Podcasts about belafonte

When I featured this artist the first time on this show, he was still with us.  Unfortunately, Harry Belafonte passed away just a few weeks later.  This is the second record we will hear of the two my dad had from this singer. This was Harry's second LP in his illustrious career. While his first did hit number three on the Billboard charts. This was his first of two number one albums. So, get ready to hear one of the purest singing voices ever recorded in Volume 231: Simply Belafonte. For more information about this album, see the Discogs webpage for it.  Credits and copyrights Harry Belafonte – Belafonte Label: RCA Victor – LPM 1150, RCA Victor – LPM-1150 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono, Rockaway Pressing Released: 1956 Genre: Pop, Folk, World, & Country Style: Calypso, Vocal, Folk We will hear 7 of the 11 songs from this album. Waterboy Written-By – Harry Belafonte Troubles Written-By – Harry Belafonte Matilda (This one made me get my bongo drums out) Written-By – Harry Thomas Noah (Next up a song of biblical proportions) Written-By – Harry Belafonte and William Attaway Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) Written-By – Evelyn Danzig, Jack Segal Unchained Melody Written-By – Alex North, Hy Zaret Jump Down, Spin Around Written-By – H. Belafonte, Norman Luboff, and William Attaway I do not own the rights to this music. ASCAP, BMI licenses provided by third-party platforms for music that is not under Public Domain. #harrybelfonte #calypsomusic #musicalmemories #musichistory #vinylcollecting #vinylrecords #fyp

As usual there are spoilers ahead! You can follow the podcast on social media: Instagram, Threads and BlueSky.You can support the podcast and get ad-free episodes on Patreon.Please be aware that we touch upon sexual assault in this episode due to the content of the film.DescriptionUSA in 1959 was on the brink of a decade that would see major changes in the country in terms of race. But never without opposition. It was also the year in which Harry Belafonte, at the peak of his fame, would star in The World, the Flesh and the Devil.The film centres Belafonte's character, Ralph Burton, as the last man on earth. A Black man at a time when the country was wrangling with desegregation. Ralph is joined by Sarah and Ben: White survivors who enter what was for a while his world. This episode focuses on race and racism and I am so lucky to have two amazing guests to help us put the plot and frustrations into context.Mark Bould is a professor of Film and Literature at the University of West England, Bristol. He has written/edited extensively about science fiction cinema. Stéphanie Larrieux is the associate director of the Centre for the study of Race and Ethnicity at Brown University. She wrote about the World, The Flesh and the Devil as part of her PhD. Chapters (times may vary slightly due to advertising!) 00:00 Introduction01:07 Why is this film largely unknown?03:10 Source material10:05 Harry Belafonte16:25 An empty Manhattan18:53 The last man on earth23:12 Double sight and racial panopticism24:26 Cultured and capable28:03 Sarah's unnerving feet31:31 The frustrations of this film35:26 Free, white and 21: Ralph and Sarah's relationship39:25 The hair cutting scene41:42 Ben comes to town: Mel Ferrer45:31 The ending47:09 Inger Stevens48:29 Ben's “idealism”49:47 The title50:28 Black protagonists in science fiction53:36 Legacy NEXT EPISODE!Next episode we will be talking about On The Beach (1959) starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins.You can visit Just Watch in your region to find out where you can watch this film although it seems to be easily available to rent or buy online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry Belafonte. The King of Calypso. Incredible singer and actor. He performed in more than a dozen movies throughout his career. But above all else, he was an activist. A fighter against racism and oppression, in the United States and around the world.Belafonte joined the Civil Rights Movement. He marched alongside Martin Luther King. And he remained active into his 90s, working for prison reform, denouncing the Iraq War, George W. Bush, Trump and so much more. Harry Belafonte passed away on April 25, 2023.This is episode 25 of Stories of Resistance — a podcast co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. Independent investigative journalism, supported by Global Exchange's Human Rights in Action program. Each week, we'll bring you stories of resistance like this. Inspiration for dark times.If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review. You can also follow Michael's reporting and support at www.patreon.com/mfox.Written and produced by Michael Fox.Links for some old clips of Harry Belafonte:Harry Belafonte Interview on Activism Through Art (1958)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUoAYilBgRYHarry Belafonte on racism, patriotism & war, 1967: CBC Archives | CBChttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XUlCuW7DrcHarry Belafonte's Best Crime Thriller? Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) | BlackTree TVhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zizXTmtGlKsHarry Belafonte in Concert (Japan, 1960)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnswQxvfci8Harry Belafonte Television and Video Archivehttps://www.youtube.com/@harrybelafontetvvideoarchiveIf you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review. You can also follow Michael's reporting, and support at patreon.com/mfox.Subscribe to Stories of Resistance podcast hereBecome a member and join the Stories of Resistance Supporters Club today!Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

Susanne Rostock, director of “Following Harry,” a documentary about the life of singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte, speaks with KCSB reporter Kelly Darroch about her lifelong friendship with Belafonte. The documentary was featured at this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Then, for Peace, Love and Pets, Robin Coleman of Woods Humane Society talks to Sarah Tomasetti, organizer of Wine 4 Paws Weekend, about participating local businesses and exciting, pet-friendly lineup of events. Our episode concludes with a conversation between KCBX's Tom Wilmer and author Sean Weir, where the latter recounts his days working at a historic California vineyard and the assorted group of individuals who joined him in, what turned out to be, an adventure in winemaking.

Nous sommes à la veille du réveillon de Noël 1984. L'année a été fabuleuse, spécialement à Los Angeles où grâce au succès historique d'une incroyable brochette d'artistes tels que Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bryan Adams ou Metallica, l'industrie du disque basée dans cette ville n'a jamais autant rapporté. Car oui, à Hollywood, Los Angeles, il y a désormais une autre industrie que le cinéma et la télé à faire recette : la musique. Ah je vous prie de croire que tout le monde commence à connaître le chemin du studio hollywoodien où Michael a enregistré Thriller. Et puis, c'est dans cette ville que, venu du grand nord des Etats-Unis, il a emménagé tout gamin, au début des années 70, avec sa famille. Il vit d'ailleurs toujours dans la même maison, avec ses parents. Bref, on ne compte plus les musiciens vivant à L.A., les ingénieurs du son, producteurs, surtout depuis l'époque récente, du disco, mais aussi les agents. Parmi eux, un certain Ken Kragen, 39 ans, se distingue de ses pairs en ce qu'il est lui-même devenu une vedette des médias. Et ce matin du 23 décembre, il reçoit dans ses bureaux la visite inattendue d'une véritable légende de la chanson populaire : Harry Belafonte. Si ce nom ne vous dit rien, pas de complexe, en 1984, Belafonte n'est plus connu que des militants des droits civiques dont il a été une des grandes figures, vingt ans plus tôt, quand il était, lui aussi, une star de la chanson établie depuis longtemps. Vous ne pouvez pas, ne pas connaître Banana Boat ni Try to remember. Et donc, si ce matin du 23 décembre, on serait curieux de savoir ce qu'aurait fait Ken Kragen, s'il avait su que cette poignée de main et accolade qu'il donne à Belafonte allait déboucher sur la seule chose pour laquelle finalement on parle toujours de lui.As-tu entendu ce que les Britanniques viennent de sortir pour sauver des vies en Afrique ?Bien sûr qu'il est au courant, c'est actuellement la vente du siècle en Europe. Mais l'Amérique est loin et on en parle assez peu. Et bien ?Et bien je voudrais qu'on reprenne l'idée de Bob Geldof et qu'on réunisse les plus grandes stars des Etats-Unis pour un concert. Comme tu es le manager de deux des plus grandes, tu me vois me tenir devant toi.C'est donc en cette journée que Ken Kragen appelle l'artiste qui lui doit tout. Celui à qui il a dit trois ans plus tôt, alors qu'il s'apprête à quitter un des groupes les plus populaires des Etats-Unis : ton problème, c'est que le public connaît tes chansons mais pas ton nom. Je m'en occupe ! Et après deux albums solos triomphaux dont le second à l'échelle de la planète, Lionel Richie reçoit un appel de son manager qui lui dit avoir besoin de lui.

One of the documentary films featured during the 40th annual SBIFF was Susanne Rostock's film 'Following Harry,' which chronicles the last 12 years of Mr. Harry Belafonte's life and activism. KCSB's Kelly Darroch spoke with Susanne Rostock to discuss her experience creating the film and her friendship over the years with Mr. Belafonte.

Dive headfirst into the absurd and whimsical world of Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" with us! In this episode, we dissect the eccentric oceanographer Steve Zissou's quest for revenge against the Jaguar Shark that claimed his partner's life. Join us as we navigate the chaotic crew of the Belafonte, encounter the enigmatic Ned Plimpton, and unravel the mysteries surrounding Team Zissou's latest expedition. We'll explore the film's unique blend of humor, pathos, and stunning cinematography, while discussing its themes of grief, legacy, and the search for meaning in the face of the unknown. From the flamboyant costumes and catchy David Bowie soundtrack to the unforgettable performances by Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, and Owen Wilson, "The Life Aquatic" is a cinematic experience like no other. We'll share our favorite moments, analyze the film's cultural impact, and debate the true meaning of the "Team Zissou" motto. So grab your flippers and join us for a deep dive into the depths of this Wes Anderson masterpiece. ·Season 4 Episode 39· No More Late Fees  ⁠https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com⁠ 909-601-NMLF (6653) — Follow Us on Social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nomorelatefees  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@nomorelatefees  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nomorelatefees Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@nomorelatefees  Twitter https://x.com/NoMoreLateFees  — CONQUERing ⁠⁠myconquering.com⁠⁠ 10% Off Code: JACKIE10 — NostaBeauty https://nostabeauty.com  20% Off Code: NMLF  — Nick Previous Episodes Monsters Inc. https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com/episode/monsters-inc The Great Pixar Debate with Nick https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com/episode/the-great-pixar-debate-with-nick Clerks https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com/episode/clerks Video Tales with Nick https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com/episode/video-store-tales-with-nick Goldeneye https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com/episode/goldeneye Spy Hard: Ranking 90s - 00 Movie Spies with Nick https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com/episode/spy-hard-ranking-90s-00s-movie-spies-with-nick —

Emergency Council Makes Bold Move.. In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand. Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected.. “You may outrun your sins, but never forget that someone will pay the toll.”  I biked home, brushing a city bus and a BMW getting there. On the landing between the second and third floors I found an Amazon with baleful eyes; waiting. In front of my door was her psychic twin. ‘Can I get you and/or your cohort anything?' I politely inquired. Yesterday; the cold shoulder. ‘Thank you for the consideration. We will wait until our itinerary is clarified,' she nodded. I went in, catching the abrupt cut off of some 'O' talk. 'O', as in Odette and Oneida. They were on the sofa, half-turned to face each other when I walked in. Oneida stood and gave the standard Amazon respectful nod. ‘Oneida was all screwed up inside about last night in the Park, so I was explaining some of the basic tenants of BDSM to her,' Odette blithely blathered. ‘BDSM? What do you know about BDSM? I barely know about it and I've been having non-stop sex for years,' I exclaimed. ‘Cáel of Ishara, did you do those things to Rhada in an effort to fulfill her dreams?' Oneida desperately pleaded. Worse, it was spoken in English. ‘I can't talk about it,' I replied. ‘That is 'Cáel' for 'yes',' Odette intruded. ‘I began reading up on BDSM after you got the suspension rig,' was her saucy response to me. ‘Would you ever do that to me?' Oneida gave me those big doe-eyes as she sat down. No, she didn't want a rape fantasy. That kind of submission wasn't her thing. I paced around, stomped into the kitchen then back to the living room. ‘No Oneida, I would never do something like that to you,' I promised. ‘I like having sex; a whole bunch. I like the women I'm with to have a great time too.' ‘That means I figure out what really excites her and provide it because I normally want to have sex with that girl again,' I explained, neglecting the 'and again and again and again.' ‘Is it over between you two?' Oneida asked. She meant Rhada and me. ‘Oneida, did I ask you to come over today?' I countered. ‘Have I upset you?' Oneida's lower lip trembled. 'Yes' would make things so much easier. ‘No,' I lied. ‘Let's look at this from another angle. How would you feel if Paula showed up at your domicile unannounced? You walked in and there she was.' ‘Oh,' she stood up again. ‘I apologize.' At this moment, saying nothing meant she'd leave. I'm an idiot. ‘Do you want to stay for dinner?' I offered. It took a few seconds for Oneida to forgive herself enough to accept my suggestion. Me raping Rhada less than 24 hours ago? We'd deal with that later, or so she promised herself. ‘Okay; if it is not too much trouble,' Oneida nodded. In came the doom and gloom duo and we ordered some over-sized sandwiches from an Italian Deli two blocks away. After the two walked through my place (again, I was sure) and the food arrived, the bodyguards relaxed into a close proximity of human beings. The freakishness continued as Odette bonded with the Amazon killers with tales of my sexual exploits. At the same time, I romanced Oneida in half a dozen languages. Storming those gates was going to take more time than I normally gave a single sexual encounter. Oneida kissed me. She loved kissing me. She was ecstatic about kissing me. She made it real clear there would be not petting; yet. Penetration wasn't even on the (her) agenda. This didn't meant I was accepting her marching orders. I was far craftier than that. My plan was one of 'setting an example'. I stood up; we were sitting on the bench press seat, shot Odette a sexy look then went to the kitchenette. We got something; whatever it was wasn't important. The crucial activity was my surrounding Odette in my arms from behind. I kissed her neck, Odette wiggled her ass against my crotch and murmured happily. More kissing along the neck, ear and jawline ensued. Odette exhaled a happy breath, and twisted around in my grasp until we were face to face. An exhaustive French kiss finishing up with a few light pecks and led to us rubbing noses like Inuit. ‘Thanks buddy,' I smiled warmly at Odette. ‘She blue-balling ya?' Odette snickered. ‘Big time,' I muttered. Odette squiggled down my body then bit both my nipples through my shirt making me gasp. ‘That should do nicely,' Odette's eyes were alight and she was super-pleased with herself. She smacked my ass then returned to the living room. I returned to Oneida. After a few seconds, ‘Does it disturb you to be treated like that?' Oneida murmured. ‘Like what?' I sounded so innocent. Trust me; this is a crucial relationship tool. ‘Like; like we would treat one of our males,' she looked for my reaction. I laughed. ‘The critical difference is that I can say 'no',' I smiled. ‘Oneida, do you think the original Ash Men spent every moment not in battle, contemplating their place in the Universe?' Clearly, she had. ‘Believe me, men hunted, worked their crafts and chased female Amazons when they weren't eating, or sleeping.' ‘Warfare is an emotional undertaking,' I had read that somewhere. ‘You can believe that with the battle safely won, your ancestors and my ancestors fooled around. They sang songs, wrote poetry, and created artwork for the ladies they courted. They wanted the attention of the strongest, bravest and most courageous mates, just like your ancestors did.' ‘I think I do know something about the Ash Men you don't,' I prodded her. ‘What? I have studied them for many years,' Oneida was now more engaged. ‘What can you tell me about Vranus?' I asked. That stumped her. ‘I; nothing is written of his exploits,' Oneida admitted. ‘We know he was a young warrior for Ishara.' ‘Think about this, Oneida; Vranus was only twenty yet a member of the Host,' I started. She nodded. ‘He is shown with twin axes; no shield and no bow. That means he had to be very brave, rushing through the initial exchange of arrow fire and thrown spears to attack his enemy. His House probably directed him to large clumps of opponents, breaking their formations for the Host to exploit.' ‘That means he fought alone for several seconds until his accompanying Amazons could pick apart his foe,' I explained. ‘That must have been horrible,' Oneida frowned. ‘Not at all,' I protested. ‘He was trusted with a crucial task; to hold the enemy's focus so the faster moving Amazons could attack their foe from multiple directions at once.' ‘The Amazons of House Ishara must have been very proud of him,' I fluffed out the fantasy. ‘From what you saw from my two exhibition with twin axes, it is very tiring. Vranus had to have absolute confidence his sisters were coming for him. They trusted one another, thus fighting as one organic unit. It was a synergy that included the best of both genders.' That last bit confused her. ‘Back then, most of the Host would have been of the same genetic stock from the time of the First Betrayal. Short and fast. The males of the region they took over were taller; the local men being even taller than the local women. That means you give men heavier and longer weapons. Your people would have favored bows, light shields and short spears; ranged, or quick in and out tools.' Was any of that true? Not a history major, so I have no clue. ‘Many of the Host at the time rode horses yet there are also pictures of them forming battle lines,' Oneida enlightened me then her own eyes expanded. ‘Males are always shown with solid round shields while the Host; women had the oval wicker shields.' ‘Lacking stirrups, the Amazons may have used the men to grapple with the enemy then rode their horses around the flanks, dismounted and engaged their opponents from the rear; Amazon style,' I grinned. It was. Amazons were all about out-maneuvering and confounding their foes. The Amazons hadn't been callous with their males' lives. At one time, chosen females had held the center line. Over time, as males joined, it was practical to adapt the solid wooden shields of their opponents for their own males and put them in the place where their upper body strength and size were of best effect. The unknown older male with Vranus had probably held his place in the battle line dozens of times. I doubt he complained, or even thought to complain. Who would have taken his place? A smaller sister, aunt, or daughter? Had other males objected? Sure, the battle line in Amazon tactics was not the place of glory. The striking arm were the horse-riders. Countless times adversaries had spent the last minutes of their lives with the echoes of horses, hooves and female Amazon war cries seemingly all around them. Some wise old dead fucker once said 'defeat starts in the mind'. I wholeheartedly believed in that; except my version was 'having sex with me starts with my insidious nature'. ‘Defeat starts in the mind,' I stared intently into Oneida's eyes. Love poetry is a matter of emotional context, not actual words. I pulled Oneida to me, letting her straddle my lap because I desperately wanted her to understand my tortured soul. Grinding her vulva against my hard-on was totally accidental, as was our renewed French kiss and me grabbing two handfuls of her ass. There was no rushing of things. Oneida was a skittish mare and I had to keep her feeling safe despite her sexual peril. Any woman who bothers to get to know me knows I am not a complicated guy. Case in point: by the time Oneida was feeding me her left nipple, Odette already had the security types sweep my bedroom (again) then the three retreated to Timothy's room and shut the door. Were Oneida's guardians worried about Oneida's carnal violation? No, why would they? Amazons had dick on demand. Virginity didn't hold any religious significance for them; killing things did. With the speed and efficiency those other two Amazons made themselves scarce, I imagined they were happy that Oneida had stopped mooning over me and getting a good grip on reality. A righteous dicking was in the offing. Oneida's open eyed, opened-mouth countenance when she found herself naked on my bed with a naked me hovering over her was precious. That look always was. It did necessitate a question. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?' I whispered. My aroused cock brushed along her thigh. The question was a courtesy. The answer was always the same because girls want to have sex. They also want to believe they have a say in the process from beginning to end. I say 'believe' because sex done right is passion and passion is the rejection of reason. At some point in the seduction, intercourse becomes an avalanche. Logic can scream all it wants; the hormones are not listening. I slipped into Oneida's velvety liquid embrace. She gave up a sigh of relief. She'd made the jump into intimacy. Any other explanation for what was going to happen would have implicated me as a 'Player'; which everyone else thought I was. Oneida had this romantic ideal of me that no amount of evidence appeared to shatter. Personally, I was starting to dread ever going to her bedroom. I wasn't sure of her 'My Little Pony' comforter would be a turn-off for me. I had done in it on Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid, so odds were I'd pull through in the clinch. ‘I am not hurting you, am I?' I moaned. Said for emotional impact alone. If I was causing a girl pain, I would have stopped first. ‘No,' happy murmuring, ‘I'm wonderful.' The most powerful organ human's possess is the brain. Oneida was a 'talker'. She wanted to express her feelings during intercourse; not give to directions, but as an effort to increase her participation in the sex act itself. Slow, steady strokes followed, withdrawing my glans half way along her labia, moved up and down slightly then gradually pushed back in. Every entry held something new for her. I added to the process by tilting her thigh and leg forward so that my next penetration tantalized a whole new series of trigger points in her cunny. On the next pass, Oneida began her own experimentations, twisting and adjusting the angle of her hips as I worked my rod in and out. Oneida began crying. I wasn't upset and that didn't make me a callous bastard. She was shedding tears of joy and regret; joy because her first climax was in the offing; regret because she wish she had done this with me sooner. She had been a Havenstone employee so we hadn't done the deed. We still had to keep our liaison secret. Why? I'd think of something. The real reason was pure politics. I never knew what wacky dame hated another wacky dame for reasons I couldn't even get into, but I knew it would curtail my dating opportunities. I'd pay the price of deception later. What I couldn't take was being denied sex without having done anything wrong first. ‘Am I making you happy?' Oneida gasped. No flippancy here; romance was the key. ‘You demand things from me few other women do,' I replied breathlessly. I wasn't going to lie to her. Prettying up the truth was good enough and it made her happy. I also got something new; to her, not to me. She orgasmed. Whatever she'd been satisfied with before, I obliterated in a few quick, decisive strokes. Oh God; did she go off! It has happened to me before; the door being kicked in; just not in mid-orgasm. Guns being pointed at yours truly while the girl was in mid-scream was new. And Oneida was still carrying on and on. ‘I was trying to tell you!' Odette was screaming. ‘He does that to us all the time; please don't shoot him.' The whole 'girl screaming at me in Old Kingdom Hittite' was also new. My mentor preferred Minoan. ‘I have come back from Death,' Oneida rasped. Her skin was flushed deep red from her exertion, she had bathed us both in sweat and she was coming up with any form of vocalization from Goddess-knows where she had screamed for so long. She looked at me with love in her eyes; damn it. She looked and looked and looked and; finally noticed the two women at the foot of the bed. ‘Is; some; thing; wrong?' Oneida panted while gazing at her two guardians with worry.  ‘You may outrun your sins, but never forget that someone will pay the toll.' There was someone pounding on my apartment door. ‘Neighbor; door; I'm on it,' Odette called out. Seconds later the deadbolts clicked and the door opened. ‘Hello, Mr. Finnes.' ‘You God-damn Whore!' he screamed. ‘Where is that homo and his butt-buddy? The cops are on their way and this time you are all in the street.' He had a good head of steam on tonight. Slayer of Testicles #1 looked at Slayer of Testicles #2, nodded and left. ‘Who is this bitch,' Finnes got out. It was so wrong that I recognized the next sound. It was the barrel of a gun being inserted into a person's mouth. ‘Listen and listen carefully,' SoT#1 spoke softly. ‘You are going back to your hovel. If I get word, or even a bad premonition, that you are causing this apartment a hint of worry, I am going to come back and end you in a fashion the New York City's Coroner's Office will find memorable.' ‘I do not care if you have to puncture both eardrums to drown out the noise. I am not a compassionate person. In fact, I am considered sadistic by those who know me well. Now go back home, tell the police who show up this was all a mistake and give a prayer of thanks to whatever deity you grovel before that I didn't simply ram my firearm up your anus and decorate the ceiling in what passes for brains in your pathetic bone-sack of a body,' she menaced. There was a choking/gagging noise then the sound of heaving. ‘Mr. Finnes; are you okay?' Odette worried. As a wonderful counter-point. ‘Have you given me your seed?' Oneida asked hopefully. I was still hard. It had only been ten minutes of sex after all. I gently rocked my penis deeper in. ‘Oh,' she happily babbled. ‘Again?' SoT#2 questioned. I made a few more penetration cycles instead of speaking. ‘Do they train you in some sort of Sex Academy for this? Are there more males out there like you?' ‘Is having a viewing gallery a real damper on the mood?' I asked her while looking into Oneida's eyes. I was actually proud of Oneida for not sending the other woman away. It showed me she respected the woman's job. I also heard the apartment door shut. ‘Wow, your threat was nice and spooky,' Odette snickered. ‘Threat? Child, what do you think I do for a living?' SoT#1 asked. ‘You are one of those wacko, psycho-chicks Cáel Nyilas works with,' Odette was undoubtedly smiling. ‘Correct, I am one of those wacko, psycho-chicks;' SoT#1 left that hanging out there. ‘You weren't playing with Mr. Finnes, were you?' Odette grew quiet. Pause. ‘There is really a job which allows you to do that kind of stuff?' Pause. ‘Can I apply?' ‘This is not something you apply;' SoT#1 began, but then, ‘I guess if Cáel wants to; ‘ ‘Cool,' Odette was truly irrepressible. ‘If he does that, there will definitely be consequences and repercussions,' SoT#1 cautioned. ‘Oh, I think I had better stick with being his fuck-buddy,' Odette conceded. ‘Wise choice,' SoT#1 agreed. My bedroom door shut. SoT#2 had slipped out. Do you often have sex with an audience?' I teased Oneida. ‘Yes,' she answered matter-of-factly, ‘I do. Don't you?' ‘Now that you mention it;' and I got back to the pleasure that encompasses so much of my life. Sunday Night. ‘Cáel,' a voice purred over my phone. ‘Hey Nicole,' I greeted my lawyer not-quite a hook-up anymore. Also, unless you are Sure you know the female caller, don't take a gamble with the name. ‘So, do you have something going on tonight?' she queried. ‘Nope. My normal engagement had to cancel so I'm sitting back with some friends who do not appreciate the depth of my depravity,' I sighed. ‘Canceled?' She laughed. ‘On you? Have your recovered from the shock?' ‘Actually, they had a death in the family and had to go to South Carolina,' I explained. ‘Oh; sorry,' Nicole apologized. ‘Well, if you are feeling lonely and neglected, you could come by work and do me a favor.' ‘I am feeling neither lonely, nor neglected, but I am certainly missing you right now. Give me a half hour and I'll be there,' I promised. She thanked me and hung up. ‘Who is it this time?' Odette snickered. Man, I was becoming so used to her hanging around. ‘Nicole the lawyer,' I replied. I trekked back to my bedroom to prep. I opted for the 'Bad Boy' look; worn jeans, high-top tennis shoes (equally worn), my Plant Smashers t-shirt (Quebecois ska band; yes, I will road-trip to another country for sex) and my Bolingbrook bomber jacket. Yes, I was going to an Ivy League Law firm dressed like a carjacker. Every other male was going to be dressed in finely-tailored silk and I had to stand out. Since I couldn't outspend them, I was going to make them look like effete pussies by dressing like I just didn't care what anyone thought. I was coming over to screw Nicole and there would be no doubt about it. ‘Isn't that chick rich?' Timothy teased me. ‘Yeah. I'm packing the glow in the dark Trojans tonight; cause she's special,' I grinned. ‘Oh! I love those,' Odette squealed. She really needed to trust me less. I walked over, cupped her ears with my hand then kissed her on the forehead. I did the same to Timothy. His look suggested that I had best make a hasty exit before he kicked my ass. I caught a taxi a block away. It turned out he was from Qatar and he asked if I was sure about the address I gave him. I grinned then told him I could outrun 95% of the yPD so was feeling good about my chances. He snorted, countering with 'If you were an Arab, they'd shoot you.' Not to be outdone, 'I'd claim to be a Syrian anti-government protester; you know, because we all look alike to these Caucasians'. We laughed for a bit then he said he had a younger sister back in the homeland. I insisted I was immoral; a wicked man. 'Was I religious?' 'Only when it suited my purposes.' 'Would I consider converting to Sunni Islam?' 'Only if the girl was cute enough.' He showed me her picture; dammit, she had a really beautiful face. I got her name, his name and the name of his mosque. I considered it. Yahweh, Christ, Bacchus (wine, an orgy and 'bull' testicles; long story) and Jehovah all had reasons to barbeque my ass already. Why not add Allah to the mix, besides it being an incredibly stupid thing to do for a man in constant mortal peril like me? In theory, three of the four definitely had the possibility to be the same Omniscient and Omnipotent Galactic Being so the odds were I wouldn't get too much more screwed. I finished up my journey imagining Buffy in a burqa. That evolved into a vision of me being force-fed a burqa; in private; where no one could hear my muffled cries for help. Buffy; murdering me; made me horny. I am a sick puppy. ‘Buffy,' I called her as I paid the cabbie. ‘What; huh; are you okay, Cáel?' Buffy muttered. ‘Yes, I'm fine. I was dreaming of you and decided to give you a call,' I related in a sleepy voice. ‘Oh;' she sounded affectionate. ‘Yeah. In the dream you were murdering me. It was so romantic; so you,' I related. ‘Shit-for-brains, do you have any idea what time it is?' Buffy turned all savage in an instant. ‘Hmm; 11:45?' I offered up. ‘Call me this late again when it is not an emergency and your dream will become a reality,' she growled. ‘You know you sound so;' and she hung up on me. I called Nicole and warned her I was at her building, pursued by two FDIC investigators and could she please come and rescue me. She snickered, came down and retrieved me, but not before the yPD stopped by for a casual conversation and I hadn't even been standing there two minutes. In my neighborhood you were lucky if you saw a patrol car every thirty minutes and short of offering them some crack cocaine, cheap nookie, or shooting a gun off, they never stopped. Was I my normally fuck-wad self? No. I told the man/woman team the truth. Some upper crust weenies I worked with dragged me off to Yuppie Hell. I hooked up with a lawyer who I screwed repeatedly in the Women's bathroom and she was calling me for round 2. Second question (the first one was name/ID/reason for being in this part of town dressed like I was)? Was she paying me? 'No'. Was I practicing safe sex (female cop; married even)? 'Yes'. Was she the red-head at the door behind me? 'Yes she was and goodnight.' ‘What are you dressed like that for?' Nicole smiled. In her mind she already knew the answer; I had come here to screw her; raw and primal. ‘Ballroom dancing was not on the itinerary you gave me,' I smiled. We went inside. ‘My co-workers are still here,' she hinted seductively. ‘Whoa now!' I protested humorously. ‘I am not here to pull a train; girls only.' Nicole nearly fell over laughing. She was so embarrassed by me and my attire, she dragged me straight to the conference room 'her' team was working out of. Everyone else was eating. Two of the lawyers were clearly the top dogs; a man and a woman. The woman had a vague resemblance to one of the portraits I'd seen coming in; a legacy. The man screamed 'serial killer'. It probably made him one hell of a lawyer, but spooky to live with, or work for. The other nine people in the room were in two groups. Two were obviously paralegals. They dressed in what must have started out as clean, starched clothing from off the rack as opposed to tailored. The other seven were lawyers in their own dual set-up. My amateur guess was two different branches of law. This group was dressed in fine clothes now wrinkled from a long day's work, plus it was a Sunday. They were not at their best yet they were still better than most of what I had. The most endearing part was how they looked at me. Even the female contingent thought that I was trash. I had certainly given them the opportunity. Seriously, they should have paid more attention to Nicole, her intelligence, competence and tastes. Come on now; there was no way she'd bring some grease-monkey from Flatbush to her workplace. They needed to engage their brains and not their social bias. A murmur slithered through the crowd. Amusement and condescension were the clear messages shot my way. I imagine the poor soul who delivered the food got less crap because he/she was providing a tangible service. ‘Nicole, who is this?' the woman asked. Sex. Outside of her being a soulless cancer on the hopes and dreams of mankind, she was an alluring forty-something. ‘This is my friend Cáel;' Nicole began, both her arms wrapped around my right arm. ‘Cáel Belafonte,' I interrupted. You could tell who the trial lawyers in the room were. Their expressions told me they knew I was lying. ‘Fascinating Mr. Belafonte,' Mr. Serial-Killer droned on. ‘What do you do?' ‘I am an Ichthyologist,' I met his gaze. ‘I'm involved in a twenty year study to determine the cause for the reduction in the size of Tuna fish scales.' That had them stumped. ‘That sounds like yet another great waste of government funds,' a young male lawyer with more bravado than combat-sex experience fired off. ‘Oh,' I shrugged. ‘Smaller scales, smaller full-sized Tuna, a spike in tuna prices and an eventual world-wide restriction on Tuna fishing, similar to the one currently covering virtually all whale species. Now, I doubt you know which people will decide who the recipient of those lucrative Tuna contracts will be, but I do. By all means; mock what you don't understand.' ‘Government research project results will be in the public domain,' a woman joined the struggle. ‘Yes; and?' I asked in a bland tone. ‘Your research will be available to all kinds of commercial concerns,' male asshat grinned. ‘Your ability to show that you are as smart as any pre-law student must make someone, somewhere very proud,' I grinned back. Confused looks. Nicole was struggling to keep it together. ‘He never said he was in any manner part of the government, or a government program, Mr. Cherrie,' the female lead barracuda gave me her own hungry look. The guy looked pissed. ‘Oh, Mr. Belafonte, are you a private researcher, or a government one?' she female junior lawyer asked. ‘Heather Pulaski,' she gave her name. ‘Call me Cáel, Heather, and I am in no way associated with any government, I barely know what an Ichthyologist is and I'm certainly not one. Rude, arrogant people annoy me when they treat my friends like they are stupid; especially when they should know better. I can rarely stop myself from ridiculing them,' I grinned. ‘And now you think you are better than everyone else in the room for tricking us with this juvenile prank,' the Serial Killer sounded bored. ‘No. The lives of strangers are not my concern,' I bantered back. ‘I did what I did to make Nicole smile. If my antics remind the rest of you what a hotshot lawyer she is so much the better.' ‘Mr. and Mrs. Dyoung, Cáel, Cáel Nyilas, is a joker. He's is also brilliant and just joined Havenstone Commercial Investments in their Executive Services Division,' Nicole bragged. She got points for the 'Executive Services' part. More smirks; some people never learn. ‘Havenstone doesn't employ too many men, does it?' Mrs. Dyoung said. Maybe she was looking for a Discrimination lawsuit. ‘Five men to be precise and two of us are out of the country,' I enlightened her. ‘So you are brilliant,' Mr. Dyoung seemed barely engaged; and was Mrs. Dyoung's Mr. Dyoung. ‘What are your insights on DNA ownership, Cáel?' ‘DNA ownership is a fallacy,' I stated. ‘People are not pigs, soybeans, or corn. You cannot create a financial liability for your offspring because that amounts to slavery and is forbidden by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. DNA is a person; their blueprint. Only the person owns it and they can't even sell it outright.' ‘That is hopelessly naive,' he snorted. ‘Not really. If you apply an accepted price tag to every human being on Earth, the anarchy will begin. Crimes like murder, torture and mutilation are based on the concept that human life has an unspecified value. Give something a value and you can trade in it.' ‘Murder somebody? How much was their DNA worth?' I postulated. ‘I pay the cost, or somebody pays it for me. You are calling me naïve? I'm not murdering somebody. I'm repossessing their DNA. Mr. Dyoung, I'm not a lawyer, so I am not approaching this from a limited field of vision like you are. I live in the World.' ‘Oddly enough, I've had some recent encounters with real slavery and that has convinced me that I'll go down standing up, thank you very much,' I grinned. ‘In case that was misconstrued; my DNA is mine, no legal precedent will change that and I'm more than willing to put bodies in the ground to keep it so.' ‘You sound like an anarchist,' Mr. Cherrie chimed in. ‘Nope. I'm independent-minded. There is a difference,' I indicated. ‘Just like you, anarchists don't want to let me be me either.' ‘Laws exist for a reason,' Nicole chastised me. What she was really saying was 'you are here for a reason and it isn't entertaining my co-workers'. ‘This is the point where the smart man goes 'yes ma'am, they do',' I nodded to her. ‘Your young man is not stupid,' Mrs. Dyoung chuckled. ‘This young man knows what happens if he behaves,' Nicole bowed to her superior; her boss, not me. ‘Oh goodie,' I rubbed my hands together. ‘Are we about to do some file-sharing?' ‘Something