Podcasts about Polish

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This episode was sponsored by Cardiff & Lifetime Restoration   LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/ Today's Dropping Bombs episode delivers a raw immigrant success story with Dariusz "Derek" Skubisz — a Polish boy who arrived in America at age 7 with nothing — and built a roofing, restoration, and HVAC empire in one of the toughest markets in the country.   Derek exposes why most contractors are leaving 40% on the table, how his sales rep made $300K in eight months, and his mission to call out the fake gurus poisoning the entrepreneur coaching world.    If you're in the trades, in sales, or still waiting for permission to go all in — this one's for you. Your next level starts here.  

This episode explores vocabulary related to appetite (apetyt), food (jedzenie), kitchen routines (rutyny kuchenne), and daily life (codzienne życie) in Polish. We dive into how to discuss hunger, meals, cooking, Netflix habits, and maintaining energy – all in practical, everyday Polish.   Welcome to the Learn Polish Podcast – your immersive gateway to mastering Polish through real conversations, cultural insights, and practical everyday language. Each episode blends authentic Polish dialogue with clear English explanations, helping you build vocabulary naturally while exploring Polish food culture, daily routines, and lifestyle topics. Whether you're a complete beginner or advancing your skills, join us as we make learning Polish engaging, practical, and fun. From appetite (apetyt) to kitchen vocabulary (słownictwo kuchenne), we cover the phrases you actually need for everyday life. Find more episodes, lesson materials, and resources at www.learnpolishpodcast.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Spotify, and Rumble. Looking for virtual assistance, websites, social media, AI agents, or apps? Visit va.world. Need lessons in Polish or Spanish? Check the links in the show notes for both audio and video content.   English Polish Pronunciation Example Usage Appetite Apetyt ah-PEH-tit Mam apetyt. (I have an appetite.) Hunger Głód gwoot Jestem głodny. (I'm hungry.) Food Jedzenie yeh-DZEN-yeh Lubię jedzenie. (I like food.) Meal Posiłek po-SHEE-wek Trzy posiłki dziennie. (Three meals a day.) Breakfast Śniadanie shnya-DAH-nyeh Śniadanie jest ważne. (Breakfast is important.) Lunch Obiad OB-yad Obiad o dwunastej. (Lunch at twelve.) Dinner Kolacja / Obiad ko-LA-tsya / OB-yad Kolacja o siódmej. (Dinner at seven.) Snack Przekąska psheh-KON-ska Lekka przekąska. (A light snack.) Kitchen Kuchnia KOOKH-nya W kuchni. (In the kitchen.) Cook Gotować go-TO-vach Lubię gotować. (I like to cook.) Eating Jedzenie yeh-DZEN-yeh Jedzenie przy stole. (Eating at the table.) Full Pełny / Najedzony PEW-nih / nah-yeh-DZO-nih Jestem pełny. (I'm full.) Empty Pusty POO-stih Pusty talerz. (Empty plate.) Plate Talerz TAH-lehsh Talerz zupy. (Plate of soup.) Bowl Miska MEE-skah Miska zbożu. (Bowl of cereal.) Cup Filiżanka / Kubek fee-lee-ZHAN-kah / KOO-bek Kubek kawy. (A cup of coffee.) Glass Szklanka SHKLAN-kah Szklanka wody. (A glass of water.) Water Woda VO-dah Woda mineralna. (Mineral water.) Coffee Kawa KAH-vah Czarna kawa. (Black coffee.) Tea Herbata her-BAH-tah Herbata z cytryną. (Tea with lemon.) Juice Sok sok Sok pomarańczowy. (Orange juice.) Bread Chleb hlep Świeży chleb. (Fresh bread.) Butter Masło MAH-swo Masło na chlebie. (Butter on bread.) Cheese Ser ser Ser żółty. (Yellow cheese.) Meat Mięso MYEN-so Mięso z warzywami. (Meat with vegetables.) Fish Ryba RIH-bah Ryba na obiad. (Fish for lunch.) Vegetables Warzywa vah-ZIH-vah Świeże warzywa. (Fresh vegetables.) Fruit Owoce OH-vo-tseh Owoce sezonowe. (Seasonal fruits.) Salad Sałatka sah-WAT-kah Sałatka z pomidorów. (Tomato salad.) Soup Zupa ZOO-pah Zupa pomidorowa. (Tomato soup.) Dessert Deser DEH-ser Deser po obiedzie. (Dessert after lunch.) Sweet Słodki SWOOD-kee Słodki deser. (Sweet dessert.) Salty Słony SWO-nih Słone przekąski. (Salty snacks.) Spicy Pikantny pee-KANT-nih Pikantne danie. (Spicy dish.) Hot (temperature) Gorący go-RON-tsih Gorąca kawa. (Hot coffee.) Cold Zimny ZEEM-nih Zimne piwo. (Cold beer.) Fresh Świeży SHFYEH-zhih Świeże produkty. (Fresh products.) Delicious Pyszny PISH-nih Pyszne jedzenie. (Delicious food.) Disgusting Obrzydliwy ob-zhid-LEE-vih Obrzydliwy smak. (Disgusting taste.) Netflix Netflix NET-flix Oglądam Netflix. (I watch Netflix.) Series Serial SEH-ryahl Serial na Netflixie. (Series on Netflix.) Episode Odcinek od-CHEE-nek Nowy odcinek. (New episode.) Watch Oglądać og-WON-dach Oglądać film. (To watch a movie.) Relax Relaksować się re-lak-SO-vach sheh Czas na relaks. (Time to relax.) Couch Kanapa / Sofa kah-NAH-pah / SO-fah Leżeć na kanapie. (Lying on the couch.) Energy Energia eh-ner-GHEE-ah Brak energii. (Lack of energy.) Tired Zmęczony zmen-CHOH-nih Jestem zmęczony. (I'm tired.) Sleep Sen sen Idę spać. (I'm going to sleep.) Wake up Budzić się BOO-dzeech sheh Budzę się wcześnie. (I wake up early.) Morning Poranek / Rano po-RAH-nek / RAH-no Wczesny poranek. (Early morning.) Evening Wieczór VYEH-choor Wieczór przed telewizorem. (Evening in front of TV.) Night Noc nots W nocy. (At night.) Day Dzień dzyen Cały dzień. (All day.) Time Czas chas Czas na obiad. (Time for lunch.) Habit Nawyk NAH-vik Dobry nawyk. (Good habit.) Routine Rutyna roo-TIH-nah Codzienna rutyna. (Daily routine.) Process Proces PRO-tses Proces gotowania. (Cooking process.) System System SIS-tem System jedzenia. (Eating system.) Positive Pozytywny po-zi-TIV-nih Pozytywne nawyki. (Positive habits.) Negative Negatywny ne-ga-TIV-nih Negatywne skutki. (Negative effects.) Important Ważny VAZH-nih Ważny posiłek. (Important meal.) Problem Problem PRO-blem Problem z apetytem. (Problem with appetite.) Solution Rozwiązanie roz-vy-ZA-nyeh Rozwiązanie problemu. (Solution to the problem.) Change Zmiana ZMYAH-nah Zmiana nawyków. (Change of habits.) Start Start / Zacząć start / ZAH-chonch Zacznij od śniadania. (Start with breakfast.) Stop Stop / Przestać stop / PSHEH-stach Przestań jeść. (Stop eating.) Continue Kontynuować kon-ty-nu-O-vach Kontynuować dietę. (Continue the diet.) Skip Pominąć / Ominąć po-MEE-noch / o-MEE-noch Pominąć posiłek. (Skip a meal.) Healthy Zdrowy ZDRO-vih Zdrowe jedzenie. (Healthy food.) Unhealthy Niezdrowy nyeh-ZDRO-vih Niezdrowe nawyki. (Unhealthy habits.) Diet Dieta dyeh-TAH Być na diecie. (To be on a diet.) Weight Waga VAH-gah Kontrola wagi. (Weight control.) Gain weight Przytyć pshee-TIH Chcę przytyć. (I want to gain weight.) Lose weight Schudnąć SKHOOD-noch Chcę schudnąć. (I want to lose weight.) Exercise Ćwiczenia chvee-CHEH-nya Ćwiczenia codziennie. (Exercise every day.) Gym Siłownia / Fitness see-woov-NYAH / FIT-nes Chodzić na siłownię. (Go to the gym.) Sport Sport sport Sport i zdrowie. (Sport and health.) Walk Spacer SPAH-tser Spacer po obiedzie. (Walk after lunch.) Run Biegać BYEH-gach Biegać rano. (Run in the morning.) Swim Pływać PWIH-vach Pływać w basenie. (Swim in the pool.) Bike Jeździć na rowerze YEZH-dzeech nah RO-veh-zeh Jeździć na rowerze. (Ride a bike.)  

