical sides as well as on the ceiling.  The chamber is oriented north-south, with genbu, the black tortoise, on the north wall and presumably Suzaku, the vermillion bird, on the south wall—though that had been broken at some point and it is hard to make out exactly what is there. The east and west walls are about three times as long as the north and south walls.  In the center of each is a guardian animal—byakko, the white tiger, on the west wall and seiryuu, the blue—or green—dragon on the east.  All of these images are faded, and since opening of the tomb have faded even more, so while photos can help, it may require a bit more investigation and some extrapolation to understand all of what we are looking at. On the northern side of both the east and west wall we see groups of four women.  We can make out green, yellow, and red or vermillion outer robes with thin fabric belt sashes, or obi, tied loosely and low around the waist.  There is another, lightly colored—possibly white, cream or pink—that is so faded it is hard to make out, and I don't know if that is the original color.  These are v-necked robes, with what appear to be ties at the bottom of the "v".  Around the belt-sash we see a strip of white peaking out from between the two sides of the robe—most likely showing the lining on an edge that has turned back slightly.  The cuffs of the robe are folded back, showing a contrasting color—either the sleeves of an underrobe or a lining of some kind.  Below the outer robe is a white, pleated hem—possibly a hirami or similar, though where we can make it out, it seems to be the same or similar color as the sleeves.  Under all of that, they then have a relatively simple mo, or pleated skirt.  The ones in the foreground are vertically striped in alternating white, green, red, and blue stripes.  There is one that may just be red and blue stripes, but I'm not sure.  In the background we see a dark blue—and possibly a dark green—mo.  At the base of each mo is a pleated fringe that appears to be connected to the bottom of the skirt.  The toe of a shoe seems to peek out from underneath in at least one instance.  They don't have any obvious hair ornaments, and their hair appears to be swept back and tied in such a way that it actually comes back up in the back, slightly.  They appear to be holding fans and something that might be a fly swatter—a pole with what looks like tassels on the end. In comparison, at the southern end of the tomb we have two groups of men.  These are much more damaged and harder to make out clearly.  They have robes of green, yellow, grey, blue, and what looks like dark blue, purple, or even black.  The neckline appears to be a v-necked, but tied closed, similar to what we see on the women.  We also see a contrasting color at the cuff, where it looks like the sleeves have turned back, slightly.  They have belt-sashes similar to the women, made of contrasting fabric to the robe itself.  Below that we see white trousers, or hakama, and shallow, black shoes.  On some of the others it is suggested that maybe they have a kind of woven sandal, but that is hard to make out in the current image.  On their heads are hats or headgear of black, stiffened—probably lacquered—gauze.  They have a bump in the back, which is probably the wearer's hair, and there is evidence of small ties on top and larger ties in the back, hanging down.  Some interpretations also show a couple with chin straps, as well, or at least a black cord that goes down to the chin.  They carry a variety of implements, suggesting they are attendants, with an umbrella, a folding chair, a pouch worn around the neck, a pole or cane of some kind, and a bag with some kind of long thing—possibly a sword or similar. The tomb was originally found by farmers in 1962, but wasn't fully examined until 1970, with an excavation starting in 1972.  The stone at the entryway was broken, probably from graverobbers, who are thought to have looted the tomb in the Kamakura period.  Fortunately, along with the bones of the deceased and a few scattered grave goods that the robbers must have missed, the murals also survived, and somehow they remained largely intact through the centuries.  They have not been entirely safe, and many of the images are damaged or faded, but you can still make out a remarkable amount of detail, which is extremely helpful in determining what clothing might have looked like at this time—assuming it is depicting local individuals. And there is the rub, since we don't know exactly whom the tomb was for.  Furthermore, in style it has been compared with Goguryeo tombs from the peninsula, much as nearby Kitora kofun is.  