like that,' Nicole laughed and off we went. All I could imagine was that Nicole had to be God's Own lawyer at this firm to get away with the crap we'd just pulled. Honestly, I had other things on my mind. We coasted into her office, with her name etched on the glass door; with the glass walls and floor to ceiling glass windows. Just because, I picked up a water-smoothed stone on her desk; glass houses and all. ‘That is from the Canadian Shield; some of the oldest rocks on Earth,' she told me. ‘You are also going to have one of the most painful hard substance on Earth in your office if we don't do something soon,' I teased. ‘Where do you want to start?' she leaned against her desk. Her office was small, but it was her own. Considering her age, it was another 'she rocks' indicator. ‘Your lips,' I murmured. Nicole liked that. She pushed off the desk enough so our lips could lock. It was very nice. ‘The other lips,' I teased her. She liked that idea even more. Her black, mid-thigh skirt came up, I knelt and decided her scarlet thong was more than skimpy enough for me to work around. I let my hands run along her calves. Nicole hummed out her acclaim and was even happier when I began lifting both legs up. Before long, she was laying on her back, her legs were raised high and spread wide. Nice and easy was replaced by rapidly energetic and fiendishly cunning. Nicole was fighting back the tidal surge of her ecstasy. ‘What are you holding back for?' I slurped around my tongue-lashing. We weren't in a bathroom stall this time. Nicole tilted her head up, gave me a simmer glance then embraced her orgasm. ‘Damn!' she screamed followed by a dozen slightly less vocal 'damns'. I gave her just enough time for me to shed my pants, roll down a prophylactic then I mounted. Had there been any doubt of our forceful ardor, my heroic efforts and Nicole's dynamism shattered them. Half of the lawyers I'd briefly met stopped by and peeked through the glass. I didn't care and Nicole reveled in 'bending the minds' of the onlookers. After a while, her office was not enough. That sofa in the executive reception area? I bent her over the art deco beast and pummeled it, half way across the room. The bathroom? To be gender-equal, we screwed around in the Men's room this time. Nicole and I revisited her erotic fantasy of being bent over in the toilet, sodomized, then completing the act with dispensing of the condom and a glorious blowjob. Our last encounter involved a men's standing urinal, Nicole's legs wrapped around my waist as I gyrated. ‘Oh my God!' she yelped. ‘I've got it. Put me down.' I put her down because the reason I was here was to crack the mental block she had found herself in. Me? I'd come for the sex and Nicole delivered in spades. She had upheld her side of our bargain. Now that I'd reciprocated, it was time for 'hook-up' Nicole to become 'lawyer' Nicole. She made herself somewhat presentable and quick-stepped in back to the conference room. I secured my cock and pants before following. Nicole was babbling in an eldritch dark-tongue similar to Lady Sauron relaying doom to her pack of Nazgûl. They responded with various other arcane invocations until their agreement confirmed that millions of voices had cried out in terror then been suddenly silenced. In my universe, female devotees of Evil were all black leather-clad gorgeous sex kittens who used their dark arts to increase galactic lecherousness. ‘Time to show you out,' Nicole gave me a sultry smirk. ‘Come on.' Arm in arm, we traveled closely to the elevators. ‘Hold the door,' a female voice commanded right as the doors began to shut on the two of us. Nicole put a hand out to keep us from a few more second of alone time. A Caucasian women with short brown hair and a fierce scowl entered first. An imperious damsel came in next. My heart stopped in shock while I barely registered on her radar. A dusky man, nearly my height came in last of all. The doors shut and down we went. I was spending too much time watching the woman and her two bodyguards as we all headed to the door and not enough with Nicole. ‘Don't even think about it, Cáel,' Nicole teased. ‘That's Miss Brianna O'Shea, she leads our client's team and she's totally off limits.' O'Shea pulled a 'Katrina' the moment after Nicole used my name. She spun in place so that she was now facing Nicole and me. ‘What was your name?' she asked with sugary smoothness I associated with Bolivian tourism officials; the nice ones. You know, the ones that thought using a truck battery attached to the jumper cables and your testicles was too much because a car battery would do. ‘Percival Fenris, ma'am,' I introduced myself. ‘I'm a product engineer for Cyberdyne Systems. My team is creating a process that uses constantly recycling colored sugar dust as a medium that will replace current LCD technology. We are calling it Pixie TV.' Nicole was giggling. I was feeling less giggly, mainly because I was staring at my Mother. Not my Mother-mother; the woman who gave birth to me and who had been eaten alive by cancer. No, this was my Mother the way she looked when she was twenty-five and in excellent health. ‘Miss O'Shea, this is Cáel Nyilas. He is a good friend of mine,' Nicole cut through my obfuscation. O'Shea took several steps toward us, away from the exit. Her guardians kept up and were ratcheting up their vigilance. ‘Interesting eyes,' she noted. ‘What is your heritage?' Rude and scary. Even Nicole knew something was incredibly wrong. ‘Cáel, you two have the same eyes,' Nicole mumbled. ‘I was thinking the same thing, Miss Lawless,' Brianna said. Huh? ‘You are a lawyer named Lawless?' I gawked at Nicole. ‘How did that happen?' Why had that not registered when I went to Nicole's office? Oh yeah, her leading me in, eyes pleading for sex. ‘That is not relevant, Mr. Nyilas,' O'Shea kept coming. ‘What do you mean 'not relevant'? Are you saying you'd hire a male escort named Quick-fire Small-Penis?' I wondered. ‘If so, you are a more trusting soul than I.' ‘Why are you avoiding my question?' Brianna queried. ‘Why are you asking questions I clearly don't want to answer?' I retorted. ‘Cáel, please don't antagonize my client's representative,' Nicole was playful yet concerned. ‘No problem Nicole Lawless, Attorney at Law,' I grinned to her. I gave her a secretive ass squeeze then made to leave. Miraculously, Brianna let me slip by. The deceptiveness of that kindness was revealed when I stepped outside and found the limo; with another bodyguard standing beside the front passenger door. O'Shea/Mom's double was hot on my heels. As I turned and headed up the street, she grabbed my right arm. ‘Why don't we go out for a late bite to eat,' she stated. I wasn't being invited. I was being told. ‘No can do,' I shrugged off her hand. ‘I promised my Father to leave a recognizable corpse.' ‘What makes you think I have sinister intentions?' she questioned. There was a lot of that going around; not answering stuff, that is. ‘Why do you assume you aren't giving off the same bad vibe as a half-dozen 18th Street gangbangers on a Meth binge?' I teased. Brianna made a hand signal and the three bruisers put their hands on their guns. The closest to me moved around me to block off that escape route. To be correct, the guy at the car door was African-American, around my height with maybe 10 kg on me. The two guarding O'Shea were a guy of Moorish decent and a woman of the English Midlands. I knew this because I was afraid and making shit up. ‘Was I supposed to be impressed with the quiet appeal of desperation you exhibited by playing patty-cake with yourself,' I kept smiling. ‘Or are these three supposed to scare me?' I chuckled. ‘Here; in downtown Manhattan; one of the few places on the planet Earth trying to rival London in video surveillance.' ‘Video evidence can be altered,' Brianna gave me a wicked gleam. ‘Was that supposed to be your Evil Henchwoman voice?' I kept snickering. ‘If so, get a refund from that mail-order firm you took lessons from,' I grinned. ‘You appear to be rather fearless, and obstinate,' O'Shea nodded. ‘Foolishly so.' ‘Lady, I'm staring into the face of my dead Mother who is trying to get me into a limo with three goombahs who think they are intimidating. They are not,' I pointed out. ‘This whole weekend has been a disaster, so me beating the crap out of those three, you and the driver isn't going to change a damn thing,' I enlightened them. The Moorish guy extended a collapsible cane. ‘You seem very confident,' she informed me. ‘Of course I am,' I stated. ‘You haven't spotted my bodyguard yet, meaning all of you are truly screwed.' ‘Why would you have a bodyguard?' she inquired. ‘Why would you want to know?' I countered. ‘Do you practice being irritating, or is an innate talent?' Brianna regarded me. ‘We can do this 'answering a question with a question' thing all night long, except I have to be at work at six a.m. so how about you tell me what you really want to know and tell me why you look like; screw that; are my Mother's clone,' I sighed. ‘Tell me about your genetic heritage,' O'Shea demanded. She was that kind of authoritative prick; actual penis not required. ‘I apologize. I don't seem to have a handle your native vocabulary and your English-as-a-Second Language skills suck,' I sneered. ‘I should go home now.' Moorish guy blocked my egress. English chick was on my right flank, back to the limo and the street. The most pressing issue was a matter of privilege; O'Shea's people thought they'd get away with breaking the law. The moment the Moor popped out is baton, it was 'on'. A baton is a weapon plus O'Shea and her bodyguard were blocking my exit. I was legally free to attack him now. Normally I was lawfully compelled to exit the scene as opposed to engaging in violence. Since I couldn't run away, I was allowed to kick his ass; and O'Shea and company didn't give a crap. I worked five-plus days a week with people like that. The wavy-red haired, emerald green-eyed O'Shea wasn't the daughter of some Mafioso, or Nigerian Warlord. I didn't know what she was, but she was the many opposites of good news. ‘I imagine you think I didn't notice that Taser,' I addressed the Englishwoman while getting in the Moor's face. ‘That is an unfortunate miscalculation on your part.' ‘See, your dumbass partner, with his wonderful 80 cm tool, has let me get inside his reach. Before he can bring it to bear, I'm going to crush it trachea,' I outlined. ‘Now I have his tool and the whole reach thing is working in reverse. You have a hand-held device with a 10 cm reach and I have one that is 80 cm and the distance to make effective use of it.' ‘Don't worry about the guy at the door. By the time I face you, my bodyguard will lethally wound Miss O'Shea there. In case you missed it, now you are all screwed because your job is to guard her, not suppress me; and you all just failed,' I kept the Moor's eye contact. ‘While this horror crosses your mind, I'll break your hand.' ‘Your buddy isn't coming to help you. He's running to Miss O'Shea because he's supposed to keep her alive and that takes all his time and concentration. You poor driver will get out and, not yet having his situational awareness, my bodyguard will neutralize him. About the same time, I will crack your skull open. This allows me to decide whether, or not to kill Miss O'Shea,' I concluded. All of that was an utter and complete fantasy. Collapsible batons; I'd seen them in a few movies. Tasers? I have been tazed and never, ever want to repeat the process; three separate incidences was enough for me. Did I have a bodyguard close by? I had not asked for one and Havenstone had the sad habit of not telling me a damn thing that concerned my personal survival. On the plus side, I could be a compelling actor, or successful conman. I'm not an actor by the grace of two little words; sex scandal. If I sleep with a girl I want it to be because I've tricked and deceived her, not because she wants to tape us then sell it to the media. That would make me feel degraded; cheapened even. I'm not a conman because they use seduction to get what they want. For me, the seduction IS what I want. Steal their money? That would imply I would never, ever be able to sleep with them again. I couldn't do that and remain true to myself. To prove my point, the Moor looked past me to O'Shea for instructions. I punched him in his Solar Plexus and took his toy as I shoved his breathless form to the sidewalk. The Englishwoman expected me to attack her, just like I'd told her I would. It took her a second to realize I'd played her. By then it was too late. I could flee up the street if I wanted. ‘You attacked my man,' O'Shea noted casually. ‘Well, your ears are dicey, but your eyes are spot-on,' I snorted. ‘Shoot him,' O'Shea was decided to wrap this up. I was ceasing to be amusing. ‘In the legs.' Out came the guns and down went my likelihood of getting out of this intact. Pamela walked out of the building we'd exited a minute ago. She was wearing tight black stretch pants, a red turtleneck and a short beige jacket. ‘Protocols,' Pamela invoked in a bored voice. ‘Define,' O'Shea demanded. ‘Cáel,' Pamela kept her gaze on O'Shea, ‘who do you work for?' ‘Havenstone,' I answered. O'Shea looked from Pamela to me. ‘This does not protect a simple employee,' O'Shea stated. ‘I am invoking the Protocols. This does not require me to explain things to you,' Pamela was cool and relaxed. ‘By all means, if you feel I am abusing the Truce, kick it upstairs and it will be adjudicated.' ‘What is your name?' Brianna O'Shea requested of Pamela. ‘Cáel Nyilas. That is all you need to know,' Pamela smirked. ‘That is not possible,' Brianna gained her own barracuda grin. ‘He is Illuminati business. Look at his eyes.' Pamela laughed. The WHO? Weren't they some kind of Freemasons? ‘He walks away right now unless you explain yourself. He is at Havenstone. Whatever relationship he possessed with the Illuminati ceased when he was hired,' Pamela informed her. ‘Cáel Nyilas, tell me about your Mother,' Brianna commanded. ‘No,' I shrugged. ‘It is a simple enough question,' Miss O'Shea persisted. ‘And it is simply none of your business,' I held my ground. ‘I am her sister,' O'Shea declared. Pamela snorted but otherwise kept silent. ‘Ugh; that was not what I wanted to hear,' I groaned. Pamela snickered. She knew where my mind was. ‘Why should I believe you?' ‘You had your genetic sequence analyzed Thursday, didn't you?' O'Shea said. ‘That was flagged by people working for me because you and I share half of the same DNA.' ‘That's not possible,' Pamela stated in the same way she knew I was a cosmic joke. ‘How is that not possible?' I looked to Pamela. I was really starting to accept me and Homicidal O'Shea were family. Why? I'd never had to confront the incest taboo before and here it was looking right at me. O'Shea looked to Pamela, to me, back to Pamela then finally back at me. ‘Do you have a single clue about what is going on?' Brianna addressed me. ‘Yeah, of course I do,' I lied. ‘You are with the Illuminati and you know Havenstone is more than a bunch of greedy bitches.' Pause. ‘So you know nothing about what is going on here, right at this moment,' O'Shea's eyes skewered me. Sigh. ‘Mom; your sister, is dead;' I got out. ‘Yes, she died seven years ago,' Brianna interrupted. ‘What?' I glared. ‘No, she died fifteen years ago. Where do you get your information from and why didn't you at least check out the fucking gravestone?' I snapped. ‘Fifteen; that doesn't make sense; I didn't know where she died, only that when her medication ran out, she would have been consumed by some kind of aggressive cancer,' O'Shea responded. ‘What;' sort of slipped out. ‘How many brothers and sisters do you have?' O'Shea probed. ‘Like I'd tell you,' I growled. ‘None,' Pamela stated. ‘Thanks,' I glared at Pam. ‘Why don't you give away all my bargaining chips?' ‘Cáel, they know your last name,' Pamela stated. ‘Do you want them to hunt down your father and torture him for the names and locations of any other children?' ‘If you go after my Dad;' I became aggressive. ‘You will do nothing,' Pamela interrupted. ‘He is not covered by the Truce.' ‘A Truce I know nothing about,' I grumbled. ‘Screw all of you.' ‘Don't sweat it, Cáel. They need you and I can prove it with two honestly answered question,' Pamela smirked. ‘What name are you using today?' to Brianna. ‘Brianna O'Shea,' the red-haired lady replied. ‘How quaint; your real name. Brianna, how many other nieces and nephews do you and your sisters have?' Pamela inquired. Brianna glared. ‘I'll answer that for her; none. That begs the question of why you,' Pamela smiled at me, ‘exist at all. I'm sure that come Monday morning every medic at Havenstone is going to be crawling all over you looking for that answer.' O'Shea had a new game plan. She was going to murder Pamela and kidnap me. This meant I was going to get screwed up; maybe killed. Pamela would kill everyone else and sex would be extra painful for the next week to ten days; I was tired of that crap. I dropped the baton and walked up to Brianna. The bodyguards were twitching, Brianna was calculating multiple variables and Pamela looked mildly amused. I hugged Brianna. ‘If we are family then we are family,' I explained. ‘If there is something you want to talk to me about, give me a call. I'm in the book and I'm sure Havenstone can patch you through if you want to get in touch with me at work.' Pamela was struggling to contain her mirth. ‘Can you keep this discussion under wraps for now?' Brianna requested. The likelihood of that happening must have showed in my eyes. ‘Okay, who do you work for?' Pamela was laughing into her hand. ‘Umm; I work for Katrina Love of Executive Services,' I answered. O'Shea almost had an embolism. ‘It is okay, my desk is in her office, so we are pretty close.' Not at all what she wanted to hear. ‘Okay, I'll stop teasing you. I know who Katrina is and what she does; basically making people like you have believably fatal accidents.' ‘You are a man? Why are you still walking around free?' O'Shea muttered. ‘His sexual dynamism supersedes the sublimely addictive,' Pamela enlightened O'Shea, ‘and if you don't believe me, go up and ask that 'Nicole Lawless' woman.' ‘I was going to say 'I look great in hose and a push-up bra', but that works too,' I muttered. And the last thing I wanted to envision at that reality-cracking moment happened. Brianna O'Shea looked me over and that look said 'Sex'. She was my aunt! Technically; somehow; that should matter, right? ‘Aunt Brianna; Brianna; Auntie O'Shea; what do you want me to call you?' I stammered. ‘Brianna will do,' she pulled those plush red lips into a grin and extended her hand. I shook it. She had a strong grip. She was tapping the pulse in my wrist with her forefinger; a tried and true arousal technique I'd used countless times. ‘I'm really happy that we are family;' I evaded. ‘I had regular sex with mine and your mother's father, your grandfather,' Brianna discussed with the outrage normally reserved for the 'do you want your cantaloupe in wedges, or scoops' debate. ‘My; we'll just toss that in the category of things I never wanted to know,' I coughed. Wait! I could do better than that. This deserved sympathy, not comedy. ‘I am glad you got that off your chest,' I stroked her hand back; okay, not my brightest idea. ‘Has Grandpa stopped doing that?' ‘Your Grandfather is dead,' Brianna delivered the bad news. It was doubly bad because she seemed to really miss the jack-ass. At least I didn't have to feign grief at the bastard's funeral. This also would explain why Mom ran away from home and told Dad and I that her family all perished in a freak Sperm Whale hunting accident in the Arctic. You know, that sounded much more believable when I was five. Dad was crazy in love, which explained his suspension of disbelief whenever she walked in the room. ‘He was assassinated in his study in our mountain home, his throat slit clean through and his body desecrated beyond our ability to resurrect him,' Brianna shed a tear. This was the point where I seriously began worrying about there being a natural gas leak that was either screwing up what I was hearing, or what other people were saying. ‘Wow; how sad,' I tried to sound shaken by the news. ‘I know,' Brianna hugged me. But wait, ‘You smell like him (deep, sensual purr); Dad, that is.' Oh God No! ‘Well with Granddad gone, you seem to have done well for yourself; lves,' I corrected. It