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This episode we continue with the Jinshin War.  This episode we follow Prince Oama on his dramatic escape to the east:  From Yoshino he dashed through the mountains, through Iga and over to Ise.  In so doing he secured both Suzuka and Fuwa--areas that would be important chokepoints throughout Japan's history.   For more information, check out our blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-130 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 130: Jinshin no Ran, Part II:  Gathering Stormclouds.   The soldier on watch was doing his best to keep alert.  The night shift was never pleasant duty, and it was even less pleasant out here in the mountains.  There were plenty of sounds in the night—birds and animals out in the darkness—but rarely was there much actual action.  At least the sky was clear, with only the occasional cloud. Guarding a post station was hardly the worst duty in the world. There was a decent amount of traffic: after all, they were along one of the major routes between Ise and Yamato.  But at night, well, who wanted to try and navigate the mountain roads?  That was a great way to fall into a river and drown, or get lost in the woods, unable to find your way back to civilization. It must have been a shock when he saw a light in the distance.  There were almost always a few fires somewhere in the village, but most of them were out or covered at this time of night, with the exception of the odd torch.  But this was something more.  At first the guard thought it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.  And then he wondered if it was some kind of mountain spirit—he'd heard of ghost parades that could come and take people in the night.  He shivered, and instinctively checked his own torch to ensure that it was burning well and bright.  Indeed it was. It took him a little time for his eyes to adjust again to the darkness, but now, sure enough, he saw the torches coming—and not just one, many of them, and he could now hear the faint metallic clank of metal on metal.  He then heard a faint sound like a tight rope being suddenly plucked.  It only just started to dawn on him what was happening when the first arrows started to rain down on his position. They were under attack!   Welcome back.  This episode we are continuing with our coverage of the Jinshin no Ran—the Jinshin War of 672—and if you haven't already, I highly recommend you start with episode 129, where we talk about some of the background for what was happening.  That said, let's do a quick recap to bring us up to speed on where we are.  And then we'll dive into an account of an absolutely unbelievable journey, which is impressive for multiple reasons, but mostly for the speed at which it was able to take place. So as you may recall, Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, passed away at the end of 671 after months of illness.  After falling ill, the Chronicles tell us that he offered the state to his younger brother, the Crown Prince, Prince Ohoama, but Ohoama was warned that it was a trap, and as such, he turned down the offer.  Instead, he retired from his position to become a monk, and left for Yoshino, taking half of his household with him.  With Ohoama retired, Naka no Oe's son, the 23 year old Prince Ohotomo, took the throne. After Naka no Oe's death, Ohotomo effectively ruled Yamato from the Ohotsu palace in Afumi, running things along with the ministers of the left and right, Soga no Akaye and Nakatomi no Kane, and other high ministers.  Though the Nihon Shoki does not acknowledge it, Ohotomo is thought to have been a formal sovereign, in deed if not in name, at this point.  Much later, he would be given the posthumous name of “Koubun Tennou”. It would seem that Ohotomo and the Afumi court had misgivings about Prince Ohoama's promise to retire from the world and not challenge the throne.  The Nihon Shoki recounts that they began to make subtle preparations for a conflict, including levying men to build Naka no Oe's tomb, but issuing them weapons instead of tools.  They also set up checkpoints along the road from the court in Ohotsu down to Asuka—the main route to where Ohoama was residing in Yoshino.  And then, finally, someone told Ohoama that they were no longer allowing Prince Ohoama's people to cross the Uji bridge to bring him and his household supplies. Prince Ohoama was not going to sit idly by while the Afumi court gathered up enough forces to claim he was doing something treasonous and then march on him in Yoshino.  And so he sent one of his trusted vassals to the east to seek support.  Meanwhile, he himself was making ready to move.  There was just one more thing before setting out:  seeing if he could get posting bells.  This was sparked by the words of one of his advisors, who suggested that they should be careful.  They did not have many soldiers in Yoshino, and they had already sent out a general like Woyori to start raising troops in the East.  At the same time, if the Afumi Court was also maneuvering, it was likely that they would have sent words to the various post stations to bar the roads and prevent any movement. As such, Prince Ohoama decided to send several messengers to ask for Posting Bells, so that Ohoama and his men could make use of the official horses at the various post stations, allowing them to travel much more quickly and freely.  However, it was not clear if such orders had come and, if they had, where the local government officiallys might place their loyalty. Of particular importance was the case of Prince Takasaka, who was in charge of the Okamoto Palace, and thus the governance of the ancient capital. He would be the one to grant posting bells if they were to receive them.  If he provided the bells, then Ohoama and his party could assume they would have little to no trouble making their way East. And so Prince Ohoama sent his evnoys to the Okamoto palace.The messengers requested posting bells, but Prince Takasaka refused to issue them.  This sent a clear message to Prince Ohoama:  the Afumi court had no intention of letting him and his household have free access to the roads, and the local officials in Asuka were not going to provide any support.  In fact, Prince Takasaka now knew that Ohoama planned to travel, and if he wanted to, Takasaka could likely raise troops to try and stop Ohoama from leaving.  At the very least he would no doubt be sending a swift horse to Ohotsu to inform the Afumi court.  Ohoama and his followers would have to hurry if they wanted to do anything. And so, on the 24th of the 6th month, the same day that he got word back about the posting bells,  Prince Ohoama made the decision to move.  He and his entourage left quickly—he didn't even let anyone saddle a horse for him or prepare his carriage.  He just started to head out on foot on a journey to the East – and keep in mind that everything I'm going to describe in the next few minutes happened over the course of one night, truly an epic journey for Ohoama and all of those with him..  The Chronicles lists about 20 men and over ten women who originally set out with Ohoama from Yoshino, including his wife, the Royal Princess Uno no Sarara, daughter of Naka no Oe.  She wasn't walking, however—she followed a little behind in a palanquin, or litter, carried on poles.  I do wonder if those carrying the palanquin are among those mentioned, or were they servants or even enslaved persons who weren't considered worthy of note. The path they traveled wound its way through the mountains.  Streams and rivers had carved channels and valleys into these mountains.  People had settled these areas, and created paths through the wilderness.  Now, the valleys were fairly well populated, with roads connecting the communities that had grown up in the nooks and hollers. These facilitated trade through the mountain communities and between the eastern and western sides of the Kii peninsula, but even still, it was difficult terrain.  Unlike roads in the flat plains, the width of the roads in the mountains would have been constrained by steep mountainsides and the natural twists and turns of the valleys.  There may have been rope or wooden bridges that they had to cross, as streams constantly flow down the hill sides to the river below.  This route would make it much easier to avoid any official Afumi forces that might have been sent out, as those would likely be sticking to the main roads, but there were still government outposts along the way.  If these outposts proved loyal to the Afumi court, they could raise the alarm and send a messenger on horseback, who could likely flee much more quickly than Ohoama's men could follow.  And if Afumi learned that Ohoama was on the move, they could quickly mobilize their forces, secure key strategic points, and Ohoama's mad rush would be for naught.   The path Ohoama chose would lead from Yoshino, through the valleys, up through Iga, and then over to Suzuka, in Ise—modern Mie prefecture.  The journey was long and it wasn't going to be easy, but they needed to move quickly. Speaking of which, since Ohoama was traveling on foot, one of his men, Agata no Inukahi no Ohotomo, gave Prince Ohoama his own horse to ride.  Oh, and in case you are wondering: There are a lot of people named “Ohotomo” in the narrative, not just the Prince, Ohoama's nephew and rival for the throne.  Sorry, it was apparently a somewhat popular name AND it was also a clan, or uji, name as well.  I'll try to distinguish some of them in the podcast blog page. The party hadn't traveled far when Ohoama's own carriage—or possibly a palanquin, like his wife's—showed up for him, so I assume Ohotomo got his horse back, but they were still constrained to the speed of their slowest member, and I doubt that the mountain roads were all that wide and flat—most likely just the opposite. The group journeyed upstream along the Tsuburo river and eventually made it to Aki, in the area of Uda, due east of Sakurai and Mt. Miwa.  Here they were overtaken by two men, known as Ohotomo no Muraji no Makuda and Kibumi no Muraji no Ohotomo, both hurrying on from the Yoshino Palace. Makuda had been at the Afumi court, but word was starting to spread there that there was going to be some kind of move against Prince Ohoama, so he and his brother, Ohotomo no Fukei, had feigned illness and returned to their home in the Asuka region.  Once there, Makuda had made straightaway for Yoshino, only to find that Ohoama was already on the move.  Ohotomo no Fukei, on the other hand, chose to stay in the area of Asuka and see what he could do there.  He was looking to see what kind of forces he could raise in the ancient capital region.  We'll learn more about him, later. It was also in Aki, apparently, where they met Hashi no Muraji no Mate, who was from the Department of the official rice fields.  Even though he was a government official, he was a supporter of Ohoama and his cause, and so he supplied Ohoama and his people with food for their journey. Just north of the Aki fields they came upon Kammura—thought to be near modern Kaguraoka—where the Yoshino forces conscripted 20 hunters into service, almost doubling their numbers, and now they at least had some weapons with them.  Prince Mino, and presumably his men, also joined forces with Ohoama and his party—their ranks were starting to grow. In Uda, they were no doubt glad of any assistance, and at the government offices in the village of Uda itself, they were also warmly welcomed.  There they found 50 pack-horses that were laden down with rice meant for the hot baths at Ise.  The rice was discarded and Ohoama commandeered the pack animals so that his forces could ride, rather than walk.  Nonetheless, it was still a long way to go.  Indeed, night was approaching by the time they reached Ohono—likely the modern area of Muro-ohono and Ohonoji, along the Uda river.  They didn't want to stop, but it could be treacherous trying to navigate in the mountains in the dark.  What they needed was a light source.  And so we are told that they pulled down some of the fences of nearby houses and created makeshift torches to light their way.  Thus they were able to continue on until they reached the town of Nabari at approximately midnight. Nabari was not quite so friendly.  It was the home of a post-station, which had a duty to report things to the Afumi court.  Ohoama and his men arrived with their torches and in the middle of the night they attacked and set fire to the post station.  One can only imagine how surprised those manning the station must have been.  Presumably Ohoama's party took any horses and provisions, both for their own use and so that they couldn't be used against them.  To those members of the village that were woken up and who came out to see what was going on, Ohoama's entourage proclaimed that Prince Ohoama was heading east and that people should join them.  More specifically we are told that he said that the “Sumera no Mikoto” was on his way to the East Country. I want to pause here a moment, because there are some that say that this was the first use of the term “Sumera no Mikoto”, or, as we more commonly read the characters today, “Tennou”.  At the very least we believe that the term “Tennou” may have first used in this time period—though I do wonder about it being used in this particular instance.  I'll come back to this at the end, but for now, let's get back to the story.  So Ohoama announced to the people that he, the sovereign—for he had declared himself as such—was heading to the Eastern lands, and he invited anyone who wished to join him.  Nobody took him up on his offer, however.  It must have sounded crazy.  Ohoama had swept in at midnight, his forces carrying torches, and had attacked the post station, the symbol of the government in their midst.  I imagine that the people wanted little to nothing to do with any further conflict if they could help it. Continuing on in the darkness, Ohoama and his party came to a river—probably the Nabari River.  The Chronicle refers to it as “Yokokawa”, a term that shows up multiple times, and means something like “side river” and I suspect it was just the name for a river that ran alongside the fields or something similar.  As they were crossing, a dark cloud spread across the night sky for over 10 rods—about 100 feet.  Ohoama kindled a light and took a look at a geomantic rule to determine what it could mean.  This “rule” was possibly a type of stick or even a kind of compass-like device with a square bottom and round top, indicating the heavens and the earth.  He announced to everyone that the cloud was an omen that the country would be divided into two parts but, ultimately, their side would win out. One can only imagine how tired and worn out everyone was at this point, but apparently this urged them onward.  They reached Iga, where once again, they attacked and set fire to the posting station. Now getting through Iga must have had Ohoama's head on a swivel.  After all, Prince Ohotomo's mother was apparently from that region – he was the Iga Royal Prince, after all - so it would be understandable if people were loyal to him.  Fortunately, for Ohoama, he had his local supporters as well.  In fact, Joan Piggot points out in “The Emergence of Japanese Kingship” that Ohoama may have had a surprising amount of support from the various local elites.  Remember that the policies that Naka no Oe and the court had put into place had given power to court appointed officials at the expense of the traditional local elites.  So it may have been that those traditional local elites were more inclined to assist Ohoama against the Afumi Court, while those appointed officials, such as those who were managing the post stations, were more likely to swing the other way, since their positions and their stipends were directly reliant on the court's good graces.  This seems to have been the case in this instance, around Nakayama, in Iga, where we are told that they met with local district governors who had heard that Ohoama was on the move and who had raised several hundred men in support of his cause.  Now their ranks really had grown—compared with the relatively small group that had first set out from Yoshino the previous day, there were now hundreds of men on the march. Ohoama's forces finally arrived at the plain of Tara, or Tarano, by dawn, and with the sun coming over the mountains they briefly stopped for a moment to catch their breath and eat something.  They had just marched through the night—a distance of approximately 70 kilometers, or 43 and a half miles.  That included stops to attack and set fire to two post stations along the way, and much of the journey early on was done on foot.  During that march, their ranks had grown tremendously.  This is an incredible feat, especially with much of it being accomplished at night. Let's also quickly discuss those extra troops that had come to his banner.  Remember that prior to this, Prince Ohoama had sent messengers ahead to Mino and Owari to try and raise forces in those areas.  They had likely traveled these same roadways, and told  any allies they had to prepare.  So while the forces were raised quickly, there were no doubt some logistics that went into it. After a brief rest, the army was back on their feet, heading to Yamaguchi—modern Tsuge city.  Here Ohoama was greeted by his son, Prince Takechi, who had come from Afumi down through Kafuka—modern Kouka, aka Kouga.  He had brought several other men of his own, and presumably soldiers as well. The entire party crossed Mt. Miyama and into Suzuka, in Ise, where they were joined by the provincial governor, Miyake no Muraji no Iwatoko; Deputy Governor, Miwa no Kimi no Kobuto, and the magistrate of the famous hot baths, Tanaka no Omi no Tarumaro, among others.  That same morning, they set a troop of 500 soldiers to guard the pass.  After all, it would do them no good to have a government force suddenly appear behind them.  Also, you may recall that Ohoama's request to his allies in Mino was to take the Fuwa pass, in the north—the area more popularly known today as Sekigahara.  So now, with both the Suzuka and Fuwa passes under Ohoama's control, his forces controlled access to the Eastern countries.  The only other viable route, at least if you didn't want to get lost in the mountains, was to take the road to the north, through Koshi, and that was going to be a slog around or over the Japan Alps. So a garrison was left as a rear guard, but the troops who were not staying to guard the pass continued, turning northwards.  By sunset on the 25th day of the 6th month of 672, they had reached the foot of Kahawa Hill.  Here, Ohoama's consort, Princess Uno no Sarara, asked if they could take a break.  She was not exactly used to this kind of travel, and even riding on a palanquin, she was exhausted and fatigued.  As they looked to the sky, though, it was clear that dark clouds were gathering.  So they cut their rest short and pushed on, hoping to make it to the government offices at Mie—likely meaning modern day Yokkaichi city. Sure enough, as they continued to march, the heavens opened with a thunderstorm pouring down on them.  The entire army was soaked to the bone.  Cold and wet, when they did get to the government center or Mie district, they deliberately set fire to an entire building just so that the troops could try to warm themselves a bit.  Those who had set out from Yoshino had marched over 122km, or 75 miles, including over 700 meters of elevation up and 800 meters down.  Checking a map of the route, it suggests that a person walking it, today, without any breaks, would take around 28 hours to complete the trip, and indeed, Ohoama's took roughly one and a half days.  That includes time for their assaults on the various post stations, and a brief rest at the Tara fields.  Now, granted, they had procured horses for parts of that, and many of the soldiers had not necessarily been there since the beginning, but it is still an incredible feat, when you think about it.  I'm honestly surprised that it doesn't get more of a mention in various historical contexts.  Then again, we are still well before the age of the Samurai, which is the period most martial historians typically examine. So that night, as they were settling in at the Mie government center following their amazing dash across the mountains, word came from forces at Suzuka:  Prince Yamabe and Prince Ishikawa had apparently come to offer their allegiance to Ohoama.  However, as they weren't known to the men, they were held at the Suzuka barrier until someone could verify.  Ohoama sent Michi no Atahe no Masubito to go fetch them and bring them to him. The following morning, Ohoama worshipped towards Amaterasu on the banks of a river in the district of Asake.  Thinking about it, I'm not sure if they meant that he worshipped south, in the direction of Ise Shrine, or if he worshipped east, the direction of the rising sun.  The exact direction doesn't entirely matter, but I think we will come back to this, as it would have consequences later on. Later, Masubito returned from his errand, catching back up to the army, which was continuing on its way.  It turns out that it was not Princes Yamabe and Ishikawa that Masubito had found at Suzuka, but instead  Ohoama's own son, Ohotsu, who had come along to join his father.  I presume he had been traveling under a false name in case he ran into men loyal to the Afumi court.  He was followed by a number of others, including a list of names which I am not going to go over here because it wouldn't mean all that much.  Suffice it to say that the Chroniclers were doing their best to make sure that various families were remembered for what they did. Now just as Prince Ohotsu was joining the main force, Murakami no Woyori arrived with word that 3,000 Mino troops were mobilized and currently blocking the Fuwa Road.  You may recall that Woyori was the one that Ohoama had sent to Mino for just that purpose, scouting out the lay of the land. Ohoama sent Prince Takechi ahead to Fuwa to organize the forces there.  Then he sent two others to mobilize troops along the Tokaido region, and two others were sent into the mountains to levy soldiers from the Tousando region.  As a quick reminder: the Tokaido was the eastern sea highway, while the Tousando, the Eastern Mountain Road, went through the middle of eastern Honshu, through the more mountainous regions.  Together, these two routes would have pulled from the most populous regions of the east. As for Ohoama, he took up residence at the government center in Kuwana, where he spent some time resting for a bit. Now just as Ohoama was building up his forces, so, too, was the Afumi court.  As soon as word made it to the capital that Ohoama was on the move, chaos ensued.  Many people fled the capital, some heading to the East, perhaps to join Ohoama, while others went to hide in the mountains and marshes until all the chaos was over and the dust settled.  The young Prince Ohotomo asked the ministers what he should do, and they recommended that he immediately set out with cavalry to pursue Ohoama and catch him before he could assemble too many troops.  However, he decided not to heed their advice, instead opting to assemble an army of his own, to add to the soldiers that had already been levied.  He sent Ina no Iwasuki, Fumi no Kusuri, and Wosaka no Ohomaro to the East country, while Hodzumi no Momotari, his younger brother, Ihoye, and Mononobe no Hiuga headed to the Yamato capital—which is to say Asuka.  Ohotomo also sent Saheki no Wotoko to Tsukushi and Kusu no Iwate to Kibi, all with orders to levy troops.  He gave Wotoko and Iwate special instructions, since there was some concern that neither Tsukushi nor Kibi would be compliant, as they both had been supported by Ohoama and may feel ties to him.  So if the leaders of either of those areas were to resist, Wotoko and Iwate were authorized to execute them for treason. As Iwasuki, Kusuri, and Ohomaro headed east, they traveled around Lake Biwa and were headed to the Fuwa pass, not knowing that it was already controlled by Ohoama's forces.  Iwasuki, however, was cautious.  He realized that they might be ambushed, and so he held back from the main group.  Sure enough, he was right:  Kusuri and Ohomaro were ambushed and captured, at which point Iwasuki fled, barely escaping. The following day, Prince Takechi sent a note to his father asking him to move closer to Fuwa, so that they could better communicate with the front line.  Ohoama headed out, but left Princess Uno in Kuwana, which was well situated between Fuwa and Suzuka, and was likely far enough from the front lines to ensure that it wouldn't be disrupted by skirmishes at the passes.  As Ohoama then traveled through Wohari, the governor, Chihisakobe no Muraji no Sabichi, also joined him with a force of 20,000 men.  Ohoama had them divided up and set them on roads to various places as needed. Ohoama finally reached Nogami, just on the eastern edge of modern Sekigahara.  This is near where Tokugawa Ieyasu would eventually make his first camp as well, at his fateful battle here just under a thousand years later.  At Nogami, Ohoama would set up his headquarters, Nogami no Miya, or the Nogami Palace.  Meanwhile, Prince Takechi would handle the troops in the main part of the area near the pass, known as Wazami.  As Ohoama reached Nogami, Takechi came to conference with him.  He noted that there had already been an altercation—they had taken prisoners, who claimed that they were actually headed east to raise troops for Ohoama, but given that they didn't know who they were AND that Iwasuki had fled back towards Ohotsu-kyo suggested that this was not exactly the case. Following that incident, and a fair amount of speechifying, Ohoama eventually placed Prince Takechi formally in charge of the army, presenting him the gift of a saddle-horse.  Takechi went back to his camp at Wazami.  That night, a severe thunderstorm broke out.  Ohoama prayed that if the kami favored his case, they would make the storm abate, and immediately the thunder and lightning stopped. The next day, on the 28th, Ohoama traveled over to Wazami to review the troops and check on the military arrangements, before returning back to Nogami.  He likewise went out the following day, issuing commands through Prince Takechi, and then returned again to Nogami. At this point, soldiers were likely on their way from the Eastern provinces and elsewhere.  On the one hand, they wanted to wait and make sure that they had all the troops they needed.  But on the other hand, they didn't want to wait too long.  The Afumi court was likewise building up its forces, and the longer they waited, the greater the chance that they could dig in and entrench themselves.  Something would have to happen, soon. But that something will have to wait for the next episode.    Before we finish, though, I do want to come back to something:  the title “Tenno”, or “Sumera no Mikoto”.  Up to this point, evidence suggests that the term used for the sovereign of Yamato was not “Tennou” as we know it today, but instead was the term “Oho-kimi”.  “Oho-kimi”, or basically the “Big Kimi”—something like the primary lord—was the one lord of lords of Yamato.  But that was probably something based on local concepts of governance.  With the introduction of new ideas of governance, many based on the Han and Tang dynasty models, we see a shift in the terminology. There are poems that come from the era of Naka no Oe—Tenji Tennou—that use terms like “Huang” (皇) and “Di” (帝)—“Kou” and “Tei” in Japanese.  These are imperial terms from the continent.  At some point, however, we see that they use “Tian” (天) and “Huang” (皇).  “Tianhuang” becomes “Tennou” (天皇) when read in Japanese, and it critically utilizes the character “Tian” for Heaven.  Interestingly, this does not appear to be a term that was ever commonly used for rulers in the area of modern China.  I seem to recall that it was used here and there, but not with any frequency.  There is some thought that it may have been pulled from a term for the north star, or pole star, which sometimes used the term, I suspect referring to that star as the Heavenly Ruler—the star that the heavens themselves were focused on. For a variety of reasons, we see a particular emphasis on Heaven, and on Amaterasu, in the decades following 672, and it is thought that this is all connected.  And so it is generally from some time here, in the late 7th century, that we can probably start to refer to the sovereigns as “Tennou”. Although, it is unclear to me if the authors of the Nihon Shoki pronounced it like this or not, later glosses given for the characters in Japanese is “Sumera no Mikoto”, the kun'yomi, or Japanese reading.  The problem is that the Nihon Shoki projects this term back to the very beginning of the narrative, with “Jimmu Tennou” being the first.  However, we have some evidence that the earlier term was, as as I said before, “Ohokimi”.  For many years, there was an idea that the term “Sumera no Mikoto” first appeared in the era of Toyomike Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tennou, probably because that is when Buddhism and continental studies really seem to kick off.  However, there really is no evidence of its use then, and it seems that more scholars today place its use in the late 7th or early 8th century. So there is the possibility that this title was first used by Ohoama, as some claim, when he declared that the “Sumera no Mikoto” or “Tennou” was heading to the Eastern countries.  Of course, that could also just be dramatic license by the Chroniclers, who were less concerned with what, exactly, he said and more concerned with the meaning of it all.  We've also known them to swap out older terms for those in use in the 8th century, updating the narrative. Regardless, I think that about this time we can start to refer to the sovereigns of Yamato—and eventually Japan, or Nihon, another somewhat controversial term—as “Tennou”, or “Sumera no Mikoto”, from about this period.  I'll probably still use the term “sovereign” in general, and I'll try to avoid the term “imperial” for anything prior to the 19th century, when it became a standard English translation.  After all, Empires were the rage—Chinese, Ottoman, British, Austrian, French, Spanish, you name it.  Everyone had an empire, and so Japan, following that model, must also have been an “empire”.  Even today, it is officially the “Imperial Household” and that is the official translation. However, I want to be cautious about using that translation too early, however.  The institution of “Tennou”, while modeled on the Tang dynasty, took on its own character.  As such, I think that it is best to avoid the term for now, because it really was its own thing, and I don't want to conflate too many foreign concepts of “emperor” with the idea of the Japanese ruler. As for the term “Sumera no Mikoto”—it does not appear to me that the etymology of this term is clearly known.  One explanation is that “Sumera” is related to the word “Suberu”, to rule.  “Sumera” is also defined as meaning something precious, though I'm not sure if that meaning existed before its use to refer to the sovereign.  “Mikoto” is simply an honorific referring to the sovereign, meaning “royal” or “imperial”.  I suspect that the term “Tennou” came over first, and later it became glossed as “Sumera no Mikoto”, which may have been an earlier term, but we don't have any clear evidence.  Variations do appear in the Man'yoshu, the collection of ancient poems, so the concept was clearly around by the 8th century. Anyway, I think that's enough.  We'll probably talk about it more when we get to the rise of the worship of Amaterasu.  Until then, let's continue with our series on the Jinshin War. Next episode we will kick off with some of the actual fighting and campaigns in Afumi, Iga, and in Yamato.  Until then, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Gaia była w ciągłym ruchu: skanowała fragment nieba, przesyłała informację na Ziemię i leciała dalej. Zarejestrowała niewyobrażalne ilości danych: ponad 2 miliardy gwiazd i innych obiektów. Jeśli nie słyszeliście o Gai, to temat trzeba koniecznie nadrobić. Gaia to niezwykle udana misja Europejskiej Agencji Kosmicznej. – Dzięki niej jedna czwarta naszego kawałka galaktyki została zmapowana w sześciu wymiarach – opowiada prof. Łukasz Wyrzykowski z Obserwatorium Astronomicznego Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, który przy Gai pracował od czasów jej projektowania.***Robimy dobrą robotę? Pomóż nam dostarczać jeszcze więcej mądrych treści. Dołącz do społeczności Patronek i Patronów: 