Kitora had images as well, but just of the guardian animals and the constellations, not of human figures. There are three theories as to who might have been buried at Takamatsuzuka.  One theory is that it was one of Ohoama's sons.  Prince Osakabe is one theory, based on the time of his death and his age.  Others have suggested Prince Takechi.  Based on the teeth of the deceased, they were probably in their 40s to 60s when they passed away. Some scholars believe that it may be a later, Nara period vassal—possibly, Isonokami no Maro.  That would certainly place it later than the Asuka period. The third theory is that it is the tomb of a member of one of the royal families from the Korean peninsula—possibly someone who had taken up refuge in the archipelago as Silla came to dominate the entire peninsula.  This last theory matches with the fact that Takamatsuzuka appears to be similar to tombs found in Goguryeo, though that could just have to do with where the tomb builders were coming from, or what they had learned. That does bring up the question of the figures in the tomb.  Were they contemporary figures, indicating people and dress of the court at the time, or were they meant to depict people from the continent?  Without any other examples, we may never know, but even if was indicative of continental styles, those were the very styles that Yamato was importing, so it may not matter, in the long run.     One other garment that isn't mentioned here is the hire, a scarf that is typically associated with women.  It is unclear if it has any relationship to the sashes we see in the Kofun period, though there is at least one mention of a woman with a hire during one of the campaigns on the Korean peninsula.  Later we see it depicted as a fairly gauzy piece of silk, that is worn somewhat like a shawl.  It is ubiquitous in Sui and Tang paintings of women, indicating a wide-ranging fashion trend.  The hire is a fairly simple piece of clothing, and yet it creates a very distinctive look which we certainly see, later. Finally, I want to take a moment to acknowledge that almost everything we have discussed here has to do with the elites of society—the nobles of the court.  For most people, working the land, we can assume that they were probably not immediately adopting the latest continental fashions, and they probably weren't dressing in silk very much.  Instead, it is likely that they continued to wear some version of the same outfits we see in the haniwa figures of the kofun period.  This goes along with the fact that even as the elite are moving into palaces built to stand well above the ground, we still have evidence of common people building and living in pit dwellings, as they had been for centuries.  This would eventually change, but overall they stuck around for quite some time.  However, farmers and common people are often ignored by various sources—they aren't often written about, they often aren't shown in paintings or statues, and they did often not get specialized burials.  Nonetheless, they were the most populous group in the archipelago, supporting all of the rest. And with that, I think we will stop for now.  Still plenty more to cover this reign.  We are definitely into the more historical period, where we have more faith in the dates—though we should remember that this is also one of the reigns that our sources were specifically designed to prop up, so we can't necessarily take everything without at least a hint of salt and speculation, even if the dates themselves are more likely to be accurate. 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.  

Sorry this one's a bit late — but to make up for it, we've gone all in with an extra-long episode of General Witchfinders, split into two parts. This week, we take you through the extraordinary, over-the-top world of Flash Gordon (1980) — the space opera superhero film that blended camp comedy, science-fiction spectacle, and Queen's iconic soundtrack into something truly cosmic. The second half of this intergalactic adventure will land next week. Flash Gordon was directed by Mike Hodges, the British filmmaker behind Get Carter and Pulp, and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis. Based on the King Features comic strip created by Alex Raymond, the film stars Sam J. Jones as the all-American hero Flash, Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Ornella Muti as the dangerous Princess Aura, Max von Sydow as Ming the Merciless, and Topol as the eccentric scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. The supporting cast includes Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Peter Duncan and John Hallam — a line-up that reads like a who's who of cult cinema. We dig into the incredible