Podcasts about Zhang

In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Felicia Zhang, Head of Marketing at Bar Keeper's Friend, to discuss what it takes to modernize an iconic brand while maintaining the trust that made it successful in the first place. Drawing on experience across global brands including Nike, Oreo, and Nestlé, Felicia shares lessons from her transition to a smaller, more agile organization, where speed, experimentation, and continuous improvement are critical to success.The conversation explores why brands perform best when they're willing to launch, learn, and iterate rather than waiting for perfect conditions. Felicia also shares how her approach to leadership has evolved over time, including the importance of empowering teams to take action, embracing uncertainty, and finding optimism through periods of change.Key TakeawaysLaunching a strong V1 and improving through iteration often drives more progress than waiting for a perfect launch.The most effective teams combine strategic thinking with a willingness to roll up their sleeves and execute.Leadership becomes more effective when leaders focus less on controlling outcomes and more on empowering people and solving problems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight podcast, Chris Zhang, Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy of Maison Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq: MSS) joins host Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Water Tower Research, and WTR Analyst James Kisner. Maison is a specialty grocery retailer serving Asian-American and other ethnic communities, operating HK Good Fortune stores in Southern California and Lee Lee International Supermarkets in Arizona. Zhang lays out the company's tech-driven transformation across four pillars: store inventory, sales and order operations, customer privacy, and customer loyalty, with AI-powered forecasting and replenishment furthest along and perishables the first problem it tackles. He details the newly announced collaboration framework with SupplyAi and MiniMax aimed at embedding AI in everyday food-retail workflows, the direct-sourcing strategy across Asia including the Guizhou Moutai distribution agreement, and the company's Worldcoin (WLD) treasury position and early proof-of-human exploration. The conversation closes with the operating KPIs and milestones that would signal the AI and solutions strategy is working over the next 12 months.

Last time we spoke about the Hubei-Henan Campaign of 1940-1941. In November 1940, a Central Hubei operation using multiple task forces aimed to exploit Chinese dispersal, achieving only local successes and no lasting territorial gains. The Japanese then tried again in late January 1941 with a major offensive into southern Henan. Despite concentrating a large force, the campaign failed strategically. After the Henan failure, Japan attempted to regain momentum in spring 1941 by attacking western Hubei around Yichang on the Yangtze. Despite an initial barrage and rapid early gains, Japanese forces became exposed in a narrow salient. The Chinese reorganized their river defenses and launched a converging counteroffensive, driving the invaders back and ending the engagement where it began, with the Japanese suffering heavy casualties and their westward push thwarted.   #206 The Battle of Shanggao Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. The year 1940 had brought a particular humiliation. In August of that year, Communist General Peng Dehuai had launched the Hundred Regiments Offensive — a massive, coordinated assault across North China that shattered Japanese rail and supply lines, embarrassed Imperial General Headquarters, and demonstrated that the Chinese were far from finished. Japan's response had been brutal, the infamous "Three Alls" campaign of reprisals across the countryside. But the damage had been done, and the attention of Imperial General Headquarters shifted northward. The autumn of 1940 had also seen the First Battle of Changsha, where the Japanese 11th Army under General Sonobe Yahachirō pushed south into Hunan Province expecting to overwhelm the Chinese defenders and finally deal a decisive blow to Chiang Kai-shek's armies. Instead, General Xue Yue — the "Tiger of Changsha" — had allowed the Japanese to advance deep into his prepared killing ground before counterattacking from multiple directions. The Japanese had been forced to retreat in disorder, and the front in Hunan and Jiangxi settled once again into sullen stalemate. It was in this atmosphere of frustrated ambition and strategic inertia that the seeds of Shanggao were sown. By February 1941, Imperial General Headquarters had decided to redeploy the 33rd Division — then garrisoned in the town of Anyi, in northwestern Jiangxi — to North China. The transfer was scheduled to begin in early April, and it made strategic sense: the north required reinforcement, and the front in Jiangxi had been quiet enough that one division could be spared. The problem was that the 33rd Division's departure would leave a gap in Japanese dispositions, and no significant offensive operation had yet been conducted to weaken the Chinese forces that would be left facing a thinned-out Japanese line. Lieutenant General Ōga Shigeru, the energetic commander of the Japanese 34th Division, saw opportunity in the window that existed before the 33rd departed. His division was concentrated around Xishan and Wanshou Palace, astride the Xiang–Gan Highway — the main road running westward through Jiangxi — and across that highway lay the town of Shanggao and the Chinese forces defending it. Ōga proposed exploiting the presence of both divisions for a coordinated strike: a sharp, limited offensive to crush Chinese field forces around Nanchang and the Jiangxi interior before the 33rd Division's train north. The 11th Army headquarters, now commanded by General Marube, endorsed a cautious concept — a "quick strike" with limited objectives. But the 34th Division's staff, energized by Ōga's ambition, had already run well ahead of this guidance. Large-scale requisitioning of coolies for logistics was underway; training exercises aimed at the specific terrain around Shanggao had been conducted; planning had progressed in far more detail than a "limited" operation warranted. This eagerness would prove to be the Japanese undoing before the first shot was fired. Chinese intelligence networks, always attentive to the movement of porters and the telltale preparations that preceded a Japanese offensive, quickly detected the scale of these preparations and reported them to General Luo Zhuoying, commander of the Chinese 19th Army Group. By the time the Japanese columns were forming up to march, Luo had already hardened his defenses and laid the groundwork for a trap. General Luo Zhuoying was not a passive commander. He served simultaneously as commander of the 19th Army Group and as Deputy Commander of the 9th War Zone — the latter post placing him directly under General Xue Yue, the victor of Changsha. Luo had spent the lull after Changsha doing what Chinese commanders across the theater had learned was essential: reorganizing, retraining, and above all improving the defensive architecture of his sector. The plan Luo devised for meeting the anticipated Japanese offensive was elegant in its simplicity and demanding in its execution. Rather than contesting the Japanese advance at the frontier, he would allow the enemy to push westward, yielding ground through three successive defensive lines while bleeding the attackers at every step. The first and second lines would slow the Japanese, exact casualties, and stretch their logistics. The third line — anchored at Shanggao itself — would be the killing ground. There, the Chinese forces would hold fast while other formations swung around the Japanese flanks and rear to close the encirclement. The Japanese, having marched deep into Chinese-held territory with their supply lines thinning and their flanks exposed, would find themselves surrounded rather than victorious. For this plan to work, each Chinese formation had to perform its role with discipline. The 70th Corps, deployed in the north along the arc from Shitou Street through Fengxin to Jing'an, would have to conduct a controlled fighting retreat — yielding ground but making the Japanese pay for it, never breaking and running. The 49th Corps would hold the southern flank and create conditions for flanking action. And the 74th Corps — General Wang Yaowu's elite formation, comprising the 51st, 57th, and 58th Divisions — would hold the final line at Shanggao and serve as the anvil upon which the Japanese advance would shatter. The 74th Corps was by 1941 one of the most battle-hardened formations in the Nationalist Army. It had fought at Shanghai in 1937, at Wuhan in 1938, and in the hills and valleys of Jiangxi through the years since. Its men knew the terrain around Shanggao. They had prepared positions in depth, studied the approaches, and rehearsed the defensive plan Luo had designed. When the Japanese came, they would be ready. Against the Chinese 70,000 — distributed across eleven divisions in four corps, with additional provincial security forces for local coverage — the Japanese would throw roughly 20,000 men: three major formations advancing in coordinated columns. The disparity in numbers was stark, but the Japanese had the advantages of offensive initiative, air superiority, and the formidable fighting quality that the Imperial Army had demonstrated throughout the war in China. The question was whether those advantages would be enough to overcome a prepared defense wielded by a commander who had invited the attack. The operational plan devised by the Japanese 11th Army called for three columns to converge simultaneously on Shanggao from north, center, and south — a classic encirclement concept that, if executed with precision, would catch the Chinese defenders in a tightening vice. In the north, the main force of the 33rd Division under Lieutenant General Sakurai Shōzō would drive westward from its bases around Anyi and Ganzhoujie, descending the Liao River valley to threaten the Chinese right flank and prevent the 70th Corps from interfering with operations in the center.In the center, Ōga's 34th Division would advance along the Xiang–Gan Highway — the direct route from Nanchang toward Shanggao — capturing the town of Gao'an along the way and pressing relentlessly westward until it reached the main defensive positions. This was the principal striking force, the column designed to crack open the Chinese defenses and seize the objective.In the south, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade under Major General Ikeda would cross the Jin River and advance along its south bank, eventually swinging north to link up with the 34th Division and complete the encirclement of whatever Chinese forces remained in the Shanggao area. The plan was coherent on paper. But it contained a structural flaw so serious that, in retrospect, it is difficult to understand how the 11th Army's staff allowed it to proceed uncorrected. The success of any converging operation depends on synchronization — on each column hitting its objectives on schedule and maintaining communication with the others so that each can react to developments on the other prongs. Yet the 11th Army headquarters made no recorded effort to coordinate the 33rd and 34th Divisions before the battle began. There was no forward command post established to oversee the operation. General Marube remained at Hankou, hundreds of miles to the north, throughout the battle — as remote from the fighting as a Tokyo bureaucrat. Operational decisions were left entirely to the individual divisions, with no mechanism to coordinate their actions if something went wrong. Something was going to go wrong. Luo Zhuoying had seen to that. On the morning of March 15, 1941, all three Japanese columns stepped off simultaneously, advancing into the misty hills and rice paddies of northwestern Jiangxi. In the north, Sakurai's 33rd Division moved briskly from Anyi toward Fengxin. The town fell by noon, and the division pressed westward in good order. The Japanese infantry moved confidently along the Liao River valley, experienced soldiers who had fought across China and had no particular reason to expect what was coming. The Chinese 70th Corps gave ground — as it had been ordered to — but did so on its own terms, occupying and then abandoning successive pieces of high ground along both banks of the river, making the Japanese advance uncomfortable and costly. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the 33rd Division was being drawn forward into terrain that favored the defender. By March 18 and 19, the 33rd Division had pushed all the way to Guzhu'ao and Huamenlo — a considerable advance, but one that had taken the division far from its base at Anyi. And it was here, far from support and with flanks increasingly exposed, that the Chinese blocking forces closed in. Chinese infantry, who had been waiting in prepared positions in the high ground overlooking the river valley, launched coordinated counter-attacks that struck the 33rd Division from multiple directions. The fighting was fierce and costly. In two days of close combat, the division suffered more than 2,500 casualties — a grievous toll that represented a significant fraction of its effective strength. The northern column had been stopped dead. On March 19, Sakurai ordered the 33rd Division to reverse course. By March 23, after four days of painful withdrawal under pressure, it had pulled back to Anyi — the same place it had started. The northern prong of the Japanese offensive had accomplished nothing except the loss of thousands of men. In the south, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade had a rougher start. Its initial attempt to cross the Gan-Jin river junction at noon on March 15 was repulsed by Chinese defenders, and it was only under cover of darkness that the brigade managed to force a crossing. Once across, it moved westward along the south bank of the Jin River, but progress was slow and contested. A detachment — the Gan River Detachment — ran into fierce resistance from the 26th Division of the Chinese 49th Corps on March 19. The brigade's main body meanwhile fought its way through the 51st Division of the 74th Corps, but the 107th Division and elements of the 51st managed to contain the advance at the Laichunling–Zhutoushan line. On the night of March 20, the main body of the 20th Brigade crossed the Jin River at Huifu to link up with the 34th Division — but a portion of its troops, cut off on the south bank, was destroyed by Chinese forces. The southern column was across the Jin River, but it had taken losses and was already engaged in ways its planners had not anticipated. In the center, the 34th Division fared best in the early going. Ōga's division moved westward from Xishan along the Xiang–Gan Highway on March 16, and by the 17th had captured Gao'an — a meaningful early success. The Chinese 74th Corps, executing Luo's plan faithfully, dispatched only screening forces east of the Tangpu River to slow the Japanese advance rather than contesting it decisively. The main body of the 74th Corps fell back to the third-line positions at Sixi, Guanqiao, and Tangpu, preparing the killing ground that Luo had designated. Simultaneously, the 26th Division and most of the 105th Division from the 49th Corps were shifted across the Gan River to operate south of the Jin River on the Japanese left flank, and the 72nd Corps was ordered to maneuver on a wide envelopment around Daxia and south of Ganfang. By March 20–21, the 34th Division had pressed forward to attack the Chinese positions at Sixi and Guanqiao. Ōga's men were confident — they had taken Gao'an, they were moving, and the objective of Shanggao lay within reach. But as the division pushed toward Shangjijia, it ran squarely into the 57th and 58th Divisions of the 74th Corps, fighting with a tenacity that told the Japanese plainly enough: this was where the Chinese intended to stand. The week of March 21–24 brought the battle to its crisis. The 34th Division hammered at the Chinese positions defending Shanggao itself, while on the flanks, the fighting took on a character that neither side had entirely anticipated. On March 21, General Wang Yaowu — commanding the 74th Corps from his headquarters in Shanggao — decided it was time to do more than absorb Japanese blows. He ordered General Li Tianxia to clear Japanese forces from the south bank of the Jin River and advance on Gao'an, with the aim of cutting the 34th Division's supply line and threatening its rear. It was an aggressive move, and if it had worked, it might have produced a decisive result earlier than history would record. It did not work — at least not immediately. That very evening, the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade, which had been reorganizing after the chaos of the river crossing, launched a powerful offensive at dawn on the 22nd. Li Tianxia's lead elements had barely set out from Shitou Street when they collided head-on with the main force of the 20th Brigade, which had crossed back from the north bank of the Jin River. The Japanese thrust was coordinated and aggressive: one column circled wide to attack Lazhu Mountain; another swung south of Hu Family west of Shitou Street to strike Li's division in the flank and rear; and nine aircraft with four artillery pieces bombarded the Chinese positions from north to south. Li's division could not hold against this convergent assault and fell back to the high ground southwest of Shitou Street. Wang Yaowu reacted quickly. He ordered Li's main body to wheel left to face the new threat and simultaneously dispatched the Army's Field Supplementary Regiment — held in reserve near Yintang — on a forced march to Huayang to block the Japanese westward drive. This regiment, racing down roads strafed by nine enemy aircraft, covered 15 li per hour and seized Huayang and the high ground to its northeast by around seven in the morning. By nine, the 20th Brigade arrived in strength and — supported by more than ten aircraft — launched a fierce assault on the regiment's positions. The regiment's officers and men held firm, taking heavy casualties but refusing to break. Frustrated at Huayang, the 20th Brigade shifted its effort to the Kuang Family area, linking up with over a thousand men who had crossed from Baichetou to the south bank and pushing along the river toward Xiongfang in an attempt to outflank the Chinese left wing. The Supplementary Regiment sent its 1st Battalion with a mortar company to meet this threat, and the two forces met in a fierce engagement. When the Japanese reinforced their assault and deployed incendiary bombs and poison gas, Xiongfang fell by early afternoon — but Li Tianxia immediately sent two regiments from his right flank to take it back, and by midnight the position was in Chinese hands again. Shitou Street and Jigong Ridge were simultaneously recaptured. The Independent Mixed 20th Brigade now found itself in an increasingly uncomfortable position, fighting with the Jin River at its back and the initiative slipping away. Meanwhile, the main event was being fought in the rubble and ridgelines around Shanggao itself. From March 22 to 25, the 34th Division and whatever remnants of the 20th Brigade could contribute threw themselves repeatedly at the defensive line anchored on Stone Arch Bridge, Xia Po Bridge, Xu Lou, Pan Family Bridge, Cloud Head Mountain, and Lei Family Mountain. This was not the fluid, mobile warfare that the Japanese had envisioned but brutal, grinding attritional combat for individual strongpoints and ridgelines, with positions changing hands multiple times in a single day. The Japanese air arm was deeply involved. Ōga's division had close air support that could operate even in poor weather, and Group 3 of the Japanese Air Force hammered the Chinese positions with sustained effort. On the morning of March 24, after the 34th Division fed in more than 3,000 additional troops transferred across the Jin River, the Air Force dispatched over seventy aircraft that dropped more than 1,700 bombs, largely destroying the defensive positions of Liao Lingqi's division. The Japanese exploited the resulting chaos and twice broke through gaps in the line — but were driven out each time by Chinese counterattacks. At noon, enemy aircraft bombarded in relays and Japanese infantry broke through at Xia Po Bridge. It was at this moment that Li Hanqing, commanding the Chinese infantry defense in that sector, did what officers throughout history have done when systems fail and only personal example can stem the tide: he personally led his officer cadre in repeated counter-attacks, hand-to-hand fighting in the rubble until the Japanese were finally expelled. By this point, the 34th Division's offensive capacity was nearly spent. At the same time — and this was the critical shift that would determine the battle's outcome — General Luo Zhuoying recognized that the moment to spring the trap had arrived. The northern column had already been broken and sent reeling back toward Anyi. The southern column was pinned against the Jin River with its back to the water. The central column was bled white against the defenses of Shanggao. Luo now ordered all his armies to close in from multiple directions. On the morning of March 22, he had already begun revising his orders; by noon on the 23rd, the forces of Liu Duoquan and Li Jue had occupied Shitou Street, Guanqiao Street, and Yanggong Market, pressing on Huifu and Gaoyao. The encirclement of the 34th Division was not yet complete, but its shape was unmistakably forming. By March 25, the 34th Division knew it was in mortal danger. Surrounded on three sides, its ammunition running low and its casualty lists growing by the hour, the division urgently appealed to the 11th Army for rescue. The message that arrived in Hankou was a shock. General Marube and his staff, who had remained at their distant headquarters throughout the battle without establishing a forward command post, had not properly grasped the scale of the disaster unfolding in Jiangxi. The lack of coordination between the 33rd and 34th Divisions — the structural flaw that had been built into the operation from its conception — had allowed Luo Zhuoying to defeat each column separately, and now the central column faced annihilation. The 11th Army responded in a scramble. Chief of Staff Kinoshita was dispatched by aircraft to Nanchang with Operations Staff Officer Lieutenant Colonel Yamaguchi and Captain Ōne to organize a relief operation. The 33rd Division — barely recovered from its own battering in the north — was ordered to sortie immediately and fight its way to the 34th Division's relief. Sakurai organized his battered 33rd Division into three rescue columns. Infantry Brigade Commander Araki Shōji took the right column, leading Infantry Regiment 215 with one mountain artillery battalion. Infantry Regiment 214 formed the left column. The divisional commander himself led the central column with the main divisional force. On March 24 and 25, all three columns sortied from strongpoints at Niuxing, Fengxin, and other positions, attacking across the Wuqiao River and through Cunqian Street toward Tangpu and Guanqiao. The relief operation brought the battle to its most complicated moment. On the morning of March 25, the 33rd Division launched a fierce assault on the forces that Luo Zhuoying had positioned to tighten the encirclement from the north — striking Zhang Yanchuan's division at Kengkou Leng, Jiezipo, and Nancha Luo. Zhang's division, struck simultaneously from the front and rear, withdrew at dusk to near Tu Di Wang Temple, where it linked up with Tang Boyin's division. What happened next became one of the most controversial decisions of the entire battle. Zhang Yanchuan was serving as deputy army commander in the absence of Li Jue from the front. Surveying the situation — his own division under heavy pressure, the 33rd Division's relief columns pushing aggressively — Zhang concluded that the position was untenable. On his own authority, without authorization from Luo Zhuoying or any superior commander, he withdrew both his own and Tang Boyin's divisions to Fenghuang Market and Zhuangfang. The consequence was immediate and severe. The withdrawal opened a corridor through which the 33rd Division entered Guanqiao and linked up with the encircled 34th Division. An encirclement that had taken days of blood and sacrifice to construct was torn open by a single unauthorized decision. Luo Zhuoying, when he received word of Zhang's withdrawal the following morning, was furious — but he could not change what had already happened. He could only adapt. The breakout itself was an ordeal. A portion of the 34th Division that attempted to escape to the east was intercepted near Huifu by a division of the 49th Corps and lost roughly half its strength before being compelled to turn back. The main body ultimately broke out on March 27, withdrawing in march order that told its own story of disaster: headquarters, baggage, artillery, casualties, field hospital, rear guard — all moving in what the records describe as "a wretched state." On the night of March 27, Japanese troops escorting the 34th Division's field hospital — a field artillery company of the 8th Battery — were completely annihilated in a Chinese night attack. When the division reached Longtuan Xu on March 28, the stretcher-bearer column carrying the wounded stretched some seven to eight kilometers along the road. That same day, the 33rd Division's Infantry Regiment 214 finally made contact with the 34th Division's headquarters, completing what amounted to a rescue of men who had already endured their defeat. The 33rd Division's mountain artillery batteries exhausted their entire ammunition supply covering the retreat and required emergency aerial resupply drops to continue. The 34th Division limped back to its original garrison on April 2. Despite the setback caused by Zhang Yanchuan's unauthorized withdrawal, Luo Zhuoying did not abandon his design. Assessing his situation on the morning of March 26, he found reason for cautious optimism: Wang Yaowu's army was still making progress at Shanggao; the Japanese south of the Jin River had largely been cleared; and Sichuan Army and Northeastern Army units that had been moving to reinforce the battle had now reached the field, meaning Chinese forces retained significant numerical superiority. He resolved to execute a second encirclement. At nine in the morning of March 26, Luo issued strict orders: Zhang Yanchuan's and Tang Boyin's divisions were to immediately comply with their original orders and block the enemy near Guanqiao; Yu Chengwan's division was to attack northward via Pan Family Bridge; Liao Lingqi's and Song Yingzhong's divisions were to press toward Guanqiao with full force; Wang Kejun's division was to strike the enemy's flank and rear east of Guanqiao; Fu Yi's division was to advance south of Jiang Family Isle; and Chen Liangji's division was to swing southeast via Changpu to complete the enemy's destruction. The second ring was being drawn. On March 28, as the 34th Division's battered column trudged eastward toward survival, Wang Kejun's division advancing from Yanggong Market moved to intercept it. The Chinese occupied high ground north and south of Yanggong Market and along Mozi Ridge, and what followed was a grinding all-day battle that fixed the Japanese column at the Xiama Bei–Huxing Ridge line. Part of the 20th Brigade, moving up from Gao'an to assist the withdrawing 34th Division, was blocked near Long Tu Market. Liao Lingqi's division pursued the enemy rear guard to the Changling–Manmei high ground, where the fighting erupted with renewed intensity. At noon, part of Li Tianxia's division arrived and deployed along the Shangluoxiang–Shanyuan–Fangtounao line to harass the Japanese right flank; part of Yu Chengwan's division reached Longxing Mountain and outflanked Guanqiao Street from the south. The surviving Japanese defenders in Guanqiao withdrew into the town for a last stand, and after Liao's division pressed the assault, street fighting raged until five in the afternoon, when over 600 defenders were annihilated. Over 2,000 troops of the Independent Mixed 20th Brigade conducted a fighting withdrawal from Long Tu Market and Yanggong Market, covered by Japanese aircraft bombing to shield the 34th Division's retreat. By noon on March 30, the Japanese had abandoned both strongpoints and scattered northeastward. One group of over 600 men fled directly into the main positions of Zhang Yanchuan's division — an ironic fate, given Zhang's earlier withdrawal — and were largely annihilated. The encircling forces had been essentially dispersed, and the two pursuit columns now pressed forward under the overall direction of General Xue Yue, who had assumed personal coordination of the chase. On March 27, Luo Zhuoying — confident that victory was secured — issued a general order for a final offensive and announced substantial cash rewards to his troops: prizes offered for the capture of Japanese officers, artillery pieces, regimental colors, and other materiel. The rewards were both a practical incentive and a mark of how far the battle had tipped. By midnight on March 31, Chen Hongshi's advance column had recovered Gao'an; Wang Tiehan's division had recovered Xiangfu Guan. On April 2, the divisions of Zhang Yanchuan and Song Yingzhong recovered Fengxin; that afternoon Wang Tiehan's division took back Xishan and Wanshou Palace — the very base from which the 34th Division had launched its offensive. By April 3, the pursuing armies had reached the vicinity of Dacheng and Ganzhoujie. On April 8 and 9, the 70th Corps recovered the outpost strongpoints around Anyi before halting operations. The Japanese had retreated into their original positions and were defending from prepared terrain. The pursuit was over. The Battle of Shanggao had lasted nineteen days and nights. No battle of the Second Sino-Japanese War was ever free of the fog of competing claims, and Shanggao was no exception. On March 29, before the pursuit had even concluded, Luo Zhuoying telegraphed Chiang Kai-shek with his accounting of the victory. His numbers were dramatic: Major General Iwanaga, the Japanese infantry commander, killed; regimental commander Colonel Hamada, killed; over 15,000 Japanese killed or wounded in total. Chinese losses, Luo reported, exceeded 20,000. Ten guns, over a thousand rifles, and numerous machine guns had been captured. His superior, General Xue Yue, was skeptical. In a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek on April 5, Xue reduced Luo's numbers by twenty percent, reporting 12,520 Japanese killed or wounded and 14 prisoners captured. The discrepancy between two Chinese commanders reporting on the same battle speaks to the difficulty of battlefield accounting in any era, and suggests something of the competitive pressures that shaped how Chinese commanders reported their victories to Chongqing. The official Chinese histories, compiled after the war in the History of the War of Resistance, reported approximately 15,000 Japanese killed or wounded, 17 prisoners taken, and significant quantities of captured materiel: 6 mountain guns, 1 mortar, 24 light machine guns, 408 rifles, 24 grenade launchers, and over 111,717 rounds of various ammunition. Chinese casualties, by the same records, were 17,119 killed or wounded and 2,814 missing. Japanese records for the battle do not survive — a consequence of the wholesale destruction of Imperial Army documentation at the war's end. Contemporary scholars, working from other sources, estimate actual Japanese combat losses at approximately 5,500 killed and wounded. This is substantially lower than the Chinese claims, as was nearly always the case in the war, but represents a significant defeat by any measure: roughly a quarter of the force committed, many of them veterans impossible to replace. Chiang Kai-shek subsequently awarded the victorious Chinese units a commendation prize of 150,000 yuan — a substantial sum that marked the battle's significance in Nationalist eyes. The outcome at Shanggao was not accidental. Several interlocking factors combined to produce a Chinese victory, and each deserves consideration. The most fundamental was Luo Zhuoying's defensive plan. The decision to trade space for time — to absorb the Japanese advance through three successive defensive lines rather than contest the frontier — required both tactical confidence and a willingness to accept initial setbacks that could easily be misread as defeat. Chinese forces had to give ground, and they did. They had to suffer through the early days of Japanese advance without breaking and running, drawing the enemy forward and allowing the encirclement to take shape. That they largely succeeded in executing this plan reflects the improving quality of the Nationalist Army by 1941: better trained, better led at the operational level, and — critically — equipped with a strategic design that matched the actual balance of forces. The defeat in detail of the Japanese columns was equally important. By neutralizing the 33rd Division in the north before it could contribute to the central effort, and by pinning the 20th Brigade against the Jin River with its back to the water, Luo's forces ensured that the 34th Division faced the third-line defenses essentially alone — outnumbered, overextended, and unsupported. The Japanese operational concept had been a three-pronged convergence; what actually materialized was a single exhausted division hammering at a prepared defense while two other columns were rendered ineffective. The absence of coordination within the Japanese 11th Army was a gift that kept giving throughout the battle. No forward command post. No mechanism for the divisions to adjust their operations in response to each other's situations. No ability to recognize, in real time, that the northern column was being destroyed and redirect resources accordingly. General Marube's decision to remain at Hankou while his men died in Jiangxi was not merely an administrative failure; it was an operational catastrophe. Japanese commanders acknowledged this failing explicitly after the battle, but the acknowledgment changed nothing for the dead. Zhang Yanchuan's unauthorized withdrawal — the single most consequential individual decision of the battle — ultimately prevented a complete annihilation of the 34th Division rather than affecting the battle's outcome. The 34th Division escaped; but it did so in a "wretched state," having lost enormous numbers of men and equipment. It broke out, not triumphed. The encirclement Luo had constructed was torn open, but the Japanese paid dearly for the breach. The consequences of Shanggao rippled outward in ways that shaped the subsequent course of the war in central China. The transfer of the 33rd Division to North China — the original logistical rationale for the entire operation — was delayed by the division's involvement and subsequent losses at Shanggao. When it finally arrived at the Battle of Central Plains  the following month, it did so on the eve of battle with no time for preparation or orientation, entering combat under severely disadvantaged conditions. The operation that was supposed to facilitate a smooth redeployment had instead damaged one of the two units involved and delayed the other. For the Chinese 74th Corps, Shanggao had an ironic consequence. The Japanese 11th Army, following the battle, formally designated the 74th Corps as a priority target — a "standing enemy" and directed its forces to seek out and destroy it in future operations. At the First Battle of Changsha that September, the 11th Army specifically oriented its forces against the 74th Corps, a testament to the lasting impression that corps's fierce resistance at Shanggao had made on its adversaries. The compliment of being specifically targeted by the enemy was one the 74th Corps had earned in blood at Shanggao's ridgelines and shattered bridges. More broadly, the battle was widely regarded at the time, and has been regarded since, as one of the most significant Chinese tactical victories of the first four years of the War of Resistance. Its significance lay not only in the casualties inflicted — those were contested and probably inflated in the Chinese records — but in what it demonstrated. The improving tactical and operational competence of the Nationalist Army was on display. The deliberate defense, the layered withdrawal, the coordinated encirclement — these were not the operations of an army that had been fighting desperately for survival since 1937 and had learned nothing. They were the operations of an army that had studied its defeats and adapted. Shanggao did not change the strategic situation in China. The front in Jiangxi remained where it had been; the Japanese still occupied Nanchang and the major cities; Chiang Kai-shek was still in Chongqing and the war was still far from over. But it demonstrated something important: that the Chinese Army, given capable commanders, a sound plan, and the discipline to execute it, could do more than survive Japanese offensives. It could reverse them, encircle them, and pursue them back to where they came from. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In March–April 1940, Japanese forces attacked Shanggao with a limited, multi-pronged plan. Chinese troops used elastic defense and coordinated counter-moves, turning initial advantages into a trap. After intense fighting and air strikes, a coordinated encirclement and timely breakout routed the Japanese, forcing retreat despite their numbers in a costly battle.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Haiying Zhang, USHBC's director of global business development. Zhang has spent the last several years helping position U.S. blueberries for growth far beyond our domestic market by building relationships and helping exporters better understand where global demand is expanding. Zhang shares what she's seeing firsthand in the global market, and where the greatest opportunities for growth lie.“As a result, what you are seeing in these markets is a lot of media coverage about USA Blueberries. So we successfully generate the buzz about our product. That's our goal. And in many of these markets, if you look at the product life cycle, we are still at the introductory stage … meaning we have a long runway to go. And so it's very important that we build, reach new customers and we also inspire existing customers to increase their purchasing frequency, and that's why we invest the dollars .” – Haiying Zhang Topics covered include: An introduction to Zhang and her work with USHBC. The significance and impact of the USHBC recently earning a $1 million Foreign Agriculture Service Grant from the USDA.Details on the USHBC Export Database and the USHBC Supplier Database that can help highlight blueberry operations during global market discussions.Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you'll hear from Alan Schreiber in Washington, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alec Arena in New Jersey, Ryan Rainey in Michigan, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Pat Goin in Indiana, Sunny Brar in British Columbia and Kristen Brinkley in North Carolina. This was recorded on June 11, 2026.