On today's episode, we sit down with Jessica Hutchison-Rough, Principal Architect of Urban Design Associates, and talk about all things architectural design inspo from traveling the world. BACKGROUND: Jessica Hutchinson-Rough is the principal architect at Urban Design Associates. She has more than 20 years of experience in Custom Luxury Residential Design, Multi-Family Residential, Hotel/Mixed Use, and Building Restoration. Jessica has served as LEED project prime consultant on projects in Vancouver, British Columbia and Scottsdale, Arizona and is the current ARA Competition Chair for both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. urbandesignassociatesltd.com   Instagram: udaltd   SUBSCRIBE TO ICONIC HOUR If you enjoyed today's podcast, I'd be so appreciative if you'd take two minutes to subscribe, rate and review ICONIC HOUR. It makes a huge difference for our growth. Thanks so much!   ICONIC LIFE MAGAZINE  Stay in touch with ICONIC LIFE magazine. We invite you to join our digital VIP list and SUBSCRIBE!   JOIN OUR ICONIC COMMUNITY Website: iconiclife.com Instagram: @iconiclifemag Facebook: Iconic Life YouTube: ICONIC LIFE   FOLLOW RENEE DEE Instagram: @iconicreneedee LinkedIn: Renee Dee   Thanks for being a part of our community to Live Beautifully.      

(0:00) Wstęp(1:08) Rosjanie przeprowadzili jeden z największych dotychczas ataków na Ukrainę. Udało im się zestrzelić myśliwiec F-16(3:01) Wielka Brytania coraz częściej odmawia Ukraińcom ochrony międzynarodowej(4:12) Donald Trump twierdzi, że uratował przed „haniebną śmiercią” najwyższego duchowego przywódcę Iranu.(5:39) Lewica sprzeciwia się planowanym cięciom wydatków socjalnych w budżecie Unii Europejskiej(7:04) Zwolennik strzelania do łodzi z imigrantami został ministrem w greckim rządzie(8:32) Serbska policja starła się w Belgradzie z antyrządowymi demonstrantamiInformacje przygotował Maurycy Mietelski. Nadzór redakcyjny – Igor Janke. Czyta Michał Ziomek.Mecenasi programu:AMSO - oszczędzaj na poleasingowym sprzęcie IT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amso.pl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Las Bibliotecas de Burlada, Berriozar y Noain presentan el proyecto veraniego de fomento de la lectura infantil, “Este verano, un viaje fantástico / Uda honetan, fantasiazko bidaia”, y consiste en un viaje literario con pasaporte incluido y pegatinas-sellos que se irán entregando a las y los participantes conforme vayan completando el viaje

En la entrevista del programa La Miel en tu radio conversamos con la Ing. Agr. Carolina López - INTA Delta del Paraná e PROAPI - Buenos Aires 21/6/2025. Quien nos comparte toda la información sobre su participación en el encuentro de la Red de UDA de la provincia de Santa Fe, Córdoba, La Rioja, La Pampa, San Juan , Mendoza y San Luis. .

JFK aireportura goiz iritsi ginen kontrol guztiak garaiz igarotzeko. Uda bezperetan, bidaiari andana bildua zen bertara eta ilarak luzeak ziren. Kontroletik pasa eta gero, halako batean, konturatu ginen arten pare bat ordu genituela Atlantikoa zeharkatuko zuen hegazkina hartu orduko. Jatetxe batean eseri eta zerbait afaltzea otu zitzaigun. Batean eta bestean begiratu ondoren, amerikar itxurako batera bildu ginen azkenean, badakizue, garagardoak, hanburgesak, patatak eta horrelako litxarkeriak eskaintzen dituzten horietako bat; bezeroak barran eserita kirola ikusten telebistetan, tipo horretako bat. Baina tabernara sartzeko ere ilara luzea zegoen. Arraroa zen, jatetxe barrura begiratu eta ez baitzen ikusten beteta, mahai asko zeuden hutsik. Halako batean, zerbitzari bat hurreratu zitzaigun ilarara. “Ez bota niri errurik, Trump presidenteari eskatu kontuak. Mahaiak libre daude baina ez daukagu nahikoa langile haiek zerbitzatzeko ezta sukaldean lan egiteko ere, eta horregatik itxaron beharko duzue. Migratzailerik gabe ez dago afaririk”, bota zigun haserre, “Trumpi esan”. Nonbait langileek ez zuten handik agertu nahi deportazioen beldur, nahiago zuten lanik ez egin kanporatuak izatea baino. Erabaki politikoek aldatu egiten duten bizitza. Denon bizitza.

For this episode I'm joined by a man well known ex-loyalist paramilitary and one-time leader of the Lower Shankill Road's infamous UDA (Ulster Defence Association), Johnny Adair.Johnny speaks about his growing up in Belfast during some of it's most turbulent and violent times, his lifelong friend with UDA k*ller Sam McCrory and he came to join, and later lead the Lower Shankill Road's UDA C- Company. We discussed his days as an active paramilitary, his many near brushes with death and how he viewed his opposition, the Provisional IRA and the INLA/IPLO. I asked Johnny his thoughts on C-Company's victims and whether he has any regrets looking back. We spoke about the RUC's many attempts to both jail him, which they eventually would, and to recruit him as an informant. Johnny shares his surprising thoughts on the republican hunger strikers who died in 1981, whether he himself would have been willing to do the same if called upon and what life is like for him now, living away from the city that he once saw himself a defender of.PLEASE HELP OUT THE SHOW IF YOU CAN SPARE IT.. THANK YOUhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcast CONTACT THE SHOW: thegoodlistenerpodcast@gmail.comTIMESTAMPS00:00 Intro 1:5 Thoughts on Kneecap member's charges? 9:45 United Ireland ?15:30 If Johnny went back to the Shankill 20:21 Growing Up 29:40 Sam “SKELLY” McCrory 37:45 Training (Brian Nelson, Ken Barrett 55:20 Did C- Company do “spur-of-the-moment-k*lls” ?1:06:40 DID C-COMP EVER EVEN INJURE OR K*LL ANY IRA MEN?1:25:00 INLA1:26:40 “House-takeovers” by UDA C-comp 1:30:45 John McMichael k*lling by the IRA 1:33:15 IRA ALMOST K*LL JOHNNY ADAIR 1:49:00 SHANKILL ROAD FISH SHOP B*MB1:53:00 Dr*g-dealing & Extortion ?1:55:10 GETTING CAUGHT & JAILED 1:59:40 Special Branch's attempts to recruit Johnny as an informant 2:12:00 PRISON 2:16:10 Johnny's respect for the IRA Hunger Strikers2:26:15 Loyalist Feud 2:31:05 Relationship w/ Skelly and Regrets/Remorse?

