Podcasts about New Year

Join me for my legendary 2026 New Year's Goal Setting Party! Create the life of your dreams one year at a time. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Law of Attraction Changed My Life and it's giving you some ideas about how you can curate and step into this next chapter in your life. Please do share this episode with a friend who is going through a change and into a next chapter. Ooh, by the way, I promised I would link the SAD lamp so here it is, it's under the section 'Things I Love' on my Amazon Storefront. (contains Amazon affiliate links/Amazon associate) You can buy my Sunday Times Bestselling book Manifest Like a Mother here. Come and find me @francescaamber & @lawofattractionchangedmylife on Instagram - I would LOVE to hear from you.Join the Book Club B*tches - the UK's largest self development book club. Starting 1st October we're reading Aligned Abundance by Emma Mumford. Honestly this book club and the bad b*tches within it are my self development secret. They are the BIGGEST secret to my success and I'm in love with life long learning! Come and join us, it's not a cult, it's probably not a coven but it IS the best.You can find all my work including overnight subliminals for weight loss, wealth, fertility, beauty and confidence, success etc..as well as online masterclasses on my website, francescaamber.comThings I love that I think you'll love too...Hitting my health and body goals every day with my at home walking pad. Use code 'francescaamber' for 5% off.Try my favourite magnesium supplement for FREE with this 5 day free trial.Thank you so much for listening and I'll see you again next week,Fran xxx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucy & The Love Letters isn't just a band—it's a living, breathing love story told through sweet melodies, vivid memories, and meaningful words. Founded by Kentucky singer, songwriter, and fiddle player Lucy Becker, the project was born from an unexpected spark: a songwriting assignment that ignited a lifelong passion for transforming emotion into music. From that first tune, Becker knew she was meant to write more than songs—she was meant to craft love letters in sound.Blending jazz, pop, and touches of bluegrass, Lucy & The Love Letters creates a spellbinding sound marked by sultry undertones and an unapologetically unique flair. The band features a rotating cast of musicians, each bringing their own influences and sonic secrets to the stage. No two performances are ever the same, making every show a one-of-a-kind experience.Their debut performance unfolded inside the cozy magic of Hidden Chapter Bookstore in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, followed just two months later by a headlining New Year's Eve celebration at 21C Museum & Hotel in Lexington, where they partnered with Sora Aerial Arts for a fully immersive night of music and movement.Lucy & The Love Letters released their first single, “Sweetest Shade of Rose,” on August 29, 2025, now available on all streaming platforms. More than just music, the band invites listeners to slow down, notice the beauty hidden in ordinary moments, and let those fleeting details linger long after the final note.

Linda Gradstein, Don Futterman and Noah Efron talk about (1) The very viral essay by Yossi Klein Halevi, pressing Israelis to finally engage in the moral conversation that we have, until now, avoided, and (2) The new 5785 Jewish People Policy Institute's Annual Assessment of the Jewish People, basically a report card for the Jewish people, and why our grades are so lousy, and what we ought to do about it. For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: How did we welcome the New Year, in this seemingly, endless groundhog day of despair? Plus, the short, beautiful life of Eran Shelem, of Blessed Memory, and weddings, cruises and prayers for the New Year!

Moshe's tenure as leader of the Jews was chock full of magnificent accomplishments. He spearheaded the Exodus, he brought the Torah down from Heaven, in his merit came the manna - Moshe's CV is unparalleled. But now it's time for him to hand over the reins to Joshua, his disciple and successor. In this Parsha podcast, we make a remarkable observation that connects the beginning of Moshe's tenure and its conclusion that fundamentally changes our perspective on maintaining devotion and commitment to a life mission from beginning to end.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor and for the success of Noam Yitzhak ben Shlomi. May he be blessed with a Shana Tova UMetuka, a happy and healthy and sweet New Year of only Blessing and Goodness.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

Randy shows you why waiting until New Year's Eve to make a plan is a mistake. He gives simple steps to help you get ready now. Want a better year ahead? Start your “preseason” today. 

                                Listen in as Erin shares: Why September can be the true “New Year” for your business — and how to harness the harvest season for momentum. How your energy is your magnet: protect it, invest in it, and watch the right clients flow toward you. How the Pursuing Freedom Collective is evolving with more expert-led calls, creating a buffet of value and support. The critical shift from operator to leader: doing less, delegating more, and building systems that scale. How investing in yourself is never a cost — it's the fastest path to consistency, freedom, and renewed joy in your business                                             About Erin Bradley Erin Bradley is a speaker and business coach, bestselling author, and host of the real estate podcast Pursuing Freedom. As a mortgage lender, Erin learned the hard way just how hard entrepreneurship and success in sales can be. From flat broke to 6 figures, and then to burnout, Erin and her team have been through it all! Erin operates under the mindset that you never give up, and you never settle, in life or in business. Anything is possible when you have the right mindset, great systems, and an amazing team. Erin is passionate about helping others design their ideal life, then create a business that is a vehicle to support that lifestyle, rather than rob you of it. And she's on a mission to help you believe in, and achieve your biggest dreams! How to Connect With Erin Bradley Business Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PursuingFreedomOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pursuingfreedomofficial/ LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-bradley/ Recommended Resources  Learn more about The Collective at https://pursuingfreedom.com/collective. Use code Yes100 to take $100 off the monthly investment or YES1000 to take $1,000 off the annual investment. Special ends 9/30/25 11:59pm MTN Abundant Ever After by Cathy Heller Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon here. Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcatcher of choice for weekly inspiration and strategies.

As we head into the final stretch of the year, it's easy to slip into “I'll start fresh in the new year” mode. But what if you used these last three months to actually build the discipline, confidence, and self-mastery you've been chasing all year long?In this episode of Life Rewired, Kristina shares a three-month framework designed to help you end 2025 stronger than you started. Instead of waiting for New Year's resolutions, you'll learn how to reset, push yourself, and step into your future self before the ball even drops. October is about mastering the basics and laying a solid foundation with small non-negotiables like consistent wake-up times, hydration, and limiting social media. November shifts into Kristina's favorite pillar 'doing hard things' by embracing resistance, building grit, and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone both in fitness and in life. December closes it all out with self-mastery, where you lock in the habits you've built, reclaim wasted time, and step into the identity of the disciplined, confident version of yourself.By the time the year ends, you'll be showing up as your future self rather than waiting for January to start over. If you've been looking for a way to stay consistent through the holidays, build momentum instead of losing it, and finish the year with real progress, this episode is for you.WATCH ON YOUTUBE:https://www.youtube.com/@kristinaturnure/podcastsNASH BARS:https://nashnutrition.co/BUILT & BALANCED GROUP COACHING:⁠https://builtgroupcoaching.my.canva.site/⁠BUILT AND BALANCED VIP COACHING:⁠⁠⁠Https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV_IGO2VhRV415iIsiHz6TGr76wuH-loG2eGt068pZG474qw/viewform⁠⁠BUILT & BALANCED NEWSLETTER:⁠⁠⁠https://builtandbalanced.kit.com/dd0f3197cc⁠⁠⁠LIFE REWIRED IG:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/LIFEREWIREDPODCAST/?utm_medium=copy_link⁠⁠KRIS IG:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kristinaturnure/?hl=en⁠⁠PTULA: DISCOUNT CODE KRISTINAT ⁠https://www.ptula.com/⁠KOIA PROTEIN: CODE KRISTINAhttps://drinkkoia.com/KRISTINA

Tom begins by recapping his adventures at the Dice Tower Retreat, and looks forward to the World Series of Boardgaming, before turning to the topic of figuring out what to do with your game collection after you're gone, and why it might be a good idea to make some choices sooner rather than later. Later, we share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, peek into the mailbag, and gather a collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:51 - Tom at the Dice Tower Retreat 02:25 - The World Series of Boardgaming 04:58 - Dice Tower Cruise, Dice Tower West, Spiel 06:03 - Planning for the Future of your Collection 24:58 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:22 - Question: Co-Designer Credit 38:16 - A Place for All My Books 44:04 - Knitting Circle 48:18 - Endangered Rescue: Lemur Leaf Frog 51:21 - The New Year's Nightmare 54:55 - Firefighters on Duty 57:07 - Blood on the Clocktower Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Ep539. This week, Renee chats with Stephanie O'Dea, bestselling cookbook author and host of The Slow Living Podcast, about what happens when you swap hustle culture for a slower, more intentional way of life. Stephanie shares how a New Year's resolution to use her slow cooker every day for a year turned into viral fame, cookbook deals, and a career she never saw coming — all while raising three kids. They dig into why “fast” doesn't always mean better, how to push back against hustle culture, and the simple systems that make everyday life calmer and more sustainable. Stephanie also opens up about parenting in the age of social media, money lessons she's passed on to her kids, and the daily habits that keep her grounded. It's part inspiration, part real talk — and encouragement to choose presence over perfection. Find Stephanie: Website: https://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/ Podcast: Slow Living Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieODea.author Sponsors: Wayfair — Cozify your space with Wayfair's curated collection of easy, affordable fall updates. Find it all for way less at https://www.Wayfair.com.  Skims - Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. https://www.skims.com/momroom Name Bubbles - Visit namebubbles.com and use code MOMROOM15 for 15% off your first order. RENEE REINA   Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina   TikTok: @thereneereina   Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community YouTube: Renee Reina - The Mom Room Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a lot of questions coming in around getting members more engaged, seeing fewer subs, and chapter culture, we discuss the opportunity and strategy to use at this pivotal time of year.

A prophetic word released through Margaux, Betty Hall + Australian prophet Lana Vasser. This Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, lands on September 22nd at sundown and God is speaking to his people about this NEW YEAR on the Hebrew calandear. This episode contains Margaux releasing revelation God has given her, as well as that of a few other prophetic voices. Based on and rooted in Isaiah 54, its time to shout with joy and worship God for the coming PROLIFIC fruitfulness, stretching capacity and preparing for EXPANSION while never neglecting the deep rooting into intimacy with Jesus. Rest in the midst of stretching.LINK to Betty's articleLINK to Lana's postWe are going TOGETHER: BREATHING UNDERWATER MEMBERSHIPSMore on Breathing Underwater Memberships HEREJoin the Community and Newsletter: HERE Email: margaux@permissiontoreign.comInstagram: @permission_to_reignIntro Music by Coma-Media from PixabayImage by Claire Fischer from Unsplash

AlabamaMontgomery Officials Speak Out Against Weekend ViolenceCity of Pritchard Needs Help from ADEM for Sewage IssuesChild Reportedly Kidnapped in Alexander City Found SafeWetumpka Police Make Arrests in Connection to Child Sex OperationNWS Says That Mobile is Officially Storm ReadyJacksonville State Marching Southerners Head to New Year's Day Rose ParadeEscaped Murder Suspect Back in CustodyRed Cross Urges Caution When Grilling Out This FallCoach Bruce Pearl Announces RetirementAlabama's Longest-Serving Lawmaker to Seek Re-electionCalifornia Man Jailed in Alabama for FraudBirmingham PD Reports Productive Enforcement ActivityNationalJimmy Kimmel Live Returns on Tuesday NightOhio Woman Receives Hateful Message When Ordering Kirk's Favorite DrinkFlorida Launches Portal for Reporting Political ThreatsTurning Point USA Announces New Campus Tour 