Major cities report sharp increases in departure tax refund transactions各大城市离境退税业务量大幅增长Chinese-made drones, smartphones, action cameras and designer toys are increasingly replacing tea, porcelain and panda-themed gifts on foreign tourists' shopping lists in China, as they increasingly seek innovative, higher-value products offering strong value for money, advanced features and models often unavailable abroad, according to customs authorities across the country.全国海关表示，外国游客在华购物清单中，国产无人机、智能手机、运动相机、潮流玩具正逐步取代茶叶、瓷器、熊猫周边礼品。如今他们更青睐创意足、附加值高的商品，这类产品性价比出众、功能先进，且很多款式在海外难以买到。Bolstered by the "Shopping in China" campaign and the growing popularity of the "China Travel" trend, customs authorities in major cities have reported sharp increases in departure tax refund transactions during the first five months, and expect the momentum to continue throughout the year.依托“购在中国”活动以及“中国游”热度持续攀升，各大城市海关数据显示，今年前五个月离境退税业务量大幅上涨，业内预计这一势头将贯穿全年。Customs officials at Nanjing Lukou International Airport in Jiangsu province verified 1,171 departure tax refund applications during the January-May period, covering tax-refundable goods worth 26.67 million yuan ($3.94 million), up 173.6 percent and 32.42 percent year-on-year, respectively, said Nanjing Customs.南京海关介绍，今年1至5月，江苏南京禄口国际机场海关共审核通过1171笔离境退税申请，退税商品总值达2667万元人民币（折合394万美元），同比分别增长173.6%和32.42%。Zhang Qian, a customs official at the airport, said that as departure tax refund transactions continue to rise, new trends are emerging in shopping preferences of foreign visitors.该机场海关工作人员张茜表示，随着离境退税业务不断增多，外国游客的购物偏好也出现了新趋势。"Chinese-made smart electronic products and trendy domestic cultural and creative goods have become increasingly popular among foreign travelers, attracting growing interest with their quality, innovation and distinctive Chinese appeal," said Zhang.她说道：“国产智能电子产品、新潮文创商品深受外国游客喜爱，凭借优良品质、创新设计和浓郁的中国特色收获了越来越多关注。”Hong Yang, another customs official at Ningbo Customs' airport branch in Zhejiang province shared similar views.浙江宁波海关机场办事处工作人员洪洋也持相同看法。"Fashion apparel, beauty products and premium lifestyle goods are also gaining traction among foreign travelers departing from Ningbo," she said.她表示：“时装、美妆产品以及高端生活日用品，也越来越受到从宁波离境的外国游客青睐。”Guan Lixin, a researcher specializing in marketing and consumption at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said the shift in foreign visitors' purchasing patterns reflects how Chinese brands are moving up the value chain and gaining recognition among consumers worldwide. Many products also offer better value and a wider selection of models than those available overseas.北京商务部国际贸易经济合作研究院流通与消费研究所的研究员关利欣认为，外国游客消费偏好的转变，体现出中国品牌正迈向价值链高端，获得全球消费者认可。不少国产商品性价比更高，款式选择也比海外市场更丰富。Guan said the trend also highlights the growing appeal of shopping as part of the travel experience in China, with foreign visitors seeking unique products that combine practical value, cultural elements and memorable experiences.关利欣称，这一趋势也说明，购物已成为中国旅行体验中极具吸引力的一环，外国游客偏爱兼具实用性、文化特色且能留下美好回忆的特色商品。To further enhance the shopping experience for foreign visitors, the Shanghai municipal government recently rolled out a new departure tax refund program, introducing new measures such as upgraded end-to-end digital tax refund services and improved digital verification services at ports of departure.为进一步优化外国游客购物体验，上海市政府近期推出全新离境退税方案，升级全流程线上退税服务，并完善口岸线上核验等多项举措。Shanghai Customs processed 201,000 departure tax refund verification forms between January and May, with refund-eligible purchases totaling 1.92 billion yuan, up 300 percent and 62 percent year-on-year, respectively, underscoring the growing popularity of tax-free shopping among foreign visitors.今年1至5月，上海海关共审核20.1万份离境退税单据，退税消费总额达19.2亿元人民币，同比分别增长300%和62%，足以体现免税购物在外国游客中愈发受欢迎。In the Chinese capital, Beijing Customs verified 87,906 departure tax refund applications during the first five months, involving refund-eligible purchases worth 758 million yuan, up 612.42 percent and 53.13 percent year-on-year, respectively.首都北京方面，北京海关前五个月共审核通过87906笔离境退税申请，退税商品总额7.58亿元人民币，同比分别上涨612.42%和53.13%。In a further move to encourage spending by international travelers, the Ministry of Commerce and several other government departments unveiled a new departure tax refund program in May aimed at optimizing departure tax refund services and expanding inbound consumption.为进一步提振境外游客消费，商务部等多部门于5月发布全新离境退税相关方案，旨在优化退税服务、扩大入境消费规模。The policy package includes broader coverage of departure tax refund stores, paperless processing, enhanced refund-upon-purchase services and more efficient verification procedures.该系列政策包括扩大退税商店覆盖范围、推行无纸化办理、优化即买即退服务以及简化核验流程。The measures will make refund-upon-purchase services more convenient by enabling travelers to complete tax refund procedures at any eligible port of departure, said Yang Mu, director of the department of market operation and consumption promotion at the Ministry of Commerce.商务部市场运行和消费促进司司长杨沐表示，新规允许游客在任意合规离境口岸办理退税，将大幅提升即买即退服务的便捷度。transaction /trænˈzækʃn/交易；业务办理momentum /məˈmentəm/势头；发展趋势verification /ˌverɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/核验；审核premium /ˈpriːmiəm/高端的；优质的underscore /ˌʌndəˈskɔː(r)/强调；凸显unveil /ʌnˈveɪl/公布；推出（政策、方案）

