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Ground Zero Media
Show sample for 10/8/25: INTERREGNUM - THE ENEMY WITHIN

Ground Zero Media

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 9:15


Recently, President Trump said he would consider using the Insurrection Act if federal courts prevented him from deploying the National Guard to protect federal buildings and conduct law enforcement operations. The comments came a day after a federal judge blocked the president from sending National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, which Trump claims has been taken over by left-wing “domestic terrorists.” Similar to any civil unrest, various attacks occur in isolated areas. It is not some widespread conquest. However, using terms like "insurrection" and "overturning Posse Comitatus" is a sure sign that there is no stopping a war where the enemy is within—and therefore, everyone is a suspect. Listen to Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis M-F from 7-10 pm, pacific time on groundzeroplus.com. Call in to the LIVE show at 503-225-0860. #groundzeroplus #clydelewis #InsurrectionAct #PosseComitatus #nationalguard

For The Love With Jen Hatmaker Podcast
Lights on a Similar Path: ‘Awake' Readers Reflect On Finding Their Way

For The Love With Jen Hatmaker Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 77:13


Description: In this moving episode, listeners share their own tender and personal stories inspired by Jen's bestselling book, "Awake," which debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list. The touching and heartrending voicemails coming in from readers of “Awake” highlight our yearning to build our lives on solid foundations, our propensity to reach for community and friendship, and the shared human experience we feel around suffering and pain. In this deeply emotional episode, listeners recount overcoming stories of adversity and finding hope, often describing "Awake" as a "life raft" during their own challenging times and Jen gets to hear the profound impact that “Awake” is having on readers everywhere. Tune in for an inspiring journey through the voices of those touched by "Awake." Thought-provoking Quotes: “These listener voicemail episodes are so resonant. I love them. Y'all always say the truest, most beautiful, hardest things. Honestly, I'm always grateful for your courage to come on this show and say your thing out loud.” – Jen Hatmaker “I didn't know Jen was about to curl up in my cave and hold me close. I didn't know her story, which I expected to be irrelevant to mine, would tell me that I am okay, normal, and I won't stay this way.” – Anonymous reader/listener “The best teachers don't tell, they show. Although you say this book is not prescriptive and you're not telling us what to do, you've shown us how to live a life and get through hard things with integrity, honesty, discretion, and strength. You've shown us how to take responsibility and ownership of our own shit. Your friends have shown us how to show up fully and unconditionally. Beautiful examples of love and friendship. Your family has shown us how to be there as an unwavering and loving presence to get through their hardest things.” Reader/listener, Denise “My life broke apart too and thankfully I had friendships to fall back on. It wasn't a thing where I was grateful in hindsight. I was able to be grateful for it in the moment, which is not typically how stories unfold.” – Anonymous reader/listener Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker - https://amzn.to/3KDAalt 107 Days by Kamala Harris - https://amzn.to/47aZ6tb Poems & Prayers by Matthew McConaughey - https://amzn.to/473gy1Q Fierce, Free and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker - https://amzn.to/48jrtXg Emily P. Freeman Podcast episode 374: Tell the Whole Truth with Jen Hatmaker - https://emilypfreeman.com/podcast/374/ For the Love Podcast: A Lantern for Others in Dark Spaces: Jen Hatmaker on Sharing Her Most Tender Story - https://jenhatmaker.com/podcasts/series-64/a-lantern-for-others-in-dark-spaces-jen-hatmaker-on-sharing-her-most-tender-story/ 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker - https://amzn.to/4mTSzrM Connect with Jen!Jen's Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmakerJen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmakerJen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taco Bout Fertility Tuesdays
Clomid vs. Femara: Why Two Similar Fertility Pills Work So Differently

Taco Bout Fertility Tuesdays

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 14:25 Transcription Available


Send us a textNot all fertility pills are created equal. In this episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, Dr. Mark Amols breaks down the real differences between Clomid (clomiphene citrate) and Femara (letrozole)—two medications that may look the same but work in totally different ways.Learn how each medication triggers ovulation, why increasing your dose doesn't always improve your chances, and when doctors decide to switch from oral pills to injectable gonadotropins. Dr. Amols also shares the surprising origins of both drugs (spoiler: one started as birth control and the other as a cancer treatment!) and explains why “doing more” isn't always the right move in fertility treatment.Whether you're trying to understand your options, navigating PCOS, or wondering why your doctor didn't bump your dose, this episode will help you make sense of your fertility journey—one taco at a time.

Reality Steve Podcast
More Thoughts on the Taylor Swift Album, How the Online Discourse is Similar to the Bachelor Franchise, & a Love is Blind Contestant Speaks Out on IG Story

Reality Steve Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2025 30:13


(SPOILER) Your Daily Roundup covers more thoughts on the Taylor Swift album, how the online discourse is eerily similar to the Bachelor franchise, Love is Blind contestants speaks out on IG story and it's confusing.   Music written by Jimmer Podrasky (B'Jingo Songs/Machia Music/Bug Music BMI) Ads: ZocDoc – Click on https://zocdoc.com/RealitySteve to find and instantly book a top rated doctor today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kings and Generals: History for our Future
3.170 Fall and Rise of China: Nanjing has Fallen, the War is not Over

Kings and Generals: History for our Future

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2025 33:28


                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Last time we spoke about the continuation of the war after Nanjing's fall. The fall of Nanjing in December 1937 marked a pivotal juncture in the Second Sino-Japanese War, ushering in a brutal phase of attrition that shaped both strategy and diplomacy in early 1938. As Japanese forces sought to restructure China's political order, their strategy extended beyond battlefield victories to the establishment of puppet arrangements and coercive diplomacy. Soviet aid provided critical support, while German and broader Axis diplomacy wavered, shaping a nuanced backdrop for China's options. In response, Chinese command decisions focused on defending crucial rail corridors and urban strongholds, with Wuhan emerging as a strategic hub and the Jinpu and Longhai railways becoming lifelines of resistance. The defense around Xuzhou and the Huai River system illustrated Chinese determination to prolong resistance despite daunting odds. By early 1938, the war appeared as a drawn-out struggle, with China conserving core bases even as Japan pressed toward central China.   #170 The Battle of Taierzhuang 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. Following their victory at Nanjing, the Japanese North China Area Army sought to push southward and link up with the Japanese Eleventh Army between Beijing and Nanjing. The two formations were intended to advance along the northern and southern ends of the JinPu railway, meet at Xuzhou, and then coordinate a pincer movement into Chinese strongholds in the Central Yangtze region, capturing Jiujiang first and then Wuhan. Recognizing Xuzhou's strategic importance, Chinese leadership made its defense a top priority. Xuzhou stood at the midpoint of the JinPu line and at the intersection with the Longhai Line, China's main east–west corridor from Lanzhou to Lianyungang. If seized, Japanese control of these routes would grant mobility for north–south movement across central China. At the end of January, Chiang Kai-shek convened a military conference in Wuchang and declared the defense of Xuzhou the highest strategic objective. Chinese preparations expanded from an initial core of 80,000 troops to about 300,000, deployed along the JinPu and Longhai lines to draw in and overstretch Japanese offensives. A frightening reality loomed by late March 1938: the Japanese were nearing victory on the Xuzhou front. The North China Area Army, led by Generals Itagaki Seishirô, Nishio Toshizô, and Isogai Rensuke, aimed to link up with the Central China Expeditionary Force under General Hata Shunroku for a coordinated drive into central China. Li Zongren and his senior colleagues, including Generals Bai Chongxi and Tang Enbo, resolved to meet the Japanese at the traditional stone-walled city of Taierzhuang. Taierzhuang was not large, but it held strategic significance. It sat along the Grand Canal, China's major north–south waterway, and on a rail line that connected the Jinpu and Longhai lines, thus bypassing Xuzhou. Chiang Kai-shek himself visited Xuzhou on March 24. While Xuzhou remained in Chinese hands, the Japanese forces to the north and south were still separated. Losing Xuzhou would close the pincer. By late March, Chinese troops seemed to be gaining ground at Taierzhuang, but the Japanese began reinforcing, pulling soldiers from General Isogai Rensuke's column. The defending commanders grew uncertain about their ability to hold the position, yet Chiang Kai-shek made his stance clear in an April 1, 1938 telegram: “the enemy at Taierzhuang must be destroyed.” Chiang Kai-shek dispatched his Vice Chief of Staff, Bai Chongxi, to Xuzhou in January 1938. Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi were old comrades from the New Guangxi Clique, and their collaboration dated back to the Northern Expedition, including the Battle of Longtan. Li also received the 21st Group Army from the 3rd War Area. This Guangxi unit, commanded by Liao Lei, comprised the 7th and 47th Armies. Around the same time, Sun Zhen's 22nd Group Army, another Sichuan clique unit, arrived in the Shanxi-Henan region, but was rebuffed by both Yan Xishan, then commander of the 2nd War Area and Shanxi's chairman and Cheng Qian, commander of the 1st War Area and Henan's chairman. Yan and Cheng harbored strong reservations about Sichuan units due to discipline issues, notably their rampant opium consumption. Under Sun Zhen's leadership, the 22nd Group Army deployed four of its six divisions to aid the Northern China effort. Organized under the 41st and 45th Armies, the contingent began a foot march toward Taiyuan on September 1, covering more than 50 days and approximately 1,400 kilometers. Upon reaching Shanxi, they faced a harsh, icy winter and had no winter uniforms or even a single map of the province. They nevertheless engaged the Japanese for ten days at Yangquan, suffering heavy casualties. Strapped for supplies, they broke into a Shanxi clique supply depot, which enraged Yan Xishan and led to their expulsion from the province. The 22nd withdrew westward into the 1st War Area, only to have its request for resupply rejected by Cheng Qian. Meanwhile to the south Colonel Rippei Ogisu led Japanese 13th Division to push westward from Nanjing in two columns during early February: the northern column targeted Mingguang, while the southern column aimed for Chuxian. Both routes were checked by Wei Yunsong's 31st Army, which had been assigned to defend the southern stretch of the Jinpu railway under Li Zongren. Despite facing a clearly inferior force, the Japanese could not gain ground after more than a month of sustained attacks. In response, Japan deployed armored and artillery reinforcements from Nanjing. The Chinese withdrew to the southwestern outskirts of Dingyuan to avoid a direct clash with their reinforced adversaries. By this point, Yu Xuezhong's 51st Army had taken up a defensive position on the northern banks of the Huai River, establishing a line between Bengbu and Huaiyuan. The Japanese then captured Mingguang, Dingyuan, and Bengbu in succession and pressed toward Huaiyuan. However, their supply lines were intercepted by the Chinese 31st Corps, which conducted flanking attacks from the southwest. The situation worsened when the Chinese 7th Army, commanded by Liao Lei, arrived at Hefei to reinforce the 31st Army. Facing three Chinese corps simultaneously, the Japanese were effectively boxed south of the Huai River and, despite air superiority and a superior overall firepower, could not advance further. As a result, the Chinese thwarted the Japanese plan to move the 13th Division north along the Jinpu railway and link up with the Isogai 10th Division to execute a pincer against Xuzhou. Meanwhile in the north, after amphibious landings at Qingdao, the Japanese 5th Division, commanded by Seishiro Itagaki, advanced southwest along the Taiwei Highway, spearheaded by its 21st Infantry Brigade. They faced Pang Bingxun's 3rd Group Army. Although labeled a Group Army, Pang's force actually comprised only the 40th Army, which itself consisted of the 39th Division from the Northwestern Army, commanded by Ma-Fawu. The 39th Division's five regiments delayed the Japanese advance toward Linyi for over a month. The Japanese captured Ju County on 22 February and moved toward Linyi by 2 March. The 59th Army, commanded by Zhang Zizhong, led its troops on a forced march day and night toward Linyi. Seizing the opportunity, the 59th Army did not rest after reaching Yishui. In the early morning of the 14th, Zhang Zizhong ordered the entire army to covertly cross the Yishui River and attack the right flank of the Japanese “Iron Army” 5th Division. They broke through enemy defenses at Tingzitou, Dataiping, Shenjia Taiping, Xujia Taiping, and Shalingzi. Initially caught off guard, the enemy sustained heavy losses, and over a night more than a thousand Japanese soldiers were annihilated. The 59th Army fought fiercely, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat. By 4:00 a.m. on the 17th, the 59th Army had secured all of the Japanese main positions. That same day, Pang Bingxun seized the moment to lead his troops in a fierce flank attack, effectively supporting the 59th Army's frontal assault. On the 18th, Zhang and Pang's forces attacked the Japanese from the east, south, and west. After three days and nights of bloody fighting, they finally defeated the 3rd Battalion of the 11th Regiment, which had crossed the river, and annihilated most of it. The 59th Army completed its counterattack but suffered over 6,000 casualties, with more than 2,000 Japanese killed or wounded. News of the Linyi victory prompted commendations from Chiang Kai-shek and Li Zongren. General Li Zongren, commander of the 5th War Zone, judged that the Japanese were temporarily unable to mount a large-scale offensive and that Linyi could be held for the time being. On March 20, he ordered the 59th Army westward to block the Japanese Seya Detachment. On March 21, the Japanese Sakamoto Detachment, after a brief reorganization and learning of the Linyi detachment, launched another offensive. The 3rd Corps, understrength and without reinforcements, was compelled to retreat steadily before the Japanese. General Pang Bingxun, commander of the 3rd Corps, urgently telegraphed Chiang Kai-shek, requesting reinforcements. Chiang Kai-shek received the telegram and, at approximately 9:00 AM on the 23rd, ordered the 59th Army to return to Linyi to join with the 3rd Corps in repelling the Sakamoto Detachment. Fierce fighting ensued with heavy Chinese losses, and the situation in Linyi again grew precarious. At a critical moment, the 333rd Brigade of the 111th Division and the Cavalry Regiment of the 13th Army were rushed to reinforce Linyi. Facing attacks from two directions, the Japanese withdrew, losing almost two battalions in the process. This engagement shattered the myth of Japanese invincibility and embarrassed commander Seishirō Itagaki, even startling IJA headquarters. Although the 5th Division later regrouped and attempted another push, it had lost the element of surprise. The defeat at Linyi at the hands of comparatively poorly equipped Chinese regional units set the stage for the eventual battle at Tai'erzhuang. Of the three Japanese divisions advancing into the Chinese 5th War Area, the 10th Division, commanded by Rensuke Isogai, achieved the greatest initial success. Departing from Hebei, it crossed the Yellow River and moved south along the Jinpu railway. With KMT General Han Fuju ordering his forces to desert their posts, the Japanese captured Zhoucun and reached Jinan with little resistance. They then pushed south along two columns from Tai'an. The eastern column captured Mengyin before driving west to seize Sishui; the western column moved southwest along the Jinpu railway, capturing Yanzhou, Zouxian, and Jining, before turning northwest to take Wenshang. Chiang Kai-shek subsequently ordered Li Zongren to employ “offensive defense”, seizing the initiative to strike rather than merely defend. Li deployed Sun Zhen's 22nd Group Army to attack Zouxian from the south, while Pang Bingxun's 40th Division advanced north along the 22nd's left flank to strike Mengyin and Sishui. Sun Tongxuan's 3rd Group Army also advanced from the south, delivering a two-pronged assault on the Japanese at Jining. Fierce fighting from 12 to 25 February, particularly by the 12th Corps, helped mitigate the reputational damage previously inflicted on Shandong units by Han Fuju. In response to Chinese counterattacks, the Japanese revised their strategy: they canceled their original plan to push directly westward from Nanjing toward Wuhan, freeing more troops for the push toward Xuzhou. On March 15, the Japanese 10th Division struck the Chinese 122nd Division, focusing the action around Tengxian and Lincheng. Chinese reinforcements from the 85th Corps arrived the following day but were driven back on March 17. With air support, tanks, and heavy artillery, the Japanese breached the Chinese lines on March 18. The remaining Chinese forces, bolstered by the 52nd Corps, withdrew to the town of Yixian. The Japanese attacked Yixian and overran an entire Chinese regiment in a brutal 24-hour engagement. By March 19, the Japanese began advancing on the walled town of Taierzhuang. To counter the Japanese advance, the Chinese 2nd Army Group under General Sun Lianzhong was deployed to Taierzhuang. The 31st Division, commanded by General Chi Fengcheng, reached Taierzhuang on March 22 and was ordered to delay the Japanese advance until the remainder of the Army Group could arrive. On March 23, the 31st Division sallied from Taierzhuang toward Yixian, where they were engaged by two Japanese battalions reinforced with three tanks and four armored cars. The Chinese troops occupied a series of hills and managed to defend against a Japanese regiment (~3,000 men) for the rest of the day. On March 24, a Japanese force of about 5,000 attacked the 31st Division. Another Japanese unit pressed the Chinese from Yixian, forcing them to withdraw back into Taierzhuang itself. The Japanese then assaulted the town, with a 300-strong contingent breaching the northeast gate at 20:00. They were subsequently driven back toward the Chenghuang temple, which the Chinese set on fire, annihilating the Japanese force. The next day, the Japanese renewed the assault through the breached gate and secured the eastern portion of the district, while also breaking through the northwest corner from the outside and capturing the Wenchang Pavilion. On March 25, a morning Japanese onslaught was repelled. The Japanese then shelled Chinese positions with artillery and air strikes. In the afternoon, the Chinese deployed an armored train toward Yixian, which ambushed a column of Japanese soldiers near a hamlet, killing or wounding several dozen before retreating back to Taierzhuang. By nightfall, three thousand Chinese troops launched a night assault, pushing the Japanese lines northeast to dawn. The following three days subjected the Chinese defenders to sustained aerial and artillery bombardment. The Chinese managed to repulse several successive Japanese assaults but sustained thousands of casualties in the process. On March 28, Chinese artillery support arrived, including two 155 mm and ten 75 mm pieces. On the night of March 29, the Japanese finally breached the wall. Setting out from the district's southern outskirts, a Chinese assault squad stormed the Wenchang Pavilion from the south and east, killing nearly the entire Japanese garrison aside from four taken as prisoners of war. The Chinese then retook the northwest corner of the district. Even by the brutal standards already established in the war, the fighting at Taierzhuang was fierce, with combatants facing one another at close quarters. Sheng Cheng's notes preserve the battlefield memories of Chi Fengcheng, one of the campaign's standout officers “We had a battle for the little lanes [of the town], and unprecedentedly, not just streets and lanes, but even courtyards and houses. Neither side was willing to budge. Sometimes we'd capture a house, and dig a hole in the wall to approach the enemy. Sometimes the enemy would be digging a hole in the same wall at the same time. Sometimes we faced each other with hand grenades — or we might even bite each other. Or when we could hear that the enemy was in the house, then we'd climb the roof and drop bombs inside — and kill them all.” The battle raged for a week. On April 1, General Chi requested volunteers for a near-suicide mission to seize a building: among fifty-seven selected, only ten survived. A single soldier claimed to have fired on a Japanese bomber and succeeded in bringing it down; he and his comrades then set the aircraft ablaze before another plane could arrive to rescue the pilot. One participant described the brutal conditions of the battle “"The battle continued day and night. The flames lit up the sky. Often all that separated our forces was a single wall. The soldiers would beat holes in the masonry to snipe at each other. We would be fighting for days over a single building, causing dozens of fatalities." The conditions were so brutal that Chinese officers imposed severe measures to maintain discipline. Junior officers were repeatedly forbidden to retreat and were often ordered to personally replace casualties within their ranks. Li Zongren even warned Tang Enbo that failure to fulfill his duties would lead him to be “treated as Han Fuju had been.” In Taierzhuang's cramped streets, Japan's artillery and air superiority offered little advantage; whenever either service was employed amid the dense melee, casualties were roughly even on both sides. The fighting devolved into close-quarters combat carried out primarily by infantry, with rifles, pistols, hand grenades, bayonets, and knives forming the core of each side's arsenal. The battle unfolded largely hand-to-hand, frequently in darkness. The stone buildings of Taierzhuang provided substantial cover from fire and shrapnel. It was precisely under these close-quarters conditions that Chinese soldiers could stand as equals, if not superior, to their Japanese opponents, mirroring, in some respects, the experiences seen in Luodian, Shanghai, the year before. On March 31, General Sun Lianzhong arrived to assume command of the 2nd Army Group. A Japanese assault later that day was repulsed, but a Chinese counterattack also stalled. At 04:00 on April 1, the Japanese attacked the Chinese lines with support from 11 tanks. The Chinese defenders, armed with German-made 37mm Pak-36 antitank guns, destroyed eight of the armored vehicles at point-blank range. Similar incidents recurred throughout the battle, with numerous Japanese tanks knocked out by Chinese artillery and by suicide squads. In one engagement, Chinese suicide bombers annihilated four Japanese tanks with bundles of grenades. On April 2 and 3, Chi urged the Chinese defenders around Taierzhuang's north station to assess the evolving situation. The troops reported distress, crying and sneezing, caused by tear gas deployed by the Japanese against Chinese positions at Taierzhuang's north station, but the defenders remained unmoved. They then launched a massive armored assault outside the city walls, with 30 tanks and 60 armored cars, yet managed only to drive the Chinese 27th Division back to the Grand Canal. The fighting continued to rage on April 4 and 5. By then, the Japanese had captured roughly two-thirds of Taierzhuang, though the Chinese still held the South Gate. It was through this entry point that the Chinese command managed to keep their troops supplied. The Chinese also thwarted Japanese efforts to replenish their dwindling stocks of arms and ammunition. In consequence, the Japanese attackers were worn down progressively. Although the Japanese possessed superior firepower, including cannon and heavy artillery, the cramped conditions within Taierzhuang nullified this advantage for the moment. The Chinese command succeeded in keeping their own supplies flowing, a recurring weakness in other engagements and also prevented the Japanese from replenishing their dwindling stock of arms and bullets. Gradually, the Japanese maneuvered into a state of attrition. The deadlock of the battle was broken by events unfolding outside Taierzhuang, where fresh Chinese divisions had encircled the Japanese forces in Taierzhuang from the flanks and rear. After consulting their German advisors earlier, the commanders of the 5th War Area prepared a double envelopment of the exposed Japanese forces in Taierzhuang. Between March and April 1938, the Nationalist Air Force deployed squadrons from the 3rd and 4th Pursuit Groups, fighter-attack aircraft, in long-distance air interdiction and close-air support of the Taierzhuang operations. Approximately 30 aircraft, mostly Soviet-made, were deployed in bombing raids against Japanese positions. On 26 March, Tang Enbo's 20th Army, equipped with artillery units, attacked Japanese forces at Yixian, inflicting heavy casualties and routing the survivors. Tang then swung south to strike the Japanese flank northeast of Taierzhuang. Simultaneously, the Chinese 55th Corps, comprised of two divisions, executed a surprise crossing of the Grand Canal and cut the railway line near Lincheng. As a result, Tang isolated the Japanese attackers from their rear and severed their supply lines. On 1 April, the Japanese 5th Division sent a brigade to relieve the encircled 10th Division. Tang countered by blocking the brigade's advance and then attacking from the rear, driving them south into the encirclement. On 3 April, the Chinese 2nd Group Army launched a counter-offensive, with the 30th and 110th Divisions pushing northward into Beiluo and Nigou, respectively. By 6 April, the Chinese 85th and 52nd Armies linked up at Taodun, just west of Lanling. The combined force then advanced north-westward, capturing Ganlugou. Two more Chinese divisions arrived a few days later. By April 5, Taierzhuang's Japanese units were fully surrounded, with seven Chinese divisions to the north and four to the south closing in. The Japanese divisions inside Taierzhuang had exhausted their supplies, running critically low on ammunition, fuel, and food, while many troops endured fatigue and dehydration after more than a week of brutal fighting. Sensing imminent victory, the Chinese forces surged with renewed fury and attacked the encircled Japanese, executing wounded soldiers where they lay with rifle and pistol shots. Chinese troops also deployed Soviet tanks against the defenders. Japanese artillery could not reply effectively due to a shortage of shells, and their tanks were immobilized by a lack of fuel. Attempts to drop supplies by air failed, with most packages falling into Chinese hands. Over time, Japanese infantry were progressively reduced to firing only their machine guns and mortars, then their rifles and machine guns, and ultimately resorted to bayonet charges. With the success of the Chinese counter-attacks, the Japanese line finally collapsed on April 7. The 10th and 5th Divisions, drained of personnel and ammunition, were forced to retreat. By this point, around 2,000 Japanese soldiers managed to break out of Taierzhuang, leaving thousands of their comrades dead behind. Some of the escapees reportedly committed hara-kiri. Chinese casualties were roughly comparable, marking a significant improvement over the heavier losses suffered in Shanghai and Nanjing. The Japanese had lost the battle for numerous reasons. Japanese efforts were hampered by the "offensive-defensive" operations carried out by various Chinese regional units, effectively preventing the three Japanese divisions from ever linking up with each other. Despite repeated use of heavy artillery, air strikes, and gas, the Japanese could not expel the Chinese 2nd Group Army from Taierzhuang and its surrounding areas, even as the defenders risked total annihilation. The Japanese also failed to block the Chinese 20th Group Army's maneuver around their rear positions, which severed retreat routes and enabled a Chinese counter-encirclement. After Han Fuju's insubordination and subsequent execution, the Chinese high command tightened discipline at the top, transmitting a stringent order flow down to the ranks. This atmosphere of strict discipline inspired even junior soldiers to risk their lives in executing orders. A “dare-to-die corps” was effectively employed against Japanese units. They used swords and wore suicide vests fashioned from grenades. Due to a lack of anti-armor weaponry, suicide bombing was also employed against the Japanese. Chinese troops, as part of the “dare-to-die” corps, strapped explosives such as grenade packs or dynamite to their bodies and charged at Japanese tanks to blow them up.  The Chinese later asserted that about 20,000 Japanese had perished, though the actual toll was likely closer to 8,000. The Japanese also sustained heavy material losses. Because of fuel shortages and their rapid retreat, many tanks, trucks, and artillery pieces were abandoned on the battlefield and subsequently captured by Chinese forces. Frank Dorn recorded losses of 40 tanks, over 70 armored cars, and 100 trucks of various sizes. In addition to vehicles, the Japanese lost dozens of artillery pieces and thousands of machine guns and rifles. Many of these weapons were collected by the Chinese for future use. The Chinese side also endured severe casualties, possibly up to 30,000, with Taierzhuang itself nearly razed. Yet for once, the Chinese achieved a decisive victory, sparking an outburst of joy across unoccupied China. Du Zhongyuan wrote of “the glorious killing of the enemy,” and even Katharine Hand, though isolated in Japanese-controlled Shandong, heard the news. The victory delivered a much-needed morale boost to both the army and the broader population. Sheng Cheng recorded evening conversations with soldiers from General Chi Fengcheng's division, who shared light-hearted banter with their senior officer. At one moment, the men recalled Chi as having given them “the secret of war. when you get food, eat it; when you can sleep, take it.” Such familiar, brisk maxims carried extra resonance now that the Nationalist forces had demonstrated their willingness and ability to stand their ground rather than retreat. The victors may have celebrated a glorious victory, but they did not forget that their enemies were human. Chi recalled a scene he encountered: he had picked up a Japanese officer's helmet, its left side scorched by gunpowder, with a trace of blood, the mark of a fatal wound taken from behind. Elsewhere in Taierzhuang, relics of the fallen were found: images of the Buddha, wooden fish, and flags bearing slogans. A makeshift crematorium in the north station had been interrupted mid-process: “Not all the bones had been completely burned.” After the battle, Li Zongren asked Sheng if he had found souvenirs on the battlefield. Sheng replied that he had discovered love letters on the corpses of Japanese soldiers, as well as a photograph of a girl, perhaps a hometown sweetheart labeled “19 years old, February 1938.” These details stood in stark contrast to news coverage that depicted the Japanese solely as demons, devils, and “dwarf bandits.” The foreign community noted the new, optimistic turn of events and the way it seemed to revive the resistance effort. US ambassador Nelson Johnson wrote to Secretary of State Cordell Hull from Wuhan just days after Taierzhuang, passing on reports from American military observers: one had spent time in Shanxi and been impressed by Communist success in mobilizing guerrilla fighters against the Japanese; another had spent three days observing the fighting at Taierzhuang and confirmed that “Chinese troops in the field there won a well-deserved victory over Japanese troops, administering the first defeat that Japanese troops have suffered in the field in modern times.” This reinforced Johnson's view that Japan would need to apply far more force than it had anticipated to pacify China. He noted that the mood in unoccupied China had likewise shifted. “Conditions here at Hankow have changed from an atmosphere of pessimism to one of dogged optimism. The Government is more united under Chiang and there is a feeling that the future is not entirely hopeless due to the recent failure of Japanese arms at Hsuchow [Xuzhou] . . . I find no evidence for a desire for a peace by compromise among  Chinese, and doubt whether the Government could persuade its army or its people to accept such a peace. The spirit of resistance is slowly spreading among the people who are awakening to a feeling that this is their war. Japanese air raids in the interior and atrocities by Japanese soldiers upon civilian populations are responsible for this stiffening of the people.”. The British had long been wary of Chiang Kai-shek, but Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, the British ambassador in China, wrote to the new British foreign secretary, Lord Halifax, on April 29, 1938, shortly after the Taierzhuang victory, and offered grudging credit to China's leader “[Chiang] has now become the symbol of Chinese unity, which he himself has so far failed to achieve, but which the Japanese are well on the way to achieving for him . . . The days when Chinese people did not care who governed them seem to have gone . . . my visit to Central China from out of the gloom and depression of Shanghai has left me stimulated and more than disposed to believe that provided the financial end can be kept up Chinese resistance may be so prolonged and effective that in the end the Japanese effort may be frustrated . . . Chiang Kai-shek is obstinate and difficult to deal with . . . Nonetheless [the Nationalists] are making in their muddlIn the exhilaration of a rare victory”. Chiang pressured Tang and Li to build on their success, increasing the area's troop strength to about 450,000. Yet the Chinese Army remained plagued by deeper structural issues. The parochialism that had repeatedly hampered Chiang's forces over the past six months resurfaced. Although the various generals had agreed to unite in a broader war of resistance, each prioritized the safety of his own troops, wary of any move by Chiang to centralize power. For example, Li Zongren refrained from utilizing his top Guangxi forces at Taierzhuang, attempting to shift the bulk of the fighting onto Tang Enbo's units. The generals were aware of the fates of two colleagues: Han Fuju of Shandong was executed for his refusal to fight, while Zhang Xueliang of Manchuria had allowed Chiang to reduce the size of his northeastern army and ended up under house arrest. They were justified in distrusting Chiang. He truly believed, after all, that provincial armies should come under a national military command led by himself. From a national-unity standpoint, Chiang's aim was not unreasonable. But it bred suspicion among other military leaders that participation in the anti-Japanese war would erode their own power. The fragmented command structure also hindered logistics, making ammunition and food supplies to the front unreliable and easy to cut off a good job of things in extremely difficult circumstances. 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. The Chinese victory at the battle of Tairzhuang was a much needed morale boost after the long string of defeats to Japan. As incredible as it was however, it would amount to merely a bloody nose for the Imperial Japanese Army. Now Japan would unleash even more devastation to secure Xuzhou and ultimately march upon Wuhan.