Tyler Reddick joins Freddie Kraft, Tommy Baldwin, and Karsyn Elledge on this week's episode of Door Bumper Clear. Tyler stops by to recap his less-than-stellar race at New Hampshire, discuss where his 23Xi team needs to improve over the next two weeks to advance deeper into the Playoffs, and explain why the reason he hasn't won yet isn't because of his new haircut. In Spot On, Spot Off, the crew breaks down the Joe Gibbs Racing contact between Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin, Tommy gives kudos to an unexpected driver, and Tyler reveals why you don't want to go to the ER on New Year's Eve. Plus, we have a hilarious Reaction Theatre, S***show Hall of Fame, and more!This is the badge. You in or not? Dirty Mo merch, link belowhttps://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Want more DBC? Check out and subscribe to the new DBC YouTube channel! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last time we spoke about the battle of Nanjing. In December 1937, as the battle for Nanjing unfolded, terror inundated its residents, seeking safety amid the turmoil. General Tang Shengzhi rallied the Chinese forces, determined to defend against the advancing Japanese army. Fierce fighting erupted at the Gate of Enlightenment, where the determined Chinese soldiers resisted merciless assaults while tragedy loomed. By mid-December, the Japanese made substantial advances, employing relentless artillery fire to breach Nanjing's defenses. Leaders called for strategic retreats, yet amid chaos and despair, many young Chinese soldiers, driven by nationalism, continued to resist. By December 13, Nanjing succumbed to the invaders, marking a tragic chapter in history. As destruction enveloped the city, the resilience of its defenders became a poignant tale of courage amidst the horrors of war, forever marking Nanjing as a symbol of enduring hope in the face of despair.   #168 The Nanjing Massacre 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. So obvious disclaimer, today we will be talking about, arguably one of if not the most horrific war atrocities ever committed. To be blunt, it may have been worse than some of the things we talked about back during the fall of the Ming Dynasty, when bandit armies raped and pillaged cities. The Nanjing Massacre as its become known is well documented by both Chinese and foreign sources. There is an abundance of primary sources, many well verified. Its going to be extremely graphic, I am going to try and tell it to the fullest. So if you got a weak stomach perhaps sit this one out, you have been warned. Chen Yiding began evacuating his troops from the area surrounding the Gate of Enlightenment before dawn on December 13. En route to Xiaguan, he took the time to visit a dozen of his soldiers housed in a makeshift hospital located in an old cemetery. These men were too severely injured to participate in the evacuation, and Chen had to leave them with only a few words of encouragement. Little did he know, within days, they would all perish in their beds, victims of the Japanese forces. Upon arriving in Xiaguan later that morning, Chen was met with grim news: his divisional commander had crossed the Yangtze River with his chief of staff the previous afternoon. Now, he was on his own. He didn't linger near the riverside chaos, quickly realizing there was nothing he could do there. Instead, he chose to move downstream, hoping to find a secure spot for himself and his soldiers to wait out the next few days before devising an escape from the war zone.  He was fortunate, for soon the Japanese would live up to their notorious reputation developed during their advance from Shanghai; they were not inclined to take prisoners. That afternoon, several hundred Chinese soldiers arrived at the northern end of the Safety Zone. The committee responsible for the area stated that they could offer no assistance. In a misguided attempt to boost morale, they suggested that if the soldiers surrendered and promised not to engage in combat, the Japanese would likely show them "merciful treatment." This optimism was woefully misplaced. Later that same day, Japanese troops entered the zone, dragging out 200 Chinese men, the majority of them soldiers, for execution just outside the city. On December 13, Japanese soldiers started patrolling the riverbank, shooting at anything and anyone floating downstream. Their comrades aboard naval vessels in the river cheered them on, applauding each time they struck another helpless victim in the water. Civilians were not spared either. While traveling through downtown Nanjing as the battle concluded, Rabe observed dead men and women every 100 to 200 yards, most of them shot in the back. A long line of Chinese men marched down the street, numbering in the hundreds, all destined for death. In a cruel twist, they were compelled to carry a large Japanese flag. They were herded into a vacant lot by a couple of Japanese soldiers and as recalled by American correspondent Archibald Steele "There, they were brutally shot dead in small groups. One Japanese soldier stood over the growing pile of corpses, firing into any bodies that showed movement." The killings commenced almost immediately after the fall of Nanjing. The victorious Japanese spread out into the city streets, seeking victims. Those unfortunate enough to be captured faced instant execution or were taken to larger killing fields to meet a grim fate alongside other Chinese prisoners. Initially, the Japanese targeted former soldiers, whether real or imagined, but within hours, the scope of victims expanded to include individuals of all age groups and genders. By the end of the first day of occupation, civilian bodies littered the streets of downtown Nanjing at a rate of roughly one per block. The defenseless and innocent were subjected to murder, torture, and humiliation in a relentless spree of violence that persisted for six harrowing weeks. At the time of the attack, Nanjing felt eerily abandoned, houses stood boarded up, vehicles lay toppled in the streets, and the once-ubiquitous rickshaws had vanished. However, hundreds of thousands remained hidden indoors, seeking refuge. The most visible sign of the city's new rulers was the display of the Japanese flag. On the morning of December 14, the Rising Sun flag was hoisted across the city, seen in front of private homes, businesses, and public buildings. Many of these flags were hastily made, often a simple white sheet with a red rag affixed, hoping to be spared. As the days progressed, horrifying accounts of violence began to emerge. A barber, the sole survivor among eight people in his shop when the Japanese arrived, was admitted to a hospital with a stab wound that had nearly severed his head from his body, damaging all muscles at the back of his neck down to his spinal canal. A woman suffered a brutal throat wound, while another pregnant woman was bayoneted in the abdomen, resulting in the death of her unborn child. A man witnessed his wife being stabbed through the heart and then saw his child hurled from a window to the street several floors below. These are but a few stories of individual atrocities committed. Alongside this there were mass executions, predominantly targeting young able-bodied men, in an effort to weaken Nanjing and deprive it of any potential resistance in the future. American professor, Lewis Smythe recalled “The disarmed soldier problem was our most serious one for the first three days, but it was soon resolved, as the Japanese shot all of them.” On the evening of December 15, the Japanese rounded up 1,300 former soldiers from the Safety Zone, binding them in groups of about 100 and marching them away in silence. A group of foreigners, permitted to leave Nanjing on a Japanese gunboat, accidentally became witnesses to the ensuing slaughter. While waiting for their vessel, they took a brief walk along the riverbank and stumbled upon a scene of mass execution, observing the Japanese shooting the men one by one in the back of the neck. “We observed about 100 such executions until the Japanese officer in charge noticed us and ordered us to leave immediately”. Not all killings were premeditated; many occurred impulsively. A common example was when Japanese soldiers led lines of Chinese POWs to holding points, tightly bound together with ropes. Every few yards, a Japanese soldier would stand guard with a fixed bayonet aimed at the prisoners as they trudged forward. Suddenly, one of the prisoners slipped, causing a domino effect as he fell, dragging down the men in front of and behind him. The entire group soon found themselves collapsed on the ground, struggling to stand. The Japanese guards lost their patience, jabbing their bayonets into the writhing bodies until none remained alive. In one of the largest massacres, Japanese troops from the Yamada Detachment, including the 65th Infantry Regiment, systematically executed between 17,000 and 20,000 Chinese prisoners from December 15 to 17. These prisoners were taken to the banks of the Yangtze River near Mufushan, where they were machine-gunned to death. The bodies were then disposed of by either burning or flushing them downstream. Recent research by Ono Kenji has revealed that these mass killings were premeditated and carried out systematically, in accordance with orders issued directly by Prince Asaka. A soldier from the IJA's 13th Division described killing wounded survivors of the Mufushan massacre in his diary “I figured that I'd never get another chance like this, so I stabbed thirty of the damned Chinks. Climbing atop the mountain of corpses, I felt like a real devil-slayer, stabbing again and again, with all my might. 'Ugh, ugh,' the Chinks groaned. There were old folks as well as kids, but we killed them lock, stock, and barrel. I also borrowed a buddy's sword and tried to decapitate some. I've never experienced anything so unusual”. Frequently, the Japanese just left their victims wherever they fell. Corpses began to accumulate in the streets, exposed to the elements and onlookers. Cars constantly were forced to run over corpses. Corpses were scavenged by stray dogs, which, in turn, were consumed by starving people. The water became toxic; workers in the Safety Zone discovered ponds clogged with human remains. In other instances, the Japanese gathered their machine-gunned or bayoneted victims into large heaps, doused them in kerosene, and set them ablaze. Archibald Steele wrote for the Chicago Daily News on December 17th “I saw a grisly scene at the north gate, where what was once a group of 200 men had become a smoldering mass of flesh and bones, so severely burned around the neck and head that it was difficult to believe he was still human.” During the chaos in the beginning, whereupon the Japanese had not yet fully conquered the city, its defenders scrambled desperately to escape before it was too late. Individually or in small groups, they sought vulnerabilities in the enemy lines, acutely aware that their survival hinged on their success. Months of conflict had trained them to expect no mercy if captured; previous experiences had instilled in them the belief that a swift death at the hands of the Japanese would be a fortunate outcome. On December 12, amid intense artillery fire and aerial bombardment, General Tang Sheng-chi issued the order for his troops to retreat. However, conflicting directives and a breakdown in discipline transformed the ensuing events into a disaster. While some Chinese units successfully crossed the river, a far greater number were ensnared in the widespread chaos that engulfed the city. In their desperation to evade capture, some Chinese soldiers resorted to stripping civilians of their clothing to disguise themselves, while many others were shot by their own supervisory units as they attempted to flee.Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individual escape stories emerged from this period. In some rare instances, entire units, even up to divisional strength, successfully infiltrated Japanese lines to reach safety. For others, such as the 156th Division, there were detailed plans outlining escape routes from Nanjing. Several soldiers and officers adhered to this three-day trek, skillfully evading Japanese patrols until they reached Ningguo, located south of the capital. Nonetheless, these cases were exceptions. The vast majority of soldiers from China's defeated army faced significant risk and were more likely to be captured than to escape. Some of Chiang Kai-shek's most elite units suffered near total annihilation. Only about a thousand soldiers from the 88th Division managed to cross the Yangtze safely, as did another thousand from the Training Division, while a mere 300 from the 87th Division survived. Even for units like the 156th Division, the escape plans were only effective for those who learned of them. These plans were hurriedly disseminated through the ranks as defeat loomed, leaving mere chance to determine who received the information. Many stayed trapped in Nanjing, which had become a fatal snare. One day, Japanese soldiers visited schools within Nanjing's Safety Zone, aware that these locations sheltered many refugees. They called for all former soldiers to step forward, promising safety in exchange for labor. Many believed that the long days of hiding were finally coming to an end and complied with the request. However, they were led to an abandoned house, where they were stripped naked and bound together in groups of five. Outside, a large bonfire had been ignited. They were then bayoneted and, while still alive, thrown onto the flames. Only a few managed to escape and share the horrifying tale. The Japanese were of course well aware that numerous soldiers were hiding in Nanjing, disguised as locals, evidenced by the piles of military uniforms and equipment accumulating in the streets. Consequently, they initiated a systematic search for soldiers within hours of taking control. The Safety Zone was not spared, as the Japanese Army suspected that Chinese soldiers had sought refuge there. On December 16, they raided Ginling College, despite a policy prohibiting the admission of men, except for elderly residents in a designated dining room. The soldiers brought axes to force open doors that were not immediately complied with and positioned six machine guns on the campus, prepared to fire at anyone attempting to escape. Ultimately, they found nothing. In cases where they did encounter young men of military age, the soldiers lined them up, scrutinizing for distinct telltale features such as close-cropped hair, helmet marks, or shoulder blisters from carrying a rifle. Many men, who had never served in the military but bore callouses from hard manual labor, were captured based on the assumption that such marks indicated military experience. As noted by Goerge Fitch the head of Nanjing's YMCA “Rickshaw coolies, carpenters, and other laborers are frequently taken”. The Japanese employed additional, more cunning tactics to root out soldiers. During an inspection of a camp within the Safety Zone, they struggled to get the approximately 6,000 men and women to surrender. Before leaving, they resorted to one last trick. “Attention!” a voice commanded in flawless Chinese. Many young men, conditioned by months or years of military training, instinctively responded. Even though most realized their mistake almost immediately, it was too late; the Japanese herded them away. Given the scale of the slaughter, efforts were soon organized to facilitate the killing and disposal of as many individuals as possible in the shortest time. Rows of prisoners were mowed down by machine-gun fire, while those injured were finished off with single bullets or bayonets. Much of the mass murder occurred near the Yangtze River, where victims could be disposed of easily by being pushed into the water, hoping the current would carry them away.As the weeks progressed and the Japanese grew increasingly concerned about the possibility of former soldiers still at large, the dragnet tightened. Beginning in late December, Japanese authorities implemented a registration system for all residents of Nanjing. At Ginling College, this process lasted about a week and resulted in scenes of almost indescribable chaos, as the Japanese also decided to register residents from the surrounding areas on campus. First, the men were registered, followed by the women. Often, women attended the registration to help save their husbands and sons, who would otherwise have been taken as suspected former soldiers. Despite these efforts, a total of 28 men were ultimately seized during the registration process at Ginling College. Each individual who registered received a document from the authorities. However, it soon became clear that this paper provided little protection against the caprices of the Japanese military. That winter in Nanjing, everyone was a potential victim. While systematic mass killings primarily targeted young men of military age, every category of people faced death in the days and weeks following the Japanese conquest of Nanjing. Reports indicated that fifty police officers from the Safety Zone were executed for permitting Chinese soldiers to enter the area. The city's firefighters were taken away to meet an uncertain fate, and six street sweepers were killed inside their dwelling. Like an uncontrollable epidemic, the victors' bloodlust seemed to escalate continuously, seeking out new victims. When the Japanese ordered the Safety Zone committee to supply workers for the electricity plant in Xiaguan to restore its operations, they provided 54 individuals. Within days, 43 of them were dead. Although young men were especially targeted, the Japanese made no distinctions based on age or sex. American missionary John G. Magee documented numerous instances of indiscriminate killings, including the chilling account of two families nearly exterminated. Stabbings, shootings, and rapes marked the slaughter of three generations of innocents, including toddlers aged four and two; the older child was bayoneted, while the younger was struck in the head with a sword. The only survivors were a badly injured eight-year-old girl and her four-year-old sister, who spent the following fortnight beside their mother's decaying body. The violence was often accompanied by various forms of humiliation, as if to utterly break the spirit of the conquered people. One woman lost her parents and three children. When she purchased a coffin for her father, a Japanese soldier tore the lid off and discarded the old man's body in the street. Another soldier, in a drunken stupor, raped a Chinese woman and then vomited on her. In yet another incident, a soldier encountered a family of six huddled over a pot of thin rice soup; he stepped over them and urinated into their pot before continuing on his way, laughing heartlessly. The atrocities committed at Nanjing were not akin to something like the Holocaust. Within places like Auschwitz killings became industrialized and often took on an impersonal, unemotional character. The murders in Nanjing had an almost intimate quality, with each individual perpetrator bearing the blood of their victims on their hands, sometimes literally. In this sense, the Nanjing atrocities resemble the early Holocaust killings executed by German Einsatzgruppen in Eastern Europe, prior to the implementation of gas chambers. How many died during the Nanjing Massacre? Eyewitnesses at the time recognized that the Japanese behavior had few immediate precedents. Missionary John Magee compared the situation to the Turkish genocide of the Armenians during World War I, which was still fresh in memory. Despite this, no consensus emerged regarding the exact number of fatalities, a state of affairs that would persist for nearly eight decades. In his first comprehensive account of the atrocities following the conquest of the capital, New York Times correspondent Tillman Durdin reported that 33,000 Chinese soldiers lost their lives in Nanjing, including 20,000 who were executed. Foreign correspondent Frank Oliver claimed in a 1939 publication that 24,000 men, women, and children were put to death during the first month of the city's occupation. As time progressed, much larger figures began to circulate. After returning to Germany in 1938, John Rabe held a lecture where he cited European estimates that between 50,000 and 60,000 people had died. In February 1942, Chiang Kai-shek stated that 200,000 were slaughtered within one week. The Nanjing tribunal established by Chiang's government to try Japanese war criminals in 1946 and 1947 reported that more than 300,000 lives had been lost following the city's fall. The highest estimate recorded comes from a Chinese military expert, who put the death toll at 430,000. Currently, the figure most commonly accepted in official Chinese media is 300,000, a number also cited by various authors sympathetic to China's contemporary regime. The debate over the Nanjing death toll has been a complex and extensive discussion, likely to remain unresolved to everyone's satisfaction. As missionary and Nanjing University teacher Miner Searle Bates remarked when he testified before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in July 1946, “The scope of this killing was so extensive that no one can provide a complete picture of it.” On December 16, American missionary Minnie Vautrin witnessed a truck passing by Ginling College, loaded with eight to ten girls. When they saw the Western woman, they cried out, "Jiu ming! Jiu ming!" which means “Help! Help!” Vautrin felt powerless, fully aware of the fate that awaited them. As early as Tuesday of that week, she had documented rumors of girls being raped. The following night, women were taken in large numbers from their homes. Another missionary, John Magee wrote to his wife “The most horrible thing now is the raping of the women, which has been going on in the most shameless way I have ever known”. A tentative list compiled by Lewis Smythe detailed instances of rape occurring soon after the Japanese Army entered Nanjing: four girls at noon on December 14; four more women that evening; three female refugees on December 15; and a young wife around the same time. The accounts revealed chilling individual horrors. A 15-year-old girl was taken to a barracks housing 200 to 300 Japanese soldiers and locked in a room, where she was raped multiple times daily. Victims ranged from as young as 11 to over 80. American correspondent Edgar Snow recalled “Discards were often bayoneted by drunken soldiers,. Frequently, mothers had to witness their babies being beheaded, only to then be raped themselves.” Y.M.C.A. head George Fitch reported the case of a woman whose five-month-old infant was deliberately smothered by a soldier to silence its cries while he raped her. Such acts were a gruesome form of humiliation, designed to demonstrate that the vanquished were powerless to protect their own families. Japanese soldier Takokoro Kozo recalled “Women suffered most. No matter how young or old, they all could not escape the fate of being raped. We sent out coal trucks to the city streets and villages to seize a lot of women. And then each of them was allocated to fifteen to twenty soldiers for sexual intercourse and abuse. After raping we would also kill them”. Women were frequently killed immediately after being raped, often through horrific mutilations, such as being penetrated with bayonets, long bamboo sticks, or other objects. For instance, one six-months-pregnant woman was stabbed sixteen times in the face and body, with one stab penetrating her abdomen and killing her unborn child. In another case, a young woman had a beer bottle forcibly inserted into her vagina after being raped, and was subsequently shot.  On December 19, 1937, the Reverend James M. McCallum wrote in his diary “I know not where to end. Never I have heard or read such brutality. Rape! Rape! Rape! We estimate at least 1,000 cases a night and many by day. In case of resistance or anything that seems like disapproval, there is a bayonet stab or a bullet... People are hysterical... Women are being carried off every morning, afternoon and evening. The whole Japanese army seems to be free to go and come as it pleases, and to do whatever it pleases”.  Rabe wrote in his diary dated December 17 “wo Japanese soldiers have climbed over the garden wall and are about to break into our house. When I appear they give the excuse that they saw two Chinese soldiers climb over the wall. When I show them my party badge, they return the same way. In one of the houses in the narrow street behind my garden wall, a woman was raped, and then wounded in the neck with a bayonet. I managed to get an ambulance so we can take her to Kulou Hospital... Last night up to 1,000 women and girls are said to have been raped, about 100 girls at Ginling College...alone. You hear nothing but rape. If husbands or brothers intervene, they're shot. What you hear and see on all sides is the brutality and bestiality of the Japanese soldiers”. In a documentary film about the Nanjing Massacre, In the Name of the Emperor, a former Japanese soldier named Shiro Azuma spoke candidly about the process of rape and murder in Nanjing. “At first we used some kinky words like Pikankan. Pi means "hip", kankan means "look". Pikankan means, "Let's see a woman open up her legs." Chinese women didn't wear under-pants. Instead, they wore trousers tied with a string. There was no belt. As we pulled the string, the buttocks were exposed. We "pikankan". We looked. After a while we would say something like, "It's my day to take a bath," and we took turns raping them. It would be all right if we only raped them. I shouldn't say all right. But we always stabbed and killed them. Because dead bodies don't talk”. Without anyone to defend them, the women of Nanjing resorted to desperate measures for their safety. The young and attractive cut their hair and smeared soot on their faces to diminish their allure. Others donned boys' clothes or the garments of elderly women. However, the Japanese were well aware of these tactics and were not easily deceived. As American correspondent Snow described, it was an orgy of unprecedented debauchery, involving not only the lower ranks of the Japanese military but also officers who turned their quarters into harems, bedding a new captive each night. Open-air sexual assaults were common. During the first ten days of occupation, groups of Japanese soldiers entered the Ginling campus ten to twenty times daily, brandishing fixed bayonets stained with fresh blood. So overwhelmed, Vautrin decided to prioritize saving lives over salvaging possessions, spending those early days frantically moving across campus to prevent marauding soldiers from taking away women. A particularly tense situation unfolded on the evening of December 17, when Vautrin and other staff members at Ginling College were called to the front of the campus to confront a group of Japanese soldiers. Earlier, Vautrin had received documentation from another officer affirming that the area was a legitimate refugee camp. The soldiers torn up the document in front of her. For hours, with armed Japanese soldiers encircling them, Vautrin and her colleagues were left standing or kneeling, uncertain of what awaited them. Gradually, it became clear that they had been lured to the front gate so that other soldiers could enter through a side entrance and abduct twelve women. As Vautrin recalled “Never shall I forget the scene. The dried leaves rattling, the moaning of the wind, the cries of women being led away.” The staff remained at the entrance until 11:00 pm, fearing that hiding soldiers might fire on them if they moved. This was the only time that Vautrin was unable to prevent rape, a failure that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Some Japanese soldiers, seeking young girls, ordered a middle-aged Chinese woman to assist them in finding targets. When she either could not or would not comply, they shot a rifle across her abdomen, narrowly missing and taking away “three handbreadths of flesh.” When the Japanese Army entered Nanjing, little damage had been inflicted on the buildings, as noted by U.S. missionary James McCallum at the end of December. On the first day of their occupation, Japanese soldiers immediately dispersed into Nanjing in small groups, breaking shop windows and looting the goods within. They carried away their spoils in crates and stolen rickshaws. Initially, the looting was partly a makeshift response to the poor logistics of the Japanese Army. Combat soldiers had arrived well ahead of their supply lines and faced severe food shortages until the roads reopened and the Yangtze River became navigable.  Every building in Nanjing was looted and turned upside down. Everything not nailed down was stolen: doors and window frames were removed, safes opened with rifle shots or grenades. Japanese soldiers often pillaged property while the owners were present, threatening them with bayonets. Abandoned cars littered the streets, typically overturned and stripped of useful items, including batteries. Like Russian soldiers in Berlin seven and a half years later, the rank-and-file soldiers displayed a particular interest in watches. As the scale of plunder grew, transportation became scarce. By the end of December, looting was being conducted using trucks. When vehicles were unavailable, Japanese soldiers resorted to wheelbarrows and even children's prams. Mules, donkeys, and people were also commandeered. Just as during their advance from Shanghai to Nanjing, the Chinese were forced to assist in looting their own homes. A common sight was a Japanese soldier leading a group of Chinese down the street, laden with stolen goods. While Chinese soldiers had also engaged in some looting during their evacuation of Nanjing, it was nothing compared to the scale of the Japanese victors' plunder. The Chinese forces had deliberately avoided breaking into foreign buildings, a distinction that the Japanese disregarded. The American, British, and German embassies, along with the ambassadors' residences, were ransacked, stripped of everything from bedding and money to watches, rugs, and artwork. The American School was looted, and its wall breached to remove the piano. As the Japanese stripped the city, they also began to burn it. While the winter sky could have been sparkling, it was instead filled with smoke from thousands of fires across the city. Some fires resulted from carelessness, such as when soldiers cooked meat from a stolen cow over a bonfire, accidentally igniting an ancient building. Others were acts of mindless vandalism. The Nanking Music Shop saw all its instruments and sheets piled in the street and set ablaze. The extent of the massacre can, to some degree, be linked to a breakdown in discipline among Japanese soldiers. Released from weeks or months of hardship on the battlefield, many soldiers experienced an intoxicating sense of freedom, resembling misbehaving boys. The deterioration of order among Japanese soldiers astonished those familiar with the stories of the stringent discipline within Japan's armed forces. Observers commented on soldiers laughing at proclamations from their own officers or tearing up orders and tossing them to the ground. Some foreign witnesses speculated that this lack of discipline was exacerbated by the absence of visible individual numbers on soldiers, making it challenging to identify wrongdoers. The issue also stemmed from the quality of the Japanese officer corps and their ability to manage a large army of young men, many of whom were experiencing freedom from societal constraints for the first time. Not all officers rose to the occasion; Vautrin witnessed an officer almost fail to prevent a soldier from raping a girl. Even worse, some officers transitioned from passive bystanders, guilty by inaction, to active participants in prolonged rape sessions. While a few attempted to instill discipline among their troops, their efforts often fell short. A Japanese colonel, for instance, slapped a soldier attempting to rape a Chinese woman. Another general was seen striking a private who had bayoneted a Chinese man and threatened two Germans, raising questions about how much of this discipline was merely performative for the benefit of foreign observers. Ultimately, disciplinary measures had little impact. As Rabe noted in his diary dated December 18th “The soldiers have almost no regard for their officers”. The absence of effective higher leadership during this critical period likely exacerbated the problem. General Matsui had been suffering from malaria since November 3, which left him largely incapacitated from December 5 to 15. A subordinate later testified that he had been informed of "incidents of stealing, killing, assault, and rape and had become quite enraged.” Although Matsui may have been displeased by the unruly behavior of his soldiers, it is conceivable that his inaction led to even greater levels of atrocity than might have occurred otherwise. He insisted on holding a victory parade on December 17, immediately after recovering from his illness, which likely triggered a security frenzy among Japanese officers concerned about the safety of Prince Asaka, uncle to Emperor Hirohito. This reaction likely prompted a surge in searches for, and executions of, suspected former Chinese soldiers. The Japanese high command in Tokyo was also aware of the unraveling discipline. On January 4, 1938, Army Headquarters sent Matsui an unusually direct message ordering him to restore control among his troops: Our old friend Ishiwara Kanji bitterly criticized the situation and placed the blame on Matsui “We earnestly request enhancement of military discipline and public morals. The morale of the Japanese had never been at a lower level.” A detachment of military police eventually arrived in Nanjing, leading to some improvements, though their presence was mixed. Some officers stationed outside the Safety Zone ignored atrocities occurring before them and, in some cases, participated directly. At Ginling College, the experience with military police was decidedly uneven. The first group of about 25 men tasked with guarding the college ended up committing rape themselves.  Despite frequent visits from Japanese soldiers in search of loot and victims to assault, the Safety Zone was perceived as successful. Many believed that both the zone and the work of its managing committee were responsible for saving countless lives. W. Plumer Mills, vice chairman of the committee, noted that the zone “did give some protection during the fighting…but the chief usefulness of the Zone has been the measure of protection it has afforded to the people since the occupation.” Shortly after the Japanese conquest, the population of the Safety Zone swelled to a quarter million people. Around 70,000 of these were organized into 25 pre-arranged camps, while the majority sought accommodation wherever possible. Makeshift “mat-shed villages” sprang up in vacant areas throughout the zone. Nanjing quickly became informally divided into two distinct cities. Outside the Safety Zone, the atmosphere was ghostly, with a population dwindling to around 10,000, while within the zone, bustling activity thrived. Shanghai Road, which ran through the center of the zone and had once been a wide boulevard, transformed into a hub of barter and trade, resembling a festive market during Chinese New Year, overflowing with makeshift stalls, tea shops, and restaurants, making it nearly impossible to traverse by vehicle. The Japanese held a degree of respect for Westerners, although this sentiment was not universal and did not always offer protection. Many foreigners tried to safeguard their homes by displaying their national flags outside, but they often found that Japanese soldiers would break in regardless. To protect Ginling College, American flags were displayed at eight locations around the compound, and a large 30-foot American flag was spread out in the center. However, this proved to be “of absolutely no use” in preventing Japanese soldiers from entering the area. Despite this, there was some limited outright hostility towards Americans. Stronger negative sentiments were directed towards the Russians and the British, who were viewed as representatives of nations with competing interests against the Japanese Empire. The Japanese displayed particular reverence for one nationality, the Germans. Rabe would shout “Deutsch” or “Hitler” to command respect from unruly Japanese soldiers or show them his swastika armband, indicating his allegiance to the Nazi Party. Germany was seen as a rising power and rapidly becoming one of Japan's closest allies, a fellow outcast in global politics. However, as time passed, the limits of this respect became evident; individual soldiers began searching for women within the German embassy compound, and eventually, nearly all German buildings were broken into. Despite all the challenges, there was no doubting that foreigners offered a form of protection unavailable elsewhere. Within days of the Japanese conquest, women and children began appearing in large numbers outside Rabe's home, kneeling and knocking their heads on the ground as they begged to be let into his already overcrowded garden.  At 1:00 pm on January 1, the Chinese were proclaimed rulers of their own city, or at least this is what Japanese propaganda sought to convey. On the first day of the new year, a puppet government was established in a ceremony held just north of the Safety Zone. A new five-bar flag, the one associated with the early Chinese republic was raised, signaling a patriotic spirit in a gesture that felt unconvincing. As the new leaders took office, vowing to resurrect their city, buildings burned all around them. The ceremony marked the culmination of two weeks of preparatory work. As early as December 15, General Matsui met with a local Chinese leader, referred to in the Japanese commander's diary only as Chen, who had been selected to assist in forming this new puppet government. Chen had been present in the northern port city of Tianjin two years earlier when Matsui helped establish the Chinese chapter of the Greater Asia Association. He subscribed to Matsui's concepts of “Asia for Asians,” but cautioned that Chinese fears of the Japanese would complicate the governance of the conquered territories.   The new government aligned with the Japanese army to implement a system of indoctrination centered on conservatism, primarily targeting the youth, who were perceived as most likely to resist. The indoctrination included messages like, “You must follow the old custom in marriage, letting your parents make arrangements for you. You must not go to theaters or study English, etc. China and Japan must become one, and then the nation will be strong.” Few were deceived by these attempts to win hearts and minds. The government-sanctioned newspaper, the Xinshengbao, or New Life Journal, was immediately dismissed as a crude vehicle for propaganda. Additionally, the government made minimal progress in more urgent tasks, such as restoring peacetime conditions and revitalizing Nanjing's economy, a challenge made formidable by Japanese brutality. Given the fate of the first group of volunteers at the electricity plant after the conquest, no one could be found to fill the needed 40 to 45 worker slots. The same was true for firefighters. The predictable outcomes followed. Water and limited power were restored to parts of the city by January 2, but within two days, the city was plunged back into darkness. By January 13, the waterworks were still non-operational, and the power supply remained intermittent while fires continued to blaze well into January. The government was not taken seriously, struggling even with the Japanese. It quickly built a reputation for being venal and corrupt. One of its names was the Nanjing Autonomous Government, which a clever member of the foreign community humorously rebranded as the “Automatic Government,” reflecting its actual role as a puppet regime devoid of autonomy.  While Nanjing endured its own nightmarish reality, the city's inhabitants had little understanding of the events transpiring beyond its walls. The first radio news that reached foreign residents came on January 7, reporting Japanese air raids on Wuhan. There were also unconfirmed rumors suggesting that Hangzhou was experiencing similar horrors to those in Nanjing, but details were scarce. It was perhaps expected that reports from afar would be limited in wartime, yet information about situations closer to Nanjing was similarly scarce, and the horrific truth gradually dawned on the city's populace. A Westerner who managed to escape east from Nanjing in early January reported that all villages within a 20-mile radius had been burned to the ground. Outside the city, Japanese soldiers were randomly shooting civilians, including children. A German who drove an hour from Nanjing encountered no living souls. After the conquest, Chinese who managed to leave Nanjing reported that every pond between the city and Juyong was filled with the decaying corpses of people and animals. Many of the atrocities committed during this time appeared to stem from boredom and a search for cheap thrills. American missionary Magee witnessed a young farmer who had sustained severe burns on his upper body. After the soldiers demanded money from him and he failed to comply, they doused him in kerosene and set him ablaze. Similarly, a young boy suffered horrific burns after he failed to lead a group of soldiers to his “mama.” People in the rural areas surrounding Nanjing faced danger from numerous directions. Not only were they potential targets for marauding Japanese soldiers, but they were also at risk from bands of Chinese outlaws, who preyed on the large influx of refugees on the roads and the few souls who remained at home despite the fierce conflict raging nearby. Magee encountered a 49-year-old woman whose home was invaded by bandits looking for money. “When she and her husband said they had none they battered her head and breast with a stool and burned her feet until she revealed their savings of between four and five dollars.” In the absence of a formal government, informal authority was often wielded by secret societies. For instance, the “Big Sword Society” reportedly offered protection not only against Japanese soldiers and local bandits but also against small groups of Chinese troops seeking to escape back to their lines and resorting to theft for survival. What a blast from the past eh?   Rumors began to circulate in early January 1938 that the Chinese Army was preparing to retake Nanjing and that Chiang Kai-shek's soldiers had already been spotted inside the city walls. Many of the small makeshift Japanese flags that had appeared outside private homes in mid-December suddenly vanished, and some Chinese residents who had been wearing Japanese armbands hastily removed them. There was even talk of launching an attack on the Japanese embassy. Word spread that the Japanese were becoming frightened and were searching for Chinese clothing to disguise themselves as civilians in the event of a retreat. In reality, none of this was true. The Chinese Army was still reorganizing after the costly campaign that had forced it from Shanghai to Nanjing and then further into the interior. However, this did not imply that the Japanese had achieved complete control over the city. After six weeks of terror, Nanjing began to reassert itself. Japanese soldiers faced fatalities and injuries in skirmishes with members of secret organizations like the “Yellow Spears” and the “Big Sword Society.”  After the New Year, the population within the Safety Zone began to dwindle. A week into 1938, the number of refugees at Ginling College, which had peaked at more than 10,000, fell to around 5,000. Less than a month after the conquest, many former residents started returning to their homes during the day and then coming back to the college at night. Still, the city was far from safe, and even for those whose homes were located within the Safety Zone, Vautrin believed it was unwise to stray too far from her refugee camp. One month after Japanese forces had surged through its gates, Nanjing was a thoroughly devastated city, with fires still being set every day and night. By mid-January, estimates suggested that more than half the city had been burned down, with the main shopping district completely gone, as well as the entertainment area surrounding the Confucius Temple. Nevertheless, slowly but surely, the shell-shocked city began to pull itself together and started the long process of renewal. Vautrin considered opening an industrial school offering four-month courses for women to help compensate for the loss of labor resulting from the indiscriminate killing of men. Chinese New Year fell on January 31, 1938. Celebrated throughout Asia, it was also recognized by the Japanese. It was a “dismal, muddy” day, and as many feared, soldiers who appeared “too happy” from excessive drinking attempted to enter the Safety Zone in search of women but were stopped. The sound of thousands of firecrackers filled the air, fulfilling the age-old purpose of scaring away evil spirits. Refugees in Rabe's compound presented him with a large red silk banner adorned with a gold Chinese inscription. His Chinese friends translated the message for him “You are the living Buddha For a hundred thousand people”. 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. In December 1937, the battle for Nanjing left its residents in terror as the Japanese army advanced. Following the invasion, a horrific massacre began, with thousands targeted in brutal killings, torture, and humiliation. Civilians and soldiers alike were indiscriminately slain, and the Japanese military showed no mercy. To this day the Nanjing Massacre stands as a testament to the unbelievable evil man holds within him.