sounded like I had aunts in the plural, I was praying for the positive, plus a quick exit. ‘No, we can't move on until we find the assassin,' Brianna told me. She added in a whisper, ‘We know she was an Amazon.' Ah, look, an invitation by my freakish, incestuous aunt to betray the insane fanatics I worked for. I began crying. ‘I understand,' Brianna reached around and patted my back, ‘This must be a lot for you to take in.' ‘You have no idea,' I sniffled. What was my mind was saying: 'By the way, Aunt Brianna, the wacked-out chick that offed Granddad is two meters away from you and you definitely didn't bring a big enough army to deal with her'. ‘Why don't you come home with me tonight?' Brianna offered somewhat plaintively. Sex; worse, I wasn't coming up with any really convincing reasons to not have sex with her. We would do it with the lights off. That way I wouldn't be looking into the face of the Mother of my youth having an orgasm impaled on me. Maybe dim lighting would be okay too. ‘I can't go home with you tonight,' I looked away. ‘I'm feeling vulnerable.' That was exactly why she wanted to take me home with her; confused and vulnerable would allow her to revisit her nostalgic Father-Daughter fornications. ‘You need someone who loves you to look after you,' Brianna prodded. ‘That's what I'm for,' Pamela came to my rescue. Glares and snippets of wrath ensued. In the end, Pamela and I made our getaway. A few blocks away; I didn't want a taxi yet; Pamela speaking voided my introspection. ‘Questions?' ‘Where were you hiding while Nicole and I were having sex?' I mused. ‘Which time?' Pamela taunted me. ‘You mean you followed us to the Men's bathroom (we were reliving our first sexual encounter and then some)?' I groused. ‘I am not saying I was there. I'm not saying I wasn't. I'm not saying,' Pamela smirked. Pause. ‘You killed Grandpa?' I asked. ‘Yes.' ‘You stole his soul?' ‘Yes.' ‘You took yourself to the cliffs to destroy his soul; and yours?' ‘Yes.' ‘You decided not to because of his curse/warning?' ‘No.' ‘Um; why didn't you kill yourself?' ‘He; your Grandfather; had a back-up plan. Having me kill myself was a ploy. Had I done it, I would have lost my soul, his soul would have been released and Havenstone would have thought him dead. At the last moment I gained the insight he had a body already prepared for him that no other person knew about,' Pamela informed me. ‘You.' ‘My Mother didn't know?' I worried. ‘I am not sure. Most likely she thought she had escaped the Old Bastard.' ‘Ugh; family life around Christmas must have been a blast,' I grumbled. ‘The Illuminati make a mockery of the Cult of Christ. They have influenced the Catholic hierarchy for a millennia.' ‘How did she get away; if she got away?' I muttered. ‘Your Mother and Aunts were born to be slaves, but contained nearly all the DNA of your Grandfather; essentially female 'hims'. That meant they are all very, very smart so your Mother figured out a way and fled. Somehow she found your Father and happiness.' ‘He let her get away, didn't he?' I asked. ‘Don't sell your Mother short,' Pamela chided me. ‘He most likely engineered her escape from his estate, but the rest was her. Otherwise, you would have had Illuminati watchers all this time. No, your Grandfather wanted her to be completely free of the Illuminati, and all the other secret orders, until he was ready to make his return.' ‘Why did Brianna think Mom died of cancer seven years ago?' I went for next. ‘All your aunts need medication to keep them healthy and young,' Pamela related. ‘The only one with the formula was your Grandfather and, after so many decades, those bitches have to be running out of it soon, if they haven't already exhausted their supply.' ‘Without the drugs, your Mother would have aged and developed various cancers that would have escalated in their aggression until she died. For some reason, she stopped taking her medications before they ran out,' Pamela ruminated. ‘To have me,' I lowered my head. Mom had died because she knew Dad wanted a child; me. ‘It is not impossible that she couldn't have a child while on the regimen. That sounds like something that bastard Cáel O'Shea would have done,' Pamela agreed. ‘What?' I gulped. ‘You were named after your maternal grandfather, who I studied for weeks, and I can tell you that Cáel Nyilas is a hundred times the person he ever was,' Pamela assured me. ‘Let's not tell my aunt that,' I grunted. ‘Don't worry about that,' Pamela patted me on the back. ‘All of your aunts are most likely addicted to his pheromones and you have some variant of them.' ‘The fuck you say!' I gawked. ‘Oh yeah. He was that kind of son of a bitch.' ‘So when I get scared, they get horny?' I despaired. ‘Or if you are your regular horny self,' Pamela chortled. ‘Hell, Brianna is probably humping that urinal you and Miss Lawless engaged as a; prop earlier this evening.' ‘You are just a cornucopia of horrific knowledge, aren't you?' I groused. ‘I've never had a friend like you,' Pamela enlightened me. ‘You've never had a friend before,' I countered. I hadn't known her a week and I already wanted to kill her half the time as it was. I wondered if women felt the same way about me on occasion. ‘That would definitely make you my finest friend then,' she snickered. ‘Thanks,' I grumbled. ‘Just for that, when I have Daphne bent over with her head and shoulders pressed against the wall while I slam her from behind with all this pent up rage, I'll be thinking of you.' ‘Really?' she queried. ‘Of course not. Daphne is smoking hot. When I finally have sex with her, the only thing I'll be thinking about besides Daphne is how I'm going to have sex with her again,' I grinned. ‘Good,' she smiled happily. Yes, we were talking about me boinking her granddaughter and she was A-Okay with it. ‘Remember, there is no need to use a condom.' ‘I'm not falling for that, you evil witch

Emergency Council Makes Bold Move.. In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand. Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected.. “You may outrun your sins, but never forget that someone will pay the toll.”  I biked home, brushing a city bus and a BMW getting there. On the landing between the second and third floors I found an Amazon with baleful eyes; waiting. In front of my door was her psychic twin. ‘Can I get you and/or your cohort anything?' I politely inquired. Yesterday; the cold shoulder. ‘Thank you for the consideration. We will wait until our itinerary is clarified,' she nodded. I went in, catching the abrupt cut off of some 'O' talk. 'O', as in Odette and Oneida. They were on the sofa, half-turned to face each other when I walked in. Oneida stood and gave the standard Amazon respectful nod. ‘Oneida was all screwed up inside about last night in the Park, so I was explaining some of the basic tenants of BDSM to her,' Odette blithely blathered. ‘BDSM? What do you know about BDSM? I barely know about it and I've been having non-stop sex for years,' I exclaimed. ‘Cáel of Ishara, did you do those things to Rhada in an effort to fulfill her dreams?' Oneida desperately pleaded. Worse, it was spoken in English. ‘I can't talk about it,' I replied. ‘That is 'Cáel' for 'yes',' Odette intruded. ‘I began reading up on BDSM after you got the suspension rig,' was her saucy response to me. ‘Would you ever do that to me?' Oneida gave me those big doe-eyes as she sat down. No, she didn't want a rape fantasy. That kind of submission wasn't her thing. I paced around, stomped into the kitchen then back to the living room. ‘No Oneida, I would never do something like that to you,' I promised. ‘I like having sex; a whole bunch. I like the women I'm with to have a great time too.' ‘That means I figure out what really excites her and provide it because I normally want to have sex with that girl again,' I explained, neglecting the 'and again and again and again.' ‘Is it over between you two?' Oneida asked. She meant Rhada and me. ‘Oneida, did I ask you to come over today?' I countered. ‘Have I upset you?' Oneida's lower lip trembled. 'Yes' would make things so much easier. ‘No,' I lied. ‘Let's look at this from another angle. How would you feel if Paula showed up at your domicile unannounced? You walked in and there she was.' ‘Oh,' she stood up again. ‘I apologize.' At this moment, saying nothing meant she'd leave. I'm an idiot. ‘Do you want to stay for dinner?' I offered. It took a few seconds for Oneida to forgive herself enough to accept my suggestion. Me raping Rhada less than 24 hours ago? We'd deal with that later, or so she promised herself. ‘Okay; if it is not too much trouble,' Oneida nodded. In came the doom and gloom duo and we ordered some over-sized sandwiches from an Italian Deli two blocks away. After the two walked through my place (again, I was sure) and the food arrived, the bodyguards relaxed into a close proximity of human beings. The freakishness continued as Odette bonded with the Amazon killers with tales of my sexual exploits. At the same time, I romanced Oneida in half a dozen languages. Storming those gates was going to take more time than I normally gave a single sexual encounter. Oneida kissed me. She loved kissing me. She was ecstatic about kissing me. She made it real clear there would be not petting; yet. Penetration wasn't even on the (her) agenda. This didn't meant I was accepting her marching orders. I was far craftier than that. My plan was one of 'setting an example'. I stood up; we were sitting on the bench press seat, shot Odette a sexy look then went to the kitchenette. We got something; whatever it was wasn't important. The crucial activity was my surrounding Odette in my arms from behind. I kissed her neck, Odette wiggled her ass against my crotch and murmured happily. More kissing along the neck, ear and jawline ensued. Odette exhaled a happy breath, and twisted around in my grasp until we were face to face. An exhaustive French kiss finishing up with a few light pecks and led to us rubbing noses like Inuit. ‘Thanks buddy,' I smiled warmly at Odette. ‘She blue-balling ya?' Odette snickered. ‘Big time,' I muttered. Odette squiggled down my body then bit both my nipples through my shirt making me gasp. ‘That should do nicely,' Odette's eyes were alight and she was super-pleased with herself. She smacked my ass then returned to the living room. I returned to Oneida. After a few seconds, ‘Does it disturb you to be treated like that?' Oneida murmured. ‘Like what?' I sounded so innocent. Trust me; this is a crucial relationship tool. ‘Like; like we would treat one of our males,' she looked for my reaction. I laughed. ‘The critical difference is that I can say 'no',' I smiled. ‘Oneida, do you think the original Ash Men spent every moment not in battle, contemplating their place in the Universe?' Clearly, she had. ‘Believe me, men hunted, worked their crafts and chased female Amazons when they weren't eating, or sleeping.' ‘Warfare is an emotional undertaking,' I had read that somewhere. ‘You can believe that with the battle safely won, your ancestors and my ancestors fooled around. They sang songs, wrote poetry, and created artwork for the ladies they courted. They wanted the attention of the strongest, bravest and most courageous mates, just like your ancestors did.' ‘I think I do know something about the Ash Men you don't,' I prodded her. ‘What? I have studied them for many years,' Oneida was now more engaged. ‘What can you tell me about Vranus?' I asked. That stumped her. ‘I; nothing is written of his exploits,' Oneida admitted. ‘We know he was a young warrior for Ishara.' ‘Think about this, Oneida; Vranus was only twenty yet a member of the Host,' I started. She nodded. ‘He is shown with twin axes; no shield and no bow. That means he had to be very brave, rushing through the initial exchange of arrow fire and thrown spears to attack his enemy. His House probably directed him to large clumps of opponents, breaking their formations for the Host to exploit.' ‘That means he fought alone for several seconds until his accompanying Amazons could pick apart his foe,' I explained. ‘That must have been horrible,' Oneida frowned. ‘Not at all,' I protested. ‘He was trusted with a crucial task; to hold the enemy's focus so the faster moving Amazons could attack their foe from multiple directions at once.' ‘The Amazons of House Ishara must have been very proud of him,' I fluffed out the fantasy. ‘From what you saw from my two exhibition with twin axes, it is very tiring. Vranus had to have absolute confidence his sisters were coming for him. They trusted one another, thus fighting as one organic unit. It was a synergy that included the best of both genders.' That last bit confused her. ‘Back then, most of the Host would have been of the same genetic stock from the time of the First Betrayal. Short and fast. The males of the region they took over were taller; the local men being even taller than the local women. That means you give men heavier and longer weapons. Your people would have favored bows, light shields and short spears; ranged, or quick in and out tools.' Was any of that true? Not a history major, so I have no clue. ‘Many of the Host at the time rode horses yet there are also pictures of them forming battle lines,' Oneida enlightened me then her own eyes expanded. ‘Males are always shown with solid round shields while the Host; women had the oval wicker shields.' ‘Lacking stirrups, the Amazons may have used the men to grapple with the enemy then rode their horses around the flanks, dismounted and engaged their opponents from the rear; Amazon style,' I grinned. It was. Amazons were all about out-maneuvering and confounding their foes. The Amazons hadn't been callous with their males' lives. At one time, chosen females had held the center line. Over time, as males joined, it was practical to adapt the solid wooden shields of their opponents for their own males and put them in the place where their upper body strength and size were of best effect. The unknown older male with Vranus had probably held his place in the battle line dozens of times. I doubt he complained, or even thought to complain. Who would have taken his place? A smaller sister, aunt, or daughter? Had other males objected? Sure, the battle line in Amazon tactics was not the place of glory. The striking arm were the horse-riders. Countless times adversaries had spent the last minutes of their lives with the echoes of horses, hooves and female Amazon war cries seemingly all around them. Some wise old dead fucker once said 'defeat starts in the mind'. I wholeheartedly believed in that; except my version was 'having sex with me starts with my insidious nature'. ‘Defeat starts in the mind,' I stared intently into Oneida's eyes. Love poetry is a matter of emotional context, not actual words. I pulled Oneida to me, letting her straddle my lap because I desperately wanted her to understand my tortured soul. Grinding her vulva against my hard-on was totally accidental, as was our renewed French kiss and me grabbing two handfuls of her ass. There was no rushing of things. Oneida was a skittish mare and I had to keep her feeling safe despite her sexual peril. Any woman who bothers to get to know me knows I am not a complicated guy. Case in point: by the time Oneida was feeding me her left nipple, Odette already had the security types sweep my bedroom (again) then the three retreated to Timothy's room and shut the door. Were Oneida's guardians worried about Oneida's carnal violation? No, why would they? Amazons had dick on demand. Virginity didn't hold any religious significance for them; killing things did. With the speed and efficiency those other two Amazons made themselves scarce, I imagined they were happy that Oneida had stopped mooning over me and getting a good grip on reality. A righteous dicking was in the offing. Oneida's open eyed, opened-mouth countenance when she found herself naked on my bed with a naked me hovering over her was precious. That look always was. It did necessitate a question. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?' I whispered. My aroused cock brushed along her thigh. The question was a courtesy. The answer was always the same because girls want to have sex. They also want to believe they have a say in the process from beginning to end. I say 'believe' because sex done right is passion and passion is the rejection of reason. At some point in the seduction, intercourse becomes an avalanche. Logic can scream all it wants; the hormones are not listening. I slipped into Oneida's velvety liquid embrace. She gave up a sigh of relief. She'd made the jump into intimacy. Any other explanation for what was going to happen would have implicated me as a 'Player'; which everyone else thought I was. Oneida had this romantic ideal of me that no amount of evidence appeared to shatter. Personally, I was starting to dread ever going to her bedroom. I wasn't sure of her 'My Little Pony' comforter would be a turn-off for me. I had done in it on Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid, so odds were I'd pull through in the clinch. ‘I am not hurting you, am I?' I moaned. Said for emotional impact alone. If I was causing a girl pain, I would have stopped first. ‘No,' happy murmuring, ‘I'm wonderful.' The most powerful organ human's possess is the brain. Oneida was a 'talker'. She wanted to express her feelings during intercourse; not give to directions, but as an effort to increase her participation in the sex act itself. Slow, steady strokes followed, withdrawing my glans half way along her labia, moved up and down slightly then gradually pushed back in. Every entry held something new for her. I added to the process by tilting her thigh and leg forward so that my next penetration tantalized a whole new series of trigger points in her cunny. On the next pass, Oneida began her own experimentations, twisting and adjusting the angle of her hips as I worked my rod in and out. Oneida began crying. I wasn't upset and that didn't make me a callous bastard. She was shedding tears of joy and regret; joy because her first climax was in the offing; regret because she wish she had done this with me sooner. She had been a Havenstone employee so we hadn't done the deed. We still had to keep our liaison secret. Why? I'd think of something. The real reason was pure politics. I never knew what wacky dame hated another wacky dame for reasons I couldn't even get into, but I knew it would curtail my dating opportunities. I'd pay the price of deception later. What I couldn't take was being denied sex without having done anything wrong first. ‘Am I making you happy?' Oneida gasped. No flippancy here; romance was the key. ‘You demand things from me few other women do,' I replied breathlessly. I wasn't going to lie to her. Prettying up the truth was good enough and it made her happy. I also got something new; to her, not to me. She orgasmed. Whatever she'd been satisfied with before, I obliterated in a few quick, decisive strokes. Oh God; did she go off! It has happened to me before; the door being kicked in; just not in mid-orgasm. Guns being pointed at yours truly while the girl was in mid-scream was new. And Oneida was still carrying on and on. ‘I was trying to tell you!' Odette was screaming. ‘He does that to us all the time; please don't shoot him.' The whole 'girl screaming at me in Old Kingdom Hittite' was also new. My mentor preferred Minoan. ‘I have come back from Death,' Oneida rasped. Her skin was flushed deep red from her exertion, she had bathed us both in sweat and she was coming up with any form of vocalization from Goddess-knows where she had screamed for so long. She looked at me with love in her eyes; damn it. She looked and looked and looked and; finally noticed the two women at the foot of the bed. ‘Is; some; thing; wrong?' Oneida panted while gazing at her two guardians with worry.  ‘You may outrun your sins, but never forget that someone will pay the toll.' There was someone pounding on my apartment door. ‘Neighbor; door; I'm on it,' Odette called out. Seconds later the deadbolts clicked and the door opened. ‘Hello, Mr. Finnes.' ‘You God-damn Whore!' he screamed. ‘Where is that homo and his butt-buddy? The cops are on their way and this time you are all in the street.' He had a good head of steam on tonight. Slayer of Testicles #1 looked at Slayer of Testicles #2, nodded and left. ‘Who is this bitch,' Finnes got out. It was so wrong that I recognized the next sound. It was the barrel of a gun being inserted into a person's mouth. ‘Listen and listen carefully,' SoT#1 spoke softly. ‘You are going back to your hovel. If I get word, or even a bad premonition, that you are causing this apartment a hint of worry, I am going to come back and end you in a fashion the New York City's Coroner's Office will find memorable.' ‘I do not care if you have to puncture both eardrums to drown out the noise. I am not a compassionate person. In fact, I am considered sadistic by those who know me well. Now go back home, tell the police who show up this was all a mistake and give a prayer of thanks to whatever deity you grovel before that I didn't simply ram my firearm up your anus and decorate the ceiling in what passes for brains in your pathetic bone-sack of a body,' she menaced. There was a choking/gagging noise then the sound of heaving. ‘Mr. Finnes; are you okay?' Odette worried. As a wonderful counter-point. ‘Have you given me your seed?' Oneida asked hopefully. I was still hard. It had only been ten minutes of sex after all. I gently rocked my penis deeper in. ‘Oh,' she happily babbled. ‘Again?' SoT#2 questioned. I made a few more penetration cycles instead of speaking. ‘Do they train you in some sort of Sex Academy for this? Are there more males out there like you?' ‘Is having a viewing gallery a real damper on the mood?' I asked her while looking into Oneida's eyes. I was actually proud of Oneida for not sending the other woman away. It showed me she respected the woman's job. I also heard the apartment door shut. ‘Wow, your threat was nice and spooky,' Odette snickered. ‘Threat? Child, what do you think I do for a living?' SoT#1 asked. ‘You are one of those wacko, psycho-chicks Cáel Nyilas works with,' Odette was undoubtedly smiling. ‘Correct, I am one of those wacko, psycho-chicks;' SoT#1 left that hanging out there. ‘You weren't playing with Mr. Finnes, were you?' Odette grew quiet. Pause. ‘There is really a job which allows you to do that kind of stuff?' Pause. ‘Can I apply?' ‘This is not something you apply;' SoT#1 began, but then, ‘I guess if Cáel wants to; ‘ ‘Cool,' Odette was truly irrepressible. ‘If he does that, there will definitely be consequences and repercussions,' SoT#1 cautioned. ‘Oh, I think I had better stick with being his fuck-buddy,' Odette conceded. ‘Wise choice,' SoT#1 agreed. My bedroom door shut. SoT#2 had slipped out. Do you often have sex with an audience?' I teased Oneida. ‘Yes,' she answered matter-of-factly, ‘I do. Don't you?' ‘Now that you mention it;' and I got back to the pleasure that encompasses so much of my life. Sunday Night. ‘Cáel,' a voice purred over my phone. ‘Hey Nicole,' I greeted my lawyer not-quite a hook-up anymore. Also, unless you are Sure you know the female caller, don't take a gamble with the name. ‘So, do you have something going on tonight?' she queried. ‘Nope. My normal engagement had to cancel so I'm sitting back with some friends who do not appreciate the depth of my depravity,' I sighed. ‘Canceled?' She laughed. ‘On you? Have your recovered from the shock?' ‘Actually, they had a death in the family and had to go to South Carolina,' I explained. ‘Oh; sorry,' Nicole apologized. ‘Well, if you are feeling lonely and neglected, you could come by work and do me a favor.' ‘I am feeling neither lonely, nor neglected, but I am certainly missing you right now. Give me a half hour and I'll be there,' I promised. She thanked me and hung up. ‘Who is it this time?' Odette snickered. Man, I was becoming so used to her hanging around. ‘Nicole the lawyer,' I replied. I trekked back to my bedroom to prep. I opted for the 'Bad Boy' look; worn jeans, high-top tennis shoes (equally worn), my Plant Smashers t-shirt (Quebecois ska band; yes, I will road-trip to another country for sex) and my Bolingbrook bomber jacket. Yes, I was going to an Ivy League Law firm dressed like a carjacker. Every other male was going to be dressed in finely-tailored silk and I had to stand out. Since I couldn't outspend them, I was going to make them look like effete pussies by dressing like I just didn't care what anyone thought. I was coming over to screw Nicole and there would be no doubt about it. ‘Isn't that chick rich?' Timothy teased me. ‘Yeah. I'm packing the glow in the dark Trojans tonight; cause she's special,' I grinned. ‘Oh! I love those,' Odette squealed. She really needed to trust me less. I walked over, cupped her ears with my hand then kissed her on the forehead. I did the same to Timothy. His look suggested that I had best make a hasty exit before he kicked my ass. I caught a taxi a block away. It turned out he was from Qatar and he asked if I was sure about the address I gave him. I grinned then told him I could outrun 95% of the yPD so was feeling good about my chances. He snorted, countering with 'If you were an Arab, they'd shoot you.' Not to be outdone, 'I'd claim to be a Syrian anti-government protester; you know, because we all look alike to these Caucasians'. We laughed for a bit then he said he had a younger sister back in the homeland. I insisted I was immoral; a wicked man. 'Was I religious?' 'Only when it suited my purposes.' 'Would I consider converting to Sunni Islam?' 'Only if the girl was cute enough.' He showed me her picture; dammit, she had a really beautiful face. I got her name, his name and the name of his mosque. I considered it. Yahweh, Christ, Bacchus (wine, an orgy and 'bull' testicles; long story) and Jehovah all had reasons to barbeque my ass already. Why not add Allah to the mix, besides it being an incredibly stupid thing to do for a man in constant mortal peril like me? In theory, three of the four definitely had the possibility to be the same Omniscient and Omnipotent Galactic Being so the odds were I wouldn't get too much more screwed. I finished up my journey imagining Buffy in a burqa. That evolved into a vision of me being force-fed a burqa; in private; where no one could hear my muffled cries for help. Buffy; murdering me; made me horny. I am a sick puppy. ‘Buffy,' I called her as I paid the cabbie. ‘What; huh; are you okay, Cáel?' Buffy muttered. ‘Yes, I'm fine. I was dreaming of you and decided to give you a call,' I related in a sleepy voice. ‘Oh;' she sounded affectionate. ‘Yeah. In the dream you were murdering me. It was so romantic; so you,' I related. ‘Shit-for-brains, do you have any idea what time it is?' Buffy turned all savage in an instant. ‘Hmm; 11:45?' I offered up. ‘Call me this late again when it is not an emergency and your dream will become a reality,' she growled. ‘You know you sound so;' and she hung up on me. I called Nicole and warned her I was at her building, pursued by two FDIC investigators and could she please come and rescue me. She snickered, came down and retrieved me, but not before the yPD stopped by for a casual conversation and I hadn't even been standing there two minutes. In my neighborhood you were lucky if you saw a patrol car every thirty minutes and short of offering them some crack cocaine, cheap nookie, or shooting a gun off, they never stopped. Was I my normally fuck-wad self? No. I told the man/woman team the truth. Some upper crust weenies I worked with dragged me off to Yuppie Hell. I hooked up with a lawyer who I screwed repeatedly in the Women's bathroom and she was calling me for round 2. Second question (the first one was name/ID/reason for being in this part of town dressed like I was)? Was she paying me? 'No'. Was I practicing safe sex (female cop; married even)? 'Yes'. Was she the red-head at the door behind me? 'Yes she was and goodnight.' ‘What are you dressed like that for?' Nicole smiled. In her mind she already knew the answer; I had come here to screw her; raw and primal. ‘Ballroom dancing was not on the itinerary you gave me,' I smiled. We went inside. ‘My co-workers are still here,' she hinted seductively. ‘Whoa now!' I protested humorously. ‘I am not here to pull a train; girls only.' Nicole nearly fell over laughing. She was so embarrassed by me and my attire, she dragged me straight to the conference room 'her' team was working out of. Everyone else was eating. Two of the lawyers were clearly the top dogs; a man and a woman. The woman had a vague resemblance to one of the portraits I'd seen coming in; a legacy. The man screamed 'serial killer'. It probably made him one hell of a lawyer, but spooky to live with, or work for. The other nine people in the room were in two groups. Two were obviously paralegals. They dressed in what must have started out as clean, starched clothing from off the rack as opposed to tailored. The other seven were lawyers in their own dual set-up. My amateur guess was two different branches of law. This group was dressed in fine clothes now wrinkled from a long day's work, plus it was a Sunday. They were not at their best yet they were still better than most of what I had. The most endearing part was how they looked at me. Even the female contingent thought that I was trash. I had certainly given them the opportunity. Seriously, they should have paid more attention to Nicole, her intelligence, competence and tastes. Come on now; there was no way she'd bring some grease-monkey from Flatbush to her workplace. They needed to engage their brains and not their social bias. A murmur slithered through the crowd. Amusement and condescension were the clear messages shot my way. I imagine the poor soul who delivered the food got less crap because he/she was providing a tangible service. ‘Nicole, who is this?' the woman asked. Sex. Outside of her being a soulless cancer on the hopes and dreams of mankind, she was an alluring forty-something. ‘This is my friend Cáel;' Nicole began, both her arms wrapped around my right arm. ‘Cáel Belafonte,' I interrupted. You could tell who the trial lawyers in the room were. Their expressions told me they knew I was lying. ‘Fascinating Mr. Belafonte,' Mr. Serial-Killer droned on. ‘What do you do?' ‘I am an Ichthyologist,' I met his gaze. ‘I'm involved in a twenty year study to determine the cause for the reduction in the size of Tuna fish scales.' That had them stumped. ‘That sounds like yet another great waste of government funds,' a young male lawyer with more bravado than combat-sex experience fired off. ‘Oh,' I shrugged. ‘Smaller scales, smaller full-sized Tuna, a spike in tuna prices and an eventual world-wide restriction on Tuna fishing, similar to the one currently covering virtually all whale species. Now, I doubt you know which people will decide who the recipient of those lucrative Tuna contracts will be, but I do. By all means; mock what you don't understand.' ‘Government research project results will be in the public domain,' a woman joined the struggle. ‘Yes; and?' I asked in a bland tone. ‘Your research will be available to all kinds of commercial concerns,' male asshat grinned. ‘Your ability to show that you are as smart as any pre-law student must make someone, somewhere very proud,' I grinned back. Confused looks. Nicole was struggling to keep it together. ‘He never said he was in any manner part of the government, or a government program, Mr. Cherrie,' the female lead barracuda gave me her own hungry look. The guy looked pissed. ‘Oh, Mr. Belafonte, are you a private researcher, or a government one?' she female junior lawyer asked. ‘Heather Pulaski,' she gave her name. ‘Call me Cáel, Heather, and I am in no way associated with any government, I barely know what an Ichthyologist is and I'm certainly not one. Rude, arrogant people annoy me when they treat my friends like they are stupid; especially when they should know better. I can rarely stop myself from ridiculing them,' I grinned. ‘And now you think you are better than everyone else in the room for tricking us with this juvenile prank,' the Serial Killer sounded bored. ‘No. The lives of strangers are not my concern,' I bantered back. ‘I did what I did to make Nicole smile. If my antics remind the rest of you what a hotshot lawyer she is so much the better.' ‘Mr. and Mrs. Dyoung, Cáel, Cáel Nyilas, is a joker. He's is also brilliant and just joined Havenstone Commercial Investments in their Executive Services Division,' Nicole bragged. She got points for the 'Executive Services' part. More smirks; some people never learn. ‘Havenstone doesn't employ too many men, does it?' Mrs. Dyoung said. Maybe she was looking for a Discrimination lawsuit. ‘Five men to be precise and two of us are out of the country,' I enlightened her. ‘So you are brilliant,' Mr. Dyoung seemed barely engaged; and was Mrs. Dyoung's Mr. Dyoung. ‘What are your insights on DNA ownership, Cáel?' ‘DNA ownership is a fallacy,' I stated. ‘People are not pigs, soybeans, or corn. You cannot create a financial liability for your offspring because that amounts to slavery and is forbidden by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. DNA is a person; their blueprint. Only the person owns it and they can't even sell it outright.' ‘That is hopelessly naive,' he snorted. ‘Not really. If you apply an accepted price tag to every human being on Earth, the anarchy will begin. Crimes like murder, torture and mutilation are based on the concept that human life has an unspecified value. Give something a value and you can trade in it.' ‘Murder somebody? How much was their DNA worth?' I postulated. ‘I pay the cost, or somebody pays it for me. You are calling me naïve? I'm not murdering somebody. I'm repossessing their DNA. Mr. Dyoung, I'm not a lawyer, so I am not approaching this from a limited field of vision like you are. I live in the World.' ‘Oddly enough, I've had some recent encounters with real slavery and that has convinced me that I'll go down standing up, thank you very much,' I grinned. ‘In case that was misconstrued; my DNA is mine, no legal precedent will change that and I'm more than willing to put bodies in the ground to keep it so.' ‘You sound like an anarchist,' Mr. Cherrie chimed in. ‘Nope. I'm independent-minded. There is a difference,' I indicated. ‘Just like you, anarchists don't want to let me be me either.' ‘Laws exist for a reason,' Nicole chastised me. What she was really saying was 'you are here for a reason and it isn't entertaining my co-workers'. ‘This is the point where the smart man goes 'yes ma'am, they do',' I nodded to her. ‘Your young man is not stupid,' Mrs. Dyoung chuckled. ‘This young man knows what happens if he behaves,' Nicole bowed to her superior; her boss, not me. ‘Oh goodie,' I rubbed my hands together. ‘Are we about to do some file-sharing?' ‘Something like that,' Nicole laughed and off we went. All I could imagine was that Nicole had to be God's Own lawyer at this firm to get away with the crap we'd just pulled. Honestly, I had other things on my mind. We coasted into her office, with her name etched on the glass door; with the glass walls and floor to ceiling glass windows. Just because, I picked up a water-smoothed stone on her desk; glass houses and all. ‘That is from the Canadian Shield; some of the oldest rocks on Earth,' she told me. ‘You are also going to have one of the most painful hard substance on Earth in your office if we don't do something soon,' I teased. ‘Where do you want to start?' she leaned against her desk. Her office was small, but it was her own. Considering her age, it was another 'she rocks' indicator. ‘Your lips,' I murmured. Nicole liked that. She pushed off the desk enough so our lips could lock. It was very nice. ‘The other lips,' I teased her. She liked that idea even more. Her black, mid-thigh skirt came up, I knelt and decided her scarlet thong was more than skimpy enough for me to work around. I let my hands run along her calves. Nicole hummed out her acclaim and was even happier when I began lifting both legs up. Before long, she was laying on her back, her legs were raised high and spread wide. Nice and easy was replaced by rapidly energetic and fiendishly cunning. Nicole was fighting back the tidal surge of her ecstasy. ‘What are you holding back for?' I slurped around my tongue-lashing. We weren't in a bathroom stall this time. Nicole tilted her head up, gave me a simmer glance then embraced her orgasm. ‘Damn!' she screamed followed by a dozen slightly less vocal 'damns'. I gave her just enough time for me to shed my pants, roll down a prophylactic then I mounted. Had there been any doubt of our forceful ardor, my heroic efforts and Nicole's dynamism shattered them. Half of the lawyers I'd briefly met stopped by and peeked through the glass. I didn't care and Nicole reveled in 'bending the minds' of the onlookers. After a while, her office was not enough. That sofa in the executive reception area? I bent her over the art deco beast and pummeled it, half way across the room. The bathroom? To be gender-equal, we screwed around in the Men's room this time. Nicole and I revisited her erotic fantasy of being bent over in the toilet, sodomized, then completing the act with dispensing of the condom and a glorious blowjob. Our last encounter involved a men's standing urinal, Nicole's legs wrapped around my waist as I gyrated. ‘Oh my God!' she yelped. ‘I've got it. Put me down.' I put her down because the reason I was here was to crack the mental block she had found herself in. Me? I'd come for the sex and Nicole delivered in spades. She had upheld her side of our bargain. Now that I'd reciprocated, it was time for 'hook-up' Nicole to become 'lawyer' Nicole. She made herself somewhat presentable and quick-stepped in back to the conference room. I secured my cock and pants before following. Nicole was babbling in an eldritch dark-tongue similar to Lady Sauron relaying doom to her pack of Nazgûl. They responded with various other arcane invocations until their agreement confirmed that millions of voices had cried out in terror then been suddenly silenced. In my universe, female devotees of Evil were all black leather-clad gorgeous sex kittens who used their dark arts to increase galactic lecherousness. ‘Time to show you out,' Nicole gave me a sultry smirk. ‘Come on.' Arm in arm, we traveled closely to the elevators. ‘Hold the door,' a female voice commanded right as the doors began to shut on the two of us. Nicole put a hand out to keep us from a few more second of alone time. A Caucasian women with short brown hair and a fierce scowl entered first. An imperious damsel came in next. My heart stopped in shock while I barely registered on her radar. A dusky man, nearly my height came in last of all. The doors shut and down we went. I was spending too much time watching the woman and her two bodyguards as we all headed to the door and not enough with Nicole. ‘Don't even think about it, Cáel,' Nicole teased. ‘That's Miss Brianna O'Shea, she leads our client's team and she's totally off limits.' O'Shea pulled a 'Katrina' the moment after Nicole used my name. She spun in place so that she was now facing Nicole and me. ‘What was your name?' she asked with sugary smoothness I associated with Bolivian tourism officials; the nice ones. You know, the ones that thought using a truck battery attached to the jumper cables and your testicles was too much because a car battery would do. ‘Percival Fenris, ma'am,' I introduced myself. ‘I'm a product engineer for Cyberdyne Systems. My team is creating a process that uses constantly recycling colored sugar dust as a medium that will replace current LCD technology. We are calling it Pixie TV.' Nicole was giggling. I was feeling less giggly, mainly because I was staring at my Mother. Not my Mother-mother; the woman who gave birth to me and who had been eaten alive by cancer. No, this was my Mother the way she looked when she was twenty-five and in excellent health. ‘Miss O'Shea, this is Cáel Nyilas. He is a good friend of mine,' Nicole cut through my obfuscation. O'Shea took several steps toward us, away from the exit. Her guardians kept up and were ratcheting up their vigilance. ‘Interesting eyes,' she noted. ‘What is your heritage?' Rude and scary. Even Nicole knew something was incredibly wrong. ‘Cáel, you two have the same eyes,' Nicole mumbled. ‘I was thinking the same thing, Miss Lawless,' Brianna said. Huh? ‘You are a lawyer named Lawless?' I gawked at Nicole. ‘How did that happen?' Why had that not registered when I went to Nicole's office? Oh yeah, her leading me in, eyes pleading for sex. ‘That is not relevant, Mr. Nyilas,' O'Shea kept coming. ‘What do you mean 'not relevant'? Are you saying you'd hire a male escort named Quick-fire Small-Penis?' I wondered. ‘If so, you are a more trusting soul