– To była klasyczna piramida finansowa – mówi w Poranku Radia Wnet biegły rewident Ireneusz Łazarski, który już w 2015 r. wykrył nieprawidłowości w sprawozdaniach GetBacku.Afera GetBacku to jedna z największych afer finansowych w Polsce. Dotyczyła spółki windykacyjnej GetBack SA, która w latach 2014–2018 pozyskała od ok. 9 tys. inwestorów ponad 2,5 mld zł, emitując obligacje korporacyjne. Spółka fałszowała sprawozdania finansowe i ukrywała straty, działając jak piramida finansowa. W 2018 r. ogłosiła niewypłacalność. Straty inwestorów szacuje się na ok. 3 mld zł. Toczą się liczne procesy karne i cywilne.Już w 2015 roku dostrzegłem, że coś jest nie tak. Sprawozdania finansowe GetBacku były zakamuflowane, zawierały nieprawdziwe dane. To była klasyczna piramida finansowa– powiedział w Poranku Radia Wnet biegły rewident Ireneusz Łazarski, absolwent Georgetown University, który jako jeden z pierwszych ostrzegał przed nieprawidłowościami w spółce GetBack.Piękna iluzja łatwego zyskuJak wyjaśnił, po raz pierwszy zetknął się z ofertą obligacji GetBacku w 2015 roku.Przyszedł do mnie handlowiec – nie finansista – który przedstawił bardzo pozytywnie ten biznes. Zaproponował pakiety obligacji po 200 tysięcy złotych. Udałem zainteresowanie, ale zacząłem analizować dane– relacjonował Łazarski.Po otrzymaniu skonsolidowanego sprawozdania finansowego grupy kapitałowej GetBack, specjalista zauważył, że dominującym podmiotem była spółka akcyjna GetBack SA, która odpowiadała za 90 proc. majątku grupy.Poprosiłem o jednostkowe dane finansowe tej spółki, bo ze skonsolidowanego sprawozdania nic konkretnego nie wynikało. To właśnie to sprawozdanie było podstawą oceny audytorów i Komisji Nadzoru Finansowego– zaznaczył.Gigant na glinianych nogachJego wnioski były alarmujące.Już na koniec 2015 roku odkryłem, że w sprawozdaniach zakamuflowano ponad 400 milionów złotych, sztucznie wykazanych jako wynik finansowy. 80 proc. tego majątku było bezwartościowe– powiedział.Jak dodał, mechanizm działania GetBacku opierał się na fikcyjnych danych i braku realnych przychodów – „to była totalna piramida finansowa”.Spółka od początku rejestrowała fikcyjne przychody, a po wejściu na giełdę nie zainwestowała żadnych środków w działalność inwestycyjną. Wszystko szło na pokrycie strat– tłumaczył.Kontrola do kontroli?Mimo to w 2017 roku GetBack został dopuszczony do obrotu na głównym rynku GPW.Spółka stała się instytucją zaufania publicznego. Ludzie inwestowali, bo zakładali, że skoro nadzór dopuścił ją do giełdy, to jest wiarygodna. A tymczasem od połowy 2017 do początku 2018 roku zebrano kolejne 1,8 miliarda złotych, które poszły na łatanie strat– mówił.Według Ireneusza Łazarskiego, cały proceder odbywał się przy milczącym udziale nadzoru i nieskutecznych audytów.Jeśli nadzór finansowy nie działa prawidłowo, a audytorzy podpisują się pod sprawozdaniami, które są fałszywe, to mamy do czynienia z systemową porażką– stwierdził.Rola Idea Banku?Ekspert wskazał również na możliwe powiązania GetBacku z sektorem bankowym.A kto za tym stał? Wszystkie znaki na ziemi i niebie wskazują na powiązania z Getin Bankiem i Idea Bankiem. Właścicielem był Czarnecki i inni. Nie wiem, czy był to jego pomysł, ale zebrała się grupa ludzi, która chciała ratować bank – być może w związku z koniecznością odpisywania złych należności, co z kolei mogło doprowadzić do niewystarczającego poziomu kapitału własnego– mówił.W ocenie Łazarskiego, działalność GetBacku służyła m.in. do podtrzymywania iluzji wypłacalności.Na koniec rozmowy Ireneusz Łazarski przypomniał, że straty grupy kapitałowej GetBack sięgnęły 3,1 miliarda złotych. Procesy w tej sprawie wciąż trwają.To się jeszcze długo będzie ciągnąć. To czarna magia, jeśli chodzi o odzyskanie pieniędzy– podsumował.

En el programa La Miel en tu radio conversamos con la Dra. Graciela Rodriguez de INTA PROAPI INTA EEA Hilario Ascasubi 14/06/2025, sobre la organización y participación de la ExpoMiel Azul 2025 y el encuentro de la Red de UDA y también sobre la situación compleja y actual de INTA.

Hej, Udało się wywalczyć punkt na jakże trudnym terenie…Zapraszamy do komentowania!P.S. Ogłoszenia duszpasterskie: jesteśmy na patronite:https://patronite.pl/UnitedVoicePostawcie nam kawę:https://suppi.pl/unitedvoiceGRUPAhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/PLCMU/TWITTERhttps://twitter.com/UnitedVoicePLINSTAGRAMhttps://instagram.com/unitedvoiceplTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@UnitedVoicePLRedDevilshttps://x.com/_RedDevils_PLGRUPAhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/PLCMU/TWITTERhttps://twitter.com/UnitedVoicePLINSTAGRAMhttps://instagram.com/unitedvoiceplTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@UnitedVoicePLRedDevilshttps://x.com/_RedDevils_PL

Całość bezpłatnie TYLKO w aplikacji Onet Audio. W 2016 roku, w wieku 23 lat doznał koszmarnej kontuzji. Grają w Wolverhampton Wanderers, po brutalnym ataku piłkarza drużyny przeciwnej, zerwał więzadła w kolanie. Kontuzja wykluczyła go z gry na ponad rok. Lekarz, który go operował, dawał mu 50 procent szans na powrót. Udało się, ale jego kariera wyhamowała. W wieku 31 lat zakończył karierę piłkarską. Nie załamał się przez to, co się wydarzyło. Dziś emanuje spokojem, zrozumieniem sytuacji i rozsądkiem. Spełnia się jako ekspert i komentator piłkarski w Canal +. Michał Żyro gościem Łukasza Kadziewicza w podcaście "W cieniu sportu".  

Why did supposed peacemaker David Ervine threaten to “bomb the **** out of Dublin”, why did the British Government allow the UDA to be a legal organisation for so long, and what does Gerry Kelly think of claims that he was put in charge of restructuring the IRA? The Belfast Telegraph's Sam McBride found the answer to those questions in secret files at the Kew Archives in London; He joins Ciarán Dunbar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marek Sekielski — dziś przede wszystkim autor mocnych, szczerych książek o walce z uzależnieniem i drogach do zdrowia psychicznego.W swoich tytułach, takich jak "Jest OK. To dlaczego nie chcę żyć?" czy "Współuzależnione", bez patosu, ale z brutalną szczerością pokazuje, jak wygląda prawdziwe wychodzenie z kryzysu. Pisze o tym, o czym wielu boi się mówić — o samotności, o lęku, o współuzależnieniu. Ale też o sile, którą można w sobie odnaleźć, kiedy zaczyna się mówić prawdę.Udało nam się porozmawiać nie tylko o książkach, ale przede wszystkim o życiu — takim bez filtrów, za to z nadzieją.

Najdłuższe oklaski na Festiwalu Filmowym w Gdyni, nagroda dla najlepszego debiutu reżyserskiego i wyróżnienie Polskiego Stowarzyszenia Dyskusyjnych Klubów Filmowych. O takim początku kariery marzą wszyscy reżyserzy w kraju, ale tylko niewielu udaje się do niego chociaż zbliżyć. Udało się to jednak Korkowi Bojanowskiemu, z którym w warszawskim kinie Amondo miał przyjemność porozmawiać Łukasz Mikołajczyk. Dlaczego Wojtka wołają Korek, jak wygląda praca przy mikro budżecie i co taki odbiór filmu oznacza dla młodego twórcy? Przekonajcie się sami.

A State in Denial: British Collaboration with Loyalist Paramilitaries (Mercier Press, 2016) uses previously secret official documents to explore the tangled web of relationships between the top echelons of the British establishment, incl Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants, police/military officers and intelligence services with loyalist paramilitaries of the UDA & UVF throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Covert British Army units, mass sectarian screening, propaganda 'dirty tricks, ' arming sectarian killers and a point-blank refusal over the worst two decades of the conflict, to outlaw the largest loyalist killer gang in Northern Ireland. It shows how tactics such as curfew and internment were imposed on the nationalist population in Northern Ireland and how London misled the European Commission over internment's one-sided nature. It focuses particularly on the British Government's refusal to proscribe the UDA for two decades - probably the most serious abdication of the rule of law in the entire conflict. Previously classified documents show a clear pattern of official denial, at the highest levels of government, of the extent and impact of the loyalist assassination campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

A State in Denial: British Collaboration with Loyalist Paramilitaries (Mercier Press, 2016) uses previously secret official documents to explore the tangled web of relationships between the top echelons of the British establishment, incl Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants, police/military officers and intelligence services with loyalist paramilitaries of the UDA & UVF throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Covert British Army units, mass sectarian screening, propaganda 'dirty tricks, ' arming sectarian killers and a point-blank refusal over the worst two decades of the conflict, to outlaw the largest loyalist killer gang in Northern Ireland. It shows how tactics such as curfew and internment were imposed on the nationalist population in Northern Ireland and how London misled the European Commission over internment's one-sided nature. It focuses particularly on the British Government's refusal to proscribe the UDA for two decades - probably the most serious abdication of the rule of law in the entire conflict. Previously classified documents show a clear pattern of official denial, at the highest levels of government, of the extent and impact of the loyalist assassination campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

A State in Denial: British Collaboration with Loyalist Paramilitaries (Mercier Press, 2016) uses previously secret official documents to explore the tangled web of relationships between the top echelons of the British establishment, incl Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants, police/military officers and intelligence services with loyalist paramilitaries of the UDA & UVF throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Covert British Army units, mass sectarian screening, propaganda 'dirty tricks, ' arming sectarian killers and a point-blank refusal over the worst two decades of the conflict, to outlaw the largest loyalist killer gang in Northern Ireland. It shows how tactics such as curfew and internment were imposed on the nationalist population in Northern Ireland and how London misled the European Commission over internment's one-sided nature. It focuses particularly on the British Government's refusal to proscribe the UDA for two decades - probably the most serious abdication of the rule of law in the entire conflict. Previously classified documents show a clear pattern of official denial, at the highest levels of government, of the extent and impact of the loyalist assassination campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A State in Denial: British Collaboration with Loyalist Paramilitaries (Mercier Press, 2016) uses previously secret official documents to explore the tangled web of relationships between the top echelons of the British establishment, incl Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants, police/military officers and intelligence services with loyalist paramilitaries of the UDA & UVF throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Covert British Army units, mass sectarian screening, propaganda 'dirty tricks, ' arming sectarian killers and a point-blank refusal over the worst two decades of the conflict, to outlaw the largest loyalist killer gang in Northern Ireland. It shows how tactics such as curfew and internment were imposed on the nationalist population in Northern Ireland and how London misled the European Commission over internment's one-sided nature. It focuses particularly on the British Government's refusal to proscribe the UDA for two decades - probably the most serious abdication of the rule of law in the entire conflict. Previously classified documents show a clear pattern of official denial, at the highest levels of government, of the extent and impact of the loyalist assassination campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A State in Denial: British Collaboration with Loyalist Paramilitaries (Mercier Press, 2016) uses previously secret official documents to explore the tangled web of relationships between the top echelons of the British establishment, incl Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants, police/military officers and intelligence services with loyalist paramilitaries of the UDA & UVF throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Covert British Army units, mass sectarian screening, propaganda 'dirty tricks, ' arming sectarian killers and a point-blank refusal over the worst two decades of the conflict, to outlaw the largest loyalist killer gang in Northern Ireland. It shows how tactics such as curfew and internment were imposed on the nationalist population in Northern Ireland and how London misled the European Commission over internment's one-sided nature. It focuses particularly on the British Government's refusal to proscribe the UDA for two decades - probably the most serious abdication of the rule of law in the entire conflict. Previously classified documents show a clear pattern of official denial, at the highest levels of government, of the extent and impact of the loyalist assassination campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

Udało się wrócić. Metoda zaproponowana przez Panią Adamską zadziałała - a przynajmniej tak mogłoby się wydawać. Klepsydry zniknęły, martwi wrócili do życia a wakacje zaczynają się na nowo. Cały cykl rozpoczyna się ponownie. Z jednej strony wrodzy sąsiedzi i standardowe problemy, z innej starzy znajomi rodzice i... standardowe problemy. Czy świat się zmienił? Czy może zawsze taki był a jedyne czego doświadczyła Ekipa z Mielca to anomalia? Kto wie?

Historyczny moment w Taneczniku - pierwszy raz na antenie podcastu gościmy parę zoukową. I to od razu międzynarodową!!! To się nazywa debiut :D Dominik i Monika Zouk (DMZouk) to duet instruktorski, który podbija świat swoim tańcem i energią. Udało nam się złapać ich w locie - dosłownie - ponieważ sporo podróżują, sa m.in. jedyną polską parą która została zaproszona do Brazylii czyli kolebki zouka, aby dzielić się swoją wiedzą. Z naszymi gośćmi rozmawiamy m.in. na temat: zasad które panują w zouku oraz instytucji jaką jest Brazilian Zouk Dance Councilich historii związanej z nauką oraz miłościa do zoukaewolucji tego stylu na przestrzeni lat powodów dla których zouk jest tak wyjątkowym tańcem zaskoczeń związanych z uczeniem poza granicami naszego kraju i ich przyjęciem w Brazylii środowiska zoukowe w Polsce i jego ambasadorach Tak naprawdę pierwszy raz podczas spotkania padł termin COMMUNITY MANAGER które pokochałyśmy całym sercem i którego chcemy zostać ambasadorkami. Chcecie wiedzieć o co chodzi? Zapraszamy do odcinka. Dominika i Monikę znajdziecie:https://www.instagram.com/dominikmonika.dmzouk/Podobało Ci się? Wesprzyj naszą pracę !☕️ Byu2cofee : https://buycoffee.to/tanecznik.podcastPatronite (new!) https://patronite.pl/tanecznikpodcast

Dr Eurfyl ap Gwilym yr economegydd yw gwestai Beti George. Daeth un digwyddiad yn 2010 ag ef i sylw mawr pan fentrodd herio Jeremy Paxman, un o'r newyddiadurwyr uchaf ei barch ym Mhrydain. Drannoeth 'roedd y gwefannau ar dân. Mi ddaru Eurfyl elwa o'r ffaith fod o ddim yn cyfadde' ei fod o'n anghywir ac mi ddaliodd arno. Mae o di cael pobol yn dod ato yn ei adnabod o'r teledu - yng Nghaerdydd a Llundain … “You're the Paxman man! Well Done”.Dechreuodd ei yrfa gyda chwmni Unilever ar gynllun datblygu rheolwyr busnes. Bu'n gweithio gyda chwmni John Williams yn rheoli pob agwedd o'r busnes. Bu'n Bennaeth adran gwerthu cyfrifiaduron gyda chwmni mawr electroneg Philips, cwmni rhyngwladol – o'r Iseldiroedd. Bu'n gweithio gyda GE. Bu'n brif weithredwr i gwmni meddalwedd rhyngwladol yn Llundain ( Cwmni o UDA ydoedd). Gwerthu a datblygu meddalwedd i fanciau.Bu'n gweithio gyda'r Principality yn ddirprwy gadeirydd ac yn gyfarwyddwr anweithredol byrddau technolegol, a bu'n gweithio gyda Phlaid Cymru. Bu'n helpu Gwynfor Evans yn ystod cyfnod 1966- '67. " Doedd dim llawer o adnoddau pan aeth Gwynfor mewn i'r Senedd yn '66, 'roeddem ni'n gosod cwestiynau Seneddol, doedd dim google, a dim modd cael llawer o wybodaeth, felly roedden ni'n codi llawer iawn o gwestiynau".Cawn hanesion difyr ei fywyd ac mae'n dewis 4 cân gan gynnwys Dafydd Iwan a Karl Jenkins.

My Practice My Business and the UDA help Utah dentists score another big win with legislation. We cover what this bill means to dentists and the patients they serve, and our wish for all states to pass similar legislation. Support the show

Podcast from Defected Records Blaze presents UDA feat. Barbara Tucker – Most Precious Love (DF Future 3000 Mix) [Defected] 00:00Afro Medusa – Pasilda (Knee Deep Club Mix) [Armada] 05:37Dennis Ferrer – Sinfonia Della Notte (The Afterlife Club Mix) [Strictly Rhythm] 10:11Copyright - Wizeman [Defected] 13:02Michel Cleis feat. Toto La Momposina - La Mezcla [Strictly Rhythm] 16:47Butch - No Worries [Cecille] 20:50Supernova feat. Kevin Saunderson – Beat Me Back [Nirvana Recordings] X Mr. V – Jus Dance (Acapella) [Defected] 24:40Reboot – Enjoy Music (Riva Starr Remix) [Defected] 29:04ATFC – I Called U (The Conversation)(ATFC's Heated Conversation) [Defected] 31:49Pirupa – Party Non Stop [Defected] 35:50DJ Le Roi feat. Roland Clark – I Get Deep (Late Nite Tuff Guy Remix – Emanuel Satie Rework) [Get Physical] 39:07Flashmob - Need In Me [Defected] 43:40Kings Of Tomorrow feat. Julie McKnight - Finally [Defected] 47:28Octave One feat. Ann Saunderson & Urban Soul Orchestra – Blackwater (Full Strings Vocal Mix) [Concept Music] 52:33SG Lewis & Chloé Caillet – Costa [Forever Days] 57:16Groove Armada – Superstylin' (Riva Starr Edit) [Snatch! Records] 1:01:34Butch & Nic Fanciulli – I Want You [Defected] 1:05:22Oden & Fatzo & THEOS feat. Noa Milee – Only You [Defected] 1:09:42ID – ID 1:13:56Prunk – Heat [Stories] 1:17:52MK & Dom Dolla - Rhyme Dust [Columbia] 1:23:06Low Steppa & Capri – Got The Funk [Defected] 1:27:51Ferreck Dawn feat. Aurelia Ray – Mirror Machine [Spinnin Deep] 1:33:06Selace – So Hooked On Your Lovin (Gorgon City Remix) [Defected] 1:37:04Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs X Redlight – Regulate [DFTD] 1:41:52Delano Smith – Midnight Hours (Carl Craig Reconstructed Mix) [Sushitech] 1:45:23Damian Lazurus & The Ancient Moons feat. Afronaut Zu – Fly Away (Dennis Ferrer Remix) [Crosstown Rebels] 1:49:11Hannah Wants feat. Clementine Douglas – Cure My Desire (Themba Remix) [Defected] 1:53:32

Udało Nam się przejść grę Avowed i cieszymy się, że możemy się tym z Wami podzielić. Recenzja trwa nieco koło godziny i powiem szczerze, że musieliśmy kończyć szybciej, bo tak dużo tego było, ale myślę że warto. Ponadto, udało Nam się przejść dosyć krótkie demo Gothica Remake, które możecie sobie pobrać na Steam'ie i sami spróbować, czy warto i czy jest na co czekać. Oprócz tego recenzujemy książkę "Zagrajmy jeszcze raz" oraz w końcu po ponad rocznej premierze omawiamy drugą cześć Alana Wake'a. Trochę Nam się zeszło, ale tytuł był przez Nas hejtowany za to, jak został wydany. Bawcie się dobrze i do usłyszenia następnym razem!!Zagrajmy jeszcze raz - książkaGothic Remake - DemoAlan Wake 2Temat Główny: AvowedMożecie komentować pod odcinkiem, na naszym fanpage'u oraz możecie wysłać do nas maile. Poza tym jesteśmy na Youtube'ie i Spotify.Newsletter: https://forms.gle/iVS3Q1su9b6aUXzj8Patronite: Bezimienny Podcast Ogólny: podcast@bezimienny.plMuzyka: LukHash - Keygen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean Devin and Kevin recap an incredible night of hockey in Montreal. between the UDA and Canada.As well as the Four Nations so far.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/shifts-and-pucks-podcast--3065338/support.