production history of Flash Gordon, from De Laurentiis' first attempts in the 1960s to his decision to turn down George Lucas — a choice that helped inspire Star Wars. The film's troubled development included a scrapped version by Nicolas Roeg, with Debbie Harry once rumoured to play Princess Aura. Eventually, Hodges took the reins, working from a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr., the same writer who brought Batman's colourful POW! ZAP! style to TV in the 1960s. That influence is clear throughout, giving Flash Gordon its unmistakable comic-book tone. The film was shot mainly at Elstree and Shepperton Studios, pushing British set design and visual effects to the limit. For the famous Hawkmen sequence, the crew built a sixty-foot-high, hundred-foot-wide blue screen powered by a million watts of light. The result is one of the most gloriously excessive moments in sci-fi history — a flying army, Brian Blessed shouting “Gordon's alive!” and Queen blasting through the speakers. Speaking of Queen, we explore how their soundtrack revolutionised film music, paving the way for rock bands to score major blockbusters. The combination of Freddie Mercury's operatic flair and Howard Blake's orchestral compositions gave Flash Gordon a sonic identity that still feels fresh today.We also look at the film's eclectic cast. Sam J. Jones' brief but memorable career, Melody Anderson's move from acting to social work, and Ornella Muti's headline-grabbing life and legal troubles. There's Max von Sydow's path from The Seventh Seal to The Exorcist and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Topol's secret links to Mossad, Timothy Dalton's long and winding journey to becoming James Bond, and Peter Wyngarde's transformation from Department S to the gold-masked villain Klytus.And, of course, the mighty Brian Blessed — mountaineer, Shakespearean thunder-god, near-astronaut, and national treasure. From I, Claudius to Doctor Who, Cats, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and beyond, he's one of Britain's most extraordinary performers. In this episode, we unpack the layers of Flash Gordon as both cult classic and chaotic masterpiece: how its bright visuals masked a difficult shoot, how its camp sensibility influenced generations of filmmakers, and why it remains a cornerstone of British sci-fi fandom. Whether you're here for trivia, nostalgia, or the Queen soundtrack alone, this is one of our most detailed episodes yet — and we'll be back next week with part two to finish the adventure. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: From Rainfall to Triumph: Ming's Quest for Success Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-10-30-07-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在一个阴沉的秋日早晨，明从窗外望去，细雨无声地拍打着玻璃。En: On a gloomy autumn morning, Ming gazed out the window as fine rain silently tapped against the glass.Zh: 今天是重阳节，公司休息了一天，En: Today was the Chongyang Festival, and the company had a day off.Zh: 然而有一个重要会议需要明参加，他已经准备了很久。En: However, there was an important meeting that Ming needed to attend, one he had been preparing for a long time.Zh: 对他来说，这次会议决定了升迁的机会，这个机会对他和他的家人都至关重要。En: For him, this meeting could determine a promotion opportunity, which was crucial for both him and his family.Zh: 明平时是个勤奋的员工，总是承担着比别人更多的工作。En: Ming was typically a diligent employee, always taking on more work than others.Zh: 他希望今天的表现能打动严格但公正的老板嘉，赢得她的称赞。En: He hoped that his performance today could impress his strict yet fair boss, Jia, and earn her praise.Zh: 可是，天有不测风云，En: But, as fate would have it, unexpected events occurred.Zh: 他踏入地铁站后，被告知有突发的交通问题：由于大量的秋叶落在铁轨上，加上大雨，列车延误。En: When he stepped into the subway station, he was informed of sudden traffic issues: due to a large amount of fallen autumn leaves on the tracks, combined with heavy rain, the trains were delayed.Zh: 时间在一分一秒地流逝，明站在站台上，心急如焚。En: Time ticked by second by second as Ming stood on the platform, anxious.Zh: 为了不浪费更多时间，他马上拨通了同事亮的电话。En: Not wanting to waste more time, he quickly dialed his colleague Liang's phone number.Zh: “亮，帮我个忙，我可能会迟到。En: "Liang, can you do me a favor? I might be late.Zh: 能不能先帮我撑一下会议？”明尽量让自己的声音不显得慌乱。En: Could you cover for me at the meeting?" Ming tried to keep his voice calm.Zh: 亮总是很乐于助人，他安慰明：“放心吧，交给我。En: Liang was always helpful and reassured Ming: "Don't worry, leave it to me.Zh: 我先替你说几句。”挂掉电话后，明焦急地在脑中盘算着如何到达公司。En: I'll start with a few words for you." After hanging up, Ming anxiously planned in his head how to get to the company.Zh: 打车是最快的选择，但费用不菲。En: A taxi was the fastest option, but costly.Zh: 他犹豫了一下，决定寻找其他路线。En: He hesitated for a moment and decided to look for alternative routes.Zh: 终于，他发现还可以搭乘一条鲜有人知的小路公交，虽然这样他不得不淋湿在雨中，却别无选择。