than I.' ‘Why are you avoiding my question?' Brianna queried. ‘Why are you asking questions I clearly don't want to answer?' I retorted. ‘Cáel, please don't antagonize my client's representative,' Nicole was playful yet concerned. ‘No problem Nicole Lawless, Attorney at Law,' I grinned to her. I gave her a secretive ass squeeze then made to leave. Miraculously, Brianna let me slip by. The deceptiveness of that kindness was revealed when I stepped outside and found the limo; with another bodyguard standing beside the front passenger door. O'Shea/Mom's double was hot on my heels. As I turned and headed up the street, she grabbed my right arm. ‘Why don't we go out for a late bite to eat,' she stated. I wasn't being invited. I was being told. ‘No can do,' I shrugged off her hand. ‘I promised my Father to leave a recognizable corpse.' ‘What makes you think I have sinister intentions?' she questioned. There was a lot of that going around; not answering stuff, that is. ‘Why do you assume you aren't giving off the same bad vibe as a half-dozen 18th Street gangbangers on a Meth binge?' I teased. Brianna made a hand signal and the three bruisers put their hands on their guns. The closest to me moved around me to block off that escape route. To be correct, the guy at the car door was African-American, around my height with maybe 10 kg on me. The two guarding O'Shea were a guy of Moorish decent and a woman of the English Midlands. I knew this because I was afraid and making shit up. ‘Was I supposed to be impressed with the quiet appeal of desperation you exhibited by playing patty-cake with yourself,' I kept smiling. ‘Or are these three supposed to scare me?' I chuckled. ‘Here; in downtown Manhattan; one of the few places on the planet Earth trying to rival London in video surveillance.' ‘Video evidence can be altered,' Brianna gave me a wicked gleam. ‘Was that supposed to be your Evil Henchwoman voice?' I kept snickering. ‘If so, get a refund from that mail-order firm you took lessons from,' I grinned. ‘You appear to be rather fearless, and obstinate,' O'Shea nodded. ‘Foolishly so.' ‘Lady, I'm staring into the face of my dead Mother who is trying to get me into a limo with three goombahs who think they are intimidating. They are not,' I pointed out. ‘This whole weekend has been a disaster, so me beating the crap out of those three, you and the driver isn't going to change a damn thing,' I enlightened them. The Moorish guy extended a collapsible cane. ‘You seem very confident,' she informed me. ‘Of course I am,' I stated. ‘You haven't spotted my bodyguard yet, meaning all of you are truly screwed.' ‘Why would you have a bodyguard?' she inquired. ‘Why would you want to know?' I countered. ‘Do you practice being irritating, or is an innate talent?' Brianna regarded me. ‘We can do this 'answering a question with a question' thing all night long, except I have to be at work at six a.m. so how about you tell me what you really want to know and tell me why you look like; screw that; are my Mother's clone,' I sighed. ‘Tell me about your genetic heritage,' O'Shea demanded. She was that kind of authoritative prick; actual penis not required. ‘I apologize. I don't seem to have a handle your native vocabulary and your English-as-a-Second Language skills suck,' I sneered. ‘I should go home now.' Moorish guy blocked my egress. English chick was on my right flank, back to the limo and the street. The most pressing issue was a matter of privilege; O'Shea's people thought they'd get away with breaking the law. The moment the Moor popped out is baton, it was 'on'. A baton is a weapon plus O'Shea and her bodyguard were blocking my exit. I was legally free to attack him now. Normally I was lawfully compelled to exit the scene as opposed to engaging in violence. Since I couldn't run away, I was allowed to kick his ass; and O'Shea and company didn't give a crap. I worked five-plus days a week with people like that. The wavy-red haired, emerald green-eyed O'Shea wasn't the daughter of some Mafioso, or Nigerian Warlord. I didn't know what she was, but she was the many opposites of good news. ‘I imagine you think I didn't notice that Taser,' I addressed the Englishwoman while getting in the Moor's face. ‘That is an unfortunate miscalculation on your part.' ‘See, your dumbass partner, with his wonderful 80 cm tool, has let me get inside his reach. Before he can bring it to bear, I'm going to crush it trachea,' I outlined. ‘Now I have his tool and the whole reach thing is working in reverse. You have a hand-held device with a 10 cm reach and I have one that is 80 cm and the distance to make effective use of it.' ‘Don't worry about the guy at the door. By the time I face you, my bodyguard will lethally wound Miss O'Shea there. In case you missed it, now you are all screwed because your job is to guard her, not suppress me; and you all just failed,' I kept the Moor's eye contact. ‘While this horror crosses your mind, I'll break your hand.' ‘Your buddy isn't coming to help you. He's running to Miss O'Shea because he's supposed to keep her alive and that takes all his time and concentration. You poor driver will get out and, not yet having his situational awareness, my bodyguard will neutralize him. About the same time, I will crack your skull open. This allows me to decide whether, or not to kill Miss O'Shea,' I concluded. All of that was an utter and complete fantasy. Collapsible batons; I'd seen them in a few movies. Tasers? I have been tazed and never, ever want to repeat the process; three separate incidences was enough for me. Did I have a bodyguard close by? I had not asked for one and Havenstone had the sad habit of not telling me a damn thing that concerned my personal survival. On the plus side, I could be a compelling actor, or successful conman. I'm not an actor by the grace of two little words; sex scandal. If I sleep with a girl I want it to be because I've tricked and deceived her, not because she wants to tape us then sell it to the media. That would make me feel degraded; cheapened even. I'm not a conman because they use seduction to get what they want. For me, the seduction IS what I want. Steal their money? That would imply I would never, ever be able to sleep with them again. I couldn't do that and remain true to myself. To prove my point, the Moor looked past me to O'Shea for instructions. I punched him in his Solar Plexus and took his toy as I shoved his breathless form to the sidewalk. The Englishwoman expected me to attack her, just like I'd told her I would. It took her a second to realize I'd played her. By then it was too late. I could flee up the street if I wanted. ‘You attacked my man,' O'Shea noted casually. ‘Well, your ears are dicey, but your eyes are spot-on,' I snorted. ‘Shoot him,' O'Shea was decided to wrap this up. I was ceasing to be amusing. ‘In the legs.' Out came the guns and down went my likelihood of getting out of this intact. Pamela walked out of the building we'd exited a minute ago. She was wearing tight black stretch pants, a red turtleneck and a short beige jacket. ‘Protocols,' Pamela invoked in a bored voice. ‘Define,' O'Shea demanded. ‘Cáel,' Pamela kept her gaze on O'Shea, ‘who do you work for?' ‘Havenstone,' I answered. O'Shea looked from Pamela to me. ‘This does not protect a simple employee,' O'Shea stated. ‘I am invoking the Protocols. This does not require me to explain things to you,' Pamela was cool and relaxed. ‘By all means, if you feel I am abusing the Truce, kick it upstairs and it will be adjudicated.' ‘What is your name?' Brianna O'Shea requested of Pamela. ‘Cáel Nyilas. That is all you need to know,' Pamela smirked. ‘That is not possible,' Brianna gained her own barracuda grin. ‘He is Illuminati business. Look at his eyes.' Pamela laughed. The WHO? Weren't they some kind of Freemasons? ‘He walks away right now unless you explain yourself. He is at Havenstone. Whatever relationship he possessed with the Illuminati ceased when he was hired,' Pamela informed her. ‘Cáel Nyilas, tell me about your Mother,' Brianna commanded. ‘No,' I shrugged. ‘It is a simple enough question,' Miss O'Shea persisted. ‘And it is simply none of your business,' I held my ground. ‘I am her sister,' O'Shea declared. Pamela snorted but otherwise kept silent. ‘Ugh; that was not what I wanted to hear,' I groaned. Pamela snickered. She knew where my mind was. ‘Why should I believe you?' ‘You had your genetic sequence analyzed Thursday, didn't you?' O'Shea said. ‘That was flagged by people working for me because you and I share half of the same DNA.' ‘That's not possible,' Pamela stated in the same way she knew I was a cosmic joke. ‘How is that not possible?' I looked to Pamela. I was really starting to accept me and Homicidal O'Shea were family. Why? I'd never had to confront the incest taboo before and here it was looking right at me. O'Shea looked to Pamela, to me, back to Pamela then finally back at me. ‘Do you have a single clue about what is going on?' Brianna addressed me. ‘Yeah, of course I do,' I lied. ‘You are with the Illuminati and you know Havenstone is more than a bunch of greedy bitches.' Pause. ‘So you know nothing about what is going on here, right at this moment,' O'Shea's eyes skewered me. Sigh. ‘Mom; your sister, is dead;' I got out. ‘Yes, she died seven years ago,' Brianna interrupted. ‘What?' I glared. ‘No, she died fifteen years ago. Where do you get your information from and why didn't you at least check out the fucking gravestone?' I snapped. ‘Fifteen; that doesn't make sense; I didn't know where she died, only that when her medication ran out, she would have been consumed by some kind of aggressive cancer,' O'Shea responded. ‘What;' sort of slipped out. ‘How many brothers and sisters do you have?' O'Shea probed. ‘Like I'd tell you,' I growled. ‘None,' Pamela stated. ‘Thanks,' I glared at Pam. ‘Why don't you give away all my bargaining chips?' ‘Cáel, they know your last name,' Pamela stated. ‘Do you want them to hunt down your father and torture him for the names and locations of any other children?' ‘If you go after my Dad;' I became aggressive. ‘You will do nothing,' Pamela interrupted. ‘He is not covered by the Truce.' ‘A Truce I know nothing about,' I grumbled. ‘Screw all of you.' ‘Don't sweat it, Cáel. They need you and I can prove it with two honestly answered question,' Pamela smirked. ‘What name are you using today?' to Brianna. ‘Brianna O'Shea,' the red-haired lady replied. ‘How quaint; your real name. Brianna, how many other nieces and nephews do you and your sisters have?' Pamela inquired. Brianna glared. ‘I'll answer that for her; none. That begs the question of why you,' Pamela smiled at me, ‘exist at all. I'm sure that come Monday morning every medic at Havenstone is going to be crawling all over you looking for that answer.' O'Shea had a new game plan. She was going to murder Pamela and kidnap me. This meant I was going to get screwed up; maybe killed. Pamela would kill everyone else and sex would be extra painful for the next week to ten days; I was tired of that crap. I dropped the baton and walked up to Brianna. The bodyguards were twitching, Brianna was calculating multiple variables and Pamela looked mildly amused. I hugged Brianna. ‘If we are family then we are family,' I explained. ‘If there is something you want to talk to me about, give me a call. I'm in the book and I'm sure Havenstone can patch you through if you want to get in touch with me at work.' Pamela was struggling to contain her mirth. ‘Can you keep this discussion under wraps for now?' Brianna requested. The likelihood of that happening must have showed in my eyes. ‘Okay, who do you work for?' Pamela was laughing into her hand. ‘Umm; I work for Katrina Love of Executive Services,' I answered. O'Shea almost had an embolism. ‘It is okay, my desk is in her office, so we are pretty close.' Not at all what she wanted to hear. ‘Okay, I'll stop teasing you. I know who Katrina is and what she does; basically making people like you have believably fatal accidents.' ‘You are a man? Why are you still walking around free?' O'Shea muttered. ‘His sexual dynamism supersedes the sublimely addictive,' Pamela enlightened O'Shea, ‘and if you don't believe me, go up and ask that 'Nicole Lawless' woman.' ‘I was going to say 'I look great in hose and a push-up bra', but that works too,' I muttered. And the last thing I wanted to envision at that reality-cracking moment happened. Brianna O'Shea looked me over and that look said 'Sex'. She was my aunt! Technically; somehow; that should matter, right? ‘Aunt Brianna; Brianna; Auntie O'Shea; what do you want me to call you?' I stammered. ‘Brianna will do,' she pulled those plush red lips into a grin and extended her hand. I shook it. She had a strong grip. She was tapping the pulse in my wrist with her forefinger; a tried and true arousal technique I'd used countless times. ‘I'm really happy that we are family;' I evaded. ‘I had regular sex with mine and your mother's father, your grandfather,' Brianna discussed with the outrage normally reserved for the 'do you want your cantaloupe in wedges, or scoops' debate. ‘My; we'll just toss that in the category of things I never wanted to know,' I coughed. Wait! I could do better than that. This deserved sympathy, not comedy. ‘I am glad you got that off your chest,' I stroked her hand back; okay, not my brightest idea. ‘Has Grandpa stopped doing that?' ‘Your Grandfather is dead,' Brianna delivered the bad news. It was doubly bad because she seemed to really miss the jack-ass. At least I didn't have to feign grief at the bastard's funeral. This also would explain why Mom ran away from home and told Dad and I that her family all perished in a freak Sperm Whale hunting accident in the Arctic. You know, that sounded much more believable when I was five. Dad was crazy in love, which explained his suspension of disbelief whenever she walked in the room. ‘He was assassinated in his study in our mountain home, his throat slit clean through and his body desecrated beyond our ability to resurrect him,' Brianna shed a tear. This was the point where I seriously began worrying about there being a natural gas leak that was either screwing up what I was hearing, or what other people were saying. ‘Wow; how sad,' I tried to sound shaken by the news. ‘I know,' Brianna hugged me. But wait, ‘You smell like him (deep, sensual purr); Dad, that is.' Oh God No! ‘Well with Granddad gone, you seem to have done well for yourself; lves,' I corrected. It sounded like I had aunts in the plural, I was praying for the positive, plus a quick exit. ‘No, we can't move on until we find the assassin,' Brianna told me. She added in a whisper, ‘We know she was an Amazon.' Ah, look, an invitation by my freakish, incestuous aunt to betray the insane fanatics I worked for. I began crying. ‘I understand,' Brianna reached around and patted my back, ‘This must be a lot for you to take in.' ‘You have no idea,' I sniffled. What was my mind was saying: 'By the way, Aunt Brianna, the wacked-out chick that offed Granddad is two meters away from you and you definitely didn't bring a big enough army to deal with her'. ‘Why don't you come home with me tonight?' Brianna offered somewhat plaintively. Sex; worse, I wasn't coming up with any really convincing reasons to not have sex with her. We would do it with the lights off. That way I wouldn't be looking into the face of the Mother of my youth having an orgasm impaled on me. Maybe dim lighting would be okay too. ‘I can't go home with you tonight,' I looked away. ‘I'm feeling vulnerable.' That was exactly why she wanted to take me home with her; confused and vulnerable would allow her to revisit her nostalgic Father-Daughter fornications. ‘You need someone who loves you to look after you,' Brianna prodded. ‘That's what I'm for,' Pamela came to my rescue. Glares and snippets of wrath ensued. In the end, Pamela and I made our getaway. A few blocks away; I didn't want a taxi yet; Pamela speaking voided my introspection. ‘Questions?' ‘Where were you hiding while Nicole and I were having sex?' I mused. ‘Which time?' Pamela taunted me. ‘You mean you followed us to the Men's bathroom (we were reliving our first sexual encounter and then some)?' I groused. ‘I am not saying I was there. I'm not saying I wasn't. I'm not saying,' Pamela smirked. Pause. ‘You killed Grandpa?' I asked. ‘Yes.' ‘You stole his soul?' ‘Yes.' ‘You took yourself to the cliffs to destroy his soul; and yours?' ‘Yes.' ‘You decided not to because of his curse/warning?' ‘No.' ‘Um; why didn't you kill yourself?' ‘He; your Grandfather; had a back-up plan. Having me kill myself was a ploy. Had I done it, I would have lost my soul, his soul would have been released and Havenstone would have thought him dead. At the last moment I gained the insight he had a body already prepared for him that no other person knew about,' Pamela informed me. ‘You.' ‘My Mother didn't know?' I worried. ‘I am not sure. Most likely she thought she had escaped the Old Bastard.' ‘Ugh; family life around Christmas must have been a blast,' I grumbled. ‘The Illuminati make a mockery of the Cult of Christ. They have influenced the Catholic hierarchy for a millennia.' ‘How did she get away; if she got away?' I muttered. ‘Your Mother and Aunts were born to be slaves, but contained nearly all the DNA of your Grandfather; essentially female 'hims'. That meant they are all very, very smart so your Mother figured out a way and fled. Somehow she found your Father and happiness.' ‘He let her get away, didn't he?' I asked. ‘Don't sell your Mother short,' Pamela chided me. ‘He most likely engineered her escape from his estate, but the rest was her. Otherwise, you would have had Illuminati watchers all this time. No, your Grandfather wanted her to be completely free of the Illuminati, and all the other secret orders, until he was ready to make his return.' ‘Why did Brianna think Mom died of cancer seven years ago?' I went for next. ‘All your aunts need medication to keep them healthy and young,' Pamela related. ‘The only one with the formula was your Grandfather and, after so many decades, those bitches have to be running out of it soon, if they haven't already exhausted their supply.' ‘Without the drugs, your Mother would have aged and developed various cancers that would have escalated in their aggression until she died. For some reason, she stopped taking her medications before they ran out,' Pamela ruminated. ‘To have me,' I lowered my head. Mom had died because she knew Dad wanted a child; me. ‘It is not impossible that she couldn't have a child while on the regimen. That sounds like something that bastard Cáel O'Shea would have done,' Pamela agreed. ‘What?' I gulped. ‘You were named after your maternal grandfather, who I studied for weeks, and I can tell you that Cáel Nyilas is a hundred times the person he ever was,' Pamela assured me. ‘Let's not tell my aunt that,' I grunted. ‘Don't worry about that,' Pamela patted me on the back. ‘All of your aunts are most likely addicted to his pheromones and you have some variant of them.' ‘The fuck you say!' I gawked. ‘Oh yeah. He was that kind of son of a bitch.' ‘So when I get scared, they get horny?' I despaired. ‘Or if you are your regular horny self,' Pamela chortled. ‘Hell, Brianna is probably humping that urinal you and Miss Lawless engaged as a; prop earlier this evening.' ‘You are just a cornucopia of horrific knowledge, aren't you?' I groused. ‘I've never had a friend like you,' Pamela enlightened me. ‘You've never had a friend before,' I countered. I hadn't known her a week and I already wanted to kill her half the time as it was. I wondered if women felt the same way about me on occasion. ‘That would definitely make you my finest friend then,' she snickered. ‘Thanks,' I grumbled. ‘Just for that, when I have Daphne bent over with her head and shoulders pressed against the wall while I slam her from behind with all this pent up rage, I'll be thinking of you.' ‘Really?' she queried. ‘Of course not. Daphne is smoking hot. When I finally have sex with her, the only thing I'll be thinking about besides Daphne is how I'm going to have sex with her again,' I grinned. ‘Good,' she smiled happily. Yes, we were talking about me boinking her granddaughter and she was A-Okay with it. ‘Remember, there is no need to use a condom.' ‘I'm not falling for that, you evil witch

Cáel's tombstone: For the love of women, women put him here.In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected..