Jaka jest definicja miłości? Na to pytanie nie ma złych odpowiedzi, a każda z nich jest wyjątkowa na swój sposób. Dlatego właśnie przed laty Paulina Reiter, redaktorka "Wysokich Obcasów", zdecydowała, że zapyta o miłość nieprzeciętnych rozmówców i rozmówczynie. Udało jej się poznać najintymniejsze historie miłosne m.in. Amosa Oza, Salmana Rushdie, Mariny Abramović, Doroty Kotas i Henryki Krzywonos. Z okazji walentynek wracamy do tego niezwykłego cyklu wywiadów w rozmowie z ich autorką, którą prowadziła Katarzyna Seiler.  Zapraszamy również do udziału w akcji Porozmawiajmy o miłości - opowiedzcie nam historię swojej miłości. Listy przesyłajcie na adres listy@wysokieobcasy.pl 

Silnik rotacyjny opatentowany przez Feliksa Wankla nie zrobił spektakularnej kariery. Był jednak pomysłem nowatorskim i nietuzinkowym. Wielu producentów próbowało go okiełznać. Udało się jednemu. 

Dear ADA, UDA, and All State Dental Associations,As many of you know, my wife and business partner, Tracy, and I have been strong advocates for both dentists and patients through our company, My Practice My Business (MPMB). Over the years, we've trained dental practices in Utah and across the nation on how to achieve profitability, even when participating in PPOs. Part of our training includes thoroughly understanding dental insurance contracts and state dental laws.We were the primary drivers of Utah's HB359 legislation—the Network Leasing, Down-Coding, and Bundling Protections Law—which protects dentists and patients from the overreach of dental insurance companies. I'm happy to report that we are actively working on additional legislation this year to help safeguard dental practices and the patients they serve.Unfortunately, the dental profession continues to face challenges that highlight a disconnect between the priorities of our professional associations and the concerns of practicing dentists. Membership in associations like the ADA, UDA, and other state dental associations is declining, and it's not just due to financial pressures. The real issue lies in the misalignment between the needs of dentists and the actions of the associations that claim to represent them.In this podcast are examples that illustrate this disconnect...Support the show

A Coleraine pensioner, who uses a mobility scooter, was shot five times in the arms and legs by the UDA. But what possible excuse would the loyalist paramilitaries have for carrying out such a heinous act? The attack came just 48 hours after the PSNI had raided a brothel in the town which it publicly connected to the UDA. That brothel was run by Bulgarian pimps and police say they were paying protection money to loyalists. The two events appear to be connected. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sunday Life's Ciaran Barnes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into the explosive world of dance with Loren Dermody and Derek Piquette as they unpack the groundbreaking Prodigy Dance Convention and the rising importance of acro in performance. From viral University of Minnesota routines to insights from UDA Nationals, this episode reveals why dance teams are transforming the performing arts landscape. Get the inside scoop on the upcoming Accelerate Acro Convention and discover how acro skills are revolutionizing dance, commercials, and professional performances. Tune in for an electrifying journey through the future of movement! About Derek Piquette Derek Piquette, a multifaceted artist from Chicopee, MA, began his dance journey at 10. A principal dancer in Carmen and The Maid, he gained recognition on Season 12 of So You Think You Can Dance, finishing top 4 and touring. Derek founded Intrepid Dance Company in 2017, directing and choreographing its debut, "HER." Starring as the "Trickster" in Cirque Du Soleil's KOOZA, Derek also reached the finals on NBC's World Of Dance Season 3. As a teacher and choreographer, Derek contributed to renowned organizations like CLI Studios and judged competitions. Choreographing 350+ award-winning pieces since 2014, he left a mark on Dance Moms, Disney Channel's Backstage, and So You Think You Can Dance. Derek's passion extends to mentoring young dancers globally, leaving a lasting impact through his exceptional teaching approach and inspiring them to excel in dance. Follow Derek on IG: https://www.instagram.com/derekpiquette/ Prodigy Dance Convention: https://www.prodigydanceconvention.com/ Accelerate Acro Convention: https://accelerateacroconvention.com/ If you'd like more amazing content more tips and ideas check out our Acrobatic Arts Channel on YouTube. Subscribe Now! Connect with Acrobatic Arts on your favourite social media platform: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acrobaticarts/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Acroarts Twitter: https://twitter.com/acrobatic_arts/ Learn more and register for our programs at AcrobaticArts.com

✅ Zamów nasze książki i ebooki w promocji: https://bit.ly/GKKsiegarnia

2 hours of house bangers that have got me grooving over the last few months. ⚡️Like the Show? Click the [Repost] ↻ button so more people can hear it!

You can download your FREE report on how you can avoid financial mistakes as a dentist using the link just here >>>  dentistswhoinvest.com/podcastreport———————————————————————Dreaming of owning your very own dental practice but unsure how to find the right finance solution for dental practice success? Look no further! In this episode, I chat with Mr. Jawad Anjum, the brilliant founder and managing director of Stanford Finance, who's got over 20 years of experience in commercial corporate banking and has firsthand experience as a dental practice owner. Jawad spills the beans on everything from picking specialised solicitors to navigating the technical side of dental equipment—giving you the tools to tackle the tricky financial landscape of the dental world.We break down the difference between associate-led and principal-led practices, touching on crucial factors like UDA rates, wage bills, and staffing efficiency. Jawad also shares how regional dynamics affect valuations, making it easier for you to pick the right finance solution for dental practice growth. Whether you're buying your first practice or expanding your empire, we've got you covered with insights on NHS contracts, geography, and potential growth opportunities.Thinking of growing or starting your practice? We talk about all the key steps—from evaluating community demand to choosing the perfect finance solution for dental practice success. Jawad dishes out his tried-and-true tips on interest rates, asset financing, and repayment strategies to help you master the financial side of things. This episode is your go-to guide for turning your dental practice dreams into reality—don't miss it!———————————————————————Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional.Send us a text

Former-UDA man Jim Spence, who has always denied links with the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, has sold his £275,000 house in West Belfast and fled to England. Billy ‘Beachball' McCune, not believed to be a UDA member at all, has returned to his home stomping ground after making a deal with the UDA's Jackie McDonald. Newtownards UDA boss Adrian Price has been in court following his failure to stop for a police checkpoint amidst a feud that ripped through North Down. The Sunday World's Northern Editor, Richard Sullivan, reports on the recent dealings of this anarchic terror and crime group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The LCC includes representatives of the UVF, UDA and the Red Hand Commando. A political row has developed following a decision by the DUP Education Minister Paul Givan to meet them. During that meeting the LCC demanded he halt plans to build an integrated Irish medium school in east Belfast. Supporters of ‘Scoil na Seolta' say the language is for all, and so is the school. But for many loyalists, the school is unwanted, unneeded and unwelcome. Niamh Campbell told the story to Ciarán Dunbar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finał 4. sezonu Letniej Akademii Młodych Umysłów! Udało się odpowiedzieć na 97 pytań (z 276 nadesłanych) 97 Młodych Umysłów (spośród 140). W odcinkach wystąpiło  39 osób – naukowców, naukowczyń, ale też praktyków. Dziękuję! A przed Wami odcinek na koniec lata. Motywem przewodnim: człowiek i cywilizacja

In this episode of the Powers Sports Memorabilia Show, we'll dive deep into the alarming statistic that 95% of Michael Jordan autographs are fake and provide a comprehensive buyer's guide on how to secure an authentic one for your collection.We'll explore:Upper Deck Authentication (UDA): As the exclusive provider of authentic Michael Jordan autographs, Upper Deck offers collectors the highest standard in verifying the legitimacy of MJ signatures. Learn why UDA's tamper-proof holograms and serial numbers are crucial in separating real autographs from forgeries.  But are they really tamper proof?Third-Party Authentication: We'll cover the importance of having your Jordan autograph certified by top-tier authentication companies like JSA (James Spence Authentication), PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), or Beckett Authentication Services. We'll explain what each of these companies looks for in an autograph and how their certificates of authenticity (COAs) give you peace of mind.By the end of this episode, you'll have the knowledge and tools to confidently navigate the autograph market and ensure that your Michael Jordan signature is the real deal. Whether you're a seasoned collector or new to the hobby, this buyer's guide will equip you with the expertise needed to avoid the 95% of fake autographs and secure a genuine piece of basketball history.https://powerssportsmemorabilia.com/Here is the link mentioned in the podcast.https://www.cllct.com/sports-collectibles/cllcttv/breaking-down-the-sports-world-s-most-forged-autograph-michael-jordan

The UDA is promising to hit back after its North Antrim boss was attacked by rival loyalists. Marcus Boreland, who denies any links to criminality, was left with a snapped ankle after band supporters broke loose from a parade and attacked him with their flutes, following the brigade's feud with a faction from a nearby village. The LCC has rejected police demands for a meeting after loyalist Dee Stitt was arrested over online comments on recent race-related violence – raising new questions over its relevance amongst loyalist circles. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by The Sunday Life's Ciaran Barnes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zanim zagłębimy się w kwestie stóp procentowych, przenosimy się do Karpacza na Forum Ekonomiczne, gdzie jest nasz reporter Tomasz Setta. Udało mu się porozmawiać z Damianem Kaźmierczakiem wiceprezesem Polskiego Związku Pracodawców Budownictwa. "W budownictwie jest źle. Doświadczamy głębokiego spowolnienia". Niestety nie doczekaliśmy się decyzji Rady Polityki Pieniężnej w kwestii stóp procentowych. Pytamy zatem Adama Antoniaka, ekonomistę ING jakie są przewidywania w tej kwestii. Sponsorem jest Bank BNP Paribas

Janek Grzegorzewski pomimo wciąż młodego wieku, zapisał się na kartach historii polskiego i światowego kitesurfingu. Jego świeży styl popchnął całą dyscyplinę do przodu i w momencie szczytu formy i głodu sukcesów uległ bardzo poważnej kontuzja. Wykluczyła go ona zarówno z zawodów jak i pływania. Udało nam się spotkać po raz drugi z Jankiem, tym razem złapaliśmy się podczas jego pobytu na naszym rodzimym Helu. Sprawdziliśmy co u niego po niedawnym powrocie na wodę i jakie są jego plany. ➡️ https://kite.pl/podcast-kitesurfing/ 〰️ co zmieniło się od naszego ostatniego spotkania i rozmowy w poprzednim podcaście? 〰️ co sądzi o nowym stylu w big air? 〰️ czy planuje wracać do zawodów?  〰️ czym zajmuje się poza kajtem? Na te i wiele, wiele więcej pytań znajdziecie odpowiedzi w naszej rozmowie

