Podcasts about variously

On today's episode, we talk about one of the most talked about battles in European History: The 732 battle of Tours. Variously called one of the most important battles in European history or a minor skirmish, the battle had a large impact on the minds of Medieval Europeans. But what might have happened if it had gone different?

One of Matts favorite cryptids!!! Mokele Mbembe is a dinosaur around the Congo. Here is what Wiki said about it..... In several Bantu mythologies, mokele-mbembe (also written as "mokèlé-mbèmbé") is a mythical water-dwelling entity that is believed to exist in the Congo River Basin. Variously described as a living creature or a spirit, mokele-mbembe's descriptions vary widely based on conflicting purported eyewitness reports, but it is often described as a large quadrupedal herbivore with smooth skin, a long neck, and a single tooth or horn, much like the extinct species sauropods. In the early to mid 20th century, the entity would become a point of focus among adherents of cryptozoology and young Earth creationism, resulting in numerous expeditions led by cryptozoologists and/or funded by young Earth creationists and other groups with the objective to find evidence that invalidates or contradicts the scientific consensus regarding evolution. Paleontologist Donald Prothero remarks that "the quest for Mokele-Mbembe ... is part of the effort by creationists to overthrow the theory of evolution and teaching of science by any means possible". Additionally, Prothero noted that "the only people looking for mokele-mbembe are creationist ministers, not wildlife biologists." Most mainstream experts believe that mokele-mbembe, as reported by Congolese natives, was probably inspired by the black rhinoceros, which once thrived in the region. Historian Edward Guimont has argued that the mokele-mbembe myth grows out of earlier pseudohistorical claims about Great Zimbabwe, and in turn influenced the later reptilian conspiracy theory.

About the authorBorn and raised in Sheffield, in the week before leaving school Matt was asked by his careers teacher, Mr. Marron, what he wanted to be when he left. When he replied that he wanted to be a writer, Mr Marron said "Well Coyne, I wanted to be Burt f*cking Reynolds". He then handed Matt an application form to become an apprentice fitter of gas cookers. Dreams suitably crushed, Matt became a poster-boy for staying in full-time education, by doing a succession of genuinely crappy jobs. Variously, he has been a toilet roll packer, turnstile-operator, cardboard box folder and a sorter of coat-hangers for Burton Menswear. Matt has been sacked a lot.After a couple of years, he returned to education to obtain an English degree from Manchester Metropolitan University. Completing his dissertation on French feminism in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. An academic piece of work that proved that Mr Marron was probably right all along.From University, Matt drifted into the graphic arts. As a graphic artist in Doncaster, he saw little of the glamorous side of design and his last task as a jobbing designer was to photoshop the weeds and cat-sh*t out of 24 pictures of block-paving. This was the job that, in 2007, led him to quit and set up his own print and design company. He has been serving the businesses of Sheffield with a consistently mediocre service ever since.In September 2015, Matt became a father for the first time, to Charlie. And woke up. After three months of dealing with the missile of chaos that is a newborn, he posted his thoughts online. And, in January 2016 these thoughts went viral. The original post was shared over a hundred thousand times and was featured in newspapers and on television across the world. (He even appeared on Australian breakfast TV, sandwiched between an item about a world record-breaking whip-cracker and a news story about a man who lost a toe on some dodgy patio furniture).Becoming a parent is the greatest, weirdest and most humbling thing that Matt, and his partner of twenty years Lyndsay, have ever experienced. And, if you read the above it's easy to see why. Not only has Charlie proved to be the love of their lives, he has also provided the inspiration for Matt to write about something that people want to read about.. and perhaps ultimately prove that Mr Marron was an idiot.In the months following the original post, Matt created a facebook blog page entitled Man vs Baby and has 150,000 followers who check in regularly to see his most recent parental discoveries and failures.Matt is also a singer/songwriter with the band 'Terry and Dead' and has appeared on compilation albums with Paul Heaton, Billy Bragg and Sleaford Mods. He also recently achieved online virulence with his letters to famous people and enjoys generally being a smartarse online.. where bigger boys can't hit you in the face.Matt lives in Sheffield with his son Charlie, his partner Lyndsay and a Jack Russell terrier with 'issues' called Eddie.Frank And Red is our March book club read. BUY FRANK AND RED HERE: https://amzn.to/3uCkyXVFacebook: /manversusbabyTwitter: @mattcoyneywww.manvsbaby.co.uk______________________________________Find out more: www.TheWritingCommunityChatShow.ComTHE WCCS – TOGETHER AS ONE WE GET IT DONE!If you would like to advertise your #book on the show, to enroll in a book launch interview, or to have a WCCS social media shout out, visit here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheWCCSFOLLOW US► Our website – https://www.thewritingcommunitychatshow.com► Universal link – https://linktr.ee/TheWCCS► Buy the show a coffee – https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheWCCS► Use hashtag TheWritingCommunityChatShow or TheWCCS on social media to keep us current. This show will only succeed with your support!► Support us through Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/WCCS► For our FIVERR affiliate link click here (we will earn a little from you signing up through our link and more if you use the service. We back this service and have used it with great results! – https://fvrr.co/32SB6cs► For our PRO #WRITING AID affiliate link click here – https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=15286Hey! We have spent 3 years using StreamYard. You can see how much we love its features, and how we can make it look great for live streaming. We are huge fans and they are constantly improving their service. Check it out with our link and we could earn from referrals!https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4835638006775808Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-writing-community-chat-show--5445493/support.

SPECIAL EPISODE - We Won Our Fight Against Council Tax on HMO Rooms! I am SO delighted to be releasing this podcast episode (even whilst away on holiday) as I just HAD to share the amazing news of our campaign win.  In the extraordinary 2 years since we set up the HMO Council Tax Reform Group, so much has happened, but we are excited beyond measure that our campaign has landed and the Government is changing its approach to banding individual HMO rooms for Council Tax.  In today's unedited and special episode, I'll explain exactly what the government has said, and a few questions that still remain to be answered! Overall the news is fantastic for HMO tenants and landlords. We still have some work to do in tidying up what has been going on for the last few years. But we'll get there!  “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead ————————- Official Press Release Government set to axe multiple council tax bills on HMO properties End of  the ‘Tenant Council Tax' Welcome news has emerged that the Government is changing the law on council tax being imposed on individual rooms in Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) . This change in the law will protect tenants in HMOs from being taxed on their bedrooms and returns to principles on which the council tax was established. Earlier in the year the Government announced an accelerated consultation on  reforming council taxation of HMOs after thousands of landlords and tenants were being adversely affected by a Valuation Office Agency policy of making individual bedrooms in shared houses liable for council tax. The policy increased the council tax payable by an HMO by many thousands of pounds, often making continued use as an HMO unaffordable. The Government has now announced the outcome of the consultation and is pledging to change the law by the end of the year. The Govt stated: “The amendment to legislation will ensure that HMOs will be valued as a single property, creating consistency in the sector, and provide certainty for councils and households moving forward. This should also help ease administrative burdens for councils as the council tax liability should remain with the landlord in the usual way, rather than moving to individual tenants who may only occupy the property for a short period of time.” These changes will reverse a policy  by the Valuation Office Agency on taxing HMOs first put into practice in 2015 whereby  randomly selected properties were being hit with multiple bills, one council tax bill for every bedroom, making the house liable for seven or eight times the original tax. Variously dubbed ‘Poll Tax Mark II' ‘Bedroom Tax Mark II'  or the ‘Toilet Tax' (when applied to en-suite bedrooms) the practice only targeted selected HMOs. Mistakes in law and fact were rife with, in some cases, cupboards and utility rooms being made liable for council tax bills. The impact of the policy has been to drive out tenants unable to meet the bills, cause overcrowding and in some cases forcing the closure of  entire HMOs, reducing the supply of available accommodation  for tenants on low and middle incomes. In other cases landlords were being  suddenly chased  for multiple bills by councils and debt collecting companies  collecting the tax. Effectively, this will protect both landlords and tenants  from excessive tax demands living in HMOs and prevent rooms without washing or cooking facilities being banded as flats with individual flats liable for tax. This has been hailed as a victory by the HMO Council Tax Reform Group  who have been campaigning tirelessly for this practice to end.  Alan Murdie, legal advisor and barrister for the group commented ‘This is excellent news in so far as it indicates that the government has recognised that VOA policy needs to view HMOs as a single property. We wait to see the implementation in practice.' Wendy Whittaker-Large and Daryn Brewer said ‘Landlords and tenants will be hugely relieved to see this change happening. No longer will there be any question about council tax and who is responsible for paying. It will be the landlord's responsibility to pay one bill for the whole property. We are delighted to have won this ongoing fight for the whole HMO sector' Matt Baker added ‘This gives certainty for the development of new and quality HMOs which is a huge help to the supply of much needed housing' .     The committee consists of Daryn Brewer, Alan Murdie, Matt Baker, Neil Chadda, Robert Johnson and an admin team and myself, Wendy Whittaker-Large.   https://hmosandcounciltax.co.uk/  ———————- Government Response to Consultation:  https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/council-tax-valuation-of-houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmos/outcome/council-tax-valuation-of-houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmos-summary-of-consultation-responses-and-government-response  

From whence does culture come? Well, directly, from a cult. I explore and explain how cult and culture are related in this U.U. shotgun. Variously, I also work through the recent lingual faux pas of the Dali Lama, a very funny church-joke, Ukraine's president and his skimming money from the USA, a statue to honor a pedophile's dream, the United Nation's new policy on pedophilia, the significance of Tucker Carlson's recent firing at FOX, and the recent non-defense of Title 9 by House Democrats. I finish the show with a reflection on how humans are greater than angels.

In the Philippines, the name adobo was given by colonial-era Spaniards on the islands to a different indigenous cooking method that also uses vinegar. Although similar, this developed independently of Spanish influence

"As I became familiar with the scientific recording, I experimented with ways to to coax out its particular elements. My relationship to the sounds became more playful as this process evolved. When I isolated, filtered, spliced, reorganised and recombined them I considered how they might coexist with my own sounds - in particular those from my ongoing solo saxophone recording project. "In this composition I use my instrument to respond to the deconstructed recording, which is subsequently manipulated further in ways to punctuate textures produced by the saxophone. "Sometimes the recorded sounds and those imitated on the saxophone are intertwined. Variously filtered broadband noise segments are combined into ambient layers which shift against each other, often in the background, but occasionally overwhelming those more organised sounds. "The piece begins with icy bursts of colliding sonic objects. Permutations of the narwhal calling are featured in the middle. The adventure ends traversing the ice and sinking into the Arctic depths." Narwhal reimagined by Reuben Derrick. Part of the Polar Sounds project, a collaboration between Cities and Memory, the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Explore the project in full at http://citiesandmemory.com/polar-sounds. 

Variously described as a dark comedy horror and a psychological thriller, The Menu features Ralph Fiennes as a celebrity chef, and Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau (among others in a large ensemble cast) as diners who attend his exclusive restaurant where unexpected, unsettling things ensue. A sleeper hit in 2022, we discuss the experience of watching this movie, and whether it lives up to its promise.

As the heroes made their way through the winding tunnels, they eventually emerged into a massive, open cavern. In the center was flat stony platform, with a circle of stone pillars creating a focal point in the area. A large rocky hand jutted forth from one side, standing as a monument to the beings from times long forgotten. Variously sized illuminated crystals dotted the ceiling, creating a dim artificial light. Our heroes, realizing this was their destination, made their way to the platform. They clambered their way up onto it, and surveyed their surroundings. They were a few meters away from the giant stone hand, with a few larger stones jutting out nearby. The stone pillar circle was about 40 meters in diameter, and provided a perfect view of the cavern surrounding it. The rugged platform was uneven, and made the heroes aware that they should watch their step lest they twist an ankle. In the center was a small stone pedestal, standing about a meter high. On it lay a small woman, dressed in light armor. Two small daggers lay at her sides, with a small bow laying cracked on the ground nearby. The heroes approached her, unsure if she was even alive. As they did, they noticed her bloody and bruised frame. She had lacerations all over her arms, and her face had been badly bruised. Her left leg appeared broken and unusable, meaning they would need to carry her out even if she regained consciousness. Her light leather armor was scratched and torn, rendered nearly useless. The only surviving piece of her equipment was her quiver, which seemed to simply be scratched up. They looked her over, and realized she was still breathing. Quickly, they cleaned her wounds and banged her up. The warrior hero set her leg and added a splint, while the swordsman hero applied an ointment that would her her heal quicker. They gathered up her knives and bow, carefully placing them into their bags to avoid damaging them further. They then attempted to cautiously pick up the woman, careful not to strain her injuries. As they did, they heard a rumble. Suddenly, a wall of the cavern burst open, sending rocks flying throughout the area. Out of the newly created hole came the Jester, followed by the sound of a screaming horde. The Jester scrambled up onto the platform with the heroes, eager to escape the thrall of enemies that had followed him. Out of the hole poured a horde of orcs, nearly trampling over one another trying to get to their prey. Before they could escape with the woman, the orcs encircled the heroes. There were about 50 of them, but none were armed. They were disgusting creatures, their bodies covered in an almost insect-like armor. Standing about as tall a a human, they were thin, but muscular. Their sharp claws could cut through the lightest of armors, and would tear through flesh with ease. Their sinister faces were filled with sharp fangs, with their slim pale eyes seeming to gaze right through you. Two horns protruded from the tops of their heads, completing their horrific appearance. The heroes knew this was a horrible situation to find  themselves in. Fighting off the enemies while protecting the woman would be nearly impossible. Unlike the woman, the villagers had at least been in a position to fight for themselves and provide assistance. The heroes would get none of that help here. When they were about to make their move, another noise drew the heroes attention. A booming roar came from the hole the Jester had created. Long, dark tentacles crept out of the opening. They slithered their way across the walls, encompassing the whole of the surrounding area. When it seemed like they connected only to the darkness, a form finally emerged. A large, bulging body pulled itself out of the shadows and into the cavern. A disgusting ancient creature, known as a behemoth beholder had followed the sounds of the horde and made its way to them. Its body covered in eyes, it seemed to watch everything in the area at once. Its tentacles grabbed onto the stalactites and propelled itself across the ceiling of the cavern. The sound of it moving towards them caused both the heroes and orcs to freeze in place. Its body likely measured 20 meters across, with the tentacles being at least as long. It passed over near the central platform, and then hovered above. Its eyes looking down on all below, the heroes had finally met a monster that could meet their skill level. Their thoughts racing to come up with a strategy, the heroes stood still, careful not to become the catalyst that would set off the battle. While they stood, they thought of Halo Infinite, Thanksgiving, and their upcoming 100th episode

Pilate questioned -What is Truth--. Variously in God's Word, Truth is likened to a pillar, a foundation, to light and a pearl. The picture of a pearl reminds us of its sheer magnificence and beauty, in its purity, timelessness, authenticity and cohesiveness. Truth gives an inner beauty when worn in our lives, it grows within us as a pearl in an oyster.

Larrikins occupy a revered space in Australian culture. Variously knockabout blokes, outlaws or rebels, larrikins can seemingly get away with anything and do it with a smile. A larrikin is the sort of bloke who'd steal the wool off your sheep and then ask you to knit him a jumper he'd quickly pull over your eyes.Lech Blaine is the author of the new Quarterly Essay 'Top Blokes - The Larrikin Myth, Class and Power'.In this special preview Lech joins Andrew to discuss the evolution of the larrikin and try to pinpoint the moment when larrikinism got co-opted by powerful forces.

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/sq9Zq2-7Td8   The FDA and the Able Group are recalling infant formulas sold under the HiPP, Holle, Bioland, and Kendamil brands.  These products contain insufficient iron supplementation and their labels fail to indicate that additional iron may be required in the diets of infants born prematurely or other low birth weights.  These products were sold online via littlebundle.com.  If you have these products, do not feed them to your infant and dispose of them.  You can contact the company by emailing them at recallquestions@ablegroupe.com to discuss refunds.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/able-groupe-recalling-products-labeled-infant-formula-formulas-have-insufficient-iron-levels   #infant #formula #iron #recall  

Gobzoo's decision; Return of the Iron Snake; The fourth one appears. Beatdown City -- Darren Curtis;  Schoolyard Spy -- Darren Curtis; Fight -- Presence of Music; The Corporation (Gong Version).

Variously called a prequel, or sidequel, to Netflix's hit zombie show Kingdom, Ashin of the North is a feature length special episode that expands on the series' story and mythology. It's also much more than a zombie thriller, touching on elements of revenge and tragedy. In this episode, we review Kingdom: Ashin of the North and discuss how it stands up against the show's 2 previous seasons.

Many dishes rely on a vital ingredient, in risotto it's arborio rice, in ailoi it's garlic and in anything called Florentine it's spinach. But of all the dishes that depend on a critical or key ingredient, surely key lime pie heads the list. Key lime pie is of the course the most famous of the culinary creations made with the key lime. Variously called "The Mexican," "West Indian" or "Bartender" lime, the key lime is significantly different than its cousin the Persian lime, the kind most commonly found at produce counters around here. The key lime is smaller and rounder than the Persian variety and its color is closer to yellow than to green. Aficionados claim it has more flavor than a regular lime. Key limes are especially high in vitamin C which is why they were eaten by British sailors in the 18th century to fend off scurvy and that is how those sailors got the nickname, "Limey." They key lime was brought to the Key West region by Spanish explorers in the 16th century so its

In its second-larges acquisition ever, Microsoft is buying Nuance Communications. Variously identified as a cloud AI company and a purveyor of speech-to-text tools like Dragon, Nuance is a leader in voices for screen readers. So. What does it all mean?

In its second-larges acquisition ever, Microsoft is buying Nuance Communications. Variously identified as a cloud AI company and a purveyor of speech-to-text tools like Dragon, Nuance is a leader in voices for screen readers. So. What does it all mean?

In its second-larges acquisition ever, Microsoft is buying Nuance Communications. Variously identified as a cloud AI company and a purveyor of speech-to-text tools like Dragon, Nuance is a leader in voices for screen readers. So. What does it all mean?

In its second-larges acquisition ever, Microsoft is buying Nuance Communications. Variously identified as a cloud AI company and a purveyor of speech-to-text tools like Dragon, Nuance is a leader in voices for screen readers. So. What does it all mean?

I hold the macaroni in the palm of one hand, a single uncooked noodle, and have no idea what to do with it. I know it is for something. It must be for something. I know that people, with noodles, do something.

Since the turn of the millennium, American Evangelical Protestantism has seen a swell of interest in Calvinist theology. Variously described as the New Calvinism or Neo-Reformed Christianity, the latter half of the first decade saw a resurgence of Reformed theology, especially among younger Evangelicals. Brad Vermurlen presents an insightful sociological study of this resurgence of reformed Christianity, interpreted through the lens of strategic action field theory in his new book Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2020). Using a field theoretic model to analyze data collected through ethnographic observation, interviews with Christian leaders, and digital and print content analysis, Vermurlen explains how New Calvinist Christian leaders positioned themselves within the broader field of American Evangelicalism and solidified their movement within a variety of precipitating causes and game-like maneuvers. In the end, Reformed Resurgence offers a lucid account of how a conservative religious movement can survive, and even thrive, in a hyper-modern, secularizing society. To find out more about Brad Vermurlen, visit http://bradvermurlen.com/  Ryan David Shelton (@ryoldfashioned) is a social historian of British and American Protestantism and a PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the turn of the millennium, American Evangelical Protestantism has seen a swell of interest in Calvinist theology. Variously described as the New Calvinism or Neo-Reformed Christianity, the latter half of the first decade saw a resurgence of Reformed theology, especially among younger Evangelicals. Brad Vermurlen presents an insightful sociological study of this resurgence of reformed Christianity, interpreted through the lens of strategic action field theory in his new book Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2020). Using a field theoretic model to analyze data collected through ethnographic observation, interviews with Christian leaders, and digital and print content analysis, Vermurlen explains how New Calvinist Christian leaders positioned themselves within the broader field of American Evangelicalism and solidified their movement within a variety of precipitating causes and game-like maneuvers. In the end, Reformed Resurgence offers a lucid account of how a conservative religious movement can survive, and even thrive, in a hyper-modern, secularizing society. To find out more about Brad Vermurlen, visit http://bradvermurlen.com/  Ryan David Shelton (@ryoldfashioned) is a social historian of British and American Protestantism and a PhD researcher at Queen's University Belfast.

Since the turn of the millennium, American Evangelical Protestantism has seen a swell of interest in Calvinist theology. Variously described as the New Calvinism or Neo-Reformed Christianity, the latter half of the first decade saw a resurgence of Reformed theology, especially among younger Evangelicals. Brad Vermurlen presents an insightful sociological study of this resurgence of reformed Christianity, interpreted through the lens of strategic action field theory in his new book Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2020). Using a field theoretic model to analyze data collected through ethnographic observation, interviews with Christian leaders, and digital and print content analysis, Vermurlen explains how New Calvinist Christian leaders positioned themselves within the broader field of American Evangelicalism and solidified their movement within a variety of precipitating causes and game-like maneuvers. In the end, Reformed Resurgence offers a lucid account of how a conservative religious movement can survive, and even thrive, in a hyper-modern, secularizing society. To find out more about Brad Vermurlen, visit http://bradvermurlen.com/  Ryan David Shelton (@ryoldfashioned) is a social historian of British and American Protestantism and a PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Since the turn of the millennium, American Evangelical Protestantism has seen a swell of interest in Calvinist theology. Variously described as the New Calvinism or Neo-Reformed Christianity, the latter half of the first decade saw a resurgence of Reformed theology, especially among younger Evangelicals. Brad Vermurlen presents an insightful sociological study of this resurgence of reformed Christianity, interpreted through the lens of strategic action field theory in his new book Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2020). Using a field theoretic model to analyze data collected through ethnographic observation, interviews with Christian leaders, and digital and print content analysis, Vermurlen explains how New Calvinist Christian leaders positioned themselves within the broader field of American Evangelicalism and solidified their movement within a variety of precipitating causes and game-like maneuvers. In the end, Reformed Resurgence offers a lucid account of how a conservative religious movement can survive, and even thrive, in a hyper-modern, secularizing society. To find out more about Brad Vermurlen, visit http://bradvermurlen.com/  Ryan David Shelton (@ryoldfashioned) is a social historian of British and American Protestantism and a PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the turn of the millennium, American Evangelical Protestantism has seen a swell of interest in Calvinist theology. Variously described as the New Calvinism or Neo-Reformed Christianity, the latter half of the first decade saw a resurgence of Reformed theology, especially among younger Evangelicals. Brad Vermurlen presents an insightful sociological study of this resurgence of reformed Christianity, interpreted through the lens of strategic action field theory in his new book Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2020). Using a field theoretic model to analyze data collected through ethnographic observation, interviews with Christian leaders, and digital and print content analysis, Vermurlen explains how New Calvinist Christian leaders positioned themselves within the broader field of American Evangelicalism and solidified their movement within a variety of precipitating causes and game-like maneuvers. In the end, Reformed Resurgence offers a lucid account of how a conservative religious movement can survive, and even thrive, in a hyper-modern, secularizing society. To find out more about Brad Vermurlen, visit http://bradvermurlen.com/  Ryan David Shelton (@ryoldfashioned) is a social historian of British and American Protestantism and a PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the turn of the millennium, American Evangelical Protestantism has seen a swell of interest in Calvinist theology. Variously described as the New Calvinism or Neo-Reformed Christianity, the latter half of the first decade saw a resurgence of Reformed theology, especially among younger Evangelicals. Brad Vermurlen presents an insightful sociological study of this resurgence of reformed Christianity, interpreted through the lens of strategic action field theory in his new book Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2020). Using a field theoretic model to analyze data collected through ethnographic observation, interviews with Christian leaders, and digital and print content analysis, Vermurlen explains how New Calvinist Christian leaders positioned themselves within the broader field of American Evangelicalism and solidified their movement within a variety of precipitating causes and game-like maneuvers. In the end, Reformed Resurgence offers a lucid account of how a conservative religious movement can survive, and even thrive, in a hyper-modern, secularizing society. To find out more about Brad Vermurlen, visit http://bradvermurlen.com/  Ryan David Shelton (@ryoldfashioned) is a social historian of British and American Protestantism and a PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the turn of the millennium, American Evangelical Protestantism has seen a swell of interest in Calvinist theology. Variously described as the New Calvinism or Neo-Reformed Christianity, the latter half of the first decade saw a resurgence of Reformed theology, especially among younger Evangelicals. Brad Vermurlen presents an insightful sociological study of this resurgence of reformed Christianity, interpreted through the lens of strategic action field theory in his new book Reformed Resurgence: The New Calvinist Movement and the Battle Over American Evangelicalism (Oxford University Press, 2020). Using a field theoretic model to analyze data collected through ethnographic observation, interviews with Christian leaders, and digital and print content analysis, Vermurlen explains how New Calvinist Christian leaders positioned themselves within the broader field of American Evangelicalism and solidified their movement within a variety of precipitating causes and game-like maneuvers. In the end, Reformed Resurgence offers a lucid account of how a conservative religious movement can survive, and even thrive, in a hyper-modern, secularizing society. To find out more about Brad Vermurlen, visit http://bradvermurlen.com/  Ryan David Shelton (@ryoldfashioned) is a social historian of British and American Protestantism and a PhD researcher at Queen’s University Belfast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Petronella McGovern is a Sydney-based author whose debut novel 'Six Minutes' was published to critical acclaim in 2019. Variously described as 'addictive', 'impossible to put down' and 'thrilling', it had hit the right mark for Australian fiction readers - becoming an instant best-seller. This year, Petronella has backed up her remarkable debut with a second tension-filled, page-turning read in 'The Good Teacher'.And I was lucky enough to have the chance to chat with this quiet achiever recently on the podcast.

Spirituality means a kazillion diverse things today. But in the bible there are specific ways of framing what spirituality means. Variously the doctrines of creation, eschatology, and incarnation reveal what spirituality looks like through godly lenses. It's time for believers to process more biblically and less Gnostically on this important topic.

Vinny Peculiar in conversation with David Eastaugh Vinny Peculiar grew up in Worcestershire and trained as a nurse before signing to Manchester cult label Ugly Man records [former home to Elbow]. He’s since put out twelve albums of literate autobiographical pop music over a twenty-year career touring band, solo and duo shows. Variously described as – ‘an under sung national treasure’ [UNCUT] – ‘a warm hearted Morrissey’ [Q Magazine] and ‘the missing link between Jarvis Cocker and Roger McGough’ [Irish Times] past work associations include Bill Drummond [KLF], Luke Haines and Jah Wobble [PIL] and his various bands have included ex members of The Smiths, OASIS, Aztec Camera & The Fall. He’s written and recorded as ParlourFlames, the band he formed in 2013 with ex OASIS rhythm guitarist Bonehead.

On today’s grisly livestream, Tom and Jenny are discussing a horrifying quadruple murder that took place in Los Angeles in July of 1981. Variously known as the Wonderland Murders, the Four on the Floor Murders, or the Laurel Canyon Murders, the crime was most likely a retaliation for an earlier drug-related home invasion, and allegedly … Continue reading Episode 222 LIVE: The Wonderland Murders

For The Love Of True Crime | Charles Sobhraj: Through the Eyes of The Serpent The first podcast I ever tuned in to was Serial, which to be honest, is easily one of the best podcasts out there. Now into its third season, Serial set a benchmark has spurred a podcast revolution especially when it comes to True Crime as a genre. My fascination with this however stems from some fantastic films and tv in Zodiac, Seven, Hannibal, Bates Motel, True Detective and a more recent shift to True Crime with Making a Murderer, The Jinx, Mindhunter, The Keepers, When They See Us, American Crime Story. To kickstart the segment we'll be exploring the life of Charles Sobhraj - Crime and Investigation have put it together rather succinctly. "Variously described as ‘Asia's premier serial killer', ‘The Serpent' and ‘The Bikini Killer', Charles Sobhraj was an infamous con artist, drug dealer, jewel thief and cold-blooded murderer. Through the 1960s and 1970s, he wove his guileful and lethal web of deceit and crime, evading authorities from numerous countries. Skilled at befriending people, his victims were usually vulnerable Western tourists in Southeast Asia. In and out of prison, he led a life of risk, manipulation and conspiracy that eventually made him a media celebrity. Never convicted for all his crimes, Sobhraj is estimated by some to have committed over 20 murders, whilst others put this number at 32. Rearrested in 2004, he is currently serving a life imprisonment sentence in Kathmandu, Nepal, for a double murder in 1975." In season 2, I hope to bring a few guests on the show where we discuss some of the most intriguing stories when it comes to true crime – in and around the sub-continent. That's all folks. That was season 1. 10 episodes across 3 and a half months. Let us know your thoughts by sending in a voice note to connect@fortheloveofpodcast.in. Come on now. Don't be lazy! I'll be spinning it off into a bonus episode as soon as I can compile it all. While we're on hiatus, I'll be busy recording Season 2. I've got some really interesting conversations lined up – so looking forward to that. Also, The Big Little Screen – where we talk about films and television will continue to be released as a monthly segment so there will be content to chew upon! So stay tuned guys and don't forget to Subscribe to us on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts and wherever else you listen to your favourite Podcasts. Thanks a lot for listening. This is For The Love Of. Links Crime & Investigation On True Crime | The Guardian Sobhraj - Or How to be Friends with a Serial Killer *Sound Clips have been sourced from here* What Makes a Serial Killer? On True Crime | New York Times The Serpent | New Zealand Listener The Bikini Killer Music Ross Bugden ESN Productions CO.AG Music

Hi. Welcome to the Season Finale. I'm your host Noel Woodward and this is ‘For The Love Of'. For The Love Of True Crime | Charles Sobhraj: Through the Eyes of The Serpent The first podcast I ever tuned in to was Serial, which to be honest, is easily one of the best podcasts out there. Now into its third season, Serial set a benchmark has spurred a podcast revolution especially when it comes to True Crime as a genre. My fascination with this however stems from some fantastic films and tv in Zodiac, Seven, Hannibal, Bates Motel, True Detective and a more recent shift to True Crime with Making a Murderer, The Jinx, Mindhunter, The Keepers, When They See Us, American Crime Story. To kickstart the segment we'll be exploring the life of Charles Sobhraj - Crime and Investigation have put it together rather succinctly. "Variously described as ‘Asia's premier serial killer', ‘The Serpent' and ‘The Bikini Killer', Charles Sobhraj was an infamous con artist, drug dealer, jewel thief and cold-blooded murderer. Through the 1960s and 1970s, he wove his guileful and lethal web of deceit and crime, evading authorities from numerous countries. Skilled at befriending people, his victims were usually vulnerable Western tourists in Southeast Asia. In and out of prison, he led a life of risk, manipulation and conspiracy that eventually made him a media celebrity. Never convicted for all his crimes, Sobhraj is estimated by some to have committed over 20 murders, whilst others put this number at 32. Rearrested in 2004, he is currently serving a life imprisonment sentence in Kathmandu, Nepal, for a double murder in 1975." We now look Through the Eyes of The Serpent. The Episode airs this Saturday! Stay tuned! Links Crime & Investigation Music Ross Bugden

In 2016, tabloid newspapers were telling tales of a werewolf-like creature sighted in Yorkshire. Variously known as 'Old Stinker' and 'The Beast Of Barmston Drain,' this creature seems to have sprung from the misty centuries of English werewolf lore. Or has it? On this episode, Cian sinks a Black Sheep ale while looking into: -what is the real history or werewolf lore in England? -is lycanthropy a curse, or something you do yourself? -links between werewolfism and early modern witch trials -21st century tabloid newspaper legends -Re-enchanting the landscape and 'English Eerie' -Extinction and rewilding SOURCES: Wolf howl by Betchkal https://freesound.org/people/betchkal/sounds/500646/ The Book Of Were-Wolves, Sabine Baring-Gould, 1865 http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5324 Haunted Ireland, Tarquin Blake, 2014 https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=haunted+ireland+tarquin+blake&addon=chrome&addonversion=3.2.0&method=topbar MALEFICIUM: Wichcraft and Witch-Hunting In The West, Gordon Blake, 2017 https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30240646141&searchurl=kn%3DMaleficium%26sortby%3D3 Three Men Seeking Monsters, Nick Redfern, 2004 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/107189.Three_Men_Seeking_Monsters?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=UZBrhYEoza&rank=1 Hull Daily Mail Article https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/beast-barmston-drain-seen-killing-73245 AnomalyInfo.com article by Garth Haslam http://anomalyinfo.com/Stories/2016-september-1-werewolf-encountered-halsham-england Wolves In The Wolds: Late Capitalism, the English Eerie and the Wyrd Case Of Old Stinker, Sam M George https://www.academia.edu/33708017/Wolves_in_the_Wolds_Late_Capitalism_the_English_Eerie_and_the_Wyrd_Case_of_Old_Stinker_the_Hull_Werewolf

Variously listed as a horror, comedy and fantasy film by different websites, one thing is certain: Cabin in the Woods, by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, defies easy labelling. Is this a send-up of the horror genre in the style of Scary Movie? Is it a rumination on choice and self determination? Or does it […]

Variously listed as a horror, comedy and fantasy film by different websites, one thing is certain: Cabin in the Woods, by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, defies easy labelling. Is this a send-up of the horror genre in the style of Scary Movie? Is it a rumination on choice and self determination? Or does it […] The post The Cabin in the Woods: horror, comedy & choice first appeared on Breaking the Glass Slipper.

When asked what two films he would take with him "on the ark", Orson Welles simply responded, "La Grande Illusion... and something else!" A classic of prison escape movies, The Grand Illusion (1937) was hugely influential on films that followed, including The Great Escape. Variously banned by both German and French authorities, the film — which deals with themes of class, prejudice, and war — was not without controversy. Film critic Roger Ebert called it "a meditation on the collapse of the old order of European civilization," and critics and film historians alike regard the film not only a masterpiece of French cinema, but also one of the greatest films of all time. The Grand Illusion, in fact, was restored and released as the inaugural DVD of The Criterion Collection. James and Thomas discuss this seminal work by director Jean Renoir, son of the famous French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Next up on Criteria, we'll be viewing and discussing the second installment of Dekalog, the 10-part series of films directed by Polish auteur Krzysztof Kieślowski. Notes Millet and Modern Art: From Van Gogh to Dalí https://www.slam.org/exhibitions/millet-and-modern-art/ The Flight Into Egypt, by Jean Millet https://www.artic.edu/artworks/145832/the-flight-into-egypt CatholicCulture.org Podcast Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/CatholicPods/ Theme music: The Duskwhales, “Take It Back”, used with permission. https://theduskwhales.bandcamp.com/

In the dusty flood plain, 100,000 men and many times that in horses surround the walls of Baghdad. Catapults lob stones relentlessly into the city walls, hauled from great distance. Here, towers collapse under the barrage; there, ladders bring Mongol and subject peoples onto the fortifications, seizing them from the disorganized and panicking garrison. Arrows, some bearing messages, bring both confusion and injury where they land. The mighty Tigris River, the city’s lifeblood, is now part of the trap; pontoon bridges, from them dangling nets embedded with iron hooks, rest both north and south of the city to catch those trying to flee. The final ‘Abbasid Caliph sits frightened and overwhelmed in his palace, as the grasp of Hulegu Khan closes around him. Today, we discuss the fall of Baghdad, 1258. But first, we’d like to remind you that for those of you who enjoy the podcast, your support would be highly appreciated and would help us keep going. We have a patreon available for monthly or even one-time donations or, if you aren’t able to support us financially, positive reviews on Apple Podcasts or other review sites really helps us out. And now, I’m your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.   We left our previous episode off with Hulegu destroying the Nizari Ismaili state, better known at the Order of Assassins, who had controlled a series of fortresses across eastern and northern Iran. By the end of 1256, Hulegu had reduced them to but a few holdouts, and he could begin to look to his next target. Considered heretics of the worst variety by most Sunni Muslims, the Persian writer Juvaini, a member of Hulegu’s retinue, described his victory over the Nizaris in glowing terms, Hulegu as a sword of Islam carrying out God’s will. Juvaini presents Hulegu’s war as a more ‘civilized’ form of conquest compared to that of his grandfather, Chinggis Khan. Destruction was limited to Ismaili territories and the towns and fortresses that failed to submit, as opposed to the veritable tsunami of bloodshed Chinggis Khan wrought on the Khwarezmian empire over thirty years prior. What Hulegu was soon to do in Baghdad and to the titular head of Sunni Islam would not be so praised, and it is perhaps no coincidence that Juvaini’s own chronicle ends with the fall of the Ismailis. As Hulegu left Ismaili territory in the final month of 1256, his eye was drawn to the ‘Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad.   In Islam, the spiritual leader of the religion was whoever was considered the successor to the Prophet Muhammad. For Shi’a Muslims, this was the imam- for Nizari Ismailis, the Imam was the ruler of Alamut, who had just been put to death on Mongol orders. For the majority of Muslims, known as Sunnis, the head of their faith was the Caliph, literally meaning ‘successor.’The first four Caliphs to succeed the Prophet were the “Rightly Guided,” the Rashidun, whose legitimacy is generally unquestioned by most Muslims. The Rashidun were succeeded by the Umayyads, who greatly extended Muslim rule east and west, across North Africa into Spain and across Eastern Iran into Central Asia. In 750, the Umayyad Caliphs were overthrown in the ‘Abbasid revolution. Claiming descent from the Prophet’s uncle ‘Abbas, it was under the early ‘Abbasids that the Caliphal capital was moved from Damascus to the newly established Baghdad along the Tigris River. Never comparable to the power of the Umayyads at their height, from the 9th century onwards the still vast ‘Abbasid empire fragmented with threat from all directions: the Fatimids in Egypt, the Samanids, Buyids and Saffarids of Iran and finally from the steppes, the Great Seljuqs, all of which ground the ‘Abbasids down until their state hardly stretched past the walls of Baghdad. The weakening of the Seljuqs after Sultan Malik-Shah’s death in 1092 allowed the ‘Abbasids to gradually reclaim independence and some authority, even repulsing a Seljuq army attacking Baghdad in 1157. The long reigns of Caliph al-Nasir and al-Mustansir, from 1180 until 1242, saw the ‘Abbasids reclaim much of central and southern Iraq. A far cry from the sweeping power they had held in the 8th century, by the 13th century they still remained influential and held prestige. For 500 years they had been the heads of Islam, and had long cultivated an useful image as invioable and holy, above temporal affairs though they were more often than not mired in them.    For instance, in the late 12th century Caliph al-Nasir was in conflict with the Seljuqs who continued to rule in Iran. He allied with the rising power northeast of the Iranian Seljuqs, the Khwarezmian Empire. Once vassals of the Great Seljuqs, the Khwarezm-shahs now butted heads with them as they expanded southwards, and the reigning Khwarezm-Shah, Tekesh bin Il-Arslan, was happy to ally himself with the Caliph. In 1194 at Rayy, modern Tehran, Tekesh defeated and killed the last Seljuq Sultan in Iran, Toghrul III, ending the dynasty and sending the Sultan’s severed head to al-Nasir in Baghdad. Rather than provide freedom for the Caliphate, Tekesh now wanted to step into the place of Seljuqs. The Seljuqs’ territory in Iran was largely annexed by Tekesh Khwarezm-shah, who soon began making aggressive motions to the Caliph. Al-Nasir encouraged the Khwarezmians’ eastern neighbours, the Ghurids, in their war with Tekesh. Tekesh died in 1200, succeeded by his son Muhammad II as Khwarezm-shah who, through luck, timely assassinations and military victories, overcame the Ghurids, consolidated power over Iran and in 1217 tried to march on Baghdad itself. Muhammad’s march on Baghdad was halted by a vicious snowstorm as he crossed the Zagros mountains, forcing him back. Returning to the northeast of his empire, Muhammad would there make the poor decisions which led to the Mongol Invasion of Khwarezm, covered way back in episode 9 of this podcast.   Now, some authors of the period assert that Caliph al-Nasir actually invited Chinggis Khan to attack Muhammad of Khwarezm- when placed in the context of the Caliph switching to support whoever was on the eastern side of his current foe, there is definitely a logic to it. However, as we described in detail in episode 8 of the podcast, the cause of the Mongol invasion can be found in the foolery of Muhammad Khwarezm-shah alone. Had the Mongols come on the invitation of the Caliph, then surely they would have publicized that to justify the attack and sow further confusion among the Khwarezmians.    In fact, in 1221 when detachments of Jebe and Subutai’s army penetrated into northern Iraq, Caliph al-Nasir was hardly welcoming. Along with the rulers of northern Iraq’s most important cities, Muzaffar ad-Din of Irbil and Badr al-Din Lu’lu’, the de facto ruler of Mosul, the Caliph organized a short lived military coalition, which proved unnecessary as the Mongols soon withdrew. Evidently, the ‘Abbasids spread a rumour that their army was absolutely gargantuan, their power unassailable and heavenly protected, and the Mongols were hesitant to commit. Had they paid close attention in the following years, they might have called the Caliph’s bluff. In 1225 that favoured Khwarezmian rapscallion, Jalal al-Din Mingburnu, defeated a Caliphal army after the ‘Abbasids failed to provide him assistance. Jalal al-Din chased the survivors right to the suburbs of Baghdad, then went north, defeated an army from Irbil sent to assist the Caliph and captured Irbil’s ruler, Muzaffar ad-Din. Caliph al-Nasir, by then elderly, paralyzed and blind for three years, died soon after Jalal al-Din’s attack, and was succeeded by his son, az-Zahir, as the 35th Caliph… for nine months. On Caliph az-Zahir’s death in 1226, he was succeeded by his own son, al-Mustansir, the 36th and penultimate ‘Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad.    As Caliph, al-Mustanir continued to try to strengthen ‘Abbasid control in Iraq and expand the army, but Mongol rule steadily spread over the region. By the start of the 1230s, Chormaqun Noyan and his lieutenants brought the submission of most of Iran and cast Mongol authority over the Caucasus. For Caliph al-Mustansir, the Mongol empire was a vast crescent to his north and east, where it stretched seemingly indefinitely. By 1235, Mongol forces mainly under Chagatai Noyan, “the Lesser,” were probing northern Iraq and directly, but hesitantly, testing ‘Abbasid hegemony in the region. In June 1237, Chagatai Noyan captured Irbil in what is now Iraqi Kurdistan, though the Citadel held out and in August Caliphal forces relieved the city. In February of 1238, an attack was launched on Baghdad, and a panicked Caliph al-Mustansir sent messages to the remaining independent Muslim powers from the Jazira and Syria down to Egypt for aid. Only 2,000 troops from the Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt,  al-Kamil, reached Baghdad, and in June 1238 a caliphal army was defeated near the city. However, the defences of Baghdad itself remained formidable and the city stood defiant while the Mongols turned back from the walls, unprepared for both a long siege and or the fearsome Iraqi summer.  Possibly, the Mongols suffered some sort of reverse while attacking Baghdad; some sixty years later, when the Persian historian Wassaf [vassaf] visited Baghdad, he recorded a Mongol defeat outside the walls, though this goes unmentioned by the other sources.    While Baghdad remained independent, the Mongols continued to take cities in the region. Chormaqun’s successor Baiju brought the submission of the Seljuqs of Anatolia in 1243; in 1244, the Mongol general Yasa’ur rode into Syria, dislodging the remnants of Jalal al-Din’s Khwarezmians. The Ayyubids of Syria, the successors of the once mighty empire of Saladin Ayyubi, largely submitted over 1244-5, and even Antioch, one of the last of the Crusader Kingdoms, offered its submission.  In late 1245 another attack on Baghdad was launched but soon aborted. The new Caliph since 1242, al-Mustasim ibn al-Mustansir, was lucky the attack was called off, for he was rather rapidly running out of allies. It seem that the new Caliph managed to avoid further attacks with a token submission: the Franscisan Friar John de Plano Carpini, present at the coronation of Guyuk Khaan in 1246, noted ‘Abbasid envoys were present in Karakorum and believed they paid a regular tribute.    The 38th and final ‘Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad, al-Mustasim, was not the equal of his father or great-grandfather. While al-Nasir and al-Mustansir sought to strengthen the Caliphate, al-Mustasim was more interested in the luxury of Baghdad, and was nearly universally condemned for decadence. A great lover of music, he sponsored an entire neighbourhood in Baghdad to house musicians, including the most famous of the age, Saif al-Din Urmawi. A lover of pigeon racing, art, calligraphy and treasures, al-Mustasim was also indecisive and easily swayed by factions in his court, some of whom, such as the vizier, sought accomodation with the Mongols, while others urged to meet them in battle. As we will see shortly, the result was al-Mustasim vacillating in policy, wavering between antagonizing the Mongols and sending them gifts. Essentially, the worst sort of man to have in power when Hulegu marched on him with upwards of 100,000 men.    Neither was weak leadership the only problem. Corruption and decadence of Baghdad’s elite alienated the lower classes. A weak currency and high food prices contributed to revolts; many of Baghdad’s soldiers increasingly found themselves unpaid and resorted to bandity or desertion. Topping off years of natural disasters- heavy rain, storms, annual flooding, in 1256, the Tigris, the river which runs through Baghdad, flooded for over a month, washing away much of Baghdad’s lower city. Attributed to divine displeasure at the decadent al-Mustasim, for decades afterwards this flood was remembered as the “Mustasimid flood.” As Mongol armies approached the city, pestilence killed many hundreds, if not thousands. The Caliph stood in a precarious position.   Likely in late 1255, Hulegu sent a message to Caliph al-Mustasim demanding, as Hulegu had done with other rulers across the region, that Baghdad supply troops to help in the attack on the Nizari Isamilis. Al-Mustasim refused. As the ‘Abbasids had been sending tribute in the previous years and were considered vassals, such a refusal was a declaration of independence. Hulegu, having been sent in part to find how sincere the Caliph’s submission was, now had his casus belli, for to the Mongols, the Caliph of Baghdad was now in open revolt. War with the Caliph was not intended to punish Islam specifically; had the Mongols caught the Pope and considered him a rebel, certainly he would have shared a similar fate. What mattered to the Mongols was submission to their divinely mandated rule; refusal to submit was blasphemy of the highest order.   After the fall of Alamut in December 1256, and spending some time near the still-resisting Nizari fortress of Lammasar, Hulegu stayed in Qazwin, just south of Alamut, until March 1257. From Qazwin he undertook a somewhat repetitive journey: from Qazwin he went to Hamadan, then to Dinavar, then Tabriz, then back to Hamadan, then back to Tabriz, then back to Hamadan in September 1257, from whence he would finally march on Baghdad. The reasons for this were multiple, and not just because Hulegu really liked northwestern Iran, though it did give him good time to evaluate the region. Firstly, Hulegu did not want to besiege Baghdad in the summer months, and instead needed to time the march so he arrived outside the city in the winter. Secondly, it provided time for his lieutenants to secure the neighbouring theaters: Kitbuqa Noyan secured through force and diplomacy Luristan and the passes through the Zagros mountains, ensuring Hulegu’s main army could march unimpeded when the time came. In Anatolia, Baiju Noyan had needed to put down a Seljuq revolt, culminating in the battle of Aksaray in October 1256. Baiju then needed to move back east, in order to march on Baghdad from the west when the time came.   Thirdly, Hulegu and the Caliph engaged in an entertaining round of diplomatic fisti-cuffs. Hulegu offered the Caliph another chance to surrender, repudiating him for his failure to send troops against the Nizaris. Hulegu’s threat, as recorded by the Ilkhanid vizier Rashid al-Din, went as follows:   “Previously we have given you advice, but now we say you should avoid our wrath and vengeance. Do not try to overreach yourself or accomplish the impossible, for you will only succeed in harming yourself. The past is over. Destroy your ramparts, fill in your moats, turn the kingdom over to your son, and come to us. If you do not wish to come, send all three, the vizier [al-Alqami], Sulaymanshah, and the Dawatdar, that they may convey our message word for word. If our command is obeyed, it will not be necessary for us to wreak vengeance, and you may retain your lands, army, and subjects. If you do not heed our advice and dispute with us, line up your soldiers and get ready for the field of battle, for we have our loins girded for battle with you and are standing at the ready. When I lead my troops in wrath against Baghdad, even if you hide in the sky or in the earth, ‘I shall bring you down from the turning celestial sphere; I shall pull you up like a lion. I shall not leave one person alive in your realm, and I shall put your city and country to the torch.’ “If you desire to have mercy on your ancient family’s heads, heed my advice. If you do not, let us see what God’s will is.”   The Caliph refused Hulegu’s demands, and when he sent back Hulegu’s envoys, they were harassed by the people of Baghdad; the Caliph’s vizier, ibn al-Alqami, had to send soldiers to protect the envoys to ensure they weren’t killed. When Hulegu learned of the incident, he derided the Caliph as a total incompetent, and then flew into a rage when he heard the official response, which called Hulegu a young and inexperienced man: somewhat humorous, considering al-Mustasim was only four years older than Hulegu. Hulegu’s response was about as subtle as you’d expect. Again, as per the account of Rashid al-Din, quote:   “God the eternal elevated [Chinggis] Khan and his progeny and gave us all the face of the earth, from east to west. Anyone whose heart and tongue are straight with us in submission retains his kingdom, property, women, children, and life. He who contemplates otherwise will not live to enjoy them. Love of status and property, conceit, and pride in transitory fortune have so seduced you that even the words of your well-wishers have no effect on you. Your ear cannot hear the advice of the compassionate, and you have deviated from the path of your fathers and forebears. You must get ready for battle, for I am coming to Baghdad with an army as numerous as ants and locusts. Be the turning of the celestial sphere how it may, the power to command is God’s.”   Upon hearing this message, al-Mustasim’s vizier ibn al-Alqami understood the colossal danger they were in, and fervently argued for the Caliph to appease the Mongols. Al-Alqami has something of a bisecting reputation in the Islamic world. For some, reading the Mamluk sources, the Shia Muslim ibn al-Alqami was a conspirator, plotting with Hulegu to topple the head of Sunni Islam for his own gain. For those reading from Persian and Ilkhanid sources, ibn al-Alqami was earnestly trying to steer the Caliph away from annihilation and save as many lives as he could. On this last response from Hulegu, al-Alqami was able to convince al-Mustasim to send gifts, only for the Caliph to be talked out of it by the dawatdar, Mugahid al-Din Aybek, the Caliphate’s top military man and a staunch supporter of resistance against Hulegu. Convincing the Caliph to abandon the expensive gifts, al-Mustasim sent the following message to vizier al-Alqami to assuage his worries:   “Do not fear the future, and do not talk fables, for there is friendship and unity, not enmity and hostility, between me and Hülägü and [Mongke Khaan]. Since I am their friend, they are of course friendly and benevolent toward me. The envoys’ message is false. Even if these brothers contemplate opposition to or treachery against me, what has the Abbasid dynasty to fear, when the monarchs of the face of the earth stand as our army and obey our every command? If I request an army from every country and mount to repulse the foe, I can incite Iran and Turan against these brothers. Be of stout heart, and do not fear the threats of the Mongols, for although they are powerful upstarts, they pose nothing but an empty threat to the House of Abbas.” If Rashid al-Din is accurate in recording this message, then it goes some way to demonstrate just how greatly al-Mustasim misunderstood the situation. al-Mustasim’s next letter to Hulegu spoke of monarchs who had attacked the ‘Abbasids and suffered divine retribution for it, noting specifically Muahmmad Khwarezm-shah, who for his attack on Baghdad in 1217 suffered the power of Hulegu’s grandfather. Hulegu sent another threat, promising to bring the Caliph “down miserably into the jaws of a lion,” and had enough of parlay.   Hulegu had only to check with the astrologers and diviners of his retinue in order to ensure the assault had good fortune. Variously they warned of failure, catastrophe, and death for harming the Caliph. Finally, Hulegu turned to the famed Iranian scholar rescued from the Nizari fortresses, Nasir al-Din Tusi, and asked what he thought of the matter. After thinking for a moment, Tusi told Hulegu that none of these things would happen. Hulegu asked what would. Tusi replied, “Hulegu Khan will take the Caliph’s place.” And that was enough for Hulegu. The border passes were now secured, and the march on Baghdad could begin.    As Hulegu marched through Kermanshah, massacres followed him. His army approached Baghdad in three directions. Kitbuqa took a route through Luristan, and would march on Baghdad from the south. Baiju Noyan came through northern Iraq, crossing the Tigris near Irbil and closing in on Baghdad’s west and north. Hulegu took the main army through the Hulwan pass and would close off Baghdad from the east, thus encircling the city.    As the armies entered Iraq, cities and towns across Mesopotamia surrendered to them. In January 1258 as the Mongols closed in on the city, the Caliphal army under the Dawatdar tried to repulse Baiju’s army. They were lured into a feigned retreat; a dyke was broken and their camp flooded. Few survivors escaped back to Baghdad. By January 22ned, the Mongol armies had linked up around the city. Not just Mongols, but subject Iranians, Turks, Georgians and Armenians made up this force, with a thousand Chinese siege engineers. The defenders of Baghdad were outnumbered and without hope. For a week, the Mongols prepared their siege lines. Pontoon bridges were built across the Tigris, nets and iron hooks hanging from them to ensure none could escape either up or downriver. No stones for the catapults were within the area, so they needed to be hauled in from elsewhere. A ditch was dug around the city, the earth from the ditch used to build a rampart with gates set in it. Protective coverings were built for the siege engines. With the typical thoroughness of the early Toluids, Baghdad was closed off, its fate sealed.   The assault began on January 29th. An incessant barrage of stones and arrows brought the defenders to their knees. The artillery upon the walls of Baghdad was poorly maintained and outranged by that of the Mongols, useless in the words of one source. Under mobile wooden shelters, the Mongols advanced on the walls, sending arrows deeper into the city. One of the Caliph’s daughters was killed when an arrow passed through a window in his palace. Messages were tied to arrows, proclaiming that all those who did not resist would be spared. By the start of February, towers and bastions along the walls were collapsing. By February 3rd, Mongol forces were capturing the walls. When one of Hulegu’s commanders was killed by an arrow sent from the city, he angrily forced his army on at greater speed.   Realizing just how monumentally he had erred, al-Mustasim sent envoys, among them the once bellicose Dawatdar, to discuss terms with Hulegu. They were quickly put to death. Nothing but the unconditional surrender of the Caliph himself was good enough. Finally, on February 10th, al-Mustasim and his family came out from Baghdad, and put his life in the hands of Hulegu. Initially, the Caliph was treated respectfully. Other notables came out to submit to Hulegu, and many others fled out of the city to escape the pestilence which had already claimed thousands within. These who came out were trapped between the walls of Baghdad and the Mongol palisade. Once the garrison and its weapons were collected, on the 13th of February, the sack of Baghdad began.   In popular culture, the sack of Baghdad is uncontrolled, disorganized, horrifically violent and results in the city’s utter destruction and death of a million people. In reality it was controlled, organized, horrifically violent and resulted in only most of the city’s destruction and deaths of thousands. Rather than wiping Baghdad from the map, it was more of an organized dismemberment. Evidence comes from multiple accounts, but we’ll focus on that of the musician, Urmawi. In contrast to the image of the mob running wild over Baghdad, Urmawi’s account, recorded by the Mamluk historian Shihab al-Din al-’Umari, records the Mongols meticulously planned the sacking. Depending on rank, commanders were given 1 to 3 days to collect loot from sections of the city allotted to them. In Urmawi’s case, his neighbourhood was allotted to Baiju Noyan and his retinue- notably just men Baiju picked to bring into the city with him, rather than a whole portion of his army. Urmawi greeted Baiju with gifts and hosted a feast for him, entertaining him with music and ingratiating himself to the Noyan. Baiju was so pleased he urged Urmawi to come with him to play before Hulegu. Hulegu enjoyed a concert before the walls of Baghdad, ordered Urmawi’s neighbourhood spared and protected with picked men, and even granted Urmawi gardens which had belonged to the Caliph.   Likewise, various sources note that a number of segments of the populations were spared and their property protected: Christians, notably Nestorian priests; Shi’ites and Alids; Khurasani merchants, Qadis, scholars, shaykhs and in one source, Jews. Individuals are mentioned petitioning Hulegu to spare their homes- likely for a hefty payment, of course- but in order to follow these orders, the forces looting the city had to be disciplined enough to actually take note of addresses. Even the oft-repeated statement that the Tigris River ran black with ink of the books of Baghdad’s library must be re-examined, for Nasir al-Din Tusi took many with him to Maragha, where he built his famous observatory. A number of sources indicate the city’s looting lasted only a week, rather than a full month.   Clemency was extended to multiple groups… but for the majority of the city’s population who did not fall into these categories, it appears no quarter was given. For all the gated neighbourhoods like Urmawi’s which were protected, many more were gutted and looted. Treasures collected over the city’s 500 years were stolen, the finest architecture of the ‘Abbasids ruined and torn down. Hulegu entered the city on February 15th, visiting the Caliph’s palace, where al-Mustasim was forced to reveal where he had hidden his wealth. 12,000 severed ears were brought before Hulegu to mark the slain citizenry. The dead littered the street; after a few days, the heat and stench of the rotting bodies led Hulegu to end the looting by February 20th. Notably, the city was not to be left to brigandage: a governor and Mongol officials were appointed, ibn al-Alqami kept his position as vizier, to clean up the bodies and restore the city.   On the 20th of February, Hulegu moved to the village of Waqaf to avoid the foul air of Baghdad, from which he apparently fell sick. At Waqaf, Hulegu had al-Mustasim put to death, most likely rolled into a carpet and stomped upon to avoid spilling his blood on the earth. His family soon followed him.  In European accounts, the popular version was that Hulegu locked Mustasim in his treasury, where he starved to death in an ironic punishment to mark the Caliph’s failures to pay for troops and defences.   So ended the 500 year old ‘Abbasid Caliphate. The impact on Islam is hard to understate. Since the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, there had been a widely recognized successor to him in the form of the Caliphs -Rashidun, Umayyad and ‘Abbasid. Most Muslims saw him as the spiritual, if not the actual political, head of Islam. For the Caliphate, seemingly inviolable and permanent, to come to such a violent and sudden end sent shockwaves throughout the Islamic world. Caliphates had been overthrown before; previous dynasties like the Buyids and Seljuqs had held the Caliphs as puppets and militarily defeated them, while the Nizari Assassins had claimed the lives of at least two; but never before had the Caliphate actually been erased from existence by a power claiming universal sovereignty in its place. Distant relations of al-Mustasim were eventually set up in Mamluk Cairo as new Caliphs, but were never widely recognized. The Ottoman Sultans would also claim the title of Caliph in time, but none have ever been able to step into the position held by the ‘Abbasids. It’s no surprise that many Muslims throughout the following centuries have referred to the sack of Baghdad as a scar of the psyche of the ummah, one which it has not recovered from today. With the fall of Baghdad, Hulegu could now cast his eyes onto Syria, down the Levantine coast to the newly established Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt. The sense was real that Hulegu was about to bring the whole of Islam under the authority of the house of Chinggis. Our next episode takes us to the Mongol drive to the Meditteranean- and the famous clash of ‘Ayn Jalut, an episode you won’t want to miss. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, and to help up continue bringing you great content, consider supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. I’m your host David, and we’ll catch you on the next one.

In this first episode I will explore the creation story of Fearlessly Feral, the meaning of it, and offer some tips and tidbits to begin to live Fearlessly Feral.Show Notes:More information about New Thought at https://www.unityworldwideministries.org/AGNTAlso at: https://antn.org/Centers for Spiritual Living: www.csl.orgSupport opportunities: www.cslcc.org and https://www.patreon.com/FearlesslyferalTidbits for living Fearlessly Feral: Find the humor. Look for or create fun. One of my favorite quotes: “Watch your thoughts, they become words;watch your words, they become actions;watch your actions, they become habits;watch your habits, they become character;watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Variously attributed to Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, supermarket magnate Frank Outlaw, spiritual teacher Gautama Buddha, and the father of Margaret ThatcherConnect with that inner Higher Self, and stay connected.Look at barriers not as barriers but as guideposts leading you into a different and better direction.Know that there is always a yes inherent in any idea you might get.You can hear me speak via Zoom on Sunday mornings. I’m currently serving Mountainside Center for Spiritual Living in Placerville CA. I’ll be speaking with them on May 10 and May 31. I also do a Wednesday Zoom discussion book studying the works of Ernest Holmes. Contact me on Facebook or at Karen@karenlinsley.comSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/Fearlesslyferal)

Perfection is a state, variously, of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. The term is used to designate a range of diverse, if often kindred, concepts. These have historically been addressed in a number of discrete disciplines, notably mathematics, physics, chemistry, ethics, aesthetics, ontology, and theology.[1]

Charles Graeber’s critically acclaimed The Breakthrough: Immunotherapy and the Race to Cure Cancer, chronicles the path to what the 2018 Nobel Prize committee recognised as our “penicillin moment” against cancer when they awarded the Medicine prize to James P. Allison and Tasuku. Variously reviewed as “fascinating and artful” (New York Times) and “deft, detailed, fascinating”(Nature) Graeber’s medical thriller,interlaces personal stories of patients and researchers as he tracks the journey to the cure and demystifies the science. Supported by The University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

I. You and I Should Display our Christian -Trademark---Openly, Variously, Frequently, and Appropriately.----II. We Should Do so because Brotherly Love- is a PreEminent Christian Duty and Fruit of God's Grace.

Variously referred to as the “Nation's Attic” or “Octopus on the Mall,” the Smithsonian is an institution that is 172 years old and comprised of 19 museums; 9 research centers; 21 libraries; and the National Zoo, which is bound to have secrets. (Well, maybe not secrets, but certainly the uncommon, rare, curious, extraordinary—even perhaps bizarre.) Nancy E. Gwinn will delve into the fascinating history of the Smithsonian, the world's largest museum complex and America's national museum, and share some of its intriguing stories. Gwinn has been director of the Smithsonian Libraries since 1997. She oversees a network of 21 libraries and central services units and is a recognized leader in international librarianship, in developing digital libraries, in building cooperative programs and partnerships, and in promoting Smithsonian scholarship to external communities. A former Fulbright Scholar at the University of Oxford in England, Gwinn holds a doctorate in American civilization from George Washington University, a master's in library science from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's from the University of Wyoming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do the stories ring true, or go belly-up? Grab your WWII uniform and theoretical physics book, Blurry Photos is ringing Die Glocke, the Nazi Bell in this episode! An alleged secret device, Die Glocke, the Nazi Bell is thought by many to have been a German WWII project which would have been "decisive for the war." Flora grabs a mallet and strikes at the research to look at all the factors in this fascinating topic. Variously described as a weapon, a time travel mechanism, anti-gravity tech, and a nuclear instrument, it has captivated researchers for years. Listen as Flora takes you through the people, places, and supposed capabilities of this historical enigma. What was the Bell? How do we know about it? And can the story be believed? Listen for an epic journey through the history and mystery of this infamous object! Music Myst on the Moor, Aftermath, Black Vortex, Danse Macabre, Long Note Three, Malicious, Tenenbrous Brothers Carnival - Intermission, Fantastic Dim Bar - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Classical music selections found in the Public Domain from Musopen.org and IMSLP.org

Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes deftly fuses the personal, the political and the just plain surreal as it charts the origin, rise and downfall of Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. Variously called a bulldog, a kingmaker, and the Ernest Hemingway of campaign advisors, Ailes was the wizard of Oz. But he collected talent like dolls, and became consumed by paranoia about his own personal security. The son of a factory foreman, Ailes had a hand in political campaigns in almost every state in the country. He was a key advisor over the last half century to presidents Nixon, Reagan and George H.W. Bush. When President Obama called him “the most powerful man in media” he basked in the glow, and posed smiling alongside the Democratic president he had done everything to undermine. Ailes fashioned Fox News into a ratings powerhouse, with more viewers than all its direct competitors, combined. But he was forced out by the Murdoch family in 2016, amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment. How did a tap-dancing hemophiliac become one of the most powerful and divisive executives in American media? Director and producer Alexis Bloom (Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds) stops by to talk about one of America’s seminal figures and how he has shaped the destiny of the Republican Party and the future of American democracy. For news and updates go to: divideandconquerfilm.com

“It is difficult to characterize this fascinating book,” George Tanabe writes in his short preface to The Immortals: Faces of the Incredible in Buddhist Burma (University of Hawai’i Press, 2015), “Not just because it concerns thousand-year-old Burmese Buddhists who fly but also because its author has chosen, almost by necessity, unusual procedures for studying and writing about this strange topic.” Indeed. Not only Guillaume Rozenberg’s topic but also his book is itself unusual and intriguing. First published in French and now available in English thanks to the work of Ward Keeler, this is the second in a planned tetralogy on the extraordinary in Burmese Buddhism. Variously a thrilling narrative of raining coconuts and candles, a how-to guide for budding alchemists, and an account of people rendering their bodies impervious to swords and blows, at its twists and turns The Immortals also offers uncommon insights into the relationship of belief to political and social order. At the same time, it reflects frankly on the odd role of the author in not merely recording but somehow also participating in the fashioning of this cult of the incredible in an otherwise unremarkable village in Burma’s Buddhist heartland. The book’s translator Ward Keeler joins New Books in Southeast Asian Studies to discuss scepticism and believing, vulnerability and masculinity, public order and military rule, Melford Spiro and the study of supernaturalism, anthropology’s crisis in representation, expository French style and the third person as rhetorical device, and language learning as anthropological exercise. You may also be interested in: * Erik Braun The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw * Lawrence Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy Nick Cheesman is a fellow at the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. He can be reached at nick.cheesman@anu.edu.au Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It is difficult to characterize this fascinating book,” George Tanabe writes in his short preface to The Immortals: Faces of the Incredible in Buddhist Burma (University of Hawai’i Press, 2015), “Not just because it concerns thousand-year-old Burmese Buddhists who fly but also because its author has chosen, almost by necessity, unusual procedures for studying and writing about this strange topic.” Indeed. Not only Guillaume Rozenberg’s topic but also his book is itself unusual and intriguing. First published in French and now available in English thanks to the work of Ward Keeler, this is the second in a planned tetralogy on the extraordinary in Burmese Buddhism. Variously a thrilling narrative of raining coconuts and candles, a how-to guide for budding alchemists, and an account of people rendering their bodies impervious to swords and blows, at its twists and turns The Immortals also offers uncommon insights into the relationship of belief to political and social order. At the same time, it reflects frankly on the odd role of the author in not merely recording but somehow also participating in the fashioning of this cult of the incredible in an otherwise unremarkable village in Burma’s Buddhist heartland. The book’s translator Ward Keeler joins New Books in Southeast Asian Studies to discuss scepticism and believing, vulnerability and masculinity, public order and military rule, Melford Spiro and the study of supernaturalism, anthropology’s crisis in representation, expository French style and the third person as rhetorical device, and language learning as anthropological exercise. You may also be interested in: * Erik Braun The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw * Lawrence Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy Nick Cheesman is a fellow at the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. He can be reached at nick.cheesman@anu.edu.au Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It is difficult to characterize this fascinating book,” George Tanabe writes in his short preface to The Immortals: Faces of the Incredible in Buddhist Burma (University of Hawai’i Press, 2015), “Not just because it concerns thousand-year-old Burmese Buddhists who fly but also because its author has chosen, almost by necessity, unusual procedures for studying and writing about this strange topic.” Indeed. Not only Guillaume Rozenberg’s topic but also his book is itself unusual and intriguing. First published in French and now available in English thanks to the work of Ward Keeler, this is the second in a planned tetralogy on the extraordinary in Burmese Buddhism. Variously a thrilling narrative of raining coconuts and candles, a how-to guide for budding alchemists, and an account of people rendering their bodies impervious to swords and blows, at its twists and turns The Immortals also offers uncommon insights into the relationship of belief to political and social order. At the same time, it reflects frankly on the odd role of the author in not merely recording but somehow also participating in the fashioning of this cult of the incredible in an otherwise unremarkable village in Burma’s Buddhist heartland. The book’s translator Ward Keeler joins New Books in Southeast Asian Studies to discuss scepticism and believing, vulnerability and masculinity, public order and military rule, Melford Spiro and the study of supernaturalism, anthropology’s crisis in representation, expository French style and the third person as rhetorical device, and language learning as anthropological exercise. You may also be interested in: * Erik Braun The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw * Lawrence Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy Nick Cheesman is a fellow at the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. He can be reached at nick.cheesman@anu.edu.au Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It is difficult to characterize this fascinating book,” George Tanabe writes in his short preface to The Immortals: Faces of the Incredible in Buddhist Burma (University of Hawai’i Press, 2015), “Not just because it concerns thousand-year-old Burmese Buddhists who fly but also because its author has chosen, almost by necessity, unusual procedures for studying and writing about this strange topic.” Indeed. Not only Guillaume Rozenberg’s topic but also his book is itself unusual and intriguing. First published in French and now available in English thanks to the work of Ward Keeler, this is the second in a planned tetralogy on the extraordinary in Burmese Buddhism. Variously a thrilling narrative of raining coconuts and candles, a how-to guide for budding alchemists, and an account of people rendering their bodies impervious to swords and blows, at its twists and turns The Immortals also offers uncommon insights into the relationship of belief to political and social order. At the same time, it reflects frankly on the odd role of the author in not merely recording but somehow also participating in the fashioning of this cult of the incredible in an otherwise unremarkable village in Burma’s Buddhist heartland. The book’s translator Ward Keeler joins New Books in Southeast Asian Studies to discuss scepticism and believing, vulnerability and masculinity, public order and military rule, Melford Spiro and the study of supernaturalism, anthropology’s crisis in representation, expository French style and the third person as rhetorical device, and language learning as anthropological exercise. You may also be interested in: * Erik Braun The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw * Lawrence Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy Nick Cheesman is a fellow at the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. He can be reached at nick.cheesman@anu.edu.au Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It is difficult to characterize this fascinating book,” George Tanabe writes in his short preface to The Immortals: Faces of the Incredible in Buddhist Burma (University of Hawai’i Press, 2015), “Not just because it concerns thousand-year-old Burmese Buddhists who fly but also because its author has chosen, almost by necessity, unusual procedures for studying and writing about this strange topic.” Indeed. Not only Guillaume Rozenberg’s topic but also his book is itself unusual and intriguing. First published in French and now available in English thanks to the work of Ward Keeler, this is the second in a planned tetralogy on the extraordinary in Burmese Buddhism. Variously a thrilling narrative of raining coconuts and candles, a how-to guide for budding alchemists, and an account of people rendering their bodies impervious to swords and blows, at its twists and turns The Immortals also offers uncommon insights into the relationship of belief to political and social order. At the same time, it reflects frankly on the odd role of the author in not merely recording but somehow also participating in the fashioning of this cult of the incredible in an otherwise unremarkable village in Burma’s Buddhist heartland. The book’s translator Ward Keeler joins New Books in Southeast Asian Studies to discuss scepticism and believing, vulnerability and masculinity, public order and military rule, Melford Spiro and the study of supernaturalism, anthropology’s crisis in representation, expository French style and the third person as rhetorical device, and language learning as anthropological exercise. You may also be interested in: * Erik Braun The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw * Lawrence Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy Nick Cheesman is a fellow at the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. He can be reached at nick.cheesman@anu.edu.au Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Is Delegating Important? Delegating frees you up to tackle the truly important aspects of your mission/business/project. Too many leaders, believing only they are able to do things just right, insist on being involved in every single detail of their missions. They believe that this ultra-hands-on approach is good for business because they’re making sure everything gets done just so. But a leader should be in charge of the overall direction of a team; he is the one looking ahead, steering the course, and making needed corrections to avoid getting off track. But buried in the small details, a man will lose the big picture and fail to see that the mission is falling apart until it is too late. A good leader isn’t a slave to detail; he uses his valuable time to tackle what’s truly important. And this leads to greater success for him and his organization. Delegating increases the morale, confidence, and productivity of subordinates.A boss that takes over his subordinates’ responsibilities, constantly looks over their shoulder, and sticks his nose in their every doing, creates very dissatisfied people. They feel like their leader has no confidence in them. Conversely, bosses that give important responsibilities to their employees, along with the freedom to complete the task their way, builds his employees’ innovation, morale, and satisfaction. It is crucial for a leader to show those under him that he trusts them. “There are those who seem to think a proof of executive ability is to be fussing around all the while. Not so. The real leader flutters not. He knows how to delegate work. He is the one who directs and, therefore, seems least busy of all.” Ohio Education Monthly, 1915 Delegating saves you time. Not only does delegating allow you to concentrate on more important matters, it simply gives you more time in general. Some leaders don’t believe this. “Why bother spending all that time training someone to do something that I can do myself with less trouble?” they ask. But while it’s true that training someone will involve more time in the short term, it’s an investment in the future that will pay compound interest. The old adage, “Feed a man a fish, feed him for the day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime,” applies here. You can spend 20 minutes every day doing something your secretary should be doing, and thus spend 86 hours doing that task during the next five years. Or, you can spend 3 hours one day training your secretary to do it, and not have to spend any time on it ever again. And what’s the point of working your butt off to get to the top if you’re going to be just as busy and harried as you were as a grunt? Andrew Carnegie was a man who knew how to hustle to get wanted he wanted. But once he found success, he became a master delegator. To a friend who told him that he got to work at 7 in the morning, he said: “You must be a lazy man if it takes you ten hours to do a day’s work. What I do is get good men and I never give them orders. My directions do not go beyond suggestions. Here in the morning I get reports from them. Within an hour I have disposed of everything, sent out all my suggestions, the day’s work done, and I am ready to go out and enjoy myself.” How to Delegate Effectively “Analyze the career of the successful business manager and you will find that he has done two things: by elimination and selection he has fitted competent men to the places at which the work focuses; by system he has so shifted detail to the shoulders of subordinates as still to keep the essential facts under his own hand.” -William A. Field of the Illinois Steel Company, 1919 Pick the best people. The true key to effective delegation begins before you actually do any delegating at all; rather, it starts in the hiring office. Choosing the best people for your team or business is the most paramount part of effective delegation. Everything rests on having people that can successfully carry out the responsibilities you delegate just as well as could do yourself. Pick people who are creative and self-motivated enough to work without you constantly looking over their shoulder and giving instruction. Delegate in a way that people will willingly accept the assignment. When you delegate a task to someone, that person will greet the task with one of two responses: resentment or pride. To ensure it’s the latter, never delegate responsibilities that everyone knows you should specifically be doing. You delegate tasks when there are more important things that you personally need to attend to, not when you simply find a task unpleasant. My personal rule is never to delegate things that I wouldn’t be willing to do myself if I could. When you delegate a task, tell the person why you chose them-why you think their particular talents are well-suited for the project. Compliments go a long way, and will give the person a sense of being needed and a sense of purpose. Also, don’t play favorites when delegating responsibilities-doling out tasks based not on talent but on who you like. Not only will this create resentment among your team members, not picking the best person for the job simply handicaps your project before it even begins. Have consistent standards. Leaders who complain that their subordinates don’t have the ability to tackle responsibilities competently are sometimes to blame themselves. They have not given their people clear guidance on what is expected of them. These leaders do not know themselves what they want and yet are angry when the result of a subordinate’s work is not up to par. They know what they don’t like, but can’t articulate what they do want. Developing Executive Ability, a book from 1919, sums this point up well and adds other invaluable advice: “Let us analyze this complaint which has been voiced in one form or another by many executives—the detailed and reiterated directions these secretaries require, their lack of insight into the day’s work. It is granted that no brief could be maintained for all private secretaries; their ranks have been invaded by the incompetent and all are human. But as a rule the failure to get things done as the executive wants them is because he does not know himself what he wants, consistently. It is the lack of system, of standards, which is really to blame for the tangle, since the whim of the moment, and not a clear-cut standard, determines whether the typing or the choice of letterhead is to please him. In order to satisfy the unsystematic man the secretary must be a mind reader… A man’s efficiency is best developed by giving him responsibility with a clear understanding of that which is expected. Gradually increase the responsibility, always extending a guiding and helpful hand where needed. Give him all information necessary bearing on his work, encourage him to discuss troublesome matters with you or his next superior in order that errors may not occur for fear of exposing an apparent lack of knowledge. Remarkable results along this line can thus be obtained. We, as individuals, have but a slight idea of our capacity, and we realize possibilities only as we are put to the test. No greater encouragement can be given. It assumes a confidence that is appreciated. A man will strive his utmost before admitting failure. Responsibility causes a man to plan and think. When he begins to think, he at once becomes valuable; he feels he is a part of the company and that its interests are his interests. New possibilities that had been lying dormant are realized. New thoughts are aroused in rapid succession. The new opportunities act as a stimulant toward accomplishment.” Give ample freedom for the subordinate to complete the task. Once you delegate a responsibility, you are placing your trust in that subordinate to carry out the task. Constantly jumping back in to check on how things are going will show your subordinate that you do not really trust them, and thus will actually erode their morale and impede their productivity, creativity and success. Give the person room to be able to successfully complete their assignment, and remember, while there is an agreed upon goal, they don’t have to get there exactly how you would get there. Let them do things in their own way. Follow-up. Giving ample freedom doesn’t mean you never check in at all. Periodically follow-up with the person, not necessarily to stick your nose in what they’re doing, but to see if they have any questions or concerns that need to be addressed. Share in rewards and give credit and praise. When you ask others to take on responsibilities, you cannot ask them only to share in the risk and drudgery, and not the rewards and glory. When a project is a success, a leader gives credit where credit is due. And he treats his subordinates as true partners, listening to their feedback and respecting their ideas and opinions. A great leader understands that the man on the ground often has the best insights to offer on what is really going on and needs to be done. Delegation and SMART, or SMARTER A simple delegation rule is the SMART acronym, or better still, SMARTER. It's a quick checklist for proper delegation. Delegated tasks must be: Specific Measurable Agreed Realistic Timebound Ethical Recorded Traditional interpretations of the SMARTER acronym use 'Exciting' or 'Enjoyable', however, although a high level of motivation often results when a person achieves and is given recognition for a particular delegated task, which in itself can be exciting and enjoyable, in truth, let's be honest, it is not always possible to ensure that all delegated work is truly 'exciting' or 'enjoyable' for the recipient. More importantly, the 'Ethical' aspect is fundamental to everything that we do, assuming you subscribe to such philosophy. There are other variations of meaning - see SMART and SMARTER acronyms. The delegation and review form is a useful tool for the delegation process. Also helpful tools for delegation, see the goal planning tips and template, and the activity management template. The Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum model proviodes extra guidance on delegating freedom to, and developing, a team. The Tuckman 'Forming, Storming, Norming Performing' model is particularly helpful when delegating to teams and individuals within teams. Below are: The steps of successful delegation - step-by-step guide. The levels of delegation freedom - choose which is most appropriate for any given situation. the steps of successful delegation 1 Define the task Confirm in your own mind that the task is suitable to be delegated. Does it meet the criteria for delegating? 2 Select the individual or team What are your reasons for delegating to this person or team? What are they going to get out of it? What are you going to get out of it? 3 Assess ability and training needs Is the other person or team of people capable of doing the task? Do they understand what needs to be done. If not, you can't delegate. 4 Explain the reasons You must explain why the job or responsibility is being delegated. And why to that person or people? What is its importance and relevance? Where does it fit in the overall scheme of things? 5 State required results What must be achieved? Clarify understanding by getting feedback from the other person. How will the task be measured? Make sure they know how you intend to decide that the job is being successfully done. 6 Consider resources required Discuss and agree what is required to get the job done. Consider people, location, premises, equipment, money, materials, other related activities and services. 7 Agree deadlines When must the job be finished? Or if an ongoing duty, when are the review dates? When are the reports due? And if the task is complex and has parts or stages, what are the priorities? At this point you may need to confirm understanding with the other person of the previous points, getting ideas and interpretation. As well as showing you that the job can be done, this helps to reinforce commitment. Methods of checking and controlling must be agreed with the other person. Failing to agree this in advance will cause this monitoring to seem like interference or lack of trust. 8 Support and communicate Think about who else needs to know what's going on, and inform them. Involve the other person in considering this so they can see beyond the issue at hand. Do not leave the person to inform your own peers of their new responsibility. Warn the person about any awkward matters of politics or protocol. Inform your own boss if the task is important, and of sufficient profile. 9 Feedback on results It is essential to let the person know how they are doing, and whether they have achieved their aims. If not, you must review with them why things did not go to plan, and deal with the problems. You must absorb the consequences of failure, and pass on the credit for success. levels of delegation Delegation isn't just a matter of telling someone else what to do. There is a wide range of varying freedom that you can confer on the other person. The more experienced and reliable the other person is, then the more freedom you can give. The more critical the task then the more cautious you need to be about extending a lot of freedom, especially if your job or reputation depends on getting a good result. Take care to choose the most appropriate style for each situation. For each example the statements are simplified for clarity; in reality you would choose a less abrupt style of language, depending on the person and the relationship. At the very least, a "Please" and "Thank-you" would be included in the requests. It's important also to ask the other person what level of authority they feel comfortable being given. Why guess? When you ask, you can find out for sure and agree this with the other person. Some people are confident; others less so. It's your responsibility to agree with them what level is most appropriate, so that the job is done effectively and with minimal unnecessary involvement from you. Involving the other person in agreeing the level of delegated freedom for any particular responsibility is an essential part of the 'contract' that you make with them. These levels of delegation are not an exhaustive list. There are many more shades of grey between these black-and-white examples. Take time to discuss and adapt the agreements and 'contracts' that you make with people regarding delegated tasks, responsibility and freedom according to the situation. Be creative in choosing levels of delegated responsibility, and always check with the other person that they are comfortable with your chosen level. People are generally capable of doing far more than you imagine. The rate and extent of responsibility and freedom delegated to people is a fundamental driver of organisational growth and effectiveness, the growth and well-being of your people, and of your own development and advancement. levels of delegation - examples These examples of different delegation levels progressively offer, encourage and enable more delegated freedom. Level 1 is the lowest level of delegated freedom (basically none). Level 10 is the highest level typically (and rarely) found in organisations. 1 "Wait to be told." or "Do exactly what I say." or "Follow these instructions precisely." This is instruction. There is no delegated freedom at all. 2 "Look into this and tell me the situation. I'll decide." This is asking for investigation and analysis but no recommendation. The person delegating retains responsibility for assessing options prior to making the decision. 3 "Look into this and tell me the situation. We'll decide together." This is has a subtle important difference to the above. This level of delegation encourages and enables the analysis and decision to be a shared process, which can be very helpful in coaching and development. 4 "Tell me the situation and what help you need from me in assessing and handling it. Then we'll decide." This is opens the possibility of greater freedom for analysis and decision-making, subject to both people agreeing this is appropriate. Again, this level is helpful in growing and defining coaching and development relationships. 5 "Give me your analysis of the situation (reasons, options, pros and cons) and recommendation. I'll let you know whether you can go ahead." Asks for analysis and recommendation, but you will check the thinking before deciding. 6 "Decide and let me know your decision, and wait for my go-ahead before proceeding." The other person is trusted to assess the situation and options and is probably competent enough to decide and implement too, but for reasons of task importance, or competence, or perhaps externally changing factors, the boss prefers to keep control of timing. This level of delegation can be frustrating for people if used too often or for too long, and in any event the reason for keeping people waiting, after they've inevitably invested time and effort, needs to be explained. 7 "Decide and let me know your decision, then go ahead unless I say not to." Now the other person begins to control the action. The subtle increase in responsibility saves time. The default is now positive rather than negative. This is a very liberating change in delegated freedom, and incidentally one that can also be used very effectively when seeking responsibility from above or elsewhere in an organisation, especially one which is strangled by indecision and bureaucracy. For example, "Here is my analysis and recommendation; I will proceed unless you tell me otherwise by (date)." 8 "Decide and take action - let me know what you did (and what happened)." This delegation level, as with each increase up the scale, saves even more time. This level of delegation also enables a degree of follow-up by the manager as to the effectiveness of the delegated responsibility, which is necessary when people are being managed from a greater distance, or more 'hands-off'. The level also allows and invites positive feedback by the manager, which is helpful in coaching and development of course. 9 "Decide and take action. You need not check back with me." The most freedom that you can give to another person when you still need to retain responsibility for the activity. A high level of confidence is necessary, and you would normally assess the quality of the activity after the event according to overall results, potentially weeks or months later. Feedback and review remain helpful and important, although the relationship is more likely one of mentoring, rather than coaching per se. 10 "Decide where action needs to be taken and manage the situation accordingly. It's your area of responsibility now." The most freedom that you can give to the other person, and not generally used without formal change of a person's job role. It's the delegation of a strategic responsibility. This gives the other person responsibility for defining what changes projects, tasks, analysis and decisions are necessary for the management of a particular area of responsibility, as well as the task or project or change itself, and how the initiative or change is to be implemented and measured, etc. This amounts to delegating part of your job - not just a task or project. You'd use this utmost level of delegation (for example) when developing a successor, or as part of an intentional and agreed plan to devolve some of your job accountability in a formal sense. contracts - 'psychological contracts', 'emotional contracts' Variously called 'contracts' or 'psychological contracts' or 'emotional contracts', these expressions describe the process of agreeing with the other person what they should do and the expectations linked to the responsibility. It all basically means the same, whatever you call it. The point is that people cannot actually be held responsible for something to which they've not agreed. The point is also that everyone is more committed to delivering a responsibility if they've been through the process of agreeing to do it. This implies that they might have some feelings about the expectations attached, such as time-scale, resources, budget, etc., even purpose and method. You must give the other person the opportunity to discuss, question and suggest issues concerning expectations attached to a delegated task. This is essential to the contracting process. See The Psychological Contract, and Transactional Analysis Contracting - both are highly relevant to delegation. Certain general responsibilities of course are effectively agreed implicitly within people's job roles or job descriptions or employment contracts, but commonly particular tasks, projects, etc., that you need to delegate are not, in which case specific discussion must take place to establish proper agreement or 'contract' between you and the other person. https://us.foursigmatic.com/?gclid=CMbuzZ-qu9MCFZGFswodsJIPYQ  

Any of you synth freaks out there will know all about London Modular Alliance. It is the alias of a live electronic act made up of Koova, Yes Effect and Pip Williams, but is also a much loved and cult synth shop of the same name in Hackney, London. In the club, London Modular Alliance do things properly: they cook up brain frying soundtracks, on the fly, with modular synths, no laptops, and many patch cables. Exactly what will go down at any of their shows is unknown even by the men behind the machines, such is their nature, but suffice it to say they always impress. Their studio sounds are equally beguiling and have come on Brokntoys and Hypercolour, and now they make their unique entry into our mix series. Clocking in at just over an hour, it is a one of the most alive soundtracks we have heard: the whole thing unfolds and evolves seemingly with a life of its own. There are no joins between tracks, no jarring transitions, just a fluid fusion of electro and techno grooves coated in that raw analogue texture we all love so much. Variously prickly and kinetic, raw and freaky or more supple and seductive, it is a splendid session from some of the finest synth maestros out there.

Variously a mythical wise woman, a witch, a forest spirit or a leader of others in the spirit realm, Baba Yaga’s legacy of lore comes from mixed cultural groups within Eastern Europe and as such a fantastic and horrifying collection of motifs have assembled around the character. Flying through the air in a magical mortar and pestle, she leaves her forest hut which sits astride chicken legs, its keyhole filled with sharp teeth and its land surrounded by a fence of human bones topped with skulls. Music by Co Ag Music (available on Youtube)

A meditation on the attention required to know the natural world.

A few words to listeners plus a bit more commentary on Henry Corbin's relation to historicism and Traditionalism.

As Variously As Possible - Episode 7 - Some Notes on Traditionalism - Part 1 by Tom Cheetham

To approach the question of "writing," both legible and illegible, along with the more basic question of signification, we need to greatly expand our sense of what reading is. One way to do that is to think about its history. How has the experience of reading changed since people first began doing it? Why is this important for us?

While you’re imagining you can’t believe or disbelieve. Imagination crosses out all this business of knowing and not knowing. When you get news in the imagination it doesn’t [bother you whether you] know it or don't know it. - Robert Duncan

Why we need the notion of Angels to keep us from idolatry and egotism - why God is such a dangerous idea, but necessary nonetheless.

Henry Corbin’s work was devoted to illustrating deep connections between the mystical traditions within Christianity and Islam and Judaism. He thought of this as similar to the attempts of early Christians to reconcile the stories in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The traditional name for the underlying unity of the Gospels is the Harmonia evangelica. Corbin thought that Judaism, Christianity & Islam were all united by an underlying Harmonia Abrahamica: the harmony of the religions of Abraham.

A meditation on ignorance and humility and what they are good for: a gift of freedom to live and imagine richly in the mystery at the heart of things. It may seem like an odd time in America to be arguing for the necessity of ignorance - in part 2 we'll explain why this is dangerously wrong.

A meditation on ignorance and humility and what they are in the end good for, which is a gift of freedom to live and imagine richly in the presence of the mystery at the heart of things.

The phrase "poetic basis of mind" comes from the psychologist James Hillman (1926 - 2011). We'll explore the psychology of creative imagination, some of the ways language both controls and liberates our thought, the difference between literal truth and metaphoric or provisional knowledge, and why this matters in our individual lives and in the culture as a whole.

The phrase "poetic basis of mind" comes from the psychologist James Hillman (1926 - 2011). We'll explore the psychology of creative imagination, some of the ways language both controls and liberates our thought, the difference between literal truth and metaphoric or provisional knowledge, and why this matters in our individual lives and in the culture as a whole.

In the Northumberland fishing village of Newbiggin by the Sea, local ice cream van owner Tommy Brash has lost the prime spot in the car park for selling ice creams. The council put it out to tender, and the tender was won by 'foreigners'. Variously described as Polish and then Iraqi, it seems no one actually knows who they are, and they've kept a low profile since winning the tender, even though the news made the headlines. A local petition is launched to get Tommy's patch back, a march is held, but the newcomers are staying. Tracking them down for this programme, we discover who the new ice cream sellers really are and follow them over the summer as they battle local hostility, rain, Brexit and health issues. As they prepare for Newbiggin's big annual event, the Lifeboat fund-raiser - a sure-fire money-spinner, will they finally make their new business a success and will they get the welcome they're looking for? Grace Dent presents. Producer: Alice Lloyd.

Our Scripture verse for today is Genesis 15:13-14 which reads: "And [God] said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." Our History of Black Americans and the Black Church quote for today is from Lee June, a professor at Michigan State University and the author of the book, "Yet With A Steady Beat: The Black Church through a Psychological and Biblical Lens." He said, "Faith in the God of the Bible and an association with the institutional church have had overall positive influences on the African-American community and were key in the survival of the slave experience in America." In this podcast, we are using as our texts: From Slavery to Freedom, by John Hope Franklin, The Negro Church in America/The Black Church Since Frazier by E. Franklin Frazier and C. Eric Lincoln, and The Black Church In The U.S. by William A. Banks. However, our first topic today is some good work done for the "God In America" series titled "The Origins of the Black Church" which was aired by the Public Broadcasting Service. This is just a brief historical overview; we will delve into these topics in great detail in upcoming episodes The term "the black church" evolved from the phrase "the Negro church," the title of a pioneering sociological study of African American Protestant churches at the turn of the century by W.E.B. Du Bois. In its origins, the phrase was largely an academic category. Many African Americans did not think of themselves as belonging to "the Negro church," but rather described themselves according to denominational affiliations such as Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and even "Saint" of the Sanctified tradition. African American Christians were never monolithic; they have always been diverse and their churches highly decentralized. Today "the black church" is widely understood to include the following seven major black Protestant denominations: the National Baptist Convention, the National Baptist Convention of America, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and the Church of God in Christ. New historical evidence documents the arrival of slaves in the English settlement in Jamestown, Va., in 1619. They came from kingdoms in present-day Angola and the coastal Congo. In the 1500s, the Portuguese conquered both kingdoms and carried Catholicism to West Africa. It is likely that the slaves who arrived in Jamestown had been baptized Catholic and had Christian names. For the next 200 years, the slave trade exported slaves from Angola, Ghana, Senegal and other parts of West Africa to America's South. Here they provided the hard manual labor that supported the South's biggest crops: cotton and tobacco. In the South, Anglican ministers sponsored by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, founded in England, made earnest attempts to teach Christianity by rote memorization; the approach had little appeal. Some white owners allowed the enslaved to worship in white churches, where they were segregated in the back of the building or in the balconies. Occasionally persons of African descent might hear a special sermon from white preachers, but these sermons tended to stress obedience and duty, and the message of the apostle Paul: "Slaves, obey your masters." Both Methodists and Baptists made active efforts to convert enslaved Africans to Christianity; the Methodists also licensed black men to preach. During the 1770s and 1780s, black ministers began to preach to their own people, drawing on the stories, people and events depicted in the Old and New Testaments. No story spoke more powerfully to slaves than the story of the Exodus, with its themes of bondage and liberation brought by a righteous and powerful God who would one day set them free. Remarkably, a few black preachers in the South succeeded in establishing independent black churches. In the 1780s, a slave named Andrew Bryan preached to a small group of slaves in Savannah, Ga. White citizens had Bryan arrested and whipped. Despite persecution and harassment, the church grew, and by 1790 it became the First African Baptist Church of Savannah. In time, a Second and a Third African Church were formed, also led by black pastors. In the North, blacks had more authority over their religious affairs. Many worshipped in established, predominantly white congregations, but by the late 18th century, blacks had begun to congregate in self-help and benevolent associations called African Societies. Functioning as quasi-religious organizations, these societies often gave rise to independent black churches. In 1787, for example, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones organized the Free African Society of Philadelphia, which later evolved into two congregations: the Bethel Church, the mother church of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination, and St. Thomas Episcopal Church, which remained affiliated with a white Episcopal denomination. These churches continued to grow. Historian Mary Sawyer notes that by 1810, there were 15 African churches representing four denominations in 10 cities from South Carolina to Massachusetts. In black churches, women generally were not permitted to preach. One notable exception was Jarena Lee, who became an itinerant preacher, traveling thousands of miles and writing her own spiritual autobiography. We will continue this brief historical overview of the black church in our next podcast. _______ Our second topic for today is "The First West African States: Mali (Part 1)" from John Hope Franklin's book, From Slavery to Freedom. He writes: As Ghana began to decline, another kingdom in the west arose to supplant it and to exceed the heights that Ghana had reached. Mali, also called Melle, began as an organized kingdom about 1235, but the nucleus of its political organization dates back to the beginning of the seventh century. Until the eleventh century it was relatively insignificant and its mansas, or kings, had no prestige or influence.  The credit for consolidating and strengthening the kingdom of Mali goes to the legendary figure Sundiata Keita. In 1240 he overran the Soso people and leveled the former capital of Ghana. It was a later successor, however, who carried the Malians to new heights. Variously called Gonga-Musa and Mansa-Musa, this remarkable member of the Keita dynasty ruled from 1312 to 1337. With an empire comprising much of what is now French-speaking Africa, he could devote his attention to encouraging the industry of his people and displaying the wealth of his kingdom. The people of Mali were predominantly agricultural, but a substantial number were engaged in various crafts and mining. The fabulously rich mines of Bure were now at their disposal and served to increase the royal coffers.  We will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

Chris Bowlby profiles the veteran Labour MP and co-author of this week's report on hunger, Frank Field, who is one of the most unusual politicians in Britain. Variously described as "independent-minded" and a "free thinker" Field has been in Parliament for more than 30 years, representing Birkenhead, which contains some of the most deprived wards in the country. He had to fight off a hard left challenge from Militant at the beginning of his career and he has long been a campaigner against poverty. His radical views on welfare haven't always endeared him to his Labour colleagues but he is famous for the friends he has made across the political divide. Most remarkably, perhaps, he was one of those who told Margaret Thatcher, shortly before she resigned, that it was time for her to go. We'll hear from friends, both Labour and Conservative, who speak warmly of a man of dogged determination and great personal integrity. But we'll also hear from critics who say he's not a natural team player who was failed in his brief period as a member of Tony Blair's first government. Producer: Tim Mansel.

Rod B. & Mareis bring you the Miami Sessions @ Miami Underground MovementAt 52 years old Dave “Big Daddy” Brown has been around since before the birth of dance music. Or for that matter, punk, reggae, new wave, hard rock, hip-hop, rap and metal. In fact, he came rushing headlong into this world in 1961, the same year Patsy Cline was topping the charts with Willie Nelson’s “Crazy”.He was ten years old when he bought his first ever record, Led Zeppelin’s immortal classic, “Immigrant Song”, which remains one of his favourite songs of all time. The joy was short-lived though, his mum made him take it back to the record store as it wasn’t considered “appropriate”...but it was cheekily swapped for Deep Purple’s “Demon’s Eye” instead.Variously falling in love with sounds like Led Zep, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, The Ramones, Motorhead, Pantera and Tool, Big Daddy’s die seem cast in either the thrash of punk or the dark grooves of heavy metal. But dabbling in the early ‘90s rave scene in Sydney Australia he became exposed to early psy-trance and acid house.But it wasn’t until a monumental set by the legendary Carl Cox at Bondi Beach Sydney on NYE 2000 that the die was cast. Within two days Dave had bought his first decks. Absorbing sounds from iconic techno and house DJs like Carl Cox, John Digweed, Green Velvet and Jeff Mills, he started the long and lonely journey of every true DJ, to find his own sound. Dave’s live sets invariably involve a variety of styles with techno and tech-house as the basis but a preference for dark techno. Well regarded for his programming and immaculate blend mixing his sets are never planned whether live or recorded, believing in the true essence of a “live” performance.Having played predominantly in Asia, he was offered residencies at the iconic Bed Supperclub and Glow in Bangkok where he successfully pushed a tech-house sound in an electro-house world many years before it before it became fashionable.However Big Daddy is the antithesis of most DJs and doesn’t seek fame or fortune in any way, in fact he keeps out of the limelight and finds it completely ironic to even have had bio written for him.He is legendary for turning down gigs to allow younger DJs to take the opportunities available. It’s through this modesty and generosity that he has cheekily become known as “Big Daddy “. Dave is vehement in his belief that music comes first and its future resides with the young.Well known in the Brisbane (Australia) underground scene, Dave has played alongside some of the biggest names in international techno although he’d never mention names. He currently only plays certain events by invitation from people who know their music.Knowing that the music will never die, Dave’s plans are to build his own beach-club in Asia in 2015 where he intends to see out his days sharing the music he loves so much without any distractions.He truly does hope to leave this life in a DJ booth with his headphones still on!

Why do spelling bees include such bizarre, obsolete words like cymotrichous? And why is New York called the Big Apple? Also, the stinky folk medicine tradition called an asifidity bag. Worn around the neck like an amulet, these smelly bags supposedly keep away cold and flu. Also, the surprising number of common English phrases that come directly from the King James Bible. Plus, three sheets to the wind, the term white elephant, in like Flynn, Australian slang, and what to call foam sleeve for an ice-cold can of beer or soda.FULL DETAILSWhat's the common thread that connects the phrases pour out your heart, from time to time, fell flat on his face, the skin of my teeth, and the root of the matter? They all come from, or were popularized by, the King James Bible, published in 1611. The Manifold Greatness (http://www.manifoldgreatness.org/) exhibit is now traveling to libraries and schools nationwide, demonstrating, among other things, this translation's profound impact on the English language. A wedding photographer says she happens to run into lots of people who are three sheets to the wind, and wonders why that term came to mean "falling-down drunk." It's from nautical terminology. On a seagoing vessel, the term sheets refers to "the lines or ropes that hold the sails in place." If one, two, or even three sheets get loose and start flapping in the wind, the boat will swerve and wobble as much as someone who's overimbibed.In Australia, if someone's socky, they're "lacking in spirit or self confidence." If someone's toey, they're "nervous," "aroused," or "frisky."The words respiration and inspiration have the same Latin root, spirare, which means "to breathe." The word "conspire" has the same Latin etymological root. But what does conspiring have to do with breathing? The source of this term is notion that people who conspire are thinking in harmony, so close that they even breathe together.The so-called Wicked Bible is a 1631 version of the King James, printed by Robert Barker and Matin Lucas. This particular Bible is so called because the printers somehow managed to leave out the word not in the commandment against adultery. They were, indeed, punished. Behold the offending page here. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/arts/design/manifold-greatness-and-king-james-bible-at-folger-review.html?pagewanted=all)Our Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a game of Curtailments, in which the last letter of one word is removed to make another. For example: When the family gathers around the ________, it's clear that home is where the _______ is.What do you call a gift that turns into more of a hassle, like a gift card for a store not in your area, or one with a pressing expiration date? A New York caller suggests the term gaft. Another possibility is white elephant, a term derived from the story of a king in ancient Siam, who punished unruly subjects with the gift of a rare white elephant. The recipient couldn't possibly refuse the present, but the elephant's upkeep became extremely costly.What's an asafidity bag? Variously spelled asfidity, asfedity, asafetida, asphidity, and assafedity, it's a folk medicine tradition involves putting the stinky resin of the asafetida or asafoetida plant in a small bag worn around the neck to ward off disease. Then again, if this practice really does help you avoid colds and flu, it's probably because nobody, contagious or otherwise, wants come near you. You can hear Granny Clampett mentions asafidity bags twice in the first two minutes of this episode of The Beverly Hillbillies(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S2RJqBbRpkof). There's also a lengthy online discussion about this old folk tradition here.http://en.allexperts.com/q/General-History-674/f/old-medicinal-practices-southern.htmIn an earlier episode (http://www.waywordradio.org/your-sweet-bippy/), Martha and Grant discussed what to call a person who doesn't eat fish. A listener calls with another suggestion: pescatrarian, from the Latin word that means "fish."Why do spelling bees in the United States use so many bizarre, obsolete, ginormous, and Brobdinagian words? Webster's New International Dictionary, 3rd Edition, published in 1961, is still the standard for spelling bees, and thus contains some dated language. However, most unabridged dictionaries won't get rid of words even as they slip out of use.Recent winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee included cymotrichous, stromuhr, Laodicean, guerdon, serrefine, and Uhrsprache. How many do you know? The whole list is here. (http://www.spellingbee.com/champions-and-their-winning-words)Do you pronounce the words cot and caught differently? How about the words don and dawn, or pin and pen? The fact that some people pronounce at least some of these pairs identically is attributable to what's called a vowel merger.  Why is New York City called the Big Apple? In the 1920s, a writer named John Fitzgerald used it in a column about the horse racing scene, because racetrack workers in New Orleans would say that if a horse was successful down South, they'd send it to race in the Big Apple, namely at New York's Belmont Park. For just about everything you'd ever want to know about this term, visit the site of etymological researcher Barry Popik. (http://www.barrypopik.com/)A caller says her relative always used an interjection that sounds like "sigh" for the equivalent of "Are you paying attention?" The hosts suspect it's related to "s'I," a contraction of "says I." This expression open appears in Mark Twain's work, among other places.Many teachers aren't crazy about cornergami. That's what you've committed if you've ever been without a stapler and folded over the corners of a paper to keep them attached.The phrase in like Flynn describes someone who's thoroughly successful, often with the ladies. Many suspect it's a reference to the dashing actor Errol Flynn and his sensational trial on sex-related charges. That highly publicized trial may have popularized the expression, but it was already in use before that. It could perhaps be a case of simple rhyming, along the lines of such phrases as What do you know, Joe? and Out like Stout. The foam sleeve you put around a can of ice-cold beer or soda sometimes goes by a name that sounds like the word "cozy." But how do you spell it? As with words that are primarily spoken, not written, it's hard to find a single definitive spelling. In fact, the word for this sleeve is spelled at least a dozen different ways.....Support for A Way with Words comes from National University, which invites you to change your future today. We're also grateful for support from the University of San Diego. Since 1949, USD has been on a mission not only to prepare students for the world, but also to change it. Learn more about the college and five schools of this nationally ranked, independent Catholic university at http://sandiego.edu.--A Way with Words is funded by its listeners: http://waywordradio.org/donateGet your language question answered on the air! Call or write with your questions at any time:Email: words@waywordradio.orgPhone: United States and Canada toll-free (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673London +44 20 7193 2113Mexico City +52 55 8421 9771Donate: http://waywordradio.org/donateSite: http://waywordradio.org/Podcast: http://waywordradio.org/podcast/Forums: http://waywordradio.org/discussion/Newsletter: http://waywordradio.org/newsletter/Twitter: http://twitter.com/wayword/Skype: skype://waywordradio Copyright 2012, Wayword LLC.

Why do spelling bees include such bizarre, obsolete words like cymotrichous? And why is New York called the Big Apple? Also, the stinky folk medicine tradition called an asifidity bag. Worn around the neck like an amulet, these smelly bags supposedly keep away cold and flu. Also, the surprising number of common English phrases that come directly from the King James Bible. Plus, three sheets to the wind, the term white elephant, in like Flynn, Australian slang, and what to call foam sleeve for an ice-cold can of beer or soda.FULL DETAILSWhat's the common thread that connects the phrases pour out your heart, from time to time, fell flat on his face, the skin of my teeth, and the root of the matter? They all come from, or were popularized by, the King James Bible, published in 1611. The Manifold Greatness (http://www.manifoldgreatness.org/) exhibit is now traveling to libraries and schools nationwide, demonstrating, among other things, this translation's profound impact on the English language. A wedding photographer says she happens to run into lots of people who are three sheets to the wind, and wonders why that term came to mean "falling-down drunk." It's from nautical terminology. On a seagoing vessel, the term sheets refers to "the lines or ropes that hold the sails in place." If one, two, or even three sheets get loose and start flapping in the wind, the boat will swerve and wobble as much as someone who's overimbibed.In Australia, if someone's socky, they're "lacking in spirit or self confidence." If someone's toey, they're "nervous," "aroused," or "frisky."The words respiration and inspiration have the same Latin root, spirare, which means "to breathe." The word "conspire" has the same Latin etymological root. But what does conspiring have to do with breathing? The source of this term is notion that people who conspire are thinking in harmony, so close that they even breathe together.The so-called Wicked Bible is a 1631 version of the King James, printed by Robert Barker and Matin Lucas. This particular Bible is so called because the printers somehow managed to leave out the word not in the commandment against adultery. They were, indeed, punished. Behold the offending page here. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/arts/design/manifold-greatness-and-king-james-bible-at-folger-review.html?pagewanted=all)Our Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a game of Curtailments, in which the last letter of one word is removed to make another. For example: When the family gathers around the ________, it's clear that home is where the _______ is.What do you call a gift that turns into more of a hassle, like a gift card for a store not in your area, or one with a pressing expiration date? A New York caller suggests the term gaft. Another possibility is white elephant, a term derived from the story of a king in ancient Siam, who punished unruly subjects with the gift of a rare white elephant. The recipient couldn't possibly refuse the present, but the elephant's upkeep became extremely costly.What's an asafidity bag? Variously spelled asfidity, asfedity, asafetida, asphidity, and assafedity, it's a folk medicine tradition involves putting the stinky resin of the asafetida or asafoetida plant in a small bag worn around the neck to ward off disease. Then again, if this practice really does help you avoid colds and flu, it's probably because nobody, contagious or otherwise, wants come near you. You can hear Granny Clampett mentions asafidity bags twice in the first two minutes of this episode of The Beverly Hillbillies(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S2RJqBbRpkof). There's also a lengthy online discussion about this old folk tradition here.http://en.allexperts.com/q/General-History-674/f/old-medicinal-practices-southern.htmIn an earlier episode (http://www.waywordradio.org/your-sweet-bippy/), Martha and Grant discussed what to call a person who doesn't eat fish. A listener calls with another suggestion: pescatrarian, from the Latin word that means "fish."Why do spelling bees in the United States use so many bizarre, obsolete, ginormous, and Brobdinagian words? Webster's New International Dictionary, 3rd Edition, published in 1961, is still the standard for spelling bees, and thus contains some dated language. However, most unabridged dictionaries won't get rid of words even as they slip out of use.Recent winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee included cymotrichous, stromuhr, Laodicean, guerdon, serrefine, and Uhrsprache. How many do you know? The whole list is here. (http://www.spellingbee.com/champions-and-their-winning-words)Do you pronounce the words cot and caught differently? How about the words don and dawn, or pin and pen? The fact that some people pronounce at least some of these pairs identically is attributable to what's called a vowel merger.  Why is New York City called the Big Apple? In the 1920s, a writer named John Fitzgerald used it in a column about the horse racing scene, because racetrack workers in New Orleans would say that if a horse was successful down South, they'd send it to race in the Big Apple, namely at New York's Belmont Park. For just about everything you'd ever want to know about this term, visit the site of etymological researcher Barry Popik. (http://www.barrypopik.com/)A caller says her relative always used an interjection that sounds like "sigh" for the equivalent of "Are you paying attention?" The hosts suspect it's related to "s'I," a contraction of "says I." This expression open appears in Mark Twain's work, among other places.Many teachers aren't crazy about cornergami. That's what you've committed if you've ever been without a stapler and folded over the corners of a paper to keep them attached.The phrase in like Flynn describes someone who's thoroughly successful, often with the ladies. Many suspect it's a reference to the dashing actor Errol Flynn and his sensational trial on sex-related charges. That highly publicized trial may have popularized the expression, but it was already in use before that. It could perhaps be a case of simple rhyming, along the lines of such phrases as What do you know, Joe? and Out like Stout. The foam sleeve you put around a can of ice-cold beer or soda sometimes goes by a name that sounds like the word "cozy." But how do you spell it? As with words that are primarily spoken, not written, it's hard to find a single definitive spelling. In fact, the word for this sleeve is spelled at least a dozen different ways.--A Way with Words is funded by its listeners: http://waywordradio.org/donateGet your language question answered on the air! Call or write with your questions at any time:Email: words@waywordradio.orgPhone: United States and Canada toll-free (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673London +44 20 7193 2113Mexico City +52 55 8421 9771Donate: http://waywordradio.org/donateSite: http://waywordradio.org/Podcast: http://waywordradio.org/podcast/Forums: http://waywordradio.org/discussion/Newsletter: http://waywordradio.org/newsletter/Twitter: http://twitter.com/wayword/Skype: skype://waywordradio Copyright 2011, Wayword LLC.