If you've ever felt stuck in the cycle of bloating, gut issues, and restriction, this episode is going to speak directly to you.  In this interview, I sit down with Vital Spark functional health practitioner coach Elizabeth McMillin, whose story is as relatable as it is inspiring.  Growing up in an Italian household where gluten and dairy were staples, Elizabeth struggled with constant bloating, GI distress, and the stigma of being labeled “big-boned.” As a teen athlete, she fell into the all-too-common restrict–inflame cycle, chasing results through unsustainable habits that left her more inflamed than ever. Her turning point came when she discovered her true triggers and realized healing wasn't about restriction, but nourishment. From the relatable Lenny & Larry's cookie moment to creating her own product, HIIT Dough, Elizabeth turned her pain into purpose, proving it's possible to enjoy food without gut backlash.  In this episode, she shares how calming inflammation allowed her metabolism to finally rev back up, the underestimated role of stress and sleep in gut health, and why she's currently planning deeper functional testing postpartum. Elizabeth also opens up about life as a Special Forces wife, the resilience it demanded, and how that unique perspective now shapes the way she supports her clients. With advanced training under Dr. Carrie Jones's curriculum and deep dives into autoimmunity and hormones, she brings both credibility and compassion to her work. Most importantly, Elizabeth's story mirrors the struggles of so many women and she believes true healing comes when empathy and protocols work hand-in-hand. Whether you've battled gut issues, restrictive diets, or hormonal chaos, you'll walk away from this episode with hope, clarity, and the belief that you don't have to live in survival mode anymore. Tune in to hear how Elizabeth broke free from the restrict–inflame cycle, why she's so passionate about helping women fuel their bodies, and what's truly possible when you address the root cause. Time Stamps: (3:10) Early Gut Issues and Growing Up Italian(7:20) Navigating Inflammation(12:52) Deployment and Stress(16:20) The Creation of HIIT Dough(22:16) Pregnancy During COVID(28:57) Recent Client Case Study(35:42) What Drew Coach Elizabeth To Vital Spark(40:55) We See You(43:24) Where To Find Coach Elizabeth---------------------Follow Abbe on IG: @Blowoutsbyabbeandmore---------------------Find Out More Information on Vital Spark Coaching---------------------Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. ---------------------Download Our FREE Metabolism-Boosting Workout Program---------------------Join the Women's Metabolism Secrets Facebook Community for 25+ videos teaching you how to start losing fat without hating your life!---------------------Click here to send me a message on Facebook and we'll see how I can help or what best free resources I can share!---------------------Interested in 1-on-1 Coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts? Apply Here!---------------------Check out our Youtube Channel!---------------------Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

We're back for another episode of Wrestling Omakase as John is joined by a first time guest, another John, US indie wrestler John Bivins! John tells John all about working as an indie wrestler in the southeast US, how he got started and what it was like starting at the height of the pandemic in 2020, how the wrestling he does himself is very different from all the Japanese wrestling he enjoys watching as a fan and a whole lot more! Plus, John (as in your humble host) shares more baseball nervousness, the two talk a bit about flying nerves, and a whole bunch of other random topics!The show talk starts off with the finals of the AJPW Oudou Tournament from 9/15, as they break down a good ending to a bad tournament. They discuss the All Asia tag title match, Kento Miyahara's victory, and talk about where things might be going next for AJPW heading into the Real World Tag League and ultimately toward their biggest show of the year on New Year's Eve.Then they head over to the land of Tokyo Joshi for their big Wrestle Princess event from Ota Ward Gym. They discuss TJPW doing a bit of a disappointing number, an undercard that was full of fun matches, a surprisingly great International title match, and a main event that was pretty much just as awesome as expected. They also discuss the big news that TJPW is headed back to Ryogoku next year.After that they shift from show reviews to a show preview, as John & John take a look ahead to next weekend's NJPW Destruction in Kobe event! They break down each match on the show in detail, discuss possible Wrestle Kingdom directions, and also talk about the concept of separating out the junior title matches from the "big show" (as they once again have done this week).Finally, they finish things up with four more shows from the very underwhelming NOAH N-1 Victory, nights 5 through 8 to be exact, as the block portion comes to a close. One of the Johns actually seemed to enjoy this tournament more than the other, but both seemed to agree it had a low ceiling at least. They also preview the upcoming finals from Korakuen this Tuesday!Check out John Bivins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.bivins.372And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrock.darkroast/Follow Wrestling Omakase on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Birthdays have a way of sneaking up on us. When we were kids, it was all about cake, candles, and balloons. As adults - especially as moms — they can start to feel like just another date on the calendar, squeezed between school emails, soccer games, and endless to-do lists.But what if birthdays weren't just about a number? What if they became checkpoints, gentle pauses to reflect on how far we've come and what we want for the season ahead?In this heartfelt episode, Vanessa - licensed therapist, mom coach, and host of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast - shares her own mid-forties reflections and the lessons that come with raising both a tween and a toddler at the same time. With humor, honesty, and plenty of real talk, she dives into how aging can feel less like loss and more like coming back to yourself.Vanessa also opens up about the simple practices she uses around her birthday to reset, writing down reflections, creating an “I Want List,” and giving herself permission slips for rest, joy, and change. And she reminds moms everywhere that we don't have to wait until birthdays or New Year's to check in with ourselves. Whether you're in survival mode, juggling all the things, or just needing a reminder that it's never too late to get yourself back, this episode offers grounding, laughter, and a mindful meditation to carry with you.EPISODE DESCRIPTIONWhy birthdays can serve as powerful checkpoints for growthHow motherhood changes the way we see aging, and ourselvesSimple reflection practices you can start todayThe importance of weekly pauses to reconnect with yourselfTUNE IN TO LEARNHow aging can be an act of alignment, not invisibilityWhy moms often lose themselves in the roles they carryTwo simple ways to pause and reflect without waiting for New Year'sThe power of permission slips for joy, rest, and rediscovering yourselfTAKEAWAY MESSAGEGetting older isn't about losing who we are - it's about finding our way back. With each year, we're invited to stand more firmly in our truth, honor our growth, and give ourselves permission to be more us. Parents.Com Referenced ArticleSend us a textSupport the show120 COPING SKILLShttps://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskillsCULTIVATE CALM CHALLENGEhttps://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-cultivatingcalmchallenge 1:1 PRIVATE COACHING FOR MOMS https://www.amigamoms.com/coaching WATCH THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:https://www.youtube.com/@counselorvdejesus GET THE MUSE HEADBAND AT A DISCOUNT!https://choosemuse.com/freetobemindfulUse this link to get 15% off your total when you purchase the amazing brain sensing headband that tells you when you're in a meditative state and guides you to improve your practice.STAY CONNECTED:Show Hashtag: #freetobemindfulpodcastWebsite: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcastAll Social Channels: @counselorvdejesus DISCLAIMER:Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

Back-to-school season isn't just for students—it's the perfect time for all of us to hit the reset button. In this episode of Between Two White Coats, Dr. Michelle Plaster and Nurse Practitioner Amber Foster share practical, inspiring ways to treat the fall season as a “second New Year.”They cover:

Hello dear listeners, we hope you are enjoying the teaser episodes of Haunted UK Fiction so far! The holiday season is quickly approaching, and we are looking for story submissions that combine both the paranormal and Christmas or New Year's Eve. There are countless stories involving ghosts and the holidays, the most famous of which is undoubtedly A Christmas Carol… No need to write an entire novel though! We at Haunted UK Fiction are ideally looking for short stories anywhere from 5-15 pages long, but flash fiction and novellas will also be considered. If you have a tale waiting in the wings, whether it's in a notebook that got tucked in a drawer years ago, or something that has been rattling around in your head waiting for the perfect time to be freed from the confines of your imagination… why not put pen to paper, then send your story in to hauntedukfiction@hotmail.com – that's hauntedukfiction@hotmail.comThe deadline for story submissions is the 1st of November.Who knows… the next story to be featured on our show… could be yours!

Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon!NEWSBatman #1 sells 500,000 copiesDecember 2025 DC comics solicitations!DC turns December into “All Fight Month” with ‘DC K.O.'Absolute Joker is frightening!Scott Snyder unleashes 'Absolute Arkham': A terrifying horror special with shocking surprisesBatman Day 2025 brings tours, rare comics, LEGO reveals, and a new animated seriesRed Sonja battles snow panthers & ice giants in brutal New Year's Special from Dan PanosianTerminator turns Christmas into Judgment Day in new holiday horror comicMad Cave announces new Christmas fantasy series Our Soot Stained Heart 'ThunderCats Ho!(liday) Special' celebrates the season in December 2025Dynamite Comics joins Neon Ichiban: 'The Boys', 'Red Sonja', 'ThunderCats' & more go digitalSleeping Beauty's darkest retelling reaches its finale in 'Briar: Night's Terror' #1 this DecemberInvincible finally teams up with Spider-Man again in massive omnibus collectionEXCLUSIVE: ‘Radioactive Spider-Man' #1 reveals a twisted Peter Parker with a surprising X-Men connectionX-Men editor confirms 'Magik' creative team will return in 2026Marvel Comics solicitations December 2025!Knull returns: Marvel launching first-ever solo series for the King in Black in 2026Marvel's swimsuit tradition gets frosty with 'Winter Break Special' #1 this DecemberWith a main cover by Greg FUCKING LandMarvel teases new hero Logo from 'Deadpool/Batman' #1Marvel unleashes 3 New X-Men solo series in 2026 — Cyclops, Deadpool & Psylocke!After 'Age of Revelation' Marvel reveals 'Shadows of Tomorrow' X-Men teaserFrom the Ultimate Universe to Marvel's core: Miles Morales carries a dangerous secret'The Darkness' relaunches in December with Marc Silvestri & Image Comics relaunchSCOOP: BOOM! Studios unveils ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Zord Quest' #1Kyle Starks brings the smackdown in 'Wrestle Heist' from Image ComicsDark Horse Comics and Crystal Dynamics reunite for 'Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts' #1Our Top Books of the WeekDave:Ultimates #16 (Deniz Camp, Juan Frigeri)Amazing Spider-Man (2025) #12 (Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness)Alex:​​Absolute Flash #7 (Jeff Lemire, Travis Moore)The New Gods #10 (Ram V, Evan Cagle, Simon Parr)Standout KAPOW moment of the week:Alex: Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 (Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, Jan Bazaldua, Erick Arciniega) 2-for-1 kapow!!Dave: This Ends Tonight #3 (Gerry Duggan, Kelvin Mao, Jae Lee)TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEKAlex: Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #2 (James Tynion IV, Dani)Dave: Ice Cream Man #47 (W. Maxwell Prince, Martin Morazzo)JUDGING BY THE COVER JR.Dave: Maybe, or, orAlex: Wynd: The Power of Blood #5 (Peach Momoko & Taurin Clarke)Interview: B. Earl and Taboo on Ultimate Hawkeye one-shot - September 24, 2025 - Indigenous Voices book 1. Ultimate Hawkeye #1 is the first solo one-shot of the new Ultimate line — what excited you most about giving Charli Ramsey their own spotlight outside of Ultimates?2. Taboo, you've mentioned this issue is dedicated to your Indigenous relative Jeffrey Veregge — how did that dedication influence the tone or themes of the story?3. The reveal of an all-new Ultimate Ronin is huge — without spoiling too much, how did you want to reimagine this identity for the Ultimate Universe?4. You've both tackled grounded, character-driven Marvel stories before (Daredevil & Echo, Werewolf by Night). How did those past experiences shape your approach to writing in the heightened, alternate-reality stakes of the Ultimate Universe?5. This book also has a framing story by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri — how did you coordinate with them to make sure the one-shot felt both self-contained and part of the bigger Ultimate Endgame build-up?6. The Ultimate line has always been about bold reinvention — what's one thing you think this current era is doing better or differently than the original 2000s run?7. Michael Sta. Maria's art really pops in the preview pages — what kinds of visual cues or storytelling beats did you build into the script knowing his style?

When September hits, I always say it's like a second “New Year.” Schedules tighten, routines reset, and — let's be honest — the germs start flying. It is cootie season! packed classrooms, sports getting kids run down while exposure is increased. Between classrooms, sports teams, offices, and the changing seasons, our immune systems can be suddenly challenged. And this year, I want your family armed and ready — not with fear, but with resilience.I am going to talk about the basics, the foundations of immune health: the basics I wrote about in my book, get out of hormone hell. sleep, nutrition, hydration, and those sneaky daily habits that can either help or hurt. Because before you even think about supplements or fancy immune tonics, the truth is, like with any illness or complaint: if the basics aren't in place, your defenses are only half-built.So grab a notebook, maybe even your kids, and let's dive in.