En: Finally, he discovered he could take a little-known bus route, although this meant getting wet in the rain, he had no other choice.Zh: 来到公司时，明的衣服已经湿透。En: When he arrived at the company, Ming's clothes were already soaked.Zh: 他急冲冲进了会议室，会议正进行得如火如荼。En: He rushed into the meeting room, where the meeting was in full swing.Zh: 他喘息着走到前面，亮已经把他的演讲稿准备好放在桌子上。En: Panting, he went to the front, and Liang had already prepared his presentation on the table.Zh: 明开始他的演讲，虽然开场有些紧张，但他很快镇定下来，流利地讲述自己的计划和建议。En: Ming began his presentation, and although he was initially nervous, he quickly composed himself and eloquently outlined his plans and proposals.Zh: 期间，他奋力抑制身体的寒意，全神贯注于会议。En: Throughout, he fought to suppress the chill in his body, fully concentrating on the meeting.Zh: 会议结束后，嘉点头表示认可，并对明说：“虽然过程有些曲折，但你的努力得到了体现。”En: After the meeting ended, Jia nodded in approval and said to Ming, "Although the process was a bit turbulent, your efforts were evident."Zh: 她赞扬明在困难前表现出的顽强和创新精神。En: She praised Ming for his tenacity and innovation in the face of difficulties.Zh: 那一天，明不仅赢得了老板的嘉许，也学会了如何依赖团队的力量。En: That day, Ming not only gained his boss's approval but also learned how to rely on the power of teamwork.Zh: 明白了自己的同事其实是可依靠的伙伴，能够在关键时刻伸出援手。En: He realized that his colleagues were indeed reliable partners who could lend a hand at critical times.Zh: 从此以后，明不再孤军奋战，而是与同事们更加紧密地合作。En: From then on, Ming no longer fought alone but collaborated more closely with his colleagues.Zh: 他意识到，寻求帮助并不是软弱，而是表示一种成熟与智慧。En: He realized that seeking help was not a sign of weakness but a demonstration of maturity and wisdom. Vocabulary Words:gloomy: 阴沉autumn: 秋日gazed: 望silently: 无声地promotion: 升迁diligent: 勤奋strict: 严格praise: 称赞fate: 不测风云unexpected: 突发anxious: 心急如焚hesitate: 犹豫alternative: 其他discovered: 发现eloquently: 流利地outlined: 讲述composed: 镇定panting: 喘息turbulent: 曲折tenacity: 顽强innovation: 创新rely: 依赖collaborated: 合作maturity: 成熟wisdom: 智慧lend a hand: 伸出援手critical: 关键reassured: 安慰suppressed: 抑制full swing: 如火如荼

Zhengde or Wuzong of Ming, a most perplexing ruler.Support the show

Welcome to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we discuss the triumphant return of Seiko to the forefront of value-laden watchmaking. For some, perhaps the massive Japanese company never left. From our perspective, though, 2025 has been a turning point. We feel that the brand has truly listened to its fan base and the market. Listen along to why we feel this way and what else we'd like to see.After what felt like a lengthy period of offering chunky watches with big price tags, it seems that Seiko has made a triumphant return. Reasonably sized watches with prices that have held steady, while others have increased dramatically, are just a couple of our observations. Listen in and see if you agree with the rest of our thoughts on this fan-favorite watch brand.HandgelenkskontrolleWe kick off our episode by celebrating Balazs's return from the Big Apple. There's even a little singing to get everyone in the mood! Then, we recall our recent discussion about the fortunes of several brands in five years. Mike envisions a slim 37mm Panerai dress watch with a manual-winding movement and crown lock. Could it work? Then, screen-related entertainment makes an appearance as we mention A House of Dynamite, Task, and Slow Horses. Finally, Balazs shares his thoughts on the recent watch events in New York City and a disturbing visit to a Rolex boutique in SoHo. For the Handgelenkskontrolle, Balazs has been wearing the Ming 57.04 Iris Chronograph and was flashing it around New York. Mike is keeping with the theme and is also sporting a Ming. The watch is currently under embargo, but it is coming out in November. Spoiler alert: it's fantastic!Seiko's triumphant returnIn 2025, we've seen some fantastic releases. The previously mentioned recent announcements resonated with fans. Earlier, watches like the Seiko 5 SRPL91 and SRPL93 "Gene Kranz" or the new Speedtimer models seemed to nail the brief. The market has been asking for smaller, thinner watches with slimmer, better bracelets. Seiko has delivered. Plus, while others continue to raise prices, Seiko has held the line, albeit at higher prices than seven or eight years ago. Still, the watches are competitive, attractive, and desirable. Sure, there's still work to do, especially related to movement accuracy, but we remain hopeful. Overall, it's nice to see one of our favorite marques pulling at our heart and purse strings again! Let us know if you agree with us on the company's triumphant return and what else you'd like to see from Seiko.As always, thanks for listening to the latest episode of Fratello On Air! If you have ideas for future shows, please feel free to let us know.

