Podcasts about Mongolia

While football fans were focused on Bafana Bafana's FIFA World Cup campaign, South Africa was also represented on another major international sporting stage at the 2026 BetVictor World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, Germany. Mitchells Plain's Devon Petersen and Beaufort West's Graham "The Detonator" Filby secured an impressive victory over Mongolia before narrowly missing out on a place in the knockout stages after a defeat to Sweden. Petersen joins John Maytham to reflect on South Africa's performance, the growing profile of darts in the country, the significance of representing the nation on the world stage, and what lies ahead for South African players hoping to make their mark internationally. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pack the car! Route 66 turns 100 this year, and the Mother Road is still one weird and wild ride. We're hitting the highway from the California border to the New Mexico high desert, where we'll encounter the feral donkeys who rule the streets of a gold rush boomtown, visit an abandoned zoo with a body count, and climb a 2,000-year-old pueblo with a hidden staircase that outsmarted the Spanish conquistadors. Along the way, journalist and adventurer Will Grant introduces us to the people who populate this legendary road: a Hualapai elder who remembers the highway's golden age, the determined shopkeeper who fought to preserve her town's iconic neon glow, and a young Diné man who grew up at his family's trading post. Together, they share what the centenarian route means to the communities that depend on it—and tap into the powerful hold it still has on the nation's imagination. Whether you long for an epic Western roadtrip or you're just here for the vintage kitsch, this episode will have you reaching for the keys. Where Route 66 takes us: Oatman, Arizona: Stop to cuddle the adorable baby burrows in this old mining town. Kingman, Arizona: Home to the Arizona Route 66 Museum, where Model T's roll in from Chicago and tourists arrive from around the globe. Peach Springs, Arizona: The heart of the Hualapai Nation, where the tribal market is the unofficial town square. Williams, Arizona: Vintage neon signs dot one of the most authentic main streets on the route. Two Guns, Arizona: An abandoned zoo where the murderous owner was mauled by his own mountain lions. Winslow, Arizona: The sandstone canyon where Easy Rider and The Grapes of Wrath were filmed, plus a classic Diné trading post. Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico: Dubbed Sky City, this mesa-top village is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the U.S. Guest: Will Grant Born and raised in Colorado, Will Grant brings a cowboy-philosopher's eye to the landscapes, characters, and histories that make the West unlike anywhere else on earth. After college, he worked as a cowboy and a horse trainer in Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas, where he apprenticed under the legendary horseman Jack Brainard. In 2008, he pivoted to a career in journalism, but he continues to seek out ways to combine horses and storytelling. His 2023 book, The Last Ride of the Pony Express, recounts his 2,000-mile journey along the famed mail route with his horses Chicken Fry and Badger. Other adventures include a 600-mile horse race across Mongolia, an expedition to find gold in Arizona, and two trips to Kyrgyzstan to play kok boru, the most dangerous horseback game on the planet.  For Via, Will traded his saddle for a steering wheel to investigate some of the most storied—and strangest—stretches of Route 66. His writing has also appeared in Outside magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Wall Street Journal, and regional publications throughout the West. Will currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his partner, Claire Antoszewski, and two dogs, three chickens, and five horses. Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

Sonsloo is back with a very special episode featuring two pillars of the Mongolian jazz scene: Martin Zenker, renowned bassist and founder of GMUB, and Mandkhai, founder of JazzLab.This is the first of a series of episodes where we dive into the upcoming IASJ (International Association of Schools of Jazz) 2026 Conference, which is coming to Mongolia this July 6th–11th. We're discussing what this means for our local scene and what to expect from this major event. Stay tuned!

Before we get started, a quick warning: this episode contains spoilers. So if you haven't finished watching the latest series of Race Across the World, I'd suggest turning off now and coming back once you have!Race Across the World is one of those shows that just gets under your skin, isn't it? You start off thinking you're watching a travel programme, and then suddenly you're so emotionally invested in people trying to get across a border, find a cheap hostel, or make it onto a 29-hour train with no phone and barely any money. This season, five pairs travel over 12,000 kilometres, from Palermo in Sicily all the way to Hatgal in Mongolia, without smartphones, internet access, flights or bank cards, relying instead on instinct, kindness, grit and a lot of very long bus and train journeys.And at the heart of it all were today's guests: best friends Jo and Kush from Liverpool, who not only won the series, but completely won over viewers along the way. Their friendship was such a joy to watch and there was something so lovely about seeing two young men support each other so openly through the highs and lows.What I loved about chatting to them is that Race Across the World has this brilliant sense of mystery around it. As a viewer, I'm always wondering how the show actually works. So in this episode, we really get into all of that. We talk about the audition process, the secrecy around winning, the budget, the homestays, the toilets, the borders, the long-distance trains, and what it's really like travelling without your phone in your pocket. And of course, we talk about the places too. From Sorrento and Naples, to Tbilisi in Georgia, the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the vast landscapes of Kazakhstan, and the wild, icy beauty of Mongolia.Destination Recap:Palermo, Sicily, ItalySorrento, ItalyNaples, ItalyGreeceTürkiyeKars, TürkiyeGeorgiaTbilisi, GeorgiaAzerbaijanUzbekistanKyrgyzstanJalal-Abad, KyrgyzstanBishkek, KyrgyzstanKazakhstanKyzylorda, KazakhstanAlmaty, KazakhstanMongoliaUlaanbaatar, MongoliaHatgal, MongoliaLake Khövsgöl, MongoliaKathmandu, NepalPunjab, IndiaCentral IndiaSri LankaCosta RicaBrazilRio de Janeiro, BrazilWith thanks to...Richard Haworth - Discover their luxury hotel-quality bedding, towels and table linen at Richard Haworth At HomeAirbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Interview with Peter Akerley, President & CEO of Erdene Resource Development Corp.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/erdene-resource-development-tsxerd-first-gold-flows-as-multi-mine-district-strategy-unfolds-8931Recording date: 6th June 2026Erdene Resource Development has entered a new phase as a gold producer with the successful commissioning of its Bayan Khundii mine in southwestern Mongolia. The operation reached commercial production in early 2026 and is already generating strong financial results, including roughly C$100 million in revenue and EBITDA margins մոտ 50%. However, the company's immediate priority is improving ore grades, which are currently around 2.5 g/t compared to the 3.8 g/t reserve target. Addressing dilution and optimizing processing are expected to significantly lower costs and boost cash flow.The mine was developed through a 50/50 joint venture with Mongolian Mining Corporation (MMC), whose local expertise and workforce enabled construction to be completed in just 22 months at a cost of $120 million. This partnership remains central to operations, while Erdene retains long-term upside through a royalty structure that increases its economic share after certain production thresholds are reached.Looking ahead, Erdene is focused on expanding production within the Khundii Minerals District. Near-term opportunities include integrating the high-grade Dark Horse satellite deposit and evaluating a heap leach facility to process lower-grade material, potentially adding up to 35,000 ounces annually. Exploration success to the west of the current pit could also extend mine life and increase output.Beyond Bayan Khundii, the company holds additional assets that are not fully reflected in its valuation. These include the Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project and the large Zuun Mod molybdenum-copper deposit, with a preliminary economic assessment expected in late 2026. Financially, Erdene is in a solid position with no corporate debt and plans to fully repay project-level debt by 2027, after which it may prioritize expansion, dividends, or share buybacks.View Erdene Resource Development's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/erdene-resource-developmentSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Lauren Burnison is the founder of We Love Lucid, the UK's first alcohol-free travel company, and a trailblazer in the sober travel movement. From couch-surfing with nomads on the Mongolian steppe to snorkelling with sharks in Oman, Lauren has spent her life seeking off-the-beaten-path adventures—and this year, she took a two-month road trip through Spain and Portugal in a micro camper with her four-year-old daughter to celebrate ten years of sobriety. In this candid conversation, Lauren shares her journey from self-destructive habits to sobriety, how travel became her school of life, and the joys and challenges of being a single parent exploring the world. She talks about starting We Love Lucid, the lessons learned while traveling solo and with her daughter, and how adventure can transform the way we see ourselves. Explicit content: We touch on drugs, drinking, and addiction. ***  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Lauren Coming from Northern Ireland Originally 41 years old Founder of We Love Lucid - The UK's First Alcohol-free Travel Company Being a single mum to a very energetic 4 year old girl  Being an aspiring writer Reflecting back on her early years  Being very creative, loving animals, and growing up in the countryside  Where her love of travel came from  Starting to learn Spanish in school and how her teacher inspired her Having a knack for learning languages  Finding a diary entry from when she was 15 years old Having an ambition to learn Spanish and French and wanting to live in Spain  Getting to visit Spain at 16 on a sports camp  Having her eyes opened and feeling invigorated while travelling on the road  Why A'Levels were such a slog and hated being told what to do  Being confident about travelling  Deciding to travel around South America  Getting into drugs and going down a self destructive path  Heading back home to go to university  Spending 6 months in Barcelona - working in a pizza restaurant and living in a tent Getting her degree Being taken further down the path and still being self destructive  Making changes at 32  Wanting to explore and see more of the world - spending time in South Africa Getting in more and more trouble  Turning 30 and heading to South Korea to work as an English Teacher  Having the best and worst moments of her life Hitting rock bottom and deciding not to drink ever since Getting in trouble, and having the fear of losing her life Partying with Chinese Dwarfs  Seeing how bad her behaviour had gotten Feeling and being alone on this part of the journey  Drinking 4 nights a week The hardest part - being faced with this situation of not knowing who she was  Who is Lauren? Having to deal with difficult emotions. Feeing so vulnerable  The night she decided to quit drinking  Creating 'We Love Lucid' and how it helped her stay connected with the sober community  Visiting the vast empty spaces in Mongolia  Growing up with horses and riding horses  Wanting to ride horses in Mongolia and how it turned in to a trip of self discovery  Trying to figure out the next steps Why life is not just good or bad - it's a mixture of everything  Heading to the South of Spain and doing a workaday experience over there How the idea for - We Love Lucid came about  Not having a positive view of sobriety  Thinking about her experiences as a sober person travelling  Starting to run the trips  Why the trips are all about connecting with sober people  Cycling from Beer to Soberton…. Why not all projects turn out how you want them to  Not wanting to be a quitter Getting to 70 miles….. Why it was a bit of a failure, but also a valuable lesson at the same time  Riding up the East Coast of Korea on a bike to North Korea The goodness of people  How travel and adventure changed after having her daughter Feeling as though her world has been shrinking How it affected her mentally - with not being able to travel  The realities of being a single mum in Scotland How her life seems so normal Starting to go away with her daughter  Being on a road trip in Portugal for 1/2 months  Trying to escape the winter in the UK Needing to stay in the UK and going with that  Starting to accept the reality  Wanting to start her blog - "Adventures of a single, sober mum"  Being able to afford a micro camper  Why trips are a condensed school of life  The beauty and joy of the quiet moments Walking with 12 women on the Santiago de Compostela  Mandy Manners - Sober Coach  She Recovers Foundation  How to connect with Lauren The stigma around being a single parent  Wanting to feel more empowered Final words of advice for other women Change is possible  Being inspired by Terence McKenna  Try something hard, push yourself out of your comfort zone.    Social Media Website: www.welovelucid.com - The UK's First Alcohol-free Travel Company  Instagram: @welovelucid  Substack: adventuresofasobersinglemum.substack.com