Scripture and Tradition Bible Studies
Introducing the Book of Sirach (S&T Course Samples #177)

Scripture and Tradition Bible Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2025 23:54


Besides the Psalter, this book is the longest of the Wisdom Book corpus in the Old Testament. It is a treasure trove of teachings on the divine origin of Wisdom, her attributes, and her love for all those seek her. Similar to the Book of Proverbs, Sirach guides God's people along the paths of holy and virtuous living in all aspects of life. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 1, "Introducing the Book of Sirach" from Dr. Nick's seven-part course, "Sirach: Fear the Lord." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire audio lesson and full course (and other courses too!) whenever they wish.

Daily Tech Headlines
Apple Has Removed The Iceblock App And Similar Applications From Its App Store – DTH

Daily Tech Headlines

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025


Apple is shifting its focus from a Vision Pro overhaul to smart glasses development, OpenAI completed a $6.6 billion secondary share sale, and Meta plans to use user conversations with its AI chatbots to personalize ads. MP3 Please SUBSCRIBE HERE for free or get DTNS Live ad-free. A special thanks to all our supporters–without you,Continue reading "Apple Has Removed The Iceblock App And Similar Applications From Its App Store – DTH"

God Centered Life on Oneplace.com
The Gospel and the Spirit, Part 1

God Centered Life on Oneplace.com

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 25:45


Your assignment: describe oxygen. What color is it? What's its shape? What does it remind you of? An odd assignment, right? Easier just to move on? Similar to if you were asked to describe the Holy Spirit? The Apostle Paul wants to make sure we don't just move on when it comes to the Spirit, and provides an analogy that we'll look at in this study. Galatians 5:16-18 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans
Microsoft Streamlines AI Tool Access with Azure-AppSource Integration

Cloud Wars Live with Bob Evans

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 2:01


In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I look at what the launch of Microsoft Marketplace means for frontier firms and innovation at scale.Highlights00:09 — Microsoft has announced that it's combining the separate marketplaces for AI business tools into a single offering called Microsoft Marketplace. The aim is to deliver these solutions as an extension of Microsoft Cloud to support what Microsoft describes as "frontier firms" — firms that blend human ambition with AI-powered technology.00:37 — Microsoft Marketplace combines Azure Marketplace and Microsoft AppSource, enabling users to quickly and easily test, purchase, and deploy cloud solutions, AI applications, and crucially, agents. Now currently available in the U.S., the new marketplace is expected to launch for global audiences soon.01:01 — By combining the offerings from Azure Marketplace — which focuses on cloud-related infrastructure platforms and SaaS — with Microsoft AppSource — its marketplace for business applications, productivity tools, and applications built on the Microsoft technology stack — enterprises now have access to a comprehensive range of tools.01:24 — This is just the latest in a series of moves by Microsoft to simplify AI adoption and implementation for its enterprise users. Similar to its decision to make Copilot Studio a two-tier service, Microsoft isn't reinventing the wheel. Instead, it continues to provide services tailored to AI innovation while using familiar tools for users. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Minimum Competence
Legal News for Fri 10/3 - Apple Removes ICEBlock, OpenAI Fires Back at xAI and Musk, and Judge Recuses Himself from Trump National Guard Case

Minimum Competence

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 15:06


This Day in Legal History: O.J. “Not Guilty”On October 3, 1995, a Los Angeles jury returned one of the most controversial and widely watched criminal verdicts in American history: O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. The trial, which lasted more than eight months, captivated the nation with its blend of celebrity, race, police misconduct, and media spectacle. The prosecution presented DNA evidence linking Simpson to the crime scene, while the defense, led by Johnnie Cochran, argued that Simpson was framed by a racist LAPD, particularly Detective Mark Fuhrman.Cochran's now-famous line — “If it doesn't fit, you must acquit” — referred to a moment when Simpson tried on gloves allegedly worn during the murders, and they appeared not to fit. The defense used that moment to cast further doubt on the prosecution's case. The jury deliberated for less than four hours before acquitting Simpson, prompting strong reactions across racial and social lines.The case exposed deep divisions in American society, particularly around race and policing. It also helped usher in the era of the 24-hour news cycle and reality-style courtroom coverage, with networks like CNN and Court TV devoting extensive airtime to the trial. The not-guilty verdict did not end Simpson's legal troubles: in 1997, a civil jury found him liable for wrongful death and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages.Apple confirmed it has removed the ICEBlock app and similar tools from its App Store following pressure from the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi. ICEBlock allowed users to report and track the locations of ICE officers through crowdsourced data. Bondi stated the app endangered law enforcement officers and crossed a line by facilitating potential violence.The Department of Justice supported the move, citing safety concerns. This action followed an exposé by right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who outed the creator of a similar app, Red Dot, and accused the platforms of enabling violence against ICE agents. Loomer also claimed that a recent deadly shooting at a Dallas ICE facility involved the use of such tracking apps.Apple defended its decision, stating it aims to keep the App Store a “safe and trusted” space, and that ICEBlock violated policies by potentially enabling harm to law enforcement. The app's developer, Joshua Aaron, criticized the removal, comparing it to how apps like Apple Maps crowdsource speed trap locations. He argued that his app was protected by the First Amendment and that Apple's action was a concession to authoritarian demands.Tech Giant Apple Bows to MAGA Demands and Removes ICE Tracking AppsOpenAI filed a motion in federal court to dismiss a trade secret lawsuit brought by Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco, accuses OpenAI of deliberately poaching xAI employees to gain access to confidential information about Grok, xAI's chatbot, which the company claims surpasses ChatGPT in performance.OpenAI rejected the allegations, calling them baseless and part of Musk's “ongoing harassment” campaign against the company. In its filing, OpenAI argued that employees are free to leave xAI and work wherever they choose, and that it is within its rights to hire them. The company suggested xAI's legal actions are designed to cover up its internal struggles and inability to retain talent.This case is one of several legal battles unfolding between Musk and OpenAI. Musk has also filed a separate suit accusing OpenAI of abandoning its original nonprofit mission. In turn, OpenAI has countersued Musk for harassment. Meanwhile, xAI has sued Apple, claiming it colluded with OpenAI to suppress competition—an accusation both companies deny and are also seeking to dismiss.OpenAI's legal response characterized xAI's complaint as a distraction from its own failings and a tactic to slow down competitors in the heated race for dominance in the AI industry.OpenAI asks court to dismiss trade-secret lawsuit from Musk's xAI | ReutersU.S. District Judge Michael Simon recused himself from a case challenging President Donald Trump's decision to deploy Oregon's National Guard to Portland. The Trump administration had raised concerns over public comments made by Simon's wife, Representative Suzanne Bonamici, criticizing the deployment as a “gross abuse of power.” To avoid any appearance of bias, Judge Simon opted to step aside, stating the case should remain focused on its core constitutional and legal questions.The lawsuit, filed by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, seeks to block Trump's use of state National Guard troops, arguing it is illegal and driven by political motives. The complaint alleges Trump is exaggerating protest threats to justify federal overreach and seize control of state forces. The case has been reassigned to Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee.Bonamici, whose district includes much of Portland, made her critical remarks during a press conference with Oregon Governor Tina Kotek. The Department of Justice cited her comments in its request for Simon's recusal, arguing they could undermine public confidence in judicial impartiality.A hearing is scheduled for Friday on Oregon's request for a temporary restraining order. Similar legal challenges are underway in California and Washington, D.C., where federal troop deployments have also faced pushback. A California judge previously ruled Trump's actions unlawful, but that decision is currently on hold pending appeal. The D.C. case remains unresolved.Judge recuses himself from Oregon National Guard case | ReutersThis week's closing theme is by Ludwig van Beethoven, a composer of some note.This week, we close with Franz Liszt's transcription (S. 464) of the first movement—Allegro con brio—from Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21. Originally premiered in 1800, this symphony marked Beethoven's formal debut in the genre, and even in its first movement, we hear the young composer testing the boundaries of the Classical form inherited from Haydn and Mozart. The opening chords start in the “wrong” key—a bold harmonic gesture that signaled Beethoven's intent to shake things up, even as he worked within a familiar structure.Liszt, the great 19th-century virtuoso and composer, took on the monumental task of transcribing all nine of Beethoven's symphonies for solo piano. The transcription of the First Symphony, catalogued as S. 464, is part of that sweeping project. These arrangements were not simply meant to showcase Liszt's pianistic brilliance (though they certainly do); they were a way to bring Beethoven's orchestral works into the drawing rooms and salons of Europe—before widespread orchestral performance or recording technology.In Liszt's hands, the Allegro con brio becomes a brilliant piano showpiece, retaining the symphony's rhythmic drive, thematic clarity, and structural ingenuity. He translates orchestral texture into ten fingers with remarkable fidelity, using tremolos, arpeggios, and dramatic dynamic shifts to recreate the energy of strings, winds, and brass. The transcription is virtuosic but never flashy for its own sake—it's an homage from one revolutionary to another.Beethoven's First Symphony bridges the Classical and Romantic eras, and Liszt's solo piano version builds a new bridge, connecting orchestral grandeur to the intimacy of a single performer. It's a reminder of both composers' commitment to pushing musical expression forward. As you listen, you may forget it's just one person at a piano—Liszt makes the entire orchestra sing.We leave you this week not only with Beethoven's bold opening statement to the symphonic world, but with Liszt's brilliant act of translation—a distillation of power, wit, and elegance, all under a single keyboard.Without further ado, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21 – the first movement. 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