Day 4 of Black History Bootcamp: Ratchet or Respectable? Today, we dive into the powerful, unapologetic legacies of Harry Belafonte & Peter Tosh. These icons challenged norms and demanded respect, embodying both resistance and resilience. Belafonte used his art and voice as a force for civil rights, while Tosh's raw, fearless reggae was a call to justice and liberation. Are we bound by what's ‘respectable'—or can we embrace all parts of ourselves, even the ones that disrupt? Tap into today's episode and decide: Which side of the line speaks to you today—ratchet or respectable?

Jonathan talks with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment's latest skis; some former Moment skis; some other companies' skis; why Hoji is a traitor; and more!RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our Winter Buyer's GuideVIDEO: Luke J @ the Blister SummitTOPICS & TIMES:Company Overview & Mt. Rose (5:41)Factory Updates (8:43)Snowboards?? (17:08)Moment's 24/25 Lineup (22:58)Deathwish 104 & Countach 110 (23:36)Wildcat (29:32)Meridian (35:18)Countach 104 vs the old Belafonte (40:39)Commander Series & Touring Skis (45:49)ATK x Moment Voyager Evo Binding (50:31)Reverse-Camber Skis (53:17)Q's from Tyler Curle & Scott Andrus (1:00:16)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ghost with the Most, is back for the 4th week of Reding's month of Horror. We revisit an all time classic in Beetlejuice (1988) and the recently released sequel in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). Micheal Keaton's portrayal of the bio-exorcist, blends humor and light scares to make enjoyable films for all ages. Let us know if you shared these movies with your kids.Also Play:Cinema Chain Game--------------------------------------------Subscribe, rate, and review:Apple Podcasts: Our Film FathersSpotify: Our Film FathersYouTube: Our Film Fathers---------------------------------------------Follow Us:Instagram: @ourfilmfathersTwitter: @ourfilmfathersEmail: ourfilmfathers@gmail.com

No lo digas tres veces o te arrastrará a un mundo de diversión fantasmal, con las mejores historias del más allá e infinitas posibilidades de espantar a los no muertos de formas terroríficas... mmm... comienza a escucharse como a un plan... ¡Beetlejuice!, ¡Beetlejuice!, ¡BEETLEJUICE!....

This week on the program, Thomas, Matt, and jD welcome back Darin Patterson to the show. You can find his work at SNL Nerds where ever you get your podcasts.Transcript:Track 4:[0:42] Thank you so much, Doug DeNance. It is a thrill to be back here with you on the SNL Hall of Fame podcast. Before you come inside, if you would do me a favor, please wipe your feet. The SNL Hall of Fame podcast is a weekly affair where each episode we take a deep dive into the career of a former cast member, host, musical guest, or writer, and add them to the ballot for your consideration. Consideration once the nominees have been announced we turn to you the listener to vote for the most deserving and help determine who will be enshrined for perpetuity inside the hall and that is how we play the game it's just that simple a little 411 for you we have a new email address it is the snl hall of fame at gmail.com that's the snl hall of fame at gmail.com shoot Shoot us an email if you have any questions about the show or would like to guest on this show or the SNL Hall of Fame Water Cooler with Joe and Shari.Track 4:[1:43] So there's that. This week we are joined by our friend Darren Patterson of the SNL Nerds podcast. You can check that out wherever you find your quality podcasts. Podcasts and uh darren has quite the track record of uh nominating people in episodes he joined us for the first time on season two where he nominated tom hanks who got in then in season three he kicked off the season by nominating dana carvey who also got in that year uh he took the year off in season four and didn't visit us in season five either but this year he's back and uh i'm excited about this episode so there's that.Track 5:[2:32] Here we go with an original not ready for prime time player it is the often overlooked garrett morris matt what do you have to say about garrett morris wow uh garrett uh he five foot eight born february 1st 1937 in new orleans uh he is uh an incredible talent he studied drama at the hb studio and attended juilliard he's a triple threat raised by a baptist minister grandfather he got his first taste of performance in the church choir uh with 116 acting credits six soundtrack credits and one writer credit it, he worked as a soloist and arranger for Harry Belafonte.Track 5:[3:22] Yeah, so he was part of Belafonte's band. During his time as a singer for Harry Belafonte, he was performing in Los Angeles and decided to go for a walk. Police cuffed him and dragged them to jail when he tried to show his hotel keys to prove where he's staying. After a background check, it came back clean. And then they checked the itinerary in his pocket and saw that he was part of Harry Belafonte's band. And all of a sudden they were like oh i'm sorry i'm sorry mr garrett morris i mr morris like we're so he's he that kind of uh changed his life um he became very active uh he joined the black arts repertory theater and school a cornerstone of the black arts movement um um, in New York and ended up being surveilled by the FBI during that time. Yeah.Track 5:[4:23] So he has a file. Um, but you know, he's also done things like he released an album called South African Freedom Songs with Pete Seeger and Guy Carowan. Uh, he appeared in broadway in hallelujah baby and ain't supposed to die a natural death and uh he.Track 5:[4:44] Wrote a play called the secret place daddy piku and stagger lee uh which he penned for the brooklyn uh school kids as part of a new york program uh to write a play for school kids in their in your home borough and on top of all of that he released a comedy album called saturday night sweet um which has some pure disco tracks on there it is it is incredible um he survived a brush with death having been shot in the chest and arm while being mugged uh and got to be kidding me yeah like he's that was.Track 5:[5:28] In 1994 so not even that long ago did not go well for the shooter because there were some garrett morris fans in prison and let's just say he didn't leave the prison uh so yeah that got that you don't mess with a good with great comedians you know people don't like that so yeah so garrett morris garrett morris in a in a wrapped in a bow by our friend matt ardell and now we're going to check in with our other friend Thomas Senna as he digs in on Garrett Morris.Track 2:[6:31] Jamie and Matt, thank you so much. Welcome to another episode of the SNL Hall of Fame. Today we have a Heritage nominee from Season 1, an original Not Ready for Primetime player. So I'm really excited to talk about Mr. Garrett Morris.Track 2:[6:52] And with me to talk about Garrett and his time at SNL is Darren Patterson from the SNL Nerds podcast. Somebody who I haven't had on in like two or three seasons. It was long overdue. I knew I needed to get Darren back for Season 6 of the SNL Hall of Fame. Darren, how's it going, man? It's going well, Thomas. It's going well. Yeah, it's been a minute. I haven't been around these parts in quite some time. I love what you've done with the place. yeah well thank you tied it up a little bit before before you stepped into the hall we make sure to dust and we make sure to everything is in its right place for special guests like yourself so from one snl podcaster to another i gotta make sure that my space is presentable for for you guys especially for other snl podcasters so it's wonderful to have you man i think you were on uh for a roundtable an end of season roundtable i think that's last time we checked in on you yeah yeah it was that was that was a lot of fun that was a that was a blast if i recall correctly yeah yeah no we had a blast talking uh talking about the different nominees from that season of the snl hall of fame uh i love chatting with fellow snl podcasters like we both were chatting beforehand that this is such a really neat community of snl podcasters like both buddies with john schneider from the saturday night network the guys gary and brad from the not Not Ready for Primetime podcast. Andrew Dick's doing his thing.Track 2:[8:19] So, yeah. So, it's just really fun to have a fellow SNL podcaster on. Why don't you tell us what's going on lately over at SNL Nerds? The listeners can go and listen to our 300th episode, which we just recorded. We hit the big 3-double-0. Wow. It's bonkers. Yeah, yeah.Track 2:[8:38] It's an episode we did with Mike Diva, SNL film unit director. The man who directed such hits as I'm Just Pete, the Pete Davidson pre-tape, the Waffle House pre-tape for the Jenna Ortega episode, Mario Kart in the Pedro Pascal episode, the Christmas Carol pre-tape on the Steve Martin, Martin Short episode. Yeah, this dude's done it all. So, guys, go check that out, our 300th episode. That's awesome. We got it. Yeah, yeah. It was a pretty big milestone for us. We were like, oh wow, we've been... We've been really doing this for a while. You know, most podcasters don't even get to five episodes. Really? Yeah, I think I read that somewhere. I think five episodes is like the average, if that. So people start a podcast, they bail after like one or two episodes. So 300 is amazing, man. Yeah, that makes us 60 times better than the average podcast. And you could fill it with you and John Trumbull, your co-host. Yes, yes. Yes. Me and my coach, John Trumbull, we're two guys in New Jersey who are obsessed with SNL, so we during the summer since they've been off, we've just been kind of talking about SNL quote-unquote related movies. Just because we've done all the directly connected to SNL movies, so now we're just like, we just had an episode of Throw Mama from the Train and Billy Crystal's in it. I think that's SNL adjacent. I don't know.Track 2:[10:07] As long as the cast member's on, I think that definitely qualifies. Yeah like as long as we can find one cast member in the cast or for something more produced we kind of shrug and be like all right that works like our next episode we're gonna do a league of their own one of my favorites john lovitz is in that so i was like all right that counts yeah that's one of my favorite things about your podcast is is you you've carved out your own niche in that like you're exploring like snl related movies which which i love so so 300 hundred congratulations darren congratulations john huge milestone go check out uh snl nerds follow them on social media and listen to their pod it's an awesome one so today we are chatting about mr garrett morris so uh garrett had a somewhat different path to snl compared to the rest of the cast he wasn't a groundling didn't come from second city uh garrett was a dramatic actor singer playwright so Lauren was looking for a playwright landed on Garrett who then obviously became a cast member of course part of the original cast so Darren like as an SNL nerd what does Garrett overall kind of mean to you, Oh, God, what does it mean to me? I mean, of course, right off the top, he was the first African-American cast member in SNL. I mean, that's a huge thing right there.Track 2:[11:30] I mean, and also when I think of Gary, I kind of also think of almost like what could have been a little bit just because it's like you said, like Gary really didn't come up with the rest of the cast members through the improv channels. Channels he just kind of he was like a theater kid basically he worked in the theater and playwrights and whatnot so he was he was i i always felt like he that's one of the things that's kind of separated him from the rest uh well i mean i think there was like a few things actually the fact that he well first you know african-american uh the rest of the other cast was uh white uh all the writers were white sometimes i think he was might be the only black guy in like the building yeah Yeah, yeah, seems like, right? It's very possible. Yeah, and so there's that. The fact that he doesn't come through the improv channels, that always kind of separated him. And the fact that he was, like, so much older than the rest of the cast, too, which is something I think a lot of people don't even realize, is because the other cast members, they were all in their 20s when they got to show, like, mid-20s, early 20s, something like that. Garrett was 38 when he got it. Right. It's like, aside from him and George Cove, like those are the old dudes so part of me does think oh maybe those three things kind of are what separated him from the rest of the crew and maybe writers and the cast members maybe didn't know exactly how to.Track 2:[12:55] Fit him into what they were doing so it always seemed like he was kind of doing his own thing the more I think about it I don't know if anybody actually.Track 2:[13:06] Wanted to write a sketch for Garrett it seemed seem more like the writers were like i have this idea for a sketch and if gary can fit in it okay right you know like it was even more something like because a lot of them came from second city i know lorraine was a grambling um but a lot of them have even had even had sketches that they performed together before snl so so that so there was just like an uphill climb uh for gary he had been in like uh uh i think he was in a band um with harry bell like not with harry belafonte But it was a band of like Harry Belafonte kind of like nurtured and like mentored a little bit So Garrett was like in that band. He was singing acting like I mentioned playwrights So that yeah, he was just he wasn't part of like that sketching improv inner circle Yeah, which probably? Was a disadvantage to him and you uh you alluded to it But I mean one thing of course that we can argue is that.Track 2:[14:07] Him being sidelined as a black man. And we saw for a long time afterward that SNL did have a problem with representation, Darren. Yeah, yeah, it really did. I mean, I don't know if maybe they just weren't quite looking for that or they were just kind of maybe more focused on just getting on the kind of humor that maybe they could only conceptualize or conceive as being radical without thinking about maybe how it may appear to other people. Like, you know, they've always had, SNL's always had issues with that. They're doing better, you know, the fact that we have, like now, like we had Bunky, but like people like Bowen or Devin and Ego and like all these other different perspectives, kind of Marcelo now, like all these other different perspectives coming up with ideas that, you know, like ideas that wouldn't have come to other, maybe certain types of writing but uh but you know like like sketches that maybe like ego has done like like things that kind of maybe include like a vernacular or have like a viewpoint from a certain community that you wouldn't have normally thought of like another i'm going off of the tangent here sorry like one sketch i thought of like was um uh the sarah lee sketch from the harry styles episode yes the one that had like cecily and bowen and then harry styles came in and he'd been posting all these odd things on Instagram.Track 2:[15:34] And the wordage they were using, I was like, oh, this is written by Bowen or something, because I don't see anybody else kind of... Unless you know about that community, then a lot of other people just wouldn't know about that. It seems like a lot of the writers who were around when Garrett was around didn't just quite know about his world, so they didn't maybe know how to write it. So that's why maybe they had a harder time trying to figure out what he could do.Track 2:[16:04] Yeah, and like the late 70s, I don't think it was as emphasized or writers and people behind the scenes didn't necessarily care about certain voices. And I think you can, like, if they thought that the audience wouldn't get certain points of view, you can still make those funny. You can kind of train the audience to understand certain things. You could put Garrett or somebody on Weekend Update and kind of – even if you have to kind of explain the backgrounds, explain the context for a few seconds. We've seen them. We saw them do that on Saturday Night Live all the time in the 70s. Even if you have to explain context, you can make it funny. So I don't – I think they just didn't care around that time. Yeah, I think – I mean I think that what you're saying is that that's something they finally caught around when Eddie Murphy kind of came on the scene. Scene and I mean I'm not sure exactly who was writing for him at the time he might have just been writing his own stuff or whatever but like I think when Eddie came in they're like oh this is.Track 2:[17:06] From a fresh new viewpoint that maybe we don't know about, but is worth exploring and investigating and making some sketches about. Yeah, I think there's a lot of credence to that, for sure. All that said, Garrett was such a great singer, such a great actor. I think he added a wonderful dimension to the show when it was on screen. Darren, I've always found this applies to hosts, especially in my opinion, but even cast members. I think some of the best people to do sketch comedy are good actors i think you need to have a sense of humor but you also need to know how to act that's something that they could have really tapped into with gary like talk about acting chops he's probably the best actor uh at that time maybe on the whole cast yeah no he that's true he could have done that i think what he might have done, which maybe kind of you know was was to his you know detriment was he tried to be maybe as funny as the rest of the cast members in some things or like he tried to meet them on their terms when he should have just kind of stuck with his strengths and like and you know that would have been his like maybe more better path forward where like he probably came up saying like well I'm a dramatic actor I know theater.Track 2:[18:25] But these guys are like comedic improv so let me try to be let me try to keep up with them try to play their game but like I feel like he should have kind of maybe played his own game and found his way.Track 2:[18:38] Through what the rest of the improv people were doing. It's almost like, I mean, I don't know if you saw what was it, Batman Forever? The one with Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carey from back in the day, that Batman, where I'm really going off the edge today. No, it's not me.Track 2:[18:59] Jim Carey was the Riddler and he was like he just really played it to this nth degree and uh tommy lee jones was two-faced and he tried to match carrie's crazy and it just got too much crazy yeah whereas like if tommy lee jones maybe played it more straight and played it more kind of down here it would have had a better balance but like i remember that movie just being kind of really off kilter and not great because of that so i think maybe garrett could have done that like he could have been like maybe the more serious grounded uh person or or uh force in a sketch right and while everybody else was kind of acting a little bit crazier around him, Yeah, so he was trying to find his footing, so it's easy to understand why he would be like, well, it's a comedy show, and these guys have – I think I've even heard Garrett say this. He's looked at all of them and said, oh, they're like funny people. They're like trained funny people, so I kind of have to match that. But maybe looking back, you could say I was maybe the best actor of the bunch, so that's what I could have contributed. But you could see it. When I revisit old SNL, a lot of my takeaways from some sketches are like, man, Garrett acted his ass off, and it helped the scene.Track 2:[20:08] Like like big time i i think of like somebody who we're going to talk about this season adam driver to me he's one of the better hosts in snl history because he's like a great actor and a lot of those great dramatic actors do really well as hosts on snl so i just think that skill set really crosses over to sketch comedy yeah no for sure that definitely does like uh yeah i mean you have comedic actors that like try to be the funniest one in the sketch and that can't come across as maybe depending on the comedic actor it could be a little obnoxious but like dramatic actors always kind of know that less is more and like yeah you don't always have to be the big boisterous clown in the room you can just maybe play it down a little bit more and be a little bit more understated and you know find the rhythms and just add to the sketch and that's a better path well it might not be like like the flashiest role or you know like more than what everybody remembers, you still did your part to maybe flesh out the sketch a little bit more and get it to greater heights. Exactly. It services the sketch. Sketch comedy nerds like us will pinpoint that contribution and give credit where credit's due. So as far as Gary goes, I'm really excited. I want to dig into his work on SNL. So is there something that immediately kind of stands out to you that he did on the show?Track 2:[21:33] One of the biggest standouts immediately is the president of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing. It was a quick little thing he always did on a weekend update with Chevy where they have him in those little hard of hearing bubbles. And Chevy would say he's here for the hard of hearing. And Chevy would be like, our top story tonight. And then you just see Garrett cupping his hands over his mouth, screaming the exact same thing that Chevy's saying. Our top story tonight, President Ford is finally over that stubborn week-long cold.Track 2:[22:11] It was like one of those really simple, dumb gags that like we'll get a laugh i remember getting a laugh out of that the first time i saw when i was like a little kid where i was like it's it's simple it's kind of corny it's it's almost like a dad joke but damn it it makes me smile and it lives on too garrett he came back and was it snl 40 that he yes that he did that right i believe so it was one of the snl uh anniversary specials that that they brought garrett back to to do that on weekend update so So that one definitely lives on. I mean, the tone is like just yelling, but Garrett's not trying to like be a clown or be, you know, he's just sort of like doing what needs to be done. And it lives on almost 50 years later, Garrett doing that.Track 2:[22:59] Yeah, I'm sure everybody will remember that. Weekend Update, I kind of want to stick with too, since you started there on Weekend Update. A character he did 10 times, 9 of those on Weekend Update was Chico Escuela. Is sports correspondent which is what i i mean that when i think of garrett i think of like the a lot of the fun stuff he did as chico escuela darren yes yes me too i mean it was like um i mean yeah like you said it was like a character that just kind of popped up here and there a little bit uh it wasn't you know it wasn't it didn't get too overused there was no you know emily latela or anything like that but it was poor poor emily latela that's like the classic example but you're right I agree right she got so much air time it was like wow you really trying to make Emily Latela happen but I mean Chico escuela like he had again much like Garrett he kind of went at his own pace you know the baseball didn't very very good to me and whatnot it was like a very small that's small but very understated character very understated performance, memorable, to say the least, I'd say. Baseball been very, very good to me. This week, baseball been very, very good to Willie Mance. Say hey, Willie always keep his eye on the ball.Track 2:[24:25] In the Super Bowl, we have, how do you say, highlights. Roll, please. Please, Jackie A. Smith did not keep his eye on the ball. I think it is actually kind of a nuanced thing because I love the conceit of he doesn't know anything, especially the first one. The first time he came on as a sports correspondent, he doesn't know about any other sports. He's just trying to like push his way through like the nhl highlights and he doesn't really know much about basketball then when baseball he just kind of jumps right in and yeah just talks about it so i just think that's a very very funny conceit chico always seemed like a nice guy has that catchphrase man like like everybody who knows the show it seems like knows the baseball been very very good to me and yeah like yeah he another one that lives on yeah no it's not like one of the bigger catch, you know, it's not like it's no two wild and crazy guys, but I feel like it's another like.Track 2:[25:32] It's another thing where it's like, yeah, it's a catchphrase that may not be that big, but it is known. I don't know. The more I think about it, the more I think more serious SNL nerds like us would appreciate Garrett more. He's always just been kind of – again, he's not like the big flashy breakout star, but people like us, we see what you're doing there. Yeah, I know. If you really go back and watch the first five seasons, there's so many times where we're like, oh my gosh, Garrett. It like like and he i love the chico character too because like it had an arc like he had a really fun arc there's at one point where he uh was quitting weekend update because he went back to met spring training to try to make the team again because his his background was that he was an all-star for the new york meds so uh but then when he went to uh spring training uh it turns Turns out that some of the team was upset with him because he wrote a detailed account of Major League Baseball.Track 2:[26:32] And it was called Bad Stuff Bout the Mets that he wrote. So he had to endure himself. So there was like a whole narrative arc with Chico Escuela going to Mets spring training, then flaming out. So that's something that I kind of would love to see more of on SNL, especially with weekend update kind of characters. I want to see those narrative. But we like we got that with Seth and Stefan but Darren like I love that There's like some sort of narrative arc here. Yeah, I don't yeah I I mean I'd love to have like you said like something like narrative arcs in SNL and or even runners I think that they tried to do, Runners a little bit back in the day like they had that um, when Kim Kenna was on they still had that uh, was it I.Track 2:[27:18] Think she had like some little bit of runner through there. I, They can't even remember it. But I don't know. Part of me thinks because of this, I guess, TikTok world we're living in where, like, you know, the little sound bites and clips are a little bit more important just to get eyes and views. I don't know if there's a place for, like, a runner or... Marianne Conway, that's who. They had the Marianne Conway thing where Kate McKinnon was, like, on her knees. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, all right. All right, sorry. I just remembered.Track 2:[27:51] So, yeah. Yeah, so I don't know. I mean, I would love a runner. I would love arcs. But again, because we're in this world now where quick little five-minute video clips are kind of how we just ingest everything now. I just don't know if there's room for an arc or a runner or anything like that anymore. It's a bummer because they're really cool. No, I could see that. No, it was really cool with Chico. go that was a character too that i would hear people who watched uh snl live when in the late 70s always referenced they would always reference chico escuela and base baseball being very very good to me and all that so i think this kind of like almost lives on as far as like this might be like garrett's legacy at snl is this character because i really have heard a lot of older snl fans when i was a kid they would always reference this like i knew what this was before i even saw I saw it on screen. I knew what this was. Oh wow. Yeah, yeah, no, totally memorable, totally great. Yeah, it's fantastic. What else is there that may have popped out to you for Garrett? I mean, the one thing that comes to my mind is the, I forget the name of the sketch, but it's like that aristocrat's dinner that happens.Track 2:[29:08] And Garrett is a person who's, you know, what's it called? He has like a staff in his hand. He slammed it against the ground to introduce people to the party. Say, you know, Lord and Lady Gardner, Lord and Lady, blah, blah, blah. And then these two people come in and he says, Lord and Lady Douchebag. Douchebag and uh we get this whole sketch about you know this lord and this lord and lady in this fancy high society party and their names are douchebags to your point that sketch which i think honestly was the last sketch of the original era it happened in the very last episode buck henry hosted it in season five yes yes i think it may have been the last sketch of the original error or close to it maybe there was one more after that uh but but to your point garrett made that sketch because if you ask somebody they i think a lot of like casual sketch comedy fans will tell you oh yeah i've heard of like lord and lady douchebag um but they couldn't tell you the beats of the sketch no right they just recite garrett saying that line so that's to your point like garrett made the most out of he wasn't the star of the sketch i think it was buck henry and Harry Shearer, honestly. But Garrett May, he was the star of that sketch ultimately. Lord and lady, douchebag!Track 2:[30:33] Yeah, and I know Bill Murray was in that sketch, because at one point he goes, ah, douchebag! He does that. But yeah, I don't remember anything anyone else actually said in that sketch. The one thing you can you think about it or totally remember is Garrett saying Lord and Lady Douchebag. I mean, that's him taking, I guess what he knew was going to be like the big line that would get the big laugh.Track 2:[30:58] Once everybody in the audience kind of sees where the sketch is going that's going to be their big aha moment so like he probably looked at that and was new like oh i really need to really like enunciate and make a big deal out of this one phrase that like i just know is going to be the one that sticks in everybody's brain exactly he brought out his booming but he almost brought his singing voice yeah yeah he said that absolutely yeah that was a great example that's way back uh at the end of season five.Track 2:[31:28] Like the very last episode of the original era, Garrett still made his mark for sure. In season one, almost maybe a missed opportunity. They did this four times, but something that I always loved when I went back and rewatched a lot of the original seasons was he hosted a show called Black Perspective. Yes, yes. Yeah, so he did that in episode four was his first time. So they kind of gave Garrett his talk show. he played uh uh probably a different version of himself and he had on jane curtain playing a different version of herself but these black perspective they could have been a thing like again he did it four times but they were always like they had jokes about about just things that like like to your earlier point that there were jokes involving like black perspective that's the name of the show the black community but but these were ones darren that uh that i loved so he said He said he had Jane Curtin on the first time. Fran Tarkenton appeared on season two.Track 2:[32:29] So it was basically kind of Garrett and the show almost mocking like stereotypes. Yeah. It's just kind of poking fun of them. Like Fran Tarkenton was talking about how like. Black guys can't read defenses and that's why they aren't quarterbacks and he made fran made to was made to look like the in that sketch but that's kind of the theme of this yeah i remember those those are like really interesting i mean like of course tim meadows would kind of do something like that yeah you know well i've been called perspectives yeah yeah yeah outstanding.Track 2:[33:01] But uh but yeah like that's like another thing that like uh garrett had that didn't, I mean I don't want to say it didn't take off they were really cool and really interesting but yeah like I again like they're not you know you don't see them too often when you look at an SNL, retrospective like they'll show you you know Samurai Chef or something a lot but you won't really see that like I do remember there was like another one where Julian Bond yes when he hosted and there was this like who's this you know politician this black politician back in the day and like there was this one really interesting sketch that they got into where where, I mean, I kind of wish they went further with it, but, like, the conceit of it is, like, they talk about how, like, light-skinned blacks are smarter than dark-skinned blacks. I remember seeing that. I was like, wow, that's a bold... Yeah, that happened in, like, 1976 or 77. Yeah. That was, like, in season two. They've been saying that whites are smarter than blacks for hundreds of years, baby, right? And we've only had these IQ tests for, what, 20, 30 years. Now, how did the IQ of white intellectual superiority originate in the first place? Well, that's a very interesting point. My theory is that it's based on the fact that light-skinned blacks are smarter than dark-skinned blacks.Track 2:[34:25] Say what? Garrett just kind of waits a beat, just kind of stares at him in that Garrett way, those eyes. I thought that was pretty hilarious. I mean, really, really ballsy for its time. I was like, wow. I don't even know if I'd try that sketch today. Yeah, right, exactly. They only did those black perspective ones like four times. Cecily Tyson was on the last one. And that was Cecily telling Garrett that black women have gotten a raw deal because the black man is such a loser Garrett it was like so I was like say what and he had this reaction So it's like kind of tension that between he and Cecily Tyson, Because she just kind of said that so so yeah, so I would have loved to see like a.Track 2:[35:11] More of those and more like perspective uh in in garrett's voice and more black perspective honestly yeah like i remember i mean from what i've read like garrett was the thing where he was like really kind of trying to fight to get stuff like that on he was trying to kind of get you know like sketches that kind of seemed more from the black perspective but like he was kind of just hitting so many walls with that and so like the fact that he got the little that he did i I think it's a huge accomplishment, even though maybe people didn't quite get it at the time. I mean, I think the fact that he just he put it out there and I'd imagine like there must be some people, some black comics coming up that's seen that and was like inspired by that. Yeah, yeah, I think so. He he tells a funny story. I mean, he speaks highly of Al Franken overall.Track 2:[35:58] He said nice things about Al Franken, but he did say that Al Franken kind of pushed back on some of his ideas. Is and he said one time he he challenged al frank into a wrestling match and he said he said he thought he was going to get the worst of it probably because al was a wrestler and he's kind of a stocky build guy like al's kind of a bigger dude he was a bigger dude than what you might think it's like i i challenged him he's like i knew i was gonna probably get my ass kicked but i challenged al frank and so snlwf yeah yeah exactly so garrett did have to almost literally fight for screen time sometimes. I had no idea. Yeah, that makes sense. Al Franken, from what I know about him, especially in his younger days, he was a bit of a...Track 2:[36:45] He had a bit of a... Temper or he was just a little gave you a lot of pushback you know he's exactly he's the man that came up with limo for a lame-o i mean for a lame-o yeah he's the one that uh when everybody like the cast i think it was in the late 80s early 90s i think it was george harrison who was like.Track 2:[37:04] Playing piano and just putting basically putting on this like beatles show in the office for people and al's the one who came out of his office and said get back to work you guys got some writing sketches to do and yeah so i don't blame garrett sometimes for trying to fight him push back on that uh one other memorable moment you mentioned the so the julian bond one i think is very memorable chico escuela deaf and hard of hearing one the lord and lady douchebag so garrett has these like memorable things um one thing i also knew about when i was a kid uh was if you remember this was in season one as well when they had what they called like death row follies yes prison yes so yeah they're putting on a performance of gg at a prison and are auditioning inmates oh yeah so you remember this one yes i do yeah so where.Track 2:[37:59] Does it go from here if you can if you can remember the beats i believe if we're thinking about the same one this is the one where Garrett comes out as an inmate and he starts singing the song.Track 2:[38:49] That's the one and it comes out of nowhere too it's like because dan dan and chevy played inmates for the first two auditions and then garrett comes out he's saying that he was in solitary confinement and he was writing this thing and he goes to the piano and i think maybe by episode 11 the audience had heard garrett probably sing yes so they knew that he was like this maybe maybe Maybe like a really good singer. So you're expecting. And even sometimes I forget. Because I'm expecting Garrett to kind of sing this beautiful song. But no. It's his famous song. Yeah it's like this kind of jaunty upbeat song. I'm going to take all the shotgun and kill all the white guys. Yeah. Which even makes it funnier. And like you're just talking about. Once he does that. Whitey won't bother him. Yeah.Track 2:[39:40] Yeah exactly. He said he got that from a real thing. And it wasn't like, kill all the whiteys. I see it was much, you know, it was a very, very, very racist little performance that Garrett happened to see. So he kind of flipped the script on that. Yeah. So that's kind of where Garrett said he got it from. But such a memorable moment. I knew the words to that song before I even saw the context to it as well. And that's something that like lives on with Garrett yeah and again that's another way like or another instance of Garrett kind of taking over a sketch with his little screen time he has because I don't remember what happened before that sketch or after Garrett saying it like all the other parts of that sketch I don't quite remember but I definitely remember Garrett singing that song and talking about getting a shotgun but like I know there was some stuff before and after he performed but I don't.Track 2:[40:38] Call it but no garrett's part that was the star of the show the only reason why i remember the beats because i just kind of recently watched it okay but like but but other than that that's all you remember from the sketch because it's so like shocking and memorable and hilarious and uh i think gilda is part of the sketch and they tell all the and they warn her basically or they say oh you might want to like button your top button a little bit more because these these men haven't seen a woman in years or whatever and then of course they all take a shining um to put it nicely to gilda throughout to put it nicely yes that's the nice way of saying it yeah because yeah that i remember yeah that was wow yeah yeah uh there was one more that i kind of uh that i think really sticks out with some people and garrett says that he's pretty proud of this one i've heard him talk about it and it's called the white guilt relief fund oh yes yeah I'm Garrett Morris talking to all you white Americans about the way black people have been treated in America now I know a lot of you feel guilty and you should.Track 2:[41:43] My great-great grandmother was brought over here on the slave ship and was raped by her white master and my grandfather was lynched by a mob for not tipping his hat to a white lady now they're dead now there's nothing you can do to erase their suffering. However, if you would like to relieve your guilt, I am willing to accept money as a representative victim of 400 years of repression. Send your check or money order to White Guilt Relief Fund, care of Garrett Marsh, 870 West 127th Street, New York, New York. Good perspective. I like it. That's the stuff that I wanted more of. Yeah. That's actually a pretty smart concept. I don't know why they didn't do more things I don't know, it seems like maybe the writers just had their own ideas and then they just kind of were like, alright, we'll give Garrett this one thing and that'll make him happy and then we can do our thing, what we want to do. But I don't know, I feel like they left money on the table in a way. They could have explored Garrett's mind a little bit more and worked with him a little bit more and gotten all these other great sketches from perspectives no one else maybe was even thinking about looking at.Track 2:[42:55] Yeah, they really could have. Yeah. I mean, they were really funny. They were really short, too. Like, that White Guilt Relief Fund one wasn't that long. It's something that you could plug in. Like, that's kind of a replicable concept that you could plug in if you need a minute ten to fill, honestly. Like, that's something you could do. Yeah, that could be like a TikTok. That's like TikTok. Perfect TikTok. It really is. Yeah, that's like for the TikTok era. Garrett was ahead of his time. He was ahead of his time. Really, Garrett created