A New Episode of the FOR ETERNIA PODCAST, the Official Podcast of He-Mania.com has hit the airwaves!   In this latest episode, AJ and “Masters of the Universe” Movie (2026) actor Jon Xue Zhang discuss the story behind his role as Ram Man in the new "Masters of the Universe" film, bodybuilding and so much more!   So please join us for this very fun discussion!   Visit us at He-Mania.com!  

Creatine causes cancer to spread — that headline is built on a real mouse study. But what does the human data actually say? In this solo explainer, Dr. Robert Lufkin breaks down both halves of the science behind the most studied supplement on the planet.He walks through the 2021 mouse metastasis study behind the viral claim, the surprising evidence that creatine actually powers the immune cells that HUNT cancer (CD8 T cells and, per new UCLA research, dendritic cells), and what the human data — HCAs, NHANES, and the 2025 safety review — really shows. The verdict is more nuanced, and more reassuring, than the headline suggests.Chapters:00:00 — Introduction00:46 — Why This Question Exists01:32 — The Scary Half (2021 Study)02:17 — How Creatine Fuels Tumor Spread03:03 — Creatine Fights Cancer Too03:48 — UCLA June 2026 Dendritic Cells04:35 — Tumor Suppressor or Fuel?05:21 — What Human Data Shows (HCAs)06:08 — NHANES & 2025 Safety Review06:55 — The Honest Caveat07:42 — The TakeawayKey takeaways:The scary headline comes from a 2021 mouse study where dietary creatine promoted metastasis via the MPS1 → SMAD2/3 → TGF-beta pathway — in mice with established, aggressive tumors.The same metabolism fuels your immune system: creatine is essential for CD8 "killer" T cells and the dendritic cells that direct them.In a controlled human trial, creatine did NOT drive carcinogen (HCA) formation.NHANES population data links higher dietary creatine to LOWER cancer risk, and the 2025 safety review calls the human cancer-risk claim "not substantiated."Healthy adults: the human evidence does not support avoiding creatine. Active or metastatic cancer: pause and talk to your oncologist. Always choose third-party tested creatine monohydrate.Studies & sources:Zhang et al., Cell Metabolism 2021 — Creatine promotes cancer metastasis via Smad2/3Geng et al., Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024 — The multifaceted role of creatine metabolismDi Biase et al., J. Exp. Med. 2019 — Creatine and CD8 T cell antitumor immunityKang et al., iScience 2026 (UCLA) — Creatine and dendritic cell activationPereira et al., Amino Acids 2015 — Creatine and heterocyclic aminesNHANES 2017–2020 — Dietary creatine and cancer riskAntonio et al., Frontiers in Nutrition 2025 — Common safety concerns regarding creatine

From Seriencamp in Cologne, actors Helena Zengel, Lucas Gregorowicz and Luise Heyer on the present state of German TV drama and their new series Westend Girl [01:50]; The Difference Machine's Elena Lyubarskaya on using AI to generate TV, vertical entertainment and immersive experiences [12:14]; media strategist Bo Zhang and writers Kerstin Höcker and Rahel Dietze on how microdramas are catching on in Europe [32:31].

Check out my Tronic Radio on your favorite streaming platforms here: https://ssyncc.com/tronic-podcast 01.Mickey Zhang & Ken Ishii - Untitled 02.Eric Sneo - Wake Up (2021 Remastered) 03.L.K. - Turmoil [ONHCET] 04.Fran LF,FENIM0RE - Caùsa (FANK Remix) [Vibrant Collective] 05.Seigg - Street Knowledge [AKRONYM] 06.Lorenz.Audio - Scanline [Clone Basement Series] 07.John Monkman - Entropy [Beesemyer Music] 08.Phara - Order Disorder [Phaaar] 09.Uun - Structural Obedience [Ego Death] 10.GODO - Unpaused [KR RECORDS] 11.Ignez - Immersion [Somov Records] 12.GCOD - Kaizoku [OUTCAST RECORDINGS] 13.Poni hoax - Hypercommunication (Alter Ego Remix) [Tigersushi Records] 14.Mickey Zhang - Come Back This show is syndicated & distributed exclusively by Syndicast. If you are a radio station interested in airing the show or would like to distribute your podcast / radio show please register here: https://syndicast.co.uk/distribution/registration

For episode 742 of the BlockHash Podcast, host Brandon Zemp is joined by Chi Zhang, co-founder and CEO of Kite, which is building the base layer for the agentic internet. Her extensive background encompasses AI, big data, and product management.

Today, we'll talk about the pioneering educator Zhang Boling and how he built a private education system in modern China while navigating war, politics, and shifting ideologies, leaving behind a complex yet enduring legacy as a patriotic educator.

Richard Zhang holds a PhD from MIT and helps busy millennials and Gen‑Z tech professionals build passive real estate incomes so they can buy back their time. As a real estate investor, he works with agents and renters through rent‑to‑own programs, using creative methods to help clients become homeowners and build wealth.In this episode we explore how real estate agents can make commissions from renter clients by partnering with rent‑to‑own companies. Richard explains how these programs work, how they help renters who don't qualify for traditional mortgages become homeowners, and how agents can benefit while providing a valuable service.You Can Find Richard @:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardczhang/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richard.zhang.9/

Artist Entreprenuer Susan Zhang joins the Feeding the Starving Artist podcast. In addition to her work with the Concert Truck, Susan is an acclaimed pianist with "astounding musical authority" (Columbia Free Times), Susan made her orchestral debut at the age of twelve with the Augusta Symphony. She has since been featured as a soloist with the South Carolina Philharmonic, the Aiken Civic Orchestra, the University of South Carolina Symphony, and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. She has performed in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre and Woodruff Arts Center as well as numerous other venues in North America, Europe, and Asia. Her recordings have been featured on SC Public Radio.Susan was a prizewinner of the Thousand Islands Chopin Competition, the Bauru-Atlanta Competition, the Burgos International Music Festival Competition, the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, South Carolina MTNA Young Artist Competition, and the University of South Carolina Concerto Competition. Her summer festival appearances include Pianofest in the Hamptons, the Banff Piano Master Class, Burgos International Music Festival, the Southeastern Piano Festival, and Brevard Music Center.Susan is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, and the University of South Carolina. Her primary teachers have included Marina Lomazov, Joseph Rackers, Enrico Elisi, and Boris Slutsky. Susan has served on faculty at the Gilman School and Peabody Conservatory.

Get your copy of Gita Wirjawan's book, “What It Takes: Southeast Asia”, NOW:https://books.endgame.id/Also available on Amazon:https://sgpp.me/amazon/Leave your review here:www.goodreads.com/book/show/241922036-what-it-takes------------------------------------------------------------Is democracy the only path, or simply just a method?Many of us believe that democracy is the only path—if not the best path—to nation-building. Yet, drawing on his expertise in international relations and his experience as an English interpreter for senior Chinese leaders (including Deng Xiaoping), Dr. Zhang Weiwei tells a very different story from his homeland, a story that stands in sharp contrast to the historical experience of Western civilization: China.China's historical experience suggests that the large-scale development of a nation can be achieved while remaining deeply rooted in its own cultural spirit. From his account of how Deng Xiaoping set China on a path of transformation through a process of self-correction, to his critique of political paradigms that divide the world into the binary categories of "democracy" and "autocracy," Zhang invites us to consider the successes of alternative models of political and developmental order.There are parts of the world that have progressed, prospered, and come to terms with their own troubled histories without democracy serving as their vessel.Find out more about The China Academy:https://thechinaacademy.org/‪@thinkersforum4149‬

Joanna and I explore shifting from overwhelm to conscious leadership, how business owners can reclaim time, build effective systems, and cultivate inner peace to achieve success and joy in their work.When you stop drowning in the “doing,” you can finally get back to the “leading.” we dive deep into how we can reclaim our time, build systems that genuinely work for us, and, most importantly, cultivate the inner leadership game needed to stay above the overwhelm and find joy and success in our work. Joanna offers insights into transforming leadership through self-awareness and intentional action.We know that many identify of us identify with the desire for control, especially when stressed. The challenge therefore is moving from understanding to practical action. How can leaders “let go” and create space in an uncertain world?Many of us start with a vision: freedom, impact, a unique offering. But daily tasks—emails, invoices, meetings—overwhelm, replace the initial spark with doubt. “Is this what I signed up for?”Our discussion highlights a crucial shift: from time management to energy management. Before her awakening, Joanna filled her calendar, feeling exhausted. Now, she prioritizes her energy state. In a “high vibration state,” she's efficient and inspired. When energy is low, she rests instead of pushing.While external schedules remain, internal tasks are flexible. If a brainstorm doesn't align with your energy, reschedule it.Joanna Zhang's shift to spiritual leader was not really planned but profound. She became more aware of her actions and motivations and discovered that Self-love and boundaries are key. As she embraced self-love, her boundaries strengthened, allowing her to respect her team while holding her ground.We draw the parallel with the use of AI. If we are using AI from fear (e.g., being outdated, wanting more money) more than from love and care, the result will look very different. With love, AI creates space, reduces repetitive tasks, and fosters creativity for leaders and teams. It empowers self-care, self-love, and abundance. Our intention dictates its use., so partnering with AI with love and care, means that we can create AI systems that benefit us, our teams, and the world. The choice is ours, and releasing control and creating space starts with self-awareness and inner work to create this clarity. All leaders should make time for this, particularly in today's fast moving AI era.How has intentional energy management shifted your leadership and enabled your strategic genius ?The main insights you'll get from this episode are :The gradual move from a title leader to a serving and spiritual leader means relinquishing control, standing in others' shoes, understanding their challenges. Seeking external validation to avoid conflict leads to boundaries being violated; increasing our awareness of self and self-love helps hold strong boundaries.Learning to let go of control – also in personal relationships - helps leadership; it results in more support, calm and assertiveness within the team. Stress increases the need for control and controlling leaders get dragged down by their mistakes, and by a focus on results as opposed to progress.The first step in the inner game of operations is making the decision to delegate - demonstrating courage, taking action and recognising one's own patterns.Energy management is more important than time management – treating oneself with respect in order to treat others with respect.Conscious leadership means allowing people to make their own decisions and find their own rhythm. Four layers to help leaders: removing pressure on the system (emotional burnout); creating momentum; understanding the parts of the machine (the business design and processes); returning to the genius of the business owner. Building a soul-aligned model creates space to access the ‘genius zone'; the business becomes a fun, energetic and creative playground - a high-vibration state that has a ripple effect of abundance and happiness.We must accept the existence and vibrating resonance of AI and be intentional about how we work with it, i.e. from a place of fear, desire, love, creativity, etc.A change in intention is required for transformation, e.g. what is the purpose of the business? It must be in alignment with the business owner. The same applies to AI as a double-edged sword and we must choose how we treat it.A shift in intention from external to internal is transformational – accepting, forgiving and caring for oneself is the starting point for everything else along the soul journey. Find out more about Joanna and her work here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhang-joanna/

Content warning: childhood abuse, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, abduction, missing persons, gun violence, murder, and mental illness.Amber Rodgers is a survivor, business professional, and creative from Texas. As early as she can remember, her life was filled with chaos. By the time she was fourteen, she was a multi-crime survivor, and by 19 she would serve as a witness in her best friend's murder trial. Amber moved forward by cultivating a successful career and loving family, until her past trauma instigated a cascading effect in her mental health and relationships. Although Amber has shared portions of her story at-large, it took her decades and a life-altering mental health journey to realize the deep impact her teen years had had on her. The Broken Cycle Media team is deeply appreciative of Amber's transparency, rawness, and advocacy. These episodes are dedicated in loving memory of Kytrina Marie Locascio.Sources: -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “About Adverse Childhood Experiences.” CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2025, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/. -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).” CDC Vital Signs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aces/index.html. -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Psychosocial Factors and Health Equity.” CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/health_equity/psychosocial.htm. -Felitti, Vincent J., et al. “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 14, no. 4, 1998, pp. 245–258.-Hughes, Karen, et al. “The Effect of Multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences on Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” The Lancet Public Health, vol. 2, no. 8, 2017, pp. e356–e366. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30118-4.-McKay, Matthew T., Laura Kilmartin, Aisling Meagher, Mary Cannon, Colm Healy, and Mary C. Clarke. “A Revised and Extended Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between Childhood Adversity and Adult Psychiatric Disorder.” Journal of Psychiatric Research, vol. 156, 2022, pp. 159–174. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36274532/. -Swedo, Elizabeth A., et al. “Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among U.S. Adults—Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011–2020.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 72, no. 26, 2023, pp. 707–715, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7226a2.htm. -Zhang, Y., et al. “Cumulative Adverse Childhood Experiences and Risk of Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2026, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691826007559. Accessed 2 June 2026.For additional resources and a list of non-profit organizations that can help, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources*Thank you again to Rula and Quince for sponsoring this episode. *Remember, Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/wcn #rulapod *And don't forget to elevate your summer wardrobe, go to quince.com/wcn for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns, now available in Canada too.