Reform, Rebellion, and Rats!  And all in less than a year!  This episode we continue to look at the Taika era and the reforms that bear the era's name.  We are still covering, though, just the first year or so from the start of the era--through 645 and very early 646.  And yet there is a lot going on, some of it as part of the reforms and some of it just the normal international and domestic politics. For more check out https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-109 Rough Transcript   Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this episode 109: Radical Reforms, Resourceful Rats, and Precarious Princes. ----------------- Prince Furubito no Ohoye looked out over the changing autumn leaves of Yoshino.  Where the mountains had been painted pink in cherry blossoms just seven months earlier, the mountains were now covered in garments of red, yellow, and orange.  Seven months.  A lot could happen in seven months.  Seven months ago, Prince Furubito had been in line for the throne.  His main contender for the position was dead, and he had the support of the most powerful men in the court.  Then it had all come crashing down in an instant. After the turmoil of the court earlier in the year, life in the countryside was no doubt a welcome respite.  The former Crown Prince had narrowly avoided sharing in the fate of his Soga relatives, who had been killed in front of him.  Furubito was no stranger to the literally cutthroat politics of the day.  Soga no Iruka had killed Yamashiro no Ohoye, son of Shotoku Taishi, ostensibly to place Furubito on the throne, no doubt with the expectation that the Soga descended prince would be easier to control.  Furubito himself had not been entirely out of the loop on that whole thing, either, specifically advising Iruka that he should make sure to send subordinates to do the dirty work and keep himself out of harm's way.  Now Furubito's seemingly untouchable supporters, Soga no Iruka and his father, were, themselves, dead at the hands of Furubito's younger brother, Prince Naka no Ohoye.  Their mother, Takara, had immediately abdicated, and Prince Furubito was suddenly in the crosshairs, potentially standing between his murderous brother and the throne.  And so he took himself out of the picture and retired, becoming a monk at a temple in Yoshino, a mostly wild area south of Asuka and the traditional heartland of Yamato, where sovereigns of the past had sometimes gone to get away. Furubito had spent the last several months there in the mountains, out of the political center, but that didn't mean he was completely on his own.  Not everyone was against him, and he still had people bringing him news.  He may have retired from the world, but he wasn't without his resources.  And there were those still in his camp, who thought he should be on the throne.  They just had to keep it under wraps until it was too late for Prince Naka and his cohorts to do anything about it.   So, with that little snapshot of life in Yoshino, let's get into it.  We're talking about the Taika era, so let's first start out with a recap of last episode and some things to keep in mind, and then continue with the story of the reforms, looking at what else was happening in that first year, as well.   We'll talk about the diplomatic missions from the Korean peninsula, the edicts focused on the Yamato elite and the clergy, as well as the strategic use of the change in the capital.  We'll also address just what happened with the “other” crown prince, Furubito no Ohoye. First off, let's quickly recap: So last episode we started talking about the Taika era and the Taika reforms.  In particular, we looked at how the governance of the archipelago had changed—as best as we can tell, at least, from the evidence available to us—and we looked at some of the very first edicts that went out.  According to the Nihon Shoki, things started with the appointment of the Ministers of the Left and Right, the Sadaijin and the Udaijin.  As later institutions were created, these ministers would each take a portion of those institutions into their portfolio, effectively dividing the management of the government.  Although the Sadaijin, or Minister of the Left, was considered senior to the Udaijin, the Minister of the Right, at least in later years, it should be noted that this system would prevent, at least on paper, a single prime minister from taking the reigns of the entire government, as the Soga seem to have largely done.  Presumably this meant that the sovereign, as head of state, would have the ultimate authority over the realm. Still, from the very get-go, we see that there are positions set up outside of this dynamic.  For one thing, you have the creation of the seemingly nebulous “Naidaijin”.  This is interpreted as the Minister of the Interior, meaning inside the royal house, and it was first granted to Naka no Ohoye's bro and best bud, Nakatomi no Kamatari—the co-conspirator who had helped make all this possible in the first place.  While the Sadaijin and Udaijin nominally had most of the power—and we see them referenced executing that power on a not infrequent basis—the position of Naidaijin appears to be almost extra-numerary, and is rarely mentioned, and yet he seemed to have wielded considerable power and influence.  This pattern of creating or using positions to exalt a singular individual, who would effectively run the affairs of state, is something that we'll see repeated multiple times in the future.  Whether this positionwas something like dajo daijin or kampaku, powerful individuals would often find their way, regardless of the bureaucratic norms. In addition to the Naidaijin, however, the position of the royal princes—especially the Crown Prince—seem to be untouched.  These were another class of elites often with wealth and influence, but who are largely outside the system of court ministers.  In fact, the bureaucratic system of government only really covered those positions by the so-called “commoner” families—elite families that nonetheless were not considered to be in a direct line of succession for the throne.  These were the members of the various be and uji corporate families that were created to serve the Yamato government.  After all, you don't hear of Royal princes taking on the position of a minister or anything similar, and presumably they managed their own affairs and estates as members of the extended royal family, with the sovereign as the familial head.  And then there were the peasants—the agricultural workers and truly common people who were so far removed from court business that they weren't even part of an uji clan or official familial unit other than their village, serfs or semi-free people—as free as anyone was in those days, though they were likely tied to the land by tradition and necessity—who owed service to some group of elites.  One of the things we are seeing in these reforms is a move to redirect the responsibilities of those serfs and semi-free people more directly to the state, with edicts directly addressing their status and their responsibilities.  That's something we'll talk about more as it comes up. But before that, let's get caught up on some other things happening in the first few months of the Taika era.  Sure, Naka no Oe and Kamatari were working closely with our sovereign, Karu—aka Koutoku Tennou—to get their reforms in place. As we talked about last episode, they were sending out governors, hanging bells outside of the palace, and otherwise trying out all kinds of new stuff.  However, as that was going on, they still had to deal with the day to day of the government.  Life didn't just stop while they ramped up their transition to a new, bureaucratic monarchy. One such routine event for a new reign was the designation of Karu's wife, Hashibito, as the queen.  In the fine Yamato tradition of keeping it all in the family, Hashibito was Karu's niece, the daughter of Karu's sister, Takara, aka Kougyoku Tennou, and her late husband, the sovereign Tamura, aka Joumei Tennou.  That made Hashibito a sister to Prince Naka no Oe, who was now his uncle's brother-in-law and, since he was named Crown Prince, his heir.  Probably don't think about it too much. There was also the matter of foreign envoys.  As you may recall, the murder of Soga no Iruka and his father, known to us as the Isshi Incident, kicked off during a court reception for peninsular envoys.  Two months later, we are told that envoys from Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla all arrived with tribute.  These appear to be separate from those who had witnessed Naka no Oe's bloody coup d'etat, and given the time it took to travel, they may have already been on their way when everything went down.  They arrived in the 7th month of the year, not quite a full month since Karu had taken the throne. This might have been a regular visit, but we get some interesting information from the Chronicles about it.  Kose no Tokuda no Omi addressed the envoys, at least those of Goguryeo and Baekje.  Although it is also noted that Silla envoys arrived as well, communications with them are not recorded.  There was also a slight problem in that one of the envoys (whose name Aston transcribes as “Chaphyong Yonbok”, suggesting that he was actually the Minister of the Left, Yonbok) apparently traveled all the way to Yamato just to come down with an illness.  He stayed at Naniwa and rested while the other envoys made the journey onward, presumably to the palace in Asuka, where the court received the tribute. As for Goguryeo, Kose notes that Yamato and Goguryeo had not had formal relations for very long.  This is unsurprising, given that Goguryeo was on the far north of the peninsula, and would have had to go through either Silla or Baekje controlled territory to get to Yamato, and they weren't always on the best of terms with either of the other countries on the peninsula.  There were some attempts to reach the archipelago by landing on the northern edge of Honshu, along the Japan sea coast, landing near Tsuruga, on the western edge of the land of Koshi, but still, Yamato's relationship with Goguryeo does not appear to have been as old or as consistent as Yamato's dealings with their less distant neighbors.  Tokuda, the Yamato officer addressing the Goguryeo envoys, wished for long and continued interactions, but that was about it. Baekje, though, was another story, and a bit of a conflicting one.  The speech that Tokuda gives according to the Chronicles is likely heavily edited to sound more regal and to be in line with the Chroniclers' ideas of Japan's place in the world, but it is also possible that they were just using flowery, continental style pronouncements.  It starts off with the somewhat audacious statement that Karu is a God-incarnate, which tracks with the idea that he is descended from the Heavenly Grandson, who came down from Takama no Hara.  This same language was used with Goguryeo, earlier.  Then Tokuda repeats the claim that Baekje is a vassal state of Yamato, claiming that they were considered an “internal Miyake”, likely referring to a land that was supposed to be directly controlled by Yamato.  One is left to wonder just how Baekje felt about all of this, but then again, things may have been lost in translation from one court to the other. Finally, Baekje was admonished for not bringing sufficient tribute from Nimna, since it had theoretically been placed under Baekje's care. And here's where I see some conflicting information.  After all, we know that Silla had absorbed Nimna well before this period, and Silla had been made to bring two ships during tribute missions or to meet the Yamato delegation with two ships to preserve at least the fiction that Nimna was still an independent country and ally to the archipelago.  That was all back in the reign of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tennou, or earlier .  Of course Baekje would not have any tribute from Nimna, and yet the Yamato court seem to have expected something unless, of course, they were just putting on some kind of show for Silla's sake?  It seems like the matter of Nimna, which was no longer a going concern on the peninsula, was still something that Yamato was keeping front and center in their mind.  Whatever the logic, Tokuda says that the sovereign pays special attention to the tribute from Nimna, and as it was deficient, they returned the tribute back to Baekje until they could bring the expected amount. There is plenty of ink that has been spilt on the subject of the diplomatic tribute systems that were set up across East Asia, largely as part of or in imitation of those systems set up by dynasties like the Han and the Tang.  As we understand it, diplomats were expected to come to a foreign sovereign's courts as petitioners, bringing with them “tribute”—basically trade goods—to grease the wheels of international relations.  The receiving country would reciprocate with lavish gifts on the envoys, in turn, often in excess of the “tribute” they had brought—at least, that is how the central Sinic dynasties operated.  In this way, diplomatic missions were not only profitable for international relations, but also for acquiring elite goods that could not easily be otherwise obtained, and for that, envoys were willing to go along with the polite fiction that they were truly subordinate to the power they entreated.  It is unclear whether or not this went both ways.  I suspect that the Han or Tang dynasties  would not have accepted the idea that their own ambassadors would be bringing tribute to any “lesser” nation.  However, amongst nations like Yamato, Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo, were there similar concerns?  Unfortunately, we don't really have a clear, contemporary record of these interactions, and can only make assumptions based on what sources do exist.  I suspect, however, that Baekje, though willing to indulge Yamato's fantasies, did not actually consider itself an “inner miyake” of Yamato—though they were a trusted ally.  Most of the time. Which makes me wonder how they took such a snub.  Unfortunately, both Baekje and Yamato sources appear to be quiet on that front. The envoys did not leave empty-handed, however.  They sent away the wife and children of a man identified as “Wisa”—likely hostages being held at the Yamato court as part of the other diplomatic system between Baekje and Yamato.  We are not told why, however, so we are left only to speculate on what actually happened. Later that month, and into the next, the reforms were really kicked off, sending out the governors to the eastern provinces and proclaiming some of the early edicts we talked about last month And while the court was waiting for news to come back from those governors, there was another issue that they were tackling, and that was further incorporating the Buddhist clergy and temples into the state government.  Yeah, if you hadn't already guessed, Yamato at this time didn't exactly have a principle of the separation of church—or in this case temple—and state.  In fact, quite the opposite.  For a little over two decades at this point the court had assumed the authority to appoint individuals at the head of the Buddhist clergy, presumably to keep them in line ever since that one incident with the axe—and if you want a reminder, check out Episode 102. And so a messenger was sent from the court to Kudara-dera to gather all of the clergy there.  That was the temple near where Tamura had built his palace, Kudara no Miya, and it reportedly had an absolutely jaw-dropping pagoda, so perhaps little wonder that it was a central location.  After recounting the history of Buddhism in the archipelago, the court representative appointed chief priests to ten different temples, as well as the chief priest of Kudara-dera.  They then made a promise that the Sovereign—which is to say the State—would pay for the repairs of any of the temples built by the Tomo no Miyatsuko; the courtly families.  At the same time, the court also appointed temple commissioners, and expected them and the chief priests to report out the number of priests and nuns, as well as acreage of cultivated temple land.  Interestingly, these commissioners were to report directly to the state, rather than through the local governors, indicating that the temples appear to have been somewhat exempt from the local civil authorities, though still under the thumb of the sovereign and the national government.  This was likely done through the “Houtou”, or “heads of the Law”, another set of positions for people appointed to oversee Buddhist practice. In the following month, the court moved on from the clergy and focused on the courtiers: the Omi, Muraji, and the Tomo no Miyatsuko, and not in a fun way:  These leading families were called to the carpet for what was seen as a host of offenses.  They were accused of compelling their own vassals to labor at their pleasure, and appropriating land for their own private use, denying it to the people.  This included mountains, hills, ponds, and even portions of the sea, which they turned into their own private hunting and fishing reserves.  They would take prime rice-lands—land that could be brought under cultivation—and use it purely for themselves.  They would take portions of the public land, divvy it up, and sell it off as if it were their own.  Or they would just rent it out, so that they would collect rent on the property and those who farmed it wouldn't actually own anything, making them a kind of tenant farmer or even something like a sharecropper.  Furthermore, when they collected taxes from those in areas they oversaw, they were accused of taking a portion off the top for themselves before turning over the rest to the government. And finally, they would take their own people and build palaces for themselves.  This practice, though probably nothing new, went against the direction the new state was headed, and if it was allowed to continue, it would potentially reduce the number of laborers available for government projects. To be clear, not all of the noble families were doing this, but enough that a broad edict was required.  This edict not only called out these practices, but specifically banned the private sale of land—likely meaning that it was up to the State to decide how land was apportioned—and it forbade anyone making themselves into a landlord. Now for anyone who has been following along—or simply looked at human history—the way that the elites had been concentrating power is hardly surprising.  History books are filled with examples of those in power using it to aggregate more and more to themselves, especially without some kind of regulation.  While the Taika edict treats this like an aberration of the way things should be, it is more likely that this is actually how the system had been designed to work up until this point.  There were elites who operated at different levels in an hierarchical structure.  Those above provided legitimacy and preferential treatment to those they considered their vassals.  Those vassals were left to largely run things as they saw fit at the lower levels, as long as they maintained an expected flow of tribute up the chain.  As long as things didn't get out of hand—no rebellions, famine, etc.—then there was little reason for those at the top to be concerned. Here, though, we are seeing a different imagining of the state: one where the governance of the state truly does flow from the sovereign down to the people.  Those who had been studying the Buddhist and Confucian canons from the continent had been introduced to new ideas of what a state ought to be, and now that they were in power, they were determined to implement those ideas. One has to imagine that this ruffled more than a few feathers, and I have to wonder if it didn't contribute, at least in some way, to what else was happening around the same time.  Remember, all of this—the tribute missions, the governors, the gathering of the clergy, and dressing down the courtiers—all happened in the first three months of the new reign—the Taika era.  But in the ninth month, the court's attention was also turned to another matter, when a man named Kibi no Kasa no Omi no Shidaru came to Naka no Ohoye with a confession:  He claimed he had been party to a meeting in Yoshino with none other than Prince Furubito no Ohoye, along with members of the Soga, the Yamato no Aya, and the Yechi no Hata.  They were all disillusioned with this new reign and how they got here, and were plotting to put a stop to it by overthrowing Karu and putting Prince Furubito on the throne. So, yeah, this is where we circle back to where we started the episode – imagining Prince Furubito, hanging out in the mountains of Yoshino, enjoying his near escape and contemplating his retirement.  Things weren't quite that peaceful. I'd note that another source claims that the guy who spilled the beans, Kibi no Kasa no Omi, instead went to the Daijin, the Great Ministers, Abe no Oho-omi and Soga no Oho-omi, the ministers of the Right and Left.  Regardless of who he spoke to, he ratted out all of his co-conspirators. The details are sparse on just how everything unfolded from there, but we know that Naka no Ohoye appointed two generals to go and arrest—by which I'm pretty sure he meant assassinate—Prince Furubito no Ohoye.  Whether or not the Prince had actually kicked off discussions or had even participated in any significant way, Naka no Ohoye's brother was too dangerous as a symbol around which anyone discontented with the new order could try and rally.  And it's not at all surprising to imagine that there are those who were not exactly happy with where things were going.   The throne was exerting greater control than it had in some time—perhaps more than it ever had, at this scale.  The foreign ideas that had come in the way of books and learning may have, at first, been just another way for the elite to demonstrate their own superiority, but now these ideas were starting to affect the way they, themselves, had to operate.  You could either accept it as the way forward or you could resist.  Those who would resist, though, needed someone to rally around.  Since the Sovereign and the Crown Prince were both pushing for change, anyone opposed would need to find a new sovereign to uphold their own ideas.  To that end, Furubito no Ohoye must have been an enticing figure.  He really was from the old school. Sure, that was a Soga dominated school, drenched in the blood of other members of the royal family, but it was still something that those who wanted to conserve their old way of life could use to legitimize their position. And that made Furubito no Ohoye dangerous, regardless of whether or not he encouraged such individuals or not. And so Uda no Yenomuro no Furu and Koma no Miyachi departed with a sizeable force to take out the Prince.  Which, spoiler alert: they did. There are some conflicting accounts on this.  Some records claim that the attack force didn't set out until more than two months later, on the 30th day of the 11th month.  Others say that the generals were actually Kosobe no Omi no Abe and Sahekibe no Komaro, at the head of only thirty men.  It is possible that both accounts are correct in some way, or that various family records retroactively  claimed credit for the attack.  It may also be that the time from the conspiracy's discovery to the eventual resolution—the killing of Furubito and his household—took a little over two months to complete; a not unreasonable situation. This whole event is often talked about as Furubito no Ohoye's revolt, and if we take the Chronicles at face value, that is largely accurate.  However, we don't have many actual details, and we do know about Naka no Ohoye—we know that he hadn't been afraid to kill Soga no Iruka in broad daylight, in the middle of the court.  Would it have really been too much for him to manufacture a conspiracy to provide him an excuse to take out his older brother and thus prepare his own eventual rise to the throne?  On things like this, the Chronicles are largely silent, and we can only speculate as to what was actually going on.  Still, I have to wonder. Following the death of Furubito no Ohoye, and the suppression of the rebellion in his name, the sovereign, Karu, announced that he had settled on a location for his new palace.  While most of the edicts at this time broke new ground, this one did not, following a tradition that, if we believe the Chronicles, had been around for centuries.  Each new sovereign would designate a location for their new palace, moving out of the palace of their predecessor.  Usually this would beannounced at the very start of a reign, but as we've seen, this reign had gotten off to a busy start, and so we don't see mention of the new palace until the twelfth month. The tradition of moving out of an old palace and into a new one is thought to have typically been due to the ritual pollution, or tsumi, attached to the palace of a sovereign who has died -- often in the palace itself, if they were lucky enough to pass away in their sleep.  Of course, in this case the throne didn't pass on the occasion of the sovereign's death, but there had certainly been plenty of blood spilled in the palace, recently, so I imagine that moving the palace was to be expected. Less expected was exactly where he moved the palace to, since Karu decided not to stay put in the Asuka region, and instead chose to move the palace to the port of Naniwa, where the continental envoys came. There are numerous examples throughout Japanese history where a change was made to move the capital, or at least the seat of government, to somewhere new.  In many cases, this was to get away from various political forces that had become entrenched in the capital region.  Courtiers and their retinue would settle near the palace, and soon an entire area was controlled, physically and politically, by a few powerful families or institutions.  The Asuka region, for example, had started out as the ancestral stronghold of the Soga clan, and for the past century had operated as the seat of Soga controlled sovereigns.  Tamura, or Jomei Tennou, had seemingly tried to move a little ways outside, near the site of Kudaradera, but his wife and successor, no doubt with the assistance and counsel of Soga no Emishi, had moved back into the Asuka valle, proper. Moving to Naniwa would have been quite the undertaking, as it didn't just mean moving the palace, but it meant moving the whole infrastructure of the government.  Granted, this wasn't exactly on par with the size and complexity of the Imperial dynasties in what we now know as China, but it did mean that the powerful families would need to make sure that they had a residence of some sort near the new capital if they wanted to be close to the reins of power.  That meant that they would need to also expend some of their own resources, as well. Also, it would be a good time to provide a sense of renewal for the era.  The Chroniclers added a line, taken from various Chinese histories, that shortly after the announcement of the new capital's location, rats were seen moving across the countryside in the direction of Naniwa.  At its most basic level, this likely recognized that when the people abandon a capital for a new city, that new city quickly has its own population.  No doubt it was felt that the rats had simply followed the people there.  The migration of rats would figure into several other movements during this reign, as well.  It was apparently a popular trope. The movement started in the twelfth month of the first year of Taika, or 645, and would be completed in the third month of the following year, 646.  That was around the same time that word was coming back from the lands in the east about just how things were going with the newly appointed governors.  Giventhe killing of Furubito no Ohoye in the 11th month of 645, as well as everything else that was now happening, the capital would be the catalyst for a fresh new slate in more ways than one.  The building of the new palace, and the need to entreat the kami, that would be used as an excuse to issue a general amnesty -- the “Get out of jail free” card for the governors and others who hadn't quite gotten on board, which we talked about last episode.  They were shown the stick, but offered a carrot.  While not explicitly stated, this may have also been a time to bury the hatchet for the pro-Furubito faction as well, giving them a chance to move on.   And there was a lot of movement to be had.  We are told that there was a proclamation in the first month of 646—a proper edict of reforms.  These are laid out in four articles, and are perhaps the closest we have to a true “code” of the reforms from this era.  And warning: this is where the reforms get really radical. The first article was on land ownership and allocation.  Specifically, it abolished the various royal Miyake and the previously established “representatives of children”—which I'm guessing refers to the various families that were tasked with supporting some of the various royal princes and other royal descendants.  It also abolished various farmsteads of serfs and abolished the bonds of those serfs who owed their service to various royal families; the ministers, the Omi and the Muraji; and general courtiers, the Tomo no Miyatsuko; as well as the various lords of the lands, the Kuni no Miyatsuko, and even down the villages, to the level of the Mura no Obito. In place of these mechanisms of bringing in rice and other goods, various fiefs were created out of the previously held land and redistributed to various princes and officials on a descending scale, with those at the top of the courtly rank system getting the most productive, and less for those further down.  To sweeten this deal, gifts of cloth were also given at the time of the edict, likely as a way to offset any harsh feelings. In the end, this article completely rewrote how land was owned in the archipelago, at least in principle.  The land belonged to the sovereign, who apportioned it out as required.  The fiefs would then supply incomes to government officials, effectively providing them a salary.  Those higher in the court system, which is to say those with a higher court rank, would have a larger stipend.  Some version of this system, which wasn't always as strictly enforced, would continue right up until it was abolished in the early Meiji era. The second article of the reforms largely targeted the capital and the “Home Provinces”, recognized, today, as the area from modern Iga city in the east; to Mt. Seyama, in Wakayama, to the south. It extended westward past modern Kobe to the Akashi area, and north to Afusakayama, on the southwestern shores of Lake Biwa, due east of modern Kyoto city.  These correspond largely to the areas that were traditionally under Yamato's direct rule, and where many of the noble families had their base of operations.  Actual governors were appointed to the home provinces, like Kii, Kawachi, Harima, Yamashiro, etc., with various roads, barriers, outposts, and more created to secure the home territories.  Post horses were included, and this is the first mention of the creation of bell tokens, a kind of bronze amulet with various round “bells” incorporated into the design.  These bell tokens would become a kind of badge of office for anyone traveling, as they would be used at government posts along the road to determine what kinds of and how many horses a given official was entitled to during their official travel. The area within the capital itself was divided into “wards”, or “Bo”.  Each ward would have an “wosa” appointed from the population.  Aston translates this as “alderman”, though it feels like “magistrate” is more appropriate.  For every four wards, an unagachi, or chief magistrate, was appointed.  These wosa and unagachi were charged to watch over the people and investigate criminal matters.  They were supposed to be people of “good character and solid capacity”, and if nobody in the ward could serve, then someone could be chosen from an adjoining ward, instead. Throughout the rest of the home provinces, the land was divided up into “townships” (RI or Sato), rather than wards, and townships would be gathered into “districts” (GUN or Koori).  Large districts were those with over forty townships.  Middle districts were those with anywhere from four to thirty townships.  And districts of three or fewer townships were considered Lesser Districts.  The Japanese for these would be Tai-gun, Chuu-gun, and Shou-gun, but I should note that it is unclear whether that was the actual term used or just the way to write it in the Sinitic style of the Chronicles.  The governors of these areas were the Tairei and Sharei, glossed in Japanese as the Koori no Miyatsuko and the Suke no Miyatsuko, though Aston suggests those were just translations, and the Yamato court was probably using the On'yomi for the names as this was an attempt to copy continental governance.  For these positions, you were expected to be not just good, but of “unblemished” character.  They were assisted by clerks and others who were skilled in writing and arithmetic.  I suspect a lot of this was also applied to the governors discussed in the previous episode, though we did not see such a clear list of qualifications for them and their staff at the time. So that set up the governance of the capital and the capital region, in a model that would be followed elsewhere. The third of the four articles provided for drawing up accounts of the land and people—much as the governors were doing in the east.  They also create The Books, as in the accounting books for the government.  These were to record the state of, well, the State.  How many people, what land was out there, in what condition, and to whom did it belong.  It would be the official register of receipts telling everyone what land belonged to whom. It also defined the townships, or Ri, as being made up of 50 households, with one magistrate per township, as above.  However, given that these townships were in the countryside, the magistrate was also responsible for the direction of sowing the crops and the cultivation of mulberry trees, used primarily for silk production.  It also fell to the magistrate to enforce the payment of taxes, both in rice and forced labor. And here we see just how much those taxes were.  Rice fields were measured by “tan”, sometimes translated as “kida”, which was an area of thirty paces by twelve paces.  That comes out to somewhere between 9,000 to 11,000 square feet, depending on the size of the pace—a modern “tan” is figured at 10,800 square feet, or a little over one thousand square meters or a bit under one quarter of an acre.  From there, ten tan would make a CHO, the largest land unit mentioned here.  All of this was only true of flat land, however.  For steep and wooded land, the various officials in charge would need to make special arrangements.  Afterall, a thousand square meters of cliff face wasn't exactly producing a ton of rice—or mulberry trees, for that matter.  The tax for each tan of cultivated land  was 22 bundles of rice on the stalk.  A single bundle was the amount that a person could reasonably grasp in one hand.  Ten bundles made up a sheaf, so actually it was 2 sheafs and 2 bundles.  The edicts then laid out the math to verify that for a CHO it was 22 sheafs, or ten times that of a TAN.  And all of this can be pretty boring and, well, academic, but it starts to get us a glimpse into life outside of the elite courtiers.  We can see that they assumed a community was about 50 households in rural areas, and you likely would have gotten to know your neighbors, as they were the ones you were planting and harvesting with.  While I'm not sure that a TAN was equivalent to a single field, we can see that four TAN would have been roughly an acre of land—an acre itself being an agricultural unit that was about as much land as a single individual could work in a day. What isn't clear from all of this is what was the expected gross yield of the field—in other words, how much of the crop would the farmers themselves be able to keep?  In later centuries, farmers often couldn't afford to keep their own crop of rice, and had to settle for eating millet and other, cheaper grains, with almost all of the rice they grew going to pay their taxes Besides taxes on the fields, there were also other taxes to be considered, but these were dealt with in the fourth and final article of the reforms of 646.  Up front, this article abolished any earlier taxes that may have been imposed, clearing the way for a new tax structure.  From there, it first laid out a series of alternatives to rice for paying your taxes.  One was the ability to pay in cloth, so for instance, if you had a single TAN of land, you could pay the 2 sheafs and 2 bundles of rice OR you could pay 10 feet of fine silk, 2.5 feet in width—the width of most home looms at the time.  Alternatively there were conversions into coarse silk (double it to 20 feet) or another bast fiber cloth (double again, to 40 feet).  Silk thread or silk floss are not mentioned as a substitute for the rice tax on land. But: this Article also laid out additional taxes to those on the fields.  Each household would have to also produce at least 12 shaku—roughly 12 feet—of bast fiber cloth each year.  There were also other taxes such as salt, etc., all depending on what was locally produced.  And on top of that, for every 2 townships of 100 people, they had to produce a single horse for the government.  A particularly fine horse could be used to cover the taxes for up to 4 townships.  And if they could not produce a horse, they would need to provide up to 12 feet of cloth per household to offset the cost of the government buying one.  That is 12 feet of cloth in addition to what they already had to pay. In addition to that, every person was expected to supply a sword, armor, bow and arrows, a flag, and a drum.  This may have only been for those able-bodied men called up for service, though—it isn't exactly clear. And then, when there were public works to be done, each township had the responsibility to offer up a single, able-bodied individual, and to provide 22 feet of cloth and 5 masu of rice for their service, to keep them clothed and fed.  This was actually an improvement on previous corvee labor requirements, which required one person per thirty households, who were all supposed to support them. Finally, there is a note about Uneme—the handmaidens at the court.  Uneme were drawn from the sisters or daughters of district officials of the rank of shorei and upwards.  Each Uneme was expected to be furnished with one male and two female servants to attend to their needs.  They would be provided cloth and rice similar to laborers, except that the cost was to be spread out across one hundred households, not just fifty. Again, we get a glimpse of what life under the new regime was like—or at least what it was supposed to be like.  We saw mention of taxes and other such things early on in the Chronicles, but this is the first time we really get to see what kinds of taxes would be levied on the common households.  A single agricultural household would likely be responsible for some portion of the town's field-tax, as well as a tax of cloth on their own home, and possibly supporting a laborer or even the purchase of a government horse.  Finally, they could also be responsible for providing for one of the handmaidens of the court. It was clear that the state was extending its reach in new ways.  In some cases this would have clearly been an improvement: there was a reduction in the amount of labor that people had to provide, and things were being standardized.  There were bureaucratic lines being built from the townships and wards up through to the sovereign, providing a clear connection between sovereign and vassal.  On the other hand, this trod on the ancestral traditions of certain groups.  We saw the attempted revolt around Prince Furubito no Ohoye, but after his death, the opposition didn't really have a central figure to rally around.  And so the reforms would continue. Although the reforms at the start of 646 may have been some of the most formal, there is still a lot of change to come and we'll deal with that in the next few episodes. Until then, thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