Last time we spoke about the end of the battle of khalkin gol. In the summer of 1939, the Nomonhan Incident escalated into a major border conflict between Soviet-Mongolian forces and Japan's Kwantung Army along the Halha River. Despite Japanese successes in July, Zhukov launched a decisive offensive on August 20. Under cover of darkness, Soviet troops crossed the river, unleashing over 200 bombers and intense artillery barrages that devastated Japanese positions. Zhukov's northern, central, and southern forces encircled General Komatsubara's 23rd Division, supported by Manchukuoan units. Fierce fighting ensued: the southern flank collapsed under Colonel Potapov's armor, while the northern Fui Heights held briefly before falling to relentless assaults, including flame-throwing tanks. Failed Japanese counterattacks on August 24 resulted in heavy losses, with regiments shattered by superior Soviet firepower and tactics. By August 25, encircled pockets were systematically eliminated, leading to the annihilation of the Japanese 6th Army. The defeat, coinciding with the Hitler-Stalin Pact, forced Japan to negotiate a ceasefire on September 15-16, redrawing borders. Zhukov's victory exposed Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare, influencing future strategies and deterring further northern expansion.   #192 The Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact 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. Despite the fact this technically will go into future events, I thought it was important we talk about a key moment in Sino history. Even though the battle of changkufeng and khalkin gol were not part of the second sino-Japanese war, their outcomes certainly would affect it.  Policymaking by the Soviet Union alone was not the primary factor in ending Moscow's diplomatic isolation in the late 1930s. After the Munich Conference signaled the failure of the popular front/united front approach, Neville Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, and Poland's Józef Beck unintentionally strengthened Joseph Stalin's position in early 1939. Once the strategic cards were in his hands, Stalin capitalized on them. His handling of negotiations with Britain and France, as well as with Germany, from April to August was deft and effective. The spring and summer negotiations among the European powers are well documented and have been examined from many angles. In May 1939, while Stalin seemed to have the upper hand in Europe, yet before Hitler had signaled that a German–Soviet agreement might be possible, the Nomonhan incident erupted, a conflict initiated and escalated by the Kwantung Army. For a few months, the prospect of a Soviet–Japanese war revived concerns in Moscow about a two-front conflict. Reviewing Soviet talks with Britain, France, and Germany in the spring and summer of 1939 from an East Asian perspective sheds fresh light on the events that led to the German–Soviet Nonaggression Pact and, more broadly, to the outbreak of World War II. The second week of May marked the start of fighting at Nomonhan, during which negotiations between Germany and the USSR barely advanced beyond mutual scrutiny. Moscow signaled that an understanding with Nazi Germany might be possible. Notably, on May 4, the removal of Maksim Litvinov as foreign commissar and his replacement by Vyacheslav Molotov suggested a shift in approach. Litvinov, an urbane diplomat of Jewish origin and married to an Englishwoman, had been the leading Soviet proponent of the united-front policy and a steadfast critic of Nazi Germany. If a settlement with Hitler was sought, Litvinov was an unsuitable figure to lead the effort. Molotov, though with limited international experience, carried weight as chairman of the Council of Ministers and, more importantly, as one of Stalin's closest lieutenants. This personnel change seemed to accomplish its aim in Berlin, where the press was instructed on May 5 to halt polemical attacks on the Soviet Union and Bolshevism. On the same day, Karl Schnurre, head of the German Foreign Ministry's East European trade section, told Soviet chargé d'affaires Georgi Astakhov that Skoda, the German-controlled Czech arms manufacturer, would honor existing arms contracts with Russia. Astakhov asked whether, with Litvinov's departure, Germany might resume negotiations for a trade treaty Berlin had halted months earlier. By May 17, during discussions with Schnurre, Astakhov asserted that "there were no conflicts in foreign policy between Germany and the Soviet Union and that there was no reason for enmity between the two countries," and that Britain and France's negotiations appeared unpromising. The next day, Ribbentrop personally instructed Schulenburg to green-light trade talks. Molotov, however, insisted that a "political basis" for economic negotiations had to be established first. Suspicion remained high on both sides. Stalin feared Berlin might use reports of German–Soviet talks to destabilize a potential triple alliance with Britain and France; Hitler feared Stalin might use such reports to entice Tokyo away from an anti-German pact. The attempt to form a tripartite military alliance among Germany, Italy, and Japan foundered over divergent aims: Berlin targeted Britain and France; Tokyo aimed at the Soviet Union. Yet talks persisted through August 1939, with Japanese efforts to draw Germany into an anti-Soviet alignment continually reported to Moscow by Richard Sorge. Hitler and Mussolini, frustrated by Japanese objections, first concluded the bilateral Pact of Steel on May 22. The next day, Hitler, addressing his generals, stressed the inevitability of war with Poland and warned that opposition from Britain would be crushed militarily. He then hinted that Russia might "prove disinterested in the destruction of Poland," suggesting closer ties with Japan if Moscow opposed Germany. The exchange was quickly leaked to the press. Five days later, the first pitched battle of the Nomonhan campaign began. Although Hitler's timing with the Yamagata detachment's foray was coincidental, Moscow may have found the coincidence ominous. Despite the inducement of Molotov's call for a political basis before economic talks, Hitler and Ribbentrop did not immediately respond. On June 14, Astakhov signaled to Parvan Draganov, Bulgaria's ambassador in Berlin, that the USSR faced three options: ally with Britain and France, continue inconclusive talks with them, or align with Germany, the latter being closest to Soviet desires. Draganov relayed to the German Foreign Ministry that Moscow preferred a non-aggression agreement if Germany would pledge not to attack the Soviet Union. Two days later, Schulenburg told Astakhov that Germany recognized the link between economic and political relations and was prepared for far-reaching talks, a view echoed by Ribbentrop. The situation remained tangled: the Soviets pursued overt talks with Britain and France, while Stalin sought to maximize Soviet leverage. Chamberlain's stance toward Moscow remained wary but recognized a "psychological value" to an Anglo–Soviet rapprochement, tempered by his insistence on a hard bargain. American ambassador William C. Bullitt urged London to avoid the appearance of pursuing the Soviets, a view that resonated with Chamberlain's own distrust. Public confidence in a real Anglo–Soviet alliance remained low. By July 19, cabinet minutes show Chamberlain could not quite believe a genuine Russia–Germany alliance was possible, though he recognized the necessity of negotiations with Moscow to deter Hitler and to mollify an increasingly skeptical British public. Despite reservations, both sides kept the talks alive. Stalin's own bargaining style, with swift Soviet replies but frequent questions and demands, often produced delays. Molotov pressed on questions such as whether Britain and France would pledge to defend the Baltic states, intervene if Japan attacked the USSR, or join in opposing Germany if Hitler pressured Poland or Romania. These considerations were not trivial; they produced extended deliberations. On July 23, Molotov demanded that plans for coordinated military action among the three powers be fleshed out before a political pact. Britain and France accepted most political terms, and an Anglo-French military mission arrived in Moscow on August 11. The British commander, Admiral Sir Reginald Plunket-Ernle-Erle-Drax, conducted staff talks but could not conclude a military agreement. The French counterpart, General Joseph Doumenc, could sign but not bind his government. By then, Hitler had set August 26 as the date for war with Poland. With that looming, Hitler pressed for Soviet neutrality, or closer cooperation. In July and August, secret German–Soviet negotiations favored the Germans, who pressed for a rapid settlement and made most concessions. Yet Stalin benefited from keeping the British and French engaged, creating leverage against Hitler and safeguarding a potential Anglo–Soviet option as a fallback. To lengthen the talks and avoid immediate resolution, Moscow emphasized the Polish issue. Voroshilov demanded the Red Army be allowed to operate through Polish territory to defend Poland, a demand Warsaw would never accept. Moscow even floated a provocative plan: if Britain and France could compel Poland to permit Baltic State naval operations, the Western fleets would occupy Baltic ports, an idea that would have been militarily perilous and diplomatically explosive. Despite this, Stalin sought an agreement with Germany. Through Richard Sorge's intelligence, Moscow knew Tokyo aimed to avoid large-scale war with the USSR, and Moscow pressed for a German–Soviet settlement, including a nonaggression pact and measures to influence Japan to ease Sino–Japanese tensions. On August 16, Ribbentrop instructed Schulenburg to urge Molotov and Stalin toward a nonaggression pact and to coordinate with Japan. Stalin signaled willingness, and August 23–24 saw the drafting of the pact and the collapse of the Soviet and Japanese resistance elsewhere. That night, in a memorandum of Ribbentrop's staff, seven topics were summarized, with Soviet–Japanese relations and Molotov's insistence that Berlin demonstrate good faith standing out. Ribbentrop reiterated his willingness to influence Japan for a more favorable Soviet–Japanese relationship, and Stalin's reply indicated a path toward a détente in the East alongside the European agreement: "M. Stalin replied that the Soviet Union indeed desired an improvement in its relations with Japan, but that there were limits to its patience with regard to Japanese provocations. If Japan desired war she could have it. The Soviet Union was not afraid of it and was prepared for it. If Japan desired peace—so much the better! M. Stalin considered the assistance of Germany in bringing about an improvement in Soviet-Japanese relations as useful, but he did not want the Japanese to get the impression that the initiative in this direction had been taken by the Soviet Union."  Second, the assertion that the Soviet Union was prepared for and unafraid of war with Japan is an overstatement, though Stalin certainly had grounds for optimism regarding the battlefield situation and the broader East Asian strategic balance. It is notable that, despite the USSR's immediate diplomatic and military gains against Japan, Stalin remained anxious to conceal from Tokyo any peace initiative that originated in Moscow. That stance suggests that Tokyo or Hsinking might read such openness as a sign of Soviet weakness or confidence overextended. The Japanese danger, it would seem, did not disappear from Stalin's mind. Even at the height of his diplomatic coup, Stalin was determined not to burn bridges prematurely. On August 21, while he urged Hitler to send Ribbentrop to Moscow, he did not sever talks with Britain and France. Voroshilov requested a temporary postponement on the grounds that Soviet delegation officers were needed for autumn maneuvers. It was not until August 25, after Britain reiterated its resolve to stand by Poland despite the German–Soviet pact, that Stalin sent the Anglo–French military mission home. Fortified by the nonaggression pact, which he hoped would deter Britain and France from action, Hitler unleashed his army on Poland on September 1. Two days later, as Zhukov's First Army Group was completing its operations at Nomonhan, Hitler faced a setback when Britain and France declared war. Hitler had hoped to finish Poland quickly in 1939 and avoid fighting Britain and France until 1940. World War II in Europe had begun. The Soviet–Japanese conflict at Nomonhan was not the sole, nor even the principal, factor prompting Stalin to conclude an alliance with Hitler. Standing aside from a European war that could fracture the major capitalist powers might have been reason enough. Yet the conflict with Japan in the East was also a factor in Stalin's calculations, a dimension that has received relatively little attention in standard accounts of the outbreak of the war. This East Asian focus seeks to clarify the record without proposing a revolutionary reinterpretation of Soviet foreign policy; rather, it adds an important piece often overlooked in the "origins of the Second World War" puzzle, helping to reduce the overall confusion. The German–Soviet agreement provided for the Soviet occupation of the eastern half of Poland soon after Germany's invasion. On September 3, just forty-eight hours after the invasion and on the day Britain and France declared war, Ribbentrop urged Moscow to invade Poland from the east. Yet, for two more weeks, Poland's eastern frontier remained inviolate; Soviet divisions waited at the border, as most Polish forces were engaged against Germany. The German inquiries about the timing of the Soviet invasion continued, but the Red Army did not move. This inactivity is often attributed to Stalin's caution and suspicion, but that caution extended beyond Europe. Throughout early September, sporadic ground and air combat continued at Nomonhan, including significant activity by Kwantung Army forces on September 8–9, and large-scale air engagements on September 1–2, 4–5, and 14–15. Not until September 15 was the Molotov–Togo cease-fire arrangement finalized, to take effect on September 16. The very next morning, September 17, the Red Army crossed the Polish frontier into a country collapsed at its feet. It appears that Stalin wanted to ensure that fighting on his eastern flank had concluded before engaging in Western battles, avoiding a two-front war. Through such policies, Stalin avoided the disaster of a two-front war. Each principal in the 1939 diplomatic maneuvering pursued distinct objectives. The British sought an arrangement with the USSR that would deter Hitler from attacking Poland and, if deterred, bind Moscow to the Anglo–French alliance. Hitler sought an alliance with the USSR to deter Britain and France from aiding Poland and, if they did aid Poland, to secure Soviet neutrality. Japan sought a military alliance with Germany against the USSR, or failing that, stronger Anti-Comintern ties. Stalin aimed for an outcome in which Germany would fight the Western democracies, leaving him freedom to operate in both the West and East; failing that, he sought military reassurance from Britain and France in case he had to confront Germany. Of the four, only Stalin achieved his primary objective. Hitler secured his secondary objective; the British and Japanese failed to realize theirs. Stalin won the diplomatic contest in 1939. Yet, as diplomats gave way to generals, the display of German military power in Poland and in Western Europe soon eclipsed Stalin's diplomatic triumph. By playing Germany against Britain and France, Stalin gained leverage and a potential fallback, but at the cost of unleashing a devastating European war. As with the aftermath of the Portsmouth Treaty in 1905, Russo-Japanese relations improved rapidly after hostilities ceased at Nomonhan. The Molotov–Togo agreement of September 15 and the local truces arranged around Nomonhan on September 19 were observed scrupulously by both sides. On October 27, the two nations settled another long-standing dispute by agreeing to mutual release of fishing boats detained on charges of illegal fishing in each other's territorial waters. On November 6, the USSR appointed Konstantin Smetanin as ambassador to Tokyo, replacing the previous fourteen-month tenure of a chargé d'affaires. Smetanin's first meeting with the new Japanese foreign minister, Nomura Kichisaburö, in November 1939 attracted broad, favorable coverage in the Japanese press. In a break with routine diplomatic practice, Nomura delivered a draft proposal for a new fisheries agreement and a memo outlining the functioning of the joint border commission to be established in the Nomonhan area before Smetanin presented his credentials. On December 31, an agreement finalizing Manchukuo's payment to the USSR for the sale of the Chinese Eastern Railway was reached, and the Soviet–Japanese Fisheries Convention was renewed for 1940. In due course, the boundary near Nomonhan was formally redefined. A November 1939 agreement between Molotov and Togo established a mixed border commission representing the four parties to the dispute. After protracted negotiations, the border commission completed its redemarcation on June 14, 1941, with new border markers erected in August 1941. The resulting boundary largely followed the Soviet–MPR position, lying ten to twelve miles east of the Halha River. With that, the Nomonhan incident was officially closed.  Kwantung Army and Red Army leaders alike sought to "teach a lesson" to their foe at Nomonhan. The refrain recurs in documents and memoirs from both sides, "we must teach them a lesson." The incident provided lessons for both sides, but not all were well learned. For the Red Army, the lessons of Nomonhan intertwined with the laurels of victory, gratifying but sometimes distracting. Georgy Zhukov grasped the experience of modern warfare that summer, gaining more than a raised profile: command experience, confidence, and a set of hallmarks he would employ later. He demonstrated the ability to grasp complex strategic problems quickly, decisive crisis leadership, meticulous attention to logistics and deception, patience in building superior strength before striking at the enemy's weakest point, and the coordination of massed artillery, tanks, mechanized infantry, and tactical air power in large-scale double envelopment. These capabilities informed his actions at Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, and ultimately Berlin. It is tempting to wonder how Zhukov might have fared in the crucial autumn and winter of 1941 without Nomonhan, or whether he would have been entrusted with the Moscow front in 1941 had he not distinguished himself at Nomonhan. Yet the Soviet High Command overlooked an important lesson. Despite Zhukov's successes with independent tank formations and mechanized infantry, the command misapplied Spanish Civil War-era experience by disbanding armored divisions and redistributing tanks to infantry units to serve as support. It was not until after Germany demonstrated tank warfare in 1940 that the Soviets began reconstituting armored divisions and corps, a process still incomplete when the 1941 invasion began. The Red Army's performance at Nomonhan went largely unseen in the West. Western intelligence and military establishments largely believed the Red Army was fundamentally rotten, a view reinforced by the battlefield's remoteness and by both sides' reluctance to publicize the defeat. The Polish crisis and the outbreak of war in Europe drew attention away from Nomonhan, and the later Finnish Winter War reinforced negative Western judgments of Soviet military capability. U.S. military attaché Raymond Faymonville observed that the Soviets, anticipating a quick victory over Finland, relied on hastily summoned reserves ill-suited for winter fighting—an assessment that led some to judge the Red Army by its performance at Nomonhan. Even in Washington, this view persisted; Hitler reportedly called the Red Army "a paralytic on crutches" after Finland and then ordered invasion planning in 1941. Defeat can be a stronger teacher than victory. Because Nomonhan was a limited war, Japan's defeat was likewise limited, and its impact on Tokyo did not immediately recalibrate Japanese assessments. Yet Nomonhan did force Japan to revise its estimation of Soviet strength: the Imperial Army abandoned its strategic Plan Eight-B and adopted a more defensive posture toward the Soviet Union. An official inquiry into the debacle, submitted November 29, 1939, recognized Soviet superiority in materiel and firepower and urged Japan to bolster its own capabilities. The Kwantung Army's leadership, chastened, returned to the frontier with a more realistic sense of capability, even as the Army Ministry and AGS failed to translate lessons into policy. The enduring tendency toward gekokujo, the dominance of local and mid-level officers over central authority, remained persistent, and Tokyo did not fully purge it after Nomonhan. The Kwantung Army's operatives who helped drive the Nomonhan episode resurfaced in key posts at Imperial General Headquarters, contributing to Japan's 1941 decision to go to war. The defeat of the Kwantung Army at Nomonhan, together with the Stalin–Hitler pact and the outbreak of war in Europe, triggered a reorientation of Japanese strategy and foreign policy. The new government, led by the politically inexperienced and cautious General Abe Nobuyuki, pursued a conservative foreign policy. Chiang Kai-shek's retreat to Chongqing left the Chinese war at a stalemate: the Japanese Expeditionary Army could still inflict defeats on Chinese nationalist forces, but it had no viable path to a decisive victory. China remained Japan's principal focus. Still, the option of cutting Soviet aid to China and of moving north into Outer Mongolia and Siberia was discredited in Tokyo by the August 1939 double defeat. Northward expansion never again regained its ascendancy, though it briefly resurfaced in mid-1941 after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany's alliance with the USSR during Nomonhan was viewed by Tokyo as a betrayal, cooling German–Japanese relations. Japan also stepped back from its confrontation with Britain over Tientsin. Tokyo recognized that the European war represented a momentous development that could reshape East Asia, as World War I had reshaped it before. The short-lived Abe government (September–December 1939) and its successor under Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa (December 1939–July 1940) adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude toward the European war. That stance shifted in the summer of 1940, however, after Germany's successes in the West. With Germany's conquest of France and the Low Countries and Britain's fight for survival, Tokyo reassessed the global balance of power. Less than a year after Zhukov had effectively blocked further Japanese expansion northward, Hitler's victories seemed to open a southern expansion path. The prospect of seizing the resource-rich colonies in Southeast Asia, Dutch, French, and British and, more importantly, resolving the China problem in Japan's favor, tempted many in Tokyo. If Western aid to Chiang Kai-shek, channeled through Hong Kong, French Indochina, and Burma could be cut off, some in Tokyo believed Chiang might abandon resistance. If not, Japan could launch new operations against Chiang from Indochina and Burma, effectively turning China's southern flank. To facilitate a southward advance, Japan sought closer alignment with Germany and the USSR. Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka brought Japan into the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, in the hope of neutralizing the United States, and concluded a neutrality pact with the Soviet Union to secure calm in the north. Because of the European military situation, only the United States could check Japan's southward expansion. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared determined to do so and confident that he could. If the Manchurian incident and the Stimson Doctrine strained U.S.–Japanese relations, and the China War and U.S. aid to Chiang Kai-shek deepened mutual resentment, it was Japan's decision to press south against French, British, and Dutch colonies, and Roosevelt's resolve to prevent such a move, that put the two nations on a collision course. The dust had barely settled on the Mongolian plains following the Nomonhan ceasefire when the ripples of that distant conflict began to reshape the broader theater of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The defeat at Nomonhan in August 1939, coupled with the shocking revelation of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, delivered a profound strategic blow to Japan's imperial ambitions. No longer could Tokyo entertain serious notions of a "northern advance" into Soviet territory, a strategy that had long tantalized military planners as a means to secure resources and buffer against communism. Instead, the Kwantung Army's humiliation exposed glaring deficiencies in Japanese mechanized warfare, logistics, and intelligence, forcing a pivot southward. This reorientation not only cooled tensions with the Soviet Union but also allowed Japan to redirect its military focus toward the protracted stalemate in China. As we transition from the border clashes of the north to the heartland tensions in central China, it's essential to trace how these events propelled Japan toward the brink of a major offensive in Hunan Province, setting the stage for what would become a critical confrontation. In the immediate aftermath of Nomonhan, Japan's military high command grappled with the implications of their setback. The Kwantung Army, once a symbol of unchecked aggression, was compelled to adopt a defensive posture along the Manchurian-Soviet border. The ceasefire agreement, formalized on September 15-16, 1939, effectively neutralized the northern front, freeing up significant resources and manpower that had been tied down in the escalating border skirmishes. This was no small relief; the Nomonhan campaign had drained Japanese forces, with estimates of over 18,000 casualties and the near-total annihilation of the 23rd Division. The psychological impact was equally severe, shattering the myth of Japanese invincibility against a modern, mechanized opponent. Georgy Zhukov's masterful use of combined arms—tanks, artillery, and air power—highlighted Japan's vulnerabilities, prompting internal reviews that urged reforms in tank production, artillery doctrine, and supply chains. Yet, these lessons were slow to implement, and in the short term, the primary benefit was the opportunity to consolidate efforts elsewhere. For Japan, "elsewhere" meant China, where the war had devolved into a grinding attrition since the fall of Wuhan in October 1938. The capture of Wuhan, a major transportation hub and temporary capital of the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek, had been hailed as a turning point. Japanese forces, under the command of General Shunroku Hata, had pushed deep into central China, aiming to decapitate Chinese resistance. However, Chiang's strategic retreat to Chongqing transformed the conflict into a war of endurance. Nationalist forces, bolstered by guerrilla tactics and international aid, harassed Japanese supply lines and prevented a decisive knockout blow. By mid-1939, Japan controlled vast swaths of eastern and northern China, including key cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, but the cost was immense: stretched logistics, mounting casualties, and an inability to fully pacify occupied territories. The Nomonhan defeat exacerbated these issues by underscoring the limits of Japan's military overextension. With the northern threat abated, Tokyo's Army General Staff saw an opening to intensify operations in China, hoping to force Chiang to the negotiating table before global events further complicated the picture. The diplomatic fallout from Nomonhan and the Hitler-Stalin Pact further influenced this shift. Japan's betrayal by Germany, its nominal ally under the Anti-Comintern Pact—fostered distrust and isolation. Tokyo's flirtations with a full Axis alliance stalled, as the pact with Moscow revealed Hitler's willingness to prioritize European gains over Asian solidarity. This isolation prompted Japan to reassess its priorities, emphasizing self-reliance in China while eyeing opportunistic expansions elsewhere. Domestically, the Hiranuma cabinet collapsed in August 1939 amid the diplomatic shock, paving the way for the more cautious Abe Nobuyuki government. Abe's administration, though short-lived, signaled a temporary de-escalation in aggressive posturing, but the underlying imperative to resolve the "China Incident" persisted. Japanese strategists believed that capturing additional strategic points in central China could sever Chiang's lifelines, particularly the routes funneling aid from the Soviet Union and the West via Burma and Indochina. The seismic shifts triggered by Nomonhan compelled Japan to fundamentally readjust its China policy and war plans, marking a pivotal transition from overambitious northern dreams to a more focused, albeit desperate, campaign in the south. With the Kwantung Army's defeat fresh in mind, Tokyo's Imperial General Headquarters initiated a comprehensive strategic review in late August 1939. The once-dominant "Northern Advance" doctrine, which envisioned rapid conquests into Siberia for resources like oil and minerals, was officially shelved. In its place emerged a "Southern Advance" framework, prioritizing the consolidation of gains in China and potential expansions into Southeast Asia. This pivot was not merely tactical; it reflected a profound policy recalibration aimed at ending the quagmire in China, where two years of war had yielded territorial control but no decisive victory over Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists. Central to this readjustment was a renewed emphasis on economic and military self-sufficiency. The Nomonhan debacle had exposed Japan's vulnerabilities in mechanized warfare, leading to urgent reforms in industrial production. Tank manufacturing was ramped up, with designs influenced by observed Soviet models, and artillery stockpiles were bolstered to match the firepower discrepancies seen on the Mongolian steppes. Logistically, the Army General Staff prioritized streamlining supply lines in China, recognizing that prolonged engagements demanded better resource allocation. Politically, the Abe Nobuyuki cabinet, installed in September 1939, adopted a "wait-and-see" approach toward Europe but aggressively pursued diplomatic maneuvers to isolate China. Efforts to negotiate with Wang Jingwei's puppet regime in Nanjing intensified, aiming to undermine Chiang's legitimacy and splinter Chinese resistance. Japan also pressured Vichy France for concessions in Indochina, seeking to choke off aid routes to Chongqing. War plans evolved accordingly, shifting from broad-front offensives to targeted strikes designed to disrupt Chinese command and supply networks. The China Expeditionary Army, under General Yasuji Okamura, was restructured to emphasize mobility and combined arms operations, drawing partial lessons from Zhukov's tactics. Intelligence operations were enhanced, with greater focus on infiltrating Nationalist strongholds in central provinces. By early September, plans coalesced around a major push into Hunan Province, a vital crossroads linking northern and southern China. Hunan's river systems and rail lines made it a linchpin for Chinese logistics, funneling men and materiel to the front lines. Japanese strategists identified key urban centers in the region as critical objectives, believing their capture could sever Chiang's western supply corridors and force a strategic retreat. This readjustment was not without internal friction. Hardliners in the military lamented the abandonment of northern ambitions, but the reality of Soviet strength—and the neutrality pacts that followed—left little room for debate. Economically, Japan ramped up exploitation of occupied Chinese territories, extracting coal, iron, and rice to fuel the war machine. Diplomatically, Tokyo sought to mend fences with the Soviets through the 1941 Neutrality Pact, ensuring northern security while eyes turned south. Yet, these changes brewed tension with the United States, whose embargoes on scrap metal and oil threatened to cripple Japan's ambitions. As autumn approached, the stage was set for a bold gambit in central China. Japanese divisions massed along the Yangtze River, poised to strike at the heart of Hunan's defenses. Intelligence reports hinted at Chinese preparations, with Xue Yue's forces fortifying positions around a major provincial hub. The air thickened with anticipation of a clash that could tip the balance in the interminable war—a test of Japan's revamped strategies against a resilient foe determined to hold the line. What unfolded would reveal whether Tokyo's post-Nomonhan pivot could deliver the breakthrough so desperately needed, or if it would merely prolong the bloody stalemate. 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 1939, the Nomonhan Incident saw Soviet forces under Georgy Zhukov decisively defeat Japan's Kwantung Army at Khalkin Gol, exposing Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare. This setback, coupled with the Hitler-Stalin Nonaggression Pact, shattered Japan's northern expansion plans and prompted a strategic pivot southward. Diplomatic maneuvers involving Stalin, Hitler, Britain, France, and Japan reshaped alliances, leading to the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact in 1941. Japan refocused on China, intensifying operations in Hunan Province to isolate Chiang Kai-shek.   

President Trump said this weekend that the United States demands the total, unconditional surrender of Iran. Then he said that a surrender might be whatever Donald Trump decides it to be. Senator Lindsey Graham says the Trump administration is already planning its next hit for Cuba. But does that mean the Iran war will end quickly, without democratic rights for the Iranian people? What are the goals exactly? Our guests discuss it. In studio: Hein Goemans, Ph.D., professor of political science and director of the Peter D. Watson Center for Conflict and Cooperation at the University of Rochester, author of “War and Punishment,” and co-author of "Leaders and International Conflict" Randy Stone, Ph.D., professor of political science and director of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester; and author of "Controlling Institutions," "Lending Credibility," and "Satellites and Commissars" ---Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.---Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

2. Philps highlights Alice Moats, a socialite turned war correspondent. Defying British embassy orders to evacuate, "Mozy" stayed in Moscow and connected with Polish General Anders. Her story exposes the Soviet betrayal of Polish officers while providing a lighter, yet insightful, perspective on the grand tragedies of Moscow. (19)1942

This episode explores vocabulary related to pathology (patologia), business systems (systemy biznesowe), technology (technologia), and digital operations (operacje cyfrowe) in Polish. We dive into how to discuss problems (problemy), solutions (rozwiązania), networks (sieci), and modern business infrastructure – all in practical, everyday Polish.   Welcome to the Learn Polish Podcast – your immersive gateway to mastering Polish through real conversations, cultural insights, and practical everyday language. Each episode blends authentic Polish dialogue with clear English explanations, helping you build vocabulary naturally while exploring Polish business concepts, technology terms, and modern life topics. Whether you're a complete beginner or advancing your skills, join us as we make learning Polish engaging, practical, and fun. From pathology (patologia) to digital systems (systemy cyfrowe), we cover the phrases you actually need for today's world. Find more episodes, lesson materials, and resources at www.learnpolishpodcast.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Spotify, and Rumble. Looking for virtual assistance? Visit va.world. Join our school groups on Brain Upgrade and podcasting – links in the show notes. Need lessons in Polish or Spanish? Check the links in the description for both audio and video content. Try our free brain upgrade course at school.com/brainupgrade   English Polish Pronunciation Example Usage Pathology Patologia pah-to-lo-GHEE-ah To jest patologia. (This is a mess/pathology.) System System SIS-tem System działa. (The system works.) Problem Problem PRO-blem Mamy problem. (We have a problem.) Solution Rozwiązanie roz-vy-ZA-nyeh Znajdźmy rozwiązanie. (Let's find a solution.) Network Sieć / Network seech / NET-work Sieć działa dobrze. (The network works well.) Technology Technologia tek-no-lo-GHEE-ah Nowa technologia. (New technology.) Digital Cyfrowy tsih-FRO-vih System cyfrowy. (Digital system.) Business Biznes BEES-nes Mój biznes rośnie. (My business is growing.) Product Produkt PRO-dukt Nowy produkt. (New product.) Service Usługa oo-SWOO-gah Dobra usługa. (Good service.) Agency Agencja ah-GEN-tsya Pracuję w agencji. (I work at an agency.) Marketing Marketing MAR-ke-ting Marketing internetowy. (Internet marketing.) Telephone Telefon teh-LEH-fon Zadzwoń na telefon. (Call the phone.) Call Połączenie / Zadzwonić po-won-CHEN-yeh / zad-ZVO-neech Zadzwoń do mnie. (Call me.) Object Obiekt / Obiekt OB-yekt Jaki to obiekt? (What object is this?) Version Wersja VER-shah Nowa wersja systemu. (New system version.) Target Cel / Target tsel / TAR-get Jaki jest cel? (What is the target?) Goal Cel tsel Mój cel to... (My goal is...) Bonus Bonus BO-nus Dostałem bonus. (I got a bonus.) Million Milion MEE-lyon Jeden milion. (One million.) Percent Procent PRO-tsent Dziesięć procent. (Ten percent.) Statistics Statystyka sta-TIS-ti-kah Statystyka pokazuje... (Statistics show...) Data Dane / Data DAH-neh / DAH-tah Analiza danych. (Data analysis.) Machine Maszyna mah-SHI-nah Maszyna działa. (The machine works.) Robot Robot RO-bot Robot automatyzuje. (The robot automates.) Automation Automatyzacja au-to-mah-ti-ZA-tsya Automatyzacja procesów. (Process automation.) Application Aplikacja ah-plee-KA-tsya Nowa aplikacja. (New application.) Software Oprogramowanie o-pro-gra-mo-VAH-nyeh Nowe oprogramowanie. (New software.) Hardware Sprzęt SPR-shent Nowy sprzęt. (New hardware.) GitHub GitHub GIT-hub Kod na GitHubie. (Code on GitHub.) Website Strona internetowa STRO-nah in-ter-ne-TO-vah Moja strona www. (My website.) Domain Domena do-MEN-nah Rejestracja domeny. (Domain registration.) Calendar Kalendarz kal-EN-darsh Sprawdź kalendarz. (Check the calendar.) Schedule Harmonogram / Grafik har-mo-NO-gram / GRA-fik Jaki jest grafik? (What's the schedule?) Event Wydarzenie / Event vih-dah-ZHEN-yeh / EH-vent Organizuję event. (I'm organizing an event.) Organization Organizacja or-ga-nee-ZA-tsya Dobra organizacja. (Good organization.) Union Unia / Związek OO-nya / ZVYON-zek Unia Europejska. (European Union.) Change Zmiana ZMYAH-nah Czas na zmianę. (Time for change.) Smart Smart / Inteligentny smart / in-te-li-GENT-nih Smart rozwiązanie. (Smart solution.) Positive Pozytywny po-zi-TIV-nih Pozytywne myślenie. (Positive thinking.) Logic Logika lo-GHEE-kah Logika biznesu. (Business logic.) Context Kontekst KON-tekst W kontekście... (In the context of...) Access Dostęp DOH-stemp Mam dostęp. (I have access.) Inspection Inspekcja / Kontrola in-SPEK-tsya / kon-TRO-lah Inspekcja jakości. (Quality inspection.) Quality Jakość YAH-koshch Wysoka jakość. (High quality.) Customer Klient KLEE-ent Klient jest ważny. (The customer is important.) Private Prywatny pri-VAT-nih Prywatna firma. (Private company.) Public Publiczny / Publiczny poo-BLEECH-nih Sektor publiczny. (Public sector.) National Narodowy / Krajowy na-ro-DO-vih / krai-YO-vih Krajowa sieć. (National network.) International Międzynarodowy myen-dza-na-ro-DO-vih Międzynarodowa firma. (International company.) AI AI / Sztuczna inteligencja ah-ee / SHTOOCH-nah in-te-li-GEN-tsya AI zmienia biznes. (AI is changing business.) Upgrade Upgrade / Aktualizacja UP-grade / ak-tu-a-li-ZA-tsya Czas na upgrade. (Time for an upgrade.) Training Trening / Szkolenie TRE-ning / shko-LEN-yeh Szkolenie online. (Online training.) Process Proces PRO-tses Proces automatyzacji. (Automation process.) Store Sklep / Magazyn sklep / ma-ga-ZIN Sklep internetowy. (Online store.) Source Źródło ZWOO-dwo Źródło danych. (Data source.)

Hosts Ania and Roy talk about International Womens Day (March 8), comparing Polish and Irish traditions, gift ideas like flowers and jewelry, and what the day means in modern life. Hear personal stories, thoughts on gender roles and equality, and warm wishes for women learning Polish. Find episodes and show notes at learnpolishpodcast.com.   "Dzień Kobiet" means "Women's Day," and in this micro-lesson you'll say it like you're handing flowers to every woman you know. First you hear the phrase at native speed, then slowed down so you can master the soft "Dzień" and the flowing "Kobiet." We drop it into three celebration-ready sentences: – "Wszystkiego najlepszego w Dzień Kobiet!" (All the best on Women's Day!) – "Kupiłem kwiaty na Dzień Kobiet." (I bought flowers for Women's Day.) – "To ważne święto w Polsce." (It's an important holiday in Poland.) Repeat-along track included—perfect while you pick tulips or write a card. Challenge: record yourself saying "Dzień Kobiet" and tag us @learnpolishpodcast—we'll repost the sweetest ones! Key Words: English → Polish Table Copy English Polish Women's Day Dzień Kobiet flowers kwiaty tulips tulipany best wishes wszystkiego najlepszego March 8th ósmy marca gift prezent chocolate czekolada celebrate świętować important ważny / ważna holiday święto mother matka wife żona girlfriend dziewczyna colleague koleżanka respect szacunek love miłość  

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie.”~Cornel West, philosopher, theologian and activist “Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.”~Mark Twain (1835-1910), from his 1897 travelogue Following the Equator “Amiable agnostics will talk cheerfully about ‘man's search for God.' To me, as I then was, they might as well have talked about the mouse's search for the cat.”~C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), writer, professor, and literary scholar “The Bible is the perpetual motion of the spirit, an ocean of meaning, its waves beating against man's abrupt and steep shortcomings, its echo reaching into the blind alleys of his wrestling with despair.”~Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), Polish-born rabbi-theologian in God in Search of Man “The pharisee within usurps my true self whenever I prefer appearances to reality, whenever I am afraid of God, whenever I surrender the control of my soul to rules rather than risk living in union with Jesus, when I choose to look good and not be good, when I prefer appearances to reality.”~Brennan Manning (1934-2013), author and former priest “There is a vast difference between self-conviction and Holy Spirit-conviction. When God convicts, He gets specific with us about our sin… He uses specific Scriptures. And His kindness toward us leads to a hopeful conclusion of repentance and dependence. Self-conviction, and the conviction of the enemy, on the other hand, is wide-ranging, condemning, and defeatist. It leads back to self: ‘Try harder and do better' … It will lead us right back where we started – awash in guilt and condemnation.”~Christine Hoover, author and speaker “If Jesus is a wonderful Savior in every way except where we are the most hypocritical, then He is no Savior for us.”~Ray Ortlund, author and minister “God's righteousness compels him... to have to judge the guilty. But then he offers forgiveness and says ‘I will not judge you according to your works.' So... he sends his Son... so that now when he calls you his own... he has not compromised his righteousness.”~Jackie Hill Perry, poet, writer, and hip-hop artistSERMON PASSAGERomans 3:1-9 (ESV)Romans 2 17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.Romans 3 1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words,        and prevail when you are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. 9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin….

Although not as well known as some of his contemporaries, Rav Efraim Fishel of Strikov (1745-1825) served in a crucial role during the formative stages of the chassidic movement. Like his father before him he was a student of the Maggid of Mezritch. He later was a pioneer in establishing one of the first formal chassidic courts in Congress or central Poland. As a charismatic holy figure, as well as a rabbinical scholar serving as a communal rabbi, he gained followers, some of whom went on to emerge as some of the greatest leaders of 19th century Polish chassidus. Among his many descendants was Rav Shmuel Abba, who established the Zichlin chassidic dynasty which flourished until its decimation in the Holocaust.  Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: yehuda@yehudageberer.com

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Liam Spencer, who shares the following recording and notes:Broadcaster: Polish Radio External Service (Via WRN and WRMI)Date of recording: September 26, 2025Starting time: 02:59 UTCFrequency: 9.455 MHzReception location: Berthoud, Colorado, USAReceiver and antenna: Sihuadon D-808 with telescopic antennaNotes: After the withdrawal of most Overcomer Ministry broadcasts in the Summer of 2025. WRMI began relaying the World Radio Network North American stream to fill the empty hours. While this is great for many shortwave listeners, as we get to hear stations that used to broadcast on shortwave again. WRMI isn't making any money from broadcasting the World Radio Network, and it is unknown how long these will last. On September 26th, I recorded the Polish Radio External Service, as they became part of my daily listening thanks to WRMI. I used a cassette tape to record the broadcast. Sometime during the recording, a few seconds of the broadcast were cut as I had to flip over the tape to continue recording.

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with Dr. Kaushik Basu, Professor of Economics and of International Studies at Cornell University. Dr. Basu was formerly Chief Economist of the World Bank, Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian Government, and president of the International Economic Association. He is currently co-Chair of the United Nations High-Level Expert Group “Beyond GDP”. Widely published, Dr. Basu’s works have been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish and French. He won the Humboldt Research prize and he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India. Dr. Basu has held visiting positions at Princeton, Harvard and M.I.T., and has authored several books, including The Republic of Beliefs: A New Approach to Law and Economics and Reason to be Happy—Why Logical Thinking is the Key to a Better Life.    LISTEN TO the radio broadcast live on iHeart Radio, or to “THE MENTORS RADIO” podcast any time, anywhere, on any podcast platform – subscribe here and don't miss an episode! SHOW NOTES: KAUSHIK BASU, PhD: BIO: BIO: Kaushik Basu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaushik_Basu BOOKS: Reason to be Happy: Why Logical Thinking is the Key to a Better Life, by Kaushik Basu The Republic of Beliefs: A New Approach to Law and Economics , by Kaushik Basu

Vladka Meed, born Feigele Peltel, was just a teenager when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. Increasingly devastated by the deportation and murder of 300,000 Jews—including her mother, brother, and sister—who were sent from Warsaw to the death camp of Treblinka, she heeded the call for armed resistance, joining the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB), established in Warsaw in July 1942. With her typically “Aryan” looks and fluency in Polish, Vladka could pose as a Gentile, so the ZOB asked her to live on the Aryan side of the wall and serve as a courier. In this role, she smuggled weapons across the wall, helped Jewish children escape from the ghetto, assisted Jews hiding in the city, and established contact with both Jews in the labor camps and with the partisans in the forest. In this newly revised translation of the original Yiddish memoir, which was published in 1948, Vladka's son, Steven D. Meed, preserves the testimony and memory of his mother for a new generation of readers. Join YIVO for a discussion with Steven D. Meed about this translation, led by Samuel Kassow. This discussion originally took place on December 1, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Vladka Meed, born Feigele Peltel, was just a teenager when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. Increasingly devastated by the deportation and murder of 300,000 Jews—including her mother, brother, and sister—who were sent from Warsaw to the death camp of Treblinka, she heeded the call for armed resistance, joining the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB), established in Warsaw in July 1942. With her typically “Aryan” looks and fluency in Polish, Vladka could pose as a Gentile, so the ZOB asked her to live on the Aryan side of the wall and serve as a courier. In this role, she smuggled weapons across the wall, helped Jewish children escape from the ghetto, assisted Jews hiding in the city, and established contact with both Jews in the labor camps and with the partisans in the forest. In this newly revised translation of the original Yiddish memoir, which was published in 1948, Vladka's son, Steven D. Meed, preserves the testimony and memory of his mother for a new generation of readers. Join YIVO for a discussion with Steven D. Meed about this translation, led by Samuel Kassow. This discussion originally took place on December 1, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Vladka Meed, born Feigele Peltel, was just a teenager when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. Increasingly devastated by the deportation and murder of 300,000 Jews—including her mother, brother, and sister—who were sent from Warsaw to the death camp of Treblinka, she heeded the call for armed resistance, joining the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB), established in Warsaw in July 1942. With her typically “Aryan” looks and fluency in Polish, Vladka could pose as a Gentile, so the ZOB asked her to live on the Aryan side of the wall and serve as a courier. In this role, she smuggled weapons across the wall, helped Jewish children escape from the ghetto, assisted Jews hiding in the city, and established contact with both Jews in the labor camps and with the partisans in the forest. In this newly revised translation of the original Yiddish memoir, which was published in 1948, Vladka's son, Steven D. Meed, preserves the testimony and memory of his mother for a new generation of readers. Join YIVO for a discussion with Steven D. Meed about this translation, led by Samuel Kassow. This discussion originally took place on December 1, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

They marched peacefully. They were fired on. They sang anyway. This week on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #749, sixteen artists remind us that protest songs aren't history — they're a mirror. Dropkick Murphys, Wild Colonial Bhoys, Medusa's Wake, House of Hamill and more. From Diggers of 1649, to Bloody Sunday 1972, to Minneapolis 2026. Some songs don't age. They just find new reasons to matter. -- Subscribe now at CelticMusicPodcast.com! Amelia Hogan, Dropkick Murphys, Bealtaine, Ed Miller, Black 47, David Rovics, Wild Colonial Bhoys, Eddie Biggins, The Haar, Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats, The Secret Commonwealth, Redhill Rats, Scythian, House Of Hamill, Medusa's Wake, Melanie Gruben GET CELTIC MUSIC NEWS IN YOUR INBOX The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Enjoy seven weekly news items with what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Subscribe now and get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2026 This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now! You can follow our playlist on YouTube to listen to those top voted tracks as they are added every 2-3 weeks. THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC 0:09 - Amelia Hogan "No Irish Need Apply" from Transplants: From the Old to the New 5:02 - WELCOME 8:14 - Dropkick Murphys "Who'll Stand With Us?" from For The People (Expanded Edition) 12:03 - Bealtaine "Worker's Song" from Factories & Mills, Shipyards & Mines Written by Ed Pickford in the mid-1970s as a direct response to arguments blaming Britain's economic woes on workers rather than the wealthy. That's a typical tactic that continues today. If we want free and fair elections, we will stop letting billionaires buy our politicians. The was first recorded by Scottish legend Dick Gaughan in 1981, it's been taken up by everyone from the Dropkick Murphys to The Longest Johns. 16:22 - Ed Miller "Blood upon the Grass" from Generations of Change In 1977, Scotland traveled to Chile to play a friendly match at the very stadium where, just four years earlier, Pinochet's regime had tortured and killed political prisoners after the 1973 coup. Back in Scotland, a powerful solidarity campaign urged the Scottish Football Association to pull their team from what would become known as the 'Match of Shame.' Folk singer Adam McNaughtan captured that outrage in his song 'Blood Upon the Grass,' and Edinburgh-born singer Ed Miller later recorded it on his album Generations of Change — keeping this powerful story alive for new generations. 19:16 - Black 47 "San Patricio Brigade" from Rise Up and The Secret World of Celtic Rock 24:18 - FEEDBACK The Great Hunger in Ireland took place from 1845 to 1852. Irish immigrants migrated to the U.S. They were treated as second-class citizens. There are still newspapers that refer to them as lazy and criminals, thus the "No Irish Need Apply" song at the start of the show. These were hungry people. They were just looking for opportunities in a new land. Much like the immigrants of today. But they too were treated inhumanely. They were demonized. So when the Mexican-American War broke out from 1846-1848, many Irish looked at how poorly they were treated in America. They found greater kinship to their Catholic cousins in Mexico. That's why the Saint Patrick's Battalion was formed. Interestingly, it wasn't just Irish Catholics. There were Catholics from throughout Europe in the battalion including: German, Canadian, English, French, Italian, Polish, Scottish, Spanish, Swiss and Mexican. These were people who were attacked and belittled for their culture and their faith. It should serve as a warning and a reminder for all of us today. 30:04 - David Rovics "St. Patrick Battalion" from Historic Times 32:58 - Wild Colonial Bhoys "Dying Rebel" from Century A song that reflects on the human cost of rebellion rather than the glorification of the conflict and the martyrdom of its leaders. Here's what history keeps teaching us. People don't start out wanting to fight. They start out wanting to be heard. On January 30, 1972, in Derry, Northern Ireland, somewhere between ten and fifteen thousand people joined a peaceful civil rights march. They weren't armed. They were protesting the British government's policy of locking people up without trial. Sort of like what's happening in America now. British paratroopers opened fire. Thirteen people were killed. Fourteen others were wounded. The incident caused widespread anger and led to a surge in IRA recruitment. The argument was simple and devastating: peaceful protest could no longer achieve change. I hope to God America never comes to that. But peaceful protesters were murdered in Minneapolis. I lost a fan because I took my kids to a peaceful No Kings Protest last summer. When the state fires on and demonizes its own people, it doesn't end the resistance. It just changes its shape. That's the lesson history keeps trying to teach us. I hope we don't need to learn that the hard way. So please keep peacefully protesting 37:46 - BREAK 39:10 - Eddie Biggins "The Rising of the Moon" from Hey, I'm Singing Over Here! 41:29 - The Haar "Óró Sé Do Bheatha' Bhaile" from The Lost Day "Óró sé do bheatha abhaile" sounds like a joyful welcome song — and once, it was. The original Irish tune dates back centuries, used to greet returning chieftains and even Bonnie Prince Charlie. But the version we know today is something altogether fiercer. Around 1910, Patrick Pearse — poet, teacher, and revolutionary — rewrote the lyrics. He replaced the old imagery with a new vision: Gráinne Mhaol, the legendary 16th century pirate queen, sailing home with soldiers to drive the English from Ireland. Pearse was executed after the 1916 Easter Rising. And his words lived on. The song became a rallying cry, a promise that resistance wasn't finished, that Ireland would be free. That's why it's still sung today. Not as nostalgia, but as defiance. Every generation that lifts their voice in this song is answering Pearse's call across more than a hundred years. 48:04 - Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats "Patriot Game" from Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion In my opinion, "Patriot Game" is one of the best Irish rebel songs ever written. It cuts deeper than most rebel songs because it doesn't glorify. It questions. It was written by Dominic Behan in 1961. The song is based on the true story of Fergal O'Hanlon, an IRA volunteer killed during a 1957 border raid in County Fermanagh. He was just nineteen years old. But Behan wasn't writing a hero's ballad. He was writing a warning. The song is sung in the voice of a young man who died for a cause he barely understood. Seduced by romantic notions of patriotism before he had the wisdom to weigh the cost. That's the same as putting the party over the country. Our politicians have fallen into that trap. So I want to ask you to reach out to your representatives. Tell them you've had enough of this insanity. 51:12 - THANKS Back in December, I got an email from Troy of The Secret Commonwealth. He was letting me know about a man who's been part of his community for over 40 years. His friend is being held by ICE for nearly a year. His friend is hospitalized with a serious infection and awaiting heart surgery, all while being denied adequate medical care and due process. He suffers from a cracked vertebra and a history of cardiac issues, yet remains in unsanitary conditions with limited access to clean water or medical attention. My friend said, 'I'm feeling pretty damn rebellious right now,' and honestly, I am too. I'm also sad that I didn't bring this to your attention sooner, especially in the wake of the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis back in Janaury. These are not abstract political issues. These are real people, real families, real communities torn apart. This next song feels like the right response. 'Till Jamie Comes Hame' features traditional words sometimes credited to Robert Burns, with music written by Rob Campbell of the band. And today, it's for everyone waiting for someone to come home. 58:35 - The Secret Commonwealth "Til Jamie Comes Hame" from Last Call 1:02:45 - Redhill Rats "White, Orange and Green" from Some Heroes 1:06:37 - Scythian "Follow Me Up to Carlow" from Immigrant Road Show 1:10:06 - House Of Hamill "Pound A Week Rise" from MARCH THROUGH STORMS 1:14:12 - Medusa's Wake "War of Independence" from War of Independence 1:17:37 - CLOSING "The World Turned Upside Down" was written in 1975, but it reaches back to 1649 — and maybe even further than that. Leon Rosselson based the song on the Diggers, a radical movement in England led by Gerrard Winstanley. After the English Civil War, they began farming common land, declaring simply that the earth belonged to everyone. Not to kings. Not to landlords. Not to those who had seized it by force and called it theirs. They were destroyed for that idea. But here's something worth sitting with. The Irish language doesn't have a word for "to have." You cannot own anything in Irish. Instead, things exist in relationship with you. A book is at you. Hunger is on you. Joy is on you. Even land. Not mine. Just... with me for now. That's not just a quirk of grammar. It's a completely different way of seeing the world. One where ownership itself is the strange idea. The foreign concept. This the idea that declaring land your private property is an act of violence against everyone else. The Diggers lost. The language nearly did too. But both survived. And this song is proof that the idea refuses to die. 1:20:18 - Melanie Gruben "The World Turned Upside Down" from Like a Tide Upon the Land 1:22:37 - CREDITS Support for this program comes from International speaker, Joseph Dumond, teaching the ancient roots of the Gaelic people. Learn more about their origins at Sightedmoon.com Support for this program comes from Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, Creating Transparent Borders for more than twenty five years, serving Alaska and the world. Find out more at   www.CascadiaLawAlaska.com Support for this program comes from Hank Woodward. Support for this program comes from Dr. Annie Lorkowski of Centennial Animal Hospital in Corona, California. The Executive Producer for St Patrick's Month is John Sharkey White, II. The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode. Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Finally, remember. Clean energy isn't just good for the planet, it's good for your wallet. Solar and wind are now the cheapest power sources in history. But too many politicians would rather protect billionaires than help working families save on their bills. Real change starts when we stop allowing the ultra-rich to write our energy policy and run our government. Let's choose affordable, renewable power. Clean energy means lower costs, more freedom, and a planet that can actually breathe. Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/. WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic musician and also host of Pub Songs & Stories. This podcast is for fans of Celtic music. It's about diversity of thoughts and beliefs and about helping indie celtic musicians. So if you find music you love, support the artists financially. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com. IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODFEST AND ARTS MARKET Join us Sunday, March 8, 2026, from 12 to 6 PM at The Lost Druid Brewery in Avondale Estates, Georgia. Enjoy an afternoon of Celtic and folk music from Kinnfolk, The Muckers, May Will Bloom, and Marc Gunn. Bring your family. Grab a pint. Enjoy the music, and share the energy of a true Celtic gathering. It is free to attend. While the music plays, explore our Arts Market filled with handmade crafts, art, and unique gifts from local creators. It's a celebration of music, creativity, and community — all in one place. Come for the songs. Stay for the spirit. We'll see you at The Lost Druid on March 8.

Learn the expert-level English expression "turn the tables"Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/turn-the-tables--Plain English helps you improve your English:Learn about the world and improve your EnglishClear, natural English at a speed you can understandNew stories every weekLearn even more at PlainEnglish.comMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

W tym odcinku nauczę Cię słów, które pochodzą od słowa "ciągnąć".Jeśli podobają Ci się takie lekcje, zostaw mi recenzję i/albo komentarz i wyśli ten odcinek do znajomego, który też uczy się polskiego! Dzięki!Transkrypcję tego podkastu i listę Quizlet znajdziesz tutaj: https://polskidaily.eu/podcasts/rodzina-wyrazow-6-reka-recznik-poreczyciel-i-robotki-reczne/Have you discovered the Polski Daily Club yet? If not go to https://www.polskidaily.eu/signup and join the club!

This week, we're stealing a couple hours of your time to discuss The Rats: A Witcher Tale, the prequel movie that dropped at the same time as Season 4 and is designed to be watched after it…despite taking place well before. (The Witcher's up to its timeline shenanigans again, it seems.) Paired with the perfectly-themed Master of the Thieves Guild Blended Bourbon by Quest's End Whiskey, we keep things loose, lively and liquidated as we unpack the plots—meaning both the film's narrative and the Rats' plot to steal loads of cash—and try to figure out just what happened to this thing behind the scenes. Also, we come out in favor of bathing with a drunken Dolph Lundgren, debate the role of cephalopods in sex dens and reveal why when it comes to spider women, most movies just like to tease.

Today the Church honors the memory of a Polish prince who lived a saintly life in a short time. I am hoping that you and I could share his outlook on life. Hear more on today's reflection.

The Cosmic Pizza Podcast brings you Episode 105: Unusual English Words. Tasked with providing a Polish colleague with teaching them a new English word every day, Paul has scoured the English language to find some old and obscure words. Dan Shawn and a virtual Kacey throw in their own selection for good measure. With a brief […] The post Cosmic Pizza Podcast Episode 105: Unusual English Words. appeared first on The ESO Network.

We open with Psalm 94:1 — "O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!" — as the cornerstone of our meditation on how God's justice and vengeance are understood differently in Scripture than they are in modern geopolitics. We ask: What does it mean to call God both Lord of Knowledge and Lord of Vengeance in an age of nuclear threat (e.g., Iran)? How does Scripture frame divine retribution vs. human reaction?

3/4/26 6am CT Hour - Ashley Noronha/ Dr. Annabelle Moseley John, Glen and Sarah give the latest update on Iran conflict, primary elections around the US, Team USA gets underway for the World Baseball Classic and National Grammar Day. Ashley reports on the Pope's Weekly General Audience his remarks on Iran conflict, new rules for the Trevi Fountain and more. Did You Know - Brain Dr. Annabelle shares the story of St. Casimir, why the Polish people adore him and why he is the perfect saint to accompany you this Lent.

Welcome to the Learn Polish Podcast – your immersive gateway to mastering Polish through real conversations, cultural insights, and practical everyday language. Each episode blends authentic Polish dialogue with clear English explanations, helping you build vocabulary naturally while exploring Polish traditions, daily life, and essential topics. Whether you're a complete beginner or advancing your skills, join us as we make learning Polish engaging, practical, and fun. From setting goals (cele) to discussing energy (energia) and motivation (motywacja), we cover the phrases you actually need. Find more episodes, lesson materials, and resources at www.learnpolishpodcast.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Spotify, and Rumble. Looking for virtual assistance? Visit va.world. Join our school groups on brainfitness and podcasting – links in the show notes. Need lessons in Polish or Spanish? Check the links in the description for both audio and video content.   This episode dives into essential vocabulary for discussing goals, plans, energy, and motivation in Polish. Perfect for the new year or any fresh start, we explore how to talk about your aspirations, describe your energy levels, and discuss taking action – all in practical, everyday Polish.   Execution Realizacja / Wykonanie reh-lee-ZA-tsya / vih-ko-NAH-nyeh Czas na realizację. (Time for execution.) Netflix Netflix NET-flix Oglądam Netflix. (I watch Netflix.) TikTok TikTok TIK-tok Używam TikToka. (I use TikTok.) Energy drink Energetyk eh-ner-GEH-tik Piję energetyka. (I drink an energy drink.) To give up Poddawać się pod-DAH-vach sheh Nie poddawaj się! (Don't give up!) To keep Trzymać TSHIH-mach Trzymaj się tego! (Stick to it!) To achieve Osiągnąć o-SHONG-noch Chcę to osiągnąć. (I want to achieve this.) To change Zmienić ZMYEH-neech Czas coś zmienić. (Time to change something.) To move Ruszać / Przesunąć ROO-shach / psheh-SOO-noch Muszę się ruszyć. (I need to move.) To study Studiować / Uczyć się stoo-DYO-vach / OO-chih sh Uczę się polskiego. (I'm learning Polish.)

99% of Poland's pre-war Jewish population, the largest in Europe, perished during the Holocaust.  Polish native and Canadian historian Jan Grabowski argues this death toll is inconceivable without the collusion of the general Polish population.  Yet for decades Polish authorities have denied all responsibility.  Instead, they have used the considerable resources of the state to posit that Poles suffered equally or even more than the nation's Jewish community.  In what Grabowski labels as Holocaust distortion, the memory of the past has been fundamentally divorced from reality, even at the most prominent Holocaust memorial sites.  A conversation with University of Ottawa historian Jan Grabowski about his book, Whitewash: Poland and the Jews, in this episode of Realms of Memory.

It's Monday and Lauretta talks about 1 Timothy 2:1-2 as we offer prayers, intercessions and thanks to God with respect for Him and all people, specifically kings and those in authority so that we may lead quietist peaceful lives full of devotion as the World is on fire. We recall those 4 Members of our military killed and those injured. On this Pulaski Day, Lauretta recalls a great friend of the American Revolution and Father of the U.S. Cavalry, Casmir Pulaski, this is a special day in Chicago because of the city's large Polish population. Lauretta also references the Jewish holiday of Purim that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people by Queen Esther from annihilation at the hands of Haman as it is recorded in the Book of Esther read in synagogue. Believers are urged to send food parcels and give charity as well as partake in a festive meal and drink some alcoholic beverages from sunset tonight to nightfall tomorrow. God has purpose for you. You are called, chosen and redeemed for such a time as this. Modern Persia is Iran. Lauretta invites us to TRANSFORMATION NIGHT, Friday Night, March 13 at St. Mary of Celle, 1428 Wesley Ave., Berwyn. Door open at 6:30. Then continuing all day Saturday, March 14th, the Transformation Retreat “The Fire of the Holy Spirit. For information and registration visit https://www.fromhisheart.com/ St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish 

Today's story: When a Canadian producer pitched a TV adaptation of a gay hockey romance novel, major U.S. streamers hesitated. It was about a niche sport, featured explicit same-sex scenes, and was based on a romance novel. But a smaller Canadian platform took a chance on the story, and the series became a massive hit in Canada and around the world. Its success surprised everyone. But the clues to its success were there all along. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/843Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/843--Plain English helps you improve your English:Learn about the world and improve your EnglishClear, natural English at a speed you can understandNew stories every weekLearn even more at PlainEnglish.comMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Media journalist Al Horner discusses the latest twist in Warner Bros sale.Pixar's chief creative officer Pete Docter on the inner workings of the animation giant as it marks its 40th anniversary this year.100 years after his birth, and with a special BFI season underway, we assess the work of the Polish director Andrzej Wajda, with fellow director Agnieszka Holland and film writer Ian Christie. British painter Rose Wylie's Royal academy retrospective opened last week. Samira sat down to speak with her at the RA in the shadow of one of her enormous canvasses. Presenter: Samira Ahmed

We find more in common between two seemingly different tiers of 2024 games than we expected, generating questions about interactivity and polish.

Welcome to the Learn Polish Podcast – your immersive gateway to mastering Polish through real conversations, cultural insights, and practical everyday language. Each episode blends authentic Polish dialogue with clear English explanations, helping you build vocabulary naturally while exploring Polish traditions, holidays, and daily life. Whether you're a complete beginner or advancing your skills, join us as we make learning Polish engaging, practical, and fun. From New Year's Eve celebrations (Sylwester) to casual conversations, we cover the phrases you actually need. Find more episodes, lesson materials, and resources at www.learnpolishpodcast.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Spotify, and Rumble. Looking for virtual assistance? Visit va.world. Join our school groups on Brain Upgrade and Podcasting – links in the show notes. Need lessons in Polish or Spanish? Check the links in the description for both audio and video content.   | Polish        | English        | | ------------- | -------------- | | Sylwester     | New Year's Eve | | fajerwerki    | fireworks      | | plan          | plan           | | biblia        | bible          | | plaża         | beach          | | wycieczka     | trip/excursion | | zdrowie       | health (toast) | | szampan       | champagne      | | toast         | toast/cheers   | | nowy rok      | new year       | | cele          | goals          | | postanowienia | resolutions    |

Welcome to the new episode of the Learn Polish Podcast! Have you noticed that your favorite apps and online platforms are getting worse over time? In this episode, I discuss the concept of “enshittification,” a term coined by Cory Doctorow. I explain in simple words why big tech companies change their strategies at the expense of users and how this cycle works. I speak clearly and slowly to help you improve your listening skills while understanding the modern digital world. Premium members can access the full Polish transcript word-for-word at realpolish.pl.The post ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RP514: Zeszmacenie⁠⁠ appeared first on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠realpolish.pl

Only songs are able to comfort the soul in its darkness—but can anyone hear them? Iman Humaydan's saga Songs for Darkness (Interlink, 2026) recalls the voices of four generations of women from one family in the imaginary village of Kasura, in Mount Lebanon. Its narrator, Asmahan, named after the beloved Syrian singer, has devoted her adult life to recovering the stories of her ancestors, who persisted in the shadows of male supremacy, war, military occupation, and impoverishment. Her mother, Layla, disappeared when Asmahan was still a teenager. Her grandmother, Yasmine, died giving birth. And her great-grandmother, Shahira, struggled through two world wars, famine, and suffocating gender norms to win an education for her children and eke out a better life for her family. Asmahan is determined to protect her daughter and break out of the cycle of intergenerational violence and wounds that the women who came before her suffered. She packs up her daughter to emigrate after a divorce, when her husband takes their son away from her on his seventh birthday, during the darkest days of the 1982 Israeli invasion. These women's legacies span and echo the scarred history of an abused homeland, from the eve of the first World War to the 1982 Lebanon War. In honoring their unfulfilled lives, Iman Humaydan insistently preserves intimate stories of abundant tenacity, generosity, sacrifice—and songs, provisions sorely needed for dark times. A conversation with translator Michelle Hartman Iman Humaydan Yunis is a Lebanese novelist, creative writing teacher, editor, and freelance journalist. Her novels received wide international acclaim and were translated into English, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Armenian, Polish, and Georgian. She is the author of five novels, including B as in Beirut, Wild Mulberries, Other Lives, and The Weight of Paradise, all published in English by Interlink. She is also the editor of the collection of short stories Beirut Noir. She is the president of the Lebanese chapter of PEN, and splits her time between Beirut and Paris. Michelle Hartman is a literary translator and professor of Arabic literature at McGill University. She has translated more than a dozen novels from Arabic to English including three other novels by Iman Humaydan, The Weight of Paradise, Other Lives, and Wild Mulberries. Her latest translation is A Long Walk from Gaza (Interlink, 2024). She has also written on Lebanese women and the Civil War in two co-authored volumes (with Malek Abisaab), Women's War Stories: The Lebanese Civil War, Women's Labor and the Creative Arts (Syracuse UP, 2022) and What the War Left Behind: Women's Stories of Resistance and Struggle in Lebanon (Syracuse UP, 2024). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Come back aboard the SITC submarine for the next descent into the trenches of taboo, where sexy sea creatures seamlessly seduce bone-headed humans. Captain Torie is joined again by film critic and First Mate, Ziah Grace, for a delightful submersion into one of the best, boldest, and most ingenious takes on The Little Mermaid to ever grace the silver screen: the Polish, punk-rock, Eastern Bloc fever dream, THE LURE (2015).  This is a tale of two sisters: Silver (light) and Golden (dark). After spotting a found family-assembled rock band playing on the shore, these nubile young mermaids each hatch a pair of legs and migrate to the metro-capitalist world of their bipedal contemporaries. But horny humans beware, pretty mermaids are not mere trifles. Like mankind, they contain multitudes of facets: monster, maiden, lover, killer, seductress, sister… the list goes on. Highlights include kaleidoscopic musical numbers, creature feature-worthy and subversively girthy tails, accurately fishy vaginas, the intersection of female body politics and misogyny, the infatuated euphoria of first love, the tragedy of self-sacrifice, and the sacred bond of sisterhood. Torie also reveals some meta-contextual backstory regarding her musician ex-boyfriends, who bear a striking resemblance to the floppy-haired bass-playing “Prince.”

Only songs are able to comfort the soul in its darkness—but can anyone hear them? Iman Humaydan's saga Songs for Darkness (Interlink, 2026) recalls the voices of four generations of women from one family in the imaginary village of Kasura, in Mount Lebanon. Its narrator, Asmahan, named after the beloved Syrian singer, has devoted her adult life to recovering the stories of her ancestors, who persisted in the shadows of male supremacy, war, military occupation, and impoverishment. Her mother, Layla, disappeared when Asmahan was still a teenager. Her grandmother, Yasmine, died giving birth. And her great-grandmother, Shahira, struggled through two world wars, famine, and suffocating gender norms to win an education for her children and eke out a better life for her family. Asmahan is determined to protect her daughter and break out of the cycle of intergenerational violence and wounds that the women who came before her suffered. She packs up her daughter to emigrate after a divorce, when her husband takes their son away from her on his seventh birthday, during the darkest days of the 1982 Israeli invasion. These women's legacies span and echo the scarred history of an abused homeland, from the eve of the first World War to the 1982 Lebanon War. In honoring their unfulfilled lives, Iman Humaydan insistently preserves intimate stories of abundant tenacity, generosity, sacrifice—and songs, provisions sorely needed for dark times. A conversation with translator Michelle Hartman Iman Humaydan Yunis is a Lebanese novelist, creative writing teacher, editor, and freelance journalist. Her novels received wide international acclaim and were translated into English, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Armenian, Polish, and Georgian. She is the author of five novels, including B as in Beirut, Wild Mulberries, Other Lives, and The Weight of Paradise, all published in English by Interlink. She is also the editor of the collection of short stories Beirut Noir. She is the president of the Lebanese chapter of PEN, and splits her time between Beirut and Paris. Michelle Hartman is a literary translator and professor of Arabic literature at McGill University. She has translated more than a dozen novels from Arabic to English including three other novels by Iman Humaydan, The Weight of Paradise, Other Lives, and Wild Mulberries. Her latest translation is A Long Walk from Gaza (Interlink, 2024). She has also written on Lebanese women and the Civil War in two co-authored volumes (with Malek Abisaab), Women's War Stories: The Lebanese Civil War, Women's Labor and the Creative Arts (Syracuse UP, 2022) and What the War Left Behind: Women's Stories of Resistance and Struggle in Lebanon (Syracuse UP, 2024). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Send a textWith Episode 8, our hosts put their Gray Days behind them, wrapping the short Season 16 with THE IMMIGRANT (2013), or as it was a.k.a.'ed during its short development and prior to its delayed release “Low Life” and “The Nightingale.”  James Gray teams back up with cowriter Richard Menello to write a period drama role explicitly for Marion Cotillard whom Gray met through her then-partner director Guillaume Canet during their work together on the oft-mentioned Blood Ties also released in 2013. The story follows the hard luck of Cotillard's titular immigrant as her likewise Polish emigre sister is confined to a medical ward on Ellis Island during immigration while Cotillard's Ewa Cybulska is offered an opportunity to remain in the States through the kindness of Joaquin Phoenix playing a pimp and former child immigrant named Bruno Weiss in the actor's fourth and to-date final Gray film role. Cotillard's immigrant forms a brief love triangle with Jeremy Renner's magician and brother-to-Bruno character Orlando The Magician until he ***SPOILER*** runs off to Iraq to defuse bombs as one of the Avengers who just shoots arrows or something. J/k. It's a Gray film. You know someone is going to die. Maybe it's the magician. Maybe it's the sister. Maybe both. Stay awake to find out, or give this episode a listen.   This episode, Harvey Weinstein returns; Ken tries renaming the podcast; Ryan and Thomas are spot on in their estimation of the film; and our boys rank the eight-film oeuvre on The Gray Scale.     Next week, we're on smoko but will return with Hacks (mild pun intended; Surgeon General's warning: do not consume the first episode of Season 17 if you're preggers).    THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I.Email: thegoodthepodandtheugly@gmail.comFacebook: https://m.facebook.com/TGTPTUInstagram: https://instagram.com/thegoodthepodandtheugly?igshid=um92md09kjg0Bluesky: @goodpodugly.bsky.socialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6mI2plrgJu-TB95bbJCW-gLetterboxd (follow us!):Podcast: goodpoduglyKen: Ken KoralRyan: Ryan Tobias