As millions of Chinese students feverishly prepare for the national college entrance examination, or gaokao, this weekend, parents across the country are turning to products symbolizing good fortune, fueling a surge in sales of flowers, pastries, clothing and other related merchandise.本周末全国数百万考生全力备战高考之际，各地家长纷纷选购寓意吉祥的好物，带动鲜花、糕点、服饰等相关商品销量暴涨。While the students are focusing on last-minute revisions, their parents are busy preparing "good luck" items as a way of offering encouragement and emotional support.考生抓紧考前最后时间查漏补缺，家长们则忙着置办各类祈福好物，以此为孩子鼓劲、送上心理慰藉。Among the most popular purchases are qipao, the traditional Chinese dress, which sounds similar to the phrase qikai desheng, meaning "to win from the outset". Florists are reporting strong demand for sunflowers, the Chinese name of which is associated with the idiom yiju duokui, or "winning first place in one stroke".旗袍是热门选购单品，因谐音“旗开得胜”备受青睐；向日葵同样订单火爆，其名称暗含“一举夺魁”的美好寓意，花店销量一路走高。"Success in the exam ultimately depends on the student's abilities. As parents, we simply want to offer our children our best wishes and some extra encouragement," said Zhang, a parent of a high school senior.高三考生家长张先生表示：“考试成败终究靠孩子自身实力，作为父母，我们只是想送上美好期许，多给孩子一份鼓励。”According to the owner of a qipao shop in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, sales have risen sharply in recent weeks. Many mothers wear the outfit while accompanying their children to the examination centers. Customers are buying qipao specifically for the gaokao season, the owner told Fengmian News, a Sichuan-based media outlet. "Some even placed orders more than a month in advance."据四川本地媒体封面新闻报道，成都一位旗袍店店主介绍，近几周门店销量大幅攀升。不少妈妈会身着旗袍送考，大批顾客专门为高考选购旗袍，部分消费者甚至提前一个多月预订。Online retailers have also reported a surge in demand. One qipao store said that sales increased fivefold over the past week, with modernized versions of the traditional dress proving particularly popular.线上商家同样迎来订单热潮，一家旗袍网店称上周销量翻至原先五倍，改良新式旗袍最受消费者追捧。Also much sought after are sunflowers, which have become the season's top-selling floral product. Flower shops in several cities reported receiving orders for sunflower bouquets from parents and entire graduating classes alike.向日葵成为当季爆款鲜花，多地花店接到不少家长和毕业班集体预订的向日葵花束订单。Not to be left behind, pastry makers are also cashing in on the trend. Dingsheng gao, a traditional rice cake, the name of which literally means "certain victory", has become a seasonal bestseller. Bakery chains and retailers such as Beijing Daoxiangcun and Freshippo Bakery have launched special exam-themed gift boxes to cater to the huge demand.糕点商家也顺势抢抓商机，寓意“定胜”的传统定胜糕热销。北京稻香村、盒马烘焙等连锁糕点品牌纷纷推出高考限定礼盒，满足市场需求。Meanwhile, zongzi-shaped plush pendants inspired by the Dragon Boat Festival, which carry a pun associated with academic success, have become popular gifts for students.端午元素的粽子造型毛绒挂饰凭借谐音升学的美好彩头，成为热门考生礼品。Many handmade zongzi key chains featuring messages such as "admitted to a top university" have sold thousands of units on e-commerce platforms.印有“金榜题名”等字样的手工粽子钥匙扣，在各大电商平台销量破千。According to e-commerce platform JD, sales of stationery carrying phrases such as "pass every exam" have tripled compared with April, while searches for exam-related stationery products have increased nearly sevenfold.京东平台数据显示，印有“逢考必过”等祝福语的文具销量较4月增长两倍，高考相关文具搜索量暴涨近六倍。Industry observers said that the popularity of such products reflects parents' desire to support their children during a stressful period in their lives, rather than a belief in superstitions.业内分析人士表示，祈福商品热销并非源于迷信，而是家长在备考关键期想要陪伴、助力孩子的情感体现。However, they also cautioned parents not to create additional pressure for students through elaborate pre-exam preparations.但专家提醒家长，不必过度置办各类祈福用品，避免无形中给考生增添心理负担。Ultimately, the gaokao is an examination, an observer said, adding that what really matters is helping students stay calm and confident.业内人士称，高考只是一场考试，帮孩子稳住心态、保持自信才是重中之重。Sometimes, the observer said, the best support comes after the exam — a meal together, a trip, or simply letting children know they are loved regardless of the outcome.专家表示，最好的陪伴往往在考后：一顿团圆饭、一次短途出游，或是告诉孩子，无论成绩如何，家人的爱始终不变。plush /plʌʃ/毛绒的pendant /ˈpendənt/挂饰，吊坠pun /pʌn/谐音梗，双关语triple /ˈtrɪpl/（使）增至三倍sevenfold /ˈsevənfəʊld/七倍地superstition /ˌsuːpəˈstɪʃn/迷信

The UFC Apex is and has always been the home of quality matchmaking.  Volkov vs Cortes-Acosta and more undercard action in our latest bonus episode: https://www.patreon.com/heavyhands  Heavy Hands merch: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/64577943?asc=u  CONTENTS: 00:00 Intro 6:33 Muhammad vs Bonfim 25:43 Allen vs Shahbazyan 35:01 Ziam vs Nolan 45:59 Song vs Figueiredo 57:13 Zhang vs Menifield 58:59 Pavlovich vs Teixeira 1:05:09 Rei Tsuruya & Cody Haddon

Yuru and Asa voice actors Ben Stegmair and Molly Zhang of Daemons of the Shadow Realm chat with JAM of Agents of Fandom about what they think are their characters' best traits, who their favourite Daemons are, both Yuru and Asa's trust issues, and tease the exciting future of the series. Check out https://www.agentsoffandom.com for the latest TV and Movie reviews!

OptionsPlay's Tony Zhang breaks down the state of the AI trade and its fragile effect on the market. He says given how cheap options are right now, it's a good opportunity for investors. Tony highlights Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) as two Mag 7 stocks worth looking at and walks us through example options trades for both.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Mace and Jeff put Matt Walsh's antidepressant episode under the clinical microscope — and it does not pass the functional impairment test. They break down the 2022 Molecular Psychiatry umbrella review that dismantled the low-serotonin narrative, explain why that finding doesn't indict SSRIs as a category, and make the case that the “chemical imbalance” pitch was always more pharmaceutical advertising than clinical science. They also tackle what functional impairment actually means in diagnosis, the gender disparity in antidepressant prescribing, whether the SSRI-to-mass-violence argument is causal or just really committed to showing up in the same sentence, and what clinicians should actually be telling clients about medications they can't fully explain. For anyone who has ever explained serotonin to a client and quietly wondered if they knew what they were talking about: this one's for you. Music: “Machine Heart – Instrumental version” by Icarus. Licensed via Artlist Pro License #JeMO9k. Bielefeldt, A. Ø., Danborg, P. B., & Gøtzsche, P. C. (2016). Precursors to suicidality and violence on antidepressants: systematic review of trials in adult healthy volunteers. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 109(10), 381–392. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076816666805 Brody, D. J., & Gu, Q. (2020). Antidepressant use among adults: United States, 2015–2018. NCHS Data Brief, No. 377. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm Chua, K. P., Volerman, A., Zhang, J., Hua, J., & Conti, R. M. (2024). Antidepressant dispensing to US adolescents and young adults: 2016–2022. Pediatrics, 153(3), e2023064245. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-064245 Healy, D., & Mangin, D. (2024). Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction: barriers to quantifying incidence and prevalence. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 33, e44. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796024000441 Kuehner, C. (2017). Why is depression more common among women than among men? The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(2), 146–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30263-2 Moncrieff, J., Cooper, R. E., Stockmann, T., Amendola, S., Hengartner, M. P., & Horowitz, M. A. (2023). The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence. Molecular Psychiatry, 28, 3243–3256. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0 Salk, R. H., Hyde, J. S., & Abramson, L. Y. (2017). Gender differences in depression in representative national samples: Meta-analyses of diagnoses and symptoms. Psychological Bulletin, 143(8), 783–822. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000102 Stone, M., Laughren, T., Jones, M. L., Levenson, M., Holland, P. C., Hughes, A., Hammad, T. A., Temple, R., & Rochester, G. (2009). Risk of suicidality in clinical trials of antidepressants in adults: analysis of proprietary data submitted to US Food and Drug Administration. BMJ, 339, b2880. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2880

A national campaign to promote employment for college graduates will run from May to December, targeting the 2026 graduating class as well as unemployed graduates from the classes of 2024 and 2025, according to a notice issued on Tuesday.据周二发布的通知，全国高校毕业生就业专项帮扶行动将于5月至12月开展，帮扶对象涵盖2026届应届毕业生以及2024、2025两届未就业毕业生。The campaign, launched by eight central authorities including the Ministry of Education, urges local governments to make employment for college graduates and other key groups a top priority.本次行动由教育部等八部委牵头部署，要求各地政府将高校毕业生等重点群体就业工作摆在重要位置。The notice calls on local authorities and employers to tap job prospects in industries with a strong growth capacity, including manufacturing and services, and create more positions that fully utilize graduates' knowledge and skills.通知要求各地主管部门和用人单位深挖制造业、服务业等成长性较强行业的就业潜力，开发更多能够充分发挥毕业生学识与专业特长的岗位。Employers from all sectors are encouraged to participate. A centralized job-posting mechanism will be established, with vacancies published across multiple online platforms, the notice said.通知提出，鼓励各行各业用人单位踊跃参与。我国将搭建岗位统一发布机制，在多个线上平台同步发布空缺岗位信息。The campaign will also feature a joint publicity effort, with recruitment and employer-presentation videos released on various platforms to make employment information more accessible to graduates.专项行动同步开展联合宣传推介，在各类平台投放招聘宣讲与企业介绍视频，方便毕业生便捷获取就业资讯。Universities are required to integrate employment education throughout the students' development process. Graduates will be encouraged to participate in online and offline career guidance, skills training and internship programs. The campaign aims to help students develop sound career values, strengthen practical skills and enhance competitiveness in the job market.各高校须将就业育人贯穿学生培养全过程，引导毕业生参加线上线下职业指导、技能实训和实习项目。本次行动旨在帮助学生树立正确职业价值观、锤炼实操本领，提升求职竞争力。Graduates are also encouraged to align their career choices with national development strategies by participating in major national initiatives, serving grassroots communities in urban and rural areas, and working in sectors and regions where they are most needed.同时鼓励毕业生立足国家发展规划择业，投身国家重大项目建设、奔赴城乡基层服务，前往人才紧缺的行业和地区就业。The notice emphasizes strict scrutiny of recruitment information, requiring authorities to verify the authenticity and legality of employer credentials and job postings. Fraud, scams and discrimination — including restrictions based on university prestige, overseas study experience, full-time or part-time status, or previous internships with employers — are strictly prohibited.通知强调从严审核招聘信息，主管部门须核验用人单位资质与招聘信息的真实性、合法性；严禁招聘欺诈、诈骗以及各类就业歧视，不得依托院校档次、海外留学经历、全日制或非全日制学历、过往实习经历等设置招聘门槛。Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications has regularly invited leading and high-tech companies to campus for seminars, internship partnerships and recruitment events, integrating corporate technologies and industry standards into classroom instruction and practical training, said Zhang Yi, head of the university's employment and entrepreneurship guidance center.北京邮电大学就业创业指导中心主任张怡介绍，学校常态化邀约行业龙头与高新技术企业入校开展座谈、共建实习基地、举办招聘会，把企业前沿技术与行业规范融入课堂授课和实操实训。University leaders have visited major companies, including AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group, Lenovo and ByteDance, to expand high-quality job opportunities and deepen cooperation. Leaders from the university and its schools have traveled to 16 provincial-level regions and engaged with 135 employers in key fields such as information technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum communications and aerospace computing to expand employment opportunities for students, Zhang said.张怡表示，校领导带队走访中航工业成都飞机工业集团、联想、字节跳动等优质企业，拓宽优质就业岗位、深化校企合作。学校及各院系负责人先后赴全国16个省级行政区，对接信息技术、人工智能、网络安全、量子通信、空天计算等重点领域的135家用人单位，拓展毕业生就业渠道。In addition, BUPT has developed an AI-powered student growth platform. By analyzing job market trends, student competencies and career preferences, the platform automatically recommends tailored job opportunities and provides personalized career guidance, she said.她补充，北邮搭建了人工智能赋能的学生成长平台，平台通过分析就业市场走势、学生个人能力与求职意向，智能推送适配岗位，提供定制化职业指导。Zhu Qing, deputy head of the employment office at the University of International Business and Economics, said the institution has established talent workstations in Guangzhou, Guangdong province; Sanya, Hainan province and Nanchang in Jiangxi province.对外经济贸易大学就业处副处长朱庆介绍，学校已在广东广州、海南三亚、江西南昌设立驻外人才工作站。The Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau organized 130 employers to participate in a campus job fair, offering more than 6,000 positions, Zhu added.朱庆补充道，广州市商务局组织130家用人单位入校开展专场招聘，提供岗位超6000个。UIBE has also strengthened cooperation with industry associations to improve job matching. The Insurance Institute of Beijing brought 50 insurance companies to campus for a dedicated recruitment fair, while the university's law school hosted a legal-industry job fair featuring more than 20 well-known law firms, he said.学校还深化与行业协会合作，提升人岗匹配效率。北京保险行业协会组织50家保险公司入校开展保险专场招聘，法学院也联合20余家知名律所举办法律行业专场招聘会。"To date, UIBE has held more than 30 job fairs, attracting nearly 2,000 employers and offering more than 70,000 positions on campus, with recruitment presentations held almost daily and job fairs taking place every week," Zhu said.朱庆称：“截至目前，我校已举办30余场校园招聘会，近2000家企业参会，累计提供岗位超7万个，校园招聘宣讲几乎每日开展，每周固定开设专场招聘会。”For unemployed graduates, the university has implemented a "one-student, one-strategy" support program. Measures include establishing individual support records, providing one-on-one follow-up services, pushing targeted job recommendations, offering face-to-face career counseling, providing job-seeking subsidies and organizing regular psychological counseling sessions, he said.针对未就业毕业生，学校落实“一生一策”帮扶方案：建立一人一档帮扶台账、一对一跟踪对接、精准推送岗位、线下职业咨询、发放求职补贴，并定期开展心理疏导。utilize /ˈjuːtəlaɪz/利用，使用vacancy /ˈveɪkənsi/空缺岗位；空位credential /krəˈdenʃl/资质；证件discrimination /dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃn/歧视；区别对待subsidy /ˈsʌbsədi/补贴，补助

In this episode of Precision and Progress: Radiotherapy in Oncology, hosts Hirsch Matani, MD, and Elizabeth Zhang-Velten, MD, PhD, welcomed Binh T. Ngo, MD, to discuss the evolving role of radiation, systemic therapy, and multidisciplinary care for patients with melanoma and other skin cancers.Dr Matani is a clinical assistant professor of radiation oncology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) and a radiation oncologist at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr Zhang-Velten is a radiation oncologist and a clinical assistant professor with Keck Medicine of USC. Dr Ngo is an assistant professor of dermatology at Keck Medicine of USC.In their discussion, Drs Matani, Zhang-Velten, and Ngo broke down how surgical approaches, radiation, and systemic therapy all play roles in the treatment of patients with skin cancer. Dr Ngo highlighted key prevention strategies that patients should be advised on, along with recommended follow-ups for patients who are at higher risk or those who underwent prior solid organ or hematologic transplants.The trio also discussed how the use of radiation for patients with skin cancer varies from techniques used for patients with tumors located within deeper organs, and they also highlighted how radiotherapy approaches could be applied for patients with tumors that would be difficult to surgically resect.

Listener discretion is advised! References: Buttner & Arlanger. (May 3, 2022). ST depression does not localise. Available: https://litfl.com/st-depression-does-not-localise/ Cannon, J. W., Khan, M. A., Raja, A. S., et al. (2017). Damage control resuscitation in patients with severe traumatic hemorrhage. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 82, 605-617. Kabra, R., Acharya, S., Kamat, S., & Kumar, S. (2022). ST-Segment Elevation in Lead aVR With Global ST-Segment Depression: Never Neglect Left Main Coronary Artery (LMCA) Occlusion. Cureus. Lee, G.-K., Hsieh, Y.-P., Hsu, S.-W., Lan, S.-J., & Soni, K. (2019). Value of ST‐segment change in lead aVR in diagnosing left main disease in Non‐ST‐elevation acute coronary syndrome—A meta‐analysis. Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology, 24. Morrison, C. A., Carrick, M. M., Norman, M. A., et al. (2011). Hypotensive Resuscitation Strategy Reduces Transfusion Requirements and Severe Postoperative Coagulopathy in Trauma Patients With Hemorrhagic Shock: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection & Critical Care, 70, 652-663. Rossaint, R., Afshari, A., Bouillon, B., et al. (2023). The European guideline on management of major bleeding and coagulopathy following trauma: sixth edition. Critical Care, 27. Tamura, A. (2014). Significance of lead aVR in acute coronary syndrome. World Journal of Cardiology, 6(7), 630. Uthamalingam, S., Zheng, H., Leavitt, M., Pomerantsev, E., Ahmado, I., Gurm, G. S., & Gewirtz, H. (2011). Exercise-Induced ST-Segment Elevation in ECG Lead aVR Is a Useful Indicator of Significant Left Main or Ostial LAD Coronary Artery Stenosis. JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, 4, 176–186. Weymouth, W., Long, B., Koyfman, A., & Winckler, C. (2019). Whole Blood in Trauma: A Review for Emergency Clinicians. The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 56, 491-498. Wang, A., Singh, V., Duan, Y., Su, X., Su, H., Zhang, M., & Cao, Y. (2020). Prognostic implications of ST‐segment elevation in lead aVR in patients with acute coronary syndrome: A meta‐analysis. Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology, 26.