MING's weekly Warmth radio show features the best in today's house and EDM as well as exclusive mixes and interviews from guest artists.MING Stuff >> https://solo.to/mingsmusic1001Tracklists >> https://1001.tl/lbknx3Beatport Track Charts >> https://hoodfamo.us/BPWRMTH

Chris and Ming have returned from Santa Fe Comicon with some tales! We pepper in some Chicago stories in as well!

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Rekindling Friendship in the Forbidden City: A Mid-Autumn Tale Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-10-25-07-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 紫禁城的秋天，总是带着一种独特的魅力。En: Autumn in the Zijincheng, the Forbidden City, always carries a unique charm.Zh: 金黄的树叶在风中轻轻摇曳，红色的灯笼点缀着古老的建筑，空气中弥漫着甜蜜的月饼香和香烛味。En: Golden leaves gently sway in the wind, red lanterns adorn the ancient buildings, and the air is filled with the sweet fragrance of yuebing and incense.Zh: 明亮的圆月挂在天上，为宽阔的庭院披上银色的光辉。En: A bright full moon hangs in the sky, draping the vast courtyard in a silver glow.Zh: 今天是中秋节，En: Today is the Zhongqiujie, the Mid-Autumn Festival.Zh: 莲站在紫禁城的一角，心里却难以平静。En: Lian stands in a corner of the Forbidden City, yet her heart is far from calm.Zh: 她手里捧着一封沉甸甸的邀请，邀请她在这里与明见面。En: She holds a heavy invitation in her hands, inviting her to meet Ming there.Zh: 多年前的误会让两人渐行渐远，心中的伤痛与不信任像是无形的墙，将她们隔离开来。En: Years of misunderstandings had caused the two to drift apart, with the pain and distrust within their hearts becoming an invisible wall separating them.Zh: 但今晚，她决定面对过去。En: But tonight, she has decided to confront the past.Zh: 莲和明曾是亲密的朋友，她热爱艺术保护，他专注历史研究。En: Lian and Ming were once close friends; she had a passion for art preservation, and he was focused on historical research.Zh: 本该是志同道合的伙伴，但一场误会却将两人拉开了距离。En: They should have been kindred spirits, but a misunderstanding pulled them apart.Zh: 莲一直想知道真相，想要对过往释怀。En: Lian always wanted to know the truth, to make peace with the past.Zh: 而明，他想修复他们的关系，期盼能弥补自己曾犯的错。En: As for Ming, he wished to repair their relationship, hoping to make amends for the mistakes he made.Zh: 月光倾洒在庭院时，明走近了暮光中的莲。En: As the moonlight poured over the courtyard, Ming approached Lian in the twilight.Zh: 他微微一笑，声音中透着一丝紧张：“莲，好久不见。”En: He gave a slight smile, his voice tinged with a bit of nervousness: " Lian, long time no see."Zh: 莲点点头，努力让自己冷静：“是啊，太久了。”En: Lian nodded, trying to stay calm: "Yes, it's been too long."Zh: 两人漫步在灯笼下，沉默了一会儿，终究是明先开口：“当初的事，是个误会。En: They strolled under the lanterns in silence for a while, until Ming finally spoke: "What happened back then was a misunderstanding.Zh: 我从未想过会那样发展。我对不起你。”En: I never intended things to turn out that way. I'm sorry."Zh: 莲心里柔软的地方被触及，眼泪险些夺眶而出。En: The soft spot in Lian's heart was touched, tears almost welling in her eyes.Zh: “我一直想知道是什么让我们变成这样。”她低语着，抬头看着明。En: "I've always wanted to know what turned us into this." She whispered, looking up at Ming.Zh: 明回忆起过去，解释了当初的种种。En: Ming recalled the past and explained the events as they unfolded.Zh: 他的坦诚让莲心中的绳结慢慢松开。En: His honesty slowly untied the knot in Lian's heart.Zh: 她望着他，终于明白误会是如何发生的，而他们都曾是误会的受害者。En: She looked at him and finally understood how the misunderstanding occurred and that they had both been victims of it.Zh: 灯光下，他们谈了很久。En: Under the lanterns, they talked for a long time.Zh: 风中夹着月饼的甜香，明亮的灯笼像是给他们点亮了全新的未来。En: The wind carried the sweet scent of yuebing, and the bright lanterns seemed to illuminate a whole new future for them.Zh: 莲感受到心中逐渐涌起的温暖和和解的力量。En: Lian felt a warmth rising within her, a power of reconciliation.Zh: 她终于微笑起来：“或许，我们可以重新开始。”En: She finally smiled: "Perhaps we can start anew."Zh: 明笑了，灯笼的光映在他的脸上，带来无尽的温情。En: Ming smiled, with the light of the lantern reflecting on his face, bringing endless warmth.Zh: 两人决定将过去抛在脑后，共同庆祝这美好的节日。En: The two decided to leave the past behind and celebrate this beautiful festival together.Zh: 中秋的夜空下，他们找到了新的开始，新的友谊和无法轻易斩断的情谊。