This Day in Legal History: Reichstag Fire DecreeOn February 27, 1933, the German parliament building, the Reichstag, was set ablaze in Berlin, an event that would alter the course of constitutional government in Germany. The fire broke out just weeks after Adolf Hitler had been appointed Chancellor. Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested at the scene, and Nazi officials quickly blamed a broader communist conspiracy. The next day, President Paul von Hindenburg signed the Reichstag Fire Decree at Hitler's urging.The decree suspended key civil liberties guaranteed under the Weimar Constitution, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right of assembly, and protections against unlawful searches and detention. It also allowed the central government to override state authorities. In practical terms, the measure authorized indefinite detention without trial. Police power expanded dramatically, and political opponents were arrested in large numbers.Although framed as a temporary emergency response, the decree had no meaningful expiration. It became the legal foundation for dismantling democratic institutions in Germany. Courts largely failed to check the expanding authority of the executive branch. The event demonstrates how emergency powers, once normalized, can erode constitutional safeguards from within. The Reichstag Fire and its legal aftermath remain a lasting example of how constitutional systems can collapse through formally lawful measures rather than open revolution.Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to give private testimony to the House Oversight Committee regarding his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. The closed-door session follows testimony from Hillary Clinton, who said she does not recall meeting Epstein and denied having information about his crimes. Bill Clinton previously flew on Epstein's plane multiple times after leaving office, and recently released Justice Department documents include photos of him with unidentified women. He has denied any misconduct and has expressed regret over his past association.Committee Chairman James Comer stated that neither Clinton is accused of wrongdoing but said they must address questions about Epstein's possible connections to their charitable foundation. The Clintons agreed to testify near their home in New York after lawmakers threatened contempt proceedings. Some Democrats supported compelling their testimony, while others criticized the inquiry as politically motivated.Democrats argue that Republicans are using the investigation to shield Donald Trump from scrutiny. They have called for Trump to be subpoenaed, noting that his name appears frequently in Epstein-related records and that he had social ties with Epstein before Epstein's 2008 conviction. Democrats also claim the Justice Department is withholding records involving allegations against Trump. The department has said it is reviewing the materials and has emphasized that released files contain unverified claims. Authorities have not charged Trump with any crimes related to Epstein. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, and his death was ruled a suicide.Bill Clinton to give private testimony to Congress about Epstein | ReutersA federal judge has allowed construction of President Donald Trump's planned $400 million White House ballroom to continue, at least for now. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied a request from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to temporarily halt the project while its lawsuit moves forward. The group had sought a preliminary injunction to stop work, arguing that the administration failed to comply with federal laws, including obtaining congressional approval and conducting proper environmental review.Leon ruled that the preservationists had not met the legal standard required for such an emergency order. However, he indicated they may revise their complaint to better challenge the president's claimed statutory authority to proceed without Congress. The lawsuit contends that demolishing the historic East Wing and beginning construction violated federal restrictions on altering federal property in Washington, D.C. It also argues that the National Park Service should have completed a more detailed environmental impact statement before work began.The Trump administration maintains that the renovation fits within longstanding presidential authority over White House changes and serves public functions. Trump praised the ruling publicly and said the ballroom would symbolize national strength. The National Trust expressed disappointment but said it plans to amend its legal claims.The East Wing, originally built in 1902 and expanded in 1942, was demolished in October. The ballroom is part of broader renovations Trump has made since returning to office in 2025. Although construction is underway, no firm completion date has been announced.Trump's White House ballroom can move ahead for now, judge rules | ReutersPrediction-market company Kalshi has hired prominent Supreme Court advocate Neal Katyal to represent it in a series of disputes with state regulators. Katyal, a former acting U.S. solicitor general, appeared this week in a lawsuit Kalshi filed against Utah officials and is also handling similar cases in several other states. The company argues that its event-based trading contracts fall under the authority of the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, not state gambling regulators.States contend that platforms like Kalshi are effectively operating unlicensed sports-betting businesses. Other prediction-market operators, including Polymarket and Coinbase, are also fighting regulatory battles and have assembled experienced legal teams. The industry has grown rapidly, with tens of billions of dollars in trading volume last year, increasing scrutiny from state authorities.Kalshi bets on Neal Katyal in prediction market cases | ReutersNetflix has withdrawn its bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery after WBD's board determined that a competing offer from Paramount Skydance was superior. Netflix's co-CEOs said their proposed merger would have delivered value and likely cleared regulatory review, but matching Paramount's higher price no longer made financial sense. They described the deal as desirable at the right valuation, but not essential at any cost.Paramount's leadership welcomed WBD's decision, saying its proposal offers greater value and a clearer path to closing. To finalize the Paramount deal, a short match period must expire, Netflix's existing merger agreement must be terminated, and a definitive agreement between Paramount and WBD must be signed.Paramount recently raised its offer to $31 per share in cash, along with a quarterly ticking fee if the deal is not completed by a specified date. The proposal also includes a $7 billion regulatory termination fee if the transaction fails because of regulatory issues, as well as reimbursement of the $2.8 billion breakup fee WBD would owe Netflix upon ending their agreement. With Netflix stepping aside, Paramount is now positioned to complete the acquisition.Netflix Drops WBD Bid, Paving Way For Paramount Deal - Law360This week's closing theme is by Frédéric Chopin.This week's closing theme takes us to Chopin and his Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, a work that helped launch his international career. Although numbered second, it was actually the first of his two piano concertos to be written, composed in 1829 when he was just twenty. The concerto reflects Chopin's deep roots in the Polish Romantic tradition, while also revealing the poetic lyricism that would define his later solo piano works. Its sweeping first movement balances youthful brilliance with emotional intensity. The second movement, marked Larghetto, is intimate and expressive, often described as a musical love letter. The finale brings rhythmic energy and subtle references to Polish dance forms.The piece gained wider recognition when Chopin performed it during his Paris debut on February 27, 1832. That appearance introduced him to the influential musical circles of Paris and marked a turning point in his career. The concerto showcased not only his technical skill, but also his distinctive touch and refined musical voice. While later critics sometimes focused on the orchestration, the piano writing remains among the most elegant of the Romantic era. The work captures a young composer standing at the threshold of fame, blending vulnerability with confidence. As our closing theme this week, it reflects both artistic ambition and a historic February 27 connection that helped shape Chopin's legacy.Without further ado, Frédéric Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell unpack insights from Brad Walsh, founder of the Empowerography Podcast. In this recap, they reflect on the transformative power of boudoir photography and how seeing yourself in a new light can change how you think, feel, and show up. This conversation digs into resilience, authenticity, and why sharing your story might be the very thing that helps someone else keep going. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Boudoir photography helps women see themselves differently.Why resilience is the courage to keep rising.The importance of sharing experiences to inspire others.Why true authenticity requires dropping the mask of perfection.How trusting your path frees you from fear of missing out.Episode References/Links:Agency MINI Waitlist - https://prfit.biz/miniPoland Contrology Pilates Conference - xxll.co/polandVintage Friends & Contrology Brussels - xxll.co/brusselsPilates On Tour® London - https://xxll.co/potOPC Spring Training - How to Get Overhead - https://opc.me/eventsEmpowerography Podcast - https://empowerographypodcast.comEmpowerography Podcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/empowerographypodcastBrad Walsh LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradwalsh70Brad Walsh Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/brad.walsh.56Empowerography Live Conference 2026 - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D7QAc3hFx If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  He said when they see who they truly are and how they're captured, they leave a completely different woman. And there's not enough words, he said, to encapsulate the power in that as a photographer. Lesley Logan 0:09  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.  Lesley Logan 0:53  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the powerful convo I have with another Brad. Brad Walsh. Brad Crowell 0:55  Another Brad. Lesley Logan 0:55  In our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, then actually listen to this one. You should go back and listen that one. It's pretty good. I liked it. Brad Crowell 1:05  That's a great interview. It was, I'm not gonna lie you, you spoke my thoughts out loud. Lesley Logan 1:10  I did? Brad Crowell 1:11  Yes. Like. Lesley Logan 1:12  Did I say that I have to say Brad's thoughts? Brad Crowell 1:14  No, but two. There's another comment I can't remember. It'll come back to me. But you know when, when I heard you introduce Brad Walsh as someone who is entirely devoted to platforming and empowering women, I was like, a man is doing that? Okay, okay. I was like, I guess, I guess I'm I didn't even know. I was dubious and a little curious and then encouraged and excited at by the end. So, yes, it's great.Lesley Logan 1:45  Turns out you can be really successful if you platform women. Turns out. Brad Crowell 1:50  How about that? Lesley Logan 1:51  Yeah, it turns out there's, there's things like, there's like, good things that happen when you do that.Brad Crowell 1:55  You did mention that you had similar thoughts to him, and I was laughing, because I was like, okay, I'm not alone. Lesley Logan 1:59  Yeah. I'm intrigued. Well, we'll get into that in just a second. But first today is February 26th 2026 and it's Black Lives Matter Day. Black Lives Matter Day is celebrated annually on February 26th in remembrance of Trayvon Martin, an African American teen who was killed by a white American out of hatred. The acquittal of the killer, George Zimmerman, from the murder charge and is roaming free, caused a wave of widespread anger, which led to nationwide campaigns centered around fairness and justice for black people. Black Lives Matter is a chant against systemic racial discrimination which has shaped and increased the risk of violence towards black people. Join in the movement to end discrimination, declare equality for all.Brad Crowell 2:39  Yeah. So one of the things that I wanted to address is we're obviously not black. However, we have heard a lot of people who are not black say, well, what about white people? Or what about other, you know, people as well? Shouldn't we be focusing on them as much as we are focusing on black people? And ultimately, I would say Black Lives Matter does not say other lives don't matter. But what Black Lives Matter is saying is that there is a historical, documented like systematic approach against that has not given the same opportunities in our society, in our in the United States of America, to black people, whereas it has favored, white people. Lesley Logan 3:37  Oh one thing and I heard that I heard this in 2020 and I'll share it here. It doesn't mean you didn't have to swim uphill, it just meant that you had a paddle, it just means that, like, you could have had a hard life but there, the research is there, even if your family came here like mine did in the 1912 all this stuff, the research is, is, is very much there, the status are there that because after slavery, we didn't, we did not treat black people the same as white people, the wealth that their families could pass down, which whether or not you got any money, because I didn't either whether doesn't matter. It doesn't mean that you that there was less opportunity for their generations of families to have options. And there's actually a black family, a guy who was able to buy slaves, the black man who was able to buy his family as slaves. And so then when when slavery ended, there was this whole, basically reparations for the slave owners. And so he was given money for the slaves that he lost, and you can see his family and the generations that came from his family, and how different their lives were compared to other black people and so especially as we're watching this right now where brown people are being targeted in an insane way, black and brown people, but we're seeing a lot of it with brown people because of ICE. I'm just gonna say who it is, because of that. The reality is, is because.Brad Crowell 5:02  Because of ICE directed it by, you know, Stephen Miller and our president.Lesley Logan 5:06  And our president and his vice president, we're gonna add in there. Because some people think if we just got rid of Trump at life would be better. No, you'll still have a shit sandwich. So the reality is, because we've never had Black Lives Matter, we are all being affected. All every other color is going to have a hard time. And by the way, white people, you are too, your life is not going to get easier because they got rid of some brown people, or they only pull over black people. You're this is a community.Brad Crowell 5:32  But I want to go back to this. I agree with the things that you're saying, but I want to go back to this by saying let white lives matter too. We're actually sidestepping the issue. And that's the problem. The problem is not that white lives don't matter. That's not what we're saying, and that's not what you know, that's not what, when someone says Black Lives Matter, they're not saying white lives don't matter too. But what they but when we say white lives matter too, we're we're just derailing the conversation away from the fact that there has been systemic oppression of people in our society for 400 years, right?Lesley Logan 6:05  And also, by the way, if you vote for the people of color who are different than you, you benefit too. By the way, if you've not, I'm not saying vote for people of color. I'm saying if you vote for the people who will represent the people of the least of these, you will benefit. You'll benefit in so many different ways.Brad Crowell 6:20  But here's the thing, that, yes, that you will absolutely benefit when there is, like, cultural and systemic racism against a particular group, it almost empowers violence towards that group, and that is where the that's where everyone got really, really frustrated with this murderer who was literally set free, you know, and, and I couldn't agree more, you know, it's, it's, it's wrong.Lesley Logan 6:50  It's just fucked up. I mean, to be honest, the whole thing that he stood on, that law that he stood on, is stupid, and it's in several different states, and people and like kids have been killed since then because they knocked on the wrong door. A black kid last year knocked on the wrong door looking to pick up his brothers, and they shot him because he's a black kid at their door. Like, what the, I'm sorry, that is infuriating. And we, we are not done. And I think, like, we got past 2020. Brad Crowell 7:18  It's like a mix of fear and racism and the fact that they're ever like. Lesley Logan 7:21  But they're, I won't even give them warrant over fear they're fucked up. Like, come on, I'm sorry.Brad Crowell 7:26  Like their bread fear is like, spued into their life.Lesley Logan 7:31  Right, I guess. But also like, we live in a world where you can curate your own algorithm and and these people are not taking the time to even, like, think about somebody else's experience at all, just their own, and they're so self-centered, and then they vote for people who lie to them and use them and use fear to use them. And now look where we're at. People are dying, and they're like, but my life still sucks. Yeah, it does. You voted for people who made sure it fucking sucked. And I am just like, the guns are the fucking problem. And then we have to. We voted we got rid of Trump the first time. We're like, oh, good. All this stuff is better. No, it's not. The Democrats didn't work fucking fast enough. And now we're here in this place of shit where black people still don't have the rights that white people do, and now brown people are being attacked in crazy ways. And by the way, like, if you're so concerned with, like, immigrants and crime. Like last year, immigrants killed three people, and ISIS killed 33 people from the stats that I just looked at. So like, I just think that, like, there's things that we could be taking into perspective, and it requires us to be more considerate of people who look different than us, and also fighting for their rights, because it will help yours. Anyways, end of rant. And by the way, that's a long conversation that we were like trying to get out. So if we like, that's something a little weird forgiveness, because we're all growing. We're all learning. You get amped up. Lesley Logan 8:50  So anyways, I want to get into what's going on. We just wrapped up Agency Mini last week, and so you missed it. Brad Crowell 9:02  Congratulations, it's over. Lesley Logan 8:57  Congratulations. You can't get on the waitlist, but you can get on the waitlist for the next one. We will do one more this year, prfit.biz/mini prfit.biz/mini that's profit without the O and it is for Pilates instructors and studio owners who work for themselves or want to so highly recommend it. Now we're getting up and we're gearing. We're gearing. We're gearing up and getting ready because we will be gone for an entire month in Europe. Brad and I, we're not taking Bayon on this trip. On this trip, and so we'll be first in Poland at the Controlology Conference to Contrology Pilates Conference in Wroclaw with Karen Frischmann, xxll.co/poland you can come from anywhere to go to that. Karen and I speak in English, and it will be translated into Polish. So if you can do either of those languages, that conference is for you. And then after that, Brad, Karen and I are going to go to the Contrology. We're going to Brussels to Pilatels like Vintage Pilates and friends. Ignacio is going to be there. El is the owner. She's going to be there. The four of us are gonna be teaching workshops and classes. It's gonna be a long, fun filled days. I promise these are something you don't wanna miss. Els really throws a party with these xxll.co/brussels, and I guess we're gonna be like in Bruges. So that's really cool. Don't quote me. It's all on the site. Just go there. Brad Crowell 9:02  Sounds fun. Lesley Logan 9:02  We have a lot of eLevate and other people that we know are going to that one. So it's gonna be a really fun party. And then after our second honeymoon, which your recommendations for things to do between Brussels and Paris that get us to London are welcomed, because we're going to take that train. I think, hopefully we can. That's the plan. We clearly haven't looked up anything. I just heard you can go from Paris to London, so that's what we're going to do. But you can join us at POT London. My Saturday workshop is filled, but there is a few spots left in the Sunday workshop that I'm teaching, but you should come to any of the workshops, because there's some excellent presenters at the POT in London, xxll.co/pot. By the way, that link will take you to all the POTs that Balanced Body is doing right now. Right now the only one on that schedule that I'm going to be at is POT London. We will have a booth at a couple others, but if you want to take workshop from me in Europe, you've got three weekend options, and that is it for at least a year, maybe two. So check it out xxll.co/pot, and then we come home, we're gonna get ready for spring training. Brad Crowell 11:16  Yeah, really looking forward to it. This year we're gonna change it up. Lesley Logan 11:19  How to get overhead. Brad Crowell 11:20  How to get overhead. So last year's spring training was so fun. We had people join us from all over the world. We had teachers join us from all over the globe, all the OPC teachers, and it was a big party. And we were digging into, well, each year we're digging into a different topic. So this year's topic is how to get overhead. And I know we kind of said this last week on the pod. But you don't have to be able to get overhead right to come learn. Lesley Logan 11:46  I don't like that. It's not have to get overhead, it's a how to. It's really finding your own version of overhead exercises. It's really just, you're here to find your own and that's what Pilates is making your own personal practice practice. It's called Contrology, the study of control. Not controlled.Brad Crowell 12:02  Yeah, not controlled. So come join us. Go to opc.me/events opc.me/events to grab a spot on the waitlist so that you're gonna be the first one to know when we do that in May. Before we get into this great interview with Brad, let's dig into this question. So on YouTube, @wanderlustonwheels asks, I would love to see recommendations for us perimenopausal ladies on the Cadillac. I am also hyper mobile, so I can't really do any mat work without fabricating and crunching my joints and pinching my nerves. I always end up with neck cranks that keep me from sleeping when I do mat work. So this is like multiple things rolled up into one. Lesley Logan 12:45  Yeah, I'm gonna keep it tight, because I appreciate your question about perimenopausal exercises on the Cadillac. And unfortunately, the way that Pilates has been changed, in some ways, is that people think I need to know this type of exercise for this piece of equipment, but really it's a system. And actually all Pilates is available to any perimenopausal woman on any piece of equipment. So what's cool about Pilates is it actually is a low cortisol producing workout, or it should be. And if yours is not, then you're probably not doing Pilates. It's a mind body connective work, and you're not moving super slow or super fast. There's some moments with zest and there's some moment with rhythm. But in in all honesty, most Pilates exercise classes session should actually be low cortisol producing really great for building strength and for getting that mind body connection, which will bring down that cortisol levels. And you should be able to sleep really, really well. So I'm not gonna say which exercises are great for perimenopause, because they all are, but depends on which ones your body needs right now. And that actually has nothing. That has very little to do with perimenopause, and more to do with like, what's going on with your body, the fact that you're hyper mobile, you didn't mention that you have EDS. So if you had EDS, this was a it's a different story, and you should definitely be working. You should really make sure to find an EDS teacher near you, trained teacher near you or online. Because the fact that when you do mat work your nerves are pinched and you have neck cranks makes me actually nervous that you're not doing actual Pilates exercises, and somebody is using the popularity of Pilates to entice you in, because if you're doing Pilates from your center on the mat as a hyper mobile person, the worst case scenario you're going to have is that it's easy. I'm a hyper mobile body, and so it would just feel easy to me because I was just locking my joints out and over stretching things and kind of hanging off of things. But the fact that you're actually having pinched nerves and neck cranks tells me that there's some sort of pressure that's being pulled to you in these exercises.Brad Crowell 14:46  Well, I think, I think, like, okay, so also hypermobile here. And did you know in like, super intense yoga for like, a long time before moving to Vegas and so now I do yoga differently, but before it was like, you know, 3, 4, 5 days a week doing yoga. And I definitely understand the idea of, like, crunching joints and pinching nerves, or I don't understand fabricating. That doesn't mean anything to me. But, you know, just because you can force your body into a shape doesn't mean you're doing it correctly. Lesley Logan 15:18  Well and also, I think that, like, something that you had to learn was that not every cue is for you. And I think sometimes in a class we hear them say something, so we do it in a hyper mobile people, we can keep going like, our end range isn't there, whereas a tighter person would be like, get stuck on something.Brad Crowell 15:35  I mean, look, I you know, I could put my head, my foot behind my head on the first day of class, the very first day, like, and they were like, your yoga practice is amazing. I was like, I'm brand new. What are you talking about? Right? So.Lesley Logan 15:46  And that teacher should have been like, oh, even though you can do that, you should not do that, because you don't know what you're doing.Brad Crowell 15:51  Right. You don't know how to engage your muscles, to protect your body. And that's what, to me, that's what it sounds like here, when you have crunching joints or pinching nerves, like in Pilates, we talk about the five spine shapes. And the spine shape that that you should focus on as a hyper mobile body is tall.Lesley Logan 16:07  Yeah, look at you, Brad. Brad Crowell 16:09  Oh yeah. Lesley Logan 16:10  Look at you. So so @wanderlustonwheels, like, here's the thing, if you were an OPC member and I was you sent in a video of you doing a couple of the mat exercises, just a couple reps, I don't want you to hurt anything, I could actually see what's going on. Without being able to see it just based off what I'm reading, it sounds to me that the person who's teaching the class is not teaching your body. They are teaching a class, and that is hard because it's more accessible for you to go to a class or to watch a YouTube video, but not everything is going to be for you. And so actually learning how to move from your center is going to be key, and that might mean investing in some time or some money to get either an OBC membership or a studio near you, where a teacher can actually look at you and go, oh, that's too high. Oh, that's too much. Or here are these exercises, because the mat work, like I said, as a hypermobile, it should just feel easy, and the fact you're getting hurt, really, like alarm bells are going off for me. Brad Crowell 17:03  There's a second thing I wanted to say on this, and I'm not a physical therapist, but also being a hypermobile body, the best thing that has that I've done for my body in the past five years is lifting weights.Lesley Logan 17:16  Well and, for perimenopausal women, you should be so people who actually do Pilates say I should lift weights. It's not an or it's an and I do both. I lift heavy weights and I do Pilates.Brad Crowell 17:27  Because, because the strength, here's here's where this has been weird for me, because I am, like, super competitive, the guy who wants to be the guy who can, you know, bend over backwards and and, like, you know, touch my toes backwards. I want to be that guy, because if they can do it, so can I. That's how my mentality has always been, and I could do a lot more flexibility things, maybe not properly, but with my hypermobility before I started becoming more strong, but with the strength added, which, you know, has been like, a process over multiple years. My body hurts way less, way less. I can still jack myself up, and I can still be like, oh man, I'm in my lower back right now. I can feel it, you know. But because my, because I've been like, my shoulders don't hurt anymore. They used to. My knees are hurting less they, you know, my back especially has been hurting less, and then, you know, I haven't had neck issues the way that you're describing them. But like, you know, if you strengthen your neck, imagine.Lesley Logan 18:31  Well, that's the thing that people, especially while we're doing that, going back to that spring training with overhead, I ask you, like, what they're nervous about and everyone's afraid of their neck. And I'm like, one, you should be on your neck. And two, your neck should be strong. Most people, like, are so afraid of hurting their neck that they're not actually strengthening their neck anymore, and their necks getting weaker. And so guess what? It's actually gonna you're gonna hurt it just sitting around. So I, I really, like, I feel for people because, like, what if? So what if @wanderlustonwheels, like, can't go to any place, right? What if she, like, doesn't have money or the time, and she like, I get that it's about listening to your body. And really true, like, sometimes you have to film yourself, because if you're looking at someone do something, and then you're trying to make yourself look like them. But then when you actually film yourself, you go, oh, wow, look at how hyperextended or look where my chin is like that could help you or if you can invest in even just some privates, going hey, I need to know these foundational exercises for my body. I need to know these foundational weight training exercises for my body. I'm hyper mobile, then you can I truly believe you can do Pilates on your own once you have those foundations. And that's I wouldn't have created OPC if I didn't think so, and you can train on your own. That's why gyms exist. So at any rate, like also, I just really wonder if the person teaching that mat class is actually teaching real mat Pilates or doing lots of extra reps or something. They might be doing Pilates exercises, but doing a ton of reps, or doing it too fast, or adding heavier weights. I say, like, what? I was like, oh, I want lightweights for a class, right? And I showed up and they're like, the lightest one's worth five pounds each. And I'm like, that's not Pilates. That like that should be in a gym, because Pilates is a one pound weight. So like, sometimes, you know, people want to fill the burn and so, and then studios lean towards that, because that's what I think, is there gonna be money, and what we're not doing is educating people, you know? (inaudible)Brad Crowell 20:12  Thanks for writing in that question. There's a lot there, but, but. Lesley Logan 20:17  We have a great workshop on OPC that Mindy Westfall did about Pilates for hypermobility, so I highly recommend taking a look at that.Brad Crowell 20:24  Yeah, that's a great point and and sorry for interrupting you there. But yes, if you have a question, we want to hear it, so text us 310-905-5534, or you can submit it through beitpod.com/questions beitpod.com/questions where you can leave either a win or a question. So send us some wins, people, we want to celebrate with you. Stick around. We'll be right back. We're going to talk about Brad Walsh. Brad Crowell 20:49  All right, let's talk about Brad Walsh. Brad is the host and founder of the Empower Podcast, a Toronto based platform dedicated to amplifying women's stories and strengthening their voices. A lifelong photographer. He discovered his passion in high school, and later transitioned from a 12 and a half year career as corporate audiovisual technician to full time photography, eventually specializing in boudoir work that helps women see their own strength and beauty. His commitment to women's empowerment is rooted in the example set by his mother and grandmother, whose courage shaped the values behind his work today. Lesley Logan 21:23  Yeah, and some cool women in his life. And we've had one photographer on before, and so I was, I was excited to talk a little bit about boudoir photography with him, because I grew up where a lot of women changed their bodies because of what they thought men would like, and then him being a male boudoir photographer who's like, literally loving everybody as it is and showing them how beautiful they are in their own bodies with these photos. And then then they can see how beautiful they are in those photos. It's fucking cool. I think it's great. Thanks, Brad, for not being a dick, you know, like there are some good men out there. Brad Crowell 21:56  If you haven't listened to his episode just yet, his you know, he shared his story a little bit. His dad left, or his mom left his dad, who was, you know, off cheating on her, basically, when he was 10, and they went through it like they were broke. They got an apartment. Mom slept on the couch, because he also has a brother, and he said, you know, her strength and courage to stand back up after 15 years of marriage and say, I'm done with this abuse. She left with nothing but the clothes on her back. And, you know, and then when she got a job because she needed to, after being out of the workforce for over a decade, grandma helped in, you know, stepped in to help. So, you know, very inspirational story there. And also, like, definitely lays the foundation for why he would be encouraging, you know, women and empowering women. So I appreciated hearing a little bit of that. But what are the what is one of the things that he talked about that you really loved?Lesley Logan 22:54  Well, he said, the gift of her seeing herself for the first time a light she's not used to seeing herself in. He said, like, it's so powerful to be able to give that to another human being and.Brad Crowell 23:03  You're specifically talking about his photography, yeah, boudoir photography.Lesley Logan 23:06  Yeah. He said when they see who they truly are and how they're captured, they leave a completely different woman. And there's not enough words, he said, to encapsulate the power in that as a photographer. I mean, I.Brad Crowell 23:19  His conviction, like, was, was so. Lesley Logan 23:21  Oh yeah, you have to hear it. Brad Crowell 23:22  Yeah, it was. It was very compelling. Because he's like, I don't, I don't have the words to say how much that has impacted me. Lesley Logan 23:28  Yeah. Well, I think, like, first of all, ladies, if you're like, I hate being on camera. I don't have (inaudible) you're the one who fucking needs to have your picture taken. Because, like, I was like, oh my God, we have a photo shoot tomorrow, and I love our photographer, and I love our makeup artist, and so I'm like, it's, I know it's going to be a great time, and it's a long day, like we talked about Brooks Tyler's book last week, and it's like, to be on an eight-hour shoot, you you have to have stamina, endurance, and I really think Adderall would have helped, like, just, just to stay focused right for that many hours. But when you see the photos at the end of the day, you're like, oh my God, I'm fucking stunning. And then you like, wake up the next day without hair and makeup, like, I'm fucking stunning. Like, it just keeps going. So, like, I highly recommend doing it, because it does change how you think about yourself. And when you change how you think about yourself, you change how you act, you change how you act, you change how you be it till you see it. I mean, there's no other way to say it. So what did you love?Brad Crowell 24:25  So I really dug when he was talking about resilience, right? And it stemmed from a conversation about being tired of the word resilient. You know, like, I've been told so many times you're so resilient. Well, I don't want to be resilient anymore. Why do I have to keep being resilient?Lesley Logan 24:37  My friends are like, you're the most resilient person, I know I'm like, over it pretty done.Brad Crowell 24:42  And he took a step back and paused, and he's like, well, this is how I see what resilience is. It's, it's courage and inner strength, specifically, when you you keep getting back up after being knocked down time after time, right? And he said, he said it's really important that women be resilient so they can share their experience, and inspire other women by being vulnerable, by sharing their experience. It's a permission slip for others. It shows them what is possible, right? And I thought that's totally relevant and important. And he said, while it can certainly be tiring, it serves a greater purpose, right? And it makes your efforts bigger than just you. You know, it makes your efforts towards whatever it is that you're working on. When you share those things and you continue to get back up, you know, you're giving permission for others to keep going on their journey, which we don't know what exactly what it is, but there's clearly going to be something relatable. He said, even if you're only influencing one person, right? It's worth it. He said, think about that impact, and how you know that you can have and how you can help. Maybe, you know, maybe by sharing your story, your struggles, it will prevent someone from having to go through something similar that you experience, because you know you're sharing how you got through it. So, I mean, that's honestly, like half the reason we do this podcast is hearing, you know, how did they get from A to B? How are they being it till they see, how they get to where they are today and, you know, it's inspirational. I hope you found it as well.Lesley Logan 26:08  I did. I really did. And I couldn't agree more. I mean, like, you're, you know, it's not a podcast I used to listen to before I was ever like when the first they just ended their first season, which is like, more like an ending of a show. I think they call the end of a season one, because they could always come back. But it was like 968, episodes. And I know. And I was just like, interesting. I wonder what it'd be like, like, well, how do you, how do you think about ending it? I read, like, their statement, which is, like, everything that we did worked, and like, look, we've inspired people. And I was like, there must have been a point where they, like, thought it wasn't adding anymore, you know, and but, and every time I'm like, is this podcast like helping anybody out? And then we go on tour, and someone's like, I loved this. And I'm like, well, fuck, we got to keep going because it's fucking hard work podcasting. But I know every stupid bro makes it look like it's the easiest thing you ever did in your life. This is a fucking hard thing that we do every week.Brad Crowell 27:00  Yeah, we're surrounded by a whole team to set us up to be able to even do this.Lesley Logan 27:03  Yes, and you just get to, like, vent or rant or like, I don't know what the fuck they think they're doing, but like, you actually have to, like, have structure and, like, think about these things and think about the people you're platforming. You know, I know that dickhead CEO podcast is like, I'm not platforming these people. I'm having a conversation. No, you're fucking platforming them, right? So, like, sometimes I'm like, oh, do I should I be platforming this person? Because I want to change lives for the better, right? So, and it's difficult because you're like, how do I know this person? How am I going to there's so many things to think about, but I do agree. It's like, if you can change one's person's life with it, like, then it's worth doing, worth all the effort. Brad Crowell 27:33  Yeah, well, stick around. We'll be right back. We're going to dig into those Be It Action Items that we got from your conversation with Brad Walsh. Brad Crowell 27:42  All right, welcome back. So finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your conversation with Brad Walsh? He said, you just have to be authentic. Don't try to be something that you're not. And the two of you went back and forth about we need to take back the word authentic, it's overused and overplayed, but there's still something to it. You know? He said, look, when we only show the happy, shiny, beautiful part of the thing that we went through, we're not being honest, and that's not being authentic, because there was definitely some shit we had to go through to get there too, right? And so I think it's fair to say that you can still be selective about all of the shit. You don't have to share everything. We're not airing our dirty laundry, but it's important to show that there's a struggle as well, and that that like contributes to that authenticity. It makes it actually authentic, right? So drill down, you know, be selective, but take that mask off and actually like, be genuine. So what about you?Lesley Logan 28:42  Oh, well, you know, I love this his father's wisdom, who said, what's meant for you will never go by you. And the mantra that I say, which means the same thing, is, like, what is for you will not pass you, or you will not pass you. And I think that that's a really important thing, because it's really easy to, like, hang on to something because we're afraid that something else won't come along. But like, if it's meant for you, will not go by you. And it's something that, like, as our career has taken off, as our business continues to grow, I have to say no to a lot of things, and that means worrying. Oh my god, am I letting something go? Am I saying no to something that could have, like, changed the trajectory? And it's like, I have to trust that what is meant for me will never go by you. What is for me will not pass me. So I hope that gives you something to think about, because it's not going to be all fucking rainbows and glitter, especially right now. Like, it's really hard right now. And I want to recognize every single one of you are listening like, you open up the news and it's fucked, and then you have to go to work and go, how are you? Well, all things considered, not shitty, but, like, it's hard, especially especially as people who have empathy and feelings and and caring. And so you have to keep getting up, doing the best you can. If you live somewhere where you can call someone who represents you and yell at them for what they need to step up, do that, it's part of a great day, and then keep going because if you can affect one person's life to make it better, it does matter. I love that. Brad Crowell 30:04  Yeah, me too. Lesley Logan 30:04  I'm Lesley Logan.Brad Crowell 30:06  Well, before we do that, we just wanted to shout out. Brad has an upcoming conference that's called Empowerography. It's a live conference for 2026 It is Friday, April 24th, through Sunday, April 26th, and I'm pretty sure it's a virtual. Lesley Logan 30:21  It's virtual so you can go. Brad Crowell 30:22  So you can find tickets and information about it on Facebook. Search for Empowerography. That's E-M power ography. You know, Empowerography Live Conference. Just search for Brad Walsh. Lesley Logan 30:33  We'll put the link in the show notes as well. That might be easier. Okay, go do that. And I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 30:38  And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 30:39  Thanks so much for listening. Thanks for being you. Thanks for calling your congressman and your senators and laying on the peppy if you're American and if you are European or somewhere from anywhere else you there's ways to lay on our shit too. So you can, you can help make change in this world. I believe it. I believe you and you. And if you don't want to do any of that, then leave me a review, please. Thanks so much. Until next time, Be It Till You See It.Brad Crowell 31:01  Bye for now. Lesley Logan 31:03  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 31:45  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 31:50  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 31:54  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 32:01  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 32:04  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Learn the English expression "run out" (and listen until the end to hear what Jeff's first boss said he can *never* run out of...)Explore the full lesson & practice using today's expression: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/run-out--Plain English helps you improve your English:Learn about the world and improve your EnglishClear, natural English at a speed you can understandNew stories every weekLearn even more at PlainEnglish.comMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

In February 2022, just days before Russia invaded Ukraine, Ksenia Samotiy's mother drove her and her two younger siblings to the Polish border. They thought they would be gone for a few days. Four years later, the war continues. Now living in Dublin, Ksenia has returned to her hometown of Lviv for the first time since she fled. What did she find, and what does the future hold for Ukraine? ­ Host: Fionnán SheahanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn to recognize and discuss toxic relationships in Polish. From "toksyczny jak wąż" (toxic like a snake) to setting boundaries with "To jest moja granica," master essential vocabulary for identifying jealousy, manipulation, and emotional abuse. This episode covers warning signs, healing vocabulary, and assertive phrases to protect yourself. Essential Polish for navigating difficult relationships and prioritizing your wellbeing.   Vocabulary List / Lista słówek Table Copy Polish English Pronunciation Toksyczny Toxic tok-SOCH-nih Wąż Snake vontsh Związek Relationship ZVYON-zek Zazdrosny Jealous (m) zaz-DROS-nih Zazdrosna Jealous (f) zaz-DROS-nah Kontrolujący Controlling (m) kon-tro-loo-YON-tsih Manipulacja Manipulation ma-nee-poo-LA-tsya Rana Wound RAH-nah Ból Pain bool Burza Storm BOO-zhah Jadowity Venomous ya-do-VEE-tih Zdrada Betrayal zdrah-DAH Podły Mean/base POD-wih Przemoc Violence/abuse PZHEH-mots Granica Boundary grah-NEE-tsa Leczenie Healing leh-CHEH-nyeh Terapia Therapy teh-RAH-pyah Wolność Freedom VOL-noshch Koniec End KOH-nyets Żegnaj Goodbye zheg-NAY  

Bohaterem tego odcinka jest Paweł Strzelecki - podróżnik, odkrywca, samouk i człowiek wielkiej empatii. Jeśli podobają Ci się moje podkasty, zostaw mi recenzję i ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! Dzięki!Transkrypcja i lista Quizlet: https://polskidaily.eu/podcasts/pd193-kto-odkryl-zloto-w-australii/Have you discovered the Polski Daily Club yet? If not go to https://www.polskidaily.eu/signup and join the club!

Edith Targonski arrived to the United States from Peru when she was 19 years old. Her sister had arrived a few years before and she was so happy about being reunited with her, but unhappy to speak English. She had visited the U.S. numerous times prior to her move but didn't know much English and lacked confidence in her speaking skills. She soon met a fellow immigrant from Poland, who arrived at 17 years old with his parents. They fell in love and got married. Edith and her husband created a beautiful family blending and honoring their individual cultures from South America and Poland, while building their own family traditions. They learned English and raised their children in an English speaking household but also exposed their children to Spanish and Polish for them to have the opportunity to communicate with their grandparents and broaden their horizons. Since arriving twenty seven years ago, Edith has been very motivated to learn, grow her career and serve the community. She earned a special education degree from Sacred Heart Univ, and was an effective classroom teacher for many years. Currently, she serves as a passionate advocate for families who have children with special needs. She is a business development consultant. She has been a dedicated volunteer to many organizations, giving credit to her father for her need to give back and learning this from watching him. She has graduated about 9 senior citizens who have achieved citizenship under her tutelage at the Stamford Senior Center. She currently serves in the role of Editor-in-Chief of Latincolors magazine, which is a bilingual magazine that is widely circulated throughout Fairfield County, CT. and Westchester County, NY. The mission of Latincolors is to bridge both geographical and cultural communities and celebrate the accomplishments and endeavors of the people, agencies, groups and organizations making a positive impact in the community. It is available in both English and Spanish and is a free publication and available online. Like many other guests on the podcast, she was enrolled in the PLTI (Parent Leadership Training Institute). She has been a facilitator for People Empowering People-PEP and currently serves on the Design Team. In addition, she serves on numerous other boards in the community, all of them serving the immigrant and Latin communities in different ways, while raising her 3 children to be passionate, giving and kind people.

This week sees the long-overdue return of my brother-from-another-mother, Shayan of Trivax and host of the Iblis Manifestations podcast.   We dive into his perspective on everything from the critical response to Trivax's latest album, The Great Satan, to his vision for the band's future. We also have a candid and wide-ranging discussion about the rapidly evolving situation in his home country of Iran, his views on the future of the Islamic Republic, and much more.   On this week's Unsanctioned Filth, the spotlight falls on Polish black metallers Primitiae Dormientium.  Then, on the News Rant, I round up the latest singles from At The Gates, Midnight Odyssey, Extinction A.D., Exodus, and Belphegor for judgement.  I also answer your questions, including: what I'd like to see more (and less) of in the metal scene, my all-time Top 5 favourite albums, who I consider the best UKHC band and more.   Featured Bands: Trivax - https://trivax.bandcamp.com/  Primitiae Dormientium - https://primitiaedormientium.bandcamp.com/  Misotheist - https://terraturpossessions.bandcamp.com/album/misotheist    Support Nick Barker: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nicholas-barker   Visit intothenecrosphere.com for playlists and more. Subscribe for weekly black and death metal interviews, news rants, and reviews. Follow on X, Instagram and Facebook, and check out the Horsemen of the Podcasting Apocalypse: Horrorwolf 666, Iblis Manifestations, Everything Went Black, Necromaniacs and The Sol Nox Podcast.

Send a textPodcast - Episode 57: Wayne Preece FWCF on Health, Veterinary Reform, and UK Farrier RegulationEpisode DescriptionWayne Preece FWCF returns to the Lockdown Farriery Podcast for an in-depth conversation about his recent health challenges, the state of farrier regulation in the UK, and the upcoming European Championships.Wayne, a Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Farriers, experienced educator, and international clinician, has been instrumental in shaping farrier standards across Europe through his work with the European Farriers Association (EFA). He's helped develop certification programs in multiple countries and continues to push the profession forward despite facing significant health setbacks.In this extended conversation, Wayne and the host discuss:Wayne's recovery from total knee replacement and upcoming hip surgeryHis ongoing work with the Polish and Italian farrier associations on EFA certification programsThe complexities of organizing the European Championships and improvements to competition standardsThe controversial UK veterinary reform consultation and what it could mean for farrier regulationThe confusion between the FRC, WCF, and BFBA - and why understanding these bodies mattersProfessional pricing challenges in the UK compared to other countriesThe future of farrier education and the apprenticeship systemThis is a frank, unfiltered discussion about the realities of being a farrier professional in 2025, covering everything from health challenges to regulatory debates to the business side of the trade.Key Topics & TimestampsHealth Update & Recovery (0:00 - 12:00)Wayne's total knee replacement in OctoberUpcoming hip replacement surgeryThe physical toll of farriery and recovery challengesMaintaining work through injury via computer-based projectsInternational Work & EFA Programs (12:00 - 30:00)Work with VFT Denmark and Polish Farriers FederationDevelopment of Certified Euro Farrier and Master Euro Farrier programsEducational support for European associationsUpcoming presentation at North American Equine Practitioners conferenceEuropean Championships Organization (30:00 - 50:00)Formation of EFA subcommittee to improve competition standardsChallenges from the 2023 Spanish championshipsNew rule book development and standardization effortsDanny's consultancy role for the upcoming Dutch championshipsThe importance of learning from mistakes in competition organizationUK Farrier Bodies: FRC, WCF & BFBA (50:00 - 1:10:00)Clarifying the roles: FRC (regulation), WCF (heritage/recognition), BFBA (professional support)Social media confusion and misinformationWhy the FRC exists to protect the public, not farriersThe value of BFBA membership and professional networkingFarrier Regulation & Professionalism (1:10:00 - 1:30:00)The UK as the only country with statutory regulationDisciplinary processes and the FRC BulletinComparing regulatory standards with other professionsThe evolution of the FRC since 2017 reformsWhy farriers wanted teeth in regulation - and now have itThe Horse Industry & Pricing Challenges (1:30:00 - 1:50:00)Why UK farriers are among the cheapest globallyThe cultural expectation of affordable horse ownership in the UKThe rise of "people with horses" vs traditional "horse people"Working-class roots of the profession affecting pricing mindse

Welcome to the Learn Polish Podcast – your gateway to mastering Polish through immersive, real-world conversations. Each episode blends authentic Polish dialogue with clear explanations, helping you build vocabulary naturally while exploring Polish culture, traditions, and everyday life. Whether you're a beginner or advancing your skills, join us as we make learning Polish engaging, practical, and fun. Find more episodes, lesson materials, and resources at www.learnpolishpodcast.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Rumble, Spotify, and Bitchute.   Vocabulary List / Lista słówek Table Copy Polish English Pronunciation Mężczyzna Man mensh-CHIZ-nah Kobieta Woman ko-BYEH-tah Związek Relationship ZVYON-zek Mars Mars mars Wenus Venus VEH-noos Komunikacja Communication ko-moo-nee-KA-tsya Problem Problem PRO-blem Rozwiązanie Solution ro-zvy-ZA-nyeh Konflikt Conflict KON-flikt Przestrzeń Space pshesh-TREN Bańka Bubble BAHN-kah Przepraszam I'm sorry psheh-PRA-sham Kompromis Compromise kom-pro-MEES Rozumiem I understand ro-ZOO-myem Nie rozumiem I don't understand nyeh ro-ZOO-myem Jestem tu dla ciebie I'm here for you YEH-stem too dla CHEH-byeh  