Show Notes & References Resources mentioned in this episode: Tither, E. (2025, December 10). ⁠⁠What happens to the data you feed LLMs?⁠⁠ University of Illinois System, Student Money Management Center. https://blogs.uofi.uillinois.edu/view/7550/1055573584 Chen, K., Zhou, X., Lin, Y., Feng, S., Shen, L., & Wu, P. (2025). A survey on privacy risks and protection in large language models. ⁠⁠Journal of King Saud University – Computer and Information Sciences⁠⁠, ⁠⁠37⁠⁠(7). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44443-025-00177-1 Farooqui, A. (2025, February 12). ⁠⁠Samsung lets employees use ChatGPT again after secret data leak in 2023⁠⁠. SamMobile. https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsung-lets-employees-use-chatgpt-again-after-secret-data-leak-in-2023/ Han, X., Peng, H., & Liu, M. (2025). The impact of GenAI on learning outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. ⁠⁠Educational Research Review⁠⁠, 100714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2025.100714 Imperial War Museums. (2018). ⁠⁠How Alan Turing cracked the enigma code⁠⁠. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-alan-turing-cracked-the-enigma-code Kwak, R. (2023, November 30). ⁠⁠Announcing Microsoft Copilot with Data Protection⁠⁠. Technology Services, University of Illinois. https://www.techservices.illinois.edu/2023/11/30/announcing-microsoft-copilot-with-data-protection/ Kwak, R. (2025, November 11). ⁠⁠ChatGPT arrives at U of I⁠⁠. Technology Services, University of Illinois. https://www.techservices.illinois.edu/2025/11/11/chatgpt-arrives-at-u-of-i/ Microsoft 365, Copilot with Data Protection – AI Chat for the Web. (2024). University of Illinois System KnowledgeBase. https://answers.uillinois.edu/133037 OpenAI. (2023). ⁠⁠Privacy policy⁠⁠. https://openai.com/en-GB/policies/row-privacy-policy/ Ray, S. (2023, May 2). ⁠⁠Samsung bans ChatGPT among employees after sensitive code leak⁠⁠. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/05/02/samsung-bans-chatgpt-and-other-chatbots-for-employees-after-sensitive-code-leak/ Yao, Y., Duan, J., Xu, K., Cai, Y., Sun, Z., & Zhang, Y. (2024). A survey on large language model (LLM) security and privacy: The good, the bad, and the ugly. ⁠⁠High-Confidence Computing⁠⁠, ⁠⁠4⁠⁠(2), 100211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hcc.2024.100211

罗马书8:1-11

Do you think AI will have an impact on science? You are wrong. It will not–it already does. The annual International Conference on Information Systems received over 1,000 more paper submissions this year. Our main journals report a 20%, 40%, or even 100% increase in submission numbers. This could be great if these papers were good, if we simply saw more and better research being produced. Problem is: We don't. What we see is an AI slop tsunami of less readable papers, hastily produced, with marginal insights if any. How should we handle this situation? We discuss a few possible levers on the supply and demand side of research that we as a field could implement. References Gartenberg, C., Hasan, S., Murray, A., & Pierce, L. (2026). More Versus Better: Artificial Intelligence, Incentives, and the Emerging Crisis in Peer Review. Organization Science, 37(3), https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2026.ed.v37.n3. Ho, S. Y., Recker, J., Tan, C.-W., Vance, A., & Zhang, H. (2023). MISQ Special Issue on Registered Reports. MIS Quarterly, https://misq.umn.edu/call_for_papers/registered-reports. Liang, W., Zhang, Y., Cao, H., Wang, B., Ding, D. Y., Yang, X., Vodrahalli, K., He, S., Smith, D. S., Yin, Y., McFarland, D. A., & Zou, J. (2024). Can Large Language Models Provide Useful Feedback on Research Papers? A Large-Scale Empirical Analysis. NEJM AI, 1(8). https://doi.org/10.1056/AIoa240019 Saunders, C. (2005). Editor's Comments: Looking for Diamond Cutters. MIS Quarterly, 29(1), iii–viii. Tyner, A. H., Abatayo, A. L., Daley, M., . . . Errington, T. M. (2026). Investigating the Replicability of the Social and Behavioural Sciences. Nature, 652(8108), 143–150. Dennis, A. R., Valacich, J. S., Fuller, M. A., & Schneider, C. (2006). Research Standards for Promotion and Tenure in Information Systems. MIS Quarterly, 30(1), 1–12.

What if procrastination isn't always laziness… but misalignment? What if persuasive speaking isn't about charisma… but authenticity?Tune in to my conversation with Joanna Zhang and learn:How to know if you're aligned with your purpose and mission in lifeHow to find your alignment How inner alignment helps to be more persuasive, resonant communicators How to have energy-based productivity Why time management might be ruining your energyHow to differentiate procrastination from energy management How to make your presentations and speaking flow naturallyJoanna Zhang: international speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, and founder of The Operations Genius. She pioneered the World First Fractional VA Service with a Plug And Play Team model, and is known as an entrepreneurs' soulmate because she empowers leaders to grow, discover their soul-aligned journey, and unlock their true genius.Connect with Joanna: https://linktr.ee/joannazhang

MMA Lock of the Night is back to give you breakdowns and predictions for UFC Macau: Song vs Figueiredo. Also on the main card, Zhang vs Menifield, Pavlovich vs Teixeira, Asakura vs Smotherman, Matthews vs Harris, and Perez vs Sumudaerji.

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5/21/26 Memorial Day – so much and so many to remember – with Central Hampshire Veterans Service Director Steve Connor. Extra!! Extra!! w/ Gazette and Recorder Ex Ed Dan Crowley: the Northampton Housing Authority, the Overrides, & Picture Main Street. UMass Ph. D. & Post- Doc Researcher Yuzhen Zhang on UMass-developed new technology, BactiSee – using a smart phone to detect bacteria in commercial food facilities & in our home kitchens, on cutting boards & dishwashers. All that Jazz with Ruth Griggs, Paul Arslanian & Tap Dance percussionist Alexis Robbins—Wow! Coming to the Northampton Jazz Workshop.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a two-day state visit to China, marking his 25th trip to the country since assuming the presidential office in 2000.俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京于5月19日晚抵达北京，开始对中国进行为期两天的国事访问。这也是他自2000年就任总统以来第25次访问中国。Prior to his departure, Putin delivered a video address in which he said, "I'm delighted to be visiting Beijing once again at the invitation of my longtime good friend, the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping."在出发前，普京发表了视频致辞。他在致辞中表示：“我非常高兴应我的老朋友、中华人民共和国主席习近平的邀请，再次访问北京。”On Sunday, both Xi and Putin sent congratulatory letters to the 10th China-Russia Expo, which opened on the same day in Harbin, the capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.5月17日，习近平主席与普京总统共同向当天在中国东北黑龙江省省会哈尔滨开幕的第十届中俄博览会致贺信。Russia's TASS news agency quoted Putin as saying in his video address that regular mutual visits and Russia-China top-level talks "are an important and integral part of our joint efforts to promote the entire range of relations between our two countries and unlock their truly limitless potential".据俄罗斯塔斯社报道，普京在视频致辞中表示，定期的互访和俄中高层会谈“是我们共同努力推动两国全方位关系发展、释放两国真正无限潜力的重要且不可分割的一部分”。Bilateral relations today "have reached a truly unprecedented level", Putin said.普京表示，当今的双边关系“已经达到了真正前所未有的高水平”。The special nature of the ties "is reflected in the atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust, in the commitment to pursuing win-win and equitable cooperation, in conducting respectful dialogue, and in supporting each other on matters affecting the core interests of both countries, including protection of sovereignty and state unity", he added.他补充说，两国关系的特殊性“体现在相互理解和信任的氛围中，体现在致力于追求共赢和公平合作的承诺中，体现在开展相互尊重的对话中，以及在涉及彼此核心利益的问题上相互支持，包括维护主权和国家统一”。Putin's visit comes as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.普京总统此访正值中俄建立战略协作伙伴关系30周年、签署《中俄睦邻友好合作条约》25周年这一具有里程碑意义的年份。He said the treaty "laid a solid foundation for a genuinely strategic relationship and comprehensive partnership for the benefit of our countries and our peoples".他表示，该条约“为建立真正的战略关系和全面伙伴关系奠定了坚实基础，造福了两国和两国人民”。Addressing a regular news briefing on Tuesday in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said that China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, and China welcomes Putin's visit.外交部发言人郭嘉昆周二在北京举行的例行记者会上表示，中俄是新时代全面战略协作伙伴，中方对普京总统的访问表示热烈欢迎。During the state visit, the two presidents "will exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of mutual interest", Guo said.郭嘉昆介绍说，在国事访问期间，两国元首“将就双边关系、各领域合作以及共同关心的国际和地区问题交换意见”。A survey report on Sino-Russian youth friendship and cultural exchanges, which was released last week by Renmin University of China, showed that 87.5 percent of young people in Russia and 85.5 percent of young people in China view the two countries' relations as "friendly".中国人民大学上周发布的一项关于中俄青年友好与文化交流的调查报告显示，87.5%的俄罗斯青年和85.5%的中国青年认为两国关系“友好”。Guo said the survey is a "true barometer of public opinion" and its findings illustrate the high level of China-Russia ties.郭嘉昆表示，该项调查是“真正的民意晴雨表”，其结果充分印证了中俄关系的高水平。"Under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Putin, the China-Russia everlasting friendship will enjoy even greater popular support, and the youth in both countries will join hands and inject fresh vitality into our comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era," he added.他补充说：“在习近平主席和普京总统的战略引领下，中俄世代友好将更加深入人心，两国青年将携手并进，为新时代中俄全面战略协作伙伴关系注入新的生机与活力。”According to the Foreign Ministry, the value of bilateral trade reached $227.9 billion in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of the figure exceeding the $200-billion mark.据外交部数据显示，2025年中俄双边贸易额达到2279亿美元，这也是该数字连续第三年突破2000亿美元大关。Tian Dewen, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said that Putin's visit will help to further consolidate the foundation of bilateral relations, featuring long-term stability, a high degree of mutual trust and deeper cooperation.中国社会科学院俄罗斯东欧中亚研究所研究员田德文表示，普京总统此访将有助于进一步巩固具有长期稳定性、高度互信和深化合作特征的双边关系基础。The visit will also promote the continuous improvement and upgrading of practical bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy and trade, scientific and technological innovation, and global governance, Tian said.田德文指出，此次访问还将推动两国在能源与贸易、科技创新以及全球治理等领域的务实双边合作不断提质升级。Zhang Hanhui, China's ambassador to Russia, said that Xi and Putin are expected to hold an important meeting to chart the course for the development of Sino-Russian ties in the new era.中国驻俄罗斯大使张汉晖表示，预计习近平主席和普京总统的此次重要会晤将为新时代中俄关系的发展指明方向。Under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, the two countries "have built a new type of major-country relationship that transcends traditional military and political alliances", Zhang wrote in an article for the People's Daily newspaper, which was published on Tuesday.张汉晖在5月19日出版的《人民日报》署名文章中写道，在两国元首的战略引领下，两国“构建了超越传统军事和政治同盟的新型大国关系”。The two countries "have set an example of mutual respect, frankness and sincerity, harmonious coexistence, and mutual benefit between major countries and neighboring nations", he said.他表示，两国“树立了大国之间、邻国之间相互尊重、坦诚相待、和谐共处、互利共赢的典范”。Putin, in his video address, said that Russia and China are implementing major initiatives "in key areas of our cooperation", and "our warm and friendly ties enable us to chart the boldest plans for the future and bring them to life".普京在视频致辞中表示，俄中两国正在“关键合作领域”落实重大倡议，“这条温暖友好的纽带使我们能够为未来勾勒出最宏伟的蓝图并将其变为现实”。Also on Tuesday, Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov in Beijing, and the two sides pledged to further strengthen investment cooperation.5月19日，国务院副总理丁薛祥在北京会见了俄罗斯第一副总理丹尼斯·曼图罗夫，双方承诺进一步加强投资合作。Ding called on both countries to give full play to the coordinating role of the China-Russia Investment Cooperation Committee, steadily advance key projects, expand areas of cooperation, achieve more practical outcomes and continue to inject strong impetus into the development of bilateral relations.丁薛祥呼吁双方充分发挥中俄投资合作委员会的协调作用，扎实推进重点项目，扩大合作领域，取得更多务实成果，继续为双边关系发展注入强劲动力。Manturov said that Russia is ready to strengthen strategic alignment with China, enrich the substance of cooperation, actively address issues of mutual concern and continuously raise the level of investment cooperation between the two countries.曼图罗夫表示，俄方愿同中方加强战略对接，富集合作内涵，积极解决双方共同关心的具体问题，不断提高两国投资合作水平。 Equitables /ˈekwɪtəbl/公平合理的，公正的 Everlasting /ˌevəˈlɑːstɪŋ/永恒的，持久的 Barometer /bəˈrɒmɪtə/晴雨表，气压计

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) represents the most severe end of the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy spectrum. It has a reported incidence of approximately 0.3–3% of pregnancies and is the most common cause of hospitalization in early pregnancy and the second most common cause of hospitalization in pregnancy overall. In June 2024, the ACOG published a Clinical Expert series summarizing the inpatient management of HG. In that guidance, it describes mirtazapine as an “alternative pharmacologic” option. How effective is this medication compared to ondansetron? A new study (published ahead of print on 12/30/25 and officially out June 2026), out of Denmark, sheds some new light on this medication. This trial is the first double-blind RCT comparing mirtazapine to ondansetron AND placebo. Although a BIG limitation of this study exists (which we will discuss), it does provide some interesting insights. Listen in for details.1. (ACOG CES) Clark, Shannon M. MD; Zhang, Xue MD; Goncharov, Daphne Arena MD. Inpatient Management of Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Obstetrics & Gynecology 143(6):p 745-758, June 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/AOG.00000000000055182. Ostenfeld, AnneDroogh, Marjoes et al.Mirtazapine or ondansetron for hyperemesis gravidarum. A randomized placebo-controlled trial. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, June 2026

Can your ear talk to you? New research seems to show that your ear actually generates sound that echoes whatever you hear.Startled scientists are making new discoveries that appear to show that we have hearing aids built into our ears. Yes, our ears do produce sounds. When sound hits the eardrums, the vibrations move bones within the ear, causing a bone called the stapes to vibrate. These vibrations are translated to pneumatic pressure within the cochlea. The oscillating pressure is picked up by tiny inner hairs in the cochlea that vibrate with the sound. These vibrations generate an electrical signal that is sent to the brain.Researchers have learned that outer hair cells within the cochlea respond to the incoming signals by generating audible sounds that can be picked up by tiny microphones. The sounds are generated as the hairs dance up and down in time with the incoming sound, just like the cone of a loudspeaker. The effect is that the ear echoes the incoming sound a few thousandths of a second after it enters the ear. The echo generated within the cochlea is not necessary for hearing. However, scientists suspect that this feedback system helps people smoothly hear sounds that range from soft to loud. Some scientists have voiced their skepticism about these astonishing findings.Our ability to hear sound is much more elegant in design than scientists ever expected. The technically precise details of the ear's design discredit all claims that the ear could have evolved.James 1:22"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”Prayer: Lord, let my voice praise You for all the great things You have done. Let me always be glad to hear Your Word and, assured of Your forgiving grace, put it into practice in my life. Amen.REF.: Malcolm M. Browne. "Let's Hear it from the Ears." The Plain Dealer. Image: Schematic overview of inner ear, van der Valk, W.H., Steinhart, M.R., Zhang, J. et al., CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons, image cropped from original. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111

Episode 224: Community Health Workers Dr. Arreaza: Today we will discuss a topic that, frankly, every single person listening, whether you're a medical student, a resident, a nurse, a family doctor, or any primary care provider, needs to really understand. We're talking about community health workers (CHWs). We are joined by our stellar medical student; you may be familiar with her voice from previous episodes about insomnia. Moira, welcome, please introduce yourself.  Moira: I want to be upfront about why Community Health Workers matter to you specifically. If you've ever felt frustrated that your patient with uncontrolled diabetes keeps missing appointments because they can't get a ride, or that your heart failure patient was readmitted because nobody checked whether they could afford their medications, then you already understand the problem that CHWs are designed to solve. Dr. Arreaza: We're going to give you the definition of a CHW, the evidence behind their effectiveness, how they fit into your care team, the return on investment, and practical steps for integrating them into your practice. We have pulled information from a lot of peer-reviewed sources, and we want to share them with you. So, Moira, let's start with the basics. What exactly is a community health worker? Moira: Great question, and it's one that even literature struggles with, because there are so many titles for this role. Community Health Worker is an umbrella term that encompasses more than 20 different titles including outreach workers, promotores or promotoras de salud, community health representatives, lay health workers, peer educators, patient navigators, and many more. The American Public Health Association defines CHWs as frontline public health workers who are trusted members of or have an unusually close understanding of the communities they serve. Arreaza: And that trust is so important in health care. CHWs are not physicians. They are not nurses. They do not diagnose or prescribe. But they are like a bridge connecting the medical environment, social services, and the community to reduce gaps in healthcare delivery.  Moira: Exactly. In the United States, the role was formally recognized in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which includes several sections highlighting the key roles CHWs play in achieving important goals of healthcare. ________________ References:  Aguerrebere, M., Rodríguez-Cuevas, F. G., Flores, H., Arrieta, J., & Raviola, G. (2019). Providing Mental Health Care in Primary Care Centers in LMICs. Innovations in Global Mental Health, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70134-9_95-1 Allen, L. N., Rasanathan, K., Mash, R., Uribe, M. V., Martinez-Bianchi, V., & Kidd, M. (2025). Models of Global Primary Care Post-2030. The Lancet Primary Care, 1(3), 100027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanprc.2025.100027 Babagoli, M. A., Nieto-Martínez, R., González-Rivas, J. P., Sivaramakrishnan, K., & Mechanick, J. I. (2021). Roles for Community Health Workers in Diabetes Prevention and Management in Low- And Middle-Income Countries. Cadernos De Saúde Pública, 37(10). https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311x00287120 Balasubramanya, B., Isaac, R., Philip, S., Prashanth, H. R., Abraham, P., Poobalan, A., Thomas, N., Jeyaseelan, L., Mammen, J., Devarasetty, P., & John, O. (2020). Task Shifting to Frontline Community Health Workers for Improved Diabetes Care in Low-Resource Settings in India: A Phase II Non-Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Journal of Global Health Reports, 4. https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.17609 Battaglia, T. A., Zhang, X., Dwyer, A. J., Rush, C. H., & Paskett, E. D. (2022). Change Agents in the Oncology Workforce: Let's Be Clear About Community Health Workers and Patient Navigators. Cancer, 128(S13), 2664–2668. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.34194 Das, S., Grant, L., & Fernandes, G. (2023). Task Shifting Healthcare Services in the Post-Covid World: A Scoping Review. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(12), e0001712. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001712 Dodd, R., Palagyi, A., Jan, S., Abdel-All, M., Nambiar, D., Madhira, P., Balane, C., Tian, M., Joshi, R., Abimbola, S., & Peiris, D. (2019). Organisation of Primary Health Care Systems in Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Review of Evidence on What Works and Why in the Asia-Pacific Region. BMJ Global Health, 4(Suppl 8), e001487. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001487 Huang, W., Long, H., Li, J., Tao, S., Zheng, P., Tang, S., & Abdullah, A. S. (2018). Delivery of Public Health Services by Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Primary Health Care Settings in China: A Systematic Review (1996–2016). Global Health Research and Policy, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41256-018-0072-0 McCray, G. G., Haynes, B., Proeller, A., Ervin, C., & Williams-Livingston, A. (2020). Making the Case for Community Health Workers in Georgia. Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.20429/jgpha.2020.080116 Mor, N., Ananth, B., Ambalam, V., Edassery, A., Meher, A., Tiwari, P., Sonawane, V., Mahajani, A., Mathur, K., Parekh, A., & Dharmaraju, R. (2023). Evolution of Community Health Workers: The Fourth Stage. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1209673 Noel, L., Chen, Q., Petruzzi, L. J., Phillips, F., Garay, R., Valdez, C., Aranda, M. P., & Jones, B. (2022). Interprofessional Collaboration Between Social Workers and Community Health Workers to Address Health and Mental Health in the United States: A Systematised Review. Health &Amp; Social Care in the Community, 30(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.14061 None, N. (2022). Walking the Talk: Reimagining Primary Health Care After COVID-19. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1768-7 Orkin, A. M., McArthur, A., Venugopal, J., Kithulegoda, N., Martiniuk, A., Buchman, D. Z., Kouyoumdjian, F., Rachlis, B., Strike, C., & Upshur, R. (2019). Defining and Measuring Health Equity in Research on Task Shifting in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review. SSM - Population Health, 7, 100366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100366 Pingel, E. S. (2022). Seeing Inside: How Stigma and Recognition Shape Community Health Worker Home Visits in São Paulo, Brazil. Community Health Equity Research &Amp; Policy, 44(3), 303–313. https://doi.org/10.1177/2752535x221137384 Rifkin, S. B., Fort, M., Patcharanarumol, W., & Tangcharoensathien, V. (2021). Primary Healthcare in the Time of COVID-19: Breaking the Silos of Healthcare Provision. BMJ Global Health, 6(11), e007721. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007721 Rohan, E. A., Townsend, J. S., Bermudez, A. T., Thompson, H. L., Holman, D. M., Reza, A., Tharpe, F. S., & Wennerstrom, A. (2024). Engaging Community Health Workers in Primary Care Practices. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 47(3), 154–167. https://doi.org/10.1097/jac.0000000000000501 Shommu, N. S., Ahmed, S., Rumana, N., Barron, G. R. S., McBrien, K. A., & Turin, T. C. (2016). What Is the Scope of Improving Immigrant and Ethnic Minority Healthcare Using Community Navigators: A Systematic Scoping Review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0298-8 Sisson, N., & Starke, J. (2022). Promotores De Salud in Montana: An Analysis of a Rural Health Care Intervention Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and Its Place in Medical Curricula. The Linacre Quarterly, 89(1), 21–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/00243639211059346 The Role and Impact of Female Health Workers on the Well-Being of Global South Communities: A Call for Gender-Transformative Action. (2022). Archives of Women Health and Care, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.31038/awhc.2022521 Williams-Livingston, A., Henry Akintobi, T., & Banerjee, A. (2020). Community-Based Participatory Research in Action: The Patient-Centered Medical Home and Neighborhood. Journal of Primary Care &Amp; Community Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2150132720968456 Theme song, Works All The Time by Dominik Schwarzer, YouTube ID: CUBDNERZU8HXUHBS, purchased from https://www.premiumbeat.com/.   Even without trying, every night you go to bed a little wiser. Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast. We want to hear from you, send us an email at RioBravoqWeek@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. See you next week!

In this episode Randel and Owen talk with J. Justin Meehan about his martial journey and training Chen Taiji with Feng Zhi Quan, Zhang Xue Xin.From the ICMAC Hall of Fame website:"J. Justin Meehan has been training in martial arts since the 1960s, studying Taijiquan and Chinese Kung Fu Wu Shu (Siu Lum, Praying Mantis, Hung Gar, Wing Chun and weapons, especially straight sword). He is a St. Louis attorney and President of the Chinese Internal Arts Association and St. Louis Taoist Research and Resource Forum. He has studied Yang Taiji under William CC Chen and Yang Zheng-Duo (son of Yang Cheng-Fu) and Chen Taiji under Feng Zhiqiang, Chen Xiao Wang, Ma Hong, and Zhang Xue Xin. Meehan was a member of the first U.S. Sports Delegation to study the original Chen-style Taiji in Beijing, China. He has published more than 30 articles on Taiji in leading martial arts magazines. He has frequently been a chief judge for Chinese Martial Arts tournaments and has taught numerous students who have excelled in these competitions. He also teaches Qigong and has studied Buddhist, Taoist, Er Mei, Health Maintenance, and Hun Yuan systems."⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠Need More From Kung Fu Conversations (KFC)?⁠⁠⁠KFC Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KFC Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KFC Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KFC Buy-Me-A-Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KFC Merch⁠⁠⁠Need Kung Fu Training?⁠⁠⁠Xingyi and Bagua in Colorado - Boulder Internal Arts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wing Chun in Colorado - Red Forest Chinese Boxing⁠⁠⁠#kungfupanda #taichi #kungfu #kungfuconversations #meditation #qigong #wingchun #baguazhang #fengzhiqiang

We take a look at a section from Hong Ze Han's book on Zhang Jun Feng's words on Bagua Zhang. Our Episode on Zhang's book.

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsPrimary / traditional texts and core religious sourcesĀnāpānasati Sutta (MN 118), translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Access to Insight. Best primary source for Buddhist mindfulness of breathing.“Ḏekr / Dhikr,” Encyclopaedia Iranica. Strong source for Sufi remembrance, rhythmic repetition, posture, and breathing-linked practice.“Hesychasm,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Good general source for the Christian contemplative tradition of stillness, uninterrupted prayer, and the Jesus Prayer.“Saint Gregory Palamas,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for the role of bodily posture and controlled breathing in Hesychast prayer.Crowley, Aleister. Liber E vel Exercitiorum. Primary text for Crowley's explicit inclusion of “Pranayama – Regularisation of the Breathing” in occult training.Crowley, Aleister. Book Four, Part 1. Useful for Crowley's statement that pranayama is useful in “quieting the emotions and appetites.”Historical / religious context“Prana,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Best short source for the deep Indian background: prāṇa, the five prāṇas, and breath as vital force.“Pranayama,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Best short source for classical Yoga: pranayama as the fourth limb aimed toward samādhi.“Hatha Yoga,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for the force-oriented turn: bodily mastery, purification, and regulation of breathing.“Qi,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Good for Daoist and Chinese background: qi as psychophysical energy and breath-linked vital force.“Qigong,” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Useful for qigong as a discipline combining movement, breathing, and mental concentration.“Are Kabbalistic Meditations all about Ecstasy?” in Hermes Explains (Cambridge). Strong academic source for Abraham Abulafia and ecstatic Kabbalah.“Classical Kabbalah, Its History and Symbolic Universe.” Useful academic source noting ecstatic Kabbalah's breathing exercises, postures, and developed techniques.Neuroscience / physiology / altered statesAshhad, Kam, Del Negro, and Feldman. “Breathing Rhythm and Pattern and Their Influence on Emotion.” Annual Review of Neuroscience (2022). One of the best overview papers for the whole episode.Yackle et al. “Breathing control center neurons that promote arousal in mice.” Science (2017). Key source for the preBötzinger complex / calm-vs-arousal section.Schottelkotte and Dutschmann. “Forebrain control of breathing: Anatomy and potential functions.” Frontiers in Neurology (2022). Best source for cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and thalamus in breathing control.Krohn et al. “The integrated brain network that controls respiration.” eLife (2023). Strong review for respiration as part of a larger integrated brain network.Heck et al. “Breathing as a fundamental rhythm of brain function.” Human MEG work on respiration-modulated brain oscillations across frequency bands and brain regions.(Note: the specific MEG paper surfaced in earlier research as the respiration-modulated oscillations study; the review sources above are the strongest anchors for that section.)Zelano et al. “Nasal Respiration Entrains Human Limbic Oscillations and Modulates Cognitive Function.” Journal of Neuroscience (2016). One of the most important human papers in the whole script.Schreiner et al. “Respiration modulates sleep oscillations and memory reactivation in humans.” Nature Communications (2023). Best source for the sleep-spindle / memory-reactivation section.Zaccaro et al. “How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psychophysiological Correlates of Slow Breathing.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience / PMC version (2018). Best broad source for slow breathing under 10 breaths per minute.Shao, Man, and Lee. “The Effect of Slow-Paced Breathing on Cardiovascular and Emotion Functions: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.” Mindfulness (2024). Useful for the stabilizing-road section.Kozhevnikov et al. “Neurocognitive and Somatic Components of Temperature Increases during g-Tummo Meditation.” PLoS ONE (2013). Best source for vase breathing and inner-heat claims.Zhang et al. “Hyperventilation in neurological patients: from physiology to outcome evidence.” Useful source for hypocapnia, cerebral vasoconstriction, and reduced cerebral blood flow.Havenith et al. “Decreased CO2 saturation during circular breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness.” Communications Psychology (2025). The key modern paper for circular breathwork and altered-state onset. Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. Now let me introduce the rest of the panel and guests.

Letting go of control is the growth strategy no one talks about. Joanna Zhang, 2024 Stevie Award-winning founder of Operations Genius and pioneer of the fractional VA model, joins the Play Big Faster Podcast to break down how entrepreneurs stop the burnout cycle by delegating smarter. After a decade in financial planning, Joanna built a plug-and-play team system that lets founders exit the weeds and work in their genius zone. She shares how to outsource without losing your standards, build SOPs from scratch, manage energy over time, and lead with a service mindset that retains loyal team members. If you're a founder who has everything in your head and nothing in a system, this episode is your roadmap. 

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Zhang Chuchu joins us to discuss how China views the war in Iran and what the conflict means for China's interests and strategy in the Middle East. She explains Chinese concerns about regional spillover, energy security, and the erosion of trust in international negotiations. The conversation also discusses China's diplomatic approach and what the conflict means for U.S.–China relations and the upcoming Trump–Xi leadership meeting.  Zhang Chuchu is an associate professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs and deputy director at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University.   

Tony Zhang joins Trading 360 as markets reach new all-time highs during Thursday's session. He explains why strong earnings and AI driven tech will continue to lead stocks higher. Later, Tony discusses example options trades in the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) and Oracle (ORCL). For ORCL, he says the company stands out as a compelling AI infrastructure trade with an attractive options setup.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

This episode Brian and Nez bring you the 1991 Jean-Claude Van Damme Martial Arts Action film DOUBLE IMPACT. Nearly 25 years after seeing his father killed by Hong Kong crime boss Raymond Zhang (Philip Chan Yan Kin), Chad Wagner (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is living in Los Angeles as a flourishing yet peaceful martial arts trainer. But Chad has a twin brother, Alex (also Van Damme), who suddenly reunites with his less-aggressive sibling and wants to avenge their father's death. As the pair plan their payback against Zhang, they also struggle to overcome their personal differences. Join The Action Returns Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/841619946357776 Follow The Action Returns on IG and X: Instagram: @theactionreturns X: @action_returns Check out everything Horror Returns at: https://thehorrorreturns.com Join The Horror Returns Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1056143707851246 THR Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thehorrorreturns Join the THR Presents: Stream Fiends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3860579827402429 Follow THR Stream Fiends on IG: @thrstreamfiends Hit up E Society on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/ESocietyPodcast/ ESP Podbean feed: https://macnezpodcast.podbean.com ESP Spotify feed: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/esoc Mac Nez Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7jot3LglMA0EuGTUikXejq?si=21b39da4784e4528 E Society YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliC6x_a7p3kTV_0LC4S10A E Society and Mac-Nez t-shirts Tee Public: http://tee.pub/lic/9ko9r4p5uvE X: E Society Podcast: https://x.com/esocietypod The Zissiou: https://x.com/TheoZissou Instagram: E Society: https://www.instagram.com/esocietypod/ Mac Nez Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/macnez/ The Zissiou: https://www.instagram.com/thezissou/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@esocietypod

Are all global justice issues created equal or are certain causes worth more of our attention and funding? Is it possible to get more bang for our buck by prioritizing certain geographic areas when it comes to missions and economic development? Joining the show today is JD Bauman of Christians for Impact. He is the co-author of the new book "All the Lives You Can Change" which explores how Christian principles intersect with the modern movement of effective altruism and global impact. In this episode, JD shares insights on prioritizing charitable efforts, the importance of data-driven giving, and pursuing a life of maximum global impact. Support the Show Through Venmo - @canopyintl Subscribe to Our New YouTube Channel Podcast Sponsor Are you ready to take your impact to the next level? Then join this year's OneAccord conference October 13th-15th in Washington, DC! Use Code "Global" for Discount Register for OneAccord 2026 Resources and Links from the Show All the Lives You Can Change by Bauman, Roser and Zhang (Amazon) Christians for Impact Online GiveWell The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer 80,000 Hours ITN Framework Jump into more conversations around child protection, global health, and ethical mission on the Optimistic Voices Podcast – Link Conversation Notes (AI Generated) (01:22) – JD's background and the role of faith in his work (02:38) – Effective altruism and evidence-based good deeds (03:23) – JD's missions family and background (04:36) – Connecting faith, service, and career impact (08:11) – Insights into Christian impact and career advising (11:51) – Funding effective global health interventions (18:03) – Examples of cost-effectiveness in charitable work (23:52) – Reframing local giving and global giving (28:43) – Using the ITN framework for impactful careers (48:07) – Top global causes to prioritize through effective altruism (50:45) – The connection between creation care, a plant-based diet and animal welfare (52:21) – AI risks and opportunities for advocacy (56:29) – The radical opportunity when Christians donate 10% Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

The subject of whether you should top your pepper plants can bring on a pretty strong debate among gardeners. That's because this is one of those topics where the answer genuinely is: it depends. And I mean that in a very specific, evidence-based way that comes down to two things: your climate and your pepper type. I'll be straight with you, I do not top my peppers. We are in a zone 6b in west central Missouri and our season is just short enough that for our large sweet peppers, by the time a topped plant recovered and loaded up with new fruit, I'd be in a race with the first frost, so I don't love my odds of winning. And for our smaller peppers, both hot and sweet, they branch naturally. They've never needed my help getting bushy and they generally end up so loaded with fruit there's no need for me to create new growing points. But that does NOT mean topping is wrong. In fact, if your growing season is long enough and you are growing the right type of pepper, there is a solid, research-grounded argument for it and I want to make that argument fairly today. Let's dig in! References: Illinois Extension (University of Illinois) — Frillman, N. (2021). “Pruning tomatoes and peppers for healthier plants and a stronger harvest.” Flowers, Fruits, and Frass Blog. https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/flowers-fruits-and-frass/2021-05-17-pruning-tomatoes-and-peppers-healthier-plants-and Nebraska Extension — “Garden Peppers.” University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Publications. https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/967/html/view University of Minnesota Extension — Ask Extension response on topping pepper plants (2021). https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=740168 University of Minnesota Extension — Weisenhorn, J. Ask Extension response on topping for yield (2016). https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=333053 University of Maryland Extension — Home and Garden Information Center. Ask Extension response on topping chile plants (2024). https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=869966 University of Minnesota Extension — “Growing Peppers in Home Gardens.” https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-peppers-home-gardens Peer-Reviewed Research: Humadi, F. (1980). “Effects of plant growth retardants and mechanical topping on growth and yield of pimiento pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).” Dissertation, University of Tennessee. Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/7869/ Buczkowska, H., & Najda, A. (2001). “Impact of plant topping on chemical composition of sweet pepper fruit.” Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Techniczno-Rolniczej w Bydgoszczy. Rolnictwo, 46, 33–37. Cao, D., Chabikwa, T., Barbier, F., Dun, E. A., Fichtner, F., Dong, L., Kerr, S. C., & Beveridge, C. A. (2023). “Auxin-independent effects of apical dominance induce changes in phytohormones correlated with bud outgrowth.” Plant Physiology, 192(2), 1420–1434. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiad034 Avent, A. R., & Armitage, A. M. (2015). “Effects of Paclobutrazol and Pinching on Ornamental Pepper.” HortScience / Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. ResearchGate: DOI 10.21273/HORTSCI. Hu, Q., Wei, Y., Gan, X., Zhang, O., Huangpu, J., Hu, B., & Wu, L. (2016). “Effects of pruning methods and harvest time on yield and benefit of pepper in greenhouse.” Jiangsu Agricultural Sciences, 44, 182–185. Resources: Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com Gardening Courses: https://justgrowsomething.com/courses Just Grow Something Merch and Downloads: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/ Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething Feed my coffee habit: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/justgrowsomething Get 10% off and FREE shipping on my favorite raised planters at Planter Box Direct using code JUSTGROW10: https://planterboxdirect.com/?ref=593 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last time we spoke about the battle of West Suiyuan. The Ma Clique, Muslim warlords controlling Northwest China, led by Ma Hongkui and Ma Hongbin, rebuffed Japanese overtures to ally, citing historical grievances like the 1900 invasion. Driven by patriotism, they aligned with the Nationalists, reorganizing forces into the 17th Army Group. In 1938, Ma Hongbin commanded West Suiyuan defenses, building fortifications in harsh desert and mountain terrain, blending cavalry tactics with modern training despite equipment shortages. In January 1940, Japanese and puppet troops advanced from Baotou, occupying Wuyuan and Linhe. Chinese forces, including Fu Zuoyi's 35th Army and Ma's 81st Army, employed guerrilla and mobile warfare. A major counterattack in March recaptured Wuyuan, killing Lt. Gen. Mizukawa and thousands, forcing Japanese retreat. Through ambushes and night raids, the Chinese recovered territories, securing Soviet aid routes and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region. Over 2,000 Ningxia soldiers perished, their sacrifices underscoring peripheral fronts' role in national resistance.   #200 The battle of Yaoyi Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. After capturing Wuhan, the Japanese army had already stretched itself dangerously thin. Most regular and Class A reserve divisions were committed to the front, yet they failed to annihilate the main Chinese force. Despite losing its core industrial and resource regions, the Nationalist government in Chongqing refused Japan's peace terms. Japan now found itself trapped in the very protracted war it had desperately sought to avoid. The logical Japanese response was to halt major advances, consolidate control over occupied areas, and conduct limited offensives to pressure Chiang Kai-shek into negotiations—essentially repeating the post-Nanjing strategy of late 1937. But the situation had deteriorated sharply: occupied territory had at least doubled, Japanese garrisons were inadequate, and strategic reserves were nearly exhausted. What might have been prudent a year earlier had become plainly unwise by late 1938.   To stabilize the front, Japan reorganized its China Expeditionary Army at the end of 1938. Large numbers of newly raised independent mixed brigades and lower-quality Class B reserve divisions were sent to relieve veteran regular and Class A divisions. The relieved units were either demobilized back to Japan or shifted north to reinforce the Kwantung Army against the Soviet threat.   By early 1940 Japan maintained roughly 24 divisions, 21 independent mixed brigades, and 2 cavalry brigades in China proper (excluding Manchuria), totaling nearly 800,000 ground troops. The enormous scale and expense strained the home economy severely. Even so, the vast occupied zones could not be effectively controlled: divisions often held only a single mobile battalion while dispersing the rest into scattered platoon- and squad-sized outposts. Guerrilla activity by both Nationalist and Communist forces not only persisted but intensified, occasionally clashing with each other in "friction" incidents.   Beyond mere occupation, Japan sought to wear down Chinese strength. With most elite Central Army units held in reserve in the southwest or around Wuhan, Japanese local offensives targeted the Fifth and Ninth War Zones, aiming to methodically destroy Chiang's best troops. Thus, while other Japanese armies focused on garrison relief and brigade substitution, the 11th Army—still holding Wuhan with seven divisions and three brigades—remained the main offensive instrument. In 1939 it captured Nanchang, then mounted major operations against the Fifth War Zone (Suizao Campaign) and Ninth War Zone (First Battle of Changsha). Except for the seizure of Nanchang, however, these offensives inflicted only limited and temporary damage on Chinese forces.   Japan's domestic economy was in even worse shape. In early 1937, it had approved a massive 2.4 billion yen naval and army rebuilding program aimed at countering the United States and Russia, but implementation had barely started when the Sino-Japanese War erupted. The conflict generated enormous war costs while military expansion continued unabated, rapidly draining the Bank of Japan's gold reserves. By the end of 1938, those reserves (valued at just 1.35 billion yen) had shrunk by more than two-thirds. To fund the Battle of Wuhan that year, Japan postponed key elements of the rebuilding plan. After Wuhan fell, the Army revised its wartime reorganization: the original target of forty divisions grew to fifty-five by early 1938, then to sixty-five divisions plus 164 Army Air Force squadrons by 1942. The funding required to equip and stockpile for this expansion escalated steadily; the 1939 expansion budget alone demanded 1.8 billion yen, pushing Japanese finances to the breaking point.   Japan repeatedly sought a way out of China, but its peace terms remained far beyond what Chongqing would accept, leaving negotiations stalled. Efforts to install puppet regimes in North and Central China—culminating in the Wang Jingwei government in 1940—aimed to "use Chinese to control Chinese" and undermine Nationalist influence, yet produced disappointing results.   The 11th Army's 1939 campaigns yielded only mediocre outcomes, hampered by chronic troop shortages. Even its divisions were tied down in occupation duties; mounting a serious offensive required pulling garrison forces, leaving no reserves to hold the line unless new units arrived. Sustained large-scale operations to seriously weaken Chinese strength demanded a major troop increase—otherwise, Japan was limited to shallow, localized attacks. Lt. Gen. Yasuji Okamura, commanding the 11th Army, recognized this clearly. In a December 1939 report, he argued that diplomacy and small offensives were futile and urged a large-scale operation backed by substantial reinforcements. His superiors, however, were preoccupied with funding the broader military buildup and could offer no extra men. The post-Wuhan "defensiveization" of operations was largely a cost-saving measure to support that expansion. Japanese ground strength in China, which peaked near 850,000 after Wuhan, had already dropped by about 50,000. Full-strength regular or Class A divisions numbered roughly 22,000 men (four regiments), while newer garrison divisions had only about 15,000 (three regiments), and independent mixed brigades just 6,000. Okamura's proposal was sensible but politically impossible; high command was even contemplating slashing China troop levels to 400,000.   The Chinese Winter Offensive of December 1939, together with counterattacks at Nanning and Kunlun Pass, inflicted serious losses and exposed the limited damage done to Chinese forces in 1939 operations. The recapture of Wuyuan in March 1940 signaled the start of a new phase. Shortly afterward, intensified Chinese guerrilla raids deep into Japanese rear areas prompted large Japanese "mop-up" operations in southern Shanxi, central Hubei, southern Jiangxi, and northern Hunan. In the Wuhan sector, repeated blows from the Winter Offensive heightened fears of Chinese forces in the Dahong and Tongbai Mountains, which threatened control over the vital Jianghan Plains rice-producing region. In mid-April 1940, the Japanese abandoned outposts at Macheng (eastern Hubei), Fengxin, and Jing'an (northern Jiangxi), withdrew elements of the 6th Division (northern Hunan), 40th Division (northern Jiangxi), and the 3rd, 13th, and 39th Divisions (Hubei), and concentrated them around Zhongxiang, Suixian, and Xinyang for a maximum-effort push.   These setbacks finally forced Tokyo to abandon deep troop reductions in China and approve reinforcements of two regular divisions for a major 1940 offensive. The revised end-1940 target became 740,000 troops in China. In spring 1940, the 11th Army—backed fully by Imperial General Headquarters and the China Expeditionary Army—began detailed preparations for a large-scale assault on China's Fifth War Zone.   On February 25, 1940, the 11th Army issued its "Guiding Strategy for the Campaign." The operational goal was to defeat the main force of China's Fifth War Zone along both banks of the Han River before the rainy season, inflict further heavy losses on Chiang Kai-shek's army through decisive victory, and thereby advance Japan's overall political and strategic position vis-à-vis China. The guiding principle called for the quickest possible preparations, with the offensive to begin around early May: first destroy Chinese forces on the left (east) bank south of the Baihe River, then completely annihilate the core units on the right (west) bank near Yichang. On April 7, under the new commander Lt. Gen. Sonobe Kazuo (who replaced Okamura Yasuji), the 11th Army produced a more detailed plan. On April 10, Imperial General Headquarters Order No. 426 ("Continental Order") authorized the China Expeditionary Army to conduct operations in central and southern China during May–June, even beyond established boundaries, to fulfill current objectives.   Japanese planners viewed the Fifth War Zone—roughly 50 divisions encircling Wuhan—with its main strength concentrated along the Han (Xiang) River in northwestern Hubei. Striking Yichang would deliver a severe blow to the zone. As the gateway to Sichuan, only 480 km from Chongqing, Yichang held immense strategic value: an inland port, Three Gorges logistics hub, and key base for air raids on Chongqing. Capturing it would directly threaten the Nationalist wartime capital and southwestern rear, advancing political leverage. Still, long-term occupation was not pre-decided; initial plans stressed inflicting maximum damage followed by withdrawal, in line with the post-Wuhan policy of avoiding permanent overextension. China, aware that holding the Jianghan Plain's rice-producing areas enabled sustained attrition against Japan, deployed guerrilla units to harass Japanese rear areas (increasing occupier losses) while tasking the River Defense Force to hold key front-line points: Jingmen, Shashi, and Yichang.   To achieve these aims, the 11th Army committed as much as possible of its seven divisions and four brigades (88 battalions total). Core units included the 3rd Division (Maj. Gen. Yamakoshi Masataka; regiments 6, 18, 34, 68), 13th Division (Maj. Gen. Tanaka Shioichi; 58, 65, 104, 116), 39th Division (Maj. Gen. Murakami Keisaku; 231–233), elements of the 40th Division, detachments from the 33rd and 34th Divisions, and others. Reinforcements comprised the Ikeda Detachment (three battalions from 6th Division), Ishimoto Detachment (four–five from 40th), Ogawa Detachment (two from 34th), and Provisional Mixed Brigade 101. Supporting assets included the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment, 7th and 13th Tank Regiments, 3rd Air Group, Navy 1st China Dispatch Fleet, and 2nd Combined Air Team. The China Expeditionary Army transferred seven battalions from the 15th and 22nd Divisions (13th Army, lower Yangtze). The main effort north of the river involved roughly 48–54 battalions, or 80,000–110,000 men, making the Zaoyi (Zaoyang–Yichang) Campaign the largest Japanese operation on the central front since Wuhan. Sonobe's staff structured the offensive in two phases. Phase One targeted the Fifth War Zone's main force around Zaoyang (east of the Han River) through converging pincer movements: right flank from Xinyang (reinforced 3rd Division), left flank from Zhongxiang (reinforced 13th Division), and central thrust by the reinforced 39th Division from Suixian. The plan exploited terrain—Dahong and Tongbai Mountains—for encirclement. After seizing Minggang (right flank) and advancing from Zhongxiang (left), the pincers would close on Zaoyang, with the center (along the Xianghua Highway from Suixian) drawing Chinese forces into the trap for envelopment. Diversionary attacks south of the Yangtze, propaganda hinting at limited scope, and planted false orders helped mask intentions. Japanese radio intelligence—intercepts and direction-finding of Chinese headquarters signals—provided critical advantages, especially in later stages.   By March 1940, Chinese intelligence had already detected the 11th Army's intent to mount a major offensive from Xinyang and Wuhan into northwestern Hubei. On April 10, Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed Li Zongren and other Fifth War Zone commanders, urging immediate preparations for a preemptive strike against any push toward Shapingba and Yichang. He emphasized proactive flanking attacks on Japanese rear areas via Wusheng Pass and threats to the Pinghan Railway, while keeping main forces east of the Han River for decisive engagement once the enemy committed.   Following Military Commission directives, the Fifth War Zone devised a plan that used part of its strength for forward advances and deep raids into Japanese rear areas to harass and divert. The bulk of forces would hold the rear, seizing chances for preemptive strikes and a decisive battle east of Zaoyang or south of Jingmen–Dangyang. Deployments included: the 33rd Army Group garrisoning the Xiang River; in the center, the 45th Corps (22nd Army Group) west of Luoyangdian–Suixian and the 84th Corps (11th Army Group) north of Suixian–south of Gaocheng; in southern Henan, the 30th Corps east of Tongbai and the 68th Corps north of Pingchangguan–Minggang; the 41st Corps in reserve near Xiangyang; the 29th Army Group (with part garrisoning north of Tongqiao Zhen–Sanyangtien) concentrated in the Dahong Mountains; and the 31st Army Group positioned between Queshan and Ye Hsien as the mobile force to strike invaders. River Defense Army commander Guo Chan controlled the 26th, 75th, and 94th Armies, the 128th Division, and the 6th and 7th Guerrilla Columns. Total Chinese strength approximated 350,000–380,000 men across roughly 50–54 divisions. To mask preparations and mislead, the Japanese conducted a late-April "mop-up" near Jiujiang, staged naval feints on Poyang and Dongting Lakes, and bombed key points in Hunan and Jiangxi, simulating an imminent Ninth War Zone operation.   With forces assembled, the Japanese offensive began May 1, 1940, from Xinyang, Suixian, and Zhongxiang. The advance split into five routes: (1) Changtaiguan–Minggang–Biyang–Tanghe; (2) Xinyang–Tongbai; (3) Suixian–Zaoyang; (4) Suixian–Wujiadien; (5) Zhongxiang–Shuangkou. Employing flanking with central breakthrough, the reinforced 3rd Division (right flank, including Ishimoto Detachment from 40th Division with tanks and engineers) spearheaded from Xinyang toward Biyang, breaching the Chinese Second Army front on day one. By May 1, elements of the 3rd and 40th Divisions captured Minggang, Lion's Bridge, and Xiaolintien; on May 5 they took Biyang and Tongbai. The Chinese 31st Army Group (northeast of Biyang) linked with the 68th and 92nd Corps to hit Japanese flanks and rear. Leaving some forces west of Tongbai to press the enemy, the main 30th Corps struck Japanese flanks. After seizing Tanghe on May 7, the Japanese pushed south toward Zaoyang. On May 8–9, the 31st Army Group retook Tanghe and Xinye, pursuing vigorously. On May 8, the Japanese left flank (13th Division) attacked from Zhongxiang, breaking through the 33rd Army front the same day.   On May 3, the Japanese 13th Division—supported by over 20 tanks, 40 aircraft, artillery, and cavalry—advanced north from Zhongxiang, capturing Changshoudian and Tianjiachi. It seized Fengyao and Changjiachi by May 6. Chinese 33rd Army Group forces used favorable terrain to intercept, while the 29th Army Group struck Japanese flanks and rear at Changjiachi and Wangjiadian, and the 41st Corps fought tenaciously to halt the advance. By May 7, Japanese spearheads reached Changjiachi on the Zaoyang–Xiangyang Highway, with elements entering Shuangkou; their rear cavalry took Xinye on May 8. Fifth War Zone commander Zhang Zizhong personally led attacks along Tianjiachi–Huanglongtang, supported by fierce 29th Army Group assaults on Japanese rear.   The Japanese 39th Division and a 6th Division brigade delayed their assault on the Chinese 11th Army Group until May 4 from Suixian. After overrunning Gaocheng and Anchu on May 5, Chinese forces withdrew to Huantan–Tang Hsien–north of Gaocheng. As the 33rd Army Group faltered, part of the 11th Army Group reinforced it; the 175th Division held at Tang Hsien while the main body fell back toward Zaoyang. During the maneuver, Japanese tanks enveloped at Tang Hsien, cutting the Zaoyang–Xiangyang Highway and forcing bitter fighting by the 174th Division. To break out, Chinese abandoned Zaoyang, using the 173rd Division for rearguard resistance while the bulk shifted west of the Tang and Bai Rivers. Japanese captured Suiyangdian and Wujiadien on May 7, Zaoyang on May 8; the 173rd Division suffered heavy losses, including the death of its commander, Gen. Zhong Yi.   On May 10, Japanese completed an encirclement east of Xiangdong along the Tang and Bai Rivers—but it collapsed as Chinese exterior forces outflanked both Japanese wings and compressed the center, trapping much of the Japanese in the Xiangdong Plains. The Chinese 2nd and 31st Army Groups plus 92nd Corps pressed south, 39th and 75th Corps east, and 33rd and 29th Army Groups north against the pocket. The 94th Corps advanced along the Han–Yichang Highway deep into Jingshan, Zaoshi, Yingcheng, and Yunmeng to sever Japanese rear communications. Meanwhile, the 7th Corps and eastern Hubei guerrillas seized Jigong Shan, Lijiachai, and Liulin station on the Beijing–Hankou Railway. The 92nd and 68th Corps retook Zaoyang, Tongbai, and Minggang, encircling four Japanese divisions in the Xiangdong Plains. By May 11, battered Japanese retreated eastward under pursuit, Chinese flanking and rear attacks leaving many dead on the field. The 31st Army Group recovered Zaoyang on May 16. Chinese reports claimed 45,000 Japanese casualties, plus capture of over 60 guns, 2,000+ horses, 70+ tanks, and 400+ trucks. The 33rd Army Group fought fiercely to intercept retreating columns, driving large Japanese remnants toward Nanguadian.   Tragically, on May 16 noon, Gen. Zhang Zizhong—personally commanding his Guard Battalion and main 74th Division—was killed in action. With pressure eased on the Japanese left, they counterattacked and retook Zaoyang on May 17. Chinese forces withdrew to Xinye on the Tangbai River's west bank and north of the Tang River, regrouping for a renewed counteroffensive.   The Military Commission anticipated a Japanese withdrawal to original lines, likely along the rain-impassable Xianghua Road. Exploiting the enemy's supply shortages, exhaustion, and retreat difficulties, it ordered Fifth War Zone units to encircle and annihilate Japanese forces near the battlefield, then pursue toward Yingcheng–Huayuan. The zone promptly launched a counteroffensive. By nightfall on May 8, Japanese pincers neared junction, having inflicted serious damage on the Chinese 84th Army but achieved little else. Nonetheless, the 11th Army ordered frontline divisions to withdraw to the Tanghe–Baihe line after reaching it, preparatory to encircling Chinese forces west of the Han River. Chongqing issued general offensive orders at 8 PM and 11 PM that night. By then, six divisions of the 31st Army Group advanced south from Nanyang in the north, five from the 33rd Army Group pressed from the south, and five from the 45th and 94th Armies pursued in the southeast—nearly completing the Japanese encirclement. Intense combat erupted.   On May 10, retreating Japanese first clashed with the advancing 33rd Army Group from the south. Seizing the moment, they ordered the 13th and 39th Divisions plus Ikeda Detachment south to smash it, with the 3rd Division covering the northern flank. Full-scale battle broke out on May 12: two Japanese divisions assaulted five Chinese divisions of the 33rd Army Group, plunging them into desperate fighting. Japanese radio intercepts—including telegrams between the Military Commission and Fifth War Zone, plus Zhang Zizhong's report to Chiang on his five divisions' movements—revealed exact positions and plans. Sonobe Kazuo concentrated the 13th and 39th Divisions to strike south along the Han's east bank against Zhang's army group, while ordering the 3rd Division (south of Xinye) back to Zaoyang to guard the rear. Direction-finding had long pinpointed the 33rd Army Group headquarters radio (call signs and bearings) about 10 km northeast of Yicheng. With air support, the Japanese encircled it. On the night of May 15, the 39th Division advanced from Fangjiaji and Nanying toward Nanguadian, completing tactical encirclement by dawn on May 16. Artillery-supported four-sided assaults followed. The defending 74th Division resisted fiercely with repeated counterattacks. Fighting raged into the afternoon, with the Special Service Battalion joining. Japanese attackers swelled to over 5,000, backed by concentrated artillery and 20+ aircraft for a final push. Zhang Zizhong, wounded multiple times, continued commanding calmly until a severe chest wound killed him heroically. The exhausted, isolated 74th Division and battalion suffered devastating losses. That day, the 13th Division also routed the main 33rd Army Group force, breaking the southern encirclement. Japanese then redeployed, concentrating around Zaoyang.   In the north, 17 divisions (including six from the 31st Army Group) attacked the isolated Japanese 3rd Division from east, south, and north, severing its supply lines. With limited ammunition and no resupply, the division faced crisis; its 29th Brigade telegram pleaded: "Enemy fighting spirit extremely high... safe return very difficult; request battalion reinforcements." Yet southern Chinese forces remained undestroyed amid chaos. Japanese choices narrowed to independent 3rd Division retreat or holding for relief. They opted to lure pursuers: ordering the division southeast toward Zaoyang to draw Chinese into pursuit. From May 16–18, the 3rd Division fought a delaying retreat; relentless Chinese pursuit inflicted limited damage due to insufficient firepower, allowing escape. By evening May 18, it reached northeast of Zaoyang and prepared offensives. The 13th and 39th Divisions, after defeating the 33rd Army Group, also advanced north to the Zaoyang line.   The 3rd Division's retreat shortened Japanese lines and hastened convergence. Unsuspecting Chinese pursued to Zaoyang. After a successful counterattack northeast of Yicheng, the 13th and 39th Divisions rejoined the 3rd Division there. On May 19 morning, three Japanese divisions attacked abreast, forcing decisive battle along the Tang River. Chinese divisions collapsed within hours; the 75th Army took heavy losses, others significant casualties. Fifth War Zone ordered hasty retreat. Japanese pursued vigorously. By May 21, the 3rd Division reached Dengxian, 13th east of Laohekou, 39th Fancheng. Early that day, the 39th Division—crossing the Baihe—met fierce west-bank fire, losing Regiment Commander Kanzaki Tetsujiro and over 300 men. That evening, the 11th Army halted pursuit, ending east-bank (Xiang River) fighting. The 20+ day operation east of the Han inflicted heavy Japanese losses, far exceeding the planned duration, leaving troops exhausted. After halting, units withdrew to Zaoyang vicinity for rest and reorganization rather than immediate return to base positions. Commanders debated proceeding to Yichang west of the Han: abandoning the plan would signal Phase One failure, eroding authority and imperial trust. Most argued troop fatigue and casualties should not deter continuation. Over 1,000 tons of supplies rushed forward via six motor companies. Following east-bank termination, Japanese consolidated for the next phase targeting Yichang. Reinforcements arrived: the 4th Division from Manchuria and 18th Independent Brigade from Wuning. The 4th Division assumed Shayang–Zhongxiang positions east of the Xiang River.   The Japanese bombarded the west bank of the Han River for ninety minutes before forcing a crossing at Wangji north of Yicheng. That midnight, the 3rd Division also crossed southeast of Xiangyang. Both met little resistance and completed crossings before dawn. The 11th Army left the 40th Division at Dahongshan for rear-area mopping-up and assigned the Xiaochuan and Cangqiao Detachments to guard mobile supply depots. On May 31 night, the 3rd and 39th Divisions crossed the Xiang River at Yicheng and Oujiamiao. After seizing Xiangyang on June 1 night, the main force split into columns crossing westward. By June 3, Japanese captured Nanzhang and Yicheng. The Chinese 41st Corps fiercely counterattacked, retaking part of Xiangyang while its main body battled around Nanzhang; the 77th Corps also struck hard. On June 4, Chinese recovered Nanzhang, forcing Japanese retreat southward. Meanwhile, the 13th Division and elements of the 6th Division forced a crossing on the Han–Yichang Highway near Jiukou and Shayang to link with southern columns for a joint push. The Chinese River Defense Force shifted its main strength to key positions, using terrain to block southward advances. The 2nd and 31st Army Groups pursued south separately. Chinese abandoned Shayang on June 5; Japanese took Jingmen, Shilipu, and Shihujiao on June 6. The 77th Corps and river defense units resisted stubbornly from Jingmen to Jiangling. After retaking Yicheng, the 2nd Army Group continued pursuit. Japanese concentrated around Jingmen–Shilipu as Jiangling fell.   On June 9 morning, Japanese launched joint air-ground assaults from Dongshi to Dangyang and Yuanan. By afternoon, penetrating the Chinese right flank forced a night withdrawal to Gulaobei–Shuanlianshi–Dangyang along the Zu River to Yuanan. June 10 saw Japanese capture Gulaobei and Dangyang, pushing Chinese to Yichang outskirts. After days of heavy fighting and prohibitive losses, Chinese abandoned Yichang on their own initiative. The 2nd and 31st Army Groups then reached Dangyang north of Jingmen. On June 16, they mounted a general offensive. By June 17, Chinese briefly retook Yichang; the 2nd Army Group linked with the 77th Corps against Dangyang, while the 31st Army Group severed Dangyang–Jingmen communications and assaulted Jingmen violently. South of the Yangtze, the 5th and 32nd Divisions crossed to hit Shayang and Shilipu. By June 18, Japanese main force held stubbornly from Dangyang to the Xiang River with superior equipment. Chinese, fighting on exterior lines, formed an encirclement from Jiangling–Yichang–Dangyang–Zhongxiang–Suixian–north of Xinyang while maintaining surveillance. Thus, the Zaoyi (Zaoyang–Yichang) Campaign ended. No prior decision existed on holding Yichang long-term. Per post-Wuhan Imperial General Headquarters policy, even extended operations aimed only to inflict severe blows and erode Chinese resistance, not expand occupation. On capture day, the 11th Army declared objectives achieved, ordering reorganization, destruction of Yichang military facilities, and dumping irremovable captured supplies into the Yangtze preparatory to withdrawal. At 10 PM June 15, formal orders withdrew to the Han's east bank: 3rd and 39th Divisions first to Dangyang–Jingmen to cover, then the 13th Division. The 13th began retreating from Yichang at midnight June 16, reaching Tumenya (10 km east) by 7 AM June 17. Chinese counterattacked along the route; the 18th Army pursued and retook Yichang morning of June 17. Japanese held Yichang only four days.   Intense debate erupted between frontline commanders and Imperial General Headquarters over retaining Yichang. With Nazi Germany's Western Europe offensive underway—Paris fell June 12, the day Yichang was taken—global upheaval intensified Japanese urgency to resolve China swiftly and free resources for wider competition. Many in high command and China Expeditionary Army argued long-term occupation would threaten Chongqing more directly, aid political maneuvers, and hasten settlement, offering immense strategic value. This swayed the Emperor, who inquired at the June 15 Imperial Conference about securing it. Backed by imperial support, high command ordered temporary retention (one month) on June 16. By transmission through Expeditionary Army and 11th Army channels, the rearguard 13th Division had withdrawn 52 km. With 3rd Division cooperation, it reversed, broke Chinese resistance, and retook Yichang afternoon June 17. On July 1, to offset expanded 11th Army responsibilities, General Headquarters transferred the 4th Division from Kwantung Army (Jiamusi, Heilongjiang) to 11th Army control. July 13 orders confirmed long-term Yichang retention, redefining Wuhan-region operations to Anqing–Xinyang–Yichang–Yueyang–Nanchang. The 11th Army assigned: 13th Division to Yichang, 4th Division to Anlu, 18th Independent Mixed Brigade east/west of Dangyang; remaining units returned to original defenses.   Post-recapture, Chinese continued counterattacks on Yichang and rear lines until ordered to halt: "To adapt to international changes, preserve National Army combat strength, and facilitate reorganization, Fifth War Zone cease attacks on Yichang immediately." A stalemate followed along lines encircling Yichang, Dangyang, Jiangling, Jingmen, Zhongxiang, Suixian, and Xinyang. To shield Chongqing and Sichuan, Nationalists re-established the Sixth War Zone (briefly created post-First Changsha, abolished April 1940), appointing Chen Cheng commander-in-chief with 33rd and 29th Army Groups, River Defense Army, and 18th Army covering western Hubei, western Hunan, eastern Sichuan. The Zaoyi campaign thus concluded. Japanese combat power again proved markedly superior. Official Japanese records (11th Army/China Expeditionary Army) reported 2,700 killed, ~7,800 wounded (total ~10,500; some phases ~1,403 killed/4,639 wounded). Chinese admitted heavy losses: 36,983 killed, 50,509 wounded, 23,000 missing (total >110,000 in some accounts). Wartime Nationalist claims inflated Japanese casualties to 45,000 killed/wounded with major captures (60+ guns, 70+ tanks, 400+ trucks), likely propagandistic; Japanese sources show far lower equipment losses. With 56 battalions deployed, Japanese suffered 12–15% combat casualties; Chinese (54 divisions, ~380,000 men) incurred 25–30% or higher—underscoring firepower/equipment disparity. Japan achieved tactical success by securing Yichang long-term (as a Chongqing bombing base) but failed to annihilate the main Chinese force or compel peace. Chinese resistance thwarted full encirclement and imposed attrition, albeit at crippling cost to the Fifth War Zone—severely weakened and never fully recovering until war's end. Japanese aims were realized to a significant, though not decisive, degree.   The Fifth War Zone's operational plan was fundamentally sound. Chinese intelligence detected Japanese intentions early, accurately predicted the attack axis, and deployed accordingly. The plan included preemptive strikes at Wusheng Pass and the Guangshui section of the Pinghan Railway to harass Japanese rear areas, threaten Wuhan, gather reconnaissance, and disrupt enemy preparations. Though well conceived, these actions never materialized. In the first phase (Xiangdong operations), Chinese forces resisted while shifting the main body to outer lines, securing mobile flanking positions. This frustrated Japanese encirclement efforts in the Xiangdong Plains. Exploiting the enemy's retreat, China launched a timely counteroffensive that encircled the Japanese 3rd Division. Despite breakout support from over 100 aircraft and 200 tanks, the poorly equipped Chinese inflicted heavy casualties during the three-day siege, blunting the division's momentum.    On the southern front, the 33rd Army Group's intercepting deployment was appropriate, but insufficient strength and compromised communications allowed the Japanese 13th and 39th Divisions to counterattack decisively, inflicting major losses and claiming the heroic death of Commander-in-Chief Zhang Zizhong—whose steadfast patriotism remains a lasting source of national pride. Overall, Chinese assessments and deployments in Phase One were largely correct. The battlefield showed China retained initiative and was not wholly dominated by Japanese plans. The core issue was overestimation of Chinese combat power amid severe shortages of heavy weapons. At least three corps suffered heavy attrition, yet Japanese captured only twenty-three mountain/field guns. Relying on manpower for brute force left Chinese units critically undergunned, enabling repeated encirclement attempts but preventing decisive destruction or severe damage to encircled enemies like the 3rd Division.   Phase Two, by contrast, was entirely passive. The initial Japanese Han River crossings were largely feints, yet the west bank received scant attention in overall planning—leaving Yichang virtually undefended as main forces deployed east of the river. Post-Phase One, Japan reinforced the 11th Army with three infantry battalions and one mountain artillery battalion from the 13th Army (lower Yangtze), plus six motor transport companies rushing massive supplies forward. Chinese intelligence missed these moves, remaining complacent in expectation of Japanese withdrawal eastward. After regrouping, Japan abruptly pivoted west with rapid advances. The Military Commission and Fifth War Zone, caught unprepared, made frantic, chaotic adjustments that failed to mount effective defense. The loss of strategically vital Yichang was inevitable, complicating the resistance both militarily and psychologically. This stemmed directly from command misjudgment of Japanese strategic and operational aims. Had plans anticipated a westward thrust and retained strong reserves—or detected the 10-day regrouping window to readjust deployments—China could have retained greater initiative, inflicted more damage, and reduced its own losses.   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Japan's 11th Army launched an offensive in Hubei to encircle Chinese forces in the Fifth War Zone and seize Yichang for bombing Chongqing. Chinese troops countered effectively, encircling Japanese divisions and inflicting heavy losses, though General Zhang Zizhong was killed in action. After intense fighting east of the Han River, Japanese crossed west, captured Yichang, briefly withdrew, then retook and held it long-term. 

