Podcasts about westerners

One of the most salacious and storied methods of KGB spycraft during the Cold War was the honey trap. Agents would get an informant to seduce a target, usually a Westerner deemed important. Then use that encounter as blackmail. We're all aware of this thanks to movies and television. What we know nothing about are same-sex honey traps. The KGB's use of homosexual men to seduce other men, whether said men were gay or not. Officials, academics, businessmen and other power positions were targets. How do we know about these operations? Well, because of the intrepid research of historian Irina Roldugina. Roldugina got access to KGB files related to same-sex operations and found more information in, of all things, declassified US government documents related to the Kennedy Assassination. How did these operations work? Who did the KGB tap for same-sex seduction? What do these documents tell us? And what did the KGB think of homosexuality in general? The Eurasian Knot spoke to Irina about her recent article, “The Cold War and the Soviet KGB's Same-Sex Entrapment Operations in the 1950s and 1960s: The Perpetrator in Focus” published in the Fall 2025 issue of Journal of Cold War Studies. Guest:Irina Roldugina is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of Modern Languages at the University of Bristol. She's the author of several articles on queer history in the Soviet Union. Her most recent is “The Cold War and the Soviet KGB's Same-Sex Entrapment Operations in the 1950s and 1960s: The Perpetrator in Focus” published in the Fall 2025 issue of Journal of Cold War Studies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You've been asking for it, it's time to go over every Latin country in South America, seen through the eyes of somebody who has barely been there!  A lot of Westerners are looking for a proper Plan B, but have no idea where to start.  VP does his best to give you the straight beef on what to expect as far as weather, food, and dating go in as many countries as we can cover.   Recommended Crypto Trading Platform (And Bonus Eligibility) - https://nononsenseforex.com/cryptocurrencies/best-crypto-trading-platform/   For Decentralized Crypto Trading (US Citizens Can Join) - https://nononsenseforex.com/decentralized-trading-platform/   Blueberry Markets Blog (Top FX Broker) - https://nononsenseforex.com/uncategorized/blueberry-markets-review-my-top-broker-for-2019/   Get a Discount On Any Trading View Package - https://www.tradingview.com/?aff_id=159841   The Blog Has Moved to My New Free Substack - https://thecontrarianinvestorblog.substack.com/p/what-to-expect-and-what-not-to?r=16orow   Follow VP on Twitter https://twitter.com/This_Is_VP4X   Check out my Forex trading material too! https://nononsenseforex.com/   The host of this podcast is not a licensed financial advisor, and nothing heard on this podcast should be taken as financial advice.  Do your own research and understand all financial decisions and the results therein are yours and yours alone.  The host is not responsible for the actions of their sponsors and/or affiliates.  Conversely, views expressed on this podcast are that of the host only and may not reflect the views of any companies mentioned. Trading Forex involves risk.  Losses can exceed deposits. We are not taking requests for episode topics at this time.  Thank you for understanding.

I'm your China travel guide in exile, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city or county to pray for every single day of the week. Feel free to email anytime: chinacompass @ privacyport.com. Visit PrayGiveGo.us for Patreon, Substack, Books & everything else! The Memoirs of William Milne (PrayGiveGo.us) The Autobiography of John G. Paton (JohnGPaton.com) Borden of Yale: The Millionaire Missionary (BordenofYale.com) Unbeaten: Arrested, Interrogated & Deported from China (Unbeaten.vip) Why the Prison Pulpit? To remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches: “Remember those who are in prison, as bound with them.” We’ve looked at Wang Yi and Early Rain Church’s writings in the aftermath of their arest in 2018, but I’ve also regularly turned to other persecuted ministers who have gone before, such as Richard Wurmbrand, to give us a voice literally from prison. Let me recommend a little book (Return of the Raider/The Amazing Story of Sergeant Jacob Deshazer), that I was tempted to cover in a full Prison Pulpit episode: https://jacobdeshazer.com/return-of-the-raider The Middle East continues to be in the spotlight this week. There is obviously much we do know to pray for, but I want to remind you that there is also so much we DO NOT KNOW. For instance, Iran’s regime-induced internet blackout keeps us from hearing much at all from the majority of Iranians who are cheering on the potential fall of the Islamic regime. Let’s not forget them. My guess is if communication were functioning normally, we’d be inundated with positive messages from within Iran. One report I saw estimated that in Iran it's more like 95% against the Ayatollahs and 5% for. But we really just don’t know. Finally, we come to our topic of the day, Chinese Christians in Exile and Serving Abroad… I have to be careful here. I simply cannot give up too much info about the folks I’m going to mention, so bear with me as I search for the right words… - Chinese missionaries are being sent to most of western China, almost all of Asia (sans India), and much of the Middle East, and they “fit in” much better than Westerners in many of these places - They are being trained in much the same way Western missionaries are trained to work cross-culturally, not in a matter of days, but years, in strategic places both inside and outside of China - Some of them struggle to leave China (passports confiscated), but others cannot return, as they will be arrested upon arrival with their passports confiscated for the foreseeable future - We have a major project later this year to help the missionary arm of the Chinese Underground Church Strategic Opportunity to Give: MCI3.org ($50,000 need!) Follow China Compass Thank you for listening! Subscribe & leave a review on your preferred podcast platform! And don’t forget to visit PrayGiveGo.us for books +. Heb. 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

Sligo Rovers women's captain Emma Hansberry joined Stephen Doyle at the League of Ireland launch a few weeks ago ahead of the new Women's Premier Division season beginning this weekend the 14th of March.Hansberry speaks of the Westerners ambition ahead of the 2026 season, incorporating new faces and what experience she can bring to the group.Become a member and sign up at offtheball.com/join

I'm your China travel guide in exile, Missionary Ben. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I share a new Chinese city or county to pray for every single day of the week. Feel free to email anytime: chinacompass @ privacyport.com. Visit PrayGiveGo.us for Patreon, Substack, Books & everything else! The Memoirs of William Milne (PrayGiveGo.us) The Autobiography of John G. Paton (JohnGPaton.com) Borden of Yale: The Millionaire Missionary (BordenofYale.com) Unbeaten: Arrested, Interrogated & Deported from China (Unbeaten.vip) Why the Prison Pulpit? To remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches: “Remember those who are in prison, as bound with them.” We’ve looked at Wang Yi and Early Rain Church’s writings in the aftermath of their arest in 2018, but I’ve also regularly turned to other persecuted ministers who have gone before, such as Richard Wurmbrand, to give us a voice literally from prison. Let me recommend a little book (Return of the Raider/The Amazing Story of Sergeant Jacob Deshazer), that I was tempted to cover in a full Prison Pulpit episode: https://jacobdeshazer.com/return-of-the-raider The Middle East continues to be in the spotlight this week. There is obviously much we do know to pray for, but I want to remind you that there is also so much we DO NOT KNOW. For instance, Iran’s regime-induced internet blackout keeps us from hearing much at all from the majority of Iranians who are cheering on the potential fall of the Islamic regime. Let’s not forget them. My guess is if communication were functioning normally, we’d be inundated with positive messages from within Iran. One report I saw estimated that in Iran it's more like 95% against the Ayatollahs and 5% for. But we really just don’t know. Finally, we come to our topic of the day, Chinese Christians in Exile and Serving Abroad… I have to be careful here. I simply cannot give up too much info about the folks I’m going to mention, so bear with me as I search for the right words… - Chinese missionaries are being sent to most of western China, almost all of Asia (sans India), and much of the Middle East, and they “fit in” much better than Westerners in many of these places - They are being trained in much the same way Western missionaries are trained to work cross-culturally, not in a matter of days, but years, in strategic places both inside and outside of China - Some of them struggle to leave China (passports confiscated), but others cannot return, as they will be arrested upon arrival with their passports confiscated for the foreseeable future - We have a major project later this year to help the missionary arm of the Chinese Underground Church Strategic Opportunity to Give: MCI3.org ($50,000 need!) Follow China Compass Thank you for listening! Subscribe & leave a review on your preferred podcast platform! And don’t forget to visit PrayGiveGo.us for books +. Heb. 13:3: Remember those who are in prison, “as bound with them”!