UFF and UDA flags erected outside a new social housing development in north Belfast. A woman fighting for her disabled daughters rights to be looked after appropriately in a care home finally gets the result she was entitled to all along and the BBC has once again revealed its annual list of the corporation's highest earning talent.

I'm not often left speechless when I'm interviewing guests, but for a few moments here I struggled to digest what Rebekah Kik was telling me about Kalamazoo. If you're a planner, you must listen to this episode. This is a truly inspirational effort in a city that doesn't get the limelight. For a city of about 75,000 people in a quiet corner of Michigan, the staff and community have done amazing work.The story is mostly about a planning effort called Imagine Kalamazoo, which sounds like every garden-variety planning effort everywhere. But, the way it came together and what it produced in short order is truly unique. Learn how a plan executed at a high level helped attract corporate funding on the back side that will help the day-to-day livability of the city.Along the way, we trace Rebekah's career from a small college in Michigan, Andrews University, to working as an architect and planner. She talks about how her drawing skills helped her survive the Great Recession, and how her tenacity is helping her home town get better.I've said before, and I'll stand by it, that the most innovative work in local governments happens in smaller cities and towns. Kalamazoo definitely rings the bell for that theory - accomplishing the kinds of successful efforts that we so rarely see in large cities. More to come on that at a future date.Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin's Substack page.Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here. If you'd like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5.Intro: “Why Be Friends”Outro: “Fairweather Friend”Episode Transcript:Kevin K (00:00.802) Welcome back to the Messy City Podcast. This is Kevin Klinkenberg. Sometimes you, over the course of your career, you get to know people and see them and see, watch their careers evolve along with yours. And if you're fortunate, you can see people, meet people when they're young and see them grow into all sorts of new positions and do interesting work. And today I'm fortunate to have a guest that's a little bit like that. We have... The assistant city manager for Kalamazoo, Michigan, Rebecca Kick here. Rebecca, how you doing? Rebekah Kik (00:39.082) I'm really well Kevin, thank you. Kevin K (00:41.666) I was just thinking earlier, I think I met you originally when you were a student at Andrews, is that right? Rebekah Kik (00:47.594) That's correct. We got to intersect our paths when I was on charrette with Professor Philip Bess. Kevin K (00:58.594) Yeah, yeah. So, and Phil, we've had Phil here on the show before. He'll probably do so again, I'm sure, especially now that he's in retirement and his schedule is going to open up a little bit more. But yeah, those were some fun days that seemed like about a million years ago. Rebekah Kik (01:17.194) It really was. Mostly because I used to just chase Philip at his heels. I knew he was doing cool things. I did. I just knew he was doing cool things and I wanted to know desperately what he was doing and I begged him to take me. where he was going. I told him I would do anything. I would fetch coffee. I would make copies. You know, get lunches. I would do whatever he needed me to do. I would be that gopher, that little sponge, because I knew he was hanging around with cool people and I wanted to learn and know and do. And I believe that charrette Kevin K (01:48.61) You Rebekah Kik (02:14.633) was in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And it was in the Hartside neighborhood. And that was the first time I had ever heard, I believe at that time, we were calling them traditional neighborhood codes or they weren't called form -based codes yet. They were regulating plans or something like that. They were much more technical still at that point. But they were... Kevin K (02:16.609) Yep. Yeah, that was all like early days stuff for new urbanism and coding and all that. So let's just go back to that a little bit, Rebecca. I just, I think it's interesting. So you went to a really small college in Michigan, Andrews University. Did you, did you like grow up in Michigan or how did you find Andrews? Rebekah Kik (02:45.834) Yes. Rebekah Kik (02:56.394) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (03:02.058) Yes, I did. So I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and I didn't know I wanted to be an architect. My mother was an administrative assistant in an architecture firm and I had my own desk at the firm. She would pick me up from school and I would sit at my desk and I was given different kinds of plans all the time that I would be finishing with different templates that I would draw and I would be picking out finishes and finish drawing, finish the plans. They would teach me how to add walls, tell me about wall thicknesses, things like that. They were building foam core models that, you know, maybe that model didn't meet the... client specs or whatever. So I would take the model home and I would finish it myself. I was doing architecture all the time and the architects at the time would just laugh at me because I'd be like, I can't be an architect. That's not a real job. And the whole time just loving everything that they were doing. And so finally, of course, here was graduating from high school and I told my mom's boss. Kevin K (04:13.826) Hehehehe Rebekah Kik (04:26.378) I was looking for an architecture school and that's when he said, where are you visiting? Where are you going? And I said, well, I just visited University of Michigan. Went to Lawrence Institute of Technology and he said, have you gone to Andrews University yet? And I said, no, you know, where's that at? And he goes, well, please do. You know, it's down in Bering Springs. And I... have to say I walked through the door I saw this nearly four foot tall and it was built completely out of wood and it was this craftsman, this quarter scale craftsman home. And the details were so beautiful and hanging behind it was this analytics. Rebekah Kik (05:29.418) It was hand drawn. It was ink rendered, you know, like the Chinese style ink, you know, Richard Akonomakis from the University of Notre Dame came and taught this third year course, this analytic course. And then in your fourth year, you built this model. I was captivated. That was it. It was this. moment and then I met with Lou Seibold and I walked around that it's a pole barn. Let's be honest, if you have not visited Andrews University, you look at the work on the walls and you can't peel your eyes away. But if you zoom out for a second, you will lose it because it is a pole barn and a series of trailers. But the work Kevin K (06:19.17) Hehehe Rebekah Kik (06:25.738) and the students and the heart and the community that is built at Andrews will suck you in and you will know. Kevin K (06:36.962) Yeah. Yeah. I had the pleasure to come speak at Andrew's one time and then do some critiques. And it's a really unique, it's a very small college. And it's a religious college or it's affiliated with the Seventh -day Adventist. And it's one of the few colleges in the country that for lots and lots of years has actually taught a more sort of traditional pre -war. Rebekah Kik (06:46.378) Mm -hmm. Kevin K (07:04.738) approach to architectural design and urban design. So, I mean, that all, when you're 18 years old, you don't really know or understand any of that stuff. But I mean, how do you think that shaped your educational experience? Rebekah Kik (07:18.922) my goodness. The first book that I was handed in my first year, first class, Timeless Way of Building. And that was it. It shaped everything. When you're handed a treatise like that, your whole life is set on this path. And you realize Kevin K (07:30.242) Hmm. Yeah. Rebekah Kik (07:48.33) that there's. There's a healing you can do in the work. that. Rebekah Kik (08:05.482) Yeah, there's a healing that you can do in your work and there's a harm that you can do in your work. And I chose the path of healing. And you realize that when you graduate, let me be clear, once you get out into that world and you, especially in your fifth year at Andrews, by your fifth year, you're doing sort of these professional practice classes. you are seeing, and finally with these eyes, you're at the, you know, the scales fall off and you're like, my God, you know, suburban sprawl. And you understand like what the built environment is. And you, you understand like what your responsibility to, you know, how you place your buildings and, that you have this moral responsibility, for what you're doing in. in the space and you now want to repair and you want to show others that you can repair. And I remember entering professional practice and driving every architecture firm that I then proceeded to work for insane. Kevin K (09:33.666) You Rebekah Kik (09:34.377) Because I catch, they'd be like, okay, in turn, you know, read the zoning rules, tell us where we can put the building. And I'd say, but these are wrong. We shouldn't put our building like this. And they go, Rebecca, come on, like, really, just tell us where does the building go? Like, tell us the building envelope, like, just do the sketch. And I'm like, but we can't do it like this. it shouldn't be this way. Like, look at the, look at across the street. Like, this isn't responsible. You have to go somewhere else. Kevin K (10:10.178) Yeah. Yeah, it does kind of ruin you for working in like a lot of typical architecture firms, especially like big shops. Rebekah Kik (10:21.386) It does. It does. And so you have to be, and this is what I tell architects who are graduating, like you, I'm so sorry, like you're ruined now. Like you have to be really, really careful about who you're going to work with and for, and where you're going to go because you are going to be frustrated and you're going to frustrate others. Kevin K (10:37.762) Yeah. Kevin K (10:44.098) Yeah. Well, I will tell you one thing I do remember from my visits to Andrew's is I was so jealous of the drawing ability of what I saw the students creating. And long after I had gone off and graduated from college and I would see the work that you all were producing and the work that students at Notre Dame was producing, I would just think, my God, these students are all going to get great jobs because look at this They can all draw and it's beautifully done. And it really, you know, it left me feeling like, okay, I better go find something else to do. Rebekah Kik (11:21.578) You know, I do say that kept me employed during the downturn. And it kept me flexibly employed. So I got laid off three times. And that was hard. And it allowed me to seriously surf those crazy waves. because I could draw. So I got employed by, this is how I learned planning by experience. Because I was never interested in planning school. I could never have just planned school. I just, I don't have the patience for it. But I was able to walk alongside of planners. Kevin K (12:07.778) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (12:18.858) and transportation planners especially, and engineers. And I could help them express their vision. So when they were doing road diets, you know, I worked for Gladding Jackson in Orlando. And that was so much fun. My time with them, I spent six years with them after UDA. Because, and that's what I did. I was there, one of their lead illustrators on their transportation planning team. And that's how I got hired was because I could draw. And I did everything vertical because they could, they had great planners and they could do everything flat. And they needed someone to vision everything vertical and do all the infill when they were doing the sprawl repair, when they were doing highway teardowns. then I could come in, do the SketchUp model, and then vision everything vertical for them. Yeah. Kevin K (13:23.234) Interesting. So one thing I will say real quick is, I think I may have pushed you to move the mic a little too close. I'm getting a touch of static off of it. So there you go. That's fine. Test that there. Okay. Let's try that. don't worry, I can edit and cut things. That's not a big deal. So, well, I think about that and I think it's a great testimony to having an actual skill. Rebekah Kik (13:36.906) Okay. Rebekah Kik (13:43.274) Okay. Kevin K (13:53.058) You know, and you, you know, you and some of the others that came out of those schools had to have a real marketable skill, which was really learning how to draw beautifully by hand, which, you know, I think a lot of people think that that's just something you can either do or you can't do, but it actually is teachable. And, and so I've always been jealous of that. And I've observed something similar to what you talked about that the folks that I knew in the profession who had that ability to draw by hand. Rebekah Kik (13:53.738) Yes. Rebekah Kik (14:09.994) Yes. Kevin K (14:22.626) They have never lacked for work. They have always had people wanting to hire them. And of course, the better you are at it, the more work that you get. So it's even in our high tech age, that ability to just be able to sit down and draw beautifully by hand is incredibly valuable. Rebekah Kik (14:41.226) Yeah, it is. And I feel like even in my job now as city, when I, when I got hired by the city of Kalamazoo, even as city planner, just being able to sit down with whoever I'm talking to, when I can pull out a piece of paper and draw, it's like a universal communication. It just feels really good. I love it. Kevin K (15:12.546) Well, it's like a superpower. I mean, I've seen that, you know, so many, so many times even, you know, with fellow architects in other firms, like when I was a young person and I, there was a project manager I worked with when we did a lot of schools and he had a great ability to just like, we would meet with a client and all of a sudden he could just whip out a sheet of paper really quickly, three -dimensionally diagram what we were talking about and everybody got it. And it was just like, bam. Rebekah Kik (15:19.946) Yeah. Kevin K (15:41.538) I never really had that ability very well. So I probably appreciate that in other people. And then I've often like overpaid for it just because like, you know, I know how important those drawings are. So I always like to hire good, good renders and people who can really, really draw. So you talked about, you bounced around a little bit. You survived the meltdown, the economic meltdown in 2008, 2010. Rebekah Kik (16:04.298) Yeah. Kevin K (16:10.69) How did you end up back in Kalamazoo? Which I didn't know you grew up there. That's really cool. So you're working for a city government and a place you grew up. Rebekah Kik (16:16.618) Yeah. Yeah, so that's a little bit about how I ended up back here. So the last layoff in 2010, Gladding Jackson merged with AECOM. Kevin K (16:33.89) huh. Rebekah Kik (16:36.138) I was a tough one. I was a little too much for a lot of me and my Gliding Jackson colleagues kind of scattered after that one. And I ended up with a really great freelance contract after that one. I was doing a lot of fun on -call planning, transportation planning work in Southern Colorado. And lots of good things came out of that. But one good relationship that came out of it was a transportation planning relationship with Brad Strader out of LSL planning who was in Detroit at the time. And so I was coming back to Michigan. I had grandparent who passed away who was in Richland, Michigan, which is just outside of Kalamazoo and Me and my brother had actually inherited her home and My brother was gonna remain in Kentucky. He didn't want to move back home and I said well I had just had my son and just got married and we had our first child and I was like Those are the things that bring you home Kevin K (18:04.418) Sounds familiar. Rebekah Kik (18:05.61) Yep. So Xander was 10 months old and we moved back to Michigan and I started contracting with LSL planning and I started doing some charrette work with them in Kalamazoo and Lansing. And I was doing some traveling to Toledo and Detroit and doing some charrette work and things like that with them. It was fun. And so one of those projects was on Portage Street here in Kalamazoo. And we were doing some work and the city of Kalamazoo was like, what is this team? Like, what is this process that they're doing? We did all kinds of really cool exercises on this road diet that we were going to do on this four lane road. And they were like, whoa, this. She's a planner and architect and she talks like an engineer and we need a city planner. Let's take her out to lunch. She says she's from Kalamazoo. Does she know we need a city planner? So they did. They took me out to lunch and I told them, you know, gosh, I really love my work with LSL right now. you know, I kind of have a really cake job. They pay me really well and working on all these really fun projects. That's when the Q line was about to go into Detroit. I had already done some light rail in Vancouver and Minneapolis, and I really loved doing light rail projects. And... they started to tell me, we're about to start this new master plan for the city of Kalamazoo. Gosh, we haven't had a city planner in like a year. We really need somebody like you here. We really, you know, don't have a vision for transportation for the city. And I just thought, gosh, I was like, I'm not a planner, though, you guys. Like, I don't really, I don't really know if you would Rebekah Kik (20:30.346) like somebody like me here, they said, well, why don't you just interview? Would you just interview, just meet us? And so I said, OK, well, maybe I'll just interview. So I went back home and I talked to my husband about it. And I said, you know, maybe I'll just interview. Maybe. You know, I wouldn't be traveling so much and things like that. And Zana is still little, so maybe that's better, you know, that I'm just home more. So, you know, I interviewed, and then they asked me for a second interview. And they said, would you prepare a PowerPoint about how you would run a master plan process for us? Kevin K (21:24.898) You're like, well, yeah, I can do that. Rebekah Kik (21:26.73) And I thought, okay, sure, why not? I'll show you how I'd run your master plan process. So I put this Imagine Kalamazoo process together and I thought, okay, now we'll see if they really want to hire me. I'll blow them away, right? Like I'm just gonna do the kitchen sink it down. Let's see if they're up for this. And I did, I threw the kitchen sink at them. I was like, who is it? Kevin K (21:42.914) He he. Rebekah Kik (21:54.762) here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna have 70 person work group. You're gonna engage 5 ,000 people in your city and you are gonna, you're gonna go to where they are. You're not having these town hall meetings. You're gonna have youth development. You are going to, you know, because I did all this stuff in Colorado. I did these 26 like county meetings and I had them all build off of each other. I did like these really crazy engagement kind of things. And they lapped it up. Like they loved it so much. And they were like, yes, you know, you're hired. And that's like, my gosh, now I have to deliver. Kevin K (22:37.858) Hahaha Rebekah Kik (22:41.354) and I did, I delivered it. I became city planner. I ran the largest community engagement, the city has ever done. I engaged nearly 5 ,000 people through 75 ,000. Kevin K (23:01.086) my God. And how big is Kalamazoo? Jeez. So like, boy, about 15 % or so of the population. That's incredible. Rebekah Kik (23:08.554) Yes, and this is where the surreal meter just goes off the chart. It resulted in... several billionaires in our city creating a permanent $500 million endowment called the Foundation for Excellence for the City of Kalamazoo to permanently implement Imagine Kalamazoo forever. Kevin K (23:52.546) So, I mean, my jaw is dropping here. I'm sitting here trying to absorb this. So, all right. So first of all, I have to, so how does a town of 75 ,000 people have billionaires at all? Rebekah Kik (24:05.93) Striker, Pfizer, Zollettis. What else do we have? The Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company started here. Yeah, we have several medical manufacturing and pharmaceutical, like the... COVID vaccine ground zero is here. Yeah. So. That's how we have like the billionaires are here, but they saw that we were doing something drastically different with our community outreach. They saw that. Kevin K (25:03.042) So when, I mean, that's an enormous amount of money in any community to contribute to some sort of, what sorts of things did they think they wanted to immediately fund? Rebekah Kik (25:15.818) So they, the first thing they did was they made us economically competitive with all of the other municipalities around us and they lowered our tax villages to be even with everyone else around us. So that's one thing that they did was they stabilized all of our property taxes. So they actually Yes. Rebekah Kik (25:44.906) give the city seven million dollars a year so we had a level playing field for all of our. Secondly, the priorities within Imagine Kalamazoo are things like making sure that we have all of our sidewalk connections. We have all of our potholes filled. We have all of our core services are taken care of. All of our trees are trimmed. All of our lights are lit. All of our streets are swept. Like we have solid core services. Then all of our parks are moat. All of our football fields look amazing. All of our youth programs are taken care of. We have things like summer camps. It's called Super Rec. Recreation programs, our pools are open always. You know, those are like what? call like our community promise that all of those things are tip top shape, always quality and level of service are met. And then we have what are called like our aspirational things. So maybe we want to make sure that Every neighborhood that has a major park also has a splash pad. That would be aspirational. So we've been working on making sure that those parks have great splash pads. And we've installed about four of those now. The next aspirational thing that we have is making sure that Rebekah Kik (27:43.658) All of our bike lanes are connected throughout the city so that you can ride from your, you know, just about every school is connected or elementary school is connected within a quarter mile distance, you know, reasonably. So we're kind of mapping that out and making sure that we have like that good safe routes to school plan. So that's another aspiration that we have. Kevin K (28:09.186) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (28:13.738) So things like that. Kevin K (28:13.986) So then like how much of those things that you described are like under the banner of like the city government, it's what it does year after year and how much of it is like through this additional corporate support. Rebekah Kik (28:26.666) Yeah, we would never be able to do this under what the city government has. We just don't have enough tax base and enough of our own funding to do that. And so we use this additional five to $8 million per year that we get from that $500 million endowment. That's what we get about like the interest. Kevin K (28:37.058) Mm -hmm. Kevin K (28:49.026) Okay. Rebekah Kik (28:53.034) from that $500 million is about $5 to $8 million additional aspirational funding is what we get to go with. Kevin K (29:02.082) So their idea is to try to keep that $500 million as capital long term. And then they're spending the interest or giving it back to the city. Just by comparison, what's your city budget overall? The total city budget. Do you have an idea? Rebekah Kik (29:06.026) Mm -hmm. Yep. Rebekah Kik (29:10.922) Yep. Yes. Rebekah Kik (29:17.61) Yeah, it's about 182 million. Yeah. We're like 25 square miles, just to give you an idea. We're pretty compact city. We're very, I mean, we've got some big streets. We're pretty walkable. Pretty compact. Kevin K (29:23.746) Okay. So cute. Kevin K (29:31.266) Okay, 180, yeah. Yeah. Kevin K (29:40.77) Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's an older city that was probably largely built out pre -World War II. Yeah. So, so that's interesting. So then maybe in any given year, it could be five to 10 % of the city budget more or less, depending on how it works out that that's getting kicked in extra. That's pretty cool. Rebekah Kik (29:44.554) Yes. Mm -hmm. Yes. Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (29:56.97) Yes. Yeah, and we do, we also have like a incremental development loan program for housing. We've got pre -permitted housing plans. We do small business development out of those funds. Yeah, we've got a lot of buckets. Kevin K (30:20.898) Well, so let's talk about some of those buckets. What do you mean by your incremental development fund? What's that all about? Rebekah Kik (30:24.842) Yeah. Rebekah Kik (30:29.258) Yeah, so back in that day also when I was the Young City Planner in 2015, Kevin K (30:39.266) And how many planners are on staff? Rebekah Kik (30:42.762) So at that time, there were five of us. Okay? And everybody had their own job. So, you know, I had a historic preservation coordinator. I had a zoning administrator. I had a site plan coordinator. I had no general planners. That was me. I was the generalist on staff as the quote unquote city planner. Kevin K (31:08.482) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (31:14.026) And so I. I knew the zoning code was completely broken. And before I was going to start the master plan, I read all the past master plans back to 1977. So there were four master plans. And the 1998 plan was the most curious. And it had said, it's in this little sidebar, which send it to you. It says, you have a problem to solve. You have a contradiction to solve. You're a city that relies on a tax base. However, you want to reduce that by expanding your lot sizes. because it was saying, you know, you wanted to go to the suburban model. They wanted to create 60 foot wide lots and really suburbanize, creating this R1 district. However, you're a city that relies on taxes. And their standard lot size at that time was 32 feet. And so they're like, basically, you're crushing your tax base. Kevin K (32:43.618) Yeah, so kind of a classic Strong Town's math problem here with the development pattern. Rebekah Kik (32:45.418) And so. Yes. And so here it is in that 1998 sidebar, like some consultant just like shoved it in there and said like, warning, warning, Will Robinson, it's over here. And so I had read that and at that time, Jim Cooman was the executive director there and he was in town doing this. Kevin K (32:58.786) Hahaha Rebekah Kik (33:20.554) developer boot camp with us and I handed the zoning code to Jim and John Anderson and I said hey you guys I think I'm reading our master plan and what I would really love is if you guys just maybe just flip through this with your small developer brains and maybe mark it up a little bit and Tell me what I need to do through like maybe a first blush. Like what if I could do anything right now, change anything, what would I do? And I still have John Anderson's red lines of my zoning code. I refuse to get rid of that. I swear, I'm gonna give it to the museum. Yes, and. Kevin K (34:08.514) Hehehe Yeah, you should frame it and, you know, hang it up. Rebekah Kik (34:17.994) Because it is the first text amendment and this is when we decided we would not do a full overhaul of the zoning ordinance and we would do an incremental Zoning Changes because that's what we would do. We would just say okay. Well, we can just do this. We will just do these text amendments Kevin K (34:44.642) because you didn't want to hire a consultant for a million dollars and take five years to overhaul the zoning code and then have it fail. Rebekah Kik (34:48.778) No, because that's right. And that's not what we needed to do. Because we just needed to do some tweaks. Because it was just the setbacks. The setbacks were the issue. And unlocking those stupid square footage requirements. And we had this really, really great, we had like this. tea room requirement. Like you could do this tea room as long as your house. I still wish we could find like who the hell was this for? It was like a tea room and the house had to be like 50 years old and it could be open from like 9 a to 7 p I mean it was so utterly specific. Like it had to be for somebody but... I mean, I wish we could figure out whose address that was for. Kevin K (35:47.554) you Rebekah Kik (35:50.09) It was unreal. But so, yeah, so that incremental development fund was again born out of this two and a half day session. We knew the Foundation for Excellence was kind of rolling in. And so I posed to the room. I said, OK, you guys, if I had a million dollars, what would you do with it? And they're like, what? What are you talking about? I said, no, seriously, a million dollars cash. I got a million dollars cash, what do I do with it? And they said, well, okay, Rebecca, if somebody graduated from this class, it's an equity fund. And you put those dollars aside and if you have it as a gap loan and it's 1 .5 % interest and it's for four units. And it's, you know, 80 to 120 percent AMI. And it's, you know, 30 year amortized, you know, here's the performance, here's how it fits in. And I was like, great, that's what it is. Okay. Kevin K (37:02.273) Hmm. So basically a way for like a small developer who's getting started to be able to work through basically to get bank financing because there's this other gap financing that can help out along the way. Rebekah Kik (37:17.93) Yes, and we also, so we do that loan program and we do it for four units. We do it at one and a half percent. We'll do it out for as long as we need to. We can be as patient with the capital as necessary. And we also can push it out further. Kevin K (37:46.818) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (37:47.914) So we can make it do, we can be two years out. We can do it after two years or five years if that helps so that you can get some rental income in for a couple years. For five years if that helps your bank as well. Kevin K (38:05.89) Interesting. Kevin K (38:10.946) So have you had some takers on this program? Rebekah Kik (38:13.674) Yeah, we've done, I think we've done at least four of those loans already. So, and we started that, unfortunately, so it started in 2019. We got that loan program and the policies up and going in 2019. So obviously COVID affected that. Kevin K (38:31.074) Mm -hmm. Kevin K (38:41.442) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (38:42.602) quite a bit, so we really hope that we can get some more of that out starting soon. Kevin K (38:48.45) Yeah. That's cool. That's a really interesting idea. So along with that, then you said you mentioned you've got a pre -permitted plan program. And I've talked with some of the folks in that world, the Jennifers and the Mats who do this kind of work. What all have you adopted or what have you done in Kalamazoo? Rebekah Kik (38:53.93) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (38:58.794) Yes. Rebekah Kik (39:10.25) Yeah, so we have duplexes. We have up and down duplexes and an ADU unit that we built. So it took us four years to get this launched as well. But that's because we started building with a nonprofit builder first. We built three duplexes and ADUs. and a cottage, a 900 square foot cottage as well. And we wanted to be sure that we had the Performa like as tuned as possible and that we got all of the kinks out in the plan also. And we have comps now because we built them. And we knew we needed that for the duplexes, not so much the cottage. I mean, we do have some smaller homes in the city. We also have some ADUs in the city. But we now have at least our pre -permitted ADU in the city. But the up and down duplex, we need banks. We're probably going to stop at that a little bit. We now have three of those built. Kevin K (40:23.81) That's cool. And do you think you'll expand that to other plans, other building types? Rebekah Kik (40:30.218) Absolutely, we have four plex, six plex, and 12 plexes coming. And we also have lined up our nonprofit builder to also be, and we're also funding our nonprofit builder with those Foundation for Excellence funds. Again, for us to take the risk in building those, putting the comps on the market. making sure we're getting the performer right. And it gives the developer a model, you know, to really see and touch and feel the quality of it, take a little bit of that risk out for them to see us build it and understand it as well. Kevin K (41:18.562) So along the way, you became the assistant city manager as well, moved up from planner to that. How and when did that happen? Rebekah Kik (41:31.498) So that happened in 2022. Yeah, and how that happened was a couple of things. So one was I had been in my direct, I moved from city planner to the director of community planning and economic development. in 2017. And so I was director for the longest time at the city. And as I was director, I absorbed economic developments. And I did that between 2018 and 2019. Our economic development director at the city retired. And he only had a staff of three. And I had been shadowing and working with Kevin K (42:02.466) Mm -hmm. Kevin K (42:15.65) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (42:29.066) the Brownfield authority the full time. And I finally said to him, I was like, you just, you retire, let me take on your department, you know, planning and economic development just need to be won. He knew like the whole time I was just like, come on, you know, like development is just becoming my thing. Kevin K (42:42.434) Mm -hmm. Rebekah Kik (42:58.602) I never knew I was like this budding developer inside the whole time. I had no idea. They don't tell you that in architecture school that you are like the secret developer. Because they never teach you the finance side in architecture, which they should. Kevin K (43:17.154) Yeah. Rebekah Kik (43:27.05) They should definitely teach you that. So I had gotten my economic development, finance professional certification and I took my test and I did that all during COVID. And at the same time, or just as I was coming out of COVID, I also had been working with the IA Women's municipal leadership program through the state of Michigan, slowly thinking about city management and leadership. And so I had been thinking about it. I had been talking to my city manager and to my boss, William, about that and about what career path looked like for me, what roles they were looking for in city management. At that time, there was a city manager who was about to retire and what they were looking for in their team member. And so then that city manager had retired and they hadn't hired anyone. And then there was a person who joined the city manager's team and they called her like, she was like a project manager and they called her like, like the strategic innovation coordinator or something like that. It was kind of a weird goal. Kevin K (45:14.178) Hehehe. Hehehe. Rebekah Kik (45:14.538) like, that is so my role. I was like, wait a minute, but she's not a city manager. And then she got some opportunity and she left. And you may or may not know this about me, but I'm sometimes I can be a little bold. So I went to my boss. I said, Kevin K (45:21.442) Mm -hmm. Kevin K (45:26.594) Hehehe Kevin K (45:34.242) Yeah. Rebekah Kik (45:42.474) So you may or may not be hiring for that role, but I think that that's my job. I'm going to put a job description in front of you. And I think this is my job description. And I kind of went like that. Kevin K (45:57.89) I love it. That's great. Kevin K (46:08.354) I love it. So obviously he was like, well, clearly you're right. Rebekah Kik (46:11.946) Clearly you're right. Yes. Exactly. And so I said, look, the strategic vision, Magic Helmets, 2035 is coming up. 2025 is due. And by the way, at Magic Helmets, 2025 every year, Kevin K (46:14.85) There's no other conclusion I can draw at that point. Rebekah Kik (46:36.617) I give the City Commission an update. I call it the Imagine Kalamazoo Birthday Celebration. They're all online. And I show the Commission how Imagine Kalamazoo gets implemented every single year. And I tell them that, you know, by the way, in Kalamazoo, we implement our master plans. And here's how we do that. And here's how I've shown you how we implement our 138 goals. how we're on track, how much money we've spent, how we take our community's vision and how we've implemented it. And so now this year, I've been showing them how we are going to create the strategic vision for Imagine Calendly 2035. And as city manager, I'm showing them how their strategic vision for the entire organization. I have been... My role now is as an organization leader. I have. been engaging the organization because that's, I didn't do that last time. I only engaged the community. So since October of last year, I've done six internal staff retreats. I've done an entire organizational survey. I've just started doing my second round of small group meetings where I've been engaging in what's called a group governance. meetings and I'm responding to all of my internal staff their needs in terms of tools, resources, staff capacity, funding, technology, policies, leadership, support, everything they need in order to support the community's vision. Rebekah Kik (48:37.386) So that when I go out to the community to find out what the community wants us to do, my staff is prepared to do that work. Kevin K (48:48.258) I mean, I'm really just, I'm a little blown away by all this. I'm kind of having a hard time digesting and coming up with questions because it's so, I mean, obviously this is the work of an architect. I mean, right. I mean, clearly this is what you went to architecture school for, to help, you know, reorganize and prioritize city management and get everybody, you know, working together as a team. Why don't you tease out what may be, without naming names, like a couple of the challenges. Rebekah Kik (48:59.626) Right. Kevin K (49:16.322) along the way or maybe something you see as an opportunity by going through that kind of internal reassessment. Rebekah Kik (49:24.298) Yeah, I mean, number one, this group has no clue what I'm doing. Like, teamwork to a government, they're utterly confused. They do their work on their team, absolutely. Like, their work in their department in their division on their team. Completely on board with that. But understanding that they're part of a larger organization that may have to talk to each other. or know what someone else does at somebody else's job. It's been a real hurdle to get them to realize that it's not someone else's fault that they don't know what the reason someone else is doing something else. It's been tough. Survey after survey after survey or conversation after conversation people will constantly tell me What's the problem communication the problems communication? And then I will say well, how would you like to communicate it? Well And it's the same in the community as it is with my staff Well, I don't read email. Well, if you send me something more, I'm not gonna look at it. Okay. Well then Rebekah Kik (51:15.05) So tattoos, like what do you want me to do? I can't literally come and talk to you every single day. Carrier Vigin, like I can't help you not help yourself. So it's, I can only do what I can do. I think they've appreciated at least that I'm trying. Rebekah Kik (51:41.322) I have tried to create relationships with supervisors as far down into the organization as I possibly can. And I've tried to let them know that they must talk to their staff because I know they won't read the email and I know they won't read the posting that I put on the board. So I just really, really tried to compel them that they must talk to their staff. because that is really the only way that I know that they can get information that I really want them to have about something. And that's probably the best I can do. And I have worked really, really hard to help people in these cross -departmental teams. That's so far been my best. possible angle at getting people to understand each other as best I can. The first meetings are absolutely the best because when people look at each other across the table and they're like, why are we here together? This feels so weird. The first couple times and then they get it. And they're like, okay, okay, we're good now. But the first couple times, it's really awkward. Now we're okay. Kevin K (53:11.298) Yeah. I mean, it seems to be like a lot of what you describe is kind of the siloed nature of a lot of city government, which I've certainly experienced and continue to experience. And there's something interesting here though, that I think that may help you, you, you think about this differently than others. And I want to have you comment on this. And that is, you know, all those years that you spent doing design charrettes. you know, you and I both did a ton of those, we learned from all the other masters of the new urbanism. and they really, one of the things that that group did that people don't talk about as much that I think is incredible was this invention of the interdisciplinary design charrette. And, the whole notion being that we would get, everybody who needed to work together on a project in a room, for, you know, a week. and we'd spend a week together solving a problem together. And so you, we'd have, certainly we'd have architects and planners, but we also had engineers. you know, we had people who knew codes. we, we had everybody who might, we had developers and builders, anybody who might impact the built environment. And I think one of the things that I learned through that process, I'm curious if you did as well was just how, that inner, how well that interdisciplinary. process worked to solve problems and it was so much faster than a typical planning process. Rebekah Kik (54:48.298) Yeah, no question. The interdisciplinary process with all those perspectives is... probably the biggest lesson learned and probably the way that I think about things almost subconsciously. It's probably just built in to my thought process and I'm not even thinking about it, but yes, it's just there now. You're absolutely right, Kevin. It's probably just there now. Yeah, of course that's the way I'm. Kevin K (55:26.85) Yeah, it's like in the background, you think, obviously this is the way to do things. Yeah. Yeah. So you also mentioned that in your email to me that you've also had some success recently with some big grants to help with big projects. What are those all? Rebekah Kik (55:31.114) I'm going about things. Yeah. Rebekah Kik (55:44.938) Yes. So I was just reflecting on this because it has been such a labor of of love for a long time. And now I'm, it's one of those things where you just keep watering it and watering it and watering it. And now I am like seeing all of it come to fruition in such incredible ways. And the public works director and I were just like high -fiving like crazy yesterday. So 10 years ago when I started, Director Baker and I, when we started on Imagine Kalamazoo, we started writing our connected city chapter. We got bold and we decided we were gonna write a land use and transportation master plan. And because that's what I was writing when I was a consultant, right? And I said, look, this is the right thing to do. because I want to change the land use, you want to change the streets as well. And I said, we have to do this together. I can't change this built environment without you. And you don't want these streets to stay the same either. You know they're not safe. So we have to write this land use transportation plan together. We can't do that without two way traffic in our downtown. We can't do that without a network. And we got to really put pressure on Michigan Department of Transportation. So the first thing that we had to have happen was we had to put a lot of pressure on Michigan Department of Transportation. They, for lack of a better way to say it, they owned all of our trunk lines, which were our main streets, our main one -way pair, which kind of circled our downtown and our main east. Rebekah Kik (57:50.57) East West and our main North Souths. And we finally got, we had a couple of friendly people, one which was our region planner for MDOT in our area and the governor's liaison was a friend, Andrew Hahn and Jason Latham. And at that time, again, it's just city planner, but I knew the language. So we sat down with MDOT at that time. This was the first domino to fall. And I, again, city, sometimes I wonder, like the city was like, gosh, this girl's mouth. I just got in every meeting and I said, Kim, we studied the network. And they said, those aren't, those are your streets. These are our streets. And I said, yes, but can we study the network? No, we're going to study .streets and you're going to study your streets. And I said, but we're going to fail at your two -way network because we don't have the same values. Can we study the network? And then they said, well, maybe we should just give you the streets back. I said, OK, that sounds good. So we finally got them to give us the streets back. Kevin K (59:04.642) Hehehehe Hahaha. Rebekah Kik (59:16.298) And we got to study the network and we got to show everyone that the two way, the reversal, it works. We can restore two way traffic. And that's how we got the first raise planning grant. Thanks to Pete Buttigieg being, you know, in his seat as secretary of transportation. And because all of the the TIDER grants, the BUILD grants, everything before was never a planning grant. So a city the size of Kalamazoo, you don't have $6 million put up for engineering and planning of these streets, right? So we, this was monumental for a city of our size to get a planning grant. And that was it. That was the first. time we and with the MDOT transfer we got nearly 12 million dollars with that because it was like well MDOT said well we were going to spend 12 million dollars just milling and filling those roads so we'll give you the 12 million we got to put that money up with our act 51 dollars got the match we got the six million dollars to do the planning then we got the planning done now we could show we'll shovel ready And then Monday we just found out we got $25 million raised grant to do the construction for Kalamazoo Avenue or for Michigan Avenue because we already got $12 million reconnecting America grant for Kalamazoo Avenue. And yeah, by the way, we got $38 million protect grant because that's for the flooding that happens on Stadium Drive. So here we are, a hundred million dollars in little old Kalamazoo, Michigan, all because it's in, it's in Imagine Kalamazoo, it's in our master plan, it's in land use transportation, it's there, it says it, it transforms our community. Kevin K (01:01:39.714) That's really, that's an incredible story. That's really amazing. So clearly you have a staff of like about 200 people working with you, right? Rebekah Kik (01:01:47.242) You know, all five of us, we are like paralyzed. We're having a happy hour tomorrow. You're invited. Kevin K (01:01:55.138) Well, I, you know, I have, have long had this, suspicion that, or this belief that the most interesting work happening in our field is cities that were under like 50 ,000 people. And I see now, I think I just need to raise that threshold to like 75 ,000 to loop Kalamazoo in, but it is, it's amazing how often this happens that it's the smaller cities that are doing the most groundbreaking work and doing it. Rebekah Kik (01:02:14.797) Just a couple more. Kevin K (01:02:24.738) really well. That's pretty incredible. So now, you know, obviously Michigan is not exactly a booming state in terms of population. Have you seen an impact on the city's like economic fortunes with some of the planning work? Is the city growing at all or how's that work? Rebekah Kik (01:02:41.994) You know, we are and we aren't. I don't think at this point we're losing anyone, but we're certainly not booming in any capacity necessarily. No, we're not growing in any industry per se. pretty quiet there. I think we're just doing good, steady work and we're just trying to be great and steady and consistent and keep who we've got, you know? Kevin K (01:03:24.162) Well, it seems like in certainly in the Rust Belt, being able to keep who you've got, have happy citizens and have a high quality of life, you're like way ahead of the game. Rebekah Kik (01:03:35.85) Yeah, no question. No question. Kevin K (01:03:40.481) Yeah. Rebecca, this has been an incredible story. I'm sure there's a lot more to it. If people want to look up more about what you've done and what you're doing in Kalamazoo, what's the best way to do that? Rebekah Kik (01:03:55.978) Imagine Kalamazoo .com. It's, yeah, yeah, it's got the whole story. It's got a page with all our plans, our process, our public participation plan. We tried to codify it. It's got a toolkit. It's, you know, go to where people are and have fun. Yeah. Kevin K (01:03:58.242) Okay, that's straightforward. Rebekah Kik (01:04:24.202) It also if you go to Kalamazoo city org You can at the bottom of the page you can see the foundation for excellence story You can see our investments you can see the 50 million dollars that we've invested in our city in our neighborhoods you can Could check out that whole story. It's Really incredible and just know we're incredibly grateful for it. We understand what it means for us and Yeah, we don't take it for granted. Yeah, thanks, Kevin. Kevin K (01:04:58.666) that's fantastic. Rebecca, it's been great catching up. I really appreciate your time doing this and look forward to following more of what's going on in Kalamazoo. Rebekah Kik (01:05:08.874) Hey, I'm just grateful for that opportunity. Thanks for allowing me to catch up and share our unique story. Kevin K (01:05:15.618) my pleasure. Take care. Rebekah Kik (01:05:17.578) Yeah, take care, Kevin. Get full access to The Messy City at kevinklinkenberg.substack.com/subscribe

Inicio de la campaña de renovación de abonos. Renovación de Bruno Langa y Maximiano. Bufandas de la UDA pero un oficiales del Sevilla.

Podcast from Defected Records Saturday Love - Show Me How To Love Me [Sweat It Out] 00:00Peggy Gou – Back To One [XL Recordings] 05:02CASSIMM – I Hear You [Rekids] 09:22Aqutie – CROWD CONTROL [Noir Fever Records] 13:24Chuck Roberts feat. Monique Bingham – In The Beginning (There Was Jack) [Ultra Music] 17:47Brookyln Baby - Only You [Outdom] 22:52thenattygroove – I Can't Feel At Home [White Label] 28:00Blaze presents UDA feat. Barbera Tucker – Most Precious Love (DF Future 3000 Mix) [Defected] 32:44Bas Noir – My Love Is Magic (Bushwacka! Edit) [Nu Groove Records] 37:11Robert Owens & Nolan – I'll Be Your Friend (Club Mix) [Faith] 41:47Armand Van Helden feat. Duane Harden – You Dont Know Me [Armed Records] 47:21Hardrive – Deep Inside [Strictly Rhythm] 52:07Honey Dijon feat. Rimarkable & Dope Earth Alien – Drama [Classic Music Company] 55:55Alison Limerick – Where Love Lives (Classic Mix) [Arista] 1:02:29Floorplan – Get Your Thing Together [Classic Music Company] 1:07:21BLOND:ISH & KeeQ feat. Chloe Paige - The Cure [Defected Records] 1:12:56Stacy Kidd – Nobody [House 4 Life] 1:17:45Ten Fingerz & James Curd feat. Mr Flip – Stash & Ride [Frappé] 1:22:35Ghettoblaster & Mikey V - I Really Want You (Hilit Kolet Remix) [Snatch!] 1:27:52Coflo feat. Mama Stacy - Yall Need Jesus (Night Mix) [Label] 1:33:00Stefan Braatz – Dingy Thoughts [Nu Groove Records] X John Julius Knight & Roland Clark – The Underground (Acapella) [Soulfuric] 1:37:30Avision – Hold No Groove [COD3 QR] 1:41:45Shaun Ross - Learn Something New (Mark Francis Stardust Mix) [Jex Records] 1:44:41Frankie Knuckles presents Satoshi Tomiie – Tears (Classic Vocal Mix) [FFRR] 1:50:33Michael Watford - My Love (Full Vox Edit) [Freetown Inc] 1:57:57

Graham Cousins grew up protestant in East Belfast and spent his late-teen years and early 20s in the Ulster Defense Association better known as the UDA, a loyalist paramilitary group formed in the early 70s. He has since become close friends with ex-paramilitaries from the other side including my last guest, ex-b*mb-maker Packy McMahon (https://youtu.be/R5XJQrUCeMk?si=zCipaXh0uMIK6P0j)Graham speaks to us about his mindset during the early 70s, his reasons for joining up, his thoughts on the UDA's policy of targeting innocent Catholics and how he left the group. Graham shared some interesting thoughts/insights into his mentality during the UDA days, the time that RUC officers let him “steal” their weapons, his memories of Ian Paisley, thoughts on a united Ireland and much moreIf you would like to help out the show please like, subscribe and share. I plan on doing bigger things with this show including walk through of areas, documentary-type videos and more.. if you would like to help fund these efforts please consider donating on Patreon or Buy My a Coffee.Thanks a million!!https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goodlistenerpodcastTIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro6:20 RUC COLLUSION w/ UDA 10:10 Why join UDA not UVF 15:05 How were catholic families intimidated out ?16:55 How did graham feel about his UDA activities at the time?18:00 Does Graham identify as British ?21:45 Ian Paisley 27:15 How did he view the UVF ?29:10 Any respect for the IRA ?31:25 Would Graham have known the main hitmen in the UDA ? 35:45 Women in the UDA37:50 Dual membership UDA/UDR 39:35 Living in England

TO ZNOWU MY, RYBECZKI! I CO TU DLA WAS PRZYGOTOWALIŚMY, TO NAWET NIE WIECIE! Udało nam się, co nie zdarza się często, porozmawiać na wszystkie tematy, które zapowiadamy na początku odcinka! A to nie zdarza się często! Mówimy więc o tym, że Embracer co prawda zwolnił mnóstwo ludzi, ale chociaż było im z tego powodu […]