Alfacast
#286 - The Holographic Water Code w/ Veda Austin

Alfacast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 113:19


In Gerald Pollack's seminal work, "The Fourth Phase of Water", he makes a more than substantial case that there is much yet to learn about the substance that comprises some 70% of our Earth and biological selves.  We are especially delighted that Veda Austin, water researcher, public speaker, artist, author, and mother who has spent the past 14 year exploring water's structural memory and responsiveness is returning to Alfacast to take us deeper into the watery depths of this most magical element. Similar to Pollack, Veda's work has uncovered states of water beyond the Solid, Liquid & Vapor phases as recognized within conventional understanding.  Is there the existence of a code within water, and can we encode it ourselves?  Veda will share her thoughts, research and more with our audience, while the Alfacast crew contributes to the discussion within the context of Alchemical principles & holographic science. For those who may have missed our first interview with Veda, we discussed her of focus of work in photographing water in its ‘state of creation', the space between liquid and ice. It is through her remarkable crystallographic photos that water reveals its awareness of not only Creation, but thought and intention through imagery. ​​ In this part two roundtable she'll take us further into the holographic nature of water, her latest research with autistic children and how water memory can tell us more about ourself and the nature of consciousness. Take a break from "politics as usual" and the fiction of mainstream news cycles to join in on this conversation into the true marvels that await us all. Show links: https://www.vedaaustin.com/ Learn The True Nature Of Dis-Ease & How Our Bodies Actually Work: https://alfavedic.com/themyth/ Join Our Private Community And Join In The Discussion: https://alfavedic.com/join-us/ Looking for a career in the healing arts?  Get accredited in Acute Integrative Homeopathy™ https://alfavedic.com/practicioner Start healing yourself and loved ones with ozone! https://alfavedic.com/ozone Protect yourself & your teens from media manipulation & groupthink w/ Dani Katz's Pop Propaganda Course! http://alfavedic.com/poppropaganda Get our favorite blue blocker glasses! Use code 'alfavedic' for 10% off! https://alfavedic.com/raoptics Join Qortal for free, the truly decentralized internet. https://qortal.dev/downloads Learn how to express your law and uphold your rights as one of mankind. https://alfavedic.com/lawformankind Alfa Vedic is an off-grid agriculture & health co-op focused on developing products, media & educational platforms for the betterment of our world. By using advanced scientific methods, cutting-edge technologies and tools derived from the knowledge of the world's greatest minds, the AV community aims to be a model for the future we all want to see. Our comprehensive line of health products and nutrition is available on our website. Most products are hand mixed and formulated right on our off grid farm including our Immortality Teas which we grow on site. Find them all at https://alfavedic.com​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Follow Alfa Vedic: https://linktr.ee/alfavedic Follow Mike Winner: https://linktr.ee/djmikewinner

Joe DeCamara & Jon Ritchie
Red October is Here! Are the Eagles SCARILY Similar to 2023?

Joe DeCamara & Jon Ritchie

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 13:43


Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie open the 94 WIP Morning Show fired up for Red October as the Phillies get ready for another postseason run. Then, the guys dive into the Eagles' 4-0 start — and debate whether this year feels too much like the 2023 season, when the Birds started hot before stumbling late.

Commuter Bible NT
Matthew 9

Commuter Bible NT

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 7:46


Thus far in Matthew's gospel, we haven't heard complaints from the crowds about any of Christ's teachings or any unrest from his ministry to sick or suffering people, but in today's episode Jesus begins crossing boundaries which had been laid through the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. After forgiving the sins of a paralyzed man, the scribes claim that Jesus is blaspheming, but he immediately shows them that he has the power to do even greater things through his authoritative word. Similar encounters follow, but the power and authority that Jesus has over Creation simply cannot be denied. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Down The Garden Path Podcast
Adding Asters to Your Garden

Down The Garden Path Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 14:03


In this encore episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne discusses how to extend the blooming season in your garden by adding asters. Topics covered in this week's episode: Gardens don't have to stop blooming in September. We can extend the season to October and November. It's very important to have because the pollinators still need something blooming. There are over 30 different species of asters. They have a huge variety of growing conditions, so there is an aster for whatever challenging growing condition you have. Here are the five asters discussed: New England Aster, Symphyotrichum nova-angliae The showiest, and likely the one you're most familiar with Native to most U.S. states and provinces It is large and very showy, with a bright, cozy blue flower with a yellow centre The leaves on the stem are densely arranged on the stem Prefer soil moist and they can grow in part shade One of the larger varieties: up to six feet tall Whitewood Aster Eurybia divaricata Delicate looking flowers Grows in dry shade which means it makes a wonderful addition to the shade garden Not super showy like most shade plants Found in Ontario in dry, deciduous forests So that's exactly what we want in our garden. If you have maple trees, pine trees, or something like that where the soil underneath is very dry and it's very shady, then this is something worth giving a try to Only gets two to three feet tall Smooth Aster Symphyotrichum laeve Similar to the New England Aster, it has leaves that are very smooth, lavender and blue Has a daisy-type flower with a yellow centre Blooms from August to October A huge pollinator for butterflies and a larvae host for the pearl crescent butterfly Heart leaf Aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium Lavender to light blue It is one of the latest ones to bloom and actually goes into November An excellent pollinator for butterflies and bees at late in the season Spreads slowly by rhizomes and it lightly self-seeds Two to three feet tall, sandy to loam soil, and part shade to full shade Panicled Aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum This one blooms with sprays of white flowers, open spreading form, so also known as floppy Best grown with other plants to kind of support it If you already have a native garden, or if you're planting a native garden with other large tall plants, then this could be an addition if you want that Prefers moist soil, but it likes full sun You can purchase seeds from Wildflower Farm and you can again, sprinkle them or plant them in your garden this fall You can also start them like you normally would do if you wanted them to grow in February/March under lights and go through that type of thing indoors and then put them out next year Resources Mentioned in the Show: Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden Fall Mums and Asters Are you a landscape or gardening expert? We'd love to have you on the show! Click here to learn more. Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon. Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

The Rabbit Hole
Atlantis

The Rabbit Hole

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 32:44


Was Atlantis just a myth — or the memory of a real civilization lost to the sea? In this episode, we dive into Plato's original account, Solon's Egyptian connection, and why new science on sea-level rise makes the story harder to dismiss. We'll explore:• Plato's description of Atlantis and its fall• The Younger Dryas floods and catastrophic climate shifts• Similar flood myths across Egypt, Greece, India, Mesopotamia, and the Americas• Theories on where Atlantis could have been — Santorini, the Richat Structure, the Azores, or even Antarctica• Legends of orichalcum, flying machines, and secret knowledge preserved by groups like the Knights Templar Was Atlantis one city, a global network, or a warning myth? Let's find out. www.stayskeptical.com Watch: https://rumble.com/user/rabbitholepodcast https://www.youtube.com/@Rabbit.holepodcast Wise Wolf Gold: https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=jvujkwgs Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jcwvgWpPz8GqLxNwpeJM7AHqBJL2O3JWVdE8ggKK7_8/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Proven Knowledge Podcast
Episode 275 - Dellvon Watson

The Proven Knowledge Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 38:57


For the third time this week we welcomed a co-host of The Beatcast to the show with episode 275's guest Dellvon Watson! We had an awesome chat this week primarily starting with his near 20 year run in music production. We talked about our shared love for FL Studio and what led him to stick with it over the years while most recently incorporating Maschine into his creation process. We also touched on brand deals and the importance of maintaining your integrity when it comes to reviewing products and working with companies, something he hopes to start doing in the near future. Similar to RTC Shogun and Ill Al we were curious to know about Dellvon's origins within The Beatcast community. He told us about his warm welcome by the team to co-host in 2022 after sending in many beats that were all received with positive feedback. He also credits this as a moment that helped him regain a certain level of consistency with his music and with an album on the horizon it's safe to say Dellvon hasn't taken his foot off the gas. We thank him once more for taking the time to join us on this one!Submit a demo track(s) for release consideration with Proven Knowledge! - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1l_h_XayHVqWIJHgTYyV5vGgThfRVEiBh8lw9SP8DrQw/viewform?edit_requested=trueConsider becoming a monthly supporter of the show by visiting the link here

NewsTalk STL
6A: How Are Politicians and Magicians Similar? 9-30-2025

NewsTalk STL

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 52:08


- A schoolboard is trying to sneak a vote in to raise property taxes. - A fight breaks out at DNC meeting- Misinformation is spreading regarding the Latter Day Saints church shooter- Daniel Turner of Power the Future explains how we can re-gain energy independence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) Podcast
JCO Article Insights: Phase I DLL3/CD3 T-Cell Engager in DLL3-Positive SCLC or NECs

Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2025 12:51


In this JCO Article Insights episode, Dr. Ece Cal interviews Dr. Martin Wermke, author of the JCO article, "Phase I Dose-Escalation Results for the Delta-Like Ligand 3/CD3 IgG-Like T-Cell Engager Obrixtamig (BI 764532) in Patients With Delta-Like Ligand 3+ Small Cell Lung Cancer or Neuroendocrine Carcinomas." TRANSCRIPT The disclosures for guests on this podcast can be found in the transcript. Dr. Ece Cali: Welcome to this episode of JCO Article Insights. This is Dr. Ece Cali, JCO editorial fellow, and today I am joined by Dr. Martin Wermke, Professor for Experimental Cancer Therapy at Dresden University of Technology, to discuss the manuscript “Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Results for the Delta-Like Ligand 3/CD3 IgG-like T-Cell Engager Obrixtamig in Patients with DLL3+ Small Cell Lung Cancer or Neuroendocrine Carcinomas.” Obrixtamig is a bispecific T-cell engager that binds to DLL3 on tumor cells and CD3 on T-cells. This manuscript presents the phase 1A dose escalation results of Obrixtamig in patients with DLL3+ small cell lung cancer and neuroendocrine carcinomas. In this study, 168 patients were treated with Obrixtamig across four different dosing regimens. 49% of the patients had small cell lung cancer, 42% had extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma, and 8% had large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung. Patients received a median of two prior lines of therapy. 33% of the patients had brain metastases at baseline. Of note, this trial did not mandate baseline brain imaging. Maximum tolerated dose was not reached. 88% of the patients experienced a treatment-related adverse event, however, only 3.6% of the patients had to discontinue treatment due to treatment-related AEs, and dose reduction due to treatment-related AEs was documented in 2.4% of the patient population. Similar to the other DLL3-targeted bi-therapies, the most common adverse events included CRS in 57%, dysgeusia in 23%, and pyrexia in 21% of the patients. CRS events were mostly mild. They occurred more frequently in the first two to three doses. 9% of the patients experienced ICANS, of which 3% were graded as Grade 3 or higher. And let's review the efficacy results. Responses were only seen in patients who received 90 microgram per kg or more once weekly or once every three weeks dosing. The objective response rate in patients who received an effective dose was 28%. If we review by tumor type, 21% of the small cell lung cancer patients, 27% of the extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma patients, and 70% of the large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma patients had objective response. Median duration of response was 8.5 months, though this data is immature due to short follow-up. Dr. Wermke, DLL3-targeted bispecific T-cell engagers are reshaping the treatment landscape of small cell lung cancer. This trial investigates Obrixtamig in other high-grade neuroendocrine tumors as well. Can you put this trial into context for us and explain why it may represent an important step forward? Dr. Martin Wermke: Yeah, thank you for providing me with the opportunity to discuss our data today. I think the data with Obrixtamig in small cell lung cancer are largely similar to what has been observed with other bispecific T-cell engagers such as tarlatamab with respect to the response rate and duration. It has, however, been to be mentioned that BI 1438001 had a bit more liberal inclusion criteria than other trials around. You already mentioned the fact that we allowed the inclusion of patients without mandatory brain imaging, which led to some patients having their brain mets been diagnosed during the treatment with obrixtamig and then adding to the progressive disease patients. That is something which was not the case with the tarlatamab trials where you really had to have a brain imaging before, and in the Phase 1 trial you were even required to treat the brain mets before you included the patient. So it is a bit different, more poorest patient population. I think the trial adds on existing data by being the first trial to also include non-SCLC neuroendocrine carcinoma of other origin, for example from the gastrointestinal tract, and also by including large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung, which is a really hard to treat pulmonary neoplasm which currently lacks any standardized treatment. So that is really a step forward which we will build on in the future. Dr. Ece Cali: And one thing I would note in this trial, only patients with tumor expressing DLL3 were enrolled. Can you tell us a little bit more about this target, DLL3 in the context of neuroendocrine tumors, and does DLL3 expression predict clinical outcomes after treatment with DLL3 BiTEs, or do we actually need other predictive biomarkers for these novel agents? Dr. Martin Wermke: Yeah, thank you. That's a pretty interesting question. First of all, DLL3 is an atypical notch ligand, which is expressed by the majority of neuroendocrine carcinomas, virtually absent on healthy adult tissues. Therefore, turning it really into a bona fide target for T-cell engaging therapies, pretty low risk for on-target off-tumor side effects. We found that in all the patients we screened, we had an expression rate of about 94% in small cell lung cancer, 80% of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung were positive, and also about 80% of the extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma. So it's really a high prevalence. So the fact that we only included DLL3+ tumors still means we included most of the patients that presented with these diseases. I think at the moment there are no data suggesting a clear-cut association between DLL3 expression levels and outcome on DLL3 CD3 T-cell engagers. There's also not a lot published. If you want to find this out for tarlatamab, you have to look into their patent to really see the data, but it's not clear-cut and I'm sure we need other markers to complement that. And I think what probably plays a major role is intrinsic T-cell fitness. So the question how really diseased your T-cells are, how old you are, because age also correlates with the fitness of the immune system, and other patient characteristics such as tumor burden, we've seen all across the board that the higher the tumor burden, the lower the rate of prolonged response is in such trials. And I also think we need to focus on other components of the tumor microenvironment. So see how high the T-cell infiltration with obrixtamig is and how abundant suppressive elements like regulatory T-cells or myeloid-derived suppressive cells are. That is work which is currently being done. Data are emerging, but I don't think that at the moment we have any clear biomarker helping us to select who should not receive DLL3 T-cell engagers. Dr. Ece Cali: Those are great points and there is a lot we need to learn about how to use these novel agents in the future. I'd like to highlight the results in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung. The response rate in this group was remarkably high at 70%. Though we should note the small sample size of only 14 patients in this trial. After first line chemoimmunotherapy, current approved options for this population have very modest clinical activity. Given these trial results, how do you envision the field moving forward for patients with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma? Dr. Martin Wermke: Yeah, I think LCNEC is really an area which urgently needs further improvement of therapeutic standards. At the moment, as I said, there is no real standard. We are usually extrapolating from results we have in small cell lung cancer or non-small cell lung cancer, but I don't think we have too many prospective trials really informing this. Of course, 14 patients is a small sample size, but I think it's still fair to say that we can claim that DLL3 T-cell engagers are not doing worse in LCNEC than they do in SCLC. And that's why I think we really need to move forward clinical trials that are specifically targeting this population. Although I fear a bit that, given the rareness of this disease and the aggressiveness of its phenotype, that this is probably not the main focus of the pharmaceutical industry. So I think it's up to us academic investigators to really come up with investigator-initiated trials trying to fill the knowledge gaps we have here. Dr. Ece Cali: And one more thing that I want to talk about is the accessibility for these drugs. These novel agents are showing real promise in improving outcomes for patients with high-grade neuroendocrine tumors, an area where progress has been limited until very recently. However, as DLL3 BiTEs become more widely used, issues of logistics and access come into sharper focus. With unique toxicities and the specialized monitoring, their use is restricted to certain centers. Looking ahead, what kinds of strategies could help mitigate some of these adverse events or make these treatments more broadly available? Dr. Martin Wermke: Yeah, I think if you look at countries like the United States where tarlatamab has already been approved, we can see how the management strategies are evolving. I've heard about a colleague equipping their patients with thermometers and a pill of Dexamethasone, alongside with a temperature control protocol and clearly instructing them, "If you measure a temperature above a certain level then start taking the Dexamethasone and come back to our office and we're going to take care of you." I think that's one way to move forward. I think we are lucky in a way that CRS usually manifests within the first 24 hours. This was the same in our study, like in the tarlatamab studies. So we really know when the time of trouble is for our patients. And in this time, I think we need to instruct the patients to stay close to the hospital. I don't think we need to hospitalize all of them, but we probably need them to stay in a nearby hotel to be able to reach the emergency room if needed in a short period of time. And I think we can also learn in this strategy how to manage bispecific antibodies from the experience our colleagues in hematology had because they have been using bispecific T-cell engagers for quite some years right now and they developed strategies and networks that were able to successfully treat these patients also on an outpatient basis. And I think that is clearly an experience we need to follow, acknowledging that we are talking about diseases which are much more frequent than the standard hematology indications. Dr. Ece Cali: Thank you so much, Dr. Wermke, for this informative discussion and for sharing your perspective on this evolving field. Dr. Martin Wermke: Yeah, thank you for providing me with the opportunity to talk about data. It was really great being able to share that, and I really think that we are just at the beginning of a new exciting area for the treatment of neuroendocrine carcinomas, and I think much improvement is yet to come for our patients. Dr. Ece Cali: Yes, that's really exciting. And thank you everyone for listening to JCO Article Insights. Please come back for more interviews and article summaries and be sure to leave us a rating and review so others can find our show. For more podcasts and episodes from ASCO, please visit asco.org/podcasts. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on this podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Dr. Martin Wermke's Disclosures Honoraria: Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, SYNLAB, Janssen, Merck Serono, GWT, Amgen, Novartis, Pfizer,  BMS GmbH & Co. KG, Regeneron, MJH/PER, Takeda Consulting or Advisory Role: Bristol-Myers Squib, Novartis, Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, ISA Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, immatics, Bayer, ImCheck therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Tacalyx, Regeneron, Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH, Zymeworks, PharmaMar, Iovance Biotherapeutics, T-Knife, Genentech Research Funding: Roche Patents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca,  Amgen,  GEMoaB, Sanofi/Aventis, immatics,  Merck Serono, Janssen Oncology, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH"