Colonel John Blashford-Snell (JBS), one of the world's most renowned and respected explorers, has organised and led over one hundred expeditions including an exploration and first navigation of the Ethiopian Blue Nile. In 1972, using the first Range Rovers and a Landrover, he led the first vehicle crossing of the Darien Gap including the infamous Atrato Swamp. In 1971/72 this team was the first to complete the drive from Alaska to Cape Horn. In 1974 he navigated almost all 2700 miles of the Zaire (Congo) River. Most of his expeditions have environmental, medical and scientific objectives.In 1969, he and his colleagues formed the Scientific Exploration Society, which became the parent body for several worldwide ventures launched by HRH the Prince of Wales. JBS then raised funds and selected a team to run Operation Drake involving 400 young explorers from 27 countries on a 2-year circumnavigation. Ultimately a much larger global youth programme was organised and by 1992 Operation Raleigh had enabled 10,000 young people from 50 countries to take part in challenges and expeditions around the world. Now, as Raleigh International, over 580,000 young men and women have benefitted from this unique programme. Many of them, like Major Tim Peake have become explorers in their own right.Retiring from the Army and as Director-General of Operation Raleigh in 1991, his commitment to young people continues. In 1993, he became Chairman of a £2.5 million appeal to establish a centre to provide vocational training and guidance for the young of Merseyside. This Centre now known as “The Door” has helped over 40,000 less privileged young people. Later he chaired The Liverpool Constructions Craft Guild to promote the training of skilled craftsmen in Liverpool.In 2000 he delivered a Grand Piano to the Wai Wai people of Guyana. A BBC film of this helped to raise $2 million to conserve the tribal area. In 2017 he took an ambulance boat to a remote tribe on the Amazon.The Colonel's work has been recognized by the award of the CBE, and in 1974 of the Segrave Trophy, the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (1975), the Patrons Medal of the Royal Geographical Society (1993) and the Gold Medal of the Institute of Royal Engineers (1994). He has also received medals from Bolivia, Colombia, Mongolia and the Explorers Club (USA).His expeditions are acknowledged for developing inflatable boats for white water rafting, paramotoring on scientific expeditions and other technical advances.JBS has written 16 books, broadcasts and lectures whilst leading expeditions worldwide with the Scientific Exploration Society and projects with the Just A Drop water charity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the veil between worlds grows thin — and you're brave enough to step through? In this enchanting return visit, we welcome back Lisa Tully, animal healer and communicator from Ireland, for a conversation that expands our understanding of consciousness, connection, and the magical beings who share our world. Drawing on Ireland's deep mystical heritage, Lisa traces the origins of the fairy folk — the Tuatha Dé Danann — and how studying her own ancestry opened doorways to regularly conversing with these elemental presences, who now guide her work with animals. She also takes us along on an extraordinary journey to Mongolia, where she witnessed Mongolian shamans channel the spirit of a sacred lake and came away with a profound understanding that the land, the rivers, the trees, and the mountains are living, conscious beings — waiting for us to remember. From the protected Hawthorn trees of Ireland to the semi-wild horses of the Mongolian steppe, Lisa invites us to take even one small step toward these mystical realms — because, as she reminds us, they will meet us tenfold. Places/Concepts mentioned that you may want to explore: Newgrange — the ancient stone structure in Ireland (c. 3000 BC) where light enters the portal on the winter solstice Lake Khövsgöl (she calls it "Lake Hussevol") — the sacred site in Outer Mongolia where she witnessed the shamanic ceremony The Tuatha Dé Danann — the Irish mythological tribe at the heart of fairy folklore, for anyone curious to go deeper into the history Samhain — the Celtic New Year/Halloween origin story she traces, if listeners want to explore that connection further RESOURCES: ⁠Lisa Tully - https://animalhealing.ie/ Do YOU want to be an animal communicator or learn more about Soul Level Intuitive Coaching®? Check out the new classes and Be Open Community offered by our teacher, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Danielle MacKinnon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It's a great place to learn Energy Management, trusting yourself and even finding a great, supportive community.   YOUR HOSTS Julie is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Heart Animal Soul Professional Communicator, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Spirit Animal Sacred Alchemy Practitioner and Certified Trauma-Informed Grief Coach. She writes the column ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“Trust the Animals”⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack and is a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. Find out more about her and her monthly Pet Loss Grief Circles at her website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.juliehirt-intuitive.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Karen is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Pangu Shengong (qigong) Instructor and Energy Healer. She is an End-of-life Companion Animal Doula through the UVM certificate program and a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. She is also on the board of NicaLove Animal Rescue and the Founder and a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.karendendysmith.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Meredith is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Let Animals Lead® Animal Reiki Practitioner, and certified dog trainer with a focus on behavior modification and positive reinforcement. She is also a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.meredithtollison.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can find all of our episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MindBodySpirit.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Reach out to us with questions or comments via the Contact Us form on our website (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theanimalcommunicationpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about the fundraising work Karen, Meredith and Julie do with The Animal Communication Collective at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.animalcommunicationcollective.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This missionary update presents a compelling testimony of God's faithfulness in Mongolia, where a missionary team has planted and nurtured indigenous Christian communities amid deep cultural and spiritual resistance rooted in Buddhism and shamanism. Through strategic outreach—using events like baby showers, VBS, sports tournaments, and cultural gatherings—the ministry has reached thousands, including first-generation believers, with the gospel in culturally relevant ways. Central to the mission is the training and equipping of local leaders, evidenced by multiple Bible college graduates who now lead churches and ministries across the country, ensuring sustainability even amid potential future challenges. The tone is one of joyful gratitude, pastoral care, and hopeful anticipation, emphasizing God's provision and the power of relational evangelism. The overarching message is that transformation is possible through persistent, prayerful, and culturally sensitive witness, with the ultimate goal of raising up a self-sustaining, indigenous church that reflects Christ's love in a land long shaped by fear-based religions.

This is the Man who Would be Khan.  While a first-year Russian student at West Point, then Major Mark Derber dropped an article from The Atlantic on my desk, Robert D. Kaplan's "The Man Who Would Be Khan". It changed my life. 20 years later, you get to hear my interview with the Man himself. COL (R) Tom Wilhelm shares his path from West Point (commissioned infantry in 1980) through a dual-track infantry/aviation start, declining the new Aviation Branch, and entering the FAO program in the mid-1980s as a Soviet/Russian FAO. Wilhelm recounts an extensive Cold War-era pipeline (FAO course, DLI Russian—joined fully by his wife—graduate school, a summer in Leningrad, and the US Army Russian Institute/Marshall Center), then FAO work with OSIA conducting arms-control inspections (Vienna Document, INF, CFE) and the Provide Hope humanitarian mission in Tajikistan amid civil war. He describes a “knife fight” to regain infantry key jobs during post–Cold War drawdowns, deployments in Macedonia and Bosnia, being imbedded with a Russian airborne brigade, a later Tajikistan attaché tour with family hardships and evacuation, Marshall Center faculty/FAO mentorship, Mongolia as dual-hatted defense attaché/security cooperation chief, an Afghanistan/Pakistan tour, retirement, and directing the Foreign Military Studies Office. He emphasizes FAO risk-taking, networking, access, and conveying what partners think, not what Americans want to hear. To read the original Robert D. Kaplan article you can find it on The Atlantic's website.  If you don't have a subscription, the WayBack Machine is your friend: https://web.archive.org/web/20121020120633/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/03/the-man-who-would-be-khan/302899/   COL(R) Tom Wilhelm's Recommended Reading List: GENERAL FMSO https://oe.t2com.army.mil  Look for FMSO stuff but many products from T2Com G2 are useful for FAOs. Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training https://adst.org Exceptional repository of detailed interviews that provide unparalleled country and regional backgrounds over eras. Red Team Handbook https://home.army.mil/wood/application/files/6115/8222/0759/RedTeamHB.pdf  There are actually ways to approach alternative, critical thinking—very helpful to cross-cultural communication and telling us how “they” think. Culture Shock: Leadership Lessons from the Military's Diplomatic Corps (ed. Graham Plaster, Jason Criss Howk—Book by FAOs for FAOs)  The Worldly Philosophers (Robert Heilbroner; entry level book into developing an understanding of economics and society—a baseline subject for all FAOs. Try also The Mystery of Capitalism by Hernando deSoto) The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization (Arthur Herman—before you can tell us what we think they think, you should probably want to know how “we think.”)    RUSSIA The Russian Way of War (Les Grau and Charles Bartles—on FMSO website [above] or just Google it.) How Russia Fights https://www.army.mil/article/286922/how_russia_fights (Ted Donnelly, Jeff Hartman, Tom Butler, et.al.) Swimming the Volga: A US Army Officer's Experiences in Pre-Putin Russia (Peter Zwack) The Leviathan (Movie; award winning Russian film has good representation of the individual's relationship to power in Russia, among other cultural and political-social insights. Made me feel that I was back in Russia, drinking vodka and shooting bottles with an AK47.) The Trauma Zone (Seven-part series on YouTube; for a sense of post-Cold War chaos in Russia. “Chaos” conjures something tangible in Russia; it's not just an adjective.) Seventeen Moments of Spring (12-part series on YouTube; addresses the question: Why a 2025 statue to this 1973 Soviet spy thriller television series was recently installed in Moscow. Part of the answer has to do with those untrustworthy Americans in secret alliance with Nazis against Russia—a once and current theme.)   WHILE YOU LAYOVER AT THE SERRAI The Empire of the Steppes (Renee Grousset—dense but essential for anybody that thinks they are a Eurasianist, and mandatory for all Silk Road FAOs.) Mission to Tashkent (F.M. Bailey) News From Tartary (Peter Flemming) Eastern Approaches (Fitzroy Maclean) The Great Game (Peter Hopkirk) Some Far and Distant Place (Jonathan Addleton) Across Mongolian Plains (Roy Chapman Andrews—American FAO archetype, 1916-17) The Wilder Shores of Love (Lesley Blanch—Isabel Burton, Jane Digby, Amiee Dubucq, and Isabelle Eberhrdt join my long-suffering bride, Cheri, in FAO-like misadventures abroad)   00:00 Meet Tom Wilhelm 01:28 The Man Who Would Be Khan 02:24 West Point to Dual Track 07:11 Choosing the FAO Path 11:05 Soviet FAO Pipeline 14:01 Leningrad Language Adventure 19:12 Russian Institute and IRTs 23:33 Wall Comes Down Up Close 27:02 Echo Network and Mentorship 31:04 First FAO Job Arms Control 35:32 Provide Hope in Tajikistan 40:31 Back to Infantry in Europe 42:39 RIF Era Career Knife Fight 44:36 FAO Cuts and Reassignments 45:54 Branch Qualifying Knife Fight 46:08 Macedonia to Bosnia Pivot 48:42 Self Deploying to Bosnia 50:27 Joint Commission in War Zone 53:03 Inside the Russian Brigade 55:11 How Russians Command 58:48 FAO Lesson on Mission Command 01:06:51 Tajikistan Arrival and Isolation 01:09:17 Embassy Life and Local Allies 01:13:29 Surviving Dushanbe Living Conditions 01:18:15 Civil War and Afghan Spillover 01:23:55 Family Evacuation and Zinni Meeting 01:28:28 Soft Power And Access 01:28:51 Peacekeeping Expertise Built 01:31:20 FAO Track And Command List 01:34:19 Marshall Center Fellowship 01:37:03 Mongolia Dual Hat Role 01:44:32 9/11 And Mongolia Pivot 01:46:33 Building Mongolian Peacekeeping 01:55:10 Mongolian Curse Artifact 02:01:27 Back To Marshall Center 02:04:43 Afghanistan To Pakistan Liaison 02:07:23 Retirement And FIMSO 02:09:16 Hall Of Fame And Farewell

In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Adam Farrar, who previously served as Special Advisor to the Vice President for the Indo-Pacific, Space, and Intelligence as well as Director for the Korean Peninsula and Mongolia at the White House National Security Council. Adam is currently a Senior Geoeconomics Analyst at Bloomberg and Non-Resident Senior Associate with the CSIS Korea Chair. As Xi Jinping prepares for a rare trip to Pyongyang, Henrietta and Adam unpack China's complex relationship with North Korea. They discuss what the Trump-Xi summit revealed about Beijing's position on denuclearization, how much leverage China actually has over Pyongyang, and why Kim Jong Un keeps creating problems for Xi. The conversation also explores how Beijing balances its desire for stability on the Korean Peninsula with Moscow's growing influence there, and what all of this means for U.S. strategy in Asia.

The Thirsty boys are diving into some high octane beers, information, and nonsese, focusing in on breakfast beers, Mongolia, World Cup, stickball, brownstones, Fred Willard, horsemeat, Royals woes, and more. Plus the ever demanded fact check and assorted smiles. Salut! and join the fun!