Ooh, do we need to catch up... It's been a minute! Thank you for joining me, today I want to talk you through a little of the anatomy of achieving a big goal, what I've learned in becoming a bestselling author & tell you allll about my book tour! I hope there are some early bird tickets left for my 2026 New Year's Goal Setting Party! Find out HERE. You can buy my Sunday Times Bestselling book Manifest Like a Mother here. (Amazon Affiliate) Come and find me @francescaamber & @lawofattractionchangedmylife on Instagram - I would LOVE to hear from you.Join the Book Club B*tches - the UK's largest self development book club. Starting 1st October we're reading Aligned Abundance by Emma Mumford. Honestly this book club and the bad b*tches within it are my self development secret. They are the BIGGEST secret to my success and I'm in love with life long learning! Come and join us, it's not a cult, it's probably not a coven but it IS the best. You can find all my work including overnight subliminals for weight loss, wealth, fertility, beauty and confidence, success etc..as well as online masterclasses on my website, francescaamber.comThings I love that I think you'll love too...Hitting my health and body goals every day with my at home walking pad. Use code 'francescaamber' for 5% off.Try my favourite magnesium supplement for FREE with this 5 day free trial.Thank you so much for listening and I'll see you again next week,Fran xxx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Year Kick Off Rosh Hashanah Event