En: Beneath the Mid-Autumn night sky, they found a new beginning, a new friendship, and a bond that couldn't be easily severed.Zh: 莲终于明白，过去的阴影无法阻止她走向光明的未来。En: Lian finally understood that the shadows of the past couldn't prevent her from moving towards a bright future.Zh: 在紫禁城古旧的廊柱之间，她学会了原谅，也学会了为未来的可能性敞开心扉。En: Between the ancient pillars of the Forbidden City, she learned to forgive and to open her heart to the possibilities of the future. Vocabulary Words:charm: 魅力sway: 摇曳adorn: 点缀fragrance: 香味courtyard: 庭院invitation: 邀请confront: 面对kindred spirits: 志同道合amends: 弥补twilight: 暮光untied: 松开knot: 绳结illuminate: 点亮reconciliation: 和解severed: 斩断pillars: 廊柱sweetness: 甜蜜full moon: 圆月calm: 平静misunderstanding: 误会distrust: 不信任preservation: 保护research: 研究victims: 受害者drift apart: 渐行渐远repaired: 修复separate: 隔离unfolded: 发生possibilities: 可能性forgive: 原谅

Welcome to the Scottish Watches Podcast 720! The updated Omega Speedmaster “Grey Side of the Moon” sparks debate, with impressive hand-wound movement and slimmer proportions, but a price hike that raises... The post Scottish Watches Podcast #720 : Back To The Future of Watches – Omega, Czapek, MING, Casio, Seiko, Formex and More appeared first on Scottish Watches.

The Ming mandarin who helped, 400 years later, to start the Cultural Revolution.Support the show

Welcome back to another episode of Fratello On Air! This week, we talk about the best-value used watches. Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list but just a sampling of some great pre-owned picks. If you're expecting the usual suspects, prepare to be surprised. Enjoy the show!Yes, we're back with a follow-up to our popular show about currently available watches offering the best value with a look at the used marketplace. Sites such as Chrono24 and eBay present a veritable cornucopia of options, but we've managed to pare it down to six interesting picks. Listen in as we reveal them.HandgelenkskontrolleWe recorded this episode before Balazs's trip to New York City for various watch events. Therefore, you'll need to wait to find out if he had any fun travel experiences! For this installment, Mike is wearing his Ming 37.02 Minimalist, a straightforward watch that can happily be worn in casual and formal settings. Balazs, on the other hand, was rocking an off-the-wall timepiece earlier in the day. On his wrist was a 1999 Ikepod Megapode, a watch designed by Marc Newson.Best-value used watchesFor today's show, we gave ourselves a few rules. First, we didn't want to repeat any of the best-value new watches, even though those candidates are a great deal on the secondary market. We also stayed away from vintage watches because it's hard to compare prices for new and used pieces. Plus, it's also more challenging to find a mint or barely used vintage watch. With that in mind, we did not come together before the episode to share our picks. We were completely unscripted, which makes the choices even more surprising.We mention the Patek Philippe Gondolo 5014. In any form, these watches present a more horologically interesting and often less expensive choice than a similar Cartier Tank. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Date ref. Q4018420 is another killer value for the money. Secondhand Grand Seiko watches are routinely seen as best-value opportunities. We both love the 9S64-powered manual-winding SBGW2xx models, including the 235, 283, 291, and 293. While it's not small, the IWC Portugieser Automatic IW500705 is a killer watch at work or play. Who knew how affordable the 38mm Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe is? What a deal! Finally, we mention the late Omega Seamaster Railmaster ref. 220.10.40.20.01.001 from 2017. Feel free to let us know your thoughts about our picks and the best-value used watches you've been considering.We hope you enjoy today's episode. Let us know if you have any topics that you'd like us to cover in the future.