I'll admit it, I'm not very good at dealing with conflict. In fact, I'd rather avoid conflict altogether than tackle it head on. It's not something I really love about myself. So I sat down with Emily Gerst to learn how to do conflict better and maybe even overcome my conflict avoidant ways. Later in the show: Mongolia, China, Israel, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and even the United Nations. These are just some of the places Tay Keong Tan's globetrotting anti-corruption work has taken him. Plus: Arnold Westbrook recently helped his hometown HBCU - Virginia State University - earn the prestigious recognition as a “Partner in Peace” by the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway.

Kiliii Yuyan – Guardians of Life: How Indigenous Peoples Are the World's Best Conservationists A deep‑dive into the 10 Frames Per Second podcast episode with Kiliii Yuyan

The practice of healthcare is inherently powerful, and our patients are vulnerable to our power. Though power can be abused, the righteous use of power, for the benefit of the vulnerable, is profoundly Christlike. We will explore the lessons of power which help us understand our roles, including the fundamental nature of professionalism and key kingdom strategies of healthcare missions.

Last time we spoke about the first phase of the One Hundred Regiment Offensive. On 20 August 1940, forces launched the Zhengtai Campaign, part of the "Hundred Regiments Offensive," aiming to disrupt Japan's transport network and thus weaken its "cage-and-strongpoint" defense. Orders from the Eighth Route Army split tasks: the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region attacked the eastern Zheng–Tai line, the 129th Division struck the western section , and the 120th Division hit the Tongpu Railway and the Fen–Li Highway. Success was to be judged by the damage inflicted on the Zheng–Tai line. Preparations were conducted under strict secrecy: reconnaissance teams mapped Japanese strongholds with help from villagers; communities stockpiled grain, ammunition, and tools, and trained for demolition, including heating and bending rails. At night, units infiltrated stations and villages, seized positions, and destroyed bridges, power lines, roads, and mines across multiple columns; rain slowed movement and shaped the fighting. By early September, the Zheng–Tai line and related transport routes were severed, isolating strongpoints and hindering reinforcement.    #203 The One Hundred Regiment Offensive Phase Two Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. During the second phase, the Hundred Regiments Offensive stopped being a single burst of action and became a sustained attempt to keep the Japanese occupation system off-balance. More regiments entered the fighting until, by the scale of commitment on the map, 104 regiments were involved. This matters because it changes what the campaign was: not merely a set of raids, but an effort to broaden pressure so that the enemy could not concentrate everything in one place at one time. Years later, Peng Dehuai—the commander closely associated with the Hundred Regiments offensive—described how the entry of these units felt as "spontaneous." That word can sound mysterious, so it helps to interpret it in operational terms. "Spontaneous" here does not mean unplanned chaos; it means that once the offensive logic took hold—once units saw that Japanese movement and control were being disrupted—local commanders and regiments felt empowered to join the fight without always waiting for the Eighth Route Army headquarters to issue fresh, detailed instructions for each smaller step. In other words, the campaign became something like an expanding network: local success and shared strategic perception fed into more participation across regions. Strategically, the campaign was guided by political and military guidance issued on September 10, 1940 by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. That instruction tied current operations to the earlier political-military framework of the July 7 Declaration and the July 7 Decision. The instruction argued that the moment mattered: it called for focusing "main efforts" on striking the Japanese army during a period when unity was being strengthened. It specifically urged that, based on the experience of the North China Hundred Regiments Offensive, Communist forces should organize one or more planned large-scale offensive operations in Shandong and Central China. In North China, the instruction pushed for expansion into Japanese army areas that had not yet been attacked—because the battlefield effect of the campaign was not only measured in immediate battlefield outcomes, but in reducing enemy-occupied space, enlarging base areas, breaking through blockade lines, and improving combat effectiveness. That last phrase—"Striking the enemy and attacking our allies is the general policy of military operations at present"—was the harsh shorthand for the operational reality: the campaign had to prevent Japanese occupation from appearing stable and manageable. If the occupation system could treat insurgency as "localized trouble," it would recover quickly. If, instead, occupation became dangerous in multiple places at once—requiring constant defense, constant movement, constant reinforcement—then the Japanese would be forced into a defensive posture that undermined their ability to exploit control. On September 16, 1940, the headquarters issued the second phase plan with a clear aim: expand results from the first phase. The headquarters explained the second phase would continue with an emphasis on disrupting Japanese transportation and destroying some strongholds that had penetrated deep into the base areas. This reveals the campaign's real "background and stakes": the offensive wasn't built around capturing territory in the traditional sense alone. It was built around breaking the system that makes occupation work. In the enemy's logic, occupation relies on movement: soldiers need to move, supplies need to be shipped, and reinforcement must be routed quickly to where trouble appears. Transportation infrastructure—roads, railways, bridges, power lines—forms the skeleton of control. Strongholds and outposts are the organs that occupy space, but they depend on that skeleton. If transportation becomes unreliable, strongholds become isolated islands. If strongholds become isolated, the Japanese must decide between (1) defending each island and spreading themselves thin, or (2) leaving some islands to contain the rest—either way, control weakens. Strongpoints—whether forts, fortified villages, gatehouses, or road blocks—also function as a "cage-and-silkworm" system: they are placed so Japanese forces can consolidate inside them, while routes outside are controlled or denied. In that model, even a small disruption can trigger a major ripple effect. When highways or key segments of rail are repeatedly broken, Japanese units cannot move "cleanly." They must detour, slow down, repair under threat, or escort repairs with larger forces than they prefer. Every extra hour spent repairing is an hour not spent consolidating. Every detour is a chance for ambush or for further sabotage. The second phase sought to exploit that dependency deliberately. That strategic framing explains why, even as the campaign broadened, different regions emphasized different battles. The Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region mainly fought the Lai-Ling Campaign, the 129th Division mainly fought the Yu-Liao Campaign, and the 120th Division focused on attacking the Tong-Pu Railway. They were not separate stories. They were different methods of attacking the same underlying vulnerability: the occupier's ability to move, reinforce, and coordinate. In Jin-Cha-Ji's sector, the stakes were especially sharp around Laiyuan and Lingqiu. The Japanese forces stationed in Mongolia had occupied those areas and penetrated deeply into the northwestern parts of the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region. Japanese strength around these positions included elements of the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade and the 26th Division, totaling more than 1,500 men, plus more than 1,000 puppet troops. The presence of puppet forces mattered not only for manpower, but because puppet troops supported the occupier's local control apparatus: they served as locally sourced enforcers, scouts, guards, and "administration-adjacent" security. Removing or weakening them was part of disrupting occupation credibility and local stability. Because the Japanese had been attacked in the first phase, they did not respond by retreating into passivity. They increased troops at each stronghold. Laiyuan City alone was reinforced to around 500 men, and the Japanese strengthened fortifications and stockpiled food and ammunition. This meant the defenders were preparing for a second round: not a sudden surprise raid, but a sustained threat that would test their ability to endure isolation and keep their network intact. Under these conditions, the Jin-Cha-Ji leadership decided to mobilize forces for the Lai-Ling Campaign, beginning at 22:00 on September 22, 1940. Here the background and stakes show up in the campaign's timing and tactics. The objective was not to "beat the defenders in open battle" only; it was to attack in ways that would prevent consolidation. By pushing on county areas and surrounding strongholds immediately, the attackers aimed to force the defenders into reactive mode—closing gates, shifting forces into defensive positions, and preparing for fights that would consume time and ammunition. The right wing launched a fierce attack on Laiyuan County and surrounding strongholds. After a night of hard fighting, the east, west, and south gates were taken, and the Japanese troops retreated into the city. Taking gates matters because it compresses space. It turns a wider defensive perimeter into a narrower, more concentrated posture. It also creates a psychological and operational trap: defenders who retreat into the city may survive longer as a fortified concentration, but their ability to conduct aggressive movement outside their walls—and their ability to receive reinforcements through many approaches—becomes more limited. In the night of September 23, the 2nd Regiment, supported by a battalion of the 1st Regiment and artillery, attacked Sanjia Village, described as an important enemy stronghold on the Laiyuan–Yixian highway, roughly 10 kilometers east of Laiyuan City. Highways are not just routes; they are corridors that connect strongholds to each other and to supply lines. By capturing a stronghold on a highway, the campaign attempted to break a portion of the corridor network feeding the city. The attackers annihilated most of the enemy and captured the village. At the same time, the 3rd Regiment attacked Dongtuanbao, northeast of Laiyuan City, and by the night of September 24, they had taken surrounding fortifications and forced remaining enemies into only a few houses inside the village. Then, on September 25, the enemy burned weapons, supplies, and food stored at the stronghold, preparing for a breakout. That detail reveals a key stake of stronghold warfare: if defenders believe they cannot hold and cannot escape, they may destroy supplies rather than let attackers seize them intact. It's a grim tactical psychology—destroying stores can deny the enemy immediate benefit, even if it reduces defenders' chances of future endurance. When the attackers launched another fierce assault and the remaining defenders, with no hope of escape, threw themselves into the flames and perished, the event underscored the "closed-options" nature of the battle: the stronghold system was being compressed until breakout became impossible. On September 26, other right-wing units, together with the 9th Regiment of the Pingxi Military Sub-district, captured 13 strongholds including Taohuabao, Bailebao, Jijiazhuang, Xinzhuang, Beikou, Xiabeitou, Baishikou, Zhongzhuang, Wangxidong, Liujiazui, Zhangjiayu, Beishifo, and Jinjiajing. Capturing strongholds in clusters has a strategic function. It doesn't just remove personnel; it interrupts local control geography. It makes it harder for defenders inside the city to extend influence outward and harder for them to create new safe points for movement. But the Japanese did what well-prepared occupiers can do: reinforce at the most important time and the most important place. On the second day after the start, Japanese reinforcement began from Zhangjiakou and other locations. Roads had not been completely destroyed, so the Japanese could advance rapidly. This becomes a major background lesson of the second phase. The first phase had demonstrated the power of sabotage to disrupt Japanese movement. But by the time second-phase campaigns began, the Japanese were not ignorant—they were learning. Where sabotage had fully severed roads, reinforcement could be delayed or routed into danger. Where sabotage remained incomplete, reinforcement could arrive quickly, changing the battle's character from attack-dominant to defense-dominant. By noon on September 28, over 3,000 Japanese and puppet troops arrived in Laiyuan City by car, supported by 20 tanks and 4 aircraft. This mechanized support was not just "extra firepower." It was a statement about how the Japanese aimed to retain control: tanks and aircraft increase defenders' ability to resist assault and keep morale from collapsing. Under these conditions, the right wing found it difficult to launch a favorable offensive. So the Jin-Cha-Ji leadership shifted offensive focus to the Lingqiu area, rather than forcing the original plan to continue against reinforced mechanized defense. The first step was to eliminate enemy strongholds between Lingqiu and Hunyuan. The second step was to seize enemy strongholds along a line from southeast of Daying to Shentangbao, and in mountainous areas north of Daying and Shahe. This shift highlights a core strategic principle: when a target becomes too fortified, the offensive can still succeed by moving the pressure elsewhere—aiming to break the enemy's network of strongpoints and keep forcing them to respond across space. On October 2, the headquarters ordered the main force of the right wing to concentrate in the area east and southeast of Laiyuan. Part of the force was assigned to monitor and contain the enemy in Laiyuan, while the 1st and 2nd Regiments were placed under the left wing's command and joined the left wing in combat. This reallocation reflects operational adaptability. If a city becomes a fortress, smaller units may be better employed as containment—tying down defenders—while the main effort moves to seize other stronghold lines where the Japanese might still be vulnerable. The fighting continued with tactical attacks that show how strongpoint warfare unfolded in the field. On the night of October 8, the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment launched an attack on the 2nd Regiment while a portion of the Japanese army in Nanpotou was attacking it. The attackers broke into enemy lines, annihilated most of the enemy, and drove the rest off. At the same time, the 1st Battalion of the 6th Regiment captured Qiangfengling, and the Japanese forces in Qingciyao fled in panic. The campaign also included actions such as attacks on Jinfengdian by the 3rd Battalion of the 6th Regiment on the night of September 9, and mention that the 26th Regiment entered Huangtai Temple on the night of October 8 while attacking between Lingqiu and Guangling. By understanding the background and stakes, you can see what these actions were really doing. They weren't random. They were repeated attempts to keep dismantling the enemy's ability to maintain a functioning strongpoint chain. Each captured stronghold reduces the enemy's ability to create secure corridors. Each panic-driven retreat increases their time burden and may cause breakdown in communication between local nodes. Even when the battle remains fierce and deadly, these changes in tempo can accumulate into operational outcomes. The Lai-Ling Campaign lasted 18 days, producing concrete results: killing and wounding over 1,000 Japanese and puppet troops, capturing 49 Japanese and 237 puppet troops, and leaving 1,419 casualties for the Eighth Route Army. The losses show the campaign was not a "clean victory." It was expensive. But the operational logic—disrupting a strengthened occupation zone, capturing strongholds, and forcing enemy reinforcements to concentrate—was consistent with the second phase's broader mission. Support for Lai-Ling came from the Jizhong Military Region through the Renqiu–Hejian–Dacheng–Suning Campaign from October 1 to October 20, simultaneously sabotaging the Cangshi, Deshi, Beining, and Jinpu railways. This is where "background and stakes" become especially clear. The Japanese, even when they defend in one area, have to move elsewhere to respond. When you attack multiple transportation lines and strongpoint zones at once, you prevent the enemy from solving one problem cleanly before moving to the next. You make the enemy chase multiple fires. After the Hundred Regiments Offensive began, Japanese forces in Jizhong moved west to reinforce in some cases, but most were tied down on important transportation lines. That relative weakening meant defenses in Jizhong's interior became weaker—creating space where a larger contest could occur. Jizhong decided to deploy 10 battalions totaling more than 8,500 men from the 18th, 23rd, and 30th Regiments across left wing, center, and right wing roles, fighting in the area. The plan was not only to attack; it was to manipulate where the Japanese had to respond. The two wing units would contain and draw Japanese forces away from the central Renhe Dasu zone, and then the central unit would break into that central area to open the situation. In other words: wings would pull; center would punch. The Renhe Dasu battle began on October 1, 1940. On the left wing, the 18th Regiment entered an area east of the Zhulong River and west of Hejian and Renqiu, capturing Lianjiazhuang, Dongguxian, and Liangcun between October 2 and October 6. By the night of October 7, Japanese troops at strongholds including Yuhuangmiao, Fenglebao, and Liushansi fled in panic—another reminder that once stronghold cohesion fractures, the enemy's ability to endure a second phase of pressure drops. On the right wing, the 30th Regiment operated with four battalions east of Dacheng and east of the Ziya River, capturing a series of strongholds including Liminju, Dengzhuangzi, Shigeju, Xiliuzhuang, Zangzhuangzi, and Chencun, while engaging in road-breaking and ditch digging. These actions show the campaign's "method," not just its target. Even when the opponent could be fought directly, sabotage and engineering measures could amplify the damage by reducing mobility and forcing time-consuming repairs. The central unit, the 23rd Regiment, had two battalions crossing the Hutuo River northward. On October 1, it ambushed more than 100 Japanese troops coming from Shangjialin to seize grain, killing more than 90 and capturing all their weapons. On October 9, it ambushed the enemy from Liugezhuang to Litan at Baimatang, annihilating 20 Japanese and puppet troops. These ambushes illustrate a second background principle: occupiers need sustenance and extraction operations, and those operations follow routes and patterns. By striking troops during foraging or supply-related movement, the offensive attacks not only the army but also the logic that keeps occupation armies fed and maintained. From October 15 to October 20, the second stage of those operations targeted the east and west banks of the Ziya River, leaving only a small force in the central Renhe River Great Suppression area. On the night of October 19, the central force captured Banjiehe and destroyed a bridge over the nearby Guyang River. On the night of October 16, the left wing captured Daqudi and the Renqiu Shimen Bridge, and on October 18 it captured the stronghold at Wangpan. A note in the operational description also indicates that the right wing faced a serious enemy situation and could not take major action during one segment—another reminder that even a planned operation cannot control all battlefield variables. What matters is whether the operation still meets its strategic purpose, not whether every segment goes perfectly. In the Battle of Renhe Dasu, Japanese and puppet losses were heavy: 805 killed or wounded, and 3 Japanese and 326 puppet troops captured. The campaign took 29 strongholds. The Jizhong Military Region suffered 573 casualties. Strategically, this battle contained enemy forces and effectively supported the Battle of Lai-Ling. Again, support here is not just "help in the same region," but redistribution of pressure: by forcing the enemy to allocate troops to Jizhong, Japanese defenders around Lai-Ling face more difficulty maintaining overall operational coherence. While Jin-Cha-Ji and Jizhong fought around Laiyuan and Lingqiu, a deeper pressure developed in the Taihang base region—through the Yuliao (Yu-Liao) Campaign, fought mainly by the 129th Division. The background stakes in the Yu-Liao theater were the highway route from Yangquan through Pingding, Heshun, Liaoxian to Yushe, described as the deepest penetration route through which the Japanese penetrated the Taihang base area. The Japanese tried to extend this road southwestward and connect it with the Baijin Railway through Wuxiang, aiming to split the Dahang area and deploy forces flexibly along the Zhengtai and Baijin lines. This was about strategic mobility and operational geometry. A road connection isn't only "transport"; it reshapes where the enemy can exert pressure and how quickly they can shift forces from one axis to another. The Yuliao section measured 45 kilometers and included eight strongholds: Yushe, Yanbi, Wangjing, Guantou, Pushang, Xiaolingdi, Shixia, and Liaoxian. These were guarded by the 13th Battalion of the Japanese 4th Independent Mixed Brigade. A line of strongholds along a highway is the occupier's version of a corridor defense: it enables them to keep movement inside a protected chain. If that chain is cut, movement becomes vulnerable and the "deep penetration route" turns into a dangerous liability. On September 22, 1940, the 129th Division issued basic orders: launch a surprise attack to eliminate the enemy from Yushe to Xiaolingdi, recapture strongholds, destroy the highway, and then press forward toward Liaoxian to recapture it when the opportunity arose. This is a textbook example of how the offensive combined surprise, seizure, and destruction. Surprise prevents the defenders from organizing a coordinated response. Seizure eliminates their nodes. Highway destruction prevents them from restoring their corridor quickly, forcing time and labor—exactly what the second phase wanted. The assault began on the night of September 23. On September 24, the left wing captured Yanbi and Wangjing, while the right wing captured Pushang and Xiaolingdi. By September 25, Yushe and Jucheng had also fallen, leaving only the enemy at Guantou on the Xiaolingdi–Yushe line still resisting. Concurrently, detachments attacked on related axes: the Pingliao Detachment captured Hanwang Town north of Liaoxian; the Qinbei Detachment sabotaged roads and attacked frequently, pinning Japanese forces on the Wuxiang and Baijin routes. On September 26, the 129th Division ordered part of the right wing to continue besieging the enemy at Guantou, while the main force and the left wing moved east to recapture Liaoxian and eliminate reinforcements. At dawn on September 27, the right wing attacked Shixia west of Liaoxian and captured it that night. On September 28, the left wing reached near Majiu in preparation for an attack on Liaoxian that night. Then battlefield logic reasserted itself: the Japanese did not sit idle once their corridor was threatened. Troops from Heshun and Wuxiang reinforced Liaoxian and Guantou respectively. The Eighth Route Army headquarters ordered the Liaoxian attack halted. Some forces were to contain the enemy advancing south from Heshun, while the main force moved to the Hongyatou and Guandinao areas to prepare to annihilate enemy reinforcements arriving from Wuxiang. This decision reveals a deeper stake: even if an army can seize targets, it must avoid exhaustion and must avoid allowing the enemy to convert a partial tactical loss into a larger opportunity. Headquarters essentially chose the operation's "survival path": shift from capturing more nodes to annihilating the reinforcements that would otherwise restore the corridor. Following these orders, the 129th Division attacked Guantou and took it at 24:00 on September 29. In the narrative description that follows, the enemy reinforcements moving through ambush terrain clashed with Communist formations in an engagement where aircraft coverage and terrain allowed the enemy to seize high ground and resist stubbornly. The battle lasted two days and one night, with heavy casualties on both sides. That is an important background lesson: the offensive could still destroy corridor nodes, but the enemy's ability to bring aircraft support and seize terrain meant that the "destroy and move on" approach wasn't always enough. Sometimes, momentum had to be re-channeled into another kind of contest—one closer to a blocking ambush and a battle of endurance. By the evening of October 1, more than 500 Japanese troops from Liaoxian broke through the right wing's blockade and approached near the left wing's command post. The left wing was ordered to withdraw from the battle. Headquarters then assessed that Japanese troops from Liaoxian and Wuxiang had joined and that more than 1,000 Japanese troops from Yangquan had reached Hanwang Town north of Liaoxian. Combined with the 129th Division's exhaustion and heavy casualties, headquarters decided to end the Yulin–Liaoxian Campaign—not because the offensive had no value, but because the risk of allowing the enemy to "sweep" the Taibei area could outweigh further gains. This termination decision illustrates a stake that is often overlooked: in insurgency-style campaigns, operational survival is part of success. The second phase did not merely chase targets; it sought to transform conditions so that the enemy would have to spend strength defending a failing network. If continuing a battle risks letting the enemy regroup into a larger counter-offensive that clears base zones, then ending becomes strategic. While the 129th Division wrestled with corridor defense around Liaoxian and Guantou, the 120th Division pursued a transport-centered strategy against the Tong-Pu Railway—because rail disruption was not a supporting detail; it was a main axis of pressure. On September 12, 1940, the 120th Division issued an action plan for the northern section of the Tongpu Railway, deciding to attack the Ningwu and Xinxian sections (with emphasis on the section between Ningwu and Daniudian) starting September 20. This timing shows planning designed to synchronize with broader operational pressure. Rail sabotage required engineering preparation and coordination across units, and the campaign sought to create disruption when the enemy would be most vulnerable to delayed reinforcement. On September 14, the 358th Brigade left its base west of Loufan and crossed the Jingle–Lanxian Highway to the north. It assembled at Majiagou on the 16th, then launched an attack on Toumaying using its 3rd Detachment (comprising the 7th and 8th Regiments and the special service battalion). At 24:00 on September 18, that detachment attacked Touma Camp, while the 7th and 8th Regiments attacked reinforcements. Fighting continued until the following morning when more than 40 Japanese soldiers from Ninghuabao reinforced Touma Camp. Once reinforcements reached Shanzhai Village, they were surrounded and annihilated. On September 20, around 200 Japanese soldiers from Yangquanling went to Liyan Village to counterattack. The 716th Regiment attacked at 14:00, and by dawn the next day, the enemy fled back to Yangquanling. These battles are more than local clashes. They serve the background logic of sabotage campaigns: before destroying rail infrastructure, you need to reduce the enemy's ability to respond instantly. Fighting reinforcements and counterattacks clears windows of time. Those windows can then be used to sabotage tracks, bridges, and related installations. If sabotage occurs under active reinforcement pressure, the enemy can repair quickly or trap the sabotage teams. If sabotage occurs after the enemy's response capacity is disrupted, repair becomes slower and the operational effects last longer. Parallel operations reinforced this logic. On the night of September 16, the Independent 1st Brigade crossed the Fen River east. On September 18, it was learned that more than 400 Japanese troops had attacked the Yanbei Detachment at Yangquanling but returned to Shangzhuang after failing to find them. The brigade then chose to encircle and annihilate the enemy rather than chase endlessly. The attack began at 13:00 on September 18 and lasted until early morning on September 19. The main force withdrew to sabotage the railway, while the remaining enemy retreated to Yangquanling. The engagement inflicted 105 casualties on the Independent 1st Brigade, while killing or wounding about 200 Japanese. Once the blocking threat was removed, units quickly moved into sabotage actions on the Tongpu Railway. Then sabotage itself proceeded systematically. On the night of September 22, the 4th Regiment of the 358th Brigade—attached to the division's engineering company—and the division's special service regiment advanced to the area between Duanjialing and Xuangang to sabotage several sections of the Tongpu Railway. At the same time, the 2nd Regiment attacked Qicun, and the 715th Regiment attacked Xinkou and Loubanzhai. On the night of September 23, the 2nd Regiment sabotaged the railway south of Xinkou while the 715th Regiment sabotaged it north of Xinkou. On the night of September 25, the 715th Regiment sabotaged between Daniudian and Xuangang. The Independent 2nd Brigade also sabotaged several railway sections between Shuoxian and Ningwu. After six days of sabotage operations, the 120th Division again caused the Tongpu Railway to be interrupted. The background stakes here are straightforward but huge: a rail interruption forces the occupier into repair work, escorts, and re-routing. During the second phase—when the Japanese were already under pressure across multiple theaters—the need to continuously handle repair reduces the capacity for offensive operations and for rapid reinforcement to any single contested point. It also slows their ability to respond to new threats as quickly as they would like. By connecting all these threads—Laiyuan and Lingqiu strongholds, Renhe Dasu containment and roadbreaking, the Yuliao highway corridor fight, and repeated Tongpu railway sabotage—you can see the deeper logic of the second phase. The campaign aimed to create a battlefield environment where Japanese forces could not enjoy stable mobility and where strongpoints could not function as a reliable cage. Transportation disruption isolated strongholds. Stronghold destruction and capture shrank the enemy's local control points. Highway and rail sabotage forced the Japanese to defend not only troops and walls, but also the infrastructure that enabled their coordination. That's why the second phase emphasizes disrupting transportation and destroying some strongholds penetrated deep into base areas. It wasn't simply "hit more places." It was a deliberate attempt to force the Japanese to abandon their preferred operational pattern: a networked system of strongpoints supported by transportation reliability. If that reliability breaks down, the occupier's "cage" becomes porous and unstable, and Communist base areas gain room to expand and persist. By early October, the second phase was winding down, while a third phase was developing: reinforced Japanese columns sought to engage and destroy 8RA units. Over the next two months, several fierce counterattacks occurred, and after that the Hundred Regiments campaign was considered to be finished. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. After earlier setbacks in the 1930s, the CCP sought national leadership in resistance while maintaining political room to maneuver within an uneasy arrangement with the KMT. By early 1940–1941, the strategy shifted toward "strongpoint" and transportation warfare: guerrilla actions were used to fracture Japanese defensive networks and sabotage logistics. Japanese attempts to consolidate territory, through local administration and security practices—often provoked the CCP's dual struggle, militarily and politically. As Japanese sweeps temporarily gave the CCP advantages, the situation forced rapid adaptation.

Great presentations do not depend on words alone. Even when the language is unfamiliar, audiences can still detect structure, energy, enthusiasm, pacing, vocal variety, and body language. That is the real lesson for leaders, trainers, salespeople, and executives who want their message to land. Why does presentation structure matter so much? Presentation structure matters because it helps the audience follow the logic, even when the subject is complex or unfamiliar. Without clear structure, listeners get lost and the speaker's expertise becomes harder to trust. A well-designed business presentation has a clear opening, main points, sub-points, transitions, examples, and a strong close. This matters in Japan, Mongolia, Australia, Singapore, the US, and Europe because audiences everywhere need signposts. In leadership training, sales presentations, investor pitches, and corporate town halls, the speaker usually knows the topic far better than the audience. That creates a danger. The presenter can jump between ideas and assume the connection is obvious. It often isn't. Do now: Build your presentation like a guided journey. Make every point and sub-point visibly support the main thesis. How can speakers make transitions between presentation sections clear? Speakers make transitions clear by using deliberate bridges between sections, rather than suddenly leaping from one topic to another. A bridge tells the audience why the next idea belongs in the story. The audience is hearing the material in real time. They cannot rewind the room. That is why transitions, linking phrases, recap lines, and preview statements matter. Ancient storytelling understood this well. Classic literature such as The History of the Three Kingdoms used chapter-end hooks to make readers continue. Business presenters can do something more elegant: "Now that we have seen the client problem, let's examine the cost of leaving it unsolved." That small bridge protects the narrative arc. Do now: Write your bridges before you present. Do not rely on improvisation to connect major sections. Why is enthusiasm important in public speaking? Enthusiasm signals to the audience that the message matters, even before they process every word. If the speaker sounds indifferent, the audience quickly borrows that indifference. Energy is contagious in training rooms, boardrooms, webinars, and conference halls. A coffee-chat level of energy is not enough when presenting to clients, employees, or senior executives. Speakers need to move up several gears. In Asia-Pacific training environments, including Japanese and Mongolian contexts, enthusiasm helps cut through hierarchy, fatigue, translation gaps, and topic complexity. This does not mean fake cheerleading or theatrical overkill. It means controlled intensity, visible commitment, and the physical presence to carry the message. Do now: Raise your energy above normal conversation. Let the audience feel that you care before asking them to care. How does vocal variety keep an audience engaged? Vocal variety keeps attention because changes in volume, speed, pause, tone, and emphasis prevent the audience from mentally checking out. A flat voice is an invitation to daydream. If the speaker is soft and low-key from beginning to end, modern audiences reach for their phones fast. If the speaker is all fire and brimstone from start to finish, the audience gets exhausted. The best delivery uses contrast. Slow down for important ideas. Pause before a key point. Increase pace when building momentum. Lower the voice to create intimacy. Lift the volume when the message needs force. Executives at companies like Toyota, Rakuten, Google, and Salesforce all face the same human attention problem: monotony loses people. Do now: Mark your script for pace, pause, power, and softness. Do not let your vocal delivery get stuck in one groove. Can body language communicate across language barriers? Yes, body language communicates confidence, clarity, and conviction even when the words are not understood. Gesture, posture, facial expression, and movement all carry meaning. When a speaker presents in a language the listener does not know, the non-verbal signals become more obvious. You can still sense whether the presenter is organised, energetic, nervous, passionate, or disconnected. That is why trainers, public speakers, sales leaders, and executives need physical self-awareness. In Japan, where restrained delivery is common in some corporate settings, body language still matters. In the US or Australia, the expected range may be broader, but the principle is the same: the body either supports the message or weakens it. Do now: Practise with the sound off. Check whether your posture, gestures, and movement still communicate confidence. What can presenters learn from speaking across cultures? Presenting across cultures teaches us that communication is bigger than vocabulary. Structure, enthusiasm, vocal variety, and body language travel across borders. Working with presenters from Ulan Bator, Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, London, or New York reveals a universal truth: audiences respond to organised thinking and human energy. Language matters, of course. Native-language fluency gives a speaker huge advantages. Yet even when the words are blocked by a language barrier, listeners still feel rhythm, confidence, variety, and intent. That should be encouraging. If those signals work in an unfamiliar language, imagine their impact when combined with clear words in your own language. Do now: Treat presentation delivery as a full-body, full-voice skill. Words are only one part of the message. Conclusion: How can leaders become more engaging presenters? Leaders become more engaging presenters by paying attention to the basics they already know but often forget. Structure the talk. Bridge the sections. Lift the energy. Vary the voice. Use the body. Keep improving the craft. None of this is new, complicated, or reserved for professional keynote speakers. The problem is not that executives, trainers, or salespeople have never heard these ideas. The problem is that habits take over. We get comfortable. We lose self-awareness. Then our presentations become flat, fragmented, and forgettable. Let's not do that. FAQs Why is structure important in presentations? Structure helps the audience follow the speaker's logic and remember the message. It turns separate ideas into a coherent journey with a clear beginning, middle, and end. What is vocal variety in public speaking? Vocal variety means changing pace, pause, tone, volume, and emphasis to keep the audience engaged. It prevents the delivery from becoming monotonous or exhausting. How much energy should a presenter use? A presenter should use more energy than normal conversation, while still staying authentic. The goal is controlled enthusiasm, not fake performance. Can audiences understand delivery even if they do not understand the language? Yes, audiences can still read structure, energy, confidence, and body language across language barriers. Words matter, but delivery carries meaning too. How can I improve my presentation delivery quickly? Record yourself and review structure, transitions, energy, vocal variety, and body language. Small adjustments in these areas can make a presentation immediately more engaging. Author bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" in 2018 and 2021 and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2012. As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō（ザ営業）, Purezen no Tatsujin（プレゼンの達人）, Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō（トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう）, and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā（現代版「人を動かす」リーダー）. Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

Join Alex and Ben on the podcast as they discuss the Series 6 final of BBC Race Across the World. Find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://linktr.ee/faithfulto⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you'd like to support the podcast, please got to: https://buymeacoffee.com/faithful⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four years and three months into a "five-day special military operation" that has dragged on as long as the First World War, Vladimir Putin continues to display a troubling resilience. In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, hosts Patrick Bishop and Saul David peel back the diplomatic theatre surrounding Putin's high-profile summit in Beijing. While the body language suggests genuine warmth between Putin and Xi Jinping , the hosts expose the stark reality: a deeply unequal partnership where an economically dominant China treats Russia as a junior partner—and an asset to upend the global order. The team breaks down the geopolitical and economic survival strategies keeping Moscow afloat, from massive natural gas pipeline breakthroughs to unexpected lifelines handed over by Western nations. The Yamal-to-China Pipeline: A deep dive into the resurrected, 50-billion-cubic-meter gas project cutting through Mongolia—a long-term economic fallback that cements Russia's reliance on selling off its natural resources to Asia. The UK's "Shameful" Sanctions Shift: An analysis of Britain's controversial decision to officially loosen strict sanctions on Russian energy imports. Driven by soaring energy costs and blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK's indefinite waiver on refined Russian crude sends a dangerous signal to the Kremlin. G7 Hypocrisy: How the British government managed to sign an unwavering G7 pledge to impose "severe costs" on Russia , while simultaneously backtracking on vital sanctions at home. Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.comFollow us on:X - @PodBattlegroundInstagram - podbattlegroundTikTok - battlegroundukraineProducer: James HodgsonA Goalhanger Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four years and three months into a "five-day special military operation" that has dragged on as long as the First World War, Vladimir Putin continues to display a troubling resilience. In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, hosts Patrick Bishop and Saul David peel back the diplomatic theatre surrounding Putin's high-profile summit in Beijing. While the body language suggests genuine warmth between Putin and Xi Jinping , the hosts expose the stark reality: a deeply unequal partnership where an economically dominant China treats Russia as a junior partner—and an asset to upend the global order. The team breaks down the geopolitical and economic survival strategies keeping Moscow afloat, from massive natural gas pipeline breakthroughs to unexpected lifelines handed over by Western nations. The Yamal-to-China Pipeline: A deep dive into the resurrected, 50-billion-cubic-meter gas project cutting through Mongolia—a long-term economic fallback that cements Russia's reliance on selling off its natural resources to Asia. The UK's "Shameful" Sanctions Shift: An analysis of Britain's controversial decision to officially loosen strict sanctions on Russian energy imports. Driven by soaring energy costs and blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, the UK's indefinite waiver on refined Russian crude sends a dangerous signal to the Kremlin. G7 Hypocrisy: How the British government managed to sign an unwavering G7 pledge to impose "severe costs" on Russia , while simultaneously backtracking on vital sanctions at home. Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com Follow us on: X - @PodBattleground Instagram - podbattleground TikTok - battlegroundukraine Producer: James Hodgson A Goalhanger Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Born into hardship on the Mongolian steppe, a boy named Temujin rose from exile, betrayal, and captivity to unite the fractured tribes of Mongolia under a single banner.  Having been granted the title of Genghis Khan, he built an army unlike anything the world had seen and launched an empire that would reshape Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.  Learn more about Genghis Khan on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Newspapers.com Honor the past by uncovering its stories at Newspapers.com  Promo Code EVERYTHINGEVERWHERE Samsara Don't wait for the next accident to take action. Head to Samsara.com/EVERYTHING ButcherBox Get your choice between chicken breast or top sirloin for a year OR ground beef for life, PLUS $20 off when you go to ButcherBox.com/everything Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Save 50% on Unlimited premium wireless plans starting at $15/month at MintMobile.com/EED Audible Listen to Project Hail Mary Audible.com/hailmary Fast Growing Trees Get 20% off your first purchase when using the code DAILY at checkout at fastgrowingtrees.com/daily Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/Ds7Rx7jvPJ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transforming healthcare delivery in resource-limited contexts around the world calls for compassionate, innovative solutions. Learn how The Luke Commission is bringing healthcare to the most isolated and underserved in Eswatini through a scalable model for advancing health equity.

You Can't See the Diamonds at Your Feet   You've built the business. Hit the numbers. Earned the respect. So why does something still feel like it's missing? This episode doesn't offer a quick fix. It offers something rarer: an honest diagnosis from someone who has spent decades inside physics, entrepreneurship, mountain climbing, and the therapy room, and who keeps arriving at the same uncomfortable conclusion. Most high achievers aren't lacking success. They're lacking awareness.    In This Episode:  Why Lincoln views money as a resource, never a scarce one, and how that shaped a life driven by value over accumulation  The spectrum between sanity and insanity, and why the ability to communicate is what actually separates them  How our education system was designed to socialize and economize, not to teach fulfillment  What it means to have diamonds at your feet and not be able to see them  The commoditization of psychedelics and why Lincoln has grown disillusioned with the trend  Creativity as the essential bridge between material success and genuine spiritual depth  Why what looks like a small adjustment to you might be a seismic shift for the person you're trying to help    Key Insights:  Awareness is the root of everything. Lincoln returns to this word throughout the conversation. Before you can change anything, you have to honestly reckon with what you're actually doing and what role you're playing in the life you have.  Creativity is the bridge to spirit. Lincoln argues that spirituality cannot simply be added to a rational or achievement-driven life, but creativity can. And from creativity, beauty follows, and from beauty, something genuinely transcendent becomes reachable.  Negative mentors are as valuable as positive ones. Lincoln has had a handful of truly good mentors and hundreds of bad ones. He considers both equally instructive, and has long wanted to write a book about learning from failure and from people who get it wrong.  A small adjustment to you may be a seismic shift for someone else. This reframe alone is worth the listen. It explains so much of why people appear stuck even when the path forward seems obvious from the outside.  Legacy is the real measure. When asked what truth about success he wishes more people understood, Lincoln's answer was simple and arresting: you're going to die, and you're going to be left with your legacy. How do you want to affect people when you're gone?    Money Lessons from Lincoln:  Lincoln Stoller grew up in a household where money was present but never treated as the point. His father made enough that scarcity wasn't the lesson, and so Lincoln absorbed a different one: money is a resource, not a destination. What he came to care about instead was value, the quality of what a thing is actually worth in terms of insight, experience, and growth. "I don't care about quantity of money," he says in this conversation. "I care about quality of value. Hell with money, it's all about value." For anyone who has spent years optimizing for financial outcomes and still feels like something is off, that distinction is not just refreshing. It is diagnostic.    Why This Conversation Matters:   The version of success most high achievers are chasing was designed by someone else. Lincoln traces it back directly, to an education system built in 19th-century Prussia to prepare people for industrial participation, not personal fulfillment. The result is a culture full of people who have met every grade, hit every milestone, and built identities that feel hollow from the inside. Lincoln has watched it play out in his therapy practice for years. He watched it play out among his high school peers, some of whom achieved everything the system asked of them and later took their own lives. This is not a conversation about working harder or optimizing better. It is a conversation about whether the thing you are working toward is actually yours.    About Lincoln Stoller:  He combines science, spirit, economics, and mental health through an understanding of the hard sciences, the psyche, and the behavior of groups. He is trained and practice as an independent physicist publishing on topics in fundamental quantum mechanics, a past computer software entrepreneur in business automation, and now a professional psychotherapist.  He began traveling across the US as a kid, assisting his father, an architectural photographer. Then he took up mountaineering, exploring wild lands on four continents, from the tropics to the Arctic. His graduate studies took him to six universities, during which time he traveled widely and became an ambassador to families in the Caribbean and Mongolia.  As a counselor, he works with people on both the high and low ends of the spectrum using brain retraining, talk therapy, hypnosis, diet, somatic experience, and psychedelics. On the high end, he's a coach; on the low end, he's a therapist. He inverts these by making the able more aware of their disabilities, and the disabled more aware of their abilities.  As a blogger, podcaster, and author, he publishes regularly on topics brought to him by his connections in work, physics, his teenage son, and reflections he sees in society. His emphasis is on getting people to think more deeply, become more self-aware, and to embrace radically different points of view.  He is not an academic, not the usual therapist, and he rails against anything institutional. To evolve requires leaving everything behind, including the mind he has grown up with.    Links:  Website: https://www.mindstrengthbalance.com/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lincolnstoller/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lincolnstoller/     Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul  Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let's talk about your journey to purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let's figure that out together. At the core is the financial well being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It's about personal freedom!  Thanks for listening!  Show Sponsor: http://profitcomesfirst.com/  Schedule your free no obligation call: https://bookme.name/rockyl/lite/intro appointment 15 minutes  If you like the show please leave a review on iTunes: http://bit.do/richersoul  https://www.facebook.com/richersoul  http://richersoul.com/  rocky@richersoul.com  Some music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast  Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs. 

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business, and you'll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit, host Steve McGarry sits down with Mike Brcic, founder of Wayfinders, to discuss the raw reality of scaling a business, the trap of founder burnout, and the mechanics of a successful exit. Mike shares his journey from getting fired from three "ski bum" jobs to building a global mountain bike guiding business that he eventually sold after 20 years. Whether you are currently grinding through due diligence or just starting to scale, Mike's "four-hour work week" approach to systematization offers a masterclass in making your business attractive to buyers while reclaiming your personal freedom. -- Key Takeaways: Systems are Your Best Sales Pitch: Mike reduced his involvement to just four hours of meetings per week before selling. A business that can run without the founder is far more valuable and easier to sell. The "Money vs. Terms" Framework: You can rarely have both the highest price and the best terms. Mike prioritized a clean, fast exit over a long earn-out, allowing him to launch his next venture with fresh energy. Perform Due Diligence on the Buyer: Don't just let buyers pick your company apart. Mike shares a "horror story" of a massive company putting him through months of grueling diligence only to slash their offer at the last minute. Alignment is Everything: Don't use "scaling" as a band-aid for burnout. If the business no longer brings you joy, it's better to sell early while your energy (and the business's trajectory) is still high. -- Timestamps: [00:43] From "terrible employee" to mountain biking entrepreneur. [02:43] How to prepare a business for sale (hint: it's the same as running a good one). [05:50] Identifying the "right" time to sell before you hit a crisis point. [08:52] Revamping a "broken" business model to drive up valuation. [11:58] Common exit mistakes: Why you shouldn't go it alone without a broker. [13:50] The "Due Diligence Hell" story and why you must vet your acquirer. [18:05] Deal structures: Negotiating a fast exit vs. a 3-year earn-out. [21:56] What Mike would tell his younger self about the "myth" of scaling. [24:09] About Wayfinders: Adventure retreats for founders in Mongolia, Bhutan, and beyond. -- Mike Brcic is an entrepreneur, adventurer, and community builder best known as the founder of Wayfinders, an organization that helps entrepreneurs and leaders build deeper connection, purpose, and fulfillment through transformative travel experiences and retreats. He previously founded Sacred Rides, which was named the “#1 Mountain Bike Tour Company on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure. Through his work, writing, and speaking, Mike shares insights on entrepreneurship, mental health, personal growth, and creating a more meaningful life through adventure and human connection. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebrcic/ Websites - https://way-finders.com/ - https://www.mikebrcic.com/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You'll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

ON ADVENTURE PODCAST | EPISODE 71 Episode 71: Solo Female Travel, Real Risk, and the Belonging We All Crave with Amanda Black            Episode Description What does it actually take to step on a plane alone, head somewhere most people would call risky, and come home a different woman? Amanda Black is the founder of the Solo Female Traveler Network, a community of more than half a million women that started as a small Facebook group during her expat years in Australia. Ten years and roughly thirty tours a year later, she leads women into places the average traveler tends to avoid: Egypt, Morocco, India, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and beyond. Bali was the first trip. Seventeen women signed up. Nine of them ended up with the company logo tattooed by the end of it. We talk about why she leans into destinations perceived as less safe, what real risk actually looks like versus the version we imagine, and why she pushes back on the idea that travel is simply safe or unsafe. Risk, she argues, is a spectrum and a muscle, and most women have a lot more capacity to build it than they have been told. We also get into the quieter side of all this. The cobblestone cafe in Sighișoara, Romania, where women who had known each other only a few days started telling the truth about how lonely life back home really feels. The Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia, where she felt like she had walked into a movie set with no electricity. The unexpected pattern she keeps noticing across every trip, every country, every group: people are not really upset about the hotel room. They want to belong. Amanda also shares why she launched Kindred Community, a smaller, slower offering built around connection retreats in Southern California, and what almost a decade of leading women into the wild has taught her about courage, capability, and the kind of friendships that get a logo tattooed on someone's wrist. Episode Highlights 00:00  Welcoming Amanda Black, founder of the Solo Female Traveler Network 01:00  Building a community of 500,000+ women and running tours in 25 countries 03:00  Why she leans into destinations perceived as less safe: Egypt, Morocco, India, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan 05:00  How strangers become a travel family inside the first 48 hours of a trip 08:00  From a Facebook group in Australia to a first Bali trip where 9 of 17 women got the company logo tattooed 12:00  Talking honestly with women about safety, fear, and the gray areas of real risk 15:00  Risk on a spectrum: why "safe or unsafe" is the wrong question, and how to build the muscle over time 17:00  Mongolia and the Golden Eagle Festival: stepping into a place that felt like going back in time 20:00  What solo travel reveals about how strong and capable women really are 22:00  The hidden business lesson behind a decade of tours: everybody just wants to belong 24:00  A cobblestone cafe in Sighișoara, Romania, and the loneliness that surfaces when women finally feel safe to share 27:00  Kindred Community and the next chapter: building belonging closer to home Connect with Amanda Black Bonus for Listeners (Free Travel Quiz): https://thesolofemaletravelernetwork.com/where-should-i-travel-next-quiz/ The Solo Female Traveler Network Website: thesolofemaletravelernetwork.com Instagram: @solofemaletravel TikTok: @sofetravel YouTube: @sofetravel Amanda's TEDx Talk Shared Firsts: Redesigning how we find belonging youtube.com/watch?v=xSaVJH2b5H0 Amanda's Website meetamandablack.com Kindred Community Website: kindredcommunity.co Instagram: @kindred.sd Connect with the On Adventure Podcast Hosted by Josh Self, financial advisor and everyday explorer. Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major streaming platforms Follow on Instagram for short-form clips and behind-the-scenes content Connect on Facebook: On Adventure Podcast with Josh Self Connect on LinkedIn: Josh Self If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

For years, Colin Fassnidge was sold to Australian audiences as the gruff Irish answer to Gordon Ramsay, but off camera he’s far more thoughtful, self-aware and surprisingly soft-hearted than his TV persona suggests. After becoming a household name on My Kitchen Rules, Colin continued to travel through food and delivering TV gold, but behind the fiery one-liners and shows, he’s now opening up about therapy, burnout and the pressure of constantly performing. In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Colin opens up about the realities of making television, why a recent filming trip to Mongolia pushed him to his limits, his friendship with Pete Evans and what food still means to him after decades in the industry. Weekend list with Helen Smith Listener Bree TO READ: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros TO TRY: L'Oreal Paris Elvive Bond Repair shampoo and conditioner TO EAT: Get a slow cooker! TO WATCH: Ladies of London season 4 on Hayu Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Namibia sits on the south-west coast of Africa. Below Angola, above South Africa, with Botswana to the east.Portuguese explorers first reached the coast here in the 1480s. No natural harbour, brutal surf, cold Atlantic fog, the Namib Desert running straight into the sea, little access to fresh water. They planted crosses to mark their claims, turned around and went home again, never to return.Today that coast is known as the Skeleton Coast because of shipwrecks and whale bones.Three hundred years later, having decided there was too much tropical disease in Gambia, the British looked at Namibia as a possible penal colony. They decided it was too inhumane.It was Germans and Finns who eventually settled on the coast another hundred years on.Namibia is about three and a half times the size of the UK, and yet its population is only 3 million. It is big and empty. Most of it is desert.I've got more endless expanse shots than I know what to do with. Here is just one of them. Plus a short vid shot from a hot air balloon which gives you an idea of the sheer endlessness of the place.Even in the capital city, Windhoek, there is just so much space.The only two places in the world that are less densely populated are Greenland and Mongolia. Namibia beats even Australia and Mauritania, which is mostly Sahara desert.Demographically, the country is roughly 87% black, 6% white and 5% mixed race, with the Ovambo people to the north making up about half the population. I saw a few Asians while I was there too.A country of extremesThere are still bushmen and other ancient hunter-gatherer people living as they have lived for centuries, yet other parts of the country are extremely modern. There are shopping centres to rival our own, good roads (the best in Africa, I was told), great restaurants, commercial farms and more. About half the population is urban. The national language is English, adopted after the country gained independence from South Africa in 1990, but I found that people, black and white, would as often speak amongst themselves in Afrikaans and, up north, Ovambo. On the coast German is widely spoken. (The country was a German colony from the 1880s until World War I, when South Africa, then British, invaded. Hence it has great beer.)The controlling political force is the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), which has governed since independence in 1990. SWAPO is nominally social democratic, but there are still strong liberation-era left-wing instincts, as evidenced by streets in the capital renamed after independence: Fidel Castro Street, Robert Mugabe Avenue and so on.All being said, Namibia functions well.It is a stable democracy with rule of law, an independent judiciary (the government sometimes loses cases), relatively free markets and low crime by African (and European) standards. Immigration law is tight too. Having seen the problems stemming from mass immigration into South Africa, Namibia has taken a more controlled approach.Indeed I heard repeated frustrations from mining companies trying to obtain visas for geologists and mining engineers where the local expertise either does not exist or is employed elsewhere.Official unemployment is 37%, but I heard from several different sources that the real number is above 50%. 50%! Very sad.Nominal GDP per capita sits around US$5,000, roughly double that adjusted for purchasing power, which puts it above most of sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank classifies Namibia as a lower-middle-income country, alongside countries such as Albania, Argentina and Belize. But these numbers are misleading.The country has vast wealth through its natural resources and related industries: uranium, copper, diamonds, fishing and tourism. Spread that revenue across just 3 million people and the averages look impressive.There is also serious rural poverty.Namibia combines first-world infrastructure with third-world unemployment.The currency is pegged to the South African rand, not one I would have chosen. Official inflation sits in the 2-3% range.About 88% of the country's sovereign debt is held domestically, and there appears to be healthy demand for its bonds. The country has also recently begun a sovereign wealth fund, which is reportedly growing at an impressive 16% since 2022. The central bank has recently also implemented a gold acquisition programme. Kudos.The country has high institutional savings and one the larger stock exchanges in sub-Saharan Africa.Food is cheap, protein in particular. The country has an enormous cattle herd, almost as large as its population. Recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in neighbouring countries are therefore a cause for concern, as you can imagine. (Not my bag, but I reckon there is an opportunity exporting Namibian biltong to the UK, where it is expensive. I brought back loads). Other goods, however, can be expensive because the country relies heavily on imports.If you live in a third world country such as the UK, I urge you to own gold or silver. The pound will be further devalued, as will the euro and dollar. The bullion dealer I use and recommend is The Pure Gold Company. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe. More here.The main industries - tourism and natural resourcesPorts are expanding. The railways are not great, though I hear they will be improved. The roads, however, are excellent, as I said. Namibia is also the world's third-largest uranium producer after Kazakhstan and Canada. Chinese interests hold majority stakes in the country's three largest uranium mines, not to mention other metals.Oil and gas have recently been discovered offshore. Shell plc is one of the pioneers.As for gold, Namibia only really became a meaningful gold player after independence, since when roughly 15 million ounces have been discovered, much of it alongside copper. Among the larger players is B2 Gold (BTO.TO), which is well known in the country. Large parts of the country remain un- or under-explored. And I think that is where a lot of the big opportuities lie.There also appear to be rare earth deposits in some abundance. Kendrik Resources (KEN.L) recently made some progress here. Solar, wind and hydrogen projects are also attracting investment tooChinese money helped build the SWAPO headquarters, and they are investing significantly in mines in the country. Of note is that the USA recently spent heavily developing their embassy. It is big. Former Trump attorney John Giordano is now ambassador, a surprisingly high -profile appointment for such a low-profile country.One theory I heard repeatedly was that, given deteriorating US relations with South Africa, Washington increasingly sees Namibia as strategically important in terms of Atlantic access, energy routes and influence in the south Atlantic. Not quite the Panama Canal or Strait of Hormuz, but it could be something of a chokepoint. Namibia feels like a country at the cusp of something.It has space, resources, energy, political stability and strategic importance.Next week I want to look in more detail at Namibia as an investment destination, particularly its mining sector, where some very interesting things may be developing.My thanks go to to Rowland Brown and Chanel Marais of Cirrus Capital for bringing me to Namibia and for organizing what was a brilliant and instructuve conference.Thank you for reading the Flying Frisby.Until next time,Dominic This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

What is cultural distress? It is a negative response rooted in a cultural conflict where the patient lacks control over their situation. It results in more physiologic effects on the body resulting in allostatic overload. To prevent this, healthcare practitioners must use strategies such as cultural humility to help patients navigate healthcare. Come find the best ways to deliver culturally sensitive care in any setting.

Osamu Sekiguchi is a devoted member and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan. Having served in numerous capacities—including as the Mission President of the Japan Sendai Mission and currently as the Asia North Area Family Search Manager—Osamu has a profound perspective on the spiritual and cultural evolution of the Church in the land of the rising sun.I sat down with Osamu in a Tokyo recording studio to explore the rich, and at times challenging, history of the Church in Japan. From the early 1901 mission led by Heber J. Grant to the modern era of five temples, we discuss the unique cultural hurdles Japanese saints have overcome, the incredible sacrifices made to attend the temple, and Osamu's own personal "pioneer trek" across the United States and Europe.Some highlights from this episode include:The Early Struggles and Triumphs: Osamu recounts the history of the first Japanese mission and the "disappointment" of the early years due to language barriers and cultural differences, followed by the post-WWII resurgence of the faith.The Sacrifice for the Temple: Moving stories of early Japanese members who sold their belongings and quit their jobs just to travel to Hawaii for temple ordinances before a temple existed in Asia.A Modern Pioneer Trek: Osamu shares the gruelling yet spiritual journey of taking his family on a 110-day handcart trek from Nebraska to Salt Lake City, followed by an epic bicycle journey from New York to San Francisco.Cultural "Harmony" vs. Conversion: An insight into why conversion can be difficult in Japan, where maintaining social harmony and honouring Shinto or Buddhist traditions often takes precedence over individual religious changes.Elder Stevenson's Call to Serve: When Osamu received his mission call he did not expect to be serving during a global pandemic. His bold leadership proved to be a powerful example of inspired leadership.The Future of the Global Church: Osamu explains his vision of the Church shifting from "International" to "Global"—where the core doctrine remains the same, but local cultures (like Japanese humility and aesthetics) are embraced and celebrated.FamilySearch in Asia: A look at how technology is bridging the gap for members in countries like Korea and Mongolia to find their ancestors and preserve their heritage.Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspodhttps://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Qhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on InstagramConversations to Refresh Your Faith.For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.

In this episode of The Brave Enough Show, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt and Jane Hanson discuss:  Career identity loss (doctor, leader, achiever, caregiver)  Why we as women undervalue ourselves and how to stop doing it  Changing people and friendships as you evolve  Practical exercise: separating who you are from what you do  "When your friends change, you have not failed. The opposite is true: you are growing." -Jane Hanson    Guest Bio:  Jane Hanson – Emmy-Winning Journalist, Communication Coach, and Media Strategist. Jane Hanson grew up in rural Minnesota, coming to New York three decades ago to join NBC as an anchor and correspondent in NY.  She co-anchored "Today in New York," and hosted  "Jane's New York"; She covered events ranging from the tragedy of 9/11 to the joy of Yankees victory parades to Wall Street and Washington; has interviewed presidents, business leaders, prisoners, and celebrities; traveled as far as the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and the great depths miles below New York City for her special reports. Most recently, she hosted a daily entertainment and lifestyle program, New York Live, for NBC4. Jane has won 9 Emmys; was named Correspondent of the Year by New York's Police Detectives and Firefighters, among many other awards. Jane has served as the March of Dimes Walk-America Chairman, honorary chair for the Susan B. Komen Foundation's Race for the Cure, and as a board member of Graham Windham, Phipps Houses, the Randall's Island Sports Foundation, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, and Telecare. She has taught at Long Island University, Stern College, and the 92nd Street Y. and was President of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  She is currently a much sought-after communications coach working with top-tier leaders in every field while continuing to emcee, speak and host broadcasts.  Social Media Links:  Website IG LinkedIn     Brave Enough 2026 CME Conference For ten years, women have gathered at the Brave Enough Conference to step away from the demands of medicine and into a space of renewal. This anniversary year, we celebrate a decade of empowerment and sisterhood—ten years of lifting each other up, reigniting purpose, and remembering that none of us has to do this alone. Join us September 24-27, 2026, at the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa. Coaching with Dr. Sasha Shillcutt As a leadership coach and a certified Enneagram coach, Dr. Shillcutt provides a personalized coaching strategy to help meet you exactly where you are, according to your personality. She will provide an in-depth look at your current work life challenges, and lead you through a plan to master them using the power of your personality strengths. Follow Brave Enough:   WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN Join The Table, Brave Enough's community. The ONLY professional membership group that meets both the professional and personal needs of high-achieving women.

Filmmaker Kasimir Burgess travelled to Mongolia to follow two young men on their gruelling journey to bring 2000 horses to safer pastures during an exceptionally brutal winter.For centuries, the herders of Tsakhir Valley in Mongolia have protected their horses from the harsh winters by nominating their bravest young men to move them.But the ancient practice has been forced to stop in recent years due to climate change.  Iron Winter documents one community's attempt to revive the tradition by initiating two friends into a rite of passage in danger of being lost.Further information The documentary Iron Winter had a national cinematic release earlier this year.This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the executive producer was Eliza Kirsch.It explores Mongolia horse culture, the Mongolian Steppes, severe weather, ancient traditions and culture, family, mental health, art, films, documentary, viral meningitis, childhood leukaemia, adventure, grief.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you!If you say you knew we'd be traveling to Mongolia in our trip around the world this month, I will straight-out call you a liar. And yet here we are. We'll cover the so-called heretics who brought Jesus to this distant corner of the world and whether their efforts count at all; the greatest Mongolian of all time and whether he was really “great” at all; the part of Mongolia that scarred me for life, and how I'm better off for it; and the best way to convert confused cattle into victory points, both in games and in life.Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@halhammons9705Hal Hammons serves as preacher and shepherd for the Lakewoods Drive church of Christ in Georgetown, Texas. He is the host of the Citizen of Heaven podcast. You are encouraged to seek him and the Lakewoods Drive church through Facebook and other social media. Lakewoods Drive is an autonomous group of Christians dedicated to praising God, teaching the gospel to all who will hear, training Christians in righteousness, and serving our God and one another faithfully. We believe the Bible is God's word, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that heaven is our home, and that we have work to do here while we wait. Regular topics of discussion and conversation include: Christians, Jesus, obedience, faith, grace, baptism, New Testament, Old Testament, authority, gospel, fellowship, justice, mercy, faithfulness, forgiveness, Twenty Pages a Week, Bible reading, heaven, hell, virtues, character, denominations, submission, service, character, COVID-19, assembly, Lord's Supper, online, social media, YouTube, Facebook.  

In this episode, Ken Rideout shares his extraordinary journey of overcoming childhood trauma, addiction, and physical challenges through resilience, authenticity, and love. This show also explores the power of self-awareness, the importance of inner union, and the transformative impact of compassion and perseverance.Chapters00:00 The Journey of Self-Discovery03:03 Pain and Growth: Lessons from Running05:52 The Impact of Childhood on Adult Life08:51 Navigating Fame and Ego11:33 The Role of Family and Relationships14:36 Overcoming Adversity and Finding Strength17:42 Parenting: Challenges and Realizations27:46 Navigating Family Dynamics with a Nanny28:48 The Impact of Addiction on Relationships30:36 The Journey to Sobriety and Adoption31:51 The Heart of Adoption: Choosing to Love33:55 Challenging the System: Advocating for Children37:07 Emotional Resilience and Self-Awareness40:45 Finding Stillness in a Busy Life42:13 Creating a Fulfilling Life Beyond Work43:56 Understanding and Managing Anger46:36 The Power of Perseverance in Endurance Sports49:42 Core Messages of Resilience and Self-ReflectionSponsors: MANUKORA HONEY OFFER: Right now, Manukora is giving Feel Good Podcast listeners their largest discount of the year. Please go to MANUKORA.com/KIMBERLY to save up to 31% plus $25 worth of free gifts with the Starter Kit, which comes with an MGO 850+ Manuka Honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook!USE LINK: MANUKORA.com/KIMBERLY DETOXY OFFER: Go to mysolluna.com and use the CODE: PODFAM15 for 15% off your entire order. USE LINK: mysolluna.comKen Rideout Resources: Book: Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Hard: A Memoir Website: https://www.rideout.group Social: @ ken_rideout Podcast: RIDEOUT: The Other Side of Hard Bio: Ken Rideout is the fastest marathoner in the world over fifty and a former prison guard, Wall Street trader, and opioid addict. His life story has been chronicled in such publications as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Outside. Since getting sober more than a decade ago, he has won some of the world's toughest races, including, at age fifty-two, the Gobi March—a 155-mile, self-supported race across the sweltering Gobi Desert in Mongolia—and a few months later, the Masters (50+) Marathon World Championships. In addition to his many running victories, he has completed more than ten Ironman triathlons. In 2018, Ken founded capital solutions firm Camrock Advisors. More recently, he founded talent agency Rideout Sports and Entertainment. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Shelby, and their four children.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if healing doesn't come from where we expect? In this powerful episode of Soul Elevation, I sit down with bestselling author Rupert Isaacson to explore the extraordinary true story behind The Horse Boy—a journey that took his family across Mongolia in search of healing for his autistic son. What unfolded was far beyond anything they imagined. We dive into the profound connection between humans, animals, and consciousness, and how horses played a pivotal role in helping his son move from nonverbal to communicative. Rupert shares insights from his work with the Horse Boy Foundation, blending neuroscience, movement, and deep spiritual wisdom. This conversation opens the door to a new way of understanding autism, healing, and the intelligence of nature. If you've ever wondered about the deeper connection between consciousness, animals, and human transformation, this episode will stay with you. ✨ In this episode, we explore: The real story behind The Horse Boy journey How horses impact the brain and nervous system Autism, neurodivergence, and hidden gifts Shamanic healing, indigenous wisdom, and consciousness The role of movement, nature, and connection in transformation READ THIS BOOK! https://amzn.to/3PCFEPT 

He was born and raise in Mongolia, became a Christian, and witnessed the birth of the church in his country. Batjargal Tuvshintsengel joins Wayne Shepherd in conversation. (click for more...)Website:  www.febc.org/where-we-work/mongolia/Born and raised in Mongolia under Soviet-era communist rule, Batjargal Tuvshintsengel first heard the gospel at age 20 through a British missionary who taught English using the Bible — a transformative moment that set him on a lifelong path of Christian ministry. He witnessed the remarkable birth of the church in Mongolia following the fall of communism, when the country suddenly opened to missionaries and the gospel for the first time in generations. Drawn to media from childhood, Batjargal channeled that background into ministry, helping launch Mongolia's first Christian FM radio station in Ulaanbaatar in 2001, which grew into a network of 17 stations reaching nomadic populations across the country via satellite. He credits this media ministry with supporting the growth of an estimated 650–700 churches and roughly 90,000 Christians in Mongolia. Now living back in Mongolia, Batjargal's vision for the future centers on equipping younger generations — particularly Gen Z — to become digital media evangelists, and on partnering media ministry with local churches to strengthen discipleship in an age increasingly shaped by AI and social media.              NEXT WEEK:  Shawn Thornton, President of Joni and FriendsSend your support for FIRST PERSON to the Far East Broadcasting Company:FEBC National Processing Center Far East Broadcasting CompanyP.O. Box 6020 Albert Lea, MN 56007Please mention FIRST PERSON when you give. Thank you!

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we meet Manika Gamble — an Atlanta-based trail runner who thrives on testing her limits in some of the world's toughest ultra races. Manika's running journey started with casual neighbourhood runs, but soon she found herself racing 155-mile desert ultras in Africa, tackling Mongolia's Gobi March, and pushing through multi-stage, extreme endurance events. She shares the highs, the lows, and the mental grit it takes to keep moving when every muscle is screaming. We dive into: Training by feel, without a watch or GPS Fueling, hydration, and surviving the desert heat Coping with pain, blisters, and fatigue without relying on painkillers Recovery strategies, sleep, and balancing life with training The mental challenges of multi-day ultra races Staying motivated and tackling new adventures outside your comfort zone Manika's message is simple: don't let fear hold you back. Find what excites you, lean in, and see what you're capable of. ***  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Manika Being based out of Atlanta, USA  Trail Runner Currently training for a race our in Morocco Running every since she was a child but being new to long distance running Always being an active child  Going out for the track team and how it became her whole life Focusing on 100 m and 400 m hurdles Wanting to run further Dreaming of the day she would be able to run casually  Starting with 20 min runs throughout the neighbourhood  Signing up for more and more races from 5k, up to Marathon distance  Deciding to take on an ultra race  Seeing a YouTube video of a man running in Namibia, Africa  Signing up for the race and giving herself a 1 year time line to train for  The running logistics and what her training looked like  Being a laidback person when it comes to a training schedule  Not running with a watch or gps tracking device  Training based on feel and time  Leaning about fuelling and nutrition and how to manage herself in the desert Carrying everything she needed on her back for 7 days while running through the desert Learning how to hydrate probably  What worked well nutrition wise while racing  Using Tailwind Powder  The mental and emotional side of the challenge Why it was so tough  Why it was such a beautiful race  Issues with her feet and dealing with blisters  Dealing with pain and not being able to block it out  Not being able to take pain medication - due to the heat and potential damage to organs  Telling herself - you're not going to stop  Trying to divert her mind from the pain  Camp life  Finishing the race and the thoughts running through her head  Never Again…. Sprinting V Longer Races What does recovery look like? Incorporating creatine into her diet, resting more, prioritising sleep and taking on less races  Taking 5g of creatine in the morning, and 5g in the evening Taking other supplements, Magnesium, potassium and starting to take athletic green in the future  Trying to have a well rounded diet based on feel with a focus on protein, fibre and carbs Trying the carnivore diet but not having the energy to run Waking at 4am - but staying in bed till 6am  Not napping during the day   Heading over to Mongolia to race the Gobi March (250km across the desert) Racing the Planet  Racing on green trails through the Mongolian Desert  Getting very tired of eating the same food day after day  How things changed mentally having done the Nambia Race previously  Getting bored of the green pastures - being ready for it to be over  Feeling mentally drained on her 2nd Ultra  Too much too soon? Racing in Mongolia only 6 weeks after Nambia  Racing the Planet - Grand Slam Challenge  Trying to raise funds to race an ultra in Antarctica ($14,100) Fitting training into her life and work  Having a pretty flexible schedule and stating to work with brand Using running as work  Stone Everest, Atlanta Challenge (May 16th & 17th)   Races for 2026 Training for a team relay 100k challenge  Running a Marathon in Morocco Running a 3 day stage race through Utah  How to connect with Manika on social media  Advice and top tips for other women who want to take on new challenges Outside of just do it  Don't allow fear to rule you Find something that intrigues you and go with that    Social Media Instagram: @manikaruns  Youtube: @ManikaRuns   

Javier Carrasco rode from Austria to the other side of the world on a bike rescued from a dumpster. Over 20,000 kilometres and 200,000 metres of climbing travelled on a bicycle that cost him exactly nothing.Javi is the partner of previous guest Rebecca Gross, and while Rebecca made it back to Austria after a year on the road, Javi wasn't quite ready to stop. I got to catch him in person here in Canberra before he headed north, and we sat in the sunshine at the National Arboretum and talked about all of it.It's been a huge journey that's taken him through the Balkans, Turkey, Iran, into Iraq, through Tajikistan's remote Bartang Valley, across Mongolia, solo onto the Tibetan Plateau at minus 20 degrees, through China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and all the way to Australia. Be sure to follow Javi's adventures via instagram on - @hackerbikepacker Check out the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain Support the showBuy me a coffee!I'm an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

What happens when crypto payments go live in a real-world retail environment—like an airport?In this episode, Gen Adachi shares how Netstars launched a USDC payment pilot at Haneda Airport in Japan—and saw demand exceed expectations by 10x. This isn't theory or hype—this is one of the strongest real-world use cases for stablecoins in everyday payments today.We dive into how USDC is being used at checkout, why QR payment infrastructure in Japan makes it easier to integrate crypto, and how Netstars is positioning itself as a major payments aggregator with access to over 700,000 merchants.Gen also breaks down the future of crypto payments—from multi-wallet and multi-chain support to expanding pilots beyond airports, including a Pokémon card shop in Osaka and international markets like Qatar, Mongolia, and Cambodia.If you're interested in crypto adoption, stablecoins like USDC, real-world blockchain use cases, or the future of digital payments in Asia, this conversation is packed with insights.**Topics covered:**- USDC payments in real-world retail- Haneda Airport crypto payment pilot- Stablecoin adoption in Japan- QR code payment systems and Web3- Multi-wallet, multi-chain payment infrastructure- Netstars and Japan's payment ecosystem- Global expansion of crypto payments**Chapters:**00:00 – Intro01:11 – Netstars: Aggregating 60 Payment Methods01:26 – USDC Live Pilot at Haneda Airport02:28 – Multi-Wallet, Multi-Chain Future04:06 – 10x Results: Pilot Performance Beat Expectations06:53 – Market Position: 700K Merchants in Japan07:29 – Second POC: Pokémon Card Shop in Osaka11:45 – International Expansion: Qatar, Mongolia, Cambodia

Lots of new discoveries of soft tissues in dinosaurs. Plus new studies to confirm old soft tissues and a new—controversial—iguanodont.For links to every news story, all of the details we shared about Santanaraptor, and our fun fact check out https://iknowdino.com/Santanaraptor-Episode-563/Join us at www.patreon.com/iknowdino for dinosaur requests, bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more.Dinosaur of the day Santanaraptor, a small theropod found with soft tissue.In dinosaur news this week:There's a potentially new iguanodont, Paulodon galvensis (but it is controversial)Soft tissues can be preserved in fossils regardless of the species, age of the bones, or where the animal was buriedA new method using Cross-polarized light microscopy (XPol) helps identify organic molecules in fossilsNew Edmontosaurus "mummies" show hooves, small spikes down the tail, and a banded fleshy crest over the neck and backScientists re-evaluated the soft tissue crest of an edmontosaur hadrosaur dinosaurDinosaurs likely had muscles forming cheeksNew titanosaur sauropod tracks found in Mongolia show a lot of soft tissue details in the hands and feet Tell us what you think about our show in our 2026 IKD Survey! We want our show to be as enjoyable as possible, and your input will help us improve. Head to bit.ly/ikdsurvey26 to help shape the future of I Know Dino!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.