At San Francisco airport we would go and sit down with people, and mostly we were looking for hippies—people with longer hair—because we thought nobody else would take it. We would sit down next to them like we were just sitting there randomly. And then we would turn to them and go, 'Hey, you want to see something far out?' They would go, 'What do you have?' We would say, 'No, no, this is really far out. Check this out.' And we would show them the pictures in the Kṛṣṇa book. Then, people would get attracted. So there has to be something to be attracted to. Lord Caitanya— gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe, Śrīla Prabhupāda came and said, 'Here is Lord Caitanya's teaching.' It's about describing the spiritual world and our relationship with the Supreme Person. Minus that—āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ—everyone works hard for nothing and falls down from their imagined position of liberation. Conclusion: Lord Caitanya is the best. He preaches the Bhāgavatam perfectly because He is Kṛṣṇa. He has come to show people how to do this, how to become free from weakness of the heart. Anybody can do it. And the chanting part—Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate, because everything is contained within the mantra. It's a very specific path; it's not willy-nilly. He explains it very clearly. Śrīla Prabhupāda, understanding completely how to present it, brought it and gave it even to the Westerners—pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. The pāścātya-deśa: he came and gave the same teachings of Lord Caitanya. So now that Prabhupāda has left, He gave us the instruction to carry it on. Whatever or however we feel about ourselves or our abilities, we have to rise to the occasion and give mercy, especially in the Western countries. As I was saying this morning: bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra. janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. We have to do para-upakāra—the greatest benefit to human society—by distributing the message of Lord Caitanya, especially if you have any roots in Bhārata, it's our duty. This is really nice thing—anywhere you live, if you can come out. We didn't get a very good view of it today because there's cloud cover and all these buildings, but it's nice to come out and watch the sunrise every morning. It's a glorious thing. It's nice to chant a few mantras, like the Gayatri mantra, and there are others. Bharat Maharaj, when he went off to the forest, he was worshiping the Lord within the sun. dhyeyaḥ sadā savitṛ-maṇḍala-madhya-vartī nārāyaṇaḥ sarasijāsana-sanniviṣṭaḥ keyūravān makara-kuṇḍalavān kirīṭī hārī hiraṇmaya-vapuḥ dhṛta-śaṅkha-cakraḥ (Rg Mantra, quoted in SB 5.7.13,14) ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://vaisesikadasayatra.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 https://thefourquestionsbook.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=launch2025 ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaise

I was recently talking with a client who said that he has a friend who was trying to re-connect with Islam this Ramadan and thought, "What better place to start, than the Quran?"  Granted, this person will have to read a watered down English translation and not the original, inimitably beautiful Arabic, but still, it should be all good, right?  The problem with Quran translations is that even one word misplaced can completely change the experience of the reader and their connection with Allah.  And there are a lot of bad English translations of the Quran out there. And, in recent decades, there have been some really good ones. But even the good ones translate some words in ways that can be very misleading to a native English speaker and someone who 'thinks' like a Westerner.  

Has Trump’s Operation Epic Fury damaged US/UK relations? the big exit by Westerners from the UAE is well underway - with football star Cristiano Ronaldo one of the first to flee; and why it's your ears that will give away your real age. Vicki Turner shares details on these stories with Lester Kiewit. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk5See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has Trump’s Operation Epic Fury damaged US/UK relations? the big exit by Westerners from the UAE is well underway - with football star Cristiano Ronaldo one of the first to flee; and why it's your ears that will give away your real age. Vicki Turner shares details on these stories with Lester Kiewit. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk5See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Westerners are able to hold this compartmentalized video game mentality about war because war isn't something that happens to us. We've never had bombs dropped on our neighborhoods. We've never had the experience of seeing a severed hand on the ground after an explosion and trying to figure out who it belonged to. We've never had the experience of seeing our child's shredded body after a blast and thinking about how we'd carefully helped them dress that precious body for school just hours before. Reading by Tim Foley.

Continuing their discussion on Tibetan Buddhism and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's lineage, David Silver and Raghu Markus chat about carrying forward the wisdom of great masters.Check out part 1 of this conversation on Ep. 627 of the Mindrolling Podcast and grab a copy of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's memoirs, Blazing Splendor, for a deeper look into his magnificent life. In this episode, Raghu and David chat about:Being guided toward unconditional love, selflessness, and devotion to the Divine MotherThe role of lineage holders and treasure revealers in Tibetan BuddhismTulku Urgyen's unique style of teachingDeep humility as an essential spiritual practiceHow ‘being here now' becomes a gateway to embodied wisdomReleasing skepticism and misunderstanding around the concept of a guruHonoring great spiritual masters and transmitting their wisdom across generationsThe powerful film, Tibet: Cry of the Snow LionReaching a state of deathlessness and timeless awarenessStarting our day with compassion for ourselves and others“As soon as I wake up in the morning, I remind myself that nothing exists as it appears. Then I think about sentient beings who want happiness, but experience suffering. I generate compassion for them, determined to help them as much as I can to eliminate their negative emotions.” –The Dalai LamaAbout David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver's #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history's most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary' was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver's Warner Brothers' feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.“‘Be Here Now' is not only Ram Dass's precept of just be in the present, it's saying, ‘Be here now, and you're everywhere. Be here now, and you're in wisdom.' If you're not here now, you're veering away from wisdom.” — David SilverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You can't outrun a bad diet—but it turns out you might not even be able to outrun a good one. In this episode of A Whole New Level, evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Herman Pontzer joins Mike Haney to dismantle the "armchair view" of metabolism and explain why more exercise doesn't necessarily mean more calories burned.Drawing on his groundbreaking research with the Hadza hunter-gatherer community and global meta-analyses, Dr. Pontzer explains the Constrained Energy Model: the phenomenon where our bodies hit a metabolic ceiling and begin "trading off" energy from vital systems like immunity and reproduction to account for physical activity. This conversation reframes weight loss not as a simple math problem of "calories in vs. calories out," but as a dynamic, evolutionary balancing act.Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠In this episode, we cover:The Myth of Additive Energy: Why adding a 300-calorie run to your day doesn't actually result in 300 extra calories burned over the long term.The Hadza Paradox: How hunter-gatherers who walk miles every day burn the same amount of total energy as sedentary Westerners.Metabolic Trading: How your body "pays" for exercise by dialing down inflammation, stress responses, and reproductive hormones.The Business of the Body: Why the human body acts less like a simple machine and more like a corporation reallocating a limited budget.The "Set Point" Debate: Whether our bodies are tracking pounds on a scale or the flow of energy in the gut.Practical Weight Management: Why diet is the primary tool for weight, while exercise is the primary tool for everything else.

主播：Emma（中国）+ Maelle（法国） 音乐：Everything's Good春节限定副本已经开启——走亲访友，七大姑八大姨轮番上线，不知道你有没有收到亲戚的大拷问（family interrogation）呢？今天，我们就来聊聊这份独属于春节的“社交考卷”！01. The “Deadly Questions” 连环问现场很多亲戚一年只在春节期间见一次，但热情从不缺席。他们好奇（curious）你的工作、收入、感情状况等等，仿佛瞬间化身为“家庭面试官（family interview panel）”。��Class Questions 经典问题（1）“你现在在哪工作呀？一个月挣多少？”“Where do you work? How much do you make per month?”“一个月挣多少？”这个问题会shock most Westerners（让很多西方人感到震惊）。在西方文化中，问工资有些涉及到隐私了（it's private）。如果你回答“没多少”，对方大概率会追问：“没多少是多少？（If it's not much, how much exactly?）”。（2）“有对象了吗？”“Are you seeing anyone?”That can get a little uncomfortable (不舒服的). 如果你回答“没对象”，总会碰上一些格外热情的亲戚，瞬间化身“红娘（matchmakers）”，特别积极地想给你介绍。如果你已经“有对象”，也会有难题，比如：① “打算什么时候结婚？”“When are you getting married?”② “打算什么时候要孩子？”“When are you planning to have children?”网友精辟总结：这不是聊天，这是家庭版过年KPI考核（annual performance review - family edition）。02. 网友们的“已读乱回”智慧面对“连环问”，网友们开始支招（come up with），教大家如何“优雅存活（a survival guide）”。��关于时间“什么时候回来的？”——“前两天。”“在家待多久？”——“待两天。”“什么时候走？”——“过两天。”Minimal content (信息量极低), maximum politeness (态度良好).��关于收入“一个月工资多少？”——“没多少。”“没多少是多少？”——“发多少算多少。”It answers nothing and everything (已读，回了，但没真回). Sometimes there isn't a need to make it too complicated (复杂的), just that is enough.03. Western Holidays: Same Drama? 西方节日也有类似的“灵魂拷问”吗？在西方，像圣诞节、感恩节这样的重要节日，同样会家庭团聚，而且也会有这样类似的“灵魂拷问”。但主播Maelle表示：“they're softer (更温和的)”。��是怎样的“softer”呢？不是问“How much do you earn?”It might be: “how's work going (最近工作怎么样)?”如果真的被问到很private的问题，人们会说：“I prefer to keep that private.” ——“这个我就不便透露了。”“That's a long story.”——“那可说来话长了。”这些都是很典型的“有边界”回复。Boundaries without conflict (有边界，无冲突). 当然，家庭氛围各异，也可能会有追问细节的情况。��如果被问：“你胖了吗？现在多少斤（how much do you weigh now）？”��主播Maelle的示范回答：“I don't measure my life in kilos.”——“我不会用公斤去衡量我的生活。”“I'm happy and healthy - that's what matters.”——“我开心、健康——这才是重要的。”既不明确地回答对方，但又巧妙地表达了自己的态度。If someone keeps asking, you can just politely change the topic (换话题) if you do not want to answer. 已读，已乱回。04. Different Intentions, Different Cultures 文化差异——关心与尊重的不同表达部分网友认为，亲戚这样的做法未必是恶意。They just don't know what else to ask (还能问什么).In some cultures, asking about life milestones (里程碑) shows care. 在中国，问“在哪工作啊？结婚没？”这些问题，某种程度上等于“我关心你的未来”。而在西方，not asking can actually be a way of showing respect (表达尊重的方式).同一个问题，在不同文化中，含义可能大不相同。It's not about good or bad, just different communication styles (沟通方式的差异).春节走亲访友，是情感交流，也是语言艺术。最重要的始终是enjoy time with family。These moments are so precious (珍贵的). 欢迎在评论区留言：今天我们聊的“已读乱回”，你属于哪一派呢？Are you Team “They Mean Well (他们也是好意)”? Or Team “Please Respect My Privacy (请尊重我的隐私)”?

In this episode, we sit down with performer Tommy Palma, who recently starred alongside the stunning Pinay Palma Primera. He opens up about his experience shooting for TP, how he first got into the industry, and what life is really like behind the scenes. Beyond the work, Tommy is an avid traveler who has explored countries across Asia and Europe — sharing real stories about culture shock, travel scams, language barriers, and the misconceptions Westerners often develop from social media and mainstream news. It's an honest, unfiltered conversation about travel, stigma, and the realities of a unique career path. This is one you definitely don't want to miss.

“Mastering the gray areas is to doing business in China what political correctness is to corporate America: MANDATORY.”Westerners often parachute into China assuming strength, clarity, and leverage translate cleanly across cultures. They don't.China operates in a gray zone—where ambiguity is tactical, patience is power, and absolutist, black-and-white thinking quietly destroys influence.In this video, I explain why:Guānxì (关系) explains HOW relationships operateLìyì (利益) explains WHAT people considerYīnyáng (阴阳) explains WHERE decisions actually liveChina's “maddening vagueness” isn't incompetence or evasion. It's a pragmatic system designed to preserve Face, share risk, and keep future options open.If you're frustrated by indirect answers, shifting commitments, or a lack of accountability, the problem usually isn't them—it's the questions you're asking.This episode reframes Yīnyáng not as an ancient philosophy but as a modern psychological operating system that governs leadership, negotiation, ethics, and survival in China's business landscape.If you want to lead, negotiate, or build teams in China, mastering the shades of gray isn't optional.

In this powerful episode, Ray Powell and Jim Carouso sit down with Yaqiu Wang, a leading human rights advocate and fellow at the University of Chicago's Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression. Born and raised in China, Wang offers a rare, insider perspective on what it really means to live under Xi Jinping's surveillance state - and why the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) domestic repression is no longer just a “China problem,” but a direct threat to global freedom and Indo-Pacific security.Most Westerners assume Chinese citizens have struck a “grand bargain” - trading freedom for economic prosperity. Wang dismantles this myth, revealing a population that never agreed to this trade-off but is coerced into silence by a sophisticated apparatus of fear. She explains how the CCP exports its model of digital authoritarianism to countries across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, embedding surveillance tools into “smart city” projects that threaten democratic norms worldwide.Key Topics Discussed:The Surveillance State: Wang describes the psychological toll of living in a society where every digital interaction is monitored, leading to deep-seated self-censorship that follows Chinese citizens even after they emigrate to the West.The WeChat Trap: Discover how the “super app” WeChat functions as a Trojan horse for CCP influence, effectively holding the Chinese diaspora hostage by controlling their primary news source and connection to family back home.Xinjiang & Human Rights: An in-depth look at the mass internment of Uyghurs, the predictive policing algorithms that flag innocent behaviors (like buying gym weights) as terrorist threats, and the heartbreak of watching the U.S. retreat from its role as a global champion of human rights.Transnational Repression: How Beijing's reach extends far beyond its borders, harassing dissidents on foreign soil and pressuring foreign governments to silence critics.Tune in to understand why the fight for human rights in China is inextricably linked to the national security of the United States and its allies.About the Guest:Yaqiu is a prominent researcher and activist who previously led China research at Human Rights Watch and Freedom House. She has testified before the U.S. Congress on issues ranging from internet censorship to women's rights and continues to be a vocal advocate for the Chinese people despite personal risks.

Hosts Josh and Jamie and special guest Trace Sauveur discuss videotape J-horror procedurals involving supernatural folklore with a double feature of Hideo Nakata's ghostly slow-burn cursed videotape horror-drama RINGU (1998) and Koji Shiraishi's paranormal, conspiratorial found footage/mockumentary demon-horror film NOROI: THE CURSE (2005). Next week's episode is a patron-exclusive bonus episode on Westerners adapting J-horror: Gore Verbinski's THE RING (2002) + Christophe Gans' SILENT HILL (2006), you can get access to that episode (and all past + future bonus episodes) by subscribing to our $5 tier on Patreon: www.patreon.com/sleazoidspodcast Intro // 00:00-12:17 RINGU // 12:17-1:17:15 NOROI // 1:17:15-2:32:09 Outro // 2:32:09-2:36:18 Check out Trace's writing: https://letterboxd.com/tracesauveur/ NEW SLEAZOIDS SHIRT + HAT: https://blackbeltcinema.ca/search?q=sleazoids&options%5Bprefix%5D=last WEBSITE: www.sleazoidspodcast.com/ Pod Twitter: twitter.com/sleazoidspod Pod Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/SLEAZOIDS/ Josh's Twitter: twitter.com/thejoshl Josh's Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/thejoshl Jamie's Twitter: twitter.com/jamiemilleracas Jamie's Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/jamiemiller

"It's a country where Westerners can visit, business can be done, and stability is going to break out all over the Middle East."  The true colours of the Iranian Regime are on full display. This episode confronts what happens when ordinary people refuse to surrender their identity, history, and right to freedom.  We're joined again by Wayne Allyn Root on his show, War Zone, to ask the question, what does freedom in Iran truly mean to Iranian people and the rest of the world? Wayne Allyn Root is a nationally syndicated radio and television host, bestselling author, and longtime political commentator. He has hosted programs on Real America's Voice, Lindell TV, and USA Radio Network, reaching audiences across the U.S. Root is the author of multiple bestselling books, including The Great Patriot Protest & Boycott Book (coauthored with Nicky) and TRUMP RULES, and is a former Libertarian vice-presidential nominee.  Learn more & connect:  https://rootforamerica.com/   https://patriot.tv/  Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. 

Why do Chinese negotiations feel so unpredictable? The answer lies in a concept called Lìyì (利益).Most Westerners assume business runs on competence, transparency, and institutional trust. In China, the operating system is entirely different. It is dynamic, personal, and based on a continuous calculation of perceived benefit.In this episode, I break down the "Lìyì Calculus"—the invisible operating system that has kept Chinese society running for thousands of years. Learn how to stop judging Chinese partners by Western standards and start understanding their actual motivations.

A sweeping history of the violence perpetrated by governments committed to extreme forms of secularism in the twentieth centuryA popular truism derived from the Enlightenment holds that violence is somehow inherent to religion, to which political secularism offers a liberating solution. But this assumption ignores a glaring modern reality: that putatively progressive regimes committed to secularism have possessed just as much and often a vastly greater capacity for violence as those tied to a religious identity. In Broken Altars, Thomas Albert Howard presents a powerful account of the misery, deaths, and destruction visited on religious communities by secularist regimes in the twentieth century.Presenting three principal forms of modern secularism that have arisen since the Enlightenment—passive secularism, combative secularism, and eliminationist secularism—Howard argues that the latter two have been especially violence-prone. Westerners do not fully grasp this, however, because they often mistake the first form, passive secularism, for secularism as a whole. But a disconcertingly more complicated picture emerges with the adoption of a broader global vision. Admitting different species of secularism, greater historical perspective, and case studies drawn from the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Mongolia, and China, among other countries, Howard calls into question the conventional tale of modernity as the pacifying triumph of secularism over a benighted religious past. Thomas Albert Howard is professor of humanities and history and holder of the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University. He is the author of many books, including The Faiths of Others: A History of Interreligious Dialogue. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Episode #468: Friedgard Lottermoser, born in Berlin in 1942, first came to Burma in 1959 when her stepfather was sent there on contract. What began as an expatriate posting soon turned into a lifelong spiritual journey, as she became one of the very few Westerners to study closely with the renowned meditation master Sayagyi U Ba Khin at the International Meditation Center (IMC) in Rangoon. At IMC, Friedgard encountered a teaching environment unlike anything she had known. U Ba Khin emphasized the direct observation of saṅkhāras—mental forces—teaching that liberation lay not in theory but in carefully watching the mind and body in real time. Friedgard recalled how his presence alone could anchor those around him, and how he often combined meticulous discipline with compassion and mettā. Her own training was rigorous. She sat thirteen courses at IMC, more than most Burmese were ever allowed, and experienced periods of deep absorption that were both transformative and challenging. She once became ill but refused medicine, convinced that meditation itself would cure her—an ethos that many disciples shared, with sesame oil and turmeric serving as the only remedies at the center. She also witnessed U Ba Khin heal himself of a severe eye infection by meditating directly into the pain, as well as accounts of him easing snake bites and tuberculosis among students through focused awareness and compassion. Friedgard's life intertwined with other close disciples, such as Mother Sayama, whose delicate meditative states required careful support, and Ruth Denison, who once received “mental healing” from U Ba Khin across continents. Looking back, she emphasized that U Ba Khin never sought breadth but depth—he believed only those with strong spiritual potential would be drawn to him. Foreigners like Friedgard were the exceptions, allowed to stay longer and carry the Dhamma forward, especially after the military regime blocked U Ba Khin from traveling abroad.

In this talk Mei discusses the paramita of ethical conduct. Sila (ethical conduct) is one of the six paramitas (perfections) that develops a practitioner on the path of freedom, while simultaneously manifesting awakened activity. Though most Westerners don't initially delight in the topic of ethical behavior, Mei explains that virtue is one of the most beautiful expressions of the awakened mind.

China shock 2.0, $1trillion surplus, Adam Smith. Is the neoliberal global order coming to an end? Is it China's fault? Do they care?In this episode we tackle the underlying questions surrounding fears of China's domination of all major manufacturing industries. Should China stop what they're doing? If so, why? And if why, how should they bring back balance and let us poor Westerners keep some of our jobs?We also talk globalisation, who's really to blame for the current situation, and why Orientalism plays a bigger role than you might think.Join the 12 China books in 12 months bookclub by following Sinobabble on Substack: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sinobabblepodLinks to everything: https://linktree.com/sinobabbleSupport the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

A sweeping history of the violence perpetrated by governments committed to extreme forms of secularism in the twentieth centuryA popular truism derived from the Enlightenment holds that violence is somehow inherent to religion, to which political secularism offers a liberating solution. But this assumption ignores a glaring modern reality: that putatively progressive regimes committed to secularism have possessed just as much and often a vastly greater capacity for violence as those tied to a religious identity. In Broken Altars, Thomas Albert Howard presents a powerful account of the misery, deaths, and destruction visited on religious communities by secularist regimes in the twentieth century.Presenting three principal forms of modern secularism that have arisen since the Enlightenment—passive secularism, combative secularism, and eliminationist secularism—Howard argues that the latter two have been especially violence-prone. Westerners do not fully grasp this, however, because they often mistake the first form, passive secularism, for secularism as a whole. But a disconcertingly more complicated picture emerges with the adoption of a broader global vision. Admitting different species of secularism, greater historical perspective, and case studies drawn from the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Mongolia, and China, among other countries, Howard calls into question the conventional tale of modernity as the pacifying triumph of secularism over a benighted religious past. Thomas Albert Howard is professor of humanities and history and holder of the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University. He is the author of many books, including The Faiths of Others: A History of Interreligious Dialogue. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

David has been a clinician, consultant, researcher, and educator in the field of natural medicine for over 40 years. A world-renowned speaker, author, and thought leader, David emphasizes reimagining healthcare and empowering individuals to become their own self-care experts.As a teacher, David has taught extensively for more than twenty-five years, throughout the US, Canada and in Europe. He has been a top faculty member at The Shift Network since 2015, where over 10,000 students have taken his online courses. He pioneered and hosted The Shift Network's most popular annual Plant Medicine Summit, which has been attended by over 300,000 people from more than 120 countries.David was one of the first Westerners to train and be licensed in Chinese medicine, and one of the few to study Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine in traditional internships in Nepal and India; he was also one of the first medical pioneers to use essential oils and aromatherapy in clinical practice, and to integrate these diverse modalities into comprehensive treatments.David has traveled extensively for ethnobotanical research and to study traditional medical systems, including Central and South America, Europe, North Africa, Taiwan, Burma, Nepal, and India. He has collaborated with many communities around the world to establish a network of projects supporting sustainable cultivation and production of botanical medicines and essential artisanal oils. https://www.crowconsultations.com/http://www.yourlotandparcel.org

A sweeping history of the violence perpetrated by governments committed to extreme forms of secularism in the twentieth centuryA popular truism derived from the Enlightenment holds that violence is somehow inherent to religion, to which political secularism offers a liberating solution. But this assumption ignores a glaring modern reality: that putatively progressive regimes committed to secularism have possessed just as much and often a vastly greater capacity for violence as those tied to a religious identity. In Broken Altars, Thomas Albert Howard presents a powerful account of the misery, deaths, and destruction visited on religious communities by secularist regimes in the twentieth century.Presenting three principal forms of modern secularism that have arisen since the Enlightenment—passive secularism, combative secularism, and eliminationist secularism—Howard argues that the latter two have been especially violence-prone. Westerners do not fully grasp this, however, because they often mistake the first form, passive secularism, for secularism as a whole. But a disconcertingly more complicated picture emerges with the adoption of a broader global vision. Admitting different species of secularism, greater historical perspective, and case studies drawn from the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Mongolia, and China, among other countries, Howard calls into question the conventional tale of modernity as the pacifying triumph of secularism over a benighted religious past. Thomas Albert Howard is professor of humanities and history and holder of the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University. He is the author of many books, including The Faiths of Others: A History of Interreligious Dialogue. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A sweeping history of the violence perpetrated by governments committed to extreme forms of secularism in the twentieth centuryA popular truism derived from the Enlightenment holds that violence is somehow inherent to religion, to which political secularism offers a liberating solution. But this assumption ignores a glaring modern reality: that putatively progressive regimes committed to secularism have possessed just as much and often a vastly greater capacity for violence as those tied to a religious identity. In Broken Altars, Thomas Albert Howard presents a powerful account of the misery, deaths, and destruction visited on religious communities by secularist regimes in the twentieth century.Presenting three principal forms of modern secularism that have arisen since the Enlightenment—passive secularism, combative secularism, and eliminationist secularism—Howard argues that the latter two have been especially violence-prone. Westerners do not fully grasp this, however, because they often mistake the first form, passive secularism, for secularism as a whole. But a disconcertingly more complicated picture emerges with the adoption of a broader global vision. Admitting different species of secularism, greater historical perspective, and case studies drawn from the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Mongolia, and China, among other countries, Howard calls into question the conventional tale of modernity as the pacifying triumph of secularism over a benighted religious past. Thomas Albert Howard is professor of humanities and history and holder of the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University. He is the author of many books, including The Faiths of Others: A History of Interreligious Dialogue. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

A sweeping history of the violence perpetrated by governments committed to extreme forms of secularism in the twentieth centuryA popular truism derived from the Enlightenment holds that violence is somehow inherent to religion, to which political secularism offers a liberating solution. But this assumption ignores a glaring modern reality: that putatively progressive regimes committed to secularism have possessed just as much and often a vastly greater capacity for violence as those tied to a religious identity. In Broken Altars, Thomas Albert Howard presents a powerful account of the misery, deaths, and destruction visited on religious communities by secularist regimes in the twentieth century.Presenting three principal forms of modern secularism that have arisen since the Enlightenment—passive secularism, combative secularism, and eliminationist secularism—Howard argues that the latter two have been especially violence-prone. Westerners do not fully grasp this, however, because they often mistake the first form, passive secularism, for secularism as a whole. But a disconcertingly more complicated picture emerges with the adoption of a broader global vision. Admitting different species of secularism, greater historical perspective, and case studies drawn from the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Mongolia, and China, among other countries, Howard calls into question the conventional tale of modernity as the pacifying triumph of secularism over a benighted religious past. Thomas Albert Howard is professor of humanities and history and holder of the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University. He is the author of many books, including The Faiths of Others: A History of Interreligious Dialogue. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

A sweeping history of the violence perpetrated by governments committed to extreme forms of secularism in the twentieth centuryA popular truism derived from the Enlightenment holds that violence is somehow inherent to religion, to which political secularism offers a liberating solution. But this assumption ignores a glaring modern reality: that putatively progressive regimes committed to secularism have possessed just as much and often a vastly greater capacity for violence as those tied to a religious identity. In Broken Altars, Thomas Albert Howard presents a powerful account of the misery, deaths, and destruction visited on religious communities by secularist regimes in the twentieth century.Presenting three principal forms of modern secularism that have arisen since the Enlightenment—passive secularism, combative secularism, and eliminationist secularism—Howard argues that the latter two have been especially violence-prone. Westerners do not fully grasp this, however, because they often mistake the first form, passive secularism, for secularism as a whole. But a disconcertingly more complicated picture emerges with the adoption of a broader global vision. Admitting different species of secularism, greater historical perspective, and case studies drawn from the former Soviet Union, Turkey, Mexico, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Mongolia, and China, among other countries, Howard calls into question the conventional tale of modernity as the pacifying triumph of secularism over a benighted religious past. Thomas Albert Howard is professor of humanities and history and holder of the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University. He is the author of many books, including The Faiths of Others: A History of Interreligious Dialogue. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/secularism

Novice chasers stole the show over Christmas - and now we need to separate hype from hard truth. On this week's Final Furlong Podcast, Emmet Kennedy, Adam Mills, and Jamie Wrenn break down the headline performances from Kempton, Leopardstown, Punchestown, and Limerick — and what they could mean for Cheltenham Festival 2026. Data-led, opinionated, and packed with value angles, this is the ultimate festive novice chase review.

Longtime friends David Silver and Raghu Markus discuss Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and the legacy of Dzogchen maintained by his four sons.Grab a copy of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's memoirs, Blazing Splendor, for a deeper look into his magnificent life. This time on Mindrolling, Raghu and David have a discussion about:The life and teachings of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, one of the greatest Dzogchen meditation masters of the 20th centuryTulku Urgyen Rinpoche's sons and how they continue to spread Dzogchen wisdom to the WestCore principles of Dzogchen philosophy, including the nature of mind and nondual awarenessUnderstanding cognitive emptiness and the illusion of a solid identityWhy contemplating death and impermanence can be a path to liberationWorking consciously with loss and mortality before the end of lifeNot falling into the trap of believing this life is permanentViewing dreams and meditation as parallel practices for awakeningThe patience and discipline required to form new spiritual habitsLiving fully while recognizing the inevitability of deathLearn about dealing with the bardo of dying in the book In Love with the World by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche or hop into The Bardo Guidebook by Chokyi Nyima RinpocheAbout David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver's #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history's most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary' was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver's Warner Brothers' feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries. “Urgyen and his sons and all Dzogchen people believe that dreaming is as important as meditating. Dreams are fluid, anything can happen in a dream. You can fly, you can walk through a wall. What Mingyur says is that is the perfect analogy for life itself; life is as fluid and as transparent as that dream, but we don't know it because we think it's solid because we can't put our finger through our hand.” –David SilverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of Japan Station, author Hiroko Yoda joins us to talk about the complexities of religious and spirituality in Japan, a topic she covers in her new book Eight Million Ways to Happiness.

Be Here Now - Mike CohnOne of my favorite books is one I've never completely read. It's called Be Here Now. A friend's older brother was reading it when I was 10. He let me page through his copy.The book caught my attention because it was square, an unusual shape for a book. Many of the pages inside the book were hand-lettered and illustrated.I next came across the book when I was a college freshman. I read part of it then but never finished it because it's a guide to Hinduism for Westerners, which isn't my thing.But the title of that book has always resonated with me: Be Here Now.I think the ability to be here now is something too many of us are losing. We can't just be in the moment and in the place. Everyone has to be constantly on their mobile phones. We multitask between what we should be working on and whatever else catches our eye, meanwhile listening for the assorted dings demanding attention.(I admit to having paused once even while writing this to investigate the boing of a new email arriving. But I've so far withheld the temptation to look a second time.)I witness the inability to be here now while training or working with teams. Once, during an in-person class, I was unable to make eye contact with any participant. Each was banging away on a laptop.When they asked questions, they were like, “When does the sprint master help with the project backlog?”Am I any better, though? I love music and grew up listening to the three-minute rock songs of the era. I remember listening to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as a teen. It was OK (don't judge me!) but I thought, “Who has time for a one-hour song?”Now I hit skip halfway through my favorites on Spotify.I worry about attention spans and the ability to focus. The inability to be here now must have an impact on innovation, productivity, and teamwork. I don't have a solution.I don't have ”three quick tips to be here now.” I merely want to request that we each try to be here now a bit more often, a bit longer, and a bit more intensely each day,How to connect with AgileDad:- [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠- [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠- [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠- [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

In this episode Matt hosts Dick Brogden, a missions leader with decades of experience of church planting amongst Muslims in various countries across Africa and the Middle East. Topics include the power of indirection and compassion, the theology of suffering & survivor's guilt, and effective global partnerships.Questions Dick addresses include: What are some of the key factors that help workers stay long-term in difficult places? What is the difference between calling, assignment and role? How can we respond when Muslims publicly challenge or criticise our faith? How do Arab believers help Westerners to understand bible stories from a Middle-Eastern perspective? Do check out Dick's books at: https://www.abidepublishers.com/shopSupport the show_________________________________________________________________________________Do get in touch if you have any questions for Matt or for any of his guests.matt@frontiers.org.ukYou can find out more about us by visiting www.frontiers.org.ukOr, if you're outside the UK, visit www.frontiers.org (then select from one of our national offices). For social media in the UK:Instagram: frontiers_ukAnd do check out the free and outstanding 6 week video course for churches and small groups, called MomentumYes:www.momentumyes.com (USA)www.momentumyes.org.uk (UK) _________________________________________________________________________________

If you're like me and grew up in the public school system, you may have been taught that language, reality, and truth are merely subjective. That there is no true meaning and therefore, no true values, and purpose in life. This is the philosophical illusion that most modern Westerners are born into without even knowing it. In C.S. Lewis' book, The Abolition of Man, he attacks that very subjectivist philosophical system. But he doesn't begin his argument in a way that you may expect, in fact, he starts his abolition of subjectivism by discussing a particular green textbook that, in his time, was being used to teach children this dangerous postmodern philosophy. Lewis goes on to explain that men who adhere to this philosophy and adopt all of its inconsistencies don't merely exist in a constant state of confusion – no, they actually cease to men altogether. He says that this ideology actually leads to a full-on abolition of man – the end of humanity itself. But to understand what Lewis is trying to tell us modern people, you need to read his book along with another book written by the Oxford professor, Dr. Michael Ward – author of Planer Narnia and many other books and actor in a James Bond film, The World Is Not Enough. His book, After Humanity is a guide to CS Lewis's The Abolition of Man. So, I had a conversation with Dr. Ward about Lewis, technology, postmodernism, Artificial Intelligence, contraceptives, and logical positivism. We discussed what happens when man denies objective reality and forfeits his nature and purpose and we ask the daunting and pressing question of the modern age: What comes After Humanity?After Humanity - Michael Ward Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://www.orthodoxyandorder.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

Finding Fullness in Less #RTTBROS #Nightlight"But godliness with contentment is great gain." — 1 Timothy 6:6You know, I came across something recently that really got me thinking. Arthur Brooks, a professor who studies happiness, makes a fascinating observation. He says when a Westerner thinks of creating art, they picture a blank canvas, something that needs more added to it. More paint, more color, more brushstrokes. But when someone from Asia looks at art, they see a block of jade. The masterpiece is already inside, you just have to chip away what doesn't belong.That difference in perspective hit me right between the eyes. Because most of us are living like we're staring at that blank canvas, aren't we? We think happiness is just one more thing away. One more promotion, one more zero in the bank account, one more achievement. We keep adding and adding, wondering why we still feel empty.But what if happiness doesn't come from more, but from less? From being content with what we already have?The Apostle Paul understood this. He wrote to Timothy, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Timothy 6:6-7).Paul wasn't saying we shouldn't have goals. He was saying that chasing "more" as our source of happiness is a trap. True gain comes when we pair godliness with contentment. When we stop thinking our lives are blank canvases that need more added and start seeing them as that block of jade, already containing something beautiful if we'll just chip away the stuff that doesn't belong.What needs to be chipped away? Maybe it's comparison. Maybe it's envy. Maybe it's the endless scroll through other people's highlight reels. Maybe it's expectations that were never meant to be there.I'm too soon old and too late smart on this, but I've learned that contentment isn't about settling. It's about recognizing that God has already placed something beautiful in your life, right where you are. The art is already there.So here's my challenge: what if you stopped adding and started subtracting? What if you chipped away just one thing keeping you from seeing the beauty that's already in your life?Let's pray: Father, help us see our lives the way You see them. Teach us contentment. Teach us to find our joy in You, not in the endless chase for more. In Jesus' name, Amen.#Faith #Contentment #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #TrustGod #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #NightlightBe sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.https://linktr.ee/rttbros

My newsletter: https://simonowens.substack.com/   The Kyiv Independent launched in 2021, and its timing was in some ways fortuitous, since it was only a few months later that Russia launched a full-scale invasion in Ukraine. Suddenly, the entire world was paying attention to the country, and the Kyiv Independent happened to be the most authoritative English-language outlet to be reporting on the ground. This attention not only resulted in a massive amount of traffic, but also a surge in membership donations as sympathetic Westerners sought out ways to support Ukraine's cause.   In a recent interview, Chief Operating Officer Zakhar Protsiuk discussed the early days of getting the Kyiv Independent off the ground, its shift from one-time donations to recurring memberships, and why the outlet has begun producing longform documentaries.  

Marty sits down with Johann Kurtz to discuss the cultural shift away from intergenerational wealth transfer, the moral framework of duty that once guided wealthy Westerners, and why building a lasting family legacy matters more than giving it all to charity. Johann on Twitter: https://x.com/JohannKurtz Johann on Substack: https://substack.com/@becomingnoble Leaving a Legacy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2CK4M59 STACK SATS hat: https://tftcmerch.io/ Our newsletter: https://www.tftc.io/bitcoin-brief/ TFTC Elite (Ad-free & Discord): https://www.tftc.io/#/portal/signup/ Discord: https://discord.gg/VJ2dABShBz Opportunity Cost Extension: https://www.opportunitycost.app/ Shoutout to our sponsors: Bitkey https://bit.ly/TFTCBitkey20 Unchained https://unchained.com/tftc/ Obscura https://obscura.net/ SLNT https://slnt.com/tftc CrowdHealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/tftc Salt of the Earth: [https://drinksote.com/tftc](https://drinksote.com/) Join the TFTC Movement: Main YT Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/TFTC21/videos Clips YT Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUQcW3jxfQfEUS8kqR5pJtQ Website https://tftc.io/ Newsletter [tftc.io/bitcoin-brief/](http://tftc.io/bitcoin-brief/) Twitter https://twitter.com/tftc21 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tftc.io/ Nostr https://primal.net/tftc Follow Marty Bent: Twitter https://twitter.com/martybent Nostr https://primal.net/martybent Newsletter https://tftc.io/martys-bent/ Podcast https://www.tftc.io/tag/podcasts/

In a world where Israel is headline news every day, most people are trying to interpret events through a fog of bias, misinformation, and instant reaction culture.  We sat down with longtime Jerusalem-based journalist Nicole Jansezian to ask a simple question that's not simple at all:  How do we know what's actually true?  What unfolded was an inside look at the fractured media landscape inside Israel and the ideological forces shaping the region. Nicole helps us slow down and understand why the Middle East defies the easy categories most Westerners reach for.  Israel's political divisions don't map onto America's left-right spectrum. Palestinian society is not monolithic. And both sides live with historic, cultural, and religious dynamics that rarely show up in the headlines.  When we oversimplify, we miss the deeper story - and the deeper human reality. This conversation is for anyone who wants discernment in an age of propaganda. We explore why speed has replaced accuracy, why influencers often outrun truth, and why we need a long view shaped by Scripture, not by algorithms.  For Christians seeking to understand Israel, this isn't just geopolitics - it's about returning to the story God has been telling since Genesis and learning to see the world the way He sees it. Key Takeaways Israel's internal political spectrum is far more complex than the American left–right divide. Headlines often frame events without context, leading to widespread misunderstanding. Influencer-driven “news” prioritizes speed and virality over verification. Propaganda is not always overt; sometimes it's subtle, soft influence that shapes perception. Ideology - religious, historic, territorial - drives Middle Eastern decisions more than economics. The media environment inside Israel is deeply divided, with competing narratives shaping public opinion. Christians must pursue discernment by slowing down, asking better questions, and grounding their understanding in Scripture. Chapter Markers  00:00 – Welcome and introduction from Jerusalem 01:20 – Nicole's story: from Queens to the Middle East 04:00 – Why Israeli politics don't mirror America 08:30 – Divisions inside Israel after October 7 13:45 – How to read news with discernment 16:45 – The rise of influencers and the loss of verification 21:00 – Why analysis is disappearing from modern news 23:00 – Ideological drivers of the Middle East 30:20 – Propaganda and soft influence 37:00 – Where to follow Nicole's reporting To go deeper into conversations that reconnect the whole Bible and illuminate God's ongoing story with Israel and the nations, explore more resources at thejewishroad.com, join us on an upcoming trip to Israel, consider becoming one of The Few who support this work regularly, and follow today's guest at nicjan.com and on her YouTube channel for on-the-ground reporting from Jerusalem.

We're back for A Little Bit Extra Thursday filled with Thanksgiving word salads and gallows humor. We chat about the last few truly bonkers weeks, share a long-awaited update on the book (spoiler: it's actually finished and with our copy editor!), and talk about why we can't publicly comment on certain NXIVM-adjacent podcasts just yet.We listen to your voicemails about the podcast featuring Allison Mack, Nippy's growth arc, Westerners hijacking Eastern spirituality, and a culty resort in Costa Rica that's been pinging your radar. There's also wild OneTaste/Morehouse prison-cult speculation. We invite you to send in future word-salad prompts and red-flag groups we should investigate. This one's messy, weirdly cozy, but honest—just the way y'all like it.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do the lures of self-preservation and self-reliance block Kingdom work? A panel of providers, and a student minister share ways they live out the gospel through healthcare among those experiencing poverty. Though the world defines success by our bank account and possessions, living for Jesus looks different and requires sacrifice that Westerners find difficult to pursue.

In this episode, I dive into the real tea on green tea. Its rich history, cultural traditions, and why so many Westerners brew it all wrong. We explore how green tea is harvested, the art of multiple short infusions, and how proper brewing unlocks smoother flavor and fewer tannins. I also break down the science-backed health benefits, from L-theanine and caffeine synergy to antioxidants like EGCG and metabolic support. If you've ever wondered how to brew green tea the way it's meant to be enjoyed, and why it's so good for you, this episode is for you.Tea types mentioned: loose-leaf green teas include Long Jing (Dragonwell), Yun Wu, Bilochun, Jasmine Tea, and Osmanthus Tea. White Teas. Taiwanese High Mountain Oolongs, Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy), MatchaSupplements:L-Theanine in capsule form or as powder and EGCG (extract)Would you like to book a health consultation for yourself or a loved one? Send me a message through the contact form on my website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.herbalhelp.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or click on my calendar ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to book a free 20-minute call⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to find out if you would like to book health consultations and how this would work. I am a professional, clinical Herbalist registered with the American Herbalists Guild and would love to give you personalized help!A Health Consultation or Skincare Consultation with an Herbalist also makes a wonderful gift for the holidays or birthdays for your loved ones! Sign up for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Herbal Inspiration Membership on Ko-Fi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get access to over 20 of my herbal videos, classes, and herbal case studies! A lot of great material to help you learn and deepen your understanding of medicinal herbs and empower you to use herbs safely and effectively! Topics of pre-recorded classes are Adaptogens, Herbs for the Nervous System, Medicinal Mushrooms, Immune Support, Hormonal Balance, Herbs for the Brain, Ayurveda, Herbal Oils, and more!Your monthly or one-time contribution through the Ko-Fi membership ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/tamaraherbalist⁠⁠⁠ supports the creation of this podcast and my YouTube Channel! Thank you!Check out the new videos on my YouTube Channel! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Herbal Help by Tamara⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠herbal.help⁠⁠⁠⁠This show is meant for educational purposes only. This is not health advice.Please send me a message through the ⁠⁠⁠⁠contact form on my website⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

Most assume that the difference between Greek literature and the Semitic Scrolls, written in Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Qurʾanic Arabic, lies in narrative. It does not. Narrative is the veil, a carrier wave for what remains unseen. Everything hinges on lexicography. The decisive divide is grammatical.Greek “meaning” is a conceptually “built” construct, grounded in philosophical abstraction and analytic inference. Semitic function emerges from triliteral consonantal roots that test, constrain, and judge the observer. Greek vocabulary operates within a narrow conceptual field, like a teenager wearing a VR headset, viewing an AI paradise while sitting in a garbage heap. Semitic vocabulary operates within an open functional field. The same teenager with the headset removed, discovering he sits in an open field among living, breathing things, where biblical roots carry behavioral consequences.This becomes immediately visible in Luke 8:47. The single Greek verb λανθάνω (lanthano) activates a constellation of six distinct Hebrew roots:ע־ל־ם (ʿayin-lamed-mem, hiddenness)מ־ע־ל (mem-ʿayin-lamed, covert breach)צ־פ־ן (ṣade-fe-nun, stashing, treasuring)ע־ד־ר (ʿayin-dalet-resh, missing from the count)כ־ח־ד (kaf-ḥet-dalet, concealment from the king)ר־א־ה (resh-ʾalef-he, divine seeing)That Scripture draws on such a wide Semitic field to express “not escaping notice” shows how seriously the biblical tradition treats hiddenness and uncovering. Each root contributes a different functional angle: what is hidden to humans, what is hidden in betrayal, what is hidden as hoarded, what is missing from the tally, what is concealed from authority, and what is seen by God. The phenomenon is not Greek versus Hebrew. Multiple Semitic operations of judgment underwrite a single functional moment in Luke. This density is lexical, not narrative, let alone speculative. It reflects how the Semitic system encodes the living, breathing reality around us.Across the Abrahamic scrolls, these triliteral roots operate like living tissue. They replicate, invert, intensify, and map action to consequence. Hidden sin is traceable in Hebrew because ע־ל־ם (ʿayin-lamed-mem) is not a metaphor but a function. It moves. The Qurʾan does the same with خ-ف-ي (khāʾ-fāʾ-yāʾ) and غ-ف-ل (ghayn-fāʾ-lām). Luke's Greek lexicon operates because a biological Hebrew bone structure undergirds the scroll. Without that structural field, no instance of λανθάνω (lanthano) conveys, or is able to convey, the full weight of divine accounting. However, once the field is “seen” Scripturally, “with the ears,” the semantics are relentless. The Pauline scales (not scales of measurement) fall off. (Acts 9:18)Only a Hellenist, in our time a Westerner, is fooled by what they can see, or worse, by what they imagine they can explain. A true Semite has ears to hear. Through hearing, the blind learn to see, and the deaf and the mute are healed.The unseen, الغيب (al-ghayb) and נֶעֱלָם (neʿlam), is not mysticism. It is judgment. It is the Lord's test. Hiddenness is God's domain. Covering belongs to God; uncovering belongs to God; the scales of measurement, المِيزَان (al-mīzān) belong to God; the tally belongs to God. The Qurʾan repeats the decree of Luke, that the Lord is not unaware of what you do. Previously, Ecclesiastes insisted the same. Every hidden deed is brought into judgment. (Ecclesiastes 12:14) Luke and Matthew proclaimed that what is concealed will be shouted openly. (Matthew 10:26; Luke 12:2) This mechanism is not literary ornamentation. It is the biological operating system of the Abrahamic scrolls, coded in living, breathing triliteral grammar.The problem for the now dominant West is that Greek thought presupposes that meaning originates in the human mind. The human city becomes the center, the planted earth becomes a concretized static, or idolized center, human proportion becomes the measure, and vision, human sight, becomes epistemology. Once vision governs understanding, enlightenment becomes darkness, because the logos of the human being projects its categories outward.Scripture dismantles this, not because the Greeks lacked intelligence, but because the entire Greek system assumes the human observer as the reference point.Scripture forbids this. Every consonant is intentional. Greek has letters that should not exist because they collapse two sounds into a single symbol. To the Semitic ear, as Fr. Paul Tarazi explains, “psi, xi, and the Greek chi” expose that Greek writing is constructed, not found. The Greek alphabet was designed, not discovered. It is man-made. It does not correspond to what is heard in nature. The living and moving, breathing triliteral system prevents human projection by preventing morphological collapse. The scriptural lexicon forces the hearer to receive what is written in creation. In Scripture, projection is stripped away and reality is conveyed as inscribed. The effect is destabilizing. Idols disappear. The hearer is confronted by what is found, confronted by reality.God is not mocked.Hearing is the anchor. The Greek philosophical tradition debates whether vision originates in the eye or in the object, a question already speculative. Scripture never entertains such speculation. Hearing is unilateral. The hearer does not hear the self. The hearer receives. Scripture is heard, not inferred, not theorized, not constructed, not “built”. The Qurʾan operates the same way. قَرَأَ (qaraʾ, to recite), أَذَان (adhān, the call), أُذْن (udhn, ear, instrument of hearing). Sound poured into another's ear. Scripture is submission through hearing what is found unbound by the logos of man. Cosmology heard, not seen, let alone imagined. Functional. Simple, not simplistic.All of us are shaped by whatever language we hear in our environment from the time we are born, and Scripture is the only speech that shatters that formation, continually scattering us out of our own projection, the palaces and temples we build in our mind, into the hearing of the biblical God who speaks in the wilderness. It cannot and must not be “about” narrative. It must function as the living words themselves, the breathing lexicon of God. He must control our literal vocabulary.Scripture is heard, not built.It is found, not fashioned by man's logos.Western thought resists this simplicity because the God of Abraham leaves no hiding place for Greek temples. No hiding place for sin.This week, I discuss Luke 8:47-48. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

EPISODE 639 - Deepa Anappara - Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, Letters to a Writer of Colour and The Last of EarthDeepa Anappara's debut novel Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line was named as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and NPR. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020, and shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Indian Literature. Time included it in its list of ‘The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time'. It has been translated into over twenty languages.Anappara is the co-editor of Letters to a Writer of Colour, a collection of personal essays on fiction, race, and culture, published by Random House (US) and Vintage (UK) in 2023. Her second novel, The Last of Earth, will be published by Random House in the US, and Penguin Random House in India, in January 2026, and by Oneworld in the UK in February 2026.She has a PhD in Creative-Critical Writing and an MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction) from the University of East Anglia, Norwich. She teaches creative writing and is a mentor on the South Asia Speaks mentorship programme for emerging writers in South Asia. Anappara was born in Kerala, southern India, and worked as a journalist in India for eleven years. Her reports on the impact of poverty and religious violence on the education of children won the Developing Asia Journalism Awards, the Every Human has Rights Media Awards, and the Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt Fellowship in Journalism. Book: THE LAST OF EARTHFrom the award-winning author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line comes a stunning historical novel set in nineteenth-century Tibet that follows two outsiders—an Indian schoolteacher spying for the British Empire and an English “lady” explorer—as they venture into a forbidden kingdom.1869. Tibet is closed to Europeans, an infuriating obstruction for the rap­idly expanding British Empire. In response, Britain begins training Indians—permitted to cross borders that white men may not—to undertake illicit, dangerous surveying expeditions into Tibet.Balram is one such surveyor-spy, an Indian schoolteacher who, for several years, has worked for the British, often alongside his dearest friend, Gyan. But Gyan went missing on his last expedition and is rumored to be imprisoned within Tibet. Desperate to rescue his friend, Balram agrees to guide an English captain on a foolhardy mission: After years of paying others to do the exploring, the captain, disguised as a monk, wants to personally chart a river that runs through southern Tibet. Their path will cross fatefully with that of another Westerner in disguise, fifty-year-old Katherine. Denied a fellowship in the all-male Royal Geographical Society in London, she intends to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa.A polyphonic novel about the various ways humans try to leave a mark on the world—from the enduring nature of family and friendship to the egomania and obsessions of the colonial enterprise—The Last of Earth confirms Deepa Anappara as one of our greatest and most ambitious storytellers.https://www.deepa-anappara.com/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

******Support the channel******Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenterPayPal: paypal.me/thedissenterPayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuyPayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9lPayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpzPayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9mPayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on******Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Shinobu Kitayama is Robert B. Zajonc Collegiate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Culture & Cognition Program at the University of Michigan. His research revolves around cultural differences and similarities in a variety of mental processes such as self, emotion and cognition. He has focused on comparing people from Asian countries such as Japan, the Philippines and China with Americans. In this episode, we start by talking about cultural neuroscience, how brain processes are malleably shaped by cultural tools and practices, and how to integrate mind, brain and culture. We then discuss the self, well-being, and emotional experiences and emotion norms. We also talk about differences in cognition between farmers and herders, and differences between people who harvest rice and people who harvest wheat in China. Finally, we discuss the main differences in cognition between Westerners and East Asians, and where they stem from.--A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航 豊川, TONY BARRETT, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, HUGO B., JAMES, JORDAN MANSFIELD, CHARLOTTE ALLEN, PETER STOYKO, DAVID TONNER, LEE BECK, PATRICK DALTON-HOLMES, NICK KRASNEY, AND RACHEL ZAK!A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, PER KRAULIS, AND JOSHUA WOOD!AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, ROSEY, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!

A ROMAN PLAYWRIGHT named Plautus wrote, “Man is a wolf to man.” He wasn't wrong, but he didn't see the spiritual forces behind the humans who prey on others. This week, we discuss the abduction of more than 200 students and teachers Friday from a Catholic school in Nigeria, just a few days after 25 schoolgirls were abducted at another Nigerian school. These are just the latest incidents in a long series of attacks against Christian communities by Muslims in Nigeria. We also learned this week that the largest source of funding for the Somali Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer. According to the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, fraudulent schemes by Minnesota's Somali immigrant community have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal Medicaid funds to the Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group. This is what happens when a tribal culture meets a liberal Western political system guided by suicidal empathy.  We also discuss another story that's come to light after thirty years: “Sniper tourism,” where, during the 1993–96 siege of Sarajevo, Bosnia, wealthy Westerners allegedly paid Serbian militia units between $75,000 and $100,000 to spend a weekend targeting unarmed civilians. That's an evil so inhuman it must be demonic. Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Follow us! X (formerly Twitter): @pidradio | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert | @gilberthouse_tvTelegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunkerSubstack: gilberthouse.substack.comYouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelationFacebook.com/pidradio Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! Our 1,200 square foot pole barn has a new HVAC system, epoxy floor, 100-amp electric service, new windows, insulation, lights, and ceiling fans! If you are so led, you can help out by clicking here: gilberthouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to this podcast, our weekly Bible studies, and our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker. The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at pidradio.com/app. Video on demand of our best teachings! Stream presentations and teachings based on our research at our new video on demand site: gilberthouse.org/video! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store/.

Russian propaganda claims that Ukraine is not a separate nation, but merely a “preliminary form” of Russia. Today's Kremlin ideology seeks to annex Ukrainian history in order to justify its territorial aggression. But this myth has a birth certificate. It emerged in the 19th century, when the Russian Empire started inventing its “ancient” medieval roots. Before that, Russian travellers in Ukrainian lands showed little interest in such historical questions. In this episode, we trace the genealogy of the myth that Kyiv is a “Russian city” and that its history somehow belongs to Muscovy. *** Explaining Ukraine is a podcast by UkraineWorld, an English-language media platform about Ukraine, run by Internews Ukraine. Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Listen on various platforms: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine UkraineWorld: https://ukraineworld.org/en *** Guest: Kateryna Dysa, a Ukrainian historian and Associate Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. She has been a visiting fellow at Harvard, Stanford, Paris, and Oxford, and a visiting professor at the University of Basel. Currently, she is researching how the image of Kyiv was constructed in travel literature from the late eighteenth to early twentieth centuries. *** SUPPORT: You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld Your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. *** CONTENTS: 00:00 Kateryna Dysa, a Ukrainian historian and associate professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. 00:15 Where and when did the myth of Kyiv belonging to Moscow actually begin? 02:05 How did 18th-century Russian travelers initially view Kyiv, and why was their interest superficial? 04:05 How did the rise of history as a discipline change Russia's perception of Kyiv? 12:17 Why did the French philosopher Madame de Staël describe Kyiv as a "semi-Tatar" or nomadic place? 15:17 What were the two extreme ways Westerners described Kyiv? 21:04 When did the annexation of the past become an "aggressive policy" and a part of Russian imperial ideology? 35:03 Why were Russian travelers unwilling to communicate with locals, stressing that Ukrainians were "the other"? 38:07 Why did Russian travelers consistently feel "not at home" in a place the Empire claimed as its "cradle"? 39:16 What aspects of Kyiv's social and cultural history in the 19th century still remain "understudied"? *** This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and under the framework of the project “HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine”, co-funded by the EU within the ERASMUS+ Jean Monnet Policy Debate action.

Send us a textWhen a Dutch sailor shipwrecked on Jeju in 1627, he thought he'd been captured by cannibals. Instead, he became Korea's first Westerner—and the first sign of change that would shake Joseon to its core.This episode traces the arrival of Western guns, God, and ideas—from Jan Janse de Weltevree to the Catholic persecutions of 1801—as Korea's Confucian order faces its first real collision with the West.  Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Wait, what's so gay about witches, you ask?First of all — sit down.When I was a young f/hag in the late '90s, Wicca was having a moment. The Halliwell sisters ruled the WB, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock were burying men in their back gardens, and I gobbled the GAGathon down with glee.Only later did I realize what made these witchy bitchies so alluring: it wasn't (just) that they were different — it was that they were powerful.Outsiders who could fight back. Like the X-men...or democratic socialists.But were they always outsiders? No! In the ancient world, everyone dabbled in magic. Pagans love a hag with a herb garden.Then Christianity came along and ruined everything. AS ALWAYS.By the 20th century, witchcraft was beginning to mean "freedom" to a lot of repressed Westerners. Which might explain why nearly half of Wiccans today identify as queer.Join us for this Halloween special as we trace The Craft™ from ancient love spells to Victorian occultists, with brilliant guest Professor Marion Gibson.Together we ask:

EVERYONE who signs up wins a FREE WhisperVibe™ OR a FREE Rose toy with any Whisper™ order! https://www.bboutique.co/vibe/emilymorse-podcast Join the SmartSX Membership : https://sexwithemily.com/smartsx Access exclusive sex coaching, live expert sessions, community building, and tools to enhance your pleasure and relationships with Dr. Emily Morse. List & Other Sex With Emily Guides: https://sexwithemily.com/guides/ Explore pleasure, deepen connections, and enhance intimacy using these Sex With Emily downloadable guides. SHOP WITH EMILY!: https://bit.ly/3rNSNcZ (free shipping on orders over $99) Want more? Visit the Sex With Emily Website: https://sexwithemily.com/ In this Sex with Emily episode, wellness educator Lauren Roxburgh explains why Western medicine discarded the body system that might be blocking your orgasms—and how to bring it back online. Lauren reveals fascia: the communication network your body uses to record trauma, send arousal signals, and feel everything. Medical schools in the 1900s threw it away as "packing wrap" without studying it. Now we know it's your sixth sense, and when it's congested, you age faster and feel less. A woman with a tilted uterus faces sudden stabbing pain with her well-endowed partner after a decade of great sex—discover why the diagnosis isn't the whole story. Someone's tried every technique for premature ejaculation with zero results—learn why most solutions create the opposite effect and what pro athletes know about lasting longer. A post-menopausal woman on hormones still bleeds during painful sex—hear which ancient practices work when Western medicine falls short. Lauren teaches the reverse Kegel (why opening beats squeezing), how stress clenches your pelvic floor without you knowing, why Brazilians walk differently than Westerners and what that reveals about sexual energy, and the breathing pattern that pumps toxins from your brain while awakening sensation below. If pain during sex, premature ejaculation, or post-menopausal dryness have stumped your doctors, this reveals what they're missing. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 1:16 - What is Fascia? The Body's Communication Network Explained 5:05 - Why Western Medicine Ignored Fascia Until Now 9:36 - How Fascia Impacts Sexual Pleasure and Embodiment 15:03 - Releasing Trauma Stored in Your Body's Tissues 21:27 - The Blood Flow Problem Behind Sexual Dysfunction 27:34 - Pain During Sex: Understanding Your Pelvic Floor 30:24 - The Reverse Kegel Technique for Better Orgasms 33:40 - Painful Sex with Tilted Uterus: Solutions Beyond Positions 38:38 - Fixing Lifelong Premature Ejaculation with Body Work 43:07 - Postmenopausal Pain: When Hormones Aren't Enough