Last time we spoke about General Zhukov's arrival to the Nomohan incident. The Kwantung Army's inexperienced 23rd Division, under General Komatsubara, suffered heavy losses in failed offensives, including Colonel Yamagata's assault and the annihilation of Lieutenant Colonel Azuma's detachment, resulting in around 500 Japanese casualties. Tensions within the Japanese command intensified as Kwantung defied Tokyo's restraint, issuing aggressive orders like 1488 and launching a June 27 air raid on Soviet bases, destroying dozens of aircraft and securing temporary air superiority. This provoked Moscow's fury and rebukes from Emperor Hirohito. On June 1, Georgy Zhukov, a rising Red Army tactician and tank expert, was summoned from Minsk. Arriving June 5, he assessed the 57th Corps as inadequate, relieved Commander Feklenko, and took charge of the redesignated 1st Army Group. Reinforcements included mechanized brigades, tanks, and aircraft. Japanese intelligence misread Soviet supply convoys as retreats, underestimating Zhukov's 12,500 troops against their 15,000. By July, both sides poised for a massive clash, fueled by miscalculations and gekokujo defiance.   #190 Zhukov Unleashes Tanks at Nomohan 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. At 4:00 a.m. on July 1, 15,000 heavily laden Japanese troops began marching to their final assembly and jump-off points. The sun rose at 4:00 a.m. and set at 9:00 p.m. that day, but the Japanese advance went undetected by Soviet/MPR commanders, partly because the June 27 air raid had temporarily cleared Soviet reconnaissance from the skies. On the night of July 1, Komatsubara launched the first phase. The 23rd Division, with the Yasuoka Detachment, converged on Fui Heights, east of the Halha River, about eleven miles north of its confluence with the Holsten. The term "heights" is misleading here; a Japanese infantry colonel described Fui as a "raised pancake" roughly one to one-and-a-half miles across, about thirty to forty feet higher than the surrounding terrain. For reasons not fully explained, the small Soviet force stationed on the heights was withdrawn during the day on July 1, and that night Fui Heights was occupied by Komatsubara's forces almost unopposed. This caused little stir at Zhukov's headquarters. Komatsubara bided his time on July 2.   On the night of July 2–3, the Japanese achieved a brilliant tactical success. A battalion of the 71st Infantry Regiment silently crossed the Halha River on a moonless night and landed unopposed on the west bank opposite Fui Heights. Recent rains had swollen the river to 100–150 yards wide and six feet deep, making crossing difficult for men, horses, or vehicles. Combat engineers swiftly laid a pontoon bridge, completing it by 6:30 a.m. on July 3. The main body of Komatsubara's 71st and 72nd Infantry Regiments (23rd Division) and the 26th Regiment (7th Division) began a slow, arduous crossing. The pontoon bridge, less than eight feet wide, was a bottleneck, allowing only one truck at a time. The attackers could not cross with armored vehicles, but they did bring across their regimental artillery, 18 x 37-mm antitank guns, 12 x 75-mm mountain guns, 8 x 75-mm field guns, and 4 x 120-mm howitzers, disassembled, packed on pack animals, and reassembled on the west bank. The crossing took the entire day, and the Japanese were fortunate to go without interception. The Halha crossing was commanded personally by General Komatsubara and was supported by a small Kwantung Army contingent, including General Yano (deputy chief of staff), Colonel Hattori, and Major Tsuji from the Operations Section. Despite the big air raid having alerted Zhukov, the initial Japanese moves from July 1–3 achieved complete tactical surprise, aided by Tsuji's bold plan. The first indication of the major offensive came when General Yasuoka's tanks attacked predawn on July 3. Yasuoka suspected Soviet troops south of him attempting to retreat across the Halha to the west bank, and he ordered his tanks to attack immediately, with infantry not yet in position. The night's low clouds, no moon, and low visibility—along with a passing thunderstorm lighting the sky—made the scene dramatic. Seventy Japanese tanks roared forward, supported by infantry and artillery, and the Soviet 149th Infantry Regiment found itself overwhelmed. Zhukov, hearing of Yasuoka's assault but unaware that Komatsubara had crossed the Halha, ordered his armor to move northeast to Bain Tsagan to confront the initiative. There, Soviet armor clashed with Japanese forces in a chaotic, largely uncoordinated engagement. The Soviet counterattacks, supported by heavy artillery, halted much of the Japanese momentum, and by late afternoon Japanese infantry had to dig in west of the Halha. The crossing had been accomplished without Soviet reconnaissance detecting it in time, but Zhukov's counterattacks, the limits of Japanese armored mobility across the pontoon, and the heat and exhaustion of the troops constrained the Japanese effort. By the afternoon of July 3, Zhukov's forces were pressing hard, and the Japanese momentum began to stall. Yasuoka's tanks, supported by a lack of infantry and the fatigue and losses suffered by the infantry, could not close the gap to link with Komatsubara's forces. The Type 89 tanks, designed for infantry support, were ill-suited to penetrating Soviet armor, especially when faced with BT-5/BT-7 tanks and strong anti-tank guns. The Type 95 light tanks were faster but lightly armored, and suffered heavily from Soviet fire and air attacks. Infantry on the western bank struggled to catch up with tanks, shot through by Soviet artillery and armor, while the 64th Regiment could not keep pace with the tanks due to the infantry's lack of motorized transport. By late afternoon, Yasuoka's advance stalled far short of the river junction and the Soviet bridge. The infantry dug in to withstand Soviet bombardment, and the Japanese tank regiments withdrew to their jump-off points by nightfall. The Japanese suffered heavy losses in tanks, though some were recovered and repaired; by July 9, KwAHQ decided to withdraw its two tank regiments from the theater. Armor would play no further role in the Nomonhan conflict. The Soviets, by contrast, sustained heavier tank losses but began to replenish with new models. The July offensive, for Kwantung Army, proved a failure. Part of the failure stemmed from a difficult blend of terrain and logistics. Unusually heavy rains in late June had transformed the dirt roads between Hailar and Nomonhan into a mud-filled quagmire. Japanese truck transport, already limited, was so hampered by these conditions that combat effectiveness suffered significantly. Colonel Yamagata's 64th Infantry Regiment, proceeding on foot, could not keep pace with or support General Yasuoka's tanks on July 3–4. Komatsubara's infantry on the west bank of the Halha ran short of ammunition, food, and water. As in the May 28 battle, the main cause of the Kwantung Army's July offensive failure was wholly inadequate military intelligence. Once again, the enemy's strength had been seriously underestimated. Moreover, a troubling realization was dawning at KwAHQ and in the field: the intelligence error was not merely quantitative but qualitative. The Soviets were not only more numerous but also far more potent than anticipated. The attacking Japanese forces initially held a slight numerical edge and enjoyed tactical surprise, but the Red Army fought tenaciously, and the weight of Soviet firepower proved decisive. Japan, hampered by a relative lack of raw materials and industrial capacity, could not match the great powers in the quantitative production of military materiel. Consequently, Japanese military leaders traditionally emphasized the spiritual superiority of Japan's armed forces in doctrine and training, often underestimating the importance of material factors, including firepower. This was especially true of the army that had carried the tactic of the massed bayonet charge into World War II. This "spiritual" combat doctrine arose from necessity; admitting material superiority would have implied defeat. Japan's earlier victories in the Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, the Manchurian incident, and the China War, along with legendary medieval victories over the Mongol hordes, seemed to confirm the transcendent importance of fighting spirit. Only within such a doctrine could the Imperial Japanese Army muster inner strength and confidence to face formidable enemies. This was especially evident against Soviet Russia, whose vast geography, population, and resources loomed large. Yet what of its spirit? The Japanese military dismissed Bolshevism as a base, materialist philosophy utterly lacking spiritual power. Consequently, the Red Army was presumed to have low morale and weak fighting effectiveness. Stalin's purges only reinforced this belief. Kwantung Army's recent experiences at Nomonhan undermined this outlook. Among ordinary soldiers and officers alike, from the 23rd Division Staff to KwAHQ—grim questions formed: Had Soviet materiel and firepower proven superior to Japanese fighting spirit? If not, did the enemy possess a fighting spirit comparable to their own? To some in Kwantung Army, these questions were grotesque and almost unthinkable. To others, the implications were too painful to face. Perhaps May and July's combat results were an aberration caused by the 23rd Division's inexperience. Nevertheless, a belief took hold at KwAHQ that this situation required radical rectification. Zhukov's 1st Army Headquarters, evaluating recent events, was not immune to self-criticism and concern for the future. The enemy's success in transporting nearly 10,000 men across the Halha without detection—despite heightened Soviet alert after the June 27 air raid—revealed a level of carelessness and lack of foresight at Zhukov's level. Zhukov, however, did not fully capitalize on Komatsubara's precarious position on July 4–5. Conversely, Zhukov and his troops reacted calmly in the crisis's early hours. Although surprised and outnumbered, Zhukov immediately recognized that "our trump cards were the armored detachments, and we decided to use them immediately." He acted decisively, and the rapid deployment of armor proved pivotal. Some criticized the uncoordinated and clumsy Soviet assault on Komatsubara's infantry on July 3, but the Japanese were only a few hours' march from the river junction and the Soviet bridge. By hurling tanks at Komatsubara's advance with insufficient infantry support, Mikhail Yakovlev (11th Tank Brigade) and A. L. Lesovoi (7th Mechanized Brigade) incurred heavy losses. Nonetheless, they halted the Japanese southward advance, forcing Komatsubara onto the defensive, from which he never regained momentum. Zhukov did not flinch from heavy casualties to achieve his objectives. He later told General Dwight D. Eisenhower that if the enemy faced a minefield, their infantry attacked as if it did not exist, treating personnel mine losses as equal to those that would have occurred if the Germans defended the area with strong troops rather than minefields. Zhukov admitted losing 120 tanks and armored cars that day—a high price, but necessary to avert defeat. Years later, Zhukov defended his Nomonhan tactics, arguing he knew his armor would suffer heavy losses, but that was the only way to prevent the Japanese from seizing the bridge at the river confluence. Had Komatsubara's forces advanced unchecked for another two or three hours, they might have fought through to the Soviet bridge and linked with the Yasuoka detachment, endangering Zhukov's forces. Zhukov credited Yakovlev, Lesovoi, and their men with stabilizing the crisis through timely and self-sacrificing counterattacks. The armored car battalion of the 8th MPR Cavalry Division also distinguished itself in this action. Zhukov and his tankmen learned valuable lessons in those two days of brutal combat. A key takeaway was the successful use of large tank formations as an independent primary attack force, contrary to then-orthodox doctrine, which saw armor mainly as infantry support and favored integrating armor into every infantry regiment rather than maintaining large, autonomous armored units. The German blitzkrieg demonstrations in Poland and Western Europe soon followed, but, until then, few major armies had absorbed the tank-warfare theories championed by Basil Liddell-Hart and Charles de Gaulle. The Soviet high command's leading proponent of large-scale tank warfare had been Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky. His execution in 1937 erased those ideas, and the Red Army subsequently disbanded armored divisions and dispersed tanks among infantry, misapplying battlefield lessons from the Spanish Civil War. Yet Zhukov was learning a different lesson on a different battlefield. The open terrain of eastern Mongolia favored tanks, and Zhukov was a rapid learner. The Russians also learned mundane, but crucial, lessons: Japanese infantry bravely clambering onto their vehicles taught Soviet tank crews to lock hatch lids from the inside. The BT-5 and BT-7 tanks were easily set aflame by primitive hand-thrown firebombs, and rear deck ventilation grills and exhaust manifolds were vulnerable and required shielding. Broadly, the battle suggested to future Red Army commander Zhukov that tank and motorized troops, coordinated with air power and mobile artillery, could decisively conduct rapid operations. Zhukov was not the first to envision combining mobile firepower with air and artillery, but he had rare opportunities to apply this formula in crucial tests. The July offensive confirmed to the Soviets that the Nomonhan incident was far from a border skirmish; it signaled intent for further aggression. Moscow's leadership, informed by Richard Sorge's Tokyo network, perceived Japan's renewed effort to draw Germany into an anti-Soviet alliance as a dangerous possibility. Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov began indicating to Joachim von Ribbentrop and Adolf Hitler that Berlin's stance on the Soviet–Japanese conflict would influence Soviet-German rapprochement considerations. Meanwhile, Moscow decided to reinforce Zhukov. Tens of thousands of troops and machines were ordered to Mongolia, with imports from European Russia. Foreign diplomats traveling the Trans-Siberian Railway reported eastbound trains jammed with personnel and matériel. The buildup faced a major bottleneck at Borzya, the easternmost railhead in the MPR, about 400 miles from the Halha. To prevent a logistics choke, a massive truck transport operation was needed. Thousands of trucks, half-tracks, gun-towing tractors, and other vehicles were organized into a continuous eight-hundred-mile, five-day shuttle run. The Trans-Baikal Military District, under General Shtern, supervised the effort. East of the Halha, many Japanese officers still refused to accept a failure verdict for the July offensive. General Komatsubara did not return to Hailar, instead establishing a temporary divisional HQ at Kanchuerhmiao, where his staff grappled with overcoming Soviet firepower. They concluded that night combat—long a staple of Japanese infantry tactics—could offset Soviet advantages. On July 7 at 9:30 p.m., a thirty-minute Japanese artillery barrage preceded a nighttime assault by elements of the 64th and 72nd Regiments. The Soviet 149th Infantry Regiment and supporting Mongolian cavalry were surprised and forced to fall back toward the Halha before counterattacking. Reinforcements arrived on both sides, and in brutal close-quarters combat the Japanese gained a partial local advantage, but were eventually pushed back; Major I. M. Remizov of the 149th Regiment was killed and later posthumously named a Hero of the Soviet Union. Since late May, Soviet engineers had built at least seven bridges across the Halha and Holsten Rivers to support operations. By July 7–8, Japanese demolition teams destroyed two Soviet bridges. Komatsubara believed that destroying bridges could disrupt Soviet operations east of the Halha and help secure the border. Night attacks continued from July 8 to July 12 against the Soviet perimeter, with Japanese assaults constricting Zhukov's bridgehead while Soviet artillery and counterattacks relentlessly pressed. Casualties mounted on both sides. The Japanese suffered heavy losses but gained some positions; Soviet artillery, supported by motorized infantry and armor, gradually pushed back the attackers. The biggest problem for Japan remained Soviet artillery superiority and the lack of a commensurate counter-battery capability. Japanese infantry had to withdraw to higher ground at night to avoid daytime exposure to artillery and tanks. On the nights of July 11–12, Yamagata's 64th Regiment and elements of Colonel Sakai Mikio's 72nd Regiment attempted a major assault on the Soviet bridgehead. Despite taking heavy casualties, the Japanese managed to push defenders back to the river on occasion, but Soviet counterattacks, supported by tiresome artillery and armor, prevented a decisive breakthrough. Brigade Commander Yakovlev of the 11th Armored, who led several counterattacks, was killed and later honored as a Hero of the Soviet Union; his gun stands today as a monument at the battlefield. The July 11–12 action marked the high-water mark of the Kwantung Army's attempt to expel Soviet/MPR forces east of the Halha. Komatsubara eventually suspended the costly night attacks; by that night, the 64th Regiment had suffered roughly 80–90 killed and about three times that number wounded. The decision proved controversial, with some arguing that he had not realized how close his forces had come to seizing the bridge. Others argued that broader strategic considerations justified the pause. Throughout the Nomonhan fighting, Soviet artillery superiority, both quantitative and qualitative, became painfully evident. The Soviet guns exacted heavy tolls and repeatedly forced Japanese infantry to withdraw from exposed positions. The Japanese artillery, in contrast, could not match the Red Army's scale. By July 25, Kwantung Army ended its artillery attack, a humiliating setback. Tokyo and Hsinking recognized the futility of achieving a decisive military victory at Nomonhan and shifted toward seeking a diplomatic settlement, even if concessions to the Soviet Union and the MPR were necessary. Kwantung Army, however, opposed negotiations, fearing it would echo the "Changkufeng debacle" and be read by enemies as weakness. Tsuji lamented that Kwantung Army's insistence on framing the second phase as a tie—despite heavy Soviet losses, revealed a reluctance to concede any territory. Differences in outlook and policy between AGS and Kwantung Army—and the central army's inability to impose its will on Manchukuo's field forces—became clear. The military establishment buzzed with stories of gekokujo (the superiority of the superior) within Kwantung Army and its relations with the General Staff. To enforce compliance, AGS ordered General Isogai to Tokyo for briefings, and KwAHQ's leadership occasionally distanced itself from AGS. On July 20, Isogai arrived at General Staff Headquarters and was presented with "Essentials for Settlement of the Nomonhan Incident," a formal document outlining a step-by-step plan for Kwantung Army to maintain its defensive position east of the Halha while diplomatic negotiations proceeded. If negotiations failed, Kwantung Army would withdraw to the boundary claimed by the Soviet Union by winter. Isogai, the most restrained member of the Kwantung Army circle, argued against accepting the Essentials, insisting on preserving Kwantung Army's honor and rejecting a unilateral east-bank withdrawal. A tense exchange followed, but General Nakajima ended the dispute by noting that international boundaries cannot be determined by the army alone. Isogai pledged to report the General Staff's views to his commander and take the Essentials back to KwAHQ for study. Technically, the General Staff's Essentials were not orders; in practice, however, they were treated as such. Kwantung Army tended to view them as suggestions and retained discretion in implementation. AGS hoped the Essentials would mollify Kwantung Army's wounded pride. The August 4 decision to create a 6 Army within Kwantung Army, led by General Ogisu Rippei, further complicated the command structure. Komatsubara's 23rd Division and nearby units were attached to the 6 Army, which also took responsibility for defending west-central Manchukuo, including the Nomonhan area. The 6 Army existed largely on paper, essentially a small headquarters to insulate KwAHQ from battlefield realities. AGS sought a more accountable layer of command between KwAHQ and the combat zone, but General Ueda and KwAHQ resented the move and offered little cooperation. In the final weeks before the last battles, General Ogisu and his small staff had limited influence on Nomonhan. Meanwhile, the European crisis over German demands on Poland intensified, moving into a configuration highly favorable to the Soviet Union. By the first week of August, it became evident in the Kremlin that both Anglo-French powers and the Germans were vying to secure an alliance with Moscow. Stalin knew now that he would likely have a free hand in the coming war in the West. At the same time, Richard Sorge, the Soviet master spy in Tokyo, correctly reported that Japan's top political and military leaders sought to prevent the escalation of the Nomonhan incident into an all-out war. These developments gave the cautious Soviet dictator the confidence to commit the Red Army to large-scale combat operations in eastern Mongolia. In early August, Stalin ordered preparations for a major offensive to clear the Nomonhan area of the "Japanese samurai who had violated the territory of the friendly Outer Mongolian people." The buildup of Zhukov's 1st Army Group accelerated still further. Its July strength was augmented by the 57th and 82nd Infantry Divisions, the 6th Tank Brigade, the 212th Airborne Brigade, numerous smaller infantry, armor, and artillery units, and two Mongolian cavalry divisions. Soviet air power in the area was also greatly strengthened. When this buildup was completed by mid-August, Zhukov commanded an infantry force equivalent to four divisions, supported by two cavalry divisions, 216 artillery pieces, 498 armored vehicles, and 581 aircraft. To bring in the supplies necessary for this force to launch an offensive, General Shtern's Trans-Baikal Military District Headquarters amassed a fleet of more than 4,200 vehicles, which trucked in about 55,000 tons of materiel from the distant railway depot at Borzya. The Japanese intelligence network in Outer Mongolia was weak, a problem that went unremedied throughout the Nomonhan incident. This deficiency, coupled with the curtailment of Kwantung Army's transborder air operations, helps explain why the Japanese remained ignorant of the scope of Zhukov's buildup. They were aware that some reinforcements were flowing eastward across the Trans-Siberian Railway toward the MPR but had no idea of the volume. Then, at the end of July, Kwantung Army Intelligence intercepted part of a Soviet telegraph transmission indicating that preparations were under way for some offensive operation in the middle of August. This caused a stir at KwAHQ. Generals Ueda and Yano suspected that the enemy planned to strike across the Halha River. Ueda's initial reaction was to reinforce the 23rd Division at Nomonhan with the rest of the highly regarded 7th Division. However, the 7th Division was Kwantung Army's sole strategic reserve, and the Operations Section was reluctant to commit it to extreme western Manchukuo, fearing mobilization of Soviet forces in the Maritime Province and a possible attack in the east near Changkufeng. The Kwantung Army commander again ignored his own better judgment and accepted the Operations Section's recommendation. The main strength of the 7th Division remained at its base near Tsitsihar, but another infantry regiment, the 28th, was dispatched to the Nomonhan area, as was an infantry battalion from the Mukden Garrison. Earlier, in mid-July, Kwantung Army had sent Komatsubara 1,160 individual replacements to make up for casualties from earlier fighting. All these reinforcements combined, however, did little more than replace losses: as of July 25, 1,400 killed (including 200 officers) and 3,000 wounded. Kwantung Army directed Komatsubara to dig in, construct fortifications, and adopt a defensive posture. Colonel Numazaki, who commanded the 23rd Division's Engineer Regiment, was unhappy with the defensive line he was ordered to fortify and urged a slight pullback to more easily defensible terrain. Komatsubara, however, refused to retreat from ground his men had bled to take. He and his line officers still nourished hope of a revenge offensive. As a result, the Japanese defensive positions proved to be as weak as Numazaki feared. As Zhukov's 1st Army Group prepared to strike, the effective Japanese strength at Nomonhan was less than 1.5 divisions. Major Tsuji and his colleagues in the Operations Section had little confidence in Kwantung Army's own Intelligence Section, which is part of the reason why Tsuji frequently conducted his own reconnaissance missions. Up to this time it was gospel in the Japanese army that the maximum range for large-scale infantry operations was 125–175 miles from a railway; anything beyond 200 miles from a railway was considered logistically impossible. Since Kwantung Army had only 800 trucks available in all of Manchukuo in 1939, the massive Soviet logistical effort involving more than 4,200 trucks was almost unimaginable to the Japanese. Consequently, the Operations Staff believed it had made the correct defensive deployments if a Soviet attack were to occur, which it doubted. If the enemy did strike at Nomonhan, it was believed that it could not marshal enough strength in that remote region to threaten the reinforced 23rd Division. Furthermore, the 7th Division, based at Tsitsihar on a major rail line, could be transported to any trouble spot on the eastern or western frontier in a few days. KwAHQ advised Komatsubara to maintain a defensive posture and prepare to meet a possible enemy attack around August 14 or 15. At this time, Kwantung Army also maintained a secret organization codenamed Unit 731, officially the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Kwantung Army. Unit 731 specialized in biological and chemical warfare, with main facilities and laboratories in Harbin, including a notorious prison-laboratory complex. During the early August lull at Nomonhan, a detachment from Unit 731 infected the Halha River with bacteria of an acute cholera-like strain. There are no reports in Soviet or Japanese accounts that this attempted biological warfare had any effect. In the war's final days, Unit 731 was disbanded, Harbin facilities demolished, and most personnel fled to Japan—but not before they gassed the surviving 150 human subjects and burned their corpses. The unit's commander, Lieutenant General Ishii Shiro, kept his men secret and threatened retaliation against informers. Ishii and his senior colleagues escaped prosecution at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials by trading the results of their experiments to U.S. authorities in exchange for immunity. The Japanese 6th Army exerted some half-hearted effort to construct defensive fortifications, but scarcity of building materials, wood had to be trucked in from far away—helped explain the lack of enthusiasm. More importantly, Japanese doctrine despised static defense and favored offense, so Kwantung Army waited to see how events would unfold. West of the Halha, Zhukov accelerated preparations. Due to tight perimeter security, few Japanese deserters, and a near-absence of civilian presence, Soviet intelligence found it hard to glean depth on Japanese defensive positions. Combat intelligence could only reveal the frontline disposition and closest mortar and artillery emplacements. Aerial reconnaissance showed photographs, but Japanese camouflage and mock-ups limited their usefulness. The new commander of the 149th Mechanized Infantry Regiment personally directed infiltration and intelligence gathering, penetrating Japanese lines on several nights and returning crucial data: Komatsubara's northern and southern flanks were held by Manchukuoan cavalry, and mobile reserves were lacking. With this information, Zhukov crafted a plan of attack. The main Japanese strength was concentrated a few miles east of the Halha, on both banks of the Holsten River. Their infantry lacked mobility and armor, and their flanks were weak. Zhukov decided to split the 1st Army Group into three strike forces: the central force would deliver a frontal assault to pin the main Japanese strength, while the northern and southern forces, carrying the bulk of the armor, would turn the Japanese flanks and drive the enemy into a pocket to be destroyed by the three-pronged effort. The plan depended on tactical surprise and overwhelming force at the points of attack. The offensive was to begin in the latter part of August, pending final approval from Moscow. To ensure tactical surprise, Zhukov and his staff devised an elaborate program of concealment and deception, disinformation. Units and materiel arriving at Tamsag Bulak toward the Halha were moved only at night with lights out. Noting that the Japanese were tapping telephone lines and intercepting radio messages, 1st Army Headquarters sent a series of false messages in an easily decipherable code about defensive preparations and autumn-winter campaigning. Thousands of leaflets titled "What the Infantryman Should Know about Defense" were distributed among troops. About two weeks before the attack, the Soviets brought in sound equipment to simulate tank and aircraft engines and heavy construction noises, staging long, loud performances nightly. At first, the Japanese mistook the sounds for large-scale enemy activity and fired toward the sounds. After a few nights, they realized it was only sound effects, and tried to ignore the "serenade." On the eve of the attack, the actual concentration and staging sounds went largely unnoticed by the Japanese. On August 7–8, Zhukov conducted minor attacks to expand the Halha bridgehead to a depth of two to three miles. These attacks, contained relatively easily by Komatsubara's troops, reinforced Kwantung Army's false sense of confidence. The Japanese military attaché in Moscow misread Soviet press coverage. In early August, the attaché advised that unlike the Changkufeng incident a year earlier, Soviet press was largely ignoring the conflict, implying low morale and a favorable prognosis for the Red Army. Kwantung Army leaders seized on this as confirmation to refrain from any display of restraint or doubt, misplaced confidence. There were, however, portents of danger. Three weeks before the Soviet attack, Colonel Isomura Takesuki, head of Kwantung Army's Intelligence Section, warned of the vulnerability of the 23rd Division's flanks. Tsuji and colleagues dismissed this, and General Kasahara Yukio of AGS also went unheeded. The "desk jockey" General Staff officers commanded little respect at KwAHQ. Around August 10, General Hata Yuzaburo, Komatsubara's successor as chief of the Special Services Agency at Harbin, warned that enemy strength in the Mongolian salient was very great and seriously underestimated at KwAHQ. Yet no decisive action followed before Zhukov's attack. Kwantung Army's inaction and unpreparedness prior to the Soviet offensive appear to reflect faulty intelligence compounded by hubris. But a more nuanced explanation suggests a fatalistic wishful thinking rooted in the Japanese military culture—the belief that their spiritual strength would prevail, leading them to assume enemy strength was not as great as reported, or that victory was inevitable regardless of resources. Meanwhile, in the rational West, the Nazi war machine faced the Polish frontier as Adolf Hitler pressed Stalin for a nonaggression pact. The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact would neutralize the threat of a two-front war for Germany and clear the way for Hitler's invasion of Poland. If the pact was a green light, it signaled in both directions: it would also neutralize the German threat to Russia and clear the way for Zhukov's offensive at Nomonhan. On August 18–19, Hitler pressed Stalin to receive Ribbentrop in Moscow to seal the pact. Thus, reassured in the West, Stalin dared to act boldly against Japan. Zhukov supervised final preparations for his attack. Zhukov held back forward deployments until the last minute. By August 18, he had only four infantry regiments, a machine gun brigade, and Mongolian cavalry east of the Halha. Operational security was extremely tight: a week before the attack, Soviet radio traffic in the area virtually ceased. Only Zhukov and a few key officers worked on the plan, aided by a single typist. Line officers and service chiefs received information on a need-to-know basis. The date for the attack was shared with unit commanders one to four days in advance, depending on seniority. Noncommissioned officers and ordinary soldiers learned of the offensive one day in advance and received specific orders three hours before the attack.   Heavy rain grounded Japanese aerial reconnaissance from August 17 to midday on the 19th, but on August 19 Captain Oizumi Seisho in a Japanese scout plane observed the massing of Soviet forces near the west bank of the Halha. Enemy armor and troops were advancing toward the river in dispersed formations, with no new bridges but pontoon stocks spotted near the river. Oizumi sent a warning to a frontline unit and rushed back to report. The air group dispatched additional recon planes and discovered that the Japanese garrison on Fui Heights, near the northern end of Komatsubara's line, was being encircled by Soviet armor and mechanized infantry—observed by alarmed Japanese officers on and near the heights. These late discoveries on August 19 were not reported to KwAHQ and had no effect on the 6th Army and the 23rd Division's alertness on the eve of the storm. As is common in militaries, a fatal gap persisted between those gathering intelligence and those in a position to act on it. On the night of August 19–20, under cover of darkness, the bulk of the Soviet 1st Army Group crossed the Halha into the expanded Soviet enclave on the east bank.  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. By August, European diplomacy left Moscow confident in a foothold against Germany and Britain, while Sorge's intelligence indicated Japan aimed to avoid a full-blown war. Stalin ordered a major offensive to clear Nomonhan, fueling Zhukov's buildup in eastern Mongolia. Kwantung Army, hampered by limited logistics, weak intelligence, and defensive posture, faced mounting pressure. 

Welcome to one of the newbies! Fr. Joseph Mick joins us to discuss his first year of priesthood, his interest in geography, and his struggles with international travel before sharing how a Polish priest's wine-induced musings opened him to pursue the seminary and his priestly vocation. 

Today's story: Coffee is one of the world's most popular drinks, but not everyone drinks it the same way. The two most popular styles, espresso and filter coffee, were invented in Europe. Turkish coffee is most similar to how people drank coffee centuries ago. And Cuba and Vietnam have their own unique styles. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/841Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/841--Plain English helps you improve your English:Learn about the world and improve your EnglishClear, natural English at a speed you can understandNew stories every weekLearn even more at PlainEnglish.comMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

The hosts guide listeners through practical phrases like ordering a kids' meal (menu dziecięce) and asking about toys, but repeatedly breaks the fourth wall to discuss McDonald's "toxic" aspects: low wages, processed ingredients, lobbying power, and its role in global health issues. The episode name-checks competitors (KFC, Subway, Burger King) and touches on institutional investors like BlackRock and Vanguard, framing language learning within a critique of American corporate culture exported globally.  

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Mat Lewczenko — entrepreneur, coach, and author of The Entrepreneur's Regret — to unpack what it feels like to be winning on paper while quietly losing at home. Mat shares his story of growing up as a Polish political refugee, building success through grit and discipline, and eventually finding himself at the top of his professional game… but emotionally empty, disconnected, and on the verge of self-sabotage.   We talk about the silent epidemic facing high-performing entrepreneurs — entrepreneurial drift — and what it takes to reclaim your nights, weekends, relationships, and sanity. This episode is a wake-up call for any man chasing more while feeling less.     Timeline Summary [0:00] The concept of "Rock Top" — succeeding outwardly while unraveling inwardly [1:41] Mat's family escaping Poland as political refugees before martial law [3:02] Growing up in an immigrant household built on pride, discipline, and ownership [10:10] Early lessons on earning what you want and respecting what you own [17:47] The tension between giving kids a better life without raising them soft [24:58] Mat's pivot from theater professor to real estate entrepreneur [30:29] The breaking point — winning at work while losing at home [31:31] The porch conversation where his wife said, "You don't get to do this" [35:29] Realizing he couldn't even name his core values [36:33] The North Star Values process and regaining alignment [40:52] The three pillars — Leadership, Love, and Life [41:30] Why being "all in" where you are eliminates guilt and fragmentation [45:28] The danger of climbing the wrong mountain [47:06] Why you must go back through the clouds to choose a new summit [54:28] Small hinges swing big doors — 15 intentional minutes a day [58:32] Presence over presents — how to win back connection at home     Five Key Takeaways Rock Top is real — you can be crushing it professionally while quietly collapsing personally. Clarity of core values simplifies decision-making and eliminates internal friction. Entrepreneurial drift happens gradually, then suddenly — awareness must come before crisis. Being fully present where you are removes guilt and fragmentation. Small, consistent intentional actions create massive relational change.     Links & Resources The Dad Edge Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/mastermind Mat Lewczenko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mat-lewczenko/ Mat Lewczenko on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mat.lewczenko/?hl=en Mat's Podcast (Buzzsprout): https://www.buzzsprout.com/1956169/episodes Mat Lewczenko — Additional Resource: https://ifgrxppecbxjqjkoyvl7.app.clientclub.net/courses/offers/82985e7c-be3c-41c2-b004-8e703e688431?fbclid=IwRlRTSAP-xitleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe9kqpb3eiIFwdvocjWzIhjjxamujPzRooAIcu6RVT7W6_R-3B3c7XJyb5y5Q_aem_pxafoSiJqIhIG7u_vMzVeQ Mat's Book – https://a.co/d/02QOVPcr Episode Show Notes & Resources: https://thedadedge.com/1440     Closing Remark   If you're climbing fast but feeling empty at the top, this episode is your invitation to reassess the mountain you're on. You don't have to lose your family to win in business. If this conversation hit home, please rate, review, follow, and share the podcast. Let's build success that we don't regret.   From my heart to yours — go out and live legendary.