NHL Wraparound Podcast
Episode 74 - Rebuilding Hope - With New Blackhawks Head Coach Jeff Blashill

NHL Wraparound Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 43:28


The envy of the NHL for the first half of last decade, the Chicago Blackhawks have come upon difficult times since winning their last Stanley Cup in 2015. The road back to respectability has been slow and frustrating for fans in the Windy City.While a bit more patience may be in order, there's reason for optimism as Jeff Blashill begins a new era behind the Blackhawks bench bringing with him a reputation for developing players with a focus on fundamentals. Neil and Vic speak with Blashill to get a line on his expectations for the coming season.With October around the corner, some other news making headlines from a concerned fan based regarding potential signings to injury news to a pair of superstars prepared to start the season as regular linemates.IN THIS EPISODE:[01:54] - New Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill joins the show now coaching his second original six team.[02:30] - Blashill's decision to go to college elsewhere and play goal despite being raised in the Upper Peninsula near Lake Superior State.[04:27] - Once coming to the realization that coaching was going to be his future, Blashill used his goalie perspective to determine how to run certain drills.[06:00] - Neil and Jeff and the Western Michigan bond.[08:04] - Having won championships as a head coach at two minor league levels, the message to his Blackhawks knowing what the perception of the team is around the hockey world.[10:43] - The systematic approach needed to return the Blackhawks to respectability.[12:13] - Having coached Dylan Larkin in his first seven NHL seasons, the teachings Blashill might employ with Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar.[14:45] - The effect assistant coach Michael Peca - an excellent two-way player in his day - can help Bedard develop into more of a 200-foot player.[17:28] - Similar to his Grand Rapids experience, Blashill will be counting on some of his veterans to help with younger players.[19:10] - Doubling back to other star forwards of the past whose complete games took time to mature.[21:03] - Players that have impressed since camp has opened and a word on goaltender Spencer Knight.[23:24] - A unique situation where the coach who finished last season behind the Chicago bench is one of Blashill's other assistants for 2025-26.[25:42] - Wrapping up with Jeff Blashill.[28:54] - Two of the five Team Canada players acquitted in the sexual assault case stemming from an incident at the World Junior Championships in 2018 are being connected to the Carolina Hurricanes - and many of their fans aren't pleased about it.[31:19] - Other news includes an indefinite leave of absence by a Toronto goalie, some injury news, the Oilers superstars opening the season playing together and remembering three Hall of Fame goalies lost in a 16-day period.X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparoundNeil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeilVic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/NHL Wraparound Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/#NHLWraparound #ShortShifts #NYCentric #StanleyCupdate #SummerCoolers #NeilSmith #VicMorren #NHL #SummerCoolers #AnaheimDucks # #BostonBruins #BuffaloSabres #CalgaryFlames #CarolinaHurricanes #ChicagoBlackhawks #ColoradoAvalanche #ColumbusBlueJackets #DallasStars #DetroitRedWings #EdmontonOilers #FloridaPanthers #LosAngelesKings #MinnesotaWild #MontrealCanadiens #NashvillePredators #NewJerseyDevils #NewYorkIslanders #NewYorkRangers #OttawaSenators #PhiladelphiaFlyers #PittsburghPenguins #StLouisBlues #SanJoseSharks #SeattleKraken #TampaBayLightning #TorontoMapleLeafs #UtahMammoth #VancouverCanucks #VegasGoldenKnights #WashingtonCapitals #WinnipegJets #JeffBlashill #WesternMichiganBroncos #PatFerschweiler #AndyMurray #JohnGrahame #ChrisOsgood #JeffSalajko #GrandRapidsGriffins #CalderCup #AHL #IndianaIce #ClarkCup #USHL #DanCampbell...

Personal Development Unplugged
#463 How to achieve your dreams and goals

Personal Development Unplugged

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 26:47


How to achieve your Dreams and Goals Want real results — not hype? In this episode of Personal Development Unplugged Paul Clough shows you how to move from wishful thinking to action that works. We dig into practical goal-setting, the feeling of the wish fulfilled, how to use your mind (RAS + visualization), and small, actionable steps that create momentum. Expect NLP-informed tips, a short guided hypnosis process to embed success in your unconscious, and direct coaching you can use today. Key takeaways Define success specifically: the clearer the goal, the faster the result. Use feeling of the wish fulfilled + physiology + inner dialogue to “act as if.” Employ the Reticular Activating System—focus your mind and notice opportunities. Build micro-steps (tiny wins) and schedule regular reviews to stay on track. Align goals with your values — ensure they're ecological (good for you, others, planet). Quick practical guided hypnosis included — make this a daily habit. Share with one person who needs permission to step up today. Have more fun than you can stand. https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/463-how-to-achieve-your-dreams-and-goals Shine Brightly

Joe Rose Show
HR 1- Ryder Cup, NIL Conversation, Dolphins/Jets in similar situations

Joe Rose Show

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 38:36


One of the best events in golf returns this weekend as the Ryder Cup begins Friday. Joe is very curious what schools are actually paying for their college football programs when it's all said and done. The Dolphins and Jets are both in similar situations as they prepare to face off on MNF.

The Foresight Institute Podcast
Eliezer Yudkowsky vs Mark Miller | ASI Risks: Similar premises, opposite conclusions

The Foresight Institute Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 252:32


What are the best strategies for addressing extreme risks from artificial superintelligence? In this 4-hour conversation, decision theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky and computer scientist Mark Miller discuss their cruxes for disagreement. They examine the future of AI, existential risk, and whether alignment is even possible. Topics include AI risk scenarios, coalition dynamics, secure systems like seL4, hardware exploits like Rowhammer, molecular engineering with AlphaFold, and historical analogies like nuclear arms control. They explore superintelligence governance, multipolar vs singleton futures, and the philosophical challenges of trust, verification, and control in a post-AGI world.Moderated by Christine Peterson, the discussion seeks the least risky strategy for reaching a preferred state amid superintelligent AI risks. Yudkowsky warns of catastrophic outcomes if AGI is not controlled, while Miller advocates decentralizing power and preserving human institutions as AI evolves.The conversation spans AI collaboration, secure operating frameworks, cryptographic separation, and lessons from nuclear non-proliferation. Despite their differences, both aim for a future where AI benefits humanity without posing existential threats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GROGPOD Roguelike Podcast

Zyzz up! This week we eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate all sorts of fantasy monsters in huge army blobs with Hero's Hour! A hobby project by a Danish psychologist, we look deep into the psyche of tutorialization, 4X games as roguelikes, battles rivaling the Pelennor Fields, and cute horsies. Spears shall be shaken! Shields shall be splintered! And your capital will be taken over in 5 turns by a wizard on a pony! Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:28 - Game stats 3:35 - One sentence description 8:09 - Roguelike classification debate & 4X game genre discussion 15:08 - Tutorial experience criticism & new player onboarding 22:17 - Combat mechanics & auto-battler system explanation 25:22 - Dominant strategies & bodyguard champion meta 33:27 - Puzzle solving nature & replayability concerns 40:44 - Hero recruitment & army management strategies 48:14 - Faction variety & DLC content discussion 53:35 - Developer interview about missing campaign mode 58:12 - Art style & music quality appreciation 1:01:50 - Rankings & final thoughts 1:10:04 - Similar games & show wind-down Next episode: Deadzone: Rogue Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: Wes Montgomery - A Day In The Life Outro music: Hero's Hour OST - Decay

Shut Up Evan
Jonathan Groff

Shut Up Evan

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 51:11


ERK chats with Tony-winning JONATHAN GROFF amidst his leading role in Broadway's JUST IN TIME. Similar to his performances, Groff has podcasting range: getting in shape for eight shows a week, LEA MICHELE pep talks, lessons from watching SURVIVOR'S PARVATI, working with SJP, DANIEL RADCLIFFE support, biking, harnesses and gay culture, WICKED, and more. Stay for a special guest question from Amy Katz (yes, ERK's mom).Host: Evan Ross KatzProducer: Sophia AsmuthShow links: Evan Ross Katz on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/evanrosskatz/See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugonauts: The Best Sci Fi Books of All Time
I Who Have Never Known Men - Review and Analysis

Hugonauts: The Best Sci Fi Books of All Time

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 31:38


Seen through the eyes of a main character who can't remember anything from life before the prison, you get to explore this strange, grim world from first principles. Its an alien way to explore an alien place, and the mystery just keeps getting deeper all the way through. The ending makes this a stylistically divisive book - you're gonna love it or you're gonna hate it. Join the Hugonauts book club on discordOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoAs always, no spoilers until the end when we get into the full plot explanation and discussion.Similar books we recommend: The Buried Giant by Kazuo IshiguroThe Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodThe Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg ElisonThis episode is sponsored by Mindstock by Richard Yonk, available here. If you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for the episode:  00:00 Intro01:00 Book setup01:45 Sponsor - Mindstock by Richard Yonck2:17 Our review 4/53:50 Must be dystopia, journal time5:00 Environmental storytelling8:21 Hyper rational main character?11:29 Harpman's family in the holocaust17:15 Shadow of the Colossus18:15 The Buried Giant19:02 The Handmaid's Tale19:46 Book of the Unnamed Midwife20:54 Spoilers section - book summary22:44 Spoilers section - discussion

Joe DeCamara & Jon Ritchie
Is Jalen Hurts' Mentality Similar to Tim Duncan's?

Joe DeCamara & Jon Ritchie

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 7:32


The WIP Morning Show debates Jalen Hurts' toughness and leadership style. Is his steady mindset comparable to Tim Duncan's, and could the Hurts-Sirianni dynamic mirror the success of the Spurs dynasty?

PLRB on Demand
Don't Count Your Chicken Coops Before They're Insured

PLRB on Demand

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 21:53


A few months ago, today's insured decided to jump into the latest trend for a lot of suburban dwellers, and he got some chickens! He built a chicken coop and a caged in area for the chickens to be safe from predators. The coop itself looks like a very large shed with a fenced-in area extending from the coop. The insured calls up their agent to ask if there's coverage for the coop under their HO 00 03 03 22 policy covering their home and an attached garage.   Notable Timestamps [00:00] - A homeowner built a large chicken coop and asked their insurer whether it was covered under their 2022 homeowners policy. [02:00] - The hosts dive into trivia, noting that chickens are genetically the closest living relatives to the T-Rex. [05:00] - Coverage depends on construction: a coop attached to the house may fall under Coverage A, but detached coops lean toward Coverage B or C. [07:30] - One key test is portability: if the coop can move with the owner, it likely counts as personal property under Coverage C. [10:00] - Courts consider a variety of factors, e.g. how the coop is affixed, its adaptation for use, and the owner's intent to keep or move it. [12:30] - Some coops are deliberately not anchored to protect against flooding or predators, adding complexity to coverage classification. [14:25] - Similar issues arise with swing sets, pools, and other backyard structures—each must be evaluated individually. [15:15] - Selling eggs could cross the line into business use, potentially excluding coverage under standard homeowner policies. [18:00] - Coverage type affects settlement: Coverage B buildings may qualify for replacement cost, while Coverage C property is typically ACV. [20:00] - Beth provides a recap of the points above. Your PLRB Resources Coverage Question: Other Structures Used for Business – Raising Chickens https://www.plrb.org/documents/other-structures-used-for-business-raising-chickens/ Other Structures: Can Some Items Be Treated As Either Coverage A Or Coverage B Property? https://www.plrb.org/documents/other-structures-can-some-items-be-treated-as-either-coverage-a-or-coverage-b-property-pcq-2022-01-17-jem-a/?search=other%20structures Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/ask-plrb/) at no additional charge to you or your company. Subscribe to this Podcast Your Podcast App - Please subscribe and rate us on your favorite podcast app YouTube - Please like and subscribe at @plrb LinkedIN - Please follow at “Property and Liability Resource Bureau” Send us your Scenario! Please reach out to us at 630-509-8704 with your scenario! This could be your “adjuster story” sharing a situation from your claims experience, or a burning question you would like the team to answer. In any case, please omit any personal information as we will anonymize your story before we share. Just reach out to scenario@plrb.org.  Legal Information The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate. Music: “Piece of Future” by Keyframe_Audio. Pixabay. Pixabay License. Font: Metropolis by Chris Simpson. SIL OFL 1.1. Icons: FontAwesome (SIL OFL 1.1) and Noun Project (royalty-free licenses purchased via subscription). Sound Effects: Pixabay (Pixabay License) and Freesound.org (CC0).

Ozempic Weightloss Unlocked
Ozempic Revealed: Breakthrough Weight Loss, Health Benefits, and Patient Insights

Ozempic Weightloss Unlocked

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2025 4:08 Transcription Available


Welcome to Ozempic Weightloss Unlocked, the podcast where the science and the stories around Ozempic are put into focus for anyone curious about medical breakthroughs, health, and real-world results. Today we dive into the latest findings shaking up the world of weight management with Ozempic, a brand name for semaglutide. New research published mid-September in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology shows that a triple-sized weekly dose of Ozempic—specifically 7.2 milligrams—helped people with obesity lose even more weight than the currently approved lower dose. Adults who took this higher dose lost on average nearly 19 percent of their body weight. Nearly half of participants on this regimen lost at least 20 percent, and a third lost a quarter or more. Similar benefits were seen for those with type 2 diabetes, with the higher dose leading to a 13 percent weight loss, compared to 10 percent for the lower dose.But there is more than just the numbers on the scale. Participants on the higher dose saw improvements in waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol numbers. Importantly, the higher dose was found to be both safe and generally well tolerated. The most frequent issues were digestive, like nausea and diarrhea, but these tended to resolve over time with no increased risk of severe low blood sugar or other serious events. Researchers from the Wharton Medical Clinic in Canada concluded that even greater health improvements could be reached in the future, but they called for more research into the long-term effects and safety as use expands.Adding to the buzz, a recent study out of Denmark raises important questions about how long people actually stick with Ozempic for weight management. According to research presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes, more than half of adults who began using the drug for weight loss ended up quitting within one year. Factors behind this drop-off included cost, side effects, and potential health complications. When treatment is stopped, most people regain weight, highlighting that Ozempic is not a short-term fix and needs to be taken long term for sustainable results. The findings raise red flags since discontinuing the medication can undermine hard-won health improvements, and the high price also risks making access unequal.Ozempic is not just for the scale—it has heart-protective effects too. Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company behind the drug, released results from the REACH trial showing that once-weekly Ozempic reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure by a significant 25 percent compared to an older medication called dulaglutide. That is a substantial bonus, especially for those with both obesity and cardiovascular risk factors.Researchers are also learning that how you eat can affect how well Ozempic works. A team from Kyoto University found that people who eat in response to sights and smells of food are more likely to see weight loss benefits from Ozempic, compared to those who eat mainly for emotional reasons. Those with emotional eating patterns might require additional behavioral or psychological support for the medication to be most effective.The science is clear—GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic can be life-changing, delivering substantial and safe weight loss, along with significant improvements for blood sugar, heart health, and metabolic risk factors. But to sustain progress, long-term commitment is key, and the therapy works best alongside changes in eating habits and ongoing support.Thank you for tuning in to Ozempic Weightloss Unlocked. If you found today's update helpful, be sure to subscribe for more news and expert insights on this quickly evolving topic. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

The Daily Scoop Podcast
OPM makes Copilot, ChatGPT available to its workforce; Meta offers Llama AI models to government for free

The Daily Scoop Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2025 5:18


The Office of Personnel Management is rolling out Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI's ChatGPT to its workforce, following a similar move by the Department of Health and Human Services. According to internal emails obtained by FedScoop, OPM Director Scott Kupor told workers that Microsoft 365's Copilot Chat became available last Monday and that ChatGPT-5 access would be available “over the next few days” to all workers. Kupor said the move “is part of our broader effort to equip you with AI tools that help you work faster, think bigger, and collaborate better,” calling for OPM to “lead the way in using AI thoughtfully and effectively — starting now.” OPM spokeswoman McLaurine Pinover confirmed one of the emails sent by Kupor about access to the two tools. She said both offerings were the result of deals the General Services Administration has inked with companies to provide services at deeply discounted rates as part of its OneGov initiative. OPM was also able to add Copilot to the agency's existing subscription at no cost with Microsoft's new GSA contract in place. Similar to the HHS rollout, Kupor cautioned workers using the tools to still use their best judgment and previewed training from the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Federal workers will soon have the ability to use Meta's Llama artificial intelligence models at no cost for the agency under a new deal with the General Services Administration. GSA announced Monday it reached a deal with Meta, which will offer its open-source AI models and tools to federal agencies for free. The agency emphasized that the open-source nature of the Llama models allows agencies to “retain full control over data processing and storage.” Meta's free offer to the government follows deals from a number of other technology companies selling their products, namely AI products, to agencies for a significantly cheaper price. The Trump administration has repeatedly encouraged agencies to adopt emerging tech to streamline workflows. Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Meta, said the company wants to ensure “all Americans see the benefit of AI through better, more efficient public services.”

Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning
Mindsight and Theory of Mind PART 2: Master Your Inner Lens with Dr. Dan Siegel

Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2025 21:13 Transcription Available


In this episode review (Season 14, Ep. 372), Andrea revisits interviews with Dr. Dan Siegel to explore Mindsight—the focused attention that helps us see and reshape our own minds and connect with others. She breaks down how Mindsight underpins social and emotional intelligence and offers practical ways to develop it, including theory-of-mind practice, the Wheel of Awareness, and daily narrative reading. This week, in our review of EP 28 with Daniel J. Siegel, MD  and his book Mindsight, we learned: ✔ A deeper definition of Mindsight or seeing the mind in another Mindsight, a term coined by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel, is the ability to perceive the mind within ourselves and others. It goes beyond simply observing behavior; it's about sensing thoughts, feelings, intentions, and perspectives that aren't immediately visible. This skill allows us to look beneath the surface of words and actions, to “see” the mind behind them, which leads to deeper empathy, better relationships, and stronger social intelligence. ✔ What is Theory of Mind and how can this skill help us to connect and understand others better Theory of Mind (ToM) is closely related to Mindsight—it refers to our ability to attribute mental states (beliefs, desires, knowledge, intentions) to ourselves and to others. In simple terms, it's recognizing that other people have thoughts and feelings that may be different from our own. This skill is essential for meaningful communication, conflict resolution, and collaboration, because it helps us predict how someone might react, understand why they feel a certain way, and respond with compassion rather than judgment. ✔ What is Theory of Mind and how can this skill help us to connect and understand others better Theory of Mind (ToM) is closely related to Mindsight—it refers to our ability to attribute mental states (beliefs, desires, knowledge, intentions) to ourselves and to others. In simple terms, it's recognizing that other people have thoughts and feelings that may be different from our own. This skill is essential for meaningful communication, conflict resolution, and collaboration, because it helps us predict how someone might react, understand why they feel a certain way, and respond with compassion rather than judgment. ✔ Practical tips to improve our Mindsight or Theory of Mind abilities Pause and Reflect – Before reacting, ask yourself: What might this person be thinking or feeling right now? Name Emotions – Practice labeling your own emotions and noticing them in others (“I feel frustrated” → “They might be anxious”). Perspective-Taking Exercises – Put yourself in someone else's shoes: If I were in their position, what would I be experiencing? Read Fiction Regularly – Choose stories with complex characters and notice how your mind tracks their thoughts and motives. Practice Curiosity in Conversations – Instead of assuming, ask open-ended questions to better understand another's perspective. Mindfulness Training – Strengthen your awareness of your inner world, which improves your ability to tune into the inner world of others. The episode also emphasizes the importance of face-to-face relationships for learning and development, contrasts relational learning with screen-based approaches, and provides actionable tips educators and listeners can use to strengthen empathy, self-awareness, and relational skills. Welcome back to SEASON 14 of The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning and emotional intelligence training for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren't taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I'm Andrea Samadi, and seven years ago, launched this podcast with a question I had never truly asked myself before: (and that is) If productivity and results matter to us—and they do now more than ever—how exactly are we using our brain to make them happen? Most of us were never taught how to apply neuroscience to improve productivity, results, or well-being. About a decade ago, I became fascinated by the mind-brain-results connection—and how science can be applied to our everyday lives. That's why I've made it my mission to bring you the world's top experts—so together, we can explore the intersection of science and social-emotional learning. We'll break down complex ideas and turn them into practical strategies we can use every day for predictable, science-backed results. Which brings up to today's episode #372, where we will take Dr. Dan Siegel's concept of Mindsight, to the next level. On our last EP 371 with Dan Siegel, PART 1 of our review of a very early interview EP 28[i], recorded in November 2019, we covered the importance of: Understanding and Applying Mindsight which is “the way we focus our attention on the internal world. It's how we bring consciousness to our own thoughts and feelings, and how we attune to the inner world of someone else. Mindsight gives us insight into ourselves, and empathy for others.” Mindsight is a concept Dr. Siegel felt to be critical for us to develop noting this skill to be “the basis for social and emotional development.” He notes, that it's a teachable set of skills that we can teach in school, and once mastered is a truly transformational tool.  In his book, Mindsight he explains this concept further: “Mindsight is a kind of focused attention that allows us to see the internal workings of our own minds. (and we've been talking about how important it is to go within, for true change in our lives to occur). It helps us to be aware of our mental processes without being swept away by them, (which) enables us to get ourselves off the autopilot of ingrained behaviors and habitual responses, and moves us beyond the reactive emotional loops we all have a tendency to get trapped in. It lets us “name and tame” the emotions we are experiencing, rather than being overwhelmed by them. Consider the difference between saying “I am sad” and “I feel sad.” Similar as those two statements may seem, there is actually a profound difference between them. “I am sad” is a kind of self-definition, and a very limiting one. “I feel sad” suggests the ability to recognize and acknowledge a feeling, without being consumed by it. The focusing skills that are part of mindsight make it possible to see what is inside, to accept it, and in the accepting to let it go, and, finally, to transform it into a NEW reality. You can also think of mindsight as a very special lens that gives us the capacity to perceive the mind with greater clarity than ever before. This lens is something that virtually everyone can develop, and once we have it we can dive deeply into the mental sea inside, exploring our own inner lives and those of others. A uniquely human ability, mindsight allows us to examine closely, in detail and in depth, the processes by which we think, feel, and behave. And it allows us to reshape and redirect our inner experiences so that we have more freedom of choice in our everyday actions, (giving us) more power to create the future, to become the author of our own story. Another way to put it is that mindsight is the basic skill that underlies everything we mean when we speak of having social and emotional intelligence.” (Dr. Daniel J Siegel, Mindsight, Location 105, Kindle Edition). VIDEO 1 Click Here to Watch

First Baptist Church Huntsville
Similar Sins. Different Results

First Baptist Church Huntsville

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2025 21:48


Similar Sins. Different ResultsMatthew 26:20-25, 31-35Travis Collins

Crosswalk.com Devotional
Getting Ready for Autumn

Crosswalk.com Devotional

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2025 6:15


Autumn reflections, Christian faith, and spiritual patience come together in Getting Ready for Autumn by Vivian Bricker, offering guidance for navigating the changing seasons of life. Drawing on James 5:7-8, this episode explores how God’s presence, patience, and comfort help believers process grief, embrace beauty, and remain steadfast in faith. Perfect for listeners seeking Christian encouragement, spiritual growth, seasonal reflection, and coping with loss during fall. ✨ Highlights Embracing the beauty and pain of the Autumn season through a Christ-centered perspective Learning patience from the farmer’s example in James 5:7-8 Recognizing God’s constant presence through all seasons of life, including grief and hardship Practical encouragement for coping with memories, loss, and emotional challenges in fall Reflecting on personal spiritual growth and trust in God during times of waiting

Evidence-Based Pilates Podcast
158. Should We Engage Our Abs in the Down Stretch?

Evidence-Based Pilates Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2025 25:31


Join Dr. Adam McAtee, PT, DPT, as he breaks down the anatomy & biomechanics of the Down Stretch on the Reformer.Through this thoughtful discussion, Adam sheds light on the idea of engaging the abdominals during this exercise. Similar to other movement strategies, he makes the case that engaging the abdominals during Down Stretch is neither right nor wrong — each approach simply emphasizes different aspects of human movement.If you enjoy this episode and want to deepen your knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, and Pilates, you'll love the membership at Evidence-Based Pilates (you can try it for FREE):Click here⁠⁠ for a 2-week free trail of the Anatomy & Biomechanics Club.⁠Click here⁠ for a 2-week free trail of the Pilates Club.⁠Click here⁠ to follow Adam on Instagram.

ConnectedPodcast
Connected Podcast Episode 180: How to Become More Efficient as a Technician

ConnectedPodcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 36:39


This week Greg speaks with Curtis Gardner, master tech at Audi North Houston and founder of Gnarred, a company focused on fixed operations efficiency. Curtis is involved in coaching and mentoring techs to become more efficient, and has developed a passion for saving as much time as he can, down to the second. In this episode, Greg and Curtis cover: -The three biggest things techs can do today to bill more hours. -The advantages embracing the video MPI process can have. -Toolbox organization and it's underrated importance when it comes to tech productivity. Similar to the technology in the cars Curtis is working on, the process needs to improve and become more efficient. We're so glad he could join us on Connected and share his passion.

The Next Pats Podcast - A Patriots Podcast
Why Drake Maye's start to his career is EERILY SIMILAR to Josh Allen's

The Next Pats Podcast - A Patriots Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 26:23


Phil Perry talks with Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com about his three-part series on the Chicago Bears, “House of dysfunction.” Will the Bears regret not looking into drafting Drake Maye? Later, Phil discusses “Who's next?!” and gives you three college players to watch this weekend and answers your mailbag questions.   4:00 -Tyler details his three-part series on Chicago Bears, “House of dysfunction” 5:30 - Will Chicago regret passing on Drake Maye? 12:30 - Why Drake Maye's start to his career is EERILY SIMILAR to Josh Allen's 15:30 - Who's Next?! 21:00 - Next Pats mailbag  WATCH every episode of The Next Pats podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

HiddenTracks
HiddenTrack #269 CARTER BRADY

HiddenTracks

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2025 72:57


Brady is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in New York City who has played in various bands and groups of different genres and styles, most notably 90's nostalgic alternative rock. Similar to a Mac DeMarco-type figure, Brady writes all of the music and records all or most of the instruments on his songs. Raised in the small town of Pelham, NY, Brady is on a mission to write, record, and release as much new and refreshing rock music as possible as a male solo artist within the modern indie rock world. Thanks for listening!!! Please Follow us on Instagram @hiddentracks99Pre and Post roll music brought to you by @sleepcyclespa

S2 Underground
The Wire - September 15, 2025

S2 Underground

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 3:48


//The Wire//2300Z September 15, 2025////ROUTINE////BLUF: IED ATTACK FAILS IN SALT LAKE CITY, ASSAILANTS ARRESTED. ADDITIONAL SUSPECTS IDENTIFIED IN KIRK ASSASSINATION CASE. WAR DEPARTMENT STRIKES NARCO BOAT OFF VENEZUELA COAST.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-United Kingdom: Over the weekend the "Unite the Kingdom" protests took place in London and throughout the nation, mostly without much issue. Some scuffles with police were noted, but British authorities provided a map of all of the unrest, which was almost entirely contained within the counter-protester areas.Caribbean: This afternoon the U.S. carried out another kinetic strike of a suspected narco-vessel off the coast of Venezuela. One vessel was struck by the U.S. Navy, resulting in 3x enemy casualties.-HomeFront-Utah: The investigation into the Kirk assassination continues, as the dragnet of potential accomplices widens. The FBI has stated that 7x people associated with the alleged killer have been identified throughout Utah, mostly online associates who had prior knowledge of the attack during the planning phase. These individuals are currently being investigated, and at least one individual was directly told by Robinson that he intended to kill Charlie Kirk. Authorities state that Tyler Robinson is not cooperating with the investigation, has reversed his previous confession, and begun to state his innocence for the attack.More kinetically, yesterday afternoon two assailants attempted to target a news vehicle with an incendiary device in Salt Lake City. Adeeb Nasir and Adil Nassir were arrested after using a homemade explosive device on a parked news vehicle in an undisclosed location somewhere in the city. The device failed to detonate properly, and instead started a fire under the vehicle. Following their arrests, a further search of their home in Magna revealed an IED factory, where other explosive devices were discovered.North Carolina: Decarlos Brown Jr. (the murderer of Iryna Zarutska) has been transferred to a mental institution by Judge Roy Wiggins, so as to determine the defendant's capacity to proceed with a trial.Tennessee: President Trump has formalized the order to activate National Guard soldiers throughout Memphis to combat crime, continuing the similar efforts that have been observed throughout Washington D.C. This line of effort has been named the Memphis Safe Task Force.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: There is a difference between someone making crass comments, and attack planning. Turns out, in the Kirk assassination, there is nearly-complete overlap between these two distinctions: The same types of people who celebrated Kirk's death, also ended up taking the next step to endorse legitimate terror attacks. It is this careful distinction that we must consider over the next few weeks as the situation remains hot.Around the United States, many leftist groups are organizing, using the Kirk assassination as a method of unity and shared values. For most armed far-left militia groups, this organization is still mostly in the Public Relations phase, using the assassination to move the goalposts toward normalizing violence against the political right (more than it already is).In Arizona, the memorial to Kirk was vandalized during a vigil. The assailant was wearing the same shirt as Kirk's alleged killer, as has been common over the past few days. If the thousands of people rejoicing in the violence online weren't an indication of what many on the political left are thinking, the merchandise and T-shirts that have been created to celebrate the murder should provide some insight. Similar vandalism efforts have been reported randomly around the nation, mostly confined to areas where far-left militant groups maintain a foothold.Throughout the country the celebrations over the murder have

The Real News Podcast
Trump's incarceration nation: ‘Alligator Alcatraz' is just the beginning

The Real News Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 23:02


The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has halted the imminent closure of the infamous "Alligator Alcatraz” detention camp in Florida; now, the future of the facility, and the people incarcerated within it, remains in limbo. “But no matter the future of Alligator Alcatraz, the Trump administration is turning it into a model for expanding detention capacity across the country,” Shannon Heffernan and Beth Schwartzapfel report at The Marshall Project. “Similar large-scale facilities, opened in collaboration with state governments, are already in the works. These projects mark the first time that states have gotten this involved in large-scale immigration detention.” In this episode of Rattling the Bars, host Mansa Musa speaks with Heffernan about how the Trump administration, in collaboration with state governments, is expanding the US system of mass incarceration to unprecedented levels. For full show notes and transcript, click here.Credits: Producer / Videographer / Post-Production: Cameron GranadinoHelp us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

The WorldView in 5 Minutes
Pakistan flood kills 900; Trans partner of Kirk’s killer “hates conservatives and Christians”; Teen reeled in 177-pound Atlantic Halibut

The WorldView in 5 Minutes

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025


It's Tuesday, September 16th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Pakistani flood claims 900 lives Floods in Pakistan have taken the lives of 900 people. Plus, over two million people have been displaced and 1,600 villages destroyed. The British Christian Asian Association is on the ground helping Christian communities in Pakistan now.  Make a donation through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com.  Indicate in the box at the bottom of the linked page that your donation is to help the Pakistani flood victims. Trump compared Brazilian witch hunt of Bolsonaro to his trials As The Worldview reported on September 12th, Brazil's previous president, Jair Bolsonaro, was convicted of trying to overturn the 2022 election, and sentenced to 27 years in prison for it. U.S. President Donald Trump responded by comparing the ordeal with his own in 2020. He said, “I thought he was a good president of Brazil, and it's very surprising that could happen very much like they tried to do with me, but they didn't get away with it at all.” The Wall Street Journal featured a column by Mary O'Grady declaring that Brazil's courts have been turned to Lawfare — the use of the judicial system to achieve political ends.  Nepal's revolution leaves 51 dead and with new Prime Minister The nation of Nepal has been caught in a maelstrom of revolution for the past week, leaving 51 people dead, government buildings destroyed, and supermarkets and politician's homes burned to the ground, reports the BBC. The revolution was largely instigated by Gen Z, 18 to 24-year-old college-aged youth, after a social media ban. Nepal's prime minister resigned, and another was appointed — the first woman leader of the Himalayan country. The nation is relying upon Sushila Karki to restore stability.  She has promised $11,330 for each family where a protester was killed in the melee.   Similar youth-driven revolutions occurred in Sri Lanka in 2022 and Bangladesh in 2024, overturning these national governments as well. Isaiah 3:12 speaks of the instability of nations in similar terms. It says, “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” The nations of the world which have appointed or elected the most female leaders since 1946 are Finland, India, New Zealand, and England. The average number of nations led by female heads hovered around 6 in the 1990s and early 2000s. Today, the average has increased to 15 female leaders.  Utah Gov.: Kirk's murderer was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology” Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox has announced on CNN's State of the Union that official charges will be filed today against Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson. The governor also said, “The FBI has confirmed that [Robinson's] roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female.”  Cox added that evidence from family and friends is pointing to the fact that the alleged murderer had been “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.” Romans 1:28 and 29 speaks of the progression of evil: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder.” Tyler Robinson's trans roommate “hates conservatives and Christians” Fox News has also reported that Robinson's 22-year-old “trans roommate” "hates conservatives and Christians.” That according to an interview with a relative on Fox. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital her relative began to act differently when he turned 18 and said that he developed a hatred of Christians and conservatives. She explained that “He hated us. He was not raised that way, but he, over the years, has become really detached [and] been radicalized. … He has obviously gotten progressively worse the last year or two.” Transgenderism on the rise Transgenderism has increased across the United States — with 1.6% of American adults claiming to be such. That's four million Americans!   Pew Research estimates that 44% of Americans know somebody who is attempting to appear to change their own gender. The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland attempted the first gender mutilations back in 1966. The program was shut down in 1979. Then again, in 1997, the practice was reinstated by a Dr. Stanley Biber in Trinidad, Colorado. Biber's clinic became the gender mutilation capital of the country until the surgeon's retirement in 2003. These are the roots of the movement in America. Gold and stocks hit new highs Gold is reaching for new highs — scraping $3,670 per ounce on Monday. Silver reached $42.60 per ounce. That's up 41% and 38% respectively over the previous year. Stocks are up similarly. The NASDAQ reached 22,340 points yesterday, a 27% increase over last year. Meanwhile, the median house selling price has dropped a total of 7% since late 2022. Teen reels in 177-pound Halibut And finally, 13-year-old Jackson Denio of New Hampshire reeled in a 177-pound Atlantic Halibut  off the New England coast last week. That could be a world record for a youth catch. After wrestling with the fish for a half an hour on the line, it took three men to get the monster in the boat. DENIO: “It took the three deckhands and the captain to get it in the boat, and then, once it was in the boat, everybody was just yelling and cheering. FRIEND: “Jackson! Whoo!” The largest halibut on record weighed 515 pounds, caught in Alaska in 1996.  Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, September 16th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

The Pacific War - week by week
- 200 - Special Why Did Japan Surrender?

The Pacific War - week by week

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2025 66:51


Hello Youtube Members, Patreons and Pacific War week by week listeners. Yes this was intended to be an exclusive episode to join the 29 others over on my Youtube Membership and Patreon, but since we are drawing to the end of the Pacific War week by week series, I felt compelled to make some special episodes to answer some of the bigger questions. Why did Japan, or better said, why did Emperor Hirohito decide to finally surrender? It seems obvious on the face of it, but there is actually a lot more to it than bombs or Soviet invasions. I guess you can call this episode a teaser or a shameless plug for going over to my Youtube Membership or Patreon. There's honestly a lot of interesting subjects such as ‘why was the japanese army so brutal”, “Hirohito's war time responsibility”, “the 4 part Kanji Ishiwara series”. Thus if you liked this one please show some love and check out my other stuff on my Youtube Membership or over at www.patreon.com/pacificwarchannel.   Stating all of that lets just jump right into it.   We first need to start off briefly looking at Emperor Hirohito.    Upon taking the throne, Emperor Hirohito in 1926 Hirohito inherited a financial crisis and a military that was increasingly seizing control of governmental policies. From the beginning, despite what many of you older audience members may have been told, Hirohito intensely followed all military decisions. Hirohito chose when to act and when not to. When the Kwantung Army assassinated Zhang Zuolin, he indulged their insubordination. This emboldened them to invade Manchuria in 1931, whereupon Hirohito was furious and demanded they be reigned in. Attempts were made, but they were heavily undermined by radicals. Hirohito could have put his foot down, but he chose not to. On September 22nd, at 4:20pm Hirohito said to the IJA Chief of General staff, Kanaya Hanzo “although this time it couldn't be helped, the army had to be more careful in the future”. Thus Hirohito again acquiesced to the military, despite wanting them to stop or at least localize the conflict. The military had disregarded his wishes, they should have been severely punished. Why did Hirohito not take a firmer stance?    Again for older audience members you may have heard, “hirohito was a hostage at the whim of his own military”. This narrative made it seem he was some sort of hostage emperor, but this is not the case at all. In fact Hirohito was instrumental in many military decisions from 1931-1945. The reason this, I will call it “myth” , went on was because after Japan's surrender, the US basically rewrote the Japanese constitution and covered up the Emperor's involvement in all the nasty stuff, to maintain control over Japan. Yeah it sounds a bit conspiracy esque, but I assure you it was indeed the case. This narrative held firm all the way until Hirohito's death, when finally meeting notes and personal accounts from those close to him came out, illuminating a lot. Though to this day, many records are still red -tapped.   The reason Hirohito did not stamp his foot down has to do with the Kokutai.    The Kokutai   So before I carry on, I have to explain what exactly is the Kokutai.    The Kokutai, loosely translated as "national essence," refers to the qualities that distinguish the Japanese identity. However, this concept is remarkably vague and poorly defined; even Japanese historians acknowledge this ambiguity. In contrast to Kokutai is seitai, or "form of government." While the Kokutai embodies the eternal and immutable aspects of Japanese polity—rooted in history, traditions, and customs centered around the Emperor—Japan's seitai has evolved significantly throughout its extensive history. For instance, shoguns governed for over 700 years until 1868, when the Meiji Restoration reinstated direct imperial rule.   Nevertheless, Emperor Meiji's direct authority came to an end with the adoption of the Meiji Constitution in 1889, which established a constitutional monarchy, introducing significant complexities into the governance system.   Article 4 of the constitution declares: “The Emperor is the head of the Empire, combining in Himself the rights of sovereignty, uniting the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, although subject to the consent of the Imperial Diet.” Under this framework, the Emperor alone possessed the power to appoint or dismiss ministers of state, declare war, negotiate peace, conclude treaties, direct national administration, and command the army and navy.   A glaring flaw in this arrangement is the inherent ambiguity of the Meiji Constitution. While it established a democratic parliament, it simultaneously afforded the Emperor absolute authority to usurp it. The document failed to clearly define the relationships between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and its language was intentionally vague. Most critically, the military—the army and navy—were not directly accountable to the civilian government.    So with the kokutai, the Emperor is a divine figure who embodies the state's sovereignty. It was not necessarily the Emperor's job to surrender on behalf of the official government of Japan, but he most certainly could do so, given the Japanese people still remained faithful to the kokutai.    Now Hirohito did not live an ordinary life. According to the imperial custom, Japanese royals were raised apart from their parents, at the age of 3 he was placed in the care of the Kwamura family who vowed to raise him to be unselfish, persevering in the face of difficulties, respectful of the views of others and immune to fear. One thing that was absolutely indoctrinated into him was to defend the kokutai. It became his top mission as a monarch, it was the only mission in many ways. At the very core of how he saw the world and how he acted, it was always to protect the kokutai.    So when the Japanese military began these insubordinate acts, Hirohito's primary concern was to the kokutai, ie: anything that threatened his imperial authority and the imperial institution itself. Although the military usurped his authority, the operations had been successful. Hirohito was not at all opposed to seeing his empire expand. He understood the value of manchuria, he was fully onboard with the military plans to eventually seize control over it, but these radicals were accelerating things to quickly for everyone's liking. He turned a blind eye, dished light punishments and carried on. However the local conflict escalated. It traveled to Shanghai by 1932 and here Hirohito took action. He understood Shanghai was full of western powers. Nations like Britain and America could place economic sanctions on Japan if things were allowed to get out of hand here. So he ordered General Yoshinori Shirakawa to bring the Shanghai expedition to a close.    During this period, two factions emerged within the Japanese military: the Kodoha, or “Imperial Way,” and the Toseiha, or “Control” faction. The Kodoha was founded by General Sadao Araki and his protégé, Jinzaburo Masaki. Their primary objective was a Shōwa Restoration aimed at purging Japan of corrupt politicians and businessmen, especially those associated with the zaibatsu. Composed mainly of young army officers, the Kodoha espoused a romanticized and radical interpretation of Bushido, idealizing pre-industrial Japan, which Araki believed had been tainted by Western influences. To achieve their goals, they resorted to assassinations and planned a coup d'état.   In response, the Toseiha faction was formed, initially led by Lt. General Tetsuzan Nagata and later by Hideki Tojo. Like the Kodoha, the Toseiha sought a Shōwa Restoration but adopted a more moderate and conservative approach. They recognized the importance of preserving traditional values while integrating Western ideals, advocating for a balanced perspective. The Toseiha promoted pragmatic military strategies to navigate the complexities of modern warfare. Although they acknowledged the existence of corrupt politicians and zaibatsu, they preferred to work within the existing political system, anticipating that future total wars would necessitate a strengthened industrial and military capacity. Their ranks primarily included promising graduates from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) Academy, Army Staff College, and select naval members. The most significant distinction between the two factions was that the Toseiha explicitly rejected the use of a coup d'état in pursuit of their goals.   Between 1932-1936 radical officers, mostly of the Kodoha faction assassinated politicians and military leaders trying to usher in a showa restoration. You might be led to believe this was in the interest of Hirohito, you would be mistaken. Hirohito did not want a military dictatorship at the whim of the cult of the emperor. Ironic to say, given how WW2 turns out mind you. This really would have been a hostage situation. Hirohito wanted to maintain the exact ambiguous situation that was Showa Era Japan pre 1945. He saw this as the most ideal structure to defend the kokutai, because blame could not be placed solely upon his shoulders. He always maintained a get out of jail free card one could say.    The February 26 incident of 1936, was the climax of the Kodoha faction. They performed a mutiny trying to usher in a SHowa restoration. They assumed when their messenger came to the emperor he would join them and take direct rule. Instead Hirohito was furious. His first thought was the mutineers were trying to enlist his brother Chichibu to overthrow him. He dragged his brother who was a fraternizer amongst the kodoha members mind you, into a meeting, demanding he never associate with them again nor attempt to challenge him. Then Hirohito furious demanded the mutineers be dealt with. At one point he even threatened to lead the imperial guards to put them down. The coup failed, the kodoha faction was destroyed. Ironically the toseiha faction were the ones to do it and thus they became the defacto ruling clique.    The military, especially the kwantung army did not stop with their insubordination.    On July 8th of 1937 the Kwangtung army performed the Marco Polo Bridge incident, ushering in the second sino-japanese war. This was one of many false flag operations they had pulled off over the years. Upon being told about this Hirohito's first response was whether the USSR would invade Manchukuo over the matter. This is what he said to Prime Minister Konoe and army minister Sugiyama “What will you do if the Soviets attack us from the rear?” he asked the prince. Kan'in answered, “I believe the army will rise to the occasion.” The emperor repeated his question: “That's no more than army dogma. What will you actually do in the unlikely event that Soviet [forces] attack?” The prince said only, “We will have no choice.” His Majesty seemed very dissatisfied. Hirohito furious demanded to know what contingency plans existed and his advisors told him before he gave his red seal of approval to invade northern china.   Henceforth he micromanaged a lot of the military decisions going forward and he oversaw the forming and dissolving of numerous cabinets and positions when things went his way or did not in the military and political scene.  Emperor Hirohito was presented with several opportunities to cause cease-fires or peace settlements during the war years. One of the best possible moments to end it all came during the attack on Nanking when Chiang Kai-sheks military were in disarray. On July 11 of 1938, the commander of the 19th division fought a border clash with the USSR known to us in the west as the battle of Lake Khasan. It was a costly defeat for Japan and in the diary of Harada Kumao he noted Hirohito scolded Army minister Itagaki “Hereafter not a single soldier is to be moved without my permission.” When it looked like the USSR would not press for a counter attack across the border, Hirohito gave the order for offensives in China to recommence, again an example of him deciding when to lay down the hammer.   By 1939 the US began threatening sanctions for what Japan was doing in China. Hirohito complained to his chief aide de camp Hata Shunroku on August 5th “It could be a great blow to scrap metal and oil”. Hirohito was livid and scolded many of his top officials and forced the appointment of General Abe to prime minister and demanded of him “to cooperate with the US and Britain and preserve internal order”.   Fast forward a bit, with war raging in Europe Hirohito, on June 19th of 1940 Hirohito asked if chief of staff Prince Kan'in and Army Minister Hata “At a time when peace will soon come in the European situation, will there be a deployment of troops to the Netherlands Indies and French Indochina?” This question highlighted Hirohito's belief at that time that Germany was close to achieving victory, which led him to gradually consider deploying troops to French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies since neither of those parent nations was in a position to protect their territories and vital resources. Regarding the war in China, the Japanese aimed to stop the flow of materials entering China from places like Hong Kong. Hirohito received reports indicating that Britain would not agree to block the shipment of materials into China via Hong Kong. The military recognized that an invasion of Hong Kong might be necessary, which would mean declaring war on Britain. When this was communicated to him, Hirohito responded, “If that occurs, I'm sure America will enforce an embargo, don't you think?” In response, Kido, the lord of the privy seal, reassured him by stating, “The nation must be fully prepared to resist, proceeding with caution and avoiding being drawn into events instigated by foreign interests.”   Hirohito went through countless meetings, but eventually signed order number 458 authorizing the invasion of French Indochina, knowing full well the consequences. The US,UK and Netherlands began embargoes of oil, rubber and iron. In the words of Admiral Takagai “As time passes and this situation continues, our empire will either be totally defeated or forced to fight a hopeless war. Therefore we should pursue war and diplomacy together. If there is no prospect of securing our final line of national survival by diplomatic negotiations, we must be resolved to fight.” Hirohito understood the predicament full well, that each day Japan was wasting its oil reserves, if they were to strike it had to be quickly.   On October 13th Hirohito told his closest advisor Koichi Kido “In the present situation there seems to be little hope for the Japan–U.S. negotiations. If hostilities erupt this time, I think I may have to issue a declaration of war.”   The reason I am bringing up all this stuff is to solidify, Hirohito had agency, he was micromanaging and forming decisions. After the war broke out with the west, Hirohito did have the ability to stamp his foot down. Of course there could have been wild repercussions, his military could have usurped him with Chichibu, it was definitely possible. But you need to keep this mind set, as far as why Hirohito acts or doesn't, its always to protect the Kokutai. Thus one of the levers for peace, solely rested on Hirohito's perception if the kokutai could be retained or not.    From the outset of the Pacific War, Hirohito believed Germany was going to defeat the USSR. In line with his military leaders, they all believed Japan had to seize everything they could in the asia-pacific and thwart off the US until a negotiated peace could be met. Hirohito committed himself to overseeing the war, determined to achieve victory at any cost. He was a very cautious leader, he meticulously analyzed each campaign, anticipating potential setbacks and crafting worst-case scenario predictions. He maintained a skeptical view of the reports from his senior officials and was often harshly critical of high commanders.   While he did not frequently visit the front lines like other commanders in chief, Hirohito wielded significant influence over theater operations, shaping both planning and execution whenever he deemed necessary. Similar to his approach during the war in China, he issued the highest military orders from the Imperial Headquarters, conducted audited conferences, and made decisions communicated under his name. He regularly welcomed generals and admirals to the imperial palace for detailed briefings on the battlefront and visited various military bases, battleships, and army and naval headquarters. His inspections encompassed military schools and other significant military institutions, adding to his comprehensive involvement in the war effort.   Now the war went extremely well for Japan until the battle of Midway. This was as major setback, but Japan retained the initiative. Then the Guadalcanal campaign saw Japan lose the initiative to the Americans. Upon receiving the initial report of the Ichiki detachment's destruction, Hirohito remarked, “I am sure it [Guadalcanal] can be held.” Despite the numerous reports detailing the devastating effects of tropical diseases and starvation on his troops, he persistently demanded greater efforts from them. Hirohito exerted continuous pressure on his naval and land commanders to retake the island. On September 15th, November 5th, and November 11th, he requested additional Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) troops and aircraft to be allocated to the cause.   General Sugiyama expressed concerns about dispatching more IJA pilots due to their inexperience in transoceanic combat, preferring to reinforce the North China Army for an attack on Chongqing instead. Hirohito pressed the issue again, but Sugiyama responded that the IJA had diverted its air resources to New Guinea and Rabaul. Undeterred by the objections from senior commanders, Hirohito persisted in his demands. By late November, it became evident that Guadalcanal was a lost cause.   At an Imperial Headquarters conference on December 31st, 1942, the chiefs of staff proposed canceling the attempts to recapture Guadalcanal. Hirohito sanctioned this decision but stated, “It is unacceptable to just give up on capturing Guadalcanal. We must launch an offensive elsewhere.” He insisted on this point, leading to the selection of new strategic targets in the Solomons, north of New Georgia, and in the Stanley Range on New Guinea. Hirohito even threatened to withhold authorization for withdrawing troops from Guadalcanal until a new plan was established. He later opposed the withdrawal from Munda Airfield, as it contradicted the newly defined defensive line.   As the defensive perimeter in the central and northern Solomons began to crumble, Hirohito continued to insist that the navy engage in decisive battles to regain the initiative, allowing for the transport of supplies to the many soldiers trapped on various islands. When he learned of the navy's failure to reinforce Lae on March 3rd, he asked, “Then why didn't you change plans immediately and land at Madan? This is a failure, but it can teach us a good lesson and become a source of future success. Do this for me so I can have peace of mind for a while.” The phrase “Do this for me” would come to be his signature rallying cry.   After Guadal canal, it was loss after loss for Japan. By February of 1944, Hirohito forced Sugiyama to resign so Hideki Tojo could take his position as chief of the general staff, note Tojo was prime minister and army minister at this point. Hirohito worked alongside Tojo to plan some last ditch efforts to change the war situation. The most significant one was Operation Ichi-Go. As much damage as they did to China with that, Chiang Kai-Shek's government survived. Hirohito watched as island by island fell to the Americans. When the Americans were poised to take Saipan he warned Tojo “If we ever lose Saipan, repeated air attacks on Tokyo will follow. No matter what it takes, we have to hold there.” Saipan fell, so Hirohito stopped supporting Tojo and allowed his rivals to take down his cabinet by june 18th of 1944.    Hirohito remained resolute in his determination to wrest victory from the Allies. On October 18th, the Imperial Headquarters ordered a decisive naval engagement, leading to the Battle of Leyte Gulf. After the war, Hirohito publicly stated, "Contrary to the views of the Army and Navy General Staffs, I consented to the showdown battle at Leyte, believing that if we launched an attack and America hesitated, we might find an opportunity to negotiate." Leyte Gulf didnt work. The military began the kamikaze program. On new years day of 1945 Hirohito inspected the special last meal rations given to departing kamikaze units. Iwo Jima fell. Okinawa remained, and Hirohito lashed out “Is it because we failed to sink enemy transports that we've let the enemy get ashore? Isn't there any way to defend Okinawa from the landing enemy forces?” On the second day of Okinawa's invasion Hirohito ordered a counter landing by the 32nd army and urged the navy to counterattack in every way possible. It was a horrible failure, it cost the lives of up to 120,000 Japanese combatants, 170,000 noncombatants. The Americans lost 12,500 killed and 33,000 wounded. An absolute bloodbath.    The Surrender time   Now we come to the time period where Japan seriously began looking for ways to surrender. In Europe Germany was heading to its defeat and Japan knew this. As for Japan, their army in Burma had been annihilated. Their forces in China were faring better after Operation Ichi-go, having opened up a land corridor along the main railway from Beiping to Wuhan and from throughout Guangdong but still stuck in a deadlock stalemate, facing a guerrilla war that was costing them 64% of their military expenditures. They deeply feared once the Soviets finished up with Germany, they would undoubtedly turn east against Manchuria. With the Soviets attacking from the north, the US would attack from the south, perhaps landing in Shanghai and the home islands. The Kamikaze tactics were proving formidable, but not nearly enough. By 1945, 43% of the IJA were now stationed in Japan, Korea and Formosa, bracing for the final stand. Former prime minister Reijiro Wakatsuki came out of retirement in may of 1945, having heard Germany collapsed, to urge Hirohito and the Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki to open negotiations with the US as soon as possible. However he also said “the enemy must first be made to see the disadvantages of continuing the war”. To this Hirohito's chief counselor Makino Nobuaki said that “the ultimate priority is to develop an advantageous war situation.” Advisor admiral Kesiuke Okada said Japan should wait for “a moment favorable for us,” then make peace. Advisors Kiichiro Hiranuma and Koki Hirota advised the emperor to fight on until the end.   Now I want to bring in a key player to the surrender decision, that of Prince Konoe. Konoe was very close to Hirohito and understood the emperors mentality, especially how he viewed things in relation to the kokutai.    The senior statesman Prince Konoe had been consulting with Hirohito for over 18 months at this point trying to convey the message that if the war continued it would threaten the kokutai. Many months prior, he confided in the emperor's brother, Prince Takamatsu, that the army was suffering from “a cancer” in the form of the Toseiha faction. However, he noted that “Kido and others” did not share his perspective, while “his Majesty is relatively unconcerned with ideological issues.” For the past four years, he continued, the emperor had been advised and still believed that “the true extremists are the Kodoha faction.” In reality, the greater threat to the kokutai arose from the Toseiha faction. Konoe further asserted that if the war escalated, they would attempt to alter the kokutai.   Konoe speculated that whether the threat originated from communists within the nation, primarily referring to left-wing radicals in the Toseiha faction, or from the “Anglo-American enemy,” both would seek to preserve the emperor while pushing towards the country's communization.In his written report to the emperor on February 14, which Kido listened to attentively, Konoe elaborated on his conspiracy theory. He asserted that the Soviet Union regarded Japan as its primary threat in East Asia. The Soviets had allied with the Chinese Communists, the largest and most formidable Communist party in Asia, and were collaborating with the United States and Britain to drive Japan out of China. He warned that they would enter the war when the opportunity arose.   Defeat, he cautioned the emperor, was inevitable if the conflict persisted. However, he emphasized that a far greater fear was the potential destruction of the kokutai. The ongoing war was eroding the domestic status quo, unleashing forces that threatened Japan and its imperial institution from within as much as from external adversaries. The real danger lay in the emperor's and Kido's trust in the generals of the Toseiha faction, who were unintentionally facilitating the communization of Japan. Konoe implored for a swift peace settlement before a Communist revolution emerged, making the preservation of the kokutai impossible. Hirohito agreed with Konoe but stated “ To end the war would be “very difficult unless we make one more military gain.” Konoe allegedly replied, “Is that possible? It must happen soon. If we have to wait much longer, . . . [a mere battle victory] will mean nothing.” Hirohito replied “If we hold out long enough in this war, we may be able to win, but what worries me is whether the nation will be able to endure it until then.”   On February 15th of 1945, Hirohito's intelligence warned the Soviet Union would likely abrogate its Neutrality Pact with Japan. Even Tojo conceded there was a 50/50 chance the USSR would invade Manchuria. In March, the US began B-29 incendiary bombing raids over Tokyo, turning 40% of the capital into ash. On March 18th, Hirohito with some aides drove around the capital to witness the devastation. The civilians looked exhausted and bewildered to Hirohito. Factory production was collapsing, absenteeism was rising, instances of lese majeste were running rampant. For the next 5 months imperial family members and senior statesmen all began speaking to Hirohito about the “crises of the kokutai”. The threat Konoe had warned about for months was becoming the main talking point. It seemed like the Japanese people within the countryside and urban areas remained steadfast in the resolve to obey their leaders, work and sacrifice for their nation, but for how long would they feel so?    It was only after the battle for Okinawa was lost and 60 Japanese cities had been leveled by American incendiary bombs that Hirohito openly indicated he wanted to negotiate a surrender.   Kido's diary reveals the first clear indication that the emperor might be urged to consider an early peace on June 8, 1945, when Kido drafted his “Draft Plan for Controlling the Crisis Situation.” This marked a pivotal moment. It followed the unintentional bombing of the Imperial Palace, the complete loss of hope for saving Okinawa, and coincided with the day the Supreme War Leadership Council adopted the “Basic Policy for the Future Direction of the War.” With the fighting in Europe concluded, Japan found itself entirely isolated. Kido's plan, although vague, proposed seeking the Soviet Union's assistance as an intermediary to help Japan gain leverage in negotiations with its adversaries. By drafting this plan, Kido signaled the end of his long alliance with the military hard-liners. Hirohito's acceptance of it indicated his readiness for an early peace.   Hirohito was moved to an underground bunker in the mountains of Matsushiro in Nagano prefecture where upon those around him noted he fell into a deep depression. On June 22nd  Hirohito informed the Supreme War Leadership Council he wanted them to open diplomatic maneuvers to end the war. In early July Soviet Ambassador Jacob Malik broke off inconclusive talks with Hirota. Hirohito stepped in immediately and ordered a new special envoy be sent to Moscow. However Hirohito nor the Suzuki government had concrete plans on how to mediate a surrender through the Soviets. The only things they did prioritize was a guarantee of the emperors political position and retainment of the imperial system, ie the kokutai. This was taken into consideration rather than ending the war as quickly as possible to save the lives of millions.    From April 8, 1945, until Japan's capitulation, the Suzuki government's chief war policy was “Ketsugo,” an advanced iteration of the “Shosango” (Victory Number 3) plan for defending the homeland. The hallmark of this strategy was a heavy reliance on suicide tactics, including deploying a massive number of kamikaze “special attack” planes, human torpedoes launched from submarines, dynamite-stuffed “crash boats” powered by truck engines, human rocket bombs carried by aircraft, and suicide assaults by specially trained ground units.   While preparations for Operation Ketsu progressed, the Imperial Diet convened on June 9 to pass a Wartime Emergency Measures Law, along with five additional measures aimed at mobilizing the entire nation for this final battle. On the same day, the emperor, who had yet to initiate efforts to end the war, issued another imperial rescript in conjunction with the Diet's convocation, instructing the nation to “smash the inordinate ambitions of the enemy nations” and “achieve the goals of the war.” Concurrently, the controlled press launched a daily die-for-the-emperor campaign to foster gratitude for the imperial benevolence and, from around mid-July onward, initiated a campaign to “protect the kokutai.”   The Americans countered with their own propaganda aimed at breaking Japan's will to fight. B-29 bombers dropped millions of leaflets written in Japanese, announcing the next scheduled targets for bombing raids and urging surrender, while using the emperor to challenge the militarists. Leaflets bearing the chrysanthemum crest criticized the “military cliques” for “forcing the entire nation to commit suicide” and called on “everyone” to “exercise their constitutional right to make direct appeals [for peace] to the Emperor.” They asserted that “even the powerful military cliques cannot stop the mighty march for peace of the Emperor and the people.” One notable batch of seven million leaflets conveyed the terms of the “joint declaration” issued by the United States, Great Britain, and China. “Today we come not to bomb you,” they stated. “We are dropping this leaflet to inform you of the response from the United States government to your government's request for conditions of surrender.... Whether the war stops immediately depends on your government. You will understand how to end the war if you read these two official notifications.”   Amid pressures from imperial edicts to continue preparations for a final battle and focus solely on victory, the Japanese people were also subjected to an intense American psychological warfare campaign in addition to aerial bombardment. During late July and August, prefectural governors, police chiefs, and officers of the “special higher police” submitted reports to the Home Ministry detailing the rapidly deteriorating national morale.    Now on the other side, Roosevelt made it known back in January of 1943 at the Casablanca conference, the allies would only accept unconditional surrender. By 1945, the allies understood the predicament this left Japan with. On May 8th of 1945, Truman added “Japan's surrender would not mean the extermination or enslavement of the Japanese people” trying to indicate a non vindictive spirit. However the Kokutai question always remained ambiguous. State Department Joseph Grew, the former ambassador to Japan, began arguing to Truman they needed to make public a clear definition of the terms to persuade Japan to surrender. As he argued to Truman: Emperor Hirohito was seen as the key figure in Japan's surrender, likened to a "queen bee in a hive... surrounded by the attentions of the hive." Throughout the war, he was characterized in various ways—as a “puppet” of the militarists, a constitutional monarch, and a pacifist. Grew had immense faith in the influence exerted by what he referred to as the “moderates” surrounding the Japanese throne.    However many of Grew's colleagues argued the future existence of the monarchy was intolerable as it was akin to fascism. Many wanted to punish the emperor. Truman was in a tug of war. The Potsdam declaration issued on July 26th of 1945 came in the form of a ultimatum aiming to quicken japans surrender. Truman clarified the terms for the unconditional surrender at the end of its terms: "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction." Zero mention of the emperor. Grew had argued to add “this may include a constitutional monarchy under the present dynasty.” But it was deleted from the article. The status of the emperor was not guaranteed, the kokutai was thus up in the air.    The next day, the Suzuki cabinet rejected the terms. The Japanese leadership and Hirohito were still banking and awaiting Soviet replies to their terms.    Lets talk about the Soviet talks now   Back on July 12th ambassador Naotake Satō sent this message to the Soviets: “His Majesty the Emperor, mindful of the fact that the present war daily brings greater evil and sacrifice upon the peoples of all the belligerent powers, desires from his heart that it may be quickly terminated. But so long as England and the United States insist upon unconditional surrender, the Japanese Empire has no alternative but to fight on with all its strength for the honor and existence of the Motherland”.  However the Soviets had made commitments to their allies, promising in fact to invade Japan to aid them.    As for the Soviets their primary objective was to ensure unrestricted access to the Pacific Ocean. The year-round ice-free areas of the Soviet Pacific coastline, particularly Vladivostok, could be blockaded by air and sea from Sakhalin Island and the Kurile Islands. Securing these territories to guarantee free access to the Soya Strait was their main goal. Secondary objectives included acquiring leases for the Chinese Eastern Railway, the Southern Manchuria Railway, as well as gaining control over Dairen and Port Arthur.   To achieve these aims, Stalin and Molotov prolonged negotiations with the Japanese, creating a false sense of hope for a Soviet-mediated peace. Simultaneously, in their discussions with the United States and Britain, the Soviets insisted on strict adherence to the Cairo Declaration, which had been reaffirmed at the Yalta Conference. This declaration stipulated that the Allies would not accept a separate or conditional peace with Japan; thus, the Japanese would need to surrender unconditionally to all the Allies. The Soviets aimed to prolong the war by opposing any efforts to dilute this requirement. This approach would provide the Soviets with the necessary time to complete the transfer of their troops from the Western Front to the Far East and to conquer Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, northern Korea, South Sakhalin, the Kuriles, and potentially Hokkaidō, starting with an assault on Rumoi. AUGUST 1945   Thus we come to at last the critical point, August of 1945.    The Americans prepared for the deployment of atomic bombs and for an invasion of southern Kyushu, known as Operation Olympic, scheduled to commence on November 1. At 8:15 A.M. on August 6, a single B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay dropped little boy, devastating much of the undefended city of Hiroshima, instantly killing an estimated 100,000 to 140,000 people and leading to the deaths of possibly another 100,000 over the next five years. At the epicenter of the explosion, “a light appeared 3,000 times brighter than the sun,” creating a fireball that emitted thermal radiation capable of “instantly scorching humans, trees, and houses.” As the air heated and rushed upward, cold air surged in to ignite a firestorm. Hours later, a whirlwind escalated the flames to their peak until more than eight square miles were virtually reduced to cinders. Subsequently, black, muddy rain filled with radioactive fallout began to fall. Two days later, using Japan's rejection of the Potsdam Declaration as a pretext, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. Then on August 9, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, resulting in the immediate deaths of approximately 35,000 to 40,000 people and injuring more than 60,000.   Meanwhile, in Tokyo, during the critical period between the Potsdam Declaration and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Emperor Hirohito remained silent about accepting the Potsdam terms. However, on July 25 and 31, he explicitly conveyed to Kido that the imperial regalia must be defended at all costs. The three sacred objects—a mirror, a curved jewel, and a sword—symbolized the legitimacy of his rule through the northern court and were integral to his identity as the divine sovereign. Hirohito's focus was on protecting these symbols of office, as he insisted on having them brought to the palace. This fixation on maintaining his symbols occurred during a pivotal moment when the pressing issue was whether to accept immediate capitulation. Reflecting on this, he was unprepared to seize the opportunity to end the war himself.   Prime Minister Suzuki, following his initial rejection of the Potsdam ultimatum, also saw no need for further action. His Cabinet Advisory Council, which included the president of Asano Cement, the founder of the Nissan consortium, the vice president of the Bank of Japan, and other representatives from the nation's leading business interests that had profited significantly from the war, convened on the morning of August 3. They recommended accepting the Potsdam terms, arguing that the United States would permit Japan to retain its non-military industries and continue participating in world trade.    Here are some reactions to the two bombs and invasion of Manchuria.    Yonai Mitsumasa said to admiral Takagi Sokichi, on August 12, that “I think the term is perhaps inappropriate, but the atomic bombs and the Soviet entry into the war are, in a sense, gifts from the gods [tenyu, also “heaven-sent blessings”]. This way we don't have to say that we quit the war because of domestic circumstances. I've long been advocating control of our crisis, but neither from fear of an enemy attack nor because of the atomic bombs and the Soviet entry into the war. The main reason is my anxiety over the domestic situation. So, it is rather fortunate that we can now control matters without revealing the domestic situation”.    Konoe's characterized the Soviet involvement in the war as “a godsend for controlling the army,”. Kido viewed of both the atomic bombings and the Soviet entry into the conflict as “useful” elements for ensuring a smooth transition. A nascent power struggle was unfolding, rendering the potential death toll—whether one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand—immaterial to those involved, as long as their desired outcome was achieved: an end to the war that would leave the monarchy intact and capable of managing the discontent that defeat would inevitably provoke. Throughout the final acts of this wartime drama, the Japanese “moderates” found it easier to capitulate to external pressures than to take decisive action on their own to conclude the war.   Another illuminating looks at Japan's elite's perspective on surrender terms was the document titled “Essentials of Peace Negotiations” (wahei kosho no yoryo). Drafted by Konoe and his adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Sakai Koji, after Konoe had reluctantly accepted a mission to Moscow, this document, stipulated the preservation of the emperor system, along with most of the imperial prerogatives, as the absolute minimum condition for peace. It defined the “original” or “essential homeland” as including the southern half of the Kurile Islands but showed a willingness to concede all overseas territories to the enemy, including Okinawa and the American-occupied Bonin Islands, as well as the southern half of Sakhalin. The “Essentials” also accepted complete disarmament for an unspecified period, thereby compromising on the issues of demobilizing and disarming the armed forces. More significantly, an “explanation” attached to the “Essentials” emphasized that “the main aim is to secure the imperial line and maintain the political role of the emperor.”    Why Japan surrendered   We come to it atleast after a long podcast. Why did Japan ultimately surrender?   The twin psychological shocks of the first atomic bomb and the Soviet entry into the war, combined with Kido's and the emperor's concern over escalating public criticism of the throne and its occupant, fueled an almost paranoid fear that, sooner or later, the populace would react violently against their leaders if the war persisted much longer. These factors ultimately led Hirohito to accept, in principle, the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.   At the first meeting of the six member constituents of the Supreme War Leadership Council, held from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. on August 9, Army Minister Anami Korechika, Chiefs of Staff Umezu Yoshijiro, representing the army, and Yonai, representing the navy, along with Tōgō, from the Foreign Ministry, were expected to discuss the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. Instead, the conversation revolved around whether to attempt a conditional surrender—specifically, should they insist on one condition, the preservation of the kokutai, or four?   After Suzuki addressed the assembly regarding the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and the Soviet attack, Yonai, as recounted by Navy Chief of Staff Toyoda, was the first to speak, framing the issue in terms of four conditions. “Let's start to talk, Do we accept the Potsdam Declaration with no conditions? If not, and we wish to insist on attaching hopes and conditions, we may do so this way. First, preservation of the kokutai; then for the rest, the main items in the Potsdam Declaration: treatment of war criminals, method of disarmament, and the matter of sending in an army of occupation.” Thus, the participants identified what they perceived to be the ambiguous points within the Potsdam Declaration and used them as the foundation for their discussions.   The army insisted on four conditions: First, the preservation of the kokutai, which they considered distinct from the Potsdam Declaration itself. The other conditions proposed were, second, that the Imperial Headquarters assume responsibility for disarmament and demobilization; third, a prohibition on occupation; and fourth, the delegation of the punishment of war criminals to the Japanese government. The army equated the kokutai with the emperor's right of supreme command. Their self-serving desire for autonomous war crimes trials was based on the belief that the Allies would use such trials to politically indict the military. Consequently, army leaders aimed to preempt the activities of any international tribunal by conducting their own trials—similar to the approach taken by the uninvaded and unrepentant Germans after World War I.   Supporting the military's views during cabinet meetings that day were three civilian members of the Suzuki cabinet: Justice Minister Matsuzaka Hiromasa, Home Minister Yasui Toji, and Minister of Health Okada Tadahiko. At the imperial conference that night, which extended into the early hours of the tenth, Foreign Minister Tōgō's interpretation of the “preservation of the kokutai” referred solely to the safeguarding of the Imperial House or dynasty, rather than the continuation of Hirohito's reign.   Hiranuma, another advocate for the single condition, interpreted the kokutai as the “emperor's sovereign right to rule the state [not] deriving from national law. Even if the entire nation is sacrificed to the war, we must preserve both the kokutai and the security of the imperial house.” This discrepancy illustrated that there was no completely unified understanding of what the kokutai entailed; the debate over one condition versus four represented conflicting visions for the future of the Japanese state and masked the competition for political power that was already unfolding.   It remains doubtful whether the emperor and Kido initially sided with Tōgō against the four conditions proposed by the senior military leaders. A more likely inference is that both men retained sympathies for the hardliners, both military and civilian, who preferred to continue the futile war rather than surrender immediately and unconditionally. This may explain why, on August 9, Konoe had Hosokawa Morisada approach Navy General Headquarters to urge the emperor's brother, Prince Takamatsu, to pressure Hirohito (through Kido) to accept the Potsdam terms. Later that afternoon, Konoe enlisted the help of diplomat Shigemitsu Mamoru to persuade Kido to reconsider his stance on the four conditions. Ultimately, at the urging of Takamatsu and Shigemitsu, Kido did shift to support Tōgō's position.   At the end of the war, as at its beginning and throughout every stage of its progression, Emperor Hirohito played a highly active role in supporting the actions carried out in his name. From the very beginning of the Asia-Pacific war, the emperor played a significant role in the unfolding events around him. Prior to the Battle of Okinawa, he consistently advocated for a decisive victory. Afterward, he acknowledged the necessity of pursuing an early peace, although he did not favor an immediate cessation of hostilities. Instead, he wavered, steering Japan toward ongoing warfare rather than direct negotiations with the Allies. When the final crisis fully unfolded, the only option left was unconditional surrender. Even then, he continued to procrastinate until the atomic bomb was dropped and the Soviets launched their attack. The wartime emperor ideology that once sustained morale made it exceedingly difficult for Japan's leaders to accept the act of surrender. Aware of their objective defeat, yet indifferent to the suffering the war inflicted on their own people—as well as on the populations of Asia, the Pacific, and the West whose lives they had disrupted—the emperor and his military leaders sought a means to lose without appearing to lose. They aimed to mitigate domestic criticism following surrender while preserving their power structure.   Blinded by their fixation on the fate of the imperial house and committed to an overly optimistic diplomacy toward the Soviet Union, Japan's leaders missed several opportunities to end their lost war. Would Japan's leaders have surrendered more promptly if the Truman administration had “clarified” the status of the emperor before the cataclysmic double shocks of the atomic bomb and the Soviet entry into the war? Probably not. However, it is likely they would have surrendered to prevent the kokutai from being destroyed from within. The evidence suggests that the first atomic bomb and the Soviet declaration of war led Hirohito, Kido, and other members of the court to believe that continuing the war would inevitably result in that destruction. They recognized that the populace was war-weary and despondent, with rising hostility toward the military and the government, accompanied by increasing criticism of the emperor himself. More specifically, Kido and Hirohito were privy to Home Ministry reports, which contained information from governors and police chiefs nationwide. These reports indicated that citizens were beginning to label the emperor as an incompetent leader responsible for the deteriorating war situation.   This is the third variable, never spoken about. Many first look at the atomic bombs. Bigger brain people turn to the Soviet Invasion of Manchuria. But hardly anyone reads about how the collapse of Japan's social fabric, scared the shit out of the Emperor and his closest advisors. You can't have a kokutai, without a populace that worshiped you.    When the emperor expressed in February, “What worries me is whether the nation [could] endure” long enough to achieve victory, he was not merely voicing concern for the suffering of his subjects; rather, he feared that such suffering could lead to social upheaval—in short, revolution. At that time, he referred to the ordinary, war-related hardships of food shortages, air raids, devastated cities, destruction of homes, and the omnipresent grief from the loss of loved ones. The atomic bomb escalated death, pain, and suffering to unimaginably higher levels, intensifying the threat from within. After the bombings of Japan and two atomic bombs, Hirohito was in a dark way, given a golden get out of jail free card. Hirohito could now save his suffering people from further anguish by surrendering, allowing him to deflect responsibility for leading them into misery while adopting an air of benevolence and care. Indeed, Hirohito did care—though not primarily for the Japanese people, but rather for the survival of his own imperial house and throne.   After the bombing of Hiroshima, Hirohito delayed for a full two days before instructing Kido, shortly before 10 A.M. on August 9, to “quickly control the situation” because “the Soviet [Union]” had declared war. Kido immediately communicated with Prime Minister Suzuki, who began arrangements for an Imperial Conference scheduled for later that night. Following the seidan of August 10, Chief Cabinet Secretary Sakomizu took charge of drafting the “Imperial Rescript Ending the War” based on Hirohito's directives. Assisted by two scholars of the Chinese classics, Kawada Mizuho and Yasuoka Masahiro, Sakomizu worked tirelessly for over three days before submitting a version of the rescript to the Suzuki cabinet. After six hours of contentious discussion on the night of August 14, the cabinet modified and approved the document. Hirohito promptly signed it, and Shimomura and Kido persuaded him to record a suitably opaque final version for broadcast to the nation.   On the night of August 14, the Suzuki government notified the United States and other Allied nations that it had accepted both the Potsdam Declaration and the Byrnes letter of August 11. Accelerating the emperor's actions during this climactic moment of the unconditional surrender drama was the American psychological warfare campaign. When a leaflet dropped from B-29 bombers came into Kido's possession on the night of August 13 or the morning of the fourteenth, he conferred with the emperor and explained the gravity of the situation. The latest enemy leaflets were informing the Japanese people of the government's notification of surrender under one condition, along with the full text of Byrnes's response. If this continued, it would undermine the imperial government's reliance on secrecy to obscure the true nature of the lost war and the reasons for the prolonged surrender delay.   Given Kido's and the emperor's concerns about rising signs of defeatism, including criticism of the throne, immediate action was necessary to prevent the populace from acting on their own initiative. Thus, the second seidan was convened. At noon on August 15, the Japanese people gathered around their radio receivers and heard, for the first time, the high-pitched voice of their emperor telling them:    “After pondering deeply the general trends of the world and the actual conditions obtaining in Our Empire today, We have decided to effect a settlement of the present situation by resorting to an extraordinary measure. We have ordered Our Government to communicate to the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union that Our Empire accepts the provisions of their Joint Declaration. To strive for the common prosperity and happiness of all nations as well as the security and well-being of Our subjects is the solemn obligation which has been handed down by Our Imperial Ancestors and which lies close to Our heart. Indeed, We declared war on America and Britain out of Our sincere desire to ensure Japan's self-preservation and the stabilization of East Asia, it being far from Our thought either to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark upon territorial aggrandizement. But now the war has lasted for nearly four years. Despite the best that has been done by everyone—the gallant fighting of the military and naval forces, the diligence and assiduity of Our servants of the State, and the devoted service of Our one hundred million people—the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage, while the general trends of the world have all turned against her interest. Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers... The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subjected hereafter will be certainly great. We are keenly aware of the inmost feelings of all of you, Our subjects. However, it is according to the dictates of time and fate that We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is unsufferable”.   Clearly Hirohito sought to justify his decision to surrender by citing the dropping of the atomic bombs. He wanted to become the saviour of the Japanese people. Hirohito wanted to obfuscate the issue of accountability, to prevent expressions of strife and anger and to strengthen domestic unity around himself, to protect and raise the kokutai.  Interestingly, the surrender declaration to the civilian population was not the same one sent to the military. On August 17th Hirohito issued a second “rescript to soldiers and sailors” throughout the asia-pacific.   “ Now that the Soviet Union has entered the war against us, to continue . . . under the present conditions at home and abroad would only recklessly incur even more damage to ourselves and result in endangering the very foundation of the empire's existence. Therefore, even though enormous fighting spirit still exists in the Imperial Navy and Army, I am going to make peace with the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, as well as with Chungking, in order to maintain our glorious national polity”.   The lesser-known August 17 rescript to the army and navy specified Soviet participation as the sole reason for surrender, while maintaining the kokutai as the primary aim. Dissembling until the end—and even beyond—it was noted that the emperor presented two different justifications for his delayed surrender. Both statements were likely true.   Months later Hirohito's said this about his decision to surrender “The main motive behind my decision at that time was that if we . . . did not act, the Japanese race would perish and I would be unable to protect my loyal subjects [sekishi—literally, “children”]. Second, Kido agreed with me on the matter of defending the kokutai. If the enemy landed near Ise Bay, both Ise and Atsuta Shrines would immediately come under their control. There would be no time to transfer the sacred treasures [regalia] of the imperial family and no hope of protecting them. Under these circumstances, protection of the kokutai would be difficult. For these reasons, I thought at the time that I must make peace even at the sacrifice of myself.”    There exists this sort of childish argument today whether it was the atomic bombs or the Soviet Invasion that caused Japan to surrender. However, this overlooks as I think I've explained in 9000 words jeez, the influence of the kokutai. Defending the kokutai was Hirohito's number one priority. The Soviets threatened it. Communism threatened it. What Japan perceived to be “democracy” threatened it. American victory threatened it. And the destruction of Japan's social fabric threatened it. I love this one piece of history, that I have only come across in one book, that being the main one I am using here.   On August 12th, Hirohito came to the imperial family to tell them he had made the decision to surrender. His uncle Prince Yasuhiko Asaka asked him whether the war would be continued if the kokutai could not be preserved. Hirohito replied “of course”.

Boston Confidential Beantown's True Crime Podcast
Is there serial killer active in New England? Numerous local women HAVE been found dead, under quasi-similar fashion

Boston Confidential Beantown's True Crime Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 24:36


Send us a textIn excess of ten women from New England have been found dead, some under eerily similar circumstances. The cases leave only the state of Maine exempt from the victim list. In conducting a rudimentary victimology, you come to find that several of the women had histories with addiction, domestic violence and generally, a tough life.Police agencies including the Massachusetts State Police and Connecticut State Police do not believe that the cases are linked. In several of the cases perpetrators have already been arrested or strong suspects exist.  There is no gathering task force coming, the cops simply need more. There is plenty of online interest, take look!New York Post-https://bit.ly/4n4ZpeXFox 25-https://bit.ly/4gy0MjOX-bcpbeantown Email-barry@bostonconfidential.net

CruxCasts
TriStar Gold (TSXV:TSG) - Legal Resolution Could Unlock $100M in Shareholder Value

CruxCasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 16:05


Interview with Nick Appleyard, President & CEO of TriStar Gold Inc.Our previous interview:Recording date: 11th September 2025TriStar Gold Corporation represents a compelling high-risk, high-reward investment opportunity centered on the exceptional economics of its Castelo de Sonhos gold project in Brazil's Pará state. The project's fundamentals are outstanding, containing 1.4 million ounces of probable gold reserves that generate a post-tax net present value of $1.4 billion at conservative $3,200 per ounce gold assumptions. This creates a remarkable valuation disconnect with TriStar's current market capitalization of approximately $55 million.The investment thesis is built on the project's technical simplicity and robust economics. CEO Nick Appleyard characterizes the operation as "sand and gold. Nothing else. Simplest processing you're ever going to see." This straightforward metallurgy reduces both technical risk and capital requirements while supporting strong margins throughout the mine life. Production profiles indicate significant scale, with the first seven years averaging 150,000 ounces annually before stabilizing at 120,000 ounces, positioning Castelo de Sonhos as a meaningful mid-tier gold operation.Location advantages further enhance the project's attractiveness. Proximity to existing road infrastructure reduces capital requirements typically associated with remote site development, while the technical simplicity of processing sand-hosted gold mineralization supports both economic viability and development timeline efficiency.The current investment opportunity stems from regulatory challenges that have created substantial valuation dislocation. TriStar faces permit suspension recommendations from Brazilian prosecutors based on allegedly insufficient indigenous consultation. However, the factual basis for these concerns appears questionable, with referenced indigenous groups located over 100 kilometers from the project site and no demonstrated environmental or cultural impact from exploration activities.Importantly, TriStar maintains strong local support where it matters most. Communities within reasonable proximity to the project support the company's activities, benefiting from employment opportunities and development programs. State regulatory agencies have provided robust defense of TriStar's permit applications, with the state environmental agency emphasizing that the company has followed all proper procedures and operates far from any potential impact areas.The legal process follows a defined timeline with defense filings expected by mid-October 2025, followed by judicial review through early 2026. Management estimates that approximately $1.5 million in legal and consultation expenses could provide project clarity and unlock construction licensing, representing modest capital deployment relative to potential value creation.Risk mitigation factors support the investment thesis despite regulatory uncertainty. TriStar maintains sufficient capital to navigate the legal process without forced fundraising at disadvantageous terms, while the company's single-asset focus allows management to concentrate entirely on resolution. The involvement of FUNAI, Brazil's federal indigenous affairs agency, provides procedural safeguards through evidence-based assessment standards rather than subjective claims.Historical precedent supports optimism for resolution. Similar regulatory challenges in Pará state have generally been resolved with projects advancing to production, suggesting these hurdles follow predictable patterns with established resolution mechanisms. Brazilian mining attorneys view such challenges as part of the operating environment rather than terminal project risks.For investors comfortable with Brazilian regulatory complexity and willing to accept defined timeline risk, TriStar Gold offers exceptional return potential through what management estimates could be a $100 million market value recovery upon regulatory clarity.Learn more: https://cruxinvestor.comSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

The_C.O.W.S.
The C.​O.​W.​S. Maria Eftamiades's The Sins of The Mother Part 2 #MotherSuperior #WhiteDefiance

The_C.O.W.S.

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025


The Katherine Massey Book Club @ The C.O.W.S. hosts the second study session on Maria Eftimiades's The Sins Of The Mother: The Heartbreaking True Story Behind the Susan Smith Murder Case. In October of 1994 (mere months after the arrest of Orenthal James Simpson), Susan Smith was introduced to the world as a #WeepingWhiteWoman who claimed a no count black dude stole her car with her two small White children in the back seat. White people across the land were furious. It took nearly two weeks for police to discover that Smith not only fabricated the story that a black fella drove off with her kids, she ultimately confessed to drowning her own toddlers. Gus insists that listeners pay particular attention to the black misandry of this case. Last week, we learned that Susan Smith and her on-again-off-again partner David made pretty good money and could afford a nice house in an exclusive region of Union, South Carolina. In spite of it all, David and Susan maintained a tacky, trashy arrangement where they each engaged in sexual intercourse with other partners. As soon as Smith concocted her lie about the carjacking, kidnapping black dude, people using logic began to question her testimony. Before being photographed by police, Smith asked the officer if she should remove her glasses. The officer wondered how in the world she could be concerned about her appearance when her two children had just been stolen. Similar to child raping Mary Kay Letourneau, readers are informed that Susan is pretty and perfect and could have been a model, although she's a bit frail. It took Gus some time to remember that we have already read about White Women drowning their own children in a vehicle. #DevonteHart #FamilyAnnihilator INVEST in The COWS - http://paypal.me/TheCOWS Cash App: http://cash.app/$TheCOWS Call: 720.716.7300 Code: 564943#

Giga Bytes Podcast
Giga Bytes Podcast #379: Hoy hablamos del Nintendo Direct, Mario Galaxy y Mucho más!!!

Giga Bytes Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2025 83:17


Giga Bytes Podcast #379: Hoy hablamos del Nintendo Direct, Mario Galaxy y Mucho más!!!  • Super Mario Galaxy Movie, regresa el cast,  • Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 oct 2, y amiibos  • Mario Tennis Forever, fever rackets (hablidades extra, 30 disponibles), trial tower, mix it up mode, swing mode (motion), adventure mode con baby characters, feb 12 • Super Mario Bros Wonder Switch 2 edition, nuevos modos, coop, bellabell park, spring 2026 • Talking flower spring 2026 •  •  • Pelicula Bioshock se enfocara en el primer juego • Nintendo Direct sept 12 (60min) 9am • Xbox tendrá anuncios, contenido en TGS 2025, presentación sept 25 6am EST • Rumor: PS6 tendrá lector de discos opcional (Similar a Slim/Pro) • Panzar Dragoon II Zwei: Remake Anunciado PS5, XB Series, PS4, XB1, Switch, PC ($24.99) en TGS     • Serie de God of War (Amazon) a comenzar a filmar en 6 meses • Keanu regresaría a Cyberpunk • Play Acclaim Sept 10 2:30pm EST • PSX cumple 30 en US 9-9-1995 • Dreamcast cumple 26 9-9-99 • 007 First Light • Fechas Podcast Me Salve: o Sabado 13 de septiembre 2PM (Trujillo Alto) o Sabado 4 de Octubre 2PM (Plaza del Sol) o Sabado 18 Octubre 2PM (Plaza Guaynabo) • TGS 2025: o Koei Tecmo: Nioh 3, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Ninja Gaiden 4 o Capcom: PRAGMATA, RE Requiem, Onimusha: Way of The Sword, MH Stories 3, MH Wilds, SF6 years 1-2 Fighters Ed, MH Outlands, RE Survival Unit o PS: Astrobot, Ghost of Yotei, Marvel TOKON: Fighting Souls o Xbox: ROG Ally (ASUS Booth), Ninja Gaiden 4 Sigueme y Suscribete: Facebook.com/elgiga Youtube.com/elgiga947 Instagram.com/elgiga947  Twitch.tv/elgiga947 Twitter.com/elgiga947 Giga Bytes Podcast #monsterenergypr @monsterenergy @Stephreyesmarketing @caribbeanxsports @eriberto213 #gigabytespodcast #NintendoSwitch2 #PS5 #DeathStranding2 #Multiplatform #MarvelTokonFightingSouls #SpidermanBrandNewDay #Battlefield6 #Beta #Switch2 #Switch #PS6 #Capcom #HellisUs #FantasticFour #GhostofYotei #MetalGear #Contrabands #GhostofYotei #Switch #Xbox #PSSR #PS5Pro #Xbox #Switch2 #Review #Playstation #Switch2 @tiendasmesalve #gigabytespodcast

Giga Bytes Podcast
Giga Bytes Podcast #378: Hoy hablamos Tokyo Game Show, PS6, números, GOW y Mucho más!!!

Giga Bytes Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025 100:38


Giga Bytes Podcast #378: Hoy hablamos Tokyo Game Show, PS6, números, GOW y Mucho más!!! Nintendo Direct sept 12 (60min) 9am Xbox tendrá anuncios, contenido en TGS 2025, presentación sept 25 6am EST Rumor: PS6 tendrá lector de discos opcional (Similar a Slim/Pro) Panzar Dragoon II Zwei: Remake Anunciado PS5, XB Series, PS4, XB1, Switch, PC ($24.99) en TGS   Serie de God of War (Amazon) a comenzar a filmar en 6 meses Keanu regresaría a Cyberpunk Play Acclaim Sept 10 2:30pm EST PSX cumple 30 en US 9-9-1995 Dreamcast cumple 26 9-9-99 007 First Light Fechas Podcast Me Salve: Sabado 13 de septiembre 2PM (Trujillo Alto) Sabado 4 de Octubre 2PM (Plaza del Sol) Sabado 18 Octubre 2PM (Plaza Guaynabo) TGS 2025: Koei Tecmo: Nioh 3, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Ninja Gaiden 4 Capcom: PRAGMATA, RE Requiem, Onimusha: Way of The Sword, MH Stories 3, MH Wilds, SF6 years 1-2 Fighters Ed, MH Outlands, RE Survival Unit PS: Astrobot, Ghost of Yotei, Marvel TOKON: Fighting Souls Xbox: ROG Ally (ASUS Booth), Ninja Gaiden 4 Sigueme y Suscribete: Facebook.com/elgiga Youtube.com/elgiga947 Instagram.com/elgiga947                                                                                                                                    Twitch.tv/elgiga947 Twitter.com/elgiga947 Giga Bytes Podcast   #monsterenergypr @monsterenergy @Stephreyesmarketing @caribbeanxsports @eriberto213 #gigabytespodcast #NintendoSwitch2 #PS5 #DeathStranding2 #Multiplatform #MarvelTokonFightingSouls #SpidermanBrandNewDay #Battlefield6 #Beta #Switch2 #Switch #PS6 #Capcom #HellisUs #FantasticFour #GhostofYotei #MetalGear #Contrabands #GhostofYotei #Switch #Xbox #PSSR #PS5Pro #Xbox #Switch2 #Review #Playstation #Switch2 @tiendasmesalve #gigabytespodcast

The Morning Roast with Bonta, Kate & Joe
Daryl "Moose" Johnston - Brock And Mac Are Very Similar In Their Style Of Play

The Morning Roast with Bonta, Kate & Joe

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025 21:47


Daryl Moose Johnston is on the call for the Saints-49ers game this Sunday and he joins The Roast to break down what we can expect in the Superdome with Mac Jones under center

Sidetracked with Annie and Nick
K-Pop Demon Hunters, 90s Nostalgia, and the Coral Reef

Sidetracked with Annie and Nick

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2025 38:04


What the hell happened in music this summer? Annie and Nick reflect back on a season to remember, from the Song of the Summer (or lack thereof) to their personal highlights from the past few months. Plus, Annie and Nick road test a new, and somewhat unhinged, feature...the Gigging Forecast! Similar to the shipping one but think more live events than high seas. Get in touch with Annie and Nick! If you're over 16, WhatsApp on 07970082700 or email sidetracked@bbc.co.uk SONGS HAIM – Take Me Back Chappell Roan – The Subway Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand HUNTR/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami – Golden Goo Goo Dolls – Iris Addison Rae – Headphones On HAIM – Relationships Olivia Dean – Man I Need ALBUMS Charli XCX – brat KPop Demon Hunters – Soundtrack from the Netflix Film Addison Rae – Addison HAIM – I Quit Wolf Alice – The Clearing CMAT – Euro-Country

That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs
Walking Through Heartbreak, Holding Onto Hope with Kate Edwards- Episode 1002

That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 66:06


So many of us have walked through unexpected seasons of grief and loss. When those seasons hit, it feels impossible to know how to put one foot in front of the other or we don't know how to best support our friends through it. Today we answer, “What do I do when my season suddenly shifts?” Kate and I met a couple of months ago when I was on the road for a speaking event. She has walked through the tragic death of her adult son and has SO generously agreed to share with us what she wished someone had shared with her when that pain was fresh. Whether you've dealt with a similar situation or you're close to someone who has, I encourage you to lean in to the perspective and encouragement Kate shares with us about what it looks like to honor and grieve and keep living and keep loving even when we don't think we have it in us. If you're following along in your TSF Seasons Guidebook, we're on page 92 (*we moved this date*). The guidebook is available for you at anniefdowns.com/seasons. Similar episodes you may find helpful: When Winter is Breaking Your Heart with Lindsay Sherbondy- Episode 952 Trusting God with Open and Closed Doors with Craig Thompson- Episode 986 . . . . . Want to watch this episode? Watch on your Spotify App, or head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join us in reading the Gospels together this month over on the Let's Read the Gospels podcast! . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . .   Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Our friends get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. AG1: If you're ready to turn down the stress, and focus on the rest, head to drinkag1.com/soundsfun to get a FREE Frother with your first purchase of AGZ.  Wayfair: From comfy recliners to cozy bedding and autumn decor, find it all for way less at Wayfair.com.  Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/THATSOUNDSFUN.  Our Place: Visit fromourplace.com/TSF and use code TSF for 10% off sitewide. Boll and Branch: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at BollAndBranch.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/soundsfun. NIV Application Bible: If you're looking for a new Bible or know someone you'd like to gift a Bible to, I highly recommend the NIV Application Bible! Helix Sleep: Go to helixsleep.com/thatsoundsfun for 27% off sitewide! Thrive Market: Go to ThriveMarket.com/THATSOUNDSFUN to get 30% off your first order and a free $60 gift. NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sorority Nutritionist Podcast
323. 10 BEST Sources Of Protein To Burn Fat, Increase Your Caloric Burn & Boost Your Metabolism

The Sorority Nutritionist Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 25:20


Today's solo episode is inspired by a listener, Gianna, regarding how to get more protein into your diet for the goal of body fat loss. Similar to episode 310 on the 10 best sources of fiber – I'm breaking down the 10 best protein sources to help you burn body fat, increase your daily caloric burn and boost your metabolism for fat loss. This way you get full and improve your metabolic engine to see results, and feel amazing while you do it. Plus for each source of protein I'm also providing easy suggestions on how to use it in your diet because simple meals are the key to sustainable fat loss. By the end of this episode, you'll have everything you need to easily hit your protein goals and feel confident balancing your plate for lasting results. Get the 30 30 30 Challenge HERE Get the 7 Day Cut Plan HERE 1:1 Coaching with Lauren and Our Team of Dietitians: HERE To connect with Lauren, click HERE Submit your question for advice from Lauren on the show HERE Take the free Weight Loss Personality Quiz HERE Shop Our Meal Plans HERE Get Support & Personally Work With Us HERE Related Episodes:

House of L podcast
Micah Parsons Is A Packer

House of L podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 12:07


Similar to the Bears Khalil Mack deal, this move for Green Bay is a problem. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/house-of-l-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy