Podcasts about Arwen

Visionary director Joseph Kahn (DETENTION, BODIED, TORQUE) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his incredible career journey and the making of his new film ICK (in theaters now). From learning how to speak the language of cinema in the 80's thanks to Spielberg films and MTV… to how a fake company name and a briefcase led to him becoming one of the greatest music video directors in history working with artists like TAYLOR SWIFT, KORN, MUSE, BRITNEY SPEARS, PUBLIC ENEMY, ROB ZOMBIE, and more… to the trials of making his first feature TORQUE and his creative redemption with DETENTION and BODIED… to how he's broken down filmmaking into “science” and “language” and his theory of “5th Dimensional edits”… to the making of his new movie ICK and why it's all still “a struggle”, whether its a Taylor Swift video or his latest feature film… this amazing, no f's given conversation with one of the signature visual voices in pop-culture has been a long time coming! Don't miss a minute of YORKIETHON 9 happening THIS coming weekend (July 25th - 27th)! THE MOVIE CRYPT's 9th annual live marathon to benefit Save A Yorkie Rescue can be watched FREE on www.ariescope.com or www.bloody-disgusting.com!

Filmmakers Aaron B Koontz (SCARE PACKAGE, THE PALE DOOR) and Luke Boyce (REVEALER) join Adam and Joe to discuss their experience show running SyFy's new series REVIVAL (also available on Peacock). From what it was like adapting Tim Seeley's epic graphic novel for the small screen… to what it was like shooting Canada for America… to balancing horror, comedy and topical elements that have become almost prophetic these days… to giving the zombie sub-genre a fresh coat of decayed paint… to getting real time reactions to the show while they're still finishing the last few episodes of the season… this is an amazing conversation that takes you behind the television curtain. Also, Arwen celebrates a huge accomplishment with her Silent Auction for this year's YORKIETHON (July 25th - 27th) and the group discusses the state of the Seeley comic everyone wants to adapt, HACK/SLASH.

Strom ist ortsgebunden, wir sind es nicht – genau das ist das Grundproblem für mobile Verbraucher wie E-Lkw-Flotten. In dieser Folge sprechen Markus und Julius mit Arwen Collel und Knut Hechtfischer von Decarbon1ze darüber, warum Strom bislang nicht „mitgenommen“ werden kann, welche Marktbarrieren an der Ladesäule bestehen und wie virtuelle Netze sowie mobile Strommarktadressen den Wandel bringen könnten. Durch digitale Strommarktbuchhaltung und ein virtuelles Bilanzierungsgebiet wird die Lieferantenwahl vom Ladeort entkoppelt – das schafft echten Wettbewerb und neue Freiheiten beim Laden. Wir werfen zudem einen Blick auf den E-Truck-Tender als Katalysator für einen Systemwechsel, bei dem Infrastruktur und Stromlieferung entbündelt werden. Decarbon1ze zeigt, wie regulatorisch eingebettete, softwarebasierte Lösungen ohne zusätzliche Hardware den Weg zum mobilen Strommarkt ebnen. Die Vision: Energie folgt dem Nutzer – nicht mehr dem Hausanschluss.Diese Folge wird von Deloitte unterstützt. Deloitte ist die weltweit größte Wirtschaftsprüfungs- und Unternehmensberatungs Gesellschaft. Wenn Ihr Lust habt herauszufinden welche Chancen Deloitte euch im Bereich Audit und Assurance gibt findet ihr mehr unter diesem Link.Der enPower Podcast ist ein Projekt von Markus Fritz und Julius Wesche. Für Folgen-Ideen oder Kollaborationsanfragen gerne via E-Mail an hallo(at)enpower-podcast(.)de.Time stamps(00:07:07) Warum können wir nicht überall von allen Anbietern laden?(00:19:29) Wie realistisch ist dynamisches Laden bei LKWs?(00:22:54) Was sind Bilanzkreise im Stromsystem?(00:27:48) Wie sieht die Lösung von Decarbon1ze aus?(00:37:29) Wie steht es um den Smart Meter Ausbau?(00:40:41) Was muss sich in Zukunft ändern, damit solche Lösungen funktionieren?(00:58:23) Recap

Filmmaker, actress, comedian, and talk show host Aisha Tyler (CRIMINAL MINDS, ARCHER, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?, AXIS) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope Studio to discuss her career journey. From her start as a stand-up comedian and talk show host… to why certain comedians have been able to survive cancel culture… to the joy of working on WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? and her love and respect for the incredibly talented cast she gets to work with… to how she shot her debut feature AXIS in just 7 days (!) and the big creative swings she took with the project… to the moment she started creating her own path, saying “yes” to new experiences, and pursuing the creative outlets that SHE wanted to pursue… to her desire as an artist to explore human nature and the choices we make no matter what the genre… to her work directing music videos for bands like CLUTCH and SILVERSUN PICKUPS… to the upcoming world premiere of her new film I HOPE WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS at Ireland's prestigious Galway Film Fleadh… Aisha is truly a Jack of all trades and this is one of the most enjoyable conversations you'll hear all year! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for an author struggling with a proposition from a loved one and the boys announce what this year's LIVE script reading will be for YORKIETHON IX! Don't miss a single minute of THE MOVIE CRYPT's annual live benefit for Save A Yorkie Rescue featuring 3 days of celebrity guest, live film commentaries, music, comedy, Arwen's Silent Auction and more July 25th - 27th. YORKIETHON IX is FREE to watch and enjoy on www.ariescope.com!

On this episode of the Cardboard Time Podcast:Jamie (⁠Bluesky⁠), Arwen, (and Aly!) recall their time at Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio.Our social media:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FULL VERSION. Filmmaker Doug Roos (BAKEMONO) joins Adam and Joe in the ArieScope studio to discuss his international career journey and shooting his latest film in Japan. From seeing ALIENS at age 6 and falling in love with genre cinema… to his fascination with making his own monsters and starting out with nothing but clear plastic bags and a flashlight… to making his first short film at 12 years old and why 1993's CARNOSAUR was such an inspiration to him… to making films in China before relocating to Japan where he has been living for the last 7 years… to being told “it's too expensive to shoot a movie in Japan” and accepting the statement as a challenge… to learning about the dark side of Tokyo from actor friends and conceiving the idea for BAKEMONO… to how he made the incredible creature effects himself on an extremely limited budget and why he chose to tell the story of BAKEMONO in a “non-linear” structure… to why he waited to crowd fund the film until he already had footage to show the world… to the hurdles of promoting his film through his own efforts and positive word of mouth alone, Doug is an inspiration for anyone out there who is tired of waiting for permission and ready to make their own movie happen. Pick up your own Blu-Ray copy of BAKEMONO here: https://www.allpracticalfx.com/ OR get the fully loaded version (special features, more nudity, more gore) here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/new-monster-film-bakemono-no-cgi-horror-movie#/ Don't miss YORKIETHON IX - The Movie Crypt's 9th annual LIVE charity event for Save A Yorkie Rescue - happening July 25th - 27th! With non-stop special guests, live film commentaries, a live script reading, “Arwen's Silent Auction,” and more YORKIETHON is always the podcast event of the year! Watch FREE on ArieScope.com all weekend long!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (CAPTAIN MARVEL, HALF NELSON, SUGAR, IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, BILLIONS, MASTERS OF THE AIR) join Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss their career journey and the making of their latest film FREAKY TALES. From their fateful meeting during college in NY to the realization that they worked best as a team… to completing film school only to find themselves working as production assistants nowhere near the actual action on set… to the making of HALF NELSON and how the film opened Hollywood's doors for them… to their experiences directing various television series and the billion dollar success of 2019's CAPTAIN MARVEL… to the making of FREAKY TALES (available in a special edition “Late Night” release from Lionsgate this week!) and the careful choices they made on everything from the story's Oakland location, the time period, the fractured timeline, the music, and the detailed set design… to how they cast the amazing (and incredibly in demand) Pedro Pascal and secured a needle drop from the almighty METALLICA for their modestly budgeted film.. to the truth about the “imposter syndrome” almost every director faces and their thoughts on FREAKY TALES theatrical release…Anna and Ryan are two of the busiest and most exciting filmmakers working today! Don't miss THE MOVIE CRYPT's 9th annual YORKIETHON coming up July 25th - 27th! A full weekend of LIVE conversations with celebrity guests, live music, live comedy, live film commentaries, a live script reading, Arwen's Silent Auction, and SO MUCH MORE - all to benefit our friends at Save A Yorkie Rescue and help save dogs that have been abandoned or abused. For more details visit www.Patreon.com/TheMovieCrypt or www.ArieScope.com!

With brand new episodes of THE MOVIE CRYPT dropping every single Monday we know that not everyone can always listen to every single episode. So in case you missed it at the start of this week's new episode (Ep 625), here's the first announcement for our 9th annual YORKIETHON to benefit Save A Yorkie Rescue! Save the dates (July 25th - 27th) and stay tuned for more information coming soon including where to watch the free LIVE marathon, the unveiling of this year's official poster, links for donations and "Arwen's Silent Auction," guest hints, what never produced movie we'll be doing a live script reading of this year, and MORE! Let's save them all in YORKIETHON 9!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou (TALK TO ME, RACKARACKA) join Adam and Joe to discuss their career journey and the making of their latest feature BRING HER BACK - in theaters now! From their early days filming backyard wrestling matches in Australia when they were just 11 years old… to their wildly successful “RackaRacka” Youtube channel which put them on the map… to the horror films they grew up drawing inspiration from and the hurdles they faced getting their directorial feature TALK TO ME off the ground… to the lessons they learned in working with a full crew for the first time… to the runaway success of TALK TO ME which grossed over 90 million worldwide and became A24's highest grossing film… to their brief attachment to STREET FIGHTER and their decision to prioritize making their own original material… to the making of BRING HER BACK and why working with a cat may have been their biggest on set challenge yet, the Philippou twins are two of the most energetic and exciting voices working today! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a filmmaker with post-production questions and YORKIETHON IX officially gets its dates!

Eine neue Folge: Einschlafen in Tolkeins Welt

Send your thoughts, feelings, opinions and suggestions to 0892096423!This is a special episode because it features the mother of our beloved Cian Sullivan. Marie Sullivan is the founder of ShareJoy, a charity she created her much adored daughter Arwen died by suicide. She joined me to tell us about Arwen and how she inspired ShareJoy, as well as why she believes it's important to talk about suicide.ShareJoy is an initiative that promotes the love for sustainable, preloved fashions while raising money in aid of mental health charities. To date it has raised over 60k.Check out the full range of clothes and accessories available on sharejoy.ie all proceeds go to Pieta House. They currently have a wide range of designer bags (new and preloved) available to buy. And you can get your hands on a Prada bag for only 10 euro in a raffle which launches today.Donate 10 euro on www.sharejoy.ie/donate by 31st May, follow and tag @sharejoy_ie and you could be in for a chance to win. All proceeds go to Pieta House. Best of luck!If you're struggling with suicidal ideation, please contact the Samaritans on 116123, or Pieta on 1800 247247. You can also contact Pieta's therapists by texting HELP to 51444.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filmmaker Julia Max (THE SURRENDER) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss the making of her debut feature film. From catching the entertainment bug at a young age growing up in a family of industry professionals… to how growing up around film sets prepared her with invaluable insight on how movies are actually made… to setting her sights on acting before pivoting behind the camera as a writer/director… to making the leap from short films to features and finding the inspiration for THE SURRENDER (available on Shudder this weekend 5/23!) through her own painful loss of a family member… to how she scored the perfect location and absolutely mesmerizing cast for her trauma/horror film… to how she carefully orchestrated how and when to incorporate camera movement over the course of the film…  to collaborating with every artist involved in the post-production process and remaining open minded to create the best version of her story… to must-hear advice on why pivoting on your career aspirations can ultimately open a whole new world of personal fulfillment and success… Julia's journey is one that every aspiring artist can draw inspiration from. Also, “Thundanuts” joins the ArieScope family and the group discusses working with actors who are performing vulnerable nude scenes.

Some rituals are spiritual. Some are silly. Some are inherited, and some are self-made. Casper ter Kuile, author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices, walks us through how we create all sorts of meaningful, grounding rituals. And you'll hear clips from past two years of Audacious guests who have shared the rituals that matter most to them, from morning journaling and bedtime affirmations to pre-show sign-slapping. Whether you've already got your rituals down pat, or are still developing your own special routine, this episode shows you how to honor the sacred in the everyday. Suggested episodes: Forgiveness: How we define it and how it defines us Life advice, one Audacious guest at a time Kitchen objects with a story. Listen at your own whisk Why you so salty? The anger episode Change Of Art: Stories About Tattoo Coverups Awe yeah! Exploring the magic of mind-blowing moments GUESTS: Casper ter Kuile: author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices. He holds Master's degrees in Divinity and Public Policy from Harvard University, and is a co-founder of Sacred Design Lab. He also co-hosts the podcast, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text Audacious guests who shared their personal rituals (in order of appearance): Dean Edwards, Jessica Jin, Kristen Geez, Anna Holland, Lena Khalal Tuffaha, Chris Crowe, Bruce W Brackett, Moon Ribas, Azie Dungey, Pony Tromper, Mary Elizabeth Kelly, Paul Marcarelli, Brad White, Begoña Gómez Urzaiz, Dr. Gale Ridge, Mehdi Hasan, Stephanie Courtney, Rosanna Ramos, Sonya Horton, Greg Viloria, Ronnie “Woo Woo” Wickers, Zarna Garg, Jada Star, Luis Mojica, RoseMarie Wallace, Mindy Glickman, David Roche, Paul Gladis, and Arwen, Aidan, and Willow Gladis Perez-Sauquillo Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Daniel DelPurgatorio (MARSHMALLOW, TALES FROM THE BLACK FREIGHTER) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey and the making of his debut feature film. From how stealing one of his Dad's VHS tapes informed his love for genre cinema… to a chance meeting at Warner Brothers that led to co-directing the WATCHMEN animated film TALES FROM THE BLACK FREIGHTER… to how his experience in animation and visual effects informed his craft in creating a wholly unique horror film like MARSHMALLOW… to the trials of shooting a low budget horror film at night with a cast that was mostly made up of kids (quick answer: NOT EASY!)… to how he built chemistry amongst his young cast… to how they came up with the grassroots marketing campaign used to great effect at festivals… to winning “Best Film” and “Best Director” at Panic Fest 2025 and more! (Warning: There are spoilers near the end…you've been warned!)

Filmmaker Eli Craig (CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL, LITTLE EVIL) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From growing up in a Hollywood family and wanting to get as far away from Los Angeles and the film industry as possible… to his adventures climbing mountains and shoveling snow… to making the brief decision to try out life as an actor and the advice Clint Eastwood gave him on set… to going to USC grad school and creating his own film festival to showcase his short film… to the uphill battle he faced getting his 2010 horror/comedy TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL made and why there has yet to be a sequel to the beloved film… to the reality check every filmmaker faces coming off of a run of glowing film festival responses and into the world of “mainstream” critics and distributors who simply can't afford a proper marketing strategy… to how Adam Cesare's “Clown in a Cornfield” novel first came onto his radar and how the looming WGA strike almost derailed the project… to how shooting the film in Canada afforded him the luxury of casting exactly who he wanted to cast and elevate stars like Katie Douglas to #1in the cast… Eli is a fellow cinematic traveler who's story is sure to inspire you! CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD opens in theaters this weekend (May 9th)! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for an indie filmmaker looking to avoid the dangers of “Hollywood Accounting” and losing creative control of his project, THE MOVIE CRYPT turns 12, and Arwen turns 14! 

Patrick MacPhee is a winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest earning him a trip to Hollywood for a week-long master-class workshop, an awards event and his winning story will be published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 41. As a young child, Patrick frequently saw his mother engrossed in a forest's worth of fantasy and science fiction novels. Wanting to join in the fun, he read his first ‘big-person' novel, The Fellowship of the Ring, when he was eight.Although far above his reading level, he pushed through, several hours a day, taking literally longer to reach Rivendell than Sam and Frodo. This magical experience hooked him on speculative fiction forever. In his teens, he was bit by the writing bug and later abandoned a degree in engineering to pursue a degree in English literature. He fell into teaching, first as a way to support his writing hobby/habit, then as a vocation where he was lucky enough to spend every day helping young people become better versions of themselves.Over a twenty-year teaching career, Patrick has taught phys-ed (i.e. dodgeball) to Fortnite-obsessed middle schoolers, the enigmatic complexity of Hamlet to university-bound high schoolers and everything in between. He has learned that almost every part of the curriculum has room for a little humor — sometimes a lot of humor. When he's not writing fantasy and science fiction, Patrick enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons with his wife and two children and going on long walks in the woods with his golden retrievers, Ciri and Arwen.http://patrickmacphee.comhttps://writersofthefuture.com/

Frodo's journey through the wilds takes a dramatic turn as the wounded hobbit nears the Ford of Bruinen. This episode explores three pivotal moments from the chapter Flight to the Ford in The Fellowship of the Ring. First, Sam Gamgee reveals his hidden depth through an imaginative troll-song, echoing Tolkien's ideas on fairy stories and the role of poetry in Middle-earth. Then, the hobbits encounter the buried remnants of Bilbo's earlier adventure, signaling the final narrative departure between Bilbo and Frodo. Finally, the mysterious rider Glorfindel arrives—not Arwen, as seen in the films, but a radiant elf-lord with deep roots in the First Age. With insights into Elvish reincarnation, the symbolism of bells and light, and the layered history behind Glorfindel's return, this episode highlights Tolkien's brilliance in mythmaking and the layered reality of his world.Part 3 of 4 exploring "Flight to the Ford" from JRR Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring.Share this episode using this link:ringspodcast.com/210Who are you?Please tell me a little about you: ringspodcast.com/surveyWander Farther: A Free Chapter GuideDownload my free chapter guide for "Flight to the Ford": ringspodcast.com/flightDeals for you, my fellow wandererExclusive discount for Lore of the Rings Listeners: 25% off your entire order at Manly Bands. Details at https://www.ringspodcast.com/p/rings/Download my FREE guide for reading Tolkien's Silmarillion: https://ringspodcast.kit.com/a982347493Want to sponsor the Lord of the Rings?Sponsor rates, details, and inquires hereSupport Lore of the Rings with a donationAbout the Lore of the Rings PodcastContact the show, donate, and find past episodes: ringspodcast.comEmbark on an immersive journey through the captivating realms of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, where the epic sagas of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales, and more come to life. Join us as we delve into the rich tapestry of Tolkien's masterful storytelling, drawing intriguing comparisons between his literary works and the cinematic adaptations crafted by Peter Jackson. Be at the forefront of the latest developments as we explore the highly anticipated Rings of Power series from Amazon. Prepare to be enthralled as we uncover hidden connections, untold tales, and delve into the depths of Middle-earth lore. Tune in now and become part of our fellowship on this extraordinary journey!This podcast is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/ringspodcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Frodo's journey through the wilds takes a dramatic turn as the wounded hobbit nears the Ford of Bruinen. This episode explores three pivotal moments from the chapter Flight to the Ford in The Fellowship of the Ring. First, Sam Gamgee reveals his hidden depth through an imaginative troll-song, echoing Tolkien's ideas on fairy stories and the role of poetry in Middle-earth. Then, the hobbits encounter the buried remnants of Bilbo's earlier adventure, signaling the final narrative departure between Bilbo and Frodo. Finally, the mysterious rider Glorfindel arrives—not Arwen, as seen in the films, but a radiant elf-lord with deep roots in the First Age. With insights into Elvish reincarnation, the symbolism of bells and light, and the layered history behind Glorfindel's return, this episode highlights Tolkien's brilliance in mythmaking and the layered reality of his world.Part 3 of 4 exploring "Flight to the Ford" from JRR Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring.Share this episode using this link:ringspodcast.com/210Who are you?Please tell me a little about you: ringspodcast.com/surveyWander Farther: A Free Chapter GuideDownload my free chapter guide for "Flight to the Ford": ringspodcast.com/flightDeals for you, my fellow wandererExclusive discount for Lore of the Rings Listeners: 25% off your entire order at Manly Bands. Details at https://www.ringspodcast.com/p/rings/Download my FREE guide for reading Tolkien's Silmarillion: https://ringspodcast.kit.com/a982347493Want to sponsor the Lord of the Rings?Sponsor rates, details, and inquires hereSupport Lore of the Rings with a donationAbout the Lore of the Rings PodcastContact the show, donate, and find past episodes: ringspodcast.comEmbark on an immersive journey through the captivating realms of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, where the epic sagas of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales, and more come to life. Join us as we delve into the rich tapestry of Tolkien's masterful storytelling, drawing intriguing comparisons between his literary works and the cinematic adaptations crafted by Peter Jackson. Be at the forefront of the latest developments as we explore the highly anticipated Rings of Power series from Amazon. Prepare to be enthralled as we uncover hidden connections, untold tales, and delve into the depths of Middle-earth lore. Tune in now and become part of our fellowship on this extraordinary journey!This podcast is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/ringspodcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