Watch us on Youtube: https://youtu.be/B2BofINE4pw As Israel's ground operation in Gaza City escalates, Prime Minister Netanyahu briefly suggests the country must become economically self-sufficient — only to backtrack, rattling markets in the process. Meanwhile, cultural boycotts mount, from the Emmys to Eurovision.Yonit and Jonathan unpack the political spin, economic fallout, and the global cultural backlash. They're also joined by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl for our Rosh Hashana tradition — reflecting on moral accountability in Gaza, the meaning of the High Holy Days in wartime, and the challenge of unity in a divided Jewish world.Plus: Yonit joins from Paris, where she sat down for an interview with French President Emmanuel Macron, in which he lays out his thinking on recognition of a Palestinian state — and answers the question: why now? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How difficult is it to repent? How hard is it to examine your behavior, your choices, your values, your decisions to determine which are in need of improvement? How hard is it to reconsider your choices, to regret your mistakes, and to chart a new path forward, a path of righteousness, a path of purity, a path of holiness? Repentance demands a degree of self-sacrifice. To repent means to abandon from your previous self and to forge a new person, one free of that sinful way. In effect, to repent is to to eliminate the previous self in order to make way for the new you.  Surprisingly, on Moshe's last day of his life, he describes repentance as something which is very easy. It is not distance, it is not beyond you, is not in the heavens or across the seas; it is in your mouth and your heart to perform it. In this interesting, elegant, and very topical podcast, we reveal new frameworks of repentance that will help us move past any negative associations we may have with repentance, and make the upcoming season of repentance more powerful, more productive, and more efficacious.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor of our parents Drs. David and Susanne Gelb from the Gelb, Goldman and Shacknofsky families. Wishing them and all of Klal Yisrael a Shana Tova Umetuka, a good and sweet New Year. May this learning also  be in merit of Avner ben Avraham HaCohen, Shayndel bat David, Meshulam ben David, Avraham ben Menachem Mendel HaKohen, Ashraf Rachel bat Yosef Halevi, and Nissan ben Shimon. May their Neshamas have an Aliyah. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Host Miko Lee speaks with author, activist Michelle MiJung Kim about her new Podcast, I Feel That Way Too. Then we listen to the first episode. Michelle MiJung Kim Website I Feel That Way Too podcast     I FEEL THAT WAY TOO show Transcript Miko Lee: Welcome to APEX Express. I'm your host, Miko Lee, and tonight I'll be talking with author, speaker, and activist, Michelle MiJung Kim, about the new podcast. So we get to listen after the interview to the very first episode, and you get a little behind the scenes with activist Michelle MiJung. Kim, stay tuned. welcome, Michelle MiJung Kim to Apex Express. I'm so excited to chat with you. You are an award-winning author, activist, and now a podcast host. Hello girl. Welcome. Yay. Michelle MiJung Kim: Hello. Thank you so much for having me, Miko. I'm so excited. Miko Lee: I wanna start with my big question, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Michelle MiJung Kim: Hmm. What a deep question that I can go on forever about. My people are, first and foremost people who are in my life, who have supported me throughout. Everything that I've gone through in my life, including my friends and family who have different lineages, people, most of the people that I hold near and dear carry with them, a deep understanding of their historical trauma, their familial trauma, and people who are courageous enough to share them [00:02:00] with me. So that really creates this bond that I have with my people. A lot of my people are in the queer and trans community and in the physical space of the Ohlone land, also known as Oakland, California. A lot of my community rooted in my Asian American identity. Miko Lee: Love this. My follow up, what is the legacy you carry with you from your people? Michelle MiJung Kim: The legacy that I carry from my people that jumps out to me right now is the legacy of my grandparents. My grandparents were both born in Korea. My grandpa from the north, my grandma from the south, and I am always thinking about how my grandpa was fighting for the Korea's liberation from Japanese occupation, and he was a writer himself. I always saw him writing and he had [00:03:00] stacks of paper ready to be published, but he ended up not being able to publish before he passed. So my book dedication starts with my gratitude to my grandparents and my grandpa specifically. The legacy of his work, his spirit, his love for philosophy, social justice language I carry with me. My grandmother, who was part of the first class of women in her generation to go to a university she was a badass matriarch of our family and her energy, her audacity, her courage, her confidence in her herself and her community is what I try to channel. I think about them every day. Miko Lee: Ugh. I love that. I'm wondering if you could share a little bit about your book. Michelle MiJung Kim: My book is called The Wake Up Closing The Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change and really it's part memoir, part [00:04:00] principles of Social justice that I hold near to my heart. I really wanted to write a book that could be timeless and that could put into accessible ways how we can embody these values that are important for our collective liberation. So much of the social justice work that I encountered throughout my education journey had been highly intellectualized and theoretical and sometimes not unpacked in ways that feel human. I wanna see how people are struggling to hold social justice values while living their daily lives. How sometimes it gets challenging to embody the values that we say are important to us because it asks us to trade off our comfort and safety sometimes. I wanted to be really honest about my experience trying to live in alignment with my values, including the parts of my own contradictions and struggles and paradoxes that I've had to navigate. Miko Lee: Such a powerful [00:05:00] book for the time of now in that it does have the personal story, but then also recognizing what's happening in our world. It's really action forward. Tell me how you got from this book to creating a podcast series called. I feel that way too. Tell me what inspired this whole series? Michelle MiJung Kim: I think it is an extension of the work that I've been doing, which really marries personal storytelling and social justice values. I Feel that way too, exploring these tricky life questions like, can we be friends if we politically disagree? What if I'm not above revenge, even though I am a self-proclaimed abolitionist? Why do I have this urge to, be vengeful and why do I feel gleeful when people that have done harm get punished, right? Am I supposed to sleep with one person for the rest of my life? Am I a bad daughter? These are all the questions that I've struggled [00:06:00] with. I wanted to have an opportunity to unpack them with raw honesty and with guests that could really help guide me in thinking about these things while trying to stay tethered to my values around social justice. I've always been a fan of audio storytelling. So this was the perfect opportunity to explore that, especially in an era where the world is constantly insisting we solve these issues in isolation and we deal with our traumas in shame and without each other's witnessing. This is my way of hopefully making people feel a little bit less alone in their struggles and also in a way that, helps us to build more courage and community through stories. Miko Lee: I binge the entire season. Super fun, super personal., I was wondering how did you decide on these topics? Did they come naturally [00:07:00] or did you create an arc? Tell me about your process. Michelle MiJung Kim: I had probably two, three pages long list of topics that I wanted to explore and we had to pick and narrow it down. I wanted to tackle questions that felt existential in the collective psyche. I look at and feel into the zeitgeist of what is happening in the world . These are the questions that I wanted to explore because of my own life, but also some of these questions bring up a lot of shame and tension. when I looked at other podcasts that were exploring similar topics, I just felt as though a lot of these issues were being talked about in a very intellectualized way, in a very theoretical way without the raw sort of personal storytelling aspect that I was craving. So this was my attempt at being, courageous and practicing what I preach and being able to share some of the more vulnerable [00:08:00] tensions that aren't typically explored in the public arena. Miko Lee: Oh wow. So two whole more pages for future seasons of shows to do. I was, struck by how vulnerable the episodes are, how they're so personal. The first one being around, supporting your single mom and around financial and really emotional stability that really struck me as being so very personal and deep. I just wonder, has your mom and dad listened to the series or particularly that episode and what has been any response? Michelle MiJung Kim: Yeah. Um, my dad, no, but my mom, yes. I wanted my mom to listen to it before it aired. 'cause I thought that was the only fair thing to do. I gave her the option also to not have this air if she didn't want it to go live. And I was. So [00:09:00] scared about how she was gonna receive it. And for the listeners, the story really goes deep into my struggle around prioritizing her needs over my desires, and constantly living in this. Feeling of guilt for not doing more to support my mom. And also our definition of love and sacrifice being entangled in ways that feel sometimes impossible to navigate. I had attempted to have this conversation years ago with my mom that like completely backfire that I talk about on the podcast and, since then, I just never broached the subject because I was so nervous about how she was gonna take it. , And my biggest fear was her feeling less loved and feeling, hurt by my honesty. And so when it came time for me to present this podcast to her, I was incredibly nervous. What ended up happening was we ended up listening to the episode together. She was sitting [00:10:00] right there on the couch behind me and the, I played the episode and I just couldn't look at her face. So instead of looking directly at her, I had my camera on , so I could look at her through my phone. And I had my back toward her, and within the first five minutes she started crying. So I would pause the episode, talk to her about what was coming up for her. We would cry, we would fight, we would argue, we would apologize and we would cry again. So the entire episode that's 30 minutes long, took us three hours to get through. Miko Lee: Wow. Michelle MiJung Kim: It was incredibly difficult emotionally. And it was probably one of the most pivotal interactions I've ever had with my mom. I've been able to be more honest than ever with her. [00:11:00] She got to also be honest in her reaction and response, and we were able to be really brave with our vulnerability, which we had never done because most of our lives, our love and , especially our pain was communicated through silence. Just pretending that we're not hurting because we don't wanna hurt the other person. Very Asian. It was hard, very Asian, but it was also really healing. Miko Lee: Wow. I would love, love, love a follow up episode with you interviewing your mom. Michelle MiJung Kim: Yeah. I don't if request that. Miko Lee: I dunno if she'd be downed for that, but that would, I'm curious if you could share a little bit more about your needing to have your back toward her in the beginning and if that shifted over those three hours. Michelle MiJung Kim: Yeah. I think it was my fear of my truth being seen by her , and the inability for me to face her [00:12:00] when I knew my truth was hurting her. Hmm. And I also didn't want to pressure her to react in a certain way when I'm looking at her. So I, I, I don't know if she knew that I was looking at her through my phone. But I think I really wanted her to have an honest reaction and, that scared me. So I, and so at some point in. Yeah, I did turn around after I saw her crying. I paused the episode and I looked at her and I said, well, what's coming up for you? And she, her first thing, the first thing that she said was, I just don't remember it that way. Which started a whole nother conversation right around how she remembers my childhood, from her vantage point. And I think it's only natural for a parent, for anyone to want to know that their child, was not [00:13:00] hurt by their choices and that they did the best that they could and that was enough. And I think it's really hard to make space for the possibility that their best. Also cause harm. Hmm. Without making them, one dimensionally a bad person or a bad mother. I think holding multiple truths like that can be so difficult , for anyone, but especially when it comes to the impact that our action has on our loved ones. Mm-hmm. So I think it was truly, shattering the image of what she thought was our childhood. And rewriting an entire history in her mind, in order to make space for my reality. And I think that took a lot of courage on her part, and also a lot of grace, that she had to extend to herself and me. Miko Lee: And by the end of that three hours, did you have a sense of resolve or a different [00:14:00] path moving forward? Michelle MiJung Kim: I think we didn't come to a hundred percent agreement on what happened, which I didn't expect. But there was certainly things that were said that we had never verbalized before around what was hard, what was painful, and what we kept from one another. And I think we needed time away from each other to really process that. So I think we did the best that we could. Actually that night we went to a concert together 'cause we already had tickets and we could not go. And we went, Miko Lee: what was the concert? Michelle MiJung Kim: We went to a K-pop concert, Bada, which is Miko Lee: Oh yeah. Michelle MiJung Kim: All like dancing. Miko Lee: Love her. Michelle MiJung Kim: So we just let out all of our angst , dancing and that was a good end to our night. Miko Lee: That's a great way to actually resolve dance it out. Michelle MiJung Kim: Yeah, exactly. We just dance it out. And then, at first it was a little awkward, but, we got over it. Mm-hmm. [00:15:00] Afterwards, she listened to the podcast on her own with a transcript because her first language is not English. She really wanted to make sure that she understood what she listened to. So she had the transcript in front of her and she was looking up words that she didn't understand. She said that really helped her to understand more of what, I was trying to say. I didn't expect this, but weeks later she just randomly said, I am really sorry. I did the best that I could and I didn't know how much you were carrying. That changed everything for me. I didn't expect that kind of acknowledgement and validation from her when I was putting out this episode when I was writing it. I truly just wanted to do justice to my own truth and make space for my stories in ways that I'd never done before. But to then receive her acknowledgement, of some of the things that [00:16:00] I talked about was. Truly invaluable and healing in ways that I didn't expect. That completely changed our relationship. I'm able to be a lot more honest with her and I feel less, guarded about, the most tender parts of me when I'm around her. Miko Lee: Wow, that's so powerful that one episode. How impactful. Thank you so much for sharing about that. the topics that rose to the top in your conversations? Every single one of them had such universality, the Oxford study then the talking about Gaza and the impact on your job, being friends with somebody that you disagree with politically, each of these topics, there's so much resonance. I'm wondering of the three pages you had to choose from, how did these float to the top? Michelle MiJung Kim: It was a tough one. I had a team that I talked to about which topics to prioritize and we all got votes [00:17:00] on which ones we wanted to talk about. Some I had to really push to get it in to the season. The one about, my open relationship journey, they were like, why the hell do , we wanna talk about this? For me it was like, it's not about how to do open relationship 101 or how to do poly 1 0 1. It's actually about desire. Right. How we get in touch with our desire and practice wanting and being able to practice wanting that is at the core of that episode. I really wanna talk about it because no one else was talking about it. Miko Lee: I appreciated that episode because it was about autonomy. Like how do you hold on to who you are as an individual? To me, I didn't look at it as much about poly as much as it about who am I and how do I hold on to my belief in who I am even in the midst of being in a relationship. Michelle MiJung Kim: Absolutely. Exactly. I think I wanted to prioritize topics that weren't popular in terms of the public discourse, not 'cause [00:18:00] it's not something that people are grappling with, but because it's tricky to navigate. Because it requires a lot of nuance and often I think when we talk about desire or when we talk about personal wellness and self-development, it's so often done through the lens of, white co-opted, self-help culture. I wanted to do it in a way that felt more in alignment with my values around social justice. I picked the topics that were less explored through that lens, but also that, I felt were present in our public zeitgeist and in the cultural musings. Some of these topics were also timely. Like the one about my job loss due to Palestine or my struggle with my friendships that were breaking all over the place because of our political disagreement or the conversation around [00:19:00] abolition and conflict, navigating conflict in our own lives that map to our vision of the collective liberation Miko Lee: and the contradictions that we hold. Michelle MiJung Kim: Exactly, and the contradictions that we hold and that we have to make room for that often get, muted or disregarded because it's uncomfortable to talk about or that makes us feel less radical, less critical, less social justice-y And I think these are actually quite urgent topics that we need to talk about in order for us to create more, coalitions, more resilient relationships that is at the foundation of all of our organizing. Whether that is, you know. Or in our political work or personal, , living in alignment with our values. So I felt these were also timely conversations that needed to be had in a way that felt accessible, personal, and honest, that wasn't overly packaged up. So that people can [00:20:00] resonate with the raw struggles. Miko Lee: I also appreciate how you put listeners voices in at the end and just with their perspectives, because as you're talking about, for instance, the breaking up with friends because of political differences, then we're hearing other people's voices about their experiences. So how did you do those call out for those voices and did you identify specific topics you wanted colleagues to speak on? Michelle MiJung Kim: Yeah, so we did a call out for voicemails for every episode, and it was so important for me. I kept pushing our team to do it, even though we were running out of time and resources. They were like, no, we gotta cut this part out. And I was like, no, because the podcast is called, “I Feel that way too” and it's about, not just me, but how my story then gets reflected by the entire community. I wanted to make sure that the community voices become a part of this episode. I did a call out on my social media, on my newsletter, and it was actually quite hard to get people [00:21:00] to submit voicemails. I think people feel a lot of pressure to get it perfect. I asked my friends and they said they wanted to do it, but they were feeling pressured because they feel, they felt like they didn't know what to say and they wanted to say it in a way that felt professional. And so Miko Lee: come up with something profound. Michelle MiJung Kim: Exactly. They wanted to be profound and everything that we do, I think takes a level of courage. I really appreciated people who submitted their voicemails. Miko Lee: Yeah. Michelle MiJung Kim: We had voicemails coming from New Zealand, from Taiwan, from the United States from Canada, and so it was wonderful to know that there was a global sort of connection to these issues and the things that we are grappling with, and also knowing that we're none of us is really alone. Miko Lee: Speaking to the alone, we're living in such a time of isolation right now and where there's two different parties with really clear agendas and people are this way or [00:22:00] people are that way, and yet your title is, “I feel that way too”. Can you share a little bit about where that title comes from? Michelle MiJung Kim: I was part of my very first high risk direct action calling for an end to the genocide in Palestine, I was terrified and I decided to partake in it because I didn't know what else to do to process my anger and my desperation, watching what was happening unfold on my screen. I just felt like I had to do something more than what I was used to doing, whether it's donating or signing petitions or writing. There was a collective gaslighting during that time where the media outlets were justifying what was happening in Gaza. People were being, retaliated against for talking about Palestine. There was this overall, polarization between people who felt this [00:23:00] urgent need to do something about Palestine versus people who are living their daily lives as if nothing was happening. I went to participate in this direct action, I was surrounded by people who felt similarly, and after this really intense action took place when everybody was highly activated and charged because we had just seen our comrades be arrested and then released, and we were, just in our adrenaline. We all held hands to chant together collectively. And the chant went like this. ” Don't worry, I got you. I feel that way too. We'll get through together, we'll make our way through.” And when the chant leader said, I feel that way too, something in me broke and I just started weeping. In that moment, I just needed to feel like I wasn't alone in feeling this kind of [00:24:00] desperation, this type of pain and trauma, and anger towards our systems, and that just holding hands with complete strangers. Chanting, I feel that way too. Made me feel so much more grounded and hopeful and courageous to a point where I felt I was able to take more risks than I was comfortable with. So that's where, that's the origin of the phrase. I feel that way too, for our podcast. I just think back to that moment where I felt so seen, I felt so held and encouraged just by the sentence. I feel that way too. That's the kind of feeling that I hope to be able to gift to our listeners, whoever's listening to our podcast and whatever topic may be. I hope more people feel encouraged by the stories that we share and the way that we are creating space for us to be vulnerable and courageous together. Miko Lee: I [00:25:00] love that. So you're asking your audience to listen, feel connected to something else, be able to be part of a bigger movement. Are there other things that you want your audience to ponder or to take action on? Michelle MiJung Kim: I think the podcast really is about, community and courage. The podcast asks us to be courageous about identifying what we want, about how we want to live our lives, who we want to be, and being courageous enough to face the contradictions and make space for the collective, and connection. I would love more than anything for people to feel seen. But also feel encouraged to share their stories with people in their lives and to hopefully be able to take action together. I think the action of caring for one another in this vulnerable, honest way, the way that my mom and I got through that very difficult conversation. That [00:26:00] in and of itself is healing. Multiple generations of trauma. If we all could muster up the courage to practice that level of honesty and courage with one another, so much of our, need to heal can be met and so much more possibility emerges from that action. After airing some of the episodes, we also hosted a discussion session. Called the Courage Collective, where we got to discuss and unpack what came up for people after they listened to the episode, and that was incredible. Just being able to have a consistent space where people can meet provided that sense of community that we all need right now to be able to move in solidarity with our broader movement , and to sustain this very difficult, exhausting path that we're all walking in our personal lives, but also in our collective lives. I hope people can listen to the podcast and share with somebody that they wanna talk about the topics and keep the [00:27:00] conversation going in a way that can encourage you to take action that brings you closer to more community, more possibilities for our collective liberation. Miko Lee: Michelle MiJung Kim, thank you so much for joining us on Apex Express. We're gonna put a link to the entire series in our show notes. where else can they find out more information about you and your work and your book. Michelle MiJung Kim: Everything you need to know about me on my website, www.michellemijungkim.com. You can sign up for my newsletter and follow me on social media, on Instagram at Michelle Kimkim or on LinkedIn. Miko Lee: Love it. Thank you so much for joining me. So now take a listen to the first episode of, “I Feel that way too.” Michelle MiJung Kim: The other day I was talking to my mom about my uncle, her older brother who has stage four lung cancer. My mom was [00:28:00] venting about how upset she was that her brother's kids weren't jumping at the opportunity to pay his hospital bills. She said he sacrificed his whole life for them. How could they do this to him? I mean, they have their own lives too, mom. One of them has a little kid. It's not exactly cheap to raise kids in Korea. So I don't know. It feels fair to me that they're talking about what they can or can't afford. My mom was not having it. She said they have their whole lives to be there for their kid, but their dad, he doesn't have that much time left. They should do everything they can to support him. Wait, were we talking about love or money? My mom knew there was a difference right after a few back and forths. I just asked her the question that I really wanted to ask. Do you think uncle feels like his kids [00:29:00] don't love him because they're not giving him money? It wasn't just a question about my uncle and his kids. It was a question about me and my mom. About love and sacrifice, after all, isn't our willingness to sacrifice the ultimate measure of our love. Hi, and welcome to, I Feel That Way Too, a podcast where we ask some of life's trickiest questions and together find the courage to unpack them one story at a time. If you've ever wondered how life could be different, but didn't know where to turn, I'm here to tell you, you are not alone. I feel that way too. Ever since I was young, I felt responsible for taking care of my single mom. You know, growing up seeing her sacrifice so much for [00:30:00] me and my younger sister. When I got older, I just thought, yeah, that's my job now. That's just what you do, right? Whether it was taking a soul sucking corporate job, or using my savings to relocate her from Korea. I took the responsibility for caring for her seriously. I took pride in it. Whatever sacrifice I had to make felt appropriate, given how much I love her and how much she'd given up to raise me. But as an adult, I've been struggling with this more and more. If the only way I can express my love is by showing how much I'm willing to sacrifice, then how can I ever prioritize my own desires and needs? What do I do with all the guilt and shame and resentment that comes from feeling burdened by this responsibility? Have I become so Americanized that the idea of al piety feels suffocating? Am I a bad daughter? I mean, [00:31:00] that's such a common experience. This can be even more complicated in immigrant families because often we have those values, right? Sahaj Kaur Kohli: Asian values, filial piety, or we see fism as a really big value in immigrant households. So putting other people first, prioritizing the family over the individual, that's a hedged core Coley. She's a therapist, writer, and founder of Brown Girl Therapy, the first and largest mental health organization for children of immigrants. I've been following her on Instagram for years now, and I love the fact that she's making mental health relevant and accessible for Asian Americans like me, like learning Speaker 3: about words like enmeshment. So enmeshment is this idea that there are very loose or no boundaries within. Relationship. So in the family system, if we're talking about families, there are no boundaries. There is research that suggests that immigrant families tend to be more enmeshed because they're actually trying to protect themselves and their loved ones, creating these insular communities and [00:32:00] families from harm from the dominant society. So it was adaptive initially, but of course, just because it's adaptive doesn't necessarily mean it's healthy. We can see now that that kind of loose boundaries can lead to people feeling really dependent on one another. So often that's it's hierarchical in immigrant families, so it's a top down of dependency, but then children are being dependent on more, depending on your birth order, your age, your gender, your being dependent on in different ways. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: Becoming someone my mom can depend on was kind of my life purpose for a long time. My attention was always on what she needed and how I could provide that as a kid. I rarely asked my mom for anything that wasn't practical or necessary. She was a single working mom, and I could see how hard she was working just to keep us afloat. Instead, I tried to help however I could. I'd hand over my New Year's allowance from my aunties and uncles. Whenever we went out [00:33:00] to eat, I'd always check the prices on the menu to make sure I wasn't picking something too expensive. I worked hard in school, got good grades, and told myself, this is how I can help. I'll get into a good college, land a good job, and make enough money to take care of her. That's exactly what I did. Right after college, I jumped into corporate America instead of chasing my passion for social justice because. At the time, what mattered most was bringing my mom to the US and supporting her financially. And honestly, I was proud of myself for that, starting so young, being able to help my mom. It felt good. Looking back though, I realized that I never really let myself just want things, you know, like things just for me. And then in my thirties, something started to shift. I found myself really struggling with our relationship. I was having trouble differentiating my desires from her needs. Speaker 3: So in the Western world, we talk about [00:34:00] individuation. When you're an adolescent, you were growing up and you start to build your unique interests and you start to prioritize your friends and you start to be your own person. A lot of us immigrant children didn't really get that we were still expected to do X, Y, and Z, so we didn't really get that chance to individuate around that age, you know, as we're 12, 13, up until 19, 20, 21. And so a lot of us are doing that later in life. I work with clients who are 30, 40, 50 years old who are like, wow, this is the first time I'm doing something for myself. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: At every crossroads in my career, my decisions were often tied to one question. How will this affect my ability to support my mom? Can I quit my job? How much money do I need saved up to cover both of us for six months? Even little decisions like whether to make a frivolous purchase came with this gnawing sense of responsibility. That kind of mental math had become second nature, but prioritizing my own joy and [00:35:00] abundance. Well, that always came with a side of guilt. It felt like my entire life was split in two. One part lived for me and the other for my mom, and as I got older, the tension between the two only grew becoming harder to navigate and more emotionally draining. Sahe calls this parent child role reversal parentification. Speaker 3: At the root of it, there are two types of parentification. There's instrumental parentification, which is more about taking care. In more practical roles of the family. So maybe, you know, cooking for sick relatives or making sure your younger siblings were okay, or if you were a latchkey kid, left at home alone, you know, going to school one time, making your bed, all of these things that you had to do for yourself or for your family because maybe your parents were out working or just weren't able to do it. And then we have emotional parentification, which is more about taking on those emotional roles. So being the family mediator, maybe taking on the role [00:36:00] of a parent or a spouse for one of your parents, because either one parent isn't more present or because emotionally they don't have the type of relationship where they speak to each other more emotionally or vulnerably. So a parent might use a child to do that. It's also about generally managing your parents' feelings. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: One year after many years of working with my therapist, I mustered up the courage to set some financial boundaries with my mom. Not necessarily because of money, but because I needed to shed the guilt. That gnawing feeling that whatever I was doing was never enough and that there was always more to give. I thought if I can get my mom to tell me the exact amount that she actually needs, then I can finally know that I'm meeting her expectations and I don't have to wonder if I'm not doing enough. I could handle the financial responsibility, but I didn't wanna carry the emotional weight anymore. So one day at a [00:37:00] posh new Indian Fusion restaurant that I thought she'd like, I mustered up the courage to ask her, can you tell me exactly how much you need monthly so I can better budget my own finances? Up until then, I was paying her rent and giving her allowance in random amounts, paying for whatever needs arose at various times throughout the month. She was visibly perturbed by my question. Without looking at me, she said, just give me whatever you can. I insisted, no, mom, I want you to tell me what you need and want. She replied, I just want you to do what feels good and right for you. I said, I don't know what that is, so I need you to tell me. I was getting frustrated. She was getting uncomfortable, so I said. Okay, fine. So if I said $500 per month, that's okay with [00:38:00] you. She looked visibly worried. See, so you know what you need. Why won't you just tell me, make my life easier? She burst into tears. Why are you making me say an amount? You want me to feel shame? I already feel bad now. We were both cry, yelling. People at other tables were exchanging awkward glances. She said, don't make me say an amount out loud. I want you to support me because you love me and because you want to, not because I'm asking you to. At this point, my voice was near full volume, tears dripping down my face from knowing I had caused her pain, but somehow my untamed anger kept spilling out. Despite knowing full well that I had done enough damage to my mom's heart, I desperately needed her to see my pain too. I shouted, [00:39:00] I do love you, and I'm asking for your help. Why can't you just help me? I never got my mom to say an amount. It was as if I had spoken the very thing that needed to remain unsaid. By speaking the unspoken. I had broken the delicate dance we'd been doing for decades where love meant anticipating needs and quietly fulfilling it to save face. Where protecting meant pretending not to see the weight we each carried, because naming it would make it all too real. Silence had become our shared language of care, but now we were at a loss for words. We packed up our untouched food without speaking and left the restaurant, and I never brought up the topic again. And here I was wanting her to tell me exactly what she needed so that I could feel less [00:40:00] guilt for feeling like I'm not doing enough, even though I was doing a lot. Speaker: Mm-hmm. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: And so we were at this crossroads and we couldn't see past each other's pain and our own pain in being able to connect to one another. And since then I've been really hesitant to bring up. Any conversations around money or boundaries with her, because first and foremost, I'm terrified of her feeling like she's not loved. That somehow if I bring this up, she's going to feel more like she's a burden and she's going to stew in her own shame knowing that I don't think she has. Capacity and the skillset to be able to hold her emotions right now. And then I feel resentful that I have to think through what she needs before I can just be a child and tell her to meet me where I am for once. Right? Mm-hmm. And so then the cycle just continues and I am not sure I, I know how to get out of it. Speaker 3: Boundaries is such a like. Trigger [00:41:00] word for so many of us, right? When you hear the word boundaries, you're like, no. All of a sudden that door closes and you say, this is not something that's gonna speak to me. Because it has this reputation of being like, cut people out. Say no, protect yourself. And those narratives really don't speak to so many of us who come from collectivist backgrounds where. We want to maintain a lot of these relationships. We just don't want it to feel as bad as it does. And so disentangling and learning how to disentangle our feelings and our values from our parents is often the work I do with my clients. And it takes a long time, right? Because you are sitting down, sifting through a basically a pile of values, norms, expectations, feelings, and saying, okay, this one belongs to me. This one belongs to my mom. This one belongs to my dad. And trying to figure out. Where does that leave you, and how do we move forward and build the sense of self with things that actually feel true to you? And a lot of that work is painful. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: Trying to disentangle my definition of love from my mom's isn't the only thing that's been painful to navigate. It's also the [00:42:00] realization that so much of my upbringing fundamentally shapes the way I live today. Speaker 3: At its best, parentification can lead to having a lot of pride developing really good work ethic, being really mindful of your role in your family and leaning into that. But at its worst, it can be a form of emotional neglect. And I think that's really important because in my work with children of immigrants, a lot of times a lot of us don't realize that we have different needs when we're growing up. And sure, maybe you had a roof over your head, maybe you were, you know, sent to school, maybe you always had food on the table. And these are really. Big significant needs that were met, but were you also cared for emotionally? Were you allowed to express your emotions? Were you modeled and nurtured emotionally? So just being taught that even emotions weren't something that was safe to have. And so in that way, that's when parentification can become a sign of emotional neglect. So as by definition, parentification is taking on adult-like roles or roles that are. Older than you are developmentally at a young [00:43:00] age. And it can lead to people pleasing, it can lead to perfectionism, it can lead to constantly, um, monitoring our parents or other people's emotions or feelings. Right? Those are very common long-term consequences of being parentified children because we've never really learned how to take up space. People pleasing, Sahaj Kaur Kohli: perfectionism, hyper vigilance. Yeah. I've been dealing with all of them pretty much my entire life. One of my core memories from when I used to live in Korea was being invited to a friend's house After school, we were supposed to do homework together, and her mom sat with us going over everything and helping us out. I remember feeling so reassured, like finally someone was helping me in the way that Mamie feel safe and cared for. And because I wanted to be invited back, I was always on my absolute best behavior. I didn't want her to feel like I was being a burden or a nuisance, so I made sure to take my shoes [00:44:00] off in the neatest way possible. I made sure to wipe off any crumbs off the table, and I even offered to do the dishes. Y'all, I was barely 10, but I felt like I needed to be, liked to be helped. The truth is. I am resentful. I resent that I never got to just be a kid. I'm angry that I couldn't tell my parents that I was sad or hurt or scared. I'm angry that I thought care and attention were earned. By making myself small, likable, and pleasant. I'm angry that I couldn't allow myself to rest or stumble because I knew there was no safety net to catch me and that I thought it was easier to not want than to be disappointed. But for the first time in my life, there is something I want [00:45:00] just for myself. I want to heal desperately. I want to shed this weight so I can finally be my most authentic, free, and expansive self without needing to prove anything to anyone. I want to access the safety, abundance, joy, and ease that I didn't have as a. Child. Talking to my parents about my childhood wounds feels really hard. Not only because I'm worried about how it'll make them feel, but because deep down I truly believe that they loved me the best way they knew how so? How do I even begin to tell them that their best wasn't enough to protect me from harm? How do I share that? I feel resentful for the child that I never got to have without breaking their hearts in the process. And the hardest part, even now, I catch [00:46:00] myself prioritizing their feelings over my truth. It is like this unshakeable sense of responsibility where their comfort feels more important than my pain. How do I even untangle that? Speaker 3: You deserve joy and peace and ease. I mean, ultimately so many of us aren't able to give ourselves permission to be able to work towards joy and peace and ease. 'cause we don't believe we're deserving of it. And that is a product of, you know, these family dynamics, but also guilt and shame and not knowing the difference between those two. And then feeling like we automatically are. Bad if we aren't constantly pleasing other people. So many of us also struggle with that, uh, binary mindset. You know, if I feel this way, it's wrong. If my parents are disappointed, I'm a bad child. And that's not true. We have to learn. And [00:47:00] you have to decide at what point you're willing to accept that it might not change. And then decide what you're willing to tolerate. And that's the acceptance in grief work that is so hard and grief, I call it grief for a reason. 'cause grief never goes away. There's no resolution in grief. It's learning to build a life around it. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: Yeah, that's so real and so hard, that whole acceptance piece, right? Knowing that it's going to take time, but also that there may need to be a time where you start to accept, uh, your parents for who they are and what they have capacity for and what they don't. What's been really difficult for me is the acceptance of the reality. And my desire to heal, part of me feels like I can't heal until I get the acknowledgement, until I get the validation, until I feel seen in my entirety by my mom and by my dad. And sometimes I feel like that just sets me up for more disappointment and sense of betrayal and resentment because I [00:48:00] am not getting the very sort of human and childlike need from my parents. But knowing that that may never come, and I can't depend on that for my healing, but that's been really hard to accept. Speaker 3: I was just gonna say, that makes me really sad because I'm hearing you like deny yourself something that you deserve because you're still waiting for your parents to give you permission for it. When you can give yourself permission for it yourself, but for some reason you don't feel like you have enough agency or you're not allowed to be the one who decides I can heal. Even without my parents' acceptance. And that's a lot of the inner child like re-parenting work of like, you know, thinking about little Michelle and what she needs and how do you give it to her. How do you find power and strength in being able to be the adult who can say, fine, if you're not gonna take care of this little girl I am. I'm gonna take care of her. And it's really hard, right? And it's really painful, but. [00:49:00] It hurts me to hear you say that you won't be able to do this until you get that permission, because the reality is you may never get that acceptance and acknowledgement you're looking for from them. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: In high school, when I came out as bisexual to my dad, he just ignored it. He pretended he didn't hear me change the subject, and that was that we never talked about it again. And honestly, I was fine with that at the time. He didn't wanna hear more and I didn't want to share more. We lived under the same roof, but how much did we really know about each other? Anyway, fast forward many years later, I was on my way to a date with a woman I just met. I was on the phone with my dad and thought maybe this is a chance to let him in on my life, just a little. So I told him where I was going and casually asked, what would you do if I ever brought a girl home? I don't know what I [00:50:00] was expecting to hear, but I definitely wasn't prepared for his answer. Don't come home. He said Speaker 3: It's very challenging and I think I just recently had these conversations with a couple clients of mine where, you know, sometimes we have to ask ourselves. The greatest gift we can give people we love is letting them see us for all parts of ourselves, right? Every part of who we are. That's the greatest gift we can give someone we love. And not everyone deserves that gift, especially if they're not tending to it, nurturing it. And I see you like, as like a younger version of you, like vulnerable and raw and saying, love me, love me, love me. Mm-hmm. It's not just you, it's it's all of us. Right? We, we have these experiences. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: It wasn't until one Thanksgiving back at my dad's house that I realized just how much I did crave my dad's acceptance and love. Thanksgiving is one day [00:51:00] that we all gather at my dad's house. We ordered a Thanksgiving family meal from Boston Market that no one really likes chit chat and eat for no more than 40 minutes and migrate over to the living room to watch a movie of someone's choosing, usually me or my dad. This has been our way of bonding for as long as we started gathering. The movie that my dad, the same man who stonewalled me when I came out to him in high school, chose for us to watch, was Boy Erased a movie about a gay man's search for acceptance from himself and his family without making eye contact. He said, have you seen this? I thought you might like it. It's about a gay person. As someone who's never been interested in anything L-G-B-T-Q related, this was his clumsy way of inching closer to me. My dad didn't throw me a coming out party. He didn't wear a rainbow pin or proclaim how proud he was to be an ally. [00:52:00] There was no tearful heart to heart about acceptance, apologies, forgiveness, or unconditional love. And you know what? At that moment I realized. I didn't need any of that. Sitting side by side on that Costco couch of his, I understood exactly what his silence was trying to say. Speaker 3: And that's what happens in high context cultures, right? It's not about being direct, it's not about being explicit. It's more about what the contextual clues are. I think behaviors is where it all comes down to. So that might have been your dad's way of saying, I accept you and the way that I know how, and me watching this with you is my way of showing that in the same way that my dad. Never growing up or through my thirties, only recently started to say, I love you. But growing up I would go home and he would leave me newspaper clippings about mental health or about something I had told him about and those would be on my bed every time I would visit home. And that's, I knew, was his way of saying, I love you. [00:53:00] Right. We have the cut fruit anecdote that everyone has in an Asian household. Our mom's way of loving us is through food and by caring for us and caretaking for us. 'cause that's the role they knew how to play. I even had an interesting conversation with my mom where I've asked her, I think this was a while ago, where I asked her, what else do you wanna do? Like stop trying to do my laundry when I come home. Get out of the kitchen. We'll just order food. But then I realized it made her sad and I realized I was actually taking away her agency to love me in the way she knew how. Because that's not how I need to be loved. I've also asked my parents, did your parents ever say, I love you? When was the first time or the last time you, you heard them say that to you? What was that like for you? Oh, that must have been really sad that your parents didn't even say, I love you. You know, that impacts kids. And then using that as a frame of like. Are you thinking about how you don't do it with me? Like sometimes it takes these little kind of games before we can get to a place where we feel like we can get that conversation going. But even then, where can we find beauty in the relationship with our [00:54:00] parents? I'm sure if we, you know, really wanted to dive deep into it, we would. You would be able to think of like strengths in your relationship with your parents, ways that they do love you or see you even if it's not what you want. The way that they love you is still a way that they are showing you that they love you. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: When I think about my younger self, I sometimes find myself imagining my mom and dad when they were young, what were they like growing up? How many crushes did my mom have as a teenager? When did she start sneaking cigarettes? And what made her start? Who was there for my dad when he lost his dad as a child who told them they were loved? When was the last time someone asked them about their hopes and dreams? What did they long for? Growing up in Korea with my mom, she often told me her parenting philosophy. [00:55:00] I want us to be like friends. She'd say, she'd tell me stories about how she was always afraid of her mom, how strict my grandma was. How she never got the chance to fully explore her passions and curiosities. One day when I was in elementary school, she just said, you're not going to school today. And instead of taking me to school, she drove me and my sister to a farm outside the city. She told us real life experiences are more important than what you learn in textbooks. She didn't want us to live inside the same box. She'd grown up in. She wanted something different for us. She'd say things like, date as many men as you can before you marry. Travel as much as you can while you're young. Learn to drive as soon as you can. More than anything, she wanted us to be free freer than she ever got to [00:56:00] be. The way my parents love me and the way I love them. It's not something you'd find in some textbook. It's messy. It's complicated. It's nuanced, and it's big. It's so big. It is not the kind of love you see in those Hallmark movies where a white parents hug you and say, I love you at least 15 times a day. But I feel it. I feel it in the everyday moments, like when my mom insists on doing my laundry with her permanently sore back, or when she likes every single thing I post on Instagram. I feel it every time she sees me and says, you're so pretty with genuine awe in her eyes.[00:57:00] Michelle MiJung Kim: If you liked what you heard today, please tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell your people. Subscribe to our show and leave us a review. Sahaj Kaur Kohli: Wanna hear more from me in Sege? Watch the full interview on the I feel that way. Two YouTube channel. And while you're at it, subscribe to our newsletter on our website at www dot I feel that way. Two.com. Miko Lee: Please check out our website, kpfa.org/program, apex Express to find out more about our show. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world. Your voices are important. APEX Express is a collective of activists that includes Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Have a great [00:58:00] night. The post APEX Express – 9.18.25 – I Feel That Way Too appeared first on KPFA.

July, August & September — Dante's New South Mega ReturnRichard Blanco — Selected by President Obama as the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet, Blanco was the youngest, first Latinx, immigrant, and gay person in that role. In 2023, President Biden awarded him the National Humanities Medal. Born to Cuban exile parents and raised in Miami, Blanco explores identity, belonging, and place in works like Homeland of My Body, For All of Us, One Today, and The Prince of Los Cocuyos. His honors include the Agnes Starrett Prize, PEN America Beyond Margins Award, Patterson Prize, and Lambda Literary Award. Blanco is Education Ambassador for The Academy of American Poets, Associate Professor at Florida International University, and Poet Laureate of Miami-Dade County. www.richard-blanco.comSamiya Bashir — Poet, writer, librettist, and multimedia artist described as “a dynamic, shape-shifting machine of perpetual motion.” Her work has been seen from Berlin to Accra, Florence to across the U.S. She is the author of Field Theories (Oregon Book Award) and I Hope This Helps (Nightboat Books, 2025). Honors include the Rome Prize, Pushcart Prize, and Oregon Arts & Culture Council Fellowship, with residencies at MacDowell and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. She is reigniting Fire & Inkwell to support LGBTQ+ artists and writers of African descent. www.samiyabashir.comOctavio Quintanilla — Author of If I Go Missing (2014) and Poet Laureate of Texas. His poetry, fiction, translations, and Frontextos (visual poems) appear in Alaska Quarterly Review, Texas Observer, Green Mountains Review, and more. Exhibitions include Southwest School of Art, Weslaco Museum, and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. Regional editor for Texas Books in Review, poetry editor for Voices de la Luna, and faculty in Literature & Creative Writing at Our Lady of the Lake University. www.octavioquintanilla.com  |  IG: @writeroctavioquintanilla  |  X: @OctQuintanillaVince Herman (Leftover Salmon) — Since co-founding Leftover Salmon in 1989, Herman's joyful, theatrical energy has defined the band. After moving from West Virginia to Boulder, CO, he briefly joined the Left-Hand String Band before forming Salmon Heads; both merged on New Year's Eve 1989 to become Leftover Salmon. Decades on, Herman continues to bring his eclectic musical vision to audiences everywhere.Additional Music: Alain Johannes — www.alainjohannes.com  |  Documentary: YouTubeSponsorsThe Pickens County Chamber of CommerceThe CrownBright Hill PressSpecial ThanksUCLA Extension Writing ProgramMercer University PressRed Phone BoothAlain Johannes — original score: www.alainjohannes.comHost Clifford Brooks — The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics, Athena Departs, Old Gods: www.cliffbrooks.com/how-to-orderCheck out his Teachable courses, The Working Writer and Adulting with Autism, here: brooks-sessions.teachable.com

We're back with new episodes for the new year!A self-professed “nice Jewish boy from New York City,” Jake Cohen is the New York Times bestselling author of Jew-ish and I Could Nosh, star of A&E's Jake Makes It Easy. He talks about his new book Dinner Party Animal, why Jews are so obsessed with food and helps us all with our food and entertaining questions. Learn more about Jake CohenFollow JakeSupport Chutzpod!Submit a questionContact Chutzpod!Subscribe to ChutzstackFollow Hanna on InstagramFollow Shira on InstagramFollow Shira on FacebookFollow Chutzpod on FacebookFollow Chutzpod on Instagram Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As the year winds down and we close out the season, we're delivering a packed finale! From the moving Slichot services at the famed Park East Synagogue to a must-hear PSA on hotels in East Jerusalem, to Israel's latest incursion into Gaza City, we cover all of the latest in the Jewish World. We also break down the wild conspiracies buzzing around the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Russian drones in Poland, and German prison breaks. This marks the end of an amazing season, so a massive thank you to our dedicated listeners for tuning in every step of the way. Wishing all our listeners a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year!   ________ ** Help save young neshamos by helping Shuvu! It's a perfect opportunity to sweeten our Rosh Hashanah! **   https://www.charidy.com/shuvu ________ ** North One is the all-in-one business banking platform that helps small and medium-sized businesses earn more, save time, and manage their money with ease! ** Visit: https://www.northone.com/ Or get the App: iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/northone-business-banking/id1466648407 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobileapp.prod ________ ** Join Now or Create Your Own Five Star Experience With Project Mesorah! ** Project Mesorah's trips are always memorable and even life changing, but if you want private tours with amazing chefs, tour guides, and speakers, Project Mesorah has you covered! Visit them at: https://www.projectmesorah.org/ Or call: 845-570-1943 ________ ** Town Appliance - For All Of Your Appliance Needs! ** No matter the budget, Town Appliance will get you the right appliance for your needs and give you the most value for your money. https://www.townappliance.com/ Call/Text/Whatsapp: 732-364-5195 ________ We have a call-in number where you can hear the cast! Tell your friends and family who may not have internet access! 605-417-0303 To Call In From Israel: +053-243-3287 Also! Subscribe for our bonus content by phone! Available at the same number. ________ Get official KC swag and show your support to the world! https://kiddushclubmerch.com ________ Subscribe now to keep us going and access bonus content! https://buymeacoffee.com/kiddushclub/membership   Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiddushclubpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kiddushclubcast Join our WhatsApp chat: https://2ly.link/27DRp Send us you thoughts comments and suggestions via email: hock@kiddushclubpodcast.com  

As people usher in a New Year on January 1 with parties and celebrations, how many are thinking about repentance? It's probably not very many.But when Jewish New Year is welcomed on Rosh Hashanah, the main focus is on repentance, or teshuvah, which means to “return” to God. The sound of the shofar—the biblical trumpet made from a ram's horn—calls us to reflect on the past twelve months, to fix anything in our lives that hasn't been helpful, and to return to God—who is waiting for us with open arms.In this special Rosh Hashanah episode, Yael Eckstein takes a biblical look at repentance, its significance for all of us as people of faith, and how returning to God will nourish our souls and transform us into the people we are meant to be. Listen Now!And listen to more of Yael's Bible teachings on her daily podcast, The Chosen People.