MING's weekly Warmth radio show features the best in today's house and EDM as well as exclusive mixes and interviews from guest artists.MING Stuff >> https://solo.to/mingsmusic1001Tracklists >> https://1001.tl/lbknx3Beatport Track Charts >> https://hoodfamo.us/BPWRMTH

In this episode of the Modern Mommy Doc Podcast, Dr. Whitney reconnects with longtime friend and colleague Dr. Anne-Ming Yeh—Stanford-trained pediatric gastroenterologist, integrative medicine specialist, and author of Constipation Conquered: A Holistic Guide to Your Child's Constipation.Together, they tackle a surprisingly common (and often frustrating) parenting challenge: constipation in kids. Dr. Yeh shares why she wrote her new book, how she blends evidence-based medicine with integrative approaches, and what parents can realistically do to help their kids—from picky toddlers to neurodivergent kids with unique needs.You'll learn:The truth about common constipation myths (spoiler: laxatives aren't evil).How to know whether your child's constipation is mild, moderate, or severe—and when to seek specialist care.Simple prevention tips: the right balance of fluid before fiber, why leafy greens act like a “broomstick for your gut,” and how bananas might be binding.Why the gut-brain connection matters, and how small daily rituals (from tea time to affirmations to Snoop Dogg's kids' album!) can actually support digestion.The difference between “mush” (softening stool) and “push” (helping the colon's muscles coordinate), and why some kids may need specialized therapies like biofeedback.Why integrative medicine is about both/and—using food as medicine when possible, and leaning on safe medications when necessary.This conversation is practical, reassuring, and yes—sometimes even funny. It's a reminder that while poop may not be a glamorous parenting topic, helping kids feel comfortable, confident, and healthy in their bodies is always worth it.______This episode is brought to you by Suvie: If dinnertime is your daily chaos hour, I've got something game-changing.It's called Suvie. It's a smart countertop appliance and meal delivery service that makes effortless home-cooked meals. And here's the coolest part - The Suvie Kitchen Robot that refrigerates your food all day, then cooks it automatically—roasting, slow cooking, even air frying—so dinner's ready exactly when you need it.I use it because I don't have time to meal prep every Sunday. I need something that works with my actual schedule. Suvie does.You can load it in the morning, set it, and forget it. No stress. No last-minute drive-thru.Suvie makes dinner one less thing to worry about.Check it out at suvie.com/modernmommy and get 16 free meals with this link.

The face tells a story, etched in its lines, the color of our skin, and the expressions we carry. These are not mere physical features; they are a language—an ancient map that, if we learn to read, can reveal traces of our life's journey, ancestral gifts, and the yet to be resolved challenges holding us back. This wisdom often goes unnoticed in a world focused on external appearances, but it is there if you know how to perceive .In this conversation with Anita Chopra, we journey through the landscapes of the face, and the unexpected twists of fate that lead us to our Ming—that essence that makes us grow. Anita's approach is a tapestry woven from her personal journey and professional practice. She listens to the body's narrative, honors the lessons from her mentors, and uses her unique skills to help patients find their golden path.Join us as we explore the power of being truly seen, the profound wisdom of accepting ourselves, how our life's path is found in a glimmer on the periphery, and the courage it takes to become the person you were always meant to be.