After a long reign as King, Aragorn finally takes his rest, and a great beauty was revealed in him; after a season of the PPP, Alan takes a week off, and… well, the comparison ends there. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan for an unexpected episode as we conclude the now three-part discussion of The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen from Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings. Arwen tries to convince Aragorn to wait (if you leave me now, you'll take away the very heart of me); Aragorn speaks no comfort to her, but offers hope; and Arwen's death is even more tragic than at first glance. Alan and Sara ask why Elrond didn't stick around a bit longer, think through what “the Elder Days” means now, and accuse Ar-Pharazôn of dining and dashing. Also, Alan asks Sara about The War of the Rohirrim. This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/PONY and get on your way to being your best self! Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that's over 40% off) with promo code PONY at ShopMando.com! #mandopod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years away doing errantry, Aragorn returns to Rivendell, looking like an Elf-lord. After a week away doing a few errands, Alan returns to the Common Room, looking much the same. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan for the second of three episodes on The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen from Appendix A of The Lord Of the Rings. Aragorn just couldn't stand to be kept away, Arwen renounces the Twilight, and Elrond sets the highest of bars. Alan and Sara discuss the importance of choice, renounce Twilight too, and advise you to get betrothed for the job you want, not the job you have. Also, Alan feels a pressing need to change his nickname. This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/PONY and get on your way to being your best self! Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that's over 40% off) with promo code PONY at ShopMando.com! #mandopod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gilraen's mom and dad have differing opinions on whether she should marry Arathorn; Alan and Sara just have differing opinions. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we begin a two-part series — which rapidly becomes three parts — on The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen as the PPP returns to Appendix A in The Lord Of the Rings. Aragorn strays into a dream and discovers she's the meaning in his life, she's the inspiration; Elrond seems to learn a lesson from Thingol's error; and Aragorn has some errantry to run. Alan and Sara wonder what song Aragorn was singing, speculate about Aragorn's teenage angst, and decide that Aragorn's journeys must have taken him at least 500 miles from Arwen's door. Also, Sara's retirement dreams: bon-bons in the Hall of Fire. This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/PONY and get on your way to being your best self! Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get $5 off off your Starter Pack (that's over 40% off) with promo code PONY at ShopMando.com! #mandopod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hana shines and Aya rises.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.“It is selfish to believe that your family will always love you. At some point you will be asked to earn it.”My equilibrium decided to cut me some slack and not invoke the reflexive vomiting. "It is only me, Hana, Imogen, Deidre, Mom, Buffy, hi Juanita," I hadn't spotted my designated bodyguard standing behind Chaz."Don't talk to me right now," she seethed. "I'm furious with you." Yep, she was the Caribbean Buffy."Perhaps she's pissed about the five extra Illuminati bodyguards added to the regular two around Hana plus the two circling Ghost Tigers having not a fucking clue what those other armed parties are doing in Hana's company," Pamela joked. She could. Everyone else was giving me crap about my social gaff."Hey now. This meeting is important. Imogen and I are going to have a child," I enlightened them. The door chimed open and we piled in with two Amazons whose 'fresh' look indicated a use of the showers within the past ten minutes."You consistently maintain particularly low standards," Chaz dryly remarked."I sent her here for a check-up and that gave Buffy a chance to meet Mom, Deidre and Imogen, plus two unarmed bodyguards," I kept bailing out the Titanic."Chaz, I am happy we aren't going to miss this one (lunch)," Pamela smiled at her two grandsons."Cáel, are you going to tell your fiancée you've impregnated your aunt?" Chaz was back to being mildly sympathetic to my 'totally fucked-up' life."Yes. I figured Buffy shooting death rays at me from her eyes will garner me enough confusion to get the words out of my mouth without her throwing her drink in my face, slapping me, then storming out," I envisioned.I got no more shit until I reached the garage for my vehicle. There an armed FBI Special Agent Virginia Maddox (did you know when a Federal Agent adds 'Special' to their title it means they have a gun?) stood next to my chariot. She'd drawn the short straw, meaning she had been given the chore of driving today.I found myself wondering when Yasmin would finally finish her orientation. Her training involved some serious mental challenges including a crash course from the FBI at Quantico concerning modern judicial theory & practice as well as whatever pre-Iron Age jurisprudence the Host practiced.Javiera promised me (and Katrina) that she would not-so-subtly remind those scholastically-groomed legal minds that a (couldn't use the word 'Amazon') legal code they followed had existed, with minor tweaking, as a successful social instrument for over 3,000 years. If they truly behaved in a respectful manner, the owners of the code might even show those people the Codex on the original horse-skin, written in Hittite cuneiform.Anyway, everyone assumed I had a good reason for heading to my apartment (aka need to retrieve a sleepy Odette.) Had I repeated 'the Bitch stole my fortune cookies', they might have simply taken me to an Asian-inclined grocery store. As we hit the second story landing, Chaz in the lead, we heard a passel of folks come down toward us from the fourth level.I didn't think there were that many people on the entire floor. Chaz and Pamela each went for their holstered pistol, while keeping them hidden in their jackets. Wiesława, who went for her PDW, backed up so she could fire through the stairs from beneath.Juanita, bless her heart, and Virginia had remained in the S U V because sending in more people would have left us piled into one another. If a firefight did break out, Juanita could bring in some serious hardware to back us up while Virginia called the appropriate authorities before rushing in herself.Around the corner on the third floor landing came a number of women, early/mid-twenties, physically fit, foreign clothes and downcast expressions. A few looked like they were about to cry. They were all in shirts and jeans, with no obvious weapons. Not looking lethal didn't ratchet down Chaz's vigilance. Me? I was instantly reminded how much sex I had been missing."Prince Cáel! You are alive!" spilled out of the first one, a fiery red-head with a billowing, thick mane, porcelain skin and adorable freckles. Her Irish brogue was enchanting. I had to wonder if she cried out in Gaelic during orgasm. Wasn't I about to meet my future bride plus numerous other love interests?She was fit, curvy and wearing an aqua shirt which exposed her midriff with a belly ring bearing a pearl drop, the requisite tattered skin-tight jeans and soft leather calf-boots."Why wouldn't I be alive?" I grinned, like a pirate discovering an all-girls school oceanographic classroom in need of plundering."How do total strangers know how unlikely it is that you would still be alive?" was Chaz's spin on things."We talked with your roommate. He said you had moved to Svalbard where you suffered an excruciating painful, yet richly deserved, death in a lemming stampede," she pouted, "and then the UN had your ashes exiled to Pluto because the Sun was too good for you."9, 10, 11 --12 of them looking, 3 with pale blonde hair that eerily reminded me of my fiancée, another red-head, two russet and five with deep, dark brown, or black hair. They were all fit, fit, fit! With an air of 'I graduated college only to discover: 1) no one was hiring Saline Soil Scientists, or 2) I no longer want to do any of the things I wanted to do when I picked this major. I was familiar with both types.Timothy would have been at work and Odette would have invited the troupe in to regale them with all sorts of tales, which would have included a tour of my bedroom. They clearly had missed Odette so, now I recalled; that particular excuse was one of the ten I had given the guy in 4B should anyone suspicious come calling.I imagine twelve hot, English-as-a-Second-Language girls might be considered, a bit odd. See, his was my address of record. I lied about my actual apartment, so random people who came looking for me went to him instead. This arrangement had been made prior to my understanding of the nature of my employment at Havenstone.I'd neglected, telling him to move out and go far, far away? Poor guy. I'd find a way to make it up to him later."Actually it was a southern vole immigration incident that was set off by the Bulgarian consulate offering repatriation for the first 10,000 applicants," I frowned, clearly traumatized by memory of the incident."These poor southern vole, native to the vacationer-friendly Black Sea resorts, were accidently introduced to the coldest inhabited place in the Northern hemisphere and they've been trying to get home ever since, that would be the equivalent of a century and a half in 'vole-years.""Despite the UN trying to quarantine any news of this Cricetidae catastrophe, I decided to evacuate the six most critically injured vole using a Bortolanza Pluto ultralight, which he must have confused with the UN sending my ashes to Pluto," I explained.Mind you, the 'southern' voles are native to, among other places, Norway, the owner of Svalbard. They were also native to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast so, The Pluto ultra-light, once built in Italy, is now called the 'Puma' and made in Canada, has a maximum range of 675 km, which would leave me crash landing into the Barents Sea, 260 km north of the northernmost airport in Norway, rendering me and my voles so much frozen food."You are an animal rights activist too?" several of the girls gasped. Yes. Yes I was. I was an animal and I was all for me having rights."Please, don't tell anyone about this," I grew serious. "I don't want my philanthropic efforts to be publicized. What I do, I do for the Earth's endangered ecosystems because it is what everyone should do, not because we suddenly feel bad about neglecting it.""E haere koe ki te whai kia nui ai," Pamela snorted. I'd ask her why she knew Maori later, right after I figured why Grandpa knew it."Ko toku mahere whānui," I replied. The girls looked confused."I'm also trying to revitalize endangered languages and revive dead ones. It is more of a hobby than life pursuit," I informed them."You really are a modern-day noble warrior-poet," the red-head leader sighed."Nah. I'm just a guy," I shrugged. "Besides, Ba ch ir fear a bheith ar eolas ag a gn omhais, n  a oidhreacht." (A man should be known by his deeds, not his heritage)."Sa ch s go bhfuil misneach, t  s il agam," she replied using my 'family' motto."Jos on jalot on toivoa,", "Ahol van b tors ga, van rem ny," and "cesaret olduğu yerde umut vardır," all followed. 'Where there is Valor, there is Hope' in Finnish, Hungarian and Turkish. I got the sneaking feeling this wasn't a college field trip gone awry. These chicks were coming at me with a purpose that included more than sexual gratification and a kiss good-bye. Ugh."Thank you," I genuflected, paying honor to their reciting of my personal vow. "Anyway, you appear to be looking for me, but I am afraid I don't know any of you. Taking into account that I have a late lunch date with my fiancée in a half-hour and will be taking notes at a feminist convention at 8, what can I do for you?" I was establishing my escape plan."We have come here to join you," an assertive, dusky-skinned one smiled. I had to think about this. I was a bit tired. Taking all twelve of these girls on in one orgy was currently beyond me. I'd do eight tonight and the last four before breakfast tomorrow. Ah, happy thoughts of the Lacrosse Finals."What exactly do you plan to do with Mr. Nyilas?" Chaz interrupted."We are the (Irish) 'Na conairte soith an   S aghdha ar', (Hungarian) 'A szuka kuty kat Herceg Nyilas', (Turkish) 'Prens ok u Kaltak K pekleri' and (Finnish) 'Narttu koirista prinssi jousimies'," they chorused.Pamela snickered. All of those fancy sounding names were variations on 'the Bitch Hounds of Prince Archer/Nyilas (with the Irish going for O'Shea)."You want to be my bodyguards?" I gawked. Lacking lions, the Irish choice of the 'fur-balls of death' were hounds. Being women technically made them 'bitches'. I had to move fast. Any second now Wiesława was going to figure out these over-anxious non-Amazons were trying to replace her."You do realize I've left piles of dead bodies in my wake, right?" I nearly choked. Pamela slapped me on my back."Of course," they sounded so chipper. Fuck you Internet and 'First Person Shooter' games. This wasn't a fucking game! Trained combatants who joined my retinue met grisly ends and this was their freaking profession!"Can I think about it? I mean, do any of you have any combat experience at all? Attacked someone in anger? Send off a blistering instant message?""Some of us have (combat experience I was assuming). We won't let you down.""You do realize Ms. Dubois is going to kill them, don't you Sir?" Chaz sent me a chilling look."Ms. Dubois?", "who is that?" and "kill us?" floated around."Ms. Dubois is my blood-hungry ferret who wears a 'naughty berserker' human suit to trick the masses.""Three of us have military training," one of the Finns spoke up.By that they meant they had volunteered for military service in their native countries, then left after their first term because they found military life to be boring. On the 'plus' side, all but one had martial arts experience and six of the twelve had been a member of a Gun Club of some kind. Yep, Buffy was going to kill them, all twelve at once by herself."I'll make you a deal," I offered. Chaz was giving me his 'I'm a stone yet clearly unhappy with you' face. "At 7:15 tonight, you will show up at Havenstone. I will sign you in, we'll go upstairs to one of the gyms and then warm up for fifteen minutes. When you are ready, or 7:30 rolls around, we are going to the sparing mats. If I lose, you can stay. If you lose, you will write this off as one of a legion of ideas that look good in print yet are foolish in practice. Do you accept?""How many of us do you have to beat for us to join with you and your Crusade?" the lead Irishwoman asked."All of you. I will fight you all at once. The mat space is quite extensive.""You mean all twelve of us against you at the same time?" one of the Turks blinked in disbelief."Yes. I am not disrespecting you, any of you. You've shown initiative, courage and a spirit of adventure. I found all three to be both admirable and worthy of reward (i.e. I will gladly have sex with you). What I am also telling you is of the three people with me, the only one I can most likely defeat in single combat is her," I motioned to Wiesława, "and I'm only saying that because she is 19 and relatively new to the art of killing."Their eyes flickered to Pamela. Chaz was scary without even trying. Pamela could be threatening, or appear harmless, as she wished."Chaz is a professional military man from a long line of diligent warriors and in a branch of service that requires close contact with hostile individuals, teams, tribes, clans and nations.""The woman behind me is much, much worse. I've met precisely three people who could possibly kill her and I killed one of them. Would you agree, Chaz?""Absolutely," he concurred."We know who you two are," a Finn spoke up. She had a dazzling smile and cleavage that had to obscure her toes when she stood."You do?" Pamela played nice. For once, it was technology biting her in the ass, not me. Yay?"You are Rhingyll lliw Siarl Yfory," the Irish lass looked at Chaz. That was Welsh, and meant Color Sergeant Charles Tomorrow, I imagined his superiors in the British military weren't going to be happy with any of us, him being a 'secret military operator', emphasis on the 'secret'."And you are Sverkhsekretnykh Shpiona Vsemed Svaya," the Turkish girl pointed at Pamela. Pamela snorted. In Russian that meant 'Super-secret Spy Pamela Pile'. Since Pamela in Russia was pronounced 'Pamela' they had gone back to the origin of the name of Pamela, a fictitious 17th English novelist creation using mangled Hellenic, which translated as 'all-honey'.'All-honey' in Russian was Vsemed. Pamela snickered. Oh yeah, those twelve had combed through millions of articles and pictures to figure out who Chaz was and who Pamela claimed to be. Actually, one of my Hungarian admires back when we were all in Eastern Europe had suggested Pamela was a remorseful ex-SMERSH agent turned Princely-sidekick. Pamela jabbed me, the unspoken 'sidekick' thing.(For those who don't know, in Russian SMERSH loosely means 'Death to Spies', it really existed from 1943 to 1946 and was resurrected by Ian Fleming as a foil for James Bond.)"Chaz, since Cáel is, without a doubt, already having a stupendously wretched day, we must insist he inform Addison of all three of these developments, in person. I want to see the look on her face," Pamela plotted with the man who had thrown himself between me and an explosive vest, probably out of some psychic impulse that I would suffer far, far worse later, like in today, within less than 24 hours of said act."Why am I here again today?" I lowered my head and groaned."Are you okay?" a dozen innocent voices cried out."We are here to pick up Odette," Wiesława reminded me."Oh yeah, fortune cookies," I mumbled."Is 'Fortune Cookie' a nickname for one of your other operatives? Many of them are real enigmas. We can't find out anything about her," one of the Hungarians said. Yeah, because SD doesn't have a Facebook page, or Twitter account. Odette, she was protected by a completely unremarkable lifestyle, but I had a feeling that was fading fast."Excuse us," I asserted myself. "I need to get something on the third floor. Chaz began pushing forward while Pamela had my back."What are you doing?" to me and "Hey, is that a gun?" to Chaz, then Wiesława. Pamela was too sneaky to get caught."I'm here to pick up Agent Fortune Cookie then head out to a meeting with some really shady characters and my fiancée," I informed them."Agent Fortune Cookie," Chaz mused. "She's going to love that,""And then," Pamela continued."She is going to want a gun," I groaned.Oh goddess! No! Chaz had joined Pamela and my 'group think'."No, I have not," Chaz corrected me, about my mental ruminations."I've been coaching him," Pamela faux-consoled me. As my new prospective bodyguards parted for my current bodyguards,"Do you have psychic powers?" "Where is your android?" and "Is it true you can have sex up to ten times a day?""Yes, but we can't talk about it," then, "Which one? We have six models," and finishing up with, "Yes, I can have sex up to ten times a day with each session lasting at least an hour, though I do need breaks for food, drink, quiet romantic conversations and showers, cause shower-sex is so damn fun."While they mulled that over, I unlocked my door in time to see a nicely-dressed (as if she was about to go out on an expensive lunch date) Odette spring off the sofa. Looking at the crowd behind me, she blessed me with an incredibly happy smile."Oh cool! Do we really have enough time for an orgy?"I wanted to cry.(A Family FUNction, minus the 'fun' part)My fiancée giving me a congenial and contented look. Good.My fuck-buddy/friend Libra giving me a salacious 'you and me are going to hook up soon' smile while dressed in a red, 'business suite/slinky number' combo with a plunging neckline. I put her invite on my mental day-planner. Fellas, if you can't keep it in your mind, forget about it. Print equals pain, believe me.Brooke had joined the lunch group, sharing a smile and wink with Libra with the secret agreement for a three-way. Sweet! I could do this, hmm, lunch break Friday, yum-yum-yum. She was wearing a beige business suit with slacks, minus the shirt. Only her cunningly cut jacket kept her goodies from exposure.Hana was a saint for putting up with those two, and me.Buffy was studying me with the clear desire to put me in a dog cage for the rest of the week. Technically she had to produce my body for work Monday. As for the hot, sweaty, intense Brooke-Libra-Cáel m nage   trois, Buffy was reading the undercurrents and setting up a breakwater. At least her attire suggested well-paid, successful international assassin. I wondered if I had paid for her clothing as well. I'd given Chaz's wardrobe a serious upgrade courtesy of Pamela faking my signature.The gathering was rounded out by Mom, Imogen and Deirdre. Thank God they all had different hair styles and forms of dress. Mom was in 'casual-durable' attire, Imogen was going with the military-chic and Deirdre's get up was in the same style as Hana.I was pleasantly pleased that Hana had reserved two adjacent tables for what she assumed would be my support network, Pamela, Odette, Chaz, Wiesława and Juanita, plus Imogen's five and her (Hana's) two Illuminati minders. That made me squeezing my twelve newest over-eager admirers into the mix doable, if not comfortable. Better yet, none of the new girls was dressed for a restaurant this exclusive.Hana was quietly amused. Buffy was volcanic. Thankfully she was being a volcano on the mid-Atlantic ocean ridge ~ submerged."Chaz, Pamela, explain," Buffy seethed."I don't work for you," Pamela playfully bantered back, "Sweet-Cheeks.""They are part of a clandestine operation to provide cooperation and assistance from the European Union," I offered up in such a sincere manner. I almost had them. Buffy looked to Chaz who opted to channeled his 'inner- Cáel'."I can neither confirm nor deny their status as operators from four European nations," he nodded.Buffy forked a helpless appetizer shrimp then catapulted at one of my Finns, I thought it was Oili. It bounced off her bosom. She couldn't even claim to not have seen it coming."What?" Oili gasped."Operatives?" Buffy sizzled at me."Prince Cáel," Flannery asked, "why did that strange woman throw a, shrimp at Oili?""It was a hand-eye coordination test," Odette informed her. "Had Oili been a real spy, you would have snatched up a nearby napkin, deflect the item with the napkin and all while drawing down on her. It is what they do all the time. It is pretty neat to watch.""Why use a napkin?" Oili asked Odette while eyeing Buffy in case another decapod was coming her way."You use a napkin because the shrimp might have a contact poison on it," Odette rolled her eyes. "Buffy used a fork to flip it at you. She didn't use her hands, so the possibility existed." Pamela gave Odette an 'atta girl' high five."Prince Cáel?" Brooke giggled. "What have you been up to?""Okay. I got this. Ladies, may I introduce Annikki, Belgin, Berit, Flannery, Gizi, Ilkay, Kato, Neve, Nuray, Oili, Pirkko and Zsuzsi. These fine women have decided to put their productive lives on hold so they can be my bodyguards," I made the introductions."They have volunteered to be, basically the 'Hounds of Prince O'Shea/Nyilas/Archer'. My Hounds, please let me introduce Hana, my fiancée, Brooke, my close friend, Libra, a sweet & sincere childhood acquaintance, my Mother, Sibeal, my O'Shea aunts, Deidre & Imogen and Kalmarasērmi Buffy."Despite the absurdity of the situation and my clear irresponsibility, Buffy let a smile crease her frown. 'Kalmarasērmi' was my term for her in the Amazon language = my Mountaintop."I will volunteer my facilities to train them," Aunt Imogen offered me drolly. She was the primary trainer for all O'Shea guardians/Special Forces."Train us?" a half dozen voices murmured."Yes Child. I am Imogen O'Shea, Cáel is the greatest treasure in my life and I have serious doubts any of you can be anything more than distracting bullet-catchers for my favorite (and only) nephew. It annoys me to think you are yet another walking advertisement showing him to be both big-hearted and soft-headed.""I will offer prayers upon the mounds of my ancestors (lie, her only 'ancestor' refused to stay buried) for Cáel's safety. You should invoke whatever supernatural entity you place faith in to keep Cáel safe as well, because if he gets so much as a scratch defending any one of you, I will exercise my nearly endless knowledge of human pain to make you pay.""Is she Ms. Dubois?" Flannery asked Odette."That would be me," Buffy showered fury their way."Do you really want to kill us?" Neve tried to stare Buffy down."Until ten seconds ago, Yes. Now I want to hand you over to these two," she motioned to Deidre and Imogen with her fork."Prince Cáel, why are they all so hostile?" Flannery requested understanding from me. "We have come here to help you. We have skills. All we are asking if for a chance to prove ourselves to you.""To Us," Buffy snapped. "Cáel's vote doesn't count.""Chill, Buffy," I snapped back. "I'm dealing with this, and your lack of trust is pissing me off.""Buffy," Hana intervened. She placed a hand on Buffy's thigh out of sight, yet not outside of my notice. "When was the last time Cáel failed to take your advice on something life-critical? These young ladies appear to be honest and diligent. If not, Pamela and the Color Sergeant wouldn't have let them come here, or near Odette."If I dated dumber women I would have less explaining (lying) to do, but I'd miss the challenge both inside and outside the bedroom. Hana's deft touch and gentle words calmed Buffy more than anything (outside of a righteous cocking) I could have accomplished. I was suddenly seized with the realization there was a goodly number of Katrina's positive attributes in Hana. How had I missed it?"Marrying you is going to be Hana's first step toward mortal beatification," Brooke teased me. Normally only dead people were made saints."A Servant of, probably not Jehovah. I think everyone at the table can agree she has interacted with supernatural forces," Sibeal hid her joking well."Martyring her hopes of monogamy?" Deidre's fey gaze flickered over the women of note (the women at the main table)."Her Heroic Virtue is Prudence?" Buffy added. Buffy had been Catholic?"Ladies, I'm Lutheran. We don't normally venerate saints. Joking aside, I was given a reason to believe this lunch date was important on a social level between myself and my fianc . Food would be nice too."Brooke and Libra's presence regulated Pamela and Chaz to an adjacent table. A waiter slipped in, took my order, I decided to forgo an appetizer because I was late, then the conversation began."Hana, this is my Mother, Sibeal Nyilas. Imogen and Deidre are my family from Ireland," I made the introductions, most definitely unnecessarily. I was buying time to get a better read on the women around me."I know," Hana showered me with mature compassion."Get to it, damn you," Buffy huffed."Wow, I'm thinking of the best way to tell you this," I barely could meet Hana's eyes."I am pregnant with your fianc 's child," Imogen cut to the chase. What she said was delivered on purpose. Imogen wasn't as socially maladjusted as Rachel. The fewer women in my life, the easier the O'Shea would have roping me in. Imogen's words were meant to hurt Hana and drive a wedge between us."You too?" Hana's sad eyes studied Imogen. She hid her anger-disappointment-disgust well. In this crowd her efforts to obfuscate her feeling only worked on Libra and Brooke. Those two ladies were less astute at concealing their surprise."She's your aunt, right?" Libra's look settled on me instead of a blatant Imogen, or a pained Hana."No," Mom answered for me. "My sisters and I were born sterile. It is impossible that our paternal heritage has been passed along. Whatever Imogen's maternal contribution was, it is not from our DNA. My sister does have a child inside her, Havenstone verified it and will have the precise genetic make-up within 24 hours," she persisted (lying)."If Cáel has a failing, it is that he was seduced by my sisters who played upon his very confusing Mother-Son relationship. I faked my death when he was seven. I 'died' in a quite painful manner and he had to watch helplessly as he witnessed me wasting away. I did such a horrible thing to a young boy because the people who were hunting me down, the two O'Shea before you and the nine who aren't here, would have used numerous means of torture to verify my death."(Until they realized 'what' I was. Then my imprisonment would have begun)"My wonderful husband would have died without giving them the truth. It was too much to ask of our son. For fifteen years he believed me dead. He learned the truth at his Father's funeral. I believe every woman at this table knows my son doesn't handle emotional pain well.""Imogen's statement was a thinly-veiled stab at Hana's heart and a kick to my son's sense of responsibility to both Hana and his unborn child. How could this not hurt Hana? How could Cáel possibly respond, torn between the woman who has already sacrificed so much of her happiness for a man barely aware of his own maturity, and the woman bringing his child into the world?""Good one, Imogen. Those two are better than you, or I. By all means, make a mockery of my son, your nephew, who has pledged to fight for your life when he should clearly walk away and let the rest of you die. He asks nothing of you yet you feel no remorse at sullying his happiness.""There are ten good reasons for you getting up and walking out of here intact right now. There are six better reasons for making you pay for your cruelty," she threatened."Ten?" Brooke whispered."The sisters' five bodyguards, the two body guards they gifted me with, Deidre, Imogen and Cáel. You don't think he would let the woman bearing his child take a beating, do you Brooke?" Hana enlightened her."No.""The Six?" Libra scanned the room."My other two bodyguards won't act unless I am directly threatened. They won't be out to hurt anyone. If anyone tries to hurt me, they will jump straight to the making them dead option. The 'Six' are Buffy, Pamela, Chaz, Juanita, Special Agent Maddox and Sibeal.""We'd help," Libra insisted. Brooke was onboard with that proclamation."No," came forth from Hana, Mom and me."Brooke and Libra; you two, Odette, the other twelve and the wait staff will only confuse the issue. My sisters and their soldiers will use you and the rest to distract Cáel. Except for Ms. Maddox, the rest won't give a fuck so your best bet is to hit the deck and let the professionals deal with things," Mom clarified."Brooke, Libra, this is a wacko chicks with guns moment," I put things in perspective."Hana?" Libra put a hand on Hana's shoulder."Don't mind me," she patted Libra's hand. "I'm diving for cover and not getting up until you, Brooke, Cáel, or Buffy tell me to get up. Sorry Sibeal, but I don't know you that well yet.""I understand," Mom agreed.To punctuate the awkwardness of the moment, Aisha (the Arabic swimsuit model) and three other SD ladies waltzed into the place and took a table. When the maytre dee tried to impede them, Aisha threatened to exterminate his entire extended family with a look alone. Been there, done that, and the maytre dee was nowhere close to being in my league.I had to think that through. Had Buffy called them, the SD would have been here before I arrived. Pamela was a possibility, except the SD still hated her over Constanza's maiming. If she told them my life 'was' in danger, they would still show up. My life wasn't in danger and Pamela wouldn't yank their chain.It had to be Juanita. The head of my bodyguard telling Elsa that I was in an exposed position with 9 armed Illuminati would have elicited this level of response. Pamela prodded Odette. Odette had a 'what do you want me to do' non-verbal exchange with Pamela then got up and went over to Aisha.Odette even remembered to navigate the room in such a manner Aisha and her team could keep an uninterrupted view of the threat. Pamela and Chaz's lessons were paying off. They weren't training her in the lethal arts. They were showing her how to not be an obstacle, which was better, given our current circumstances."Hana, don't hate Imogen. The only parent she's ever known was Granddad," I returned my attention to the crisis at hand."Oh, I'm sorry," Hana sent sympathetic waves Imogen's way. If there was a hint of 'you bitch' hidden within those words, none of us would admit it."Yes, yes," Imogen smiled back. "Father was a real troll.""That's not true," Hana responded. "I've met him and he has always been very nice to me. It was easy for me to look past the nations of dead he's murdered, his propensity to rape his daughters and his plans to destroy my Cáel.""I don't hold you to blame for not protecting Cáel more than you have. He's a handful and reminds you of your Father, the mass-murdering rapist. And Imogen, don't try to hurt Cáel using me again, you Bitch. I'm not a part of your circus. That doesn't render me powerless. I love more than I hate. I count a person great by the lives they save, not those they take. Where there is Valor, there is Hope and my fianc  has both in spades. Do we understand one another?""Proving you are smarter than Ms. Sievert is not something which equates to being a threat," Deidre countered."Cáel, why aren't you saying something?" Brooke whispered to me."Because he knows better," Mom grinned. "This is a battle Hana has to win, or lose, on her own.""Cáel has plenty of women willing to go behind his back and kill people, Brooke. Now, if Hana asks for such a favor, we know it is not over some petty bullshit," rolled menacingly forth from Buffy as her feral countenance made a few of the Illuminati at the next table nervous."That won't be necessary," I broke up the tension. "We are as dysfunctional a family as they come, but we are family and we will all treat one another as such by the standards of the only one who matters. Clear?""You?" Deidre soothed me."No. Ferko Nyilas', my Father and the best man I've ever known. He taught me to never make excuses for your own behavior. Surrendering our control over our lives is a cop-out. If you want to continue acting like the creepy-ass bitch daughters of Cáel O'Shea, so be it. That is your choice to make. I care for you.""I care enough for you to fight Granddad over your futures. I hope all of you know I mean what I say. Whatever you decide to do, no matter how you act, I will always love you. I've made my choices and I am going to hold you responsible for yours. Let's eat lunch. It has been a rough fucking day and it isn't over yet."If there was ever any doubt, I destroyed those twelve hopeful bodyguards on the mats. They possessed neither the skill nor the savagery necessary in a warrior culture. We Amazons didn't recoil from pain. Our sisters' lives were on the line. That was why you practiced no-holds-barred fighting with, or without, weapons."We can learn," the lead Finn protested. The rest were getting over the physical and spiritual pain of being so easily beaten."My normal bodyguards go through three years of intense 24/7 training. Being a member of that elite body means you train in all forms of weapons as well as hand-to-hand combat techniques.""Once you've mastered the core physical and skill baseline requirements, and this core training never stops, no point is considered 'good enough', you begin learning at least two specialties. Those are disciplines such as close-protection, sniping, small unit tactics, infiltration, battlefield medicine, electronics, computing, communication systems, linguistics and 'training' expertise.""In my current team, the ones who fought at my side in Hungry and Romania, all have three specialties. Discounting their regimen since the age of five, each had been on the job in a professional capacity at least six years. The leader had eleven years in.""Finally, when you are at that level of excellence, you need a specific mindset. What you need to do is think why you shouldn't kill someone, not if you should. If there is any doubt, you strike. If you hesitate, someone close to you might be killed, not just me.""Look around you. If you aren't ready to kill for any of your companions, you will never cut it. Now, I'm going to have you shown out. I will have taxis take you back to your hotel. Think about it. Seriously, think about dedicating yourself to more than some stranger you've met on the internet.""You will be dedicating yourself to the other elven women in your group, to the death. That is the level of spiritual dedication it takes to be at my side. Go, take a rest, talk it over, search your souls. Call me if any of you want to continue and we can have lunch Sunday and make plans. Questions?""Do the other women around you do this, make those choices?" one of the Turkish women frowned while nursing a bruised jaw."No. They have it worse. They have thrown their old lives away, never to return. Each and every one has either murdered a human being, or attempted to, before they are even considered for the task.""Under normal circumstances, we wouldn't be having his conversation. You would never be given the chance. You are woefully unqualified in every way except spirit. Your willingness to cross the Atlantic to make your offers resonates with me, so I am both warning you this is horrible, horrible path you are taking and I am explaining precisely how slender any of your chances are of accomplishing your goals.""I, I don't know," whispered one of the Hungarian lasses."At the Seven Skulls, I led three such women into combat (Rachel, Charlotte and Saku) against a group of warriors who were fighting free of 500 elite Romanian Mountain Troops. Of the Romanians, nearly 200 were either dead, or wounded. The FBI Special Agent we took with us was badly wounded."One of the three was killed, a head shot, and the remainder left her body where she had fallen because the enemy were still out there and they had to protect me. The world will not bend to your sensitivities. Life around me is exceedingly dangerous and unforgiving," I finished.No immediate consensus united them. Fear and disbelief were the major vibes I was picking up. None of them were angry, insulted, or overly terrified."Time for you to go," Buffy concluded our meeting. "Tigger Maeve and Dora Farānak, would you please see Cáel's guests to the lobby." A new pleasure of Buffy's was using the House names of the Full-bloods she interacted with.I have taken a few mystic liberties:Maeve was a Celtic War Goddess ~ the Enslaver of Men.Farānak was a Scythian Goddess also known as the Lynx Goddess and the Silent Huntress.As for the other new hires:Daphne was, as explained earlier, of House Cotyttia (Thracian Goddess of Sex, War and Slaughter)Fabiola was of House Minerva (Roman Goddess of War & Strategy)Violet Maza was in House Oshun, the Yoruba Goddess of Love, Sexuality, Beauty and Diplomacy; Lady of the Orisha ~ life spirits.Paula Wadena was of House Cybele (Phrygian Earth Mother, Guardian of the Lion Throne)}They were dismissed and smart enough to know that was the best possible answer to their current predicament, learning your romantic adventure was actually a gory supernatural battle for survival. A growing number of Isharans had been gathering while I dealt with the wannabes. A few were amused, perhaps even understanding, of my actions.Soon enough, using her position as Record Keeper of House Ishara, Helena cajoled the other Amazons into giving us peace and quiet. Not all left. Watching a jury-rigged House Ishara work through its business in a semi-public setting was an event both unlooked for and possibly enlightening.For this gathering, we had 122 of the 159 members. The missing members were not close enough, or were providing a critical function that wouldn't allow them to be in New York on this night."Sisters, a moment of personal prayer for each of us to seek guidance from our Ancestors as we seek to continue their legacy," I intoned softly, calling the meeting to order.I had barely opened my eyes, failing to get any inspiration from Yakko, when the struggle began."Why are we including them in a House Ishara meeting?" Madori pointed out the three 'new hires' who were sticking around."Memasant (Amazon for to speak true)," I answered her. Since Daphne, Paula and Violet had clearly been sitting among us before the meeting began, I gave Buffy a disappointing frown. "Ishara respects these three for teaching the rest of you the Amazon language so that we can teach it to others, thus all of you becoming able to engage all our sisters in our native tongue.""I doubt any other House would extend this honor to others. Thankfully, we are not like any other House. We know better. We have all been outsiders. We aren't a 'normal' House and I am working toward us never being one. We have to be kind and just when necessary, and forgive when it is what the Host needs.""We will do this because we Isharans alone will decide on the prestige of our sisters. If the other Houses make an issue of it, who cares? None of them have made the sacrifices necessary to be Isharans. I know that you have not all gathered here tonight to hear me pontificate. Who wants to be first?""Will you accept a challenge?" Madori stood up. We had spread out in a ring, two Amazons deep, along the edges of the mats. I had never sat down."Put forth your complaint," I responded."You emphasize duties other than that of a House Head. You don't take the time to show up at initiation ceremonies. In essence, you ignore your sisters to advance your own prestige.""Yes, I am not showing up at the initiation ceremonies.""Yes, I prioritize other activities over running the day-to-day operations of our House.""Yes, you are utterly ignoring the two Amazons sitting at either side of me. I chose Buffy Ishara and Helena Ishara to lead this House because I knew I would have others issues coming up in my life concerning the Host.""Buffy, are you challenging me?""No, Wakko Ishara," she responded angrily. She wasn't angry with me. She had chosen the majority of the assembly and they were turning on me, thus her."Helena, are you challenging me?""No Wakko Ishara. I am intimately familiar with your work and the dangers you constantly confront for the greater Host," she answered in an equally hostile tone."Now that the issue of relevance has been dealt with, I will accept any challenge from any of you selfish, bigoted, power-hungry cunts who wish to put your own self-interest above that of our House. By all means, stumble over one another for the top spot," I mocked them. I'd played nice. No more.It was telling that my classification of any challenger was completely ignored. Madori and five supporters stood. In theory, challenges were the rare 1-on-1 Amazon experience. Another Amazon, Arianne, stood with another supporter."Cool beans," I nodded.I backed up, stepped off the mats and picked up the four axes I had pre-prepared. Back on the mat I went past my handful of supporters, brandished two weapons and advanced a quarter way onto the sparring area. The mass of my opponents muttered in confusion and resentment."Ishara, we have not trained in archaic weapons. Most of our facilities never had then," Madori protested."Amazons don't play fair," I glared. Several migrated to the walls to pick out whatever looked the least daunting. Buffy, Helena, Marsha, Daphne Cotyttia, Violet Oshun and Paula Cybele did likewise."Is this how you want to answer a challenge for leadership?" Madori glowered. "Cheating, utilizing a clear advantage in a farce of equality and justice?""No. Please step back and call every member of JIKIT," my eyes narrowed. "How about this, call the Amazon's contact with the Earth & Sky? Can't do that either? How about convince the 9 Clans to help us pursue a House obligation?""You duties as Chief Diplomat are not that of Isharan House Head and actually make you less of a House Head," she countered. She had chosen a short spear, using it two-handed. And that made Katrina what precisely?"I should fucking kill you," Buffy snarled."Madori Ishara, Dot-Ishara is not the Goddess of Scrabble. She is not the Goddess of," and Madori tried to catch me flat-footed with a spear-thrust. I was appalled at how easy I dealt with her. My right axe diverted her spear enough so when I twisted my stance, she missed. I placed the head of my left axe on her shoulder, blade against her throat."Madori, you lose. Sit back down and contemplate that you were beaten by a 22 year old man," I seethed. There was no 'you didn't give me a chance' bullshit. She had struggled for advancement in the Amazon way. Such people weren't crybabies. "Next."Arianne approached me with a shield and short sword. My read on the situation was she was going to use acrobatics to compensate for my superior reach. I readied myself."I don't suppose you would accept a suggestion we fight unarmed?" she put out there. I took two steps toward her then dropped my axes."I trust you," I looked down at her. I could see the 'oh, fuck me' written all over her face. The unfairness had been tossed in her lap. She put the point of her leaf-shaped blade under the left side of my ribcage, close to my kidney."Yield.""Never.""Yield, or I will kill you."I took a quarter-inch penetration when I clamped down on her right wrist and slammed my elbow into her face. A quick exchange of footwork ended up with both of us on the mat, Arianne on her back, sword pinned to the mat and her shield trapped between us. Head-butt followed head-butt until she was unresponsive.I stood up, blood oozing down my side."Water!" I barked. A bottled water was rolled my way. Three more Amazons were sizing me up. This challenge phase was far from over. I splashed water down on Arianne's face until she sputtered into wakefulness."Pathetic," I sneered at her. "This House is worth any and all of our lives. If you were the best candidate to lead this house and I refused to yield, then why did you spare me? Not only could you not kill me when you clearly could, you failed to do so even when it became an unequal contest of arms."Arianne was shamed and furious. I was treating her like a presumptuous, outsider woman."I'm feeling particularly generous in victory, Arianne, don't you dare stand up," I growled when she tried. "I will not kill you for your disrespect. I will not exile you from our House because doing so would show both of us failing to grasp one of the key principles of our People, learn. Learn and keep learning. A loss is nothing more than a temporary setback. Learn, don't repeat the same mistake twice and never stop striving for success until you take yourself to the cliffs."One of the two newes

A Walk In the Park  & Aya's Finest Hour.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Professional, conscript, or volunteer, they all have run away from battle.A Note on terminology and the metaphor of Cael's WorldThe terms Weave of Fate and 'Weave ' are interchangeable. Weave expresses the intersection ~ the sieve that all the possible futures entered to create what we perceive as this 'now'. Fate is the keeper of the sieve. The Present is what is happening right now. It is that infinitesimal which we interpret as Reality.The Legend is what happens when the present is pulled back through the weave and becomes the past. It is called the Legend because, as the former presents fade into the past, they blur; each becomes less precise and more open to interpretations. (It is as if you were looking at one thing through a prism; as you shift your stance, what you see appears to change.) Within the Legend exist mystic creatures, divinities, demons, spirits, all the Paradises and Hells.The Endless Black Sands is the final resting place for all failed legends. It is the place where all is forgotten until even former realities break down into the Black Sands. That Alal found a way to cheat this doom and retrieved Shammuramat, was truly remarkable; even though Fate 'balanced accounts' with him by sending Ajax and his war band along that path as well.If you wonder how that was a balancing, consider this:The only people Alal cares for (in his own brutal fashion) are Shammy, now Sakura, and his only true offspring in 5,000 years, Cáel.Fate sent Ajax.With Ajax available to test Cáel, how could Alal resist the temptation to place one of the planet's greatest killer on a collision course with both of his loves in order to test Cáel?The Veil is a function of the Weave that protects sentient perception from perceiving the Weave and disguises the otherness of creatures of legend, unless they willingly allow themselves to be seen, which they usually do only so they can 'physically' interact with the Present. Some sentient minds, through horrific trauma such as the Augurs' self- poisonings, through the quirks of Fate via Holy Men, Mad Prophets and Doomsayers such as Temujin, or through the touch of legends such as Ishara, can sense the fluctuations in the Veil and the things behind it. Cáel, in truth, has been shaped by all three vehicles (Ishara, the Augurs and Temujin's legend.)Oblivion is what awaits Reality if the Weave ever fails beyond its ability to heal itself. This threat is what keeps the creatures of legend from constantly traversing the Weave. They have to weaken the Weave to do so or to use powers in Reality, the greater the distortion they create, the greater the weakening that occurs.End Note(Two days ago, with thirty days left)"That was fantastic, Lady Yum-Yum," I sighed."What did you just call me?" she panted softly. We were naked in one of our Task Force bedrooms that was actually used for sleeping, and now sex. I was still pressed against her reposed body, despite our recent exertions. She was on her stomach, arms stretched down her sides.She was sweaty and short of breath. She still had her wits about her and an awareness of our situation: victory sex, me still aroused and her fingernails scratching my thighs and buttocks. My equally sticky body was pressing down on her, even though I supported my weight with outstretched hands placed on either side of her shoulders."Lady Yum-Yum," I mumbled as I kissed the back of her head. "That was the first thing that sprang to mind when you introduced yourself." I could see her working that through her highly complex mind."When writing your memoirs, please remember to me refer to me that way," she began to flex her thighs and abdominal muscles, so that her ass was pumping against my hips."Only if this helps persuade you to give me a repeat performance.""I'll consider,," she purred, then paused to catch her breathe. "You are in phenomenal shape, young man. Do any of your other lady-loves have pet names?""Nope," I grunted as I withdrew.She had teased me with anal sex hints repeatedly, yet never delivered. She liked the game and the power she wielded. My body being on top of hers was only an illusion of a tactical advantage. She knew me pretty well already. I wasn't the kind of guy who would use physical strength to overwhelm her vulnerable position. This being so, a cerebral skirmish only excited her more.We waged a war that was based on intakes of breath, the shimmying of muscles and the trembling of fatigued flesh. The prize for me was the winning. Lady Fathom Worthington-Burke played tricky-clever, but I was better. And at times like this, she admitted it. She gave me what I wanted. I rolled her.Straight, face-to-face fucking. The Lady's pulsar gaze trapped my vision. She smiled, grudgingly at first, then more and more sensually as my glans returned to her g-spot that it had scouted out earlier. This was 'surrender by the Fathom method'. She gave me what I wanted, so I took what I wanted, and pleasured her at the same time."Mmm, you are a bad, bad boy," she lapsed into her trashy West-End Londoner accent. It was perfect and an erotic whiplash when added to her native, refined manner of speech. This wasn't a trick this time, it was a treat. It was a gift, reciprocated. The tactile sensation of her cervix becoming a soft, spongey chalice for my final penetrations was icing on an all-so-luscious cake.I tendered her a tribute worthy of my first love, Dr. Kimberly Geisler. It was strange to find a woman like her. Outside of Kimberly, I had found only one other woman who graciously offered her ultimate pleasure paean to the hundreds of lovers who had become before. That other woman, it still floored me, was Buffy Du, no, Buffy Ishara, First of my House."Oh!" and several heartbeats later, "Cáel!" several hissed series of breathes and then, "Goddess! You are better than good!"Two thoughts collided within me:A) I had never seen a more controlled orgasmic explosion in my life. I was going to have to tell Buffy about this, once we were safely in bed. If it was office talk, she'd punch me through a window and that would make Aya cry. I couldn't have that.B) Goddess? I thought she was Anglican. This needed further study. This treatment was really nice. I leaned in, kissed her. Lady Yum-Yum smiled. "Take me to the shower. Play time is over, Cáel," and she was back to all business."You are treating me like a fleshy vibrator," I pointed out."But you are a very finely-trained, fleshy vibrator, you wonderful boy," she stroked my cheek. "Shower! Now!" So, like a Good Boy, International Merchant of Death and Chosen Son of a Divine Amazon Goddess, I slid off her, then cradled her in my arms as I rose from our totally trashed mattress.I didn't smile when it was confirmed that I wasn't carrying her out of any romantic after-coitus gesture. She couldn't walk. Woot! It took a bit of effort to get us into the walk-in shower and to get the water just perfect, all while keeping her cradled. She helped out by keeping her arms tightly around my neck."Cheeky bastard," she whispered in my ear. "You are gloating." Then she nibbled on my earlobe for good measure."Damn right," I did gloat as I let her slide down to her feet. "You are pretty sweet for an Old Chick." She wasn't angry, oh no."If you were trying to get me to say, 'I'll get you next time," she licked, nipped and sucked on my nipple as if I was the one with the mammaries in this relationship, "it worked." Double-Woot! I was going to get that damn four-way! I did coax a vigorous shower-quickie out of my Lady. Afterward, she shifted herself so she could get under one of the steaming showerheads."Cáel, why didn't you use a condom," she mused. Gak!"You aren't on Birth Control?" I panicked. She laughed at me."No. I've never been a fan of hormones replacement. I like the way I am. Do you expect the women to do all the anti-pregnancy measures?""No," I gulped."Don't' be so worried," she laughed. "We had unprotected sex one time. The odds are astronomical that an 'oops' happened, right?" Yes, it was a single sexual encounter, but included three firings of the one-eyed hydra, sigh."You are asking a man who has five children on the way, Fathom," I cautioned her."Oh, I'll update my files and make an appointment to seen a local, reliable O B G Y N," she slipped back into her unflappable British resolve. "Get along. I need to get cleaned up," she cupped my scrotum, ", again. So scoot." I scooted.I had updated my condom supply despite the forbiddance Dot Ishara, my Matron Goddess, beamed to me from the Other Side. She could only complain so much. I'd upped my selection of fortune cookies and added a fresh raisin chocolate brownie for my next visit with her. I had to get over to the other side of the floor to get a fresh shirt, and boxers.Yum-Yum had ripped off my shirt (a little kinky) and boxers (a little painful). I wasn't going commando, so I decided to quick step it before something important happened that required me to yank yet another solution out of my sexually-fueled creative imagination.How Lady Yum-Yum and I ended up in bedThe Secret Societies' long awaited war had begun in Africa and in India. The Amazons couldn't effectively reinforce these two homeland regions. No, my people's edge came from my stupid stunts (e.g., the fight outside that club in Chicago), the judicious application of a few kind words and a whole lot of targeted killing on my part along with that of my Amazons.Those actions convinced the Booth-gan (aka the Thuggee, but we no longer say that because it irritates them) and the Coils of the Serpent to toss in their lot with their local Amazons. They did the whole 'hostage exchange' thing as well. Two children from each side. That was a no-brainer on my part. All three concerned parties were willing to let their adults die if necessary. Their children were another matter.In Asia, the Seven Pillars had made only minimal progress. We now suspected the 7P had planned to roll over the three of the 9 Clans that were in their Sphere of Influence, the now 6 Ninja Families, the Black Lotus and the Booth-gan in rapid succession. A preemptive strike against both the Khanate and the Ninja were supposed to cripple those two factions.Against the Khanate, that had been a dismal failure. In Nippon, the Ninja were in dire straits and would be decades recovering from the original 7P blitz. But the combination of US black ops help and the infusion of Amazons and Okinawans had staved off extinction for the moment. Strategically, these failed actions were tying down 7P resources that the largest Secret Society had planned to move elsewhere.In China, the Black Lotus exhibited the same resilience and deceptiveness they'd shown in combating the Seven Pillars by themselves for the past 65 years. The chaos gripping the PRC was a blessing from the Ancestors, the four sacred spirits (lung/dragons, phoenix, unicorn and tortoise), and the nine entities (I now really had to know this stuff.) Word that a 'dragon' had appeared in the West had only heightened their desire to aid in our new alliance.Those factors meant a reprieve for India. As the 7 Pillars began ramping up their operations; increasing racial tensions, minor terrorist action and military and industrial sabotage; the Booth-gan and Amazon united resources and purpose. The Booth-gan would assassinate 7P operatives and pawns while the Amazons would hit 7P front companies and businesses based out of the People's Republic of China. (This activity also helped ratchet up India-PRC tensions and anti-PRC public sentiment in India.)In Africa, the Condotteiri had squandered precious hours reallocating resources before launching their assaults. Like everyone but the 7P, they had been caught flat-footed by the renewal of the Secret War. The Coils of the Serpent had never been overly antagonistic toward the Condos, since their interests rarely collided. The same went for the Coils and the Amazons.Two factors inspired a deep Amazon-Coil bond. They were both groups with deep African roots and a shared Central-Western African spirituality. Added to that was the growing power of the Coils of the Serpent in the past fifty years. Their main opponents had been the Illuminati who had a Eurocentric view. Pan-Africanism was in the Coil's best interest, but ran contrary to European economic interests.Long term, allying with the African Amazons was a good investment for the Coils. The 9 Clans relationships had already proved to be advantageous on multiple occasions in the past. The leaders of the Coils knew their power was rising with the fortunes of Sub-Saharan Africa. To them, the rise of the PRC and the Seven Pillars was a looming threat in the East.They had been handed a golden opportunity to deal with this enemy before the enemy was ready to deal with them. They had been 'gifted' with over 2000 highly-skilled, fanatical Amazon warriors as stealthy muscle to add to their own, more subtle arsenal. For the Amazons, it was access to continent wide clandestine intelligence network that could unmask their enemies' hiding places.The Condotteiri wiped out an Amazon freehold in Cameroon and a few Coils safe houses in Lagos, Nigeria. In the Republic of Mali, over 250 Condo mercenaries were slaughtered at a 'secret' installation and their armory was looted. Ebola kept breaking out in the West. The dominant regional powers, the Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, were tottering as a result of decades of economic mismanagement, civic, ethnic, tribal and religious strife, corruption and unreliable militaries.The scene was ripe for a secret conflict as well as public carnage. For the Joint International Khanate Interim Taskforce (JIKIT), this presented a dilemma. They were involved with a growing global struggle that went far beyond the Khanate and Central Asia. Their secret society allies strenuously objected to bringing any more 'outsider' people into the group.Handing over covert intelligence to other governmental agencies in the US and UK, then telling them they wouldn't divulge their sources went over like scuba diving with cement goulashes. Explaining to upper level bigwigs that they had a 'trust-based' team went nowhere. Those officials didn't care about a bunch of domestic/international criminals' sensibilities.They wanted names and faces. They wanted addresses, phone taps and bank account numbers. It would all be 'Secret', 'Top Secret', or 'Eyes Only'. It would all be vulnerable to all kinds of governmental subpoenas too. No threats were made from 'my' side. They'd killed more people than the Black Death and the lives of a few thousand bureaucrats (and their families) in London and Washington D.C. didn't mean shit to them.Selena did offer to kidnap some family members to get the message across. Javiera put her hands over her ears and began singing 'la-la-la' as she stormed out of the room. Lady Fathom suggested that we arrange a private meeting with the UK Prime Minister and the US President. It took a few seconds for Mehmet and Javiera to realize she wasn't kidding.That was a nearly impossible task, which on this taskforce meant we had to give it a shot. Let's just say that the US Attorney General, Eric Holder and Chairman John Jay of the British Joint Intelligence Committee thought their respective representative had lost her God-damn mind. I went to the Khanate for help.Twenty-four hours later Azerbaijan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Armenia and Georgia (yes, two tiny Christian nations) joined the Khanate. The integration of the first two nations had been in the works since the formation of the Turkic Council in 2009. For me, Temujin upped the time table strictly for our benefit. Turkey and Azerbaijan became the two newest states within the Khanate.The third, Tajikistan was different and the shakiest addition. The unoccupied title of 'Khwarazm Shah' was created, suggesting the Iranian Tajiks had a special status inside the Khanate. 'Khwarazm' referenced the Khwarazmian dynasty that ruled the last of the great, Persian-led, Iranian Super-States and dated back to the 13th century AD. 'Shah' was Persian for King.The announced status of Armenia and Georgia was quite a bit different. They become 'Protectorates', i.e., semi-autonomous states within the Khanate who were 'vassal' states, responsible only to the Great Khan and his personal representative in the region (ah, that would be me.)So, the first three entries made sense, strong geographic, ethnic and/or religious ties, plus this was part of the Khanate's agenda anyway. But Armenia and Georgia? That was the doing of the other regional secret society, the Hashashin.The Caucasus Mountains were the backyard of the Hashashin. They knew who to blackmail, pinch and kill to make the 'take-over' possible. The main stumbling block was the long Khanate-Hashashin history: the Mongols had destroyed the historical stronghold of the Hashashin, Alamut, in 1256 CE. In a way, that disaster had transformed the sect, making it move away from their strict Nizārī Ismaili roots and into a more ethnically and religiously diverse group that was centered in the Caucasus region.Temujin made it clear to this group that he was making a deal under my auspices. Both Armenia and, Georgia (as well as the future Kurdistan, his plans for the creation of that last state were told to me under condition of secrecy) would be part of my palatinate principality (along with Hungary, if we ever got there). Riki Martin defined the terms for me: I was the voice of those three regions in the Khan's court.They wouldn't have to deal with Muslim Khanate officials. They would deal with me and 'my officials'. If the Khanate had a problem with my principality, they came to me to resolve the issue. That translated to me giving a nod to the existing regimes ruling in Armenia and Georgia (along with the infusion of a few Hashashin supporters.)Publically the future of those three political and ethnic entities would be confirmed later. The existing governments knew three things.1) I was that madman who had led the charge in Romania, clearly a man of bravery and humility. The odds were good that I was going to be a man they could rely on to adequately represent their interests with the government that currently mattered the most (aka The Khanate.)2) The Great Khan thought the world of me and in this nascent New World Order that meant way more than membership in NATO, or begging the United Nations to apply sanctions of dubious value.3) There would be a change of leadership by about 2040. Children of excellent ethnic parentage would succeed me in this ceremonial role in the region. These new princes and princesses would be the scions of the line of Nyilas and representatives of the various states (translation: I was going to be sexing it up with Georgian, Armenian and Kurdish members of the Hashashin).That would establish the three 'cadet' branches of House Ishara (Nyilas) (which I've listed because all three alphabets are so freaking beautiful) that could weave the Amazons, 9 Clans and the varying ethnic identities into a quilt that could stand together as a force in the Great Khan's inner circle. This new spate of aristocratic, 'Archer'-themed lineages would be:1.       Moisari, in Georgia.2.       Aġeġnajig, in Armenia.3.       Ram- alsham, in Kurdistan.This fiction made the key named entities happy. The combination of all these events applied another jolt to the heart of the global power structure (after all, Turkey was in NATO) and made the US and UK governments back off.By tidying up the world map, we'd brought our governmental chiefs to the chilling revelation that their sole conduit for insider information regarding the ongoing global calamity had reacted to their intransience by simply letting them be blind-sided by events. After the fact, Javiera and Lady Fathom relayed that message very clearly.

This biography of “African explorer” Richard Dorsey Mohun, written by one of his descendants, reveals how American greed and state power helped shape the new imperial order in Africa. Richard Dorsey Mohun spent his career circulating among the eastern United States, the cities and courts of Europe, and the African continent, as he served the US State Department at some points and King Leopold of Belgium at others. A freelance imperialist, he implemented the schemes of American investors and the Congo Free State alike. Without men like him, Africa's history might have unfolded very differently. How did an ordinary son of a Washington bookseller become the agent of American corporate greed and European imperial ambition? Why did he choose to act in ways that ranged from thoughtless and amoral to criminal and unforgivable? With unblinking clarity and precision, historian Arwen P. Mohun interrogates the life and actions of her great-grandfather in American Imperialist: Cruelty and Consequence in the Scramble for Africa (Chicago UP, 2023). She seeks not to excuse the man known as Dorsey but to understand how individual ambition and imperial lust fueled each other, to catastrophic ends. Ultimately, she offers a nuanced portrait of how her great-grandfather's pursuit of career success and financial security for his family came at a tragic cost to countless Africans. Rounak Bose is a doctoral student in History at the University of Delaware. His research explores the intersections of caste, religiosities, performances, sacred geographies, and the state, as informing/informed by colonial and postcolonial mobilities and circulatory regimes across modern South Asia and Indian Ocean networks. Besides these specific research interests, his disciplinary interests revolve across anthropology, literature, and the digital humanities. When not reading or writing in the university library, Rounak can be found organizing ambitious culinary ventures for friends and family. On Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

This biography of “African explorer” Richard Dorsey Mohun, written by one of his descendants, reveals how American greed and state power helped shape the new imperial order in Africa. Richard Dorsey Mohun spent his career circulating among the eastern United States, the cities and courts of Europe, and the African continent, as he served the US State Department at some points and King Leopold of Belgium at others. A freelance imperialist, he implemented the schemes of American investors and the Congo Free State alike. Without men like him, Africa's history might have unfolded very differently. How did an ordinary son of a Washington bookseller become the agent of American corporate greed and European imperial ambition? Why did he choose to act in ways that ranged from thoughtless and amoral to criminal and unforgivable? With unblinking clarity and precision, historian Arwen P. Mohun interrogates the life and actions of her great-grandfather in American Imperialist: Cruelty and Consequence in the Scramble for Africa (Chicago UP, 2023). She seeks not to excuse the man known as Dorsey but to understand how individual ambition and imperial lust fueled each other, to catastrophic ends. Ultimately, she offers a nuanced portrait of how her great-grandfather's pursuit of career success and financial security for his family came at a tragic cost to countless Africans. Rounak Bose is a doctoral student in History at the University of Delaware. His research explores the intersections of caste, religiosities, performances, sacred geographies, and the state, as informing/informed by colonial and postcolonial mobilities and circulatory regimes across modern South Asia and Indian Ocean networks. Besides these specific research interests, his disciplinary interests revolve across anthropology, literature, and the digital humanities. When not reading or writing in the university library, Rounak can be found organizing ambitious culinary ventures for friends and family. On Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

This biography of “African explorer” Richard Dorsey Mohun, written by one of his descendants, reveals how American greed and state power helped shape the new imperial order in Africa. Richard Dorsey Mohun spent his career circulating among the eastern United States, the cities and courts of Europe, and the African continent, as he served the US State Department at some points and King Leopold of Belgium at others. A freelance imperialist, he implemented the schemes of American investors and the Congo Free State alike. Without men like him, Africa's history might have unfolded very differently. How did an ordinary son of a Washington bookseller become the agent of American corporate greed and European imperial ambition? Why did he choose to act in ways that ranged from thoughtless and amoral to criminal and unforgivable? With unblinking clarity and precision, historian Arwen P. Mohun interrogates the life and actions of her great-grandfather in American Imperialist: Cruelty and Consequence in the Scramble for Africa (Chicago UP, 2023). She seeks not to excuse the man known as Dorsey but to understand how individual ambition and imperial lust fueled each other, to catastrophic ends. Ultimately, she offers a nuanced portrait of how her great-grandfather's pursuit of career success and financial security for his family came at a tragic cost to countless Africans. Rounak Bose is a doctoral student in History at the University of Delaware. His research explores the intersections of caste, religiosities, performances, sacred geographies, and the state, as informing/informed by colonial and postcolonial mobilities and circulatory regimes across modern South Asia and Indian Ocean networks. Besides these specific research interests, his disciplinary interests revolve across anthropology, literature, and the digital humanities. When not reading or writing in the university library, Rounak can be found organizing ambitious culinary ventures for friends and family. On Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

This biography of “African explorer” Richard Dorsey Mohun, written by one of his descendants, reveals how American greed and state power helped shape the new imperial order in Africa. Richard Dorsey Mohun spent his career circulating among the eastern United States, the cities and courts of Europe, and the African continent, as he served the US State Department at some points and King Leopold of Belgium at others. A freelance imperialist, he implemented the schemes of American investors and the Congo Free State alike. Without men like him, Africa's history might have unfolded very differently. How did an ordinary son of a Washington bookseller become the agent of American corporate greed and European imperial ambition? Why did he choose to act in ways that ranged from thoughtless and amoral to criminal and unforgivable? With unblinking clarity and precision, historian Arwen P. Mohun interrogates the life and actions of her great-grandfather in American Imperialist: Cruelty and Consequence in the Scramble for Africa (Chicago UP, 2023). She seeks not to excuse the man known as Dorsey but to understand how individual ambition and imperial lust fueled each other, to catastrophic ends. Ultimately, she offers a nuanced portrait of how her great-grandfather's pursuit of career success and financial security for his family came at a tragic cost to countless Africans. Rounak Bose is a doctoral student in History at the University of Delaware. His research explores the intersections of caste, religiosities, performances, sacred geographies, and the state, as informing/informed by colonial and postcolonial mobilities and circulatory regimes across modern South Asia and Indian Ocean networks. Besides these specific research interests, his disciplinary interests revolve across anthropology, literature, and the digital humanities. When not reading or writing in the university library, Rounak can be found organizing ambitious culinary ventures for friends and family. On Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

This biography of “African explorer” Richard Dorsey Mohun, written by one of his descendants, reveals how American greed and state power helped shape the new imperial order in Africa. Richard Dorsey Mohun spent his career circulating among the eastern United States, the cities and courts of Europe, and the African continent, as he served the US State Department at some points and King Leopold of Belgium at others. A freelance imperialist, he implemented the schemes of American investors and the Congo Free State alike. Without men like him, Africa's history might have unfolded very differently. How did an ordinary son of a Washington bookseller become the agent of American corporate greed and European imperial ambition? Why did he choose to act in ways that ranged from thoughtless and amoral to criminal and unforgivable? With unblinking clarity and precision, historian Arwen P. Mohun interrogates the life and actions of her great-grandfather in American Imperialist: Cruelty and Consequence in the Scramble for Africa (Chicago UP, 2023). She seeks not to excuse the man known as Dorsey but to understand how individual ambition and imperial lust fueled each other, to catastrophic ends. Ultimately, she offers a nuanced portrait of how her great-grandfather's pursuit of career success and financial security for his family came at a tragic cost to countless Africans. Rounak Bose is a doctoral student in History at the University of Delaware. His research explores the intersections of caste, religiosities, performances, sacred geographies, and the state, as informing/informed by colonial and postcolonial mobilities and circulatory regimes across modern South Asia and Indian Ocean networks. Besides these specific research interests, his disciplinary interests revolve across anthropology, literature, and the digital humanities. When not reading or writing in the university library, Rounak can be found organizing ambitious culinary ventures for friends and family. On Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

SUMMARYIn this episode of "Right About Now," hosted by Ryan Alford, the focus is on the evolving landscape of social media. Guest Matthew McGrory, CEO of Arwen.AI, discusses the impact of recent political events, moderation challenges, and the future of platforms like Twitter (now X). The conversation explores Elon Musk's vision for Twitter, the importance of balancing free speech with brand safety, and the transformative role of AI in social media engagement. McGrory emphasizes the need for brands to understand customer sentiment and engage authentically, leveraging AI to navigate real-time conversations and enhance their communication strategies.TAKEAWAYSThe evolving landscape of social media and its implications for marketing.The impact of recent political events on social media platforms.The importance of social media moderation and balancing free speech.The future vision for social media platforms, including integration of e-commerce and payment systems.The role of government influence and censorship in social media.The significance of understanding customer sentiment in brand engagement.The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing social media communication strategies.Real-time engagement and responsiveness to customer conversations on social media.The accessibility of AI tools for brands of all sizes to analyze social media data.The potential for AI to transform sentiment analysis into actionable insights for brands. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, join Ryan's newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE. Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding. Learn more by visiting our website at www.ryanisright.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford.

“You need to be present where your feet are planted. You can't rush the process. And worse yet, when we are achieving a goal and we're in the pursuit of a goal, if all we're focused on is the goal and not the journey, we get to the goal and it's very fleeting.”Marketing isn't just about being seen—it's about being intentional. The most successful businesses don't wait for customers to come to them; they create compelling messages that attract, engage, and convert. When marketing is driven by purpose, it becomes a force multiplier, turning small efforts into massive impact.Arwen Becker built her business by recognizing an underserved market and reshaping her entire strategy to meet its needs. Through bold marketing moves, she didn't just grow—she scaled beyond what she thought possible. Her journey proves that the right strategy, persistence, and a willingness to pivot can change everything.Arwen is a speaker, endurance athlete, and entrepreneur who transformed the financial industry by focusing on women. She grew and sold her company at 20 times its original valuation.Expert action steps:1. Small, consistent actions lead to big results. Success doesn't come from one big move—it's built over time with daily habits and small, intentional steps. The key is consistency, as small efforts compound into significant achievements.2. Take responsibility and put in the work. No one else can do it for you. Set priorities, start your day with intention, and tackle the most important tasks before distractions take over. Success requires discipline and effort.3. Be present in the journey, not just the goal. Focusing solely on the end result can make accomplishments feel fleeting. Instead, embrace the process, learn from challenges, and appreciate each step along the way. The journey is what truly shapes success.Learn more and connect:1. Arwen's Website: https://www.arwenbecker.com2. Arwen's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arwenbecker3. Arwen's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gOZ3q8xg5kXjJd4p6l6xQ4. Book: She Handled It, So Can You: https://www.amazon.com/She-Handled-Can-You-Empowering/dp/173539050X5. Book: She Handled It, Retirement: https://lifewitharwen.com/books/Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A QUIET PLACE, HAUNT, 65) return to discuss their latest film HERETIC (available now) and their Iowa movie theater (The Last Picture House) with Adam, Joe, and Arwen. Having last appeared on THE MOVIE CRYPT five years ago (Episode 331), Beck and Woods have been lighting up Hollywood and captivating audiences since they last appeared on the podcast! From their process writing and directing together as a duo… to casting movie star Hugh Grant in what is now considered one of the greatest performances of his career… to creating a single location thriller where the terror is conveyed through dialogue as opposed to jump scares or violence… to working with legendary cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung (OLDBOY)… to the overwhelmingly positive response to HERETIC from critics and audiences alike and the response that those with strong religious convictions have had to HERETIC… Beck and Woods are quickly becoming one of the most successful duos in Hollywood.  Also, Dr. Arwen and the guys provide “Hollywood Therapy” for a listener dealing with crushing grief and Beck and Woods discuss both the hurdles and the triumphs of opening their very own movie theater in their home town. 

How can brands create safer, more engaging digital spaces while maximizing the impact of their social media efforts? Matthew McGrory, CEO of Arwen AI, shares how AI-driven moderation helps brands protect their communities, reduce toxicity, and improve ad performance. In this episode, we explore how companies like Hinge and Formula One teams work with Arwen to safeguard conversations, enhance customer acquisition, and ensure a brand-safe environment. From tackling online abuse to optimizing real-time engagement, Matthew reveals why a cleaner, more positive digital space leads to stronger connections and better business outcomes. Full Episode Details  Matthew joins this episode of Social Pros to reveal how Arwen is transforming online brand safety and engagement through AI-powered moderation. He dives into how brands work with Arwen to track sponsorship sentiment, tackle online toxicity, and create safer, more welcoming digital spaces. With social media ads reaching new audiences—sometimes unpredictably—Matthew unpacks how AI-driven moderation helps brands reduce harmful interactions and enhance positive ones. He also shares insights on why a clean, positive online environment leads to better ad performance, stronger audience trust, and increased conversions. Social pros know that engagement is everything, as long as a brand's digital space feels safe and inviting. Matthew explains how Arwen helps companies automate moderation, ensure brand safety, and turn social media into a place where communities can thrive. In This Episode: 2:20 - How Arwen works for those in the social sphere 3:04 - What inspired Matthew and his team to create Arwen 5:58 - How social listening has evolved, and how AI is changing it today 9:22 - How these tools help businesses to find more intent-driven comments and sales opportunities 13:36 - How to stay authentic and respond naturally with the use of AI without losing audience trust  18:24 - Some of the recent projects Matthew and Arwen have been working on 22:03 - Arwen's work with the Hinge dating app  27:11 - Matthew's recommendations for tools for identifying real-time social response opportunities 32:14 - Matthew's advice for aspiring social pros Resources  Visit Arwen's Website Follow Arwen on LinkedIn Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn Follow Arwen on Instagram Visit SocialPros.com for more insights from your favorite social media marketers.

Chapter 16 - A Journey in the Dark‘The road that I speak of leads to the Mines of Moria,' said Gandalf. Only Gimli lifted up his head; a smouldering fire was in his eyes. On all the others a dread fell at the mention of that name. Even to the hobbits it was a legend of vague fear.Q1 - What do you think of Moria…it seems darker than I expected.Turning to the others he said: ‘While I am searching, will you each make ready to enter the Mines? For here I fear we must say farewell to our good beast of burden. You must lay aside much of the stuff that we brought against bitter weather: you will not need it inside, nor, I hope, when we come through and journey on down into the South. Instead each of us must take a share of what the pony carried, especially the food and the water-skins.' ‘But you can't leave poor old Bill behind in this forsaken place, Mr. Gandalf!' cried Sam, angry and distressed. ‘I won't have it, and that's flat. After he has come so far and all!' ‘I am sorry, Sam,' said the wizard. ‘But when the Door opens I do not think you will be able to drag your Bill inside, into the long dark of Moria. You will have to choose between Bill and your master.' ‘He'd follow Mr. Frodo into a dragon's den, if I led him,' protested Sam. ‘It'd be nothing short of murder to turn him loose with all these wolves about.' ‘It will be short of murder, I hope,' said Gandalf. He laid his hand on the pony's head, and spoke in a low voice. ‘Go with words of guard and guiding on you,' he said. ‘You are a wise beast, and have learned much in Rivendell. Make your ways to places where you can find grass, and so come in time to Elrond's house, or wherever you wish to go. ‘There, Sam! He will have quite as much chance of escaping wolves and getting home as we have.'Q2 - Was there magic in what Gandalf said?Q3 - What do you think of the wolves that came on them?Q4 - What do you think of them getting into Moria?Q5 - I missed it, but did Bill the pony die?Chapter 17 - The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm‘It is grim reading,' he said. ‘I fear their end was cruel. Listen! We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the Bridge and second hall. Fra´r and Lo´ni and Na´li fell there. Then there are four lines smeared so that I can only read went 5 days ago. The last lines run the pool is up to the wall at Westgate. The Watcher in the Water took O´ in. We cannot get out. The end comes, and then drums, drums in the deep. I wonder what that means. The last thing written is in a trailing scrawl of elf-letters: they are coming. There is nothing more.' Gandalf paused and stood in silent thought.Q1 - This is such a creepy section.Q2 - What do you think of this whole chapters tone?What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and terror seemed to be in it and to go before it.Q3 - What do you think of the Balrog?The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white. His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and cracked. Fire came from its nostrils. But Gandalf stood firm.With a bound the Balrog leaped full upon the bridge. Its whip whirled and hissed. ‘He cannot stand alone!' cried Aragorn suddenly and ran back along the bridge. ‘Elendil!' he shouted. ‘I am with you, Gandalf!' ‘Gondor!' cried Boromir and leaped after him.Q4 - I love that Aragorn and Boromir stood to try to fight with Gandalf.With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished. But even as it fell it swung its whip, and the thongs lashed and curled about the wizard's knees, dragging him to the brink. He staggered and fell, grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the abyss. ‘Fly, you fools!' he cried, and was gone.Q5 - It wasnt Gandalf's choice?Chapter 18 - LothlorianQ1 - What do you think of Lothlorian?Q2 - What do you think about the elves that live their and their laws with dwarves?At the hill's foot Frodo found Aragorn, standing still and silent as a tree; but in his hand was a small golden bloom of elanor, and a light was in his eyes. He was wrapped in some fair memory: and as Frodo looked at him he knew that he beheld things as they once had been in this same place. For the grim years were removed from the face of Aragorn, and he seemed clothed in white, a young lord tall and fair; and he spoke words in the Elvish tongue to one whom Frodo could not see. Arwen vanimelda, nama´rie¨! he said, and then he drew a breath, and returning out of his thought he looked at Frodo and smiled. ‘Here is the heart of Elvendom on earth,' he said, ‘and here my heart dwells ever, unless there be a light beyond the dark roads that we still must tread, you and I. Come with me!' And taking Frodo's hand in his, he left the hill of Cerin Amroth and came there never again as living man.Q3 - What is going on here?

This month we are joined by Tolkien professor and scholar, Dr. Sara Brown! Join us for Sara's lesser-trod path, Feminist criticism of Tolkien's work! In context of the four waves of feminism, Sara gives us an overview of the past and present of feminist criticism of Tolkien's work, as well as some thoughts on the future. Thanks for joining us, Sara! CitationsThank you to our guest host, Dr. Sara Brown! How to find Sara:Bluesky: @aranelparmadil.bksy.socialSara's publications can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/DrSaraBrown (Accessed Feb 3, 2025)Sara on Signum University's website: https://signumuniversity.org/people/sara-brown/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)Sara's entry on Tolkienists.org: https://tolkienists.org/sara-brown/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)Sara's upcoming projects in 2025:-Look out for the upcoming Oxford Handbook of Tolkien- Sara is contributing a chapter on feminist criticism of Tolkien.-Look out for an upcoming book about queer readings of Tolkien for which Sara has written a chapter about Shelob as a queer mother.-With Dr. Kristine Larsen, Sara is editing a collection about Tolkien and psychology for The Journal of Tolkien Research.-Sara is the keynote speaker for Signum University's Mythmoot XII- June 19-22, 2025.-Sara is giving a paper at Leeds International Medieval Congress called, 'No One Listens to Melian: When Women Speak and Men Ignore Them in Middle-earth'- 7-10 July 2025.-Sara will be at the Tolkien Society's gathering Oxonmoot, September 4-7, 2025.From Sara's outline: (in alphabetical order)-Cami D. Agan: "Lúthien Tinúviel and Bodily Desire in the Lay of Leithian" from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Sara Brown: “‘Éowyn it was, and Dernhelm also': Reading the ‘Wild Shieldmaiden' Through a Queer Lens.” from The Journal of Tolkien Research, Volume 18, Issue 2, 2018https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol18/iss2/4/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)-Edith Crowe: “Power in Arda: Sources, Uses, and Misuses” from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Leslie Donovan: "The Valkyrie Reflex in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Galadriel, Shelob, Éowyn, and Arwen" from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Melissa McCrory Hatcher: "Finding Woman's Role in The Lord of the Rings." from Mythlore 97/98, Volume 25, Issue 3/4, 2007-Lisa Hopkins: “Female Authority Figures in the Works of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams” from Mythlore, Volume 21, Number 2, 1996-Kristine Larsen: "The Power of Pity and Tears: The Evolution of Nienna in the Legendarium" from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Edwin Muir: Review of “The Return of the King” in The Observer on Nov. 27, 1955-Doris T. Myers: “Brave New World: The Status of Women According to Tolkien, Lewis, and. Williams.” Cimarron Review. 17 (1971): 13-19.-Brenda Partridge: “No Sex Please–We're Hobbits: The Construction of Female Sexuality in The Lord of the Rings” from J.R.R. Tolkien: This Far Land, ed. Robert Giddings, New Jersey: Barnes & Noble Press, 1983-Melanie Rawls: “The Feminine Principle in Tolkien” from Mythlore, Volume 10, Number 4, 1984-Robin Reid: "The History of Scholarship on Female Characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium: A Feminist Bibliographic Essay" from Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan, Mythopoeic Press, 2015-Catherine Stimpson: “J.R.R. Tolkien” Published by Columbia University Press, 1969-J.R.R. Tolkien's letters - 33a; 38a; 39; 42a; 43; 44; 50; 53; 78; 142; 179a; 250; 267; 331; 332; 340.Other sources mentioned beyond Sara's outline:-Amy Amendt-Raduege  “Revising Lobelia” from book “Tolkien and Alterity” (pp.77-93) edited by Christopher Vaccaro and Yvette Kisor, 2017-The work of Cameron Borquien: https://cameronbourquein.com/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)-The work of Clare Moore: https://tolkienists.org/clare-moore/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)-The work of Mercury Natis: https://lushthemagicdragon.carrd.co/ (Accessed Feb 2, 2025)-Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming anthology: ‘Great Heart and Strength:' New Essays on Women and Gender in the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Cami D. Agan and Clare Moore.

PUBLIC VERSION. Writer and show runner Matthew Scott Kane (HYSTERIA!) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey. From seeing JURASSIC PARK at a Michigan drive-in and falling in love with filmmaking at age 3… to making his first short film with friends and winning the first film festival he entered (only to find out afterwords that there was only one other submission!)… to the famous critic that recommended he try his hand at writing for television… to making the move to Los Angeles and the many assistant jobs he worked at as he honed his craft… to selling his pilot for HYSTERIA! to a major outlet only to have them back out of making it when the pandemic hit… to being down to his last cent with no agent and no hope in sight before getting a surprising phone call that changed everything for him… to his anxiety filled ZOOM pitch with over 80 people on the call… to the process of staffing up his writers' room on his first series… to the writer's strike hitting right as HYSTERIA! was finishing up shooting its first episode and having no choice but to stay on the sidelines until the strike had played out… Matthew's success has certainly not come easily and his story is all the more inspiring because of it! Also, Dr. Arwen provides “Hollywood Therapy” for a listener who is trying to move on in her career and facing the dreaded “but you don't have enough experience yet” road block while Matthew gives Adam the WHITE LION music cue that he had been waiting his whole life to see in a film or television show.

Send us a textHootworthy Students Ellie and Arwen Soar at GCA's 2024 Science and Social Studies FairGeorgia Cyber Academy students Ellie and Arwen took home top honors for secondary grades at the 2024 Social Studies and Science Fair held at the Tellus Museum. Ellie's science project explored how train weight impacts speed, while Arwen's social studies project highlighted the innovations and impacts of World War I.Inspiration Behind the ProjectsEllie was inspired by a video in class on electromagnetic trains and tested whether heavier or lighter trains would be faster. Surprisingly, the heavier train won. Arwen chose World War I because it's less discussed than World War II and focused on its lasting impacts, including trench warfare, technological advances like tanks and submarines, and banned weapons like mustard gas.Highlights of the DayAt the Tellus Museum, students set up their projects and had a chance to chat with classmates and parents. For virtual learners like Ellie and Arwen, meeting peers in person was a highlight. Ellie reconnected with a classmate who placed second, while Arwen met many classmates for the first time.When the winners were announced, both were shocked. “I couldn't believe it!” Ellie said, while Arwen admitted she was “shaking like crazy” when her name was called.Advice for Future ParticipantsArwen suggests, “Don't overthink it—just have fun.” Ellie encourages students to be creative and unique with their ideas.What They Love About GCAEllie appreciates GCA's helpful teachers and variety of classes, while Arwen enjoys learning from home. Both agreed the fair was rewarding, especially meeting peers and seeing the Tellus Museum.Congrats to Ellie and Arwen for their amazing achievements–stay Hootworthy!

Chapter 13 - Many Meetings ‘There are many powers in the world, for good or for evil. Some are greater than I am. Against some I have not yet been measured. But my time is coming. The Morgul-lord and his Black Riders have come forth. War is preparing!'Q1 - What is Gandalf talking about?‘I suppose not,' said Frodo. ‘But so far my only thought has been to get here; and I hope I shan't have to go any further. It is very pleasant just to rest. I have had a month of exile and adventure, and I find that has been as much as I want.'Caught between fire and water, and seeing an Elf-lord revealed in his wrath, they were dismayed, and their horses were stricken with madness. ‘Who made the flood?' asked Frodo. ‘Elrond commanded it,' answered Gandalf. ‘The river of this valley is under his power, and it will rise in anger when he has great need to bar the Ford. As soon as the captain of the Ringwraiths rode into the water the flood was released. If I may say so, I added a few touches of my own: you may not have noticed, but some of the waves took the form of great white horses with shining white riders; and there were many rolling and grinding boulders. For a moment I was afraid that we had let loose too fierce a wrath, and the flood would get out of hand and wash you all away. There is great vigour in the waters that come down from the snows of the Misty Mountains.'‘Hush!' said Gandalf from the shadows at the back of the porch. ‘Evil things do not come into this valley; but all the same we should not name them. The Lord of the Ring is not Frodo, but the master of the Dark Tower of Mordor, whose power is again stretching out over the world. We are sitting in a fortress. Outside it is getting dark.' ‘Gandalf has been saying many cheerful things like that,' said Pippin. ‘He thinks I need keeping in order. But it seems impossible, somehow, to feel gloomy or depressed in this place. I feel I could sing, if I knew the right song for the occasion.'Q2 - Is Gandalf a killjoy?So it was that Frodo saw her whom few mortals had yet seen; Arwen, daughter of Elrond, in whom it was said that the likeness of Lu´thien had come on earth again; and she was called Undo´miel, for she was the Evenstar of her people.Q3 - I don't know what any of this means, but Tolkien knows how to make a character introduction.Frodo learned that Grimbeorn the Old, son of Beorn, was now the lord of many sturdy men, and to their land between the Mountains and Mirkwood neither orc nor wolf dared to go.Q4 - This guy sounds amazing.Bombur was now so fat that he could not move himself from his couch to his chair at table, and it took six young dwarves to lift him.Glo´in looked at Frodo and smiled. ‘You were very fond of Bilbo were you not?' he asked. ‘Yes,' answered Frodo. ‘I would rather see him than all the towers and palaces in the world.'Bilbo put out his hand. But Frodo quickly drew back the Ring. To his distress and amazement he found that he was no longer looking at Bilbo; a shadow seemed to have fallen between them, and through it he found himself eyeing a little wrinkled creature with a hungry face and bony groping hands. He felt a desire to strike him.Q5 - What does the ring actually do? This was terrifying.Q6 - How do Bilbo and Strider know each other?‘But often I must put mirth aside. Elladan and Elrohir have returned out of the Wild unlooked-for, and they had tidings that I wished to hear at once.'Q7 - What is going on here? They spoke together, and then suddenly it seemed to Frodo that Arwen turned towards him, and the light of her eyes fell on him from afar and pierced his heart. He stood still enchanted, while the sweet syllables of the Elvish song fell like clear jewels of blended word and melody.Q8 - Anyone else get all hot and bothered after this scene?Good night, Frodo! Bless me, but it has been good to see you again! There are no folk like hobbits after all for a real good talk. I am getting very old, and I began to wonder if I should live to see your chapters of our story. Q9 - This chapter hooked me.Chapter 14 - The Council of Elrond‘In that dream I thought the eastern sky grew dark and there was a growing thunder, but in the West a pale light lingered, and out of it I heard a voice, remote but clear, crying: Seek for the Sword that was broken: In Imladris it dwells; There shall be counsels taken Stronger than Morgul-spells. There shall be shown a token That Doom is near at hand, For Isildur's Bane shall waken, And the Halfling forth shall stand.Q1 - What do you think of the Council?Ash nazg durbatuluˆk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluˆk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.' The change in the wizard's voice was astounding. Suddenly it became menacing, powerful, harsh as stone. A shadow seemed to pass over the high sun, and the porch for a moment grew dark. All trembled, and the Elves stopped their ears. ‘Never before has any voice dared to utter words of that tongue in Imladris, Gandalf the Grey,' said Elrond, as the shadow passed and the company breathed once more. ‘And let us hope that none will ever speak it here again,' answered Gandalf. ‘Nonetheless I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond. For if that tongue is not soon to be heard in every corner of the West, then let all put doubt aside that this thing is indeed what the Wise have declared: the treasure of the Enemy, fraught with all his malice; and in it lies a great part of his strength of old. Out of the Black Years come the words that the Smiths of Eregion heard, and knew that they had been betrayed: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.Q2 - What do you think this moment is really about? What does this phrase mean?He could work much mischief still, if he were free. And I do not doubt that he was allowed to leave Mordor on some evil errand.'Q3 - What do you think Gollum's purpose is?‘Not through lack of watchfulness,' said Legolas; ‘but perhaps through over-kindliness. And we fear that the prisoner had aid from others, and that more is known of our doings than we could wish. We guarded this creature day and night, at Gandalf's bidding, much though we wearied of the task. But Gandalf bade us hope still for his cure, and we had not the heart to keep him ever in dungeons under the earth, where he would fall back into his old black thoughts.'Q4 - Do you think Gollum could be made well?‘Very well, very well, Master Elrond!' said Bilbo suddenly. ‘Say no more! It is plain enough what you are pointing at. Bilbo the silly hobbit started this affair, and Bilbo had better finish it, or himself. I was very comfortable here, and getting on with my book. If you want to know, I am just writing an ending for it. I had thought of putting: and he lived happily ever afterwards to the end of his days. It is a good ending, and none the worse for having been used before. Now I shall have to alter that: it does not look like coming true; and anyway there will evidently have to be several more chapters, if I live to write them. It is a frightful nuisance. When ought I to start?' Boromir looked in surprise at Bilbo, but the laughter died on his lips when he saw that all the others regarded the old hobbit with grave respect. Only Glo´in smiled, but his smile came from old memories.Q5 - What do you think of Bilbo here?No one answered. The noon-bell rang. Still no one spoke. Frodo glanced at all the faces, but they were not turned to him. All the Council sat with downcast eyes, as if in deep thought. A great dread fell on him, as if he was awaiting the pronouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken. An overwhelming longing to rest and remain at peace by Bilbo's side in Rivendell filled all his heart. At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice. ‘I will take the Ring,' he said, ‘though I do not know the way.'Q6 - What do you think of Frodo?Elrond raised his eyes and looked at him, and Frodo felt his heart pierced by the sudden keenness of the glance. ‘If I understand aright all that I have heard,' he said, ‘I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will.Q7 - The books give more respect to Hobbits.‘But you won't send him off alone surely, Master?' cried Sam, unable to contain himself any longer, and jumping up from the corner where he had been quietly sitting on the floor. ‘No indeed!' said Elrond, turning towards him with a smile. ‘You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.'Q8 - Sam is the greatest.Chapter 15 - The Ring Goes South‘That's what I meant,' said Pippin. ‘We hobbits ought to stick together, and we will. I shall go, unless they chain me up. There must be someone with intelligence in the party.' ‘Then you certainly will not be chosen, Peregrin Took!' But that will leave no place for us!' cried Pippin in dismay. ‘We don't want to be left behind. We want to go with Frodo.' ‘That is because you do not understand and cannot imagine what lies ahead,' said Elrond. ‘Neither does Frodo,' said Gandalf, unexpectedly supporting Pippin. ‘Nor do any of us see clearly. It is true that if these hobbits understood the danger, they would not dare to go. But they would still wish to go, or wish that they dared, and be shamed and unhappy. Q1 - Merry and Pippen are the best.' So Bill was going as the beast of burden, yet he was the only member of the Company that did not seem depressed.Q2 - Is Bill your favorite member of the fellowship?At that moment Elrond came out with Gandalf, and he called the Company to him. ‘This is my last word,' he said in a low voice. ‘The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid: neither to cast away the Ring, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then in gravest need. The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows. The further you go, the less easy will it be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road.' Q3 - This is so good!‘Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens,' said Gimli.Q4 - Do you think the snowstorm they were caught in was by some evil design?

PUBLIC VERSION. Host and co-creator of the FAKING MICHAEL podcast series Damien Shields joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss his 14 year journey investigating “the inside story of music's greatest fraud.” From an aunt mistakenly recording a Michael Jackson concert over a football game that he wanted to watch as a kid… to the moment in 2010 that he (and many other fans) first realized that three of the songs on MJ's first posthumous record “Michael” did not actually feature Michael Jackson singing on them… to his search for answers approaching various producers, collaborators, Jackson family members and powerful estate executives looking for the truth… to the decision to turn his investigation into a podcast series… to the crowd funding attempt that introduced him to a very special backer willing to contribute a major piece of forensic evidence to the project… to the interview that changed the course of the episodes he had already produced… to all that went into the technical side of producing such an impressively written, recorded and sound designed presentation… Damien explains how he went from a fan in Australia with no connections to the music industry and no formal journalism training to helping expose one of the biggest art frauds in music history through sheer determination and perseverance.  All thirteen episodes of the FAKING MICHAEL podcast are currently available wherever you listen to podcasts. A must hear!

PUBLIC VERSION. Writer/director Gil Kenan (MONSTER HOUSE, GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, SATURDAY NIGHT) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to share his incredible career journey. From how the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake changed his path from the theater to the cinema… to working with both Zemeckis AND Spielberg on creating the animated classic MONSTER HOUSE… to his fateful meeting with fellow filmmaker Jason Reitman and the incredible creative partnership that followed… to the importance of accessing truth even when working with established IPs like SNL and GHOSTBUSTERS… to surviving the “beautiful disaster” that was CITY OF EMBER and the sad truth about how IMPRACTICAL JOKERS and VICTOR CROWLEY star Brian Quinn ALMOST made it into GHOST BUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE… Gil's story is legendary! Seriously, what other filmmaker got to direct the latest adventure by the Ghostbusters AND write the definitive film on the making of Saturday Night Live all in one year?!

For the past two years, at the end of every interview, I asked every guest to tell me their favorite piece of life advice. We took dozens of our favorite clips and brought them together in this very special episode. And we also hear from Connecticut Public employees! Email your favorite piece of advice: Audacious@ctpublic.org Suggested episode: Views from the end: David Meyers GUESTS (in order of appearance): First segment: Paul Gladis, AJ Wolfe, Christine Hazel Decker, Cynthia Zhou, Danielle Weisberg, Jonathan Goodwin, Kitao Sakurai, Mary Elizabeth Kelly, Stephanie Courtney aka Flo from Progressive, The Lim Family, William Harder, Lior Ofir, Martha Underwood, David Vance, Greg Viloria, Kristen Geez, Jessica Jin Second segment: Bianca L McGraw, Dean Edwards, Adriana Piltz, Dani Rabaiotti, Danielle Perez, Dr. Richard Gibson, Eve Wiley, Jayson Greene, Dr. Marc Feldman, Florence Early, LaNia Roberts, Luis Mojica, Robbie Romu, Anna Holland, Arianna Preuss, Carrie Cariello, Dawn Shaw, Katie Charter, Natasha Fischer, Rozy, Zarna Garg, Arwen, Aidan, and Willow Gladis Perez-Sauquillo, Cash Daniels, Gus Mcafoos, Samirah Horton, aka DJ Annie Red Third segment: Caryn Toriaga, Chris Massimine, Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, Guy and Yaruh First, Julie Millsap, Megan Peabody, Mehdi Hasan, Azie Dungey, Colin Nissan, Paul Marcarelli, Stacy Samuels aka Banjo Man, Tabitha Farrar, Neil Harbisson, Jada Star, Athena Walker, Timothy Schultz, Tony Cicoria, Kenley Byrd, John Graham, Jenn Carson, David Meyers, Blyss, Bruce W Brackett, Moon Ribas, Paperboy Love Prince, Jessica Severin de Martinez, Meg Fitzgerald, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Dalton, Vanessa de la Torre, Mark Contreras Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmakers John Thomas Kelley and Francesco Loschiavo (TALES FROM THE VOID) join Adam and Joe to discuss the making of their anthology TV series - now available on Screambox and featuring a pilot episode directed by our own Joe Lynch! From their shared love of short stories and anthology TV series leading to their collaboration on TALES FROM THE VOID… to how they mined fantastic untouched short stories from the NO SLEEP community and put the time in to tracking down the various authors all over the world to option each unique tale they were interested in… to the development process of writing and crafting each short story into a compelling episode of television… to the long process that the series endured getting off the ground and all of the setbacks the project suffered on its way from concept through production… to the lessons they learned while creating, writing, show running, and directing their first season of a television series… to bringing Joe Lynch into the fold as the director of the pilot episode… to the reactions from the series' extensive festival tour and a heartfelt and candid conversation about how filmmakers deal with on-line criticism after spending so many years and so much effort creating something that's just meant to entertain people… John and Francesco's sheer determination to bring TALES FROM THE VOID out of “the void” and on to our screens is certainly something to behold, applaud and draw inspiration from. 

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker F. Javier Gutierrez (THE WAIT, BEFORE THE FALL, RINGS) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From the De Palma film that set him on his filmmaking path as a child… to attending the Sitges film festival first as a fan and then as a bonafide filmmaker with a short in the festival lineup… to working with Antonio Banderas as a producer on his debut feature BEFORE THE FALL… to dealing with studio pressures making RINGS (his 2017 entry in THE RING franchise)… to working with late producer Ed Pressman on a reboot of THE CROW that never came to fruition and ultimately returning to his home country to make his latest feature THE WAIT which absolutely destroyed at festivals worldwide in 2024… Gutierrez has done it all and lived to tell the tales!

PUBLIC VERSION. Writer and producer Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton (“A Comedy of Tragedies,” TERRIFIER 2) returns to discuss his new autobiography (now available wherever books are sold) with Adam, Joe, and Arwen. Having originally appeared on THE MOVIE CRYPT way back in 2016 (episode 155 - available in our Classic Crypt tier of Patreon), Steve returns 8 years later now having been part of the team behind the hit film TERRIFIER 2 and having written his hilarious, heartbreaking, and inspiring autobiography “A Comedy of Tragedies.” From the low point he found himself in that lead to him starting to write down his most painful memories… to the healing journey that his reflections lead him on and how he found a way to laugh at even the worst of times… to his exit from the TERRIFIER series and how he rebounded from such a personally devastating disappointment… to how he learned that making memories is the most important aspect of his life… to an introspective conversation about why most people are good and the world is not as divided as we may often be lead to believe it is… to the interesting reason why he chose not to be the narrator of the audio book version of his own autobiography… this extremely candid conversation between 3 long time friends (over 20 years now!) will surely lift your spirits, encourage you to keep moving forward, and remind you that things can always get better. “A Comedy of Tragedies” is available wherever books are sold but autographed copies are available through Encylopocalypse Publications here.

Actor Matthew Lillard (SCREAM, SCOOBY-DOO, THIR13EN GHOSTS, SLC PUNK!, SERIAL MOM, HACKERS, FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S, WITHOUT A PADDLE, SHE'S ALL THAT, THE DESCENDANTS, and so much more!) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio for THE MOVIE CRYPT's milestone 600th episode. From the acting class in 7th grade that sparked Matthew's love of performing… to how he didn't let a learning disability or failing out of college curb his ambition or his belief in himself… to starting a theater company with friends and creating a community that would provide them with opportunities to perform… to quitting his day job the very night that he booked his first big film role (John Waters' SERIAL MOM)… to how he avoided the typical Hollywood pitfalls and personal hardships that so many young actors unfortunately find themselves falling into…to why he sees the goal of his craft as serving each story's director rather than serving himself as an actor… to auditioning for Wes Craven's SCREAM and how he looks back on his performance as “Stu” now… to why he thinks SCREAM's lasting longevity has so much to do with the film's decision to fully embrace the time period it was made in… to his experience in the director's chair for 2012's FAT KID RULES THE WORLD and the long process he went through to produce the film… to one of the best stories you'll ever hear about the making of SCOOBY-DOO and why “friends don't quit”… to the creation of his FIND FAMILIAR SPIRITS company which provides fandoms with genre themed direct-to-customer whisky (“Quest's End” and “Sandkheg's Hide” for Dungeons & Dragons fans) and tequila (“Macabre Spirits” for horror fans)… to the true value of fame, why hugs are so important, and why getting the opportunity to meet fans at conventions is an experience he can't imagine living without… Matthew is the perfect guest for this milestone episode. His message of not waiting for anyone else to give you permission to do what you love the most is right on brand with THE MOVIE CRYPT podcast's central theme of never giving up! Try Matthew's “Macabre Spirits” at www.MacabreSpirits.com! Start getting the full version of every MOVIE CRYPT episode every Monday by joining our beloved community and supporting us at www.Patreon.com/theMovieCrypt today!

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker and actress Katt Shea (POISON IVY, THE RAGE: CARRIE 2, STRIPPED TO KILL, PSYCHO III, NANCY DREW AND THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss her career journey. From putting on shows in her backyard at age twelve and realizing she could enlist other neighborhood kids and charge their parents to come watch… to becoming a working actress on films like BARBARIAN QUEEN, HOLLYWOOD HOT TUBS, THE DEVASTATOR… to learning all that she could about the filmmaking process while acting for the great Brian DePalma on SCARFACE and the legendary Anthony Perkins on PSYCHO III… to the crazy hurdles she jumped through in order to convince Roger Corman to green-light her directorial debut STRIPPED TO KILL… to how the production wound up having a bigger budget than other Concorde Pictures' films and how the overall Corman experience prepared her to solve any hurdle a shoot throws at her… to the absolutely incredible story of the dog (“Bear”) that was rescued in real life in order to play “Ruby” the rescue dog star of her 2022 film RESCUED BY RUBY… to the challenges of working on a film with a Director of Photography that only wanted to do things their own way… to accepting the job to direct THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 on merely four days notice while knowing all along that she'd have a target on her back for daring to direct a sequel to CARRIE… to what “Carrie” herself (Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek) said about the sequel once she saw it… to how time can change movies that were originally panned (like SCARFACE) and see them go on to become beloved films and part of pop culture… to the way life wound up imitating art with her 1992 film POISON IVY… to what it was like being one of the only women at the early Masters of Horror get togethers… to why she loves teaching acting so much and how age and experience can really strengthen an artist's spine… Katt's fearless 40+ year career is certainly one to be celebrated.

PUBLIC VERSION. Actress/model turned director/producer Brande Roderick (TV's BAYWATCH, STARSKY & HUTCH, HOOD OF HORROR, THE NANNY DIARIES, TV's THE SURREAL LIFE, PLAYBOY's 2001 “Playmate of the Year”) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss her career journey and the making of her debut feature film WINEVILLE - available now! From growing up in a horror loving family and the films she saw as a child that shaped her appreciation for the genre… to how the pandemic, her desire to keep working, and the availability of an amazing location served as the genesis for getting into the director's chair for WINEVILLE… to producing the film herself and having to juggle all aspects of the production while simultaneously acting and directing in it… to how she made the choice to set the film in the 70's and the challenges of pulling off a period piece with limited resources… to casting her actual son Keaton to play the role of her son in the film and working with previous MOVIE CRYPT guest Texas Battle (WRONG TURN 2)… to managing everything from children to stunts to make-up/gore FX on an ambitious 12 day shoot… to why it was so crucial to cast seasoned actors she could count on when up against such a fast shooting schedule… to the various obstacles she was hit with once filming began… to how she approached handling the film's delicate and dark themes like sexual abuse… to how her experiences working as an actress on various TV and feature film sets informed her approach behind the camera and the helpful lessons she learned along the way… to being part of the very first groundbreaking season of THE SURREAL LIFE and the start of what would become the “Celeb-Reality” genre of television… to how she prepared to compete on THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE and stories from living in the Playboy Mansion… Brande's long career has continued to expand thanks to her fearless approach to new challenges, her refusal to be stereotyped, and her willingness to step out of her comfort zone. Stream WINEVILLE wherever you rent or purchase movies digitally or get your very own autographed copy at www.WinevilleMovie.com!

“Granny shagger!” - Steve, on Aragorn and Arwen's vast age gap On this week's We ❤️ Movies, we're chatting about the absolutely magnificent conclusion to the journey, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King! First of all, yes, we are discussing the four-hour and twenty-three-minute extended edition! How magnificent is John Noble's demise in this movie? Of all the stuff they could've cut from the theatrical, why on Earth did they ditch Sarumon's big fall? How horny is Eowyn for Aragorn? Was there a funnier way to include Sean Bean in that one scene? And should The Hobbit trilogy be re-evaluated? (Andrew thinks so!) PLUS: Samwise is framed for leaving nothing but Krackel in the Halloween variety pack!  The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf; directed by Peter Jackson. Our show this weekend in Portland is sold out, but tickets are still available for our show this Friday in Seattle! We're stoked to hit the PNW after so many years away, so let's get ready to party! Make the WHM Merch Store your one-stop shop for all your We Hate Movies merch-related needs! Including new Bus Movie, Night Vision & Too Old For This Shit designs!   Original cover art by Felipe Sobreiro.

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Jack Sholder (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2, THE HIDDEN, ARACHNID, WISHMASTER 2) joins Adam and Joe to discuss his career journey. From his beginnings in entertainment as a trumpet player… to his obsession with cinema leading to his eventual career path working as an editor on such classics as THE BURNING (1981)… to becoming a feature director wrangling the “interesting” character that is Jack Palance in the cult-classic ALONE IN THE DARK (1982)… to his stories from the making of 1985's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE (the “tongue” story is a particular gem)… to his particular choice of lens sizes when crafting one of the best car chases from the 80's in THE HIDDEN (1987)… to what it was like directing the late James Earl Jones in his acclaimed HBO movie BY DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT (1990)… there's a good reason why Jack was one of the most consistent working directors in the fledgling New Line Cinema roster!

SPECIAL EPISODE. Adam and Joe say goodbye to their friend and cinematic legend Tony Todd (CANDYMAN, FINAL DESTINATION, HATCHET, PLATOON, THE CROW, and more) who passed away on November 6, 2024. Includes Tony's full original MOVIE CRYPT appearance from 2014. Watch HOLLISTON Season 1, Episode 4 "Candyman" starring Tony Todd - streaming FREE on www.ariescope.com for the next week only. Watch ADAM GREEN'S SCARY SLEEPOVER Season 2, Episode 1 "Tony Todd" FREE here: https://youtu.be/BG_W-Vm9YxQ?si=GzAhdI3_CQynLMpv Anthony Tiran Todd (December 4, 1954 - November 6, 2024)

PUBLIC VERSION. Filmmaker Austin Jennings (EIGHT EYES, THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen to discuss his career journey and the making of his debut feature film. From how he wound up in New York and working with the gang that resurrected one of TV's most iconic hosts Joe Bob Briggs… to the rigorous process of how THE LAST DRIVE-IN is programmed and produced… to why he believes “appointment TV” still holds an important place in the modern streaming world… to the film that was the hardest to play on the show… to the decision to change the show's format from a double feature to a single film… to his transition into directing his first feature with his giallo/exploitation homage EIGHT EYES (available now on Shudder and on physical media through Vinegar Syndrome)… to the trials of shooting on 16mm and working in Serbia… to working with star Emily Sweet… to what Joe Bob thinks of his film (the answer may surprise you!)… Austin shares a peek behind the drive-in screen of Shudder's flagship show and proves that where there is a will there is a way.