Being a stay-at-home mom is like running the most complex organization in the world. You're managing tiny humans with unpredictable schedules, big emotions, and endless to-dos, all while being on call 24/7. And even though you love your littles fiercely, it's exhausting. The tricky part is that the skills, expertise, and capabilities you've spent years building can feel like they're gathering dust while you pour everything into caregiving. But you can love being home with your kids and still crave a space to grow, contribute, and create something uniquely yours.Join me this week as I show you how that longing for something you can call your own is pointing you toward the possibility of building a business that fulfills you and works around the life you've already built. You'll also learn the four biggest obstacles that keep stay-at-home moms stuck in the dreaming phase, and give you practical strategies to overcome each one.If you're ready to stop waiting and start building your business right now, you need to join my *FREE* webinar, Start a Business Before Winter Break. It's happening on September 19th, 2025, at 1pm ET/10am PT. Click here to register: https://mom.jenna.coach/winter For more information, transcript, and show notes, click here: jenna.coach/70Join me for a free strategy session by clicking here: https://mom.jenna.coach/applyYou're invited to join us every 2nd Thursday for my free Mom Entrepreneurs Circle. Sign up here: https://mom.jenna.coach/circleKeep up with me on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-rykiel and Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jrykiel3If you enjoy the show, please follow, rate, review, and share the podcast! Your support helps the show reach moms just like you who are ready to quit their 9-to-5 in pursuit of a life and business they love. Click here for instructions on how to leave a review: https://jenna.coach/podcast/podcastlaunchMentioned in this episode:How to Start Your Business Before Winter BreakKids are back at school which means it's the perfect time to start focusing on your business goals. If you wanted this year to be the year you actually start your business, it's not to late. Join me for a free webinar on Wednesday, Sept 17th at 1pm ET / 10am PT and find out how to have your business up and running before we ring in the New Year! Click here to sign up: https://how-to-quit-your-job.captivate.fm/winterRegister for the Sept 19 Webinar

Ever wondered why your spiritual resolutions fade faster than New Year's gym memberships? This episode explores a profound metaphor that transforms how we approach teshuva (repentance) and spiritual growth.Drawing wisdom from a great Gadol, we examine why many well-intentioned spiritual commitments taken on during Elul are doomed from the start. The problem isn't your dedication—it's the approach. Just as an orthodontist understands that teeth can't be forcibly repositioned overnight, meaningful spiritual transformation requires patience, consistency, and properly calibrated pressure.When patients complain about the lengthy orthodontic process, wondering why their teeth can't be moved more quickly, they're missing a fundamental truth: abrupt changes don't last. The same principle applies to our souls. Those ambitious commitments to learn Torah for hours daily or meticulously observe long-neglected commandments often collapse because we're trying to move our spiritual teeth too quickly.True teshuva resembles orthodontics—small, thoughtful adjustments applied consistently over time. Rather than grand gestures, focus on addressing root issues with attainable practices. Consider saying Hamapil before sleeping to facilitate waking for morning prayers, or choose one small commitment to maintain weekly. Consult your "spiritual orthodontist"—a rabbi who can design the appropriate treatment plan for your soul's unique needs.Ready to transform your approach to spiritual growth? Stop setting yourself up for failure with unsustainable commitments. Embrace the orthodontic model of teshuva—patient, consistent, and designed for lasting change. Your spiritual smile will thank you.Support the showJoin The Motivation Congregation WhatsApp community for daily motivational Torah content!---------------- SUBSCRIBE to The Weekly Parsha for an insightful weekly talk on the week's Parsha. Listen on Spotify or 24six! Access all Torah talks and listen to featured episodes on our website, themotivationcongregation.org ----------------Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com

Rosh Hashanah is almost here…but it's not the 'Jewish' New Year! It's Adam's birthday, and the most significant day of the year, 'New Years Day' for the whole world...the time of judgment for all his descendants. In this week's Jerusalem Lights podcast, Jim Long and Rabbi Chaim Richman talk about the tremendous spiritual power and potential of this holy time, and why it is called by Torah the 'day of Shofar blasts.' Rosh Hashanah is the coronation of God as King of the Universe, and the time of renewal for all creation. Jerusalem Lights wishes you a Sweet and Good New Year! May you be written and sealed in the Book of Life for a year of health and happiness, wisdom and peace, and every blessing! _________Rabbi Chaim Richman Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, Inc., a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow:PayPal: infojerusalemlights@gmail.com or: https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?loc...In the USA: Jerusalem Lights Inc. Post Office Box 16886Lubbock Texas 79490In Israel: Tel. 972 54 7000395 Mail: PO Box 23808, Jerusalem IsraelSubscribe to our newsletter at https://www.rabbirichman.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel:    / jerusalemlightsrabbichaimrichman  Follow us on Facebook:   / rabbichaimrichman    / 282440396475839  

The next three months—Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the holidays—are basically a budgeting minefield. Even if you've been disciplined all year, this season can throw your money game completely off. In Part 3 of our Back-to-School, Back-to-Budget series, I'm giving you a clear strategy to holiday-proof your wallet and make sure your spending reflects your priorities—not panic. We're talking sinking funds for things you know are coming—gifts, school events, sports travel—and how to build a 3-month forecast that gives you room to breathe and room to celebrate. This episode isn't about being the holiday Grinch—it's about putting boundaries in place so you can actually enjoy the season without carrying guilt or a January credit card hangover into the new year. You'll learn: how to map out your fall spending from Halloween through New Year's how to budget for all those "surprise-but-not-really" expenses how to shift your mindset from restrictive to intentional. By the end, you'll walk away with a simple fall money plan, sinking funds set up for what's ahead, and the confidence to celebrate without sabotaging your financial goals. If you're a busy professional or parent who dreads the financial chaos of the holidays but still wants to enjoy every bit of it—this one's for you. And if this episode gives you the holiday money reset you've been craving, share it with a friend and make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss the final episode in this series: Building Momentum for Year-End Success. Be sure to like and follow the show on your favorite podcast app! Keep the conversation going on Instagram @everyonestalkinmoney Thank you to our sponsors!  Policygenius - Head to policygenius.com to compare free life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save.  Ava - Help build your credit score with Meetava.com. Use promo code: Money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Fall (“other New Year”) season is the perfect time to reset and reframe. Instead of relying on limited self-control, build routines that carry you – and your kids – through music practice, learning, and life with consistency and ease. Discover three reasons why small, steady habits can shape not just your days, but your future self. Links and notes related to this episode can be found at https://mpetersonmusic.com/podcast/micro43 Connect with us: Newsletter: https://mpetersonmusic.com/subscribe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnhanceLifeMusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enhancelifemusic/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpetersonpiano/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/musicenhances Sponsorship information: https://mpetersonmusic.com/podcast/sponsor Leave us a review on Podchaser.com! https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/enhance-life-with-music-909096

Welcome to Tuesday's Rugby Daily, I'm Cameron Hill.Coming up today, the French player who bit Aoife Wafer has issued an apology to the Ireland star.Anna Caplice gives her thoughts on Sunday's quarter-final defeat and the future of this Ireland group.And Conor Murray follows up on his damning comments of Munster's recruitment policy.Rugby on Off The Ball with Bank of Ireland | #NeverStopCompeting

In this episode, I share the extraordinary journey of how I met my husband Sam. The story spans continents and years, beginning with my decision to study abroad in Switzerland and culminating in a chance encounter at a pub crawl in Dublin. As we relationship, we faced long-distance challenges and numerous adventures, ultimately leading me to move to Australia. Now, nearly a decade later, we are married with two children, and continue to infuse our lives with travel and exploration. Our story emphasizes the power of saying 'yes' to life's adventures and how one decision can change everything.We talk about:00:00 Intro02:00 The Switzerland Study Abroad Experience03:20 The Ireland Adventure Begins07:15 Meeting Sam in Dublin16:26 A New Year's Reunion in Europe21:47 Building a Life Together29:33 Final ThoughtsResources & Links:Ready for your next adventure? Click here to view our Trip Planning Packages & 2025 Pricing: https://transform-with-travel.captivate.fm/packages Connect with KellyFollow the Podcast on IG: http://www.instagram.com/transformwithtravel Follow Kelly Tolliday on IG: http://www.instagram.com/kelly.tolliday Transform With Travel Website: https://www.transformwithtravel.co

Hitman Paul breaks into Jock's house to finish the job. Then Jock's son arrives and promises vengeance. A motley crew of 20-year olds arrives to back up the Yablonskis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Year’s resolutions in September? It’s take two for the ‘Call It Crew’ as they share their new round of self-care goals. Hear why back-to-school season has been a ‘wake up’ call for Jessica and Camilla, and all about the red carpet reunion we’ve been waiting to see! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If live feels extremely heavy right now, you're not alone. I once had a conversation with a mentor around this topic about what to do when life is just heavy.  Sometimes we're weighed down because we aren't managing our thoughts well. Sometimes it's because we're in environments that don't serve us.  But other times, life is just heavy and no amount of mindset work or environment shifts seem to fix it right away. In those moments, the best thing we can do is support ourselves until the heaviness passes. In this episode, I share practical and compassionate ways to care for yourself when you feel overwhelmed. We'll talk about why stepping away from social media protects your mental space, and how serving others whether with a simple text or through volunteering can actually ease your own burdens.  You'll hear about the power of healthy community and why it's vital to resist the urge to isolate. I'll also share ideas for lighthearted activities that bring a sense of play, and small but powerful actions you can take for your body, like cooking a nourishing meal or going on a walk. We'll close by exploring gratitude practices, future-focused dreaming, and the importance of remembering that emotional states are temporary. Life isn't meant to feel easy all the time, but with the right tools, you can support yourself through the heavy seasons. Time Stamps: (2:02) Heavy Emotions This Week(6:02) The Extreme Recent Examples(9:11) Filling A Void Through Doom Scrolling(10:32) Doing Something For Someone Else(11:02) Get Around Community(16:07) Finding Playful Activities(23:42) Daydreaming About The Future---------------------Follow Abbe on IG: @Blowoutsbyabbeandmore---------------------Find Out More Information on Vital Spark Coaching---------------------Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. ---------------------Download Our FREE Metabolism-Boosting Workout Program---------------------Join the Women's Metabolism Secrets Facebook Community for 25+ videos teaching you how to start losing fat without hating your life!---------------------Click here to send me a message on Facebook and we'll see how I can help or what best free resources I can share!---------------------Interested in 1-on-1 Coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts? Apply Here!---------------------Check out our Youtube Channel!---------------------Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Preparing for the New Year • What should be our focus during these last days of Elul? • What do we learn from the creation of the universe on the 25th of Elul? • Looking back at 5785 can we say it was a good year? • How can we prepare for the New Year if we feel empty and alone due to family separations? • Can a person prepare for the New Year while remaining emotionally unhealthy? • How can I prepare properly for Rosh Hashana when I am struggling financially and it's taking a toll on my shalom bayis? • Just as we need time to prepare for the coronation of the king, can we say that the 31 years since Gimmel Tammuz was needed to prepare for the coronation of Moshiach? Netzavim • Why do we always read this Parsha before Rosh Hashana? • What lessons can we learn from this week's Parsha? • Unity • Redemption • Torah's personal relevance • Choose life • What did this covenant add to the Sinai covenant? • How does Tanya explain the verse ki karov ey'lecha ha'dovar me'od b'picha u'blvovcha la'soso?How can I find a trustworthy and competent mashpia? How should we react to the assassination of Charlie Kirk? • Should we be supportive of him though he advocated Christianity? • How should we respond to his enemies mocking him? What does the Torah mean when it says that after the Geulah our mouths will be filled with laughter?

In this deeply moving conversation, Rabbi Hammer opens up about his daughter Gila—her vibrant spirit, her struggles following a traumatic assault, and the painful journey that led to her tragic passing. He shares stories of Gila's infectious joy, her kindness, and her larger-than-life presence, as well as the challenges she faced when navigating pain and despair. Through this heartfelt interview, Rabbi Hammer reflects on the importance of open dialogue about mental health and suicide prevention. He speaks about the founding of Gila's Way, an organization dedicated to raising awareness, educating communities, and providing support for families in crisis. This discussion is not only a tribute to Gila's memory but also a powerful call to action: to break the stigma, to listen more deeply, to validate the struggles of those around us, and to never ignore the signs of someone in pain. More information can be found here: https://gilasway.com/ If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help. You are not alone. This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors: ►Blooms Kosher   Bring you the best Kosher products worldwide.   https://bloomskosher.com   ______________________________________ ► Shaar This is a Timeless Honor, timely opportunity. Each site will have unique design and amenities including ample walkways, beit hesped, onsite shiva room, and parking. A Sha'ar representative will be onsite to help navigate and facilitate the funeral. Both Sha'ar HaZeitim and Sha'ar HaMenuchot combines the holiness of burial in Yerushalayim with the serenity reserved for the most exclusive private cemeteries. Brokers Wanted: Help families worldwide purchase cemetery plots in Israel. Contact: sales@shaar.com Over 275 Plots sold and 300 currently in Contract. ______________________________________ ► Keren Hashana Imagine the opportunity to partner daily with the Lubavitcher Rebbe in giving Tzedakah You donate in amounts the number of days in the coming year–this year 355–and Keren Hashana disburses the Tzedakah on your behalf -- twice every day! Once before Shachris and once before Mincha. This guarantees that you will give Tzedaka every day of the year. It's not important how much you give, the idea is to give Tzedaka every day! MyKerenHashana.com ______________________________________ ► Colel Chabad Pushka App - The easiest way to give Tzedaka   https://pushka.cc/meaningful   _______________________________________   ► Lalechet   We're a team of kosher travel experts, here to carry you off to your dream destination swiftly, safely, and seamlessly in an experience you will forever cherish.   https://www.lalechet.com ___________________________________________   ►Rothenberg Law Firm   Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years!   Reach out Today for Free Case Evaluation   https://shorturl.at/JFKHH   ____________________________________ ► Town Appliance - Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp     https://www.townappliance.com     https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp ____________________________________   ► Masbia:   Feeding the needy is a huge mitzvah - especially during the holidays. Make this New Year sweeter for everyone. Sponsor a meal. Send a digital Shanah Tova card. Spread joy, and do a world of good. and it's all tax deductible. www.Masbia.org/hh25 ______________________________________ ► Meaningful Minute Plus Meaningful Minute is releasing its first-ever feature film: Homeless — a powerful story about exile, identity, and return.   https://plus.meaningfulminute.org/   ____________ ► Subscribe to our Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.     https://apple.co/2WALuE2 https://spoti.fi/39bNGnO Or wherever Podcasts are available!

When every police officer in Miami descended on an open-air mall on New Year's Day 2024, the internet went wild. Within hours, stories of towering shadow figures, floating cities, and secret government programs flooded social media. A VHS tape recorded by one guy became the centerpiece of the lore, and hashtags about portals and interdimensional beings racked up millions of views. Was it just teenagers and fireworks? Or the beginning of something far stranger? This week's episode is The Miami Bayside Mall Alien Incident - Part 2. Get your tickets to join us for CrimeWave at Sea 2025 - https://crimewaveatsea.com/sinister Click here for this week's show notes. Click here to sign up for our Patreon and receive hundreds of hours of bonus content. Please click here to leave a review and tell us what you think of the show.