Text and Be HeardPrediction markets are having a moment, and they're being pitched as smarter than gambling. The problem is that the brain doesn't always care what you call it. When the interface looks like trading and the language sounds like forecasting, it can quietly lower your guard while the risk, volatility, and urge cycle stay fully intact.We sit down with psychologist Dr. Michael Zhang to unpack why prediction markets can hook people differently than sportsbooks. He lays out a sharp framework: prediction markets don't remove gambling, they repackage it by bundling four systems at once. You still pay structural costs through fees and spreads, you still ride crowd-driven price shifts, you still face casino-style uncertainty, and you also inherit poker-like dynamics where you're effectively playing other participants and battling information asymmetry. That mix can feel analytical and “earned,” which makes chasing losses easier to justify.Then we look at what's happening to young men as sports betting, micro-betting, and prediction markets get normalized through group chats, fantasy leagues, and everyday sports culture. Wins get posted, losses get hidden, and harm grows in private. We also talk solutions you can use right now: start with honesty, tell one person, and add real friction through blockers, self-exclusion, and tools designed for the moment an urge hits. Dr. Zhang shares how his guided recovery app, Incumental, aims to provide that in-the-moment support so recovery isn't limited to a single hour of therapy a week.If you care about gambling addiction recovery, behavioral health, and the future of “investing-like” wagering, listen, share this with someone who needs it, and subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the help sooner.Support the showRecovery is Beautiful.   Go Live Your Best Life!!Facebook Group - Recovery Freedom Circle | FacebookYour EQ is Your IQYouTube -    Life Is Wonderful   Hugo VRecovery Freedom CircleThe System That Understands Recovery, Builds Character  and Helps People Have Better Relationships.A Life Changing Solution, Saves You Time, 18 weekswww.lifeiswonderful.love  Instagram -  Lifeiswonderful.LoveTikTok -  Lifeiswonderful.LovePinterest -   Lifeiswonderful.LoveX -     LifeWonderLoveLinkedIn -   Hugo Vrsalovic    LinkedIn -   The 1% in Recovery

Military Purges and the Taiwan Threat Guest: Gordon Chang and Piero Tozzi Piero Tozzi and Gordon Chang analyze Xi Jinping's military purges, specifically the removal of General Zhang Youxia1906 drum tower

Military Purges and the Taiwan Threat Guest: Gordon Chang and Piero Tozzi Piero Tozzi and Gordon Chang analyze Xi Jinping's military purges, specifically the removal of General Zhang Youxia1945 USS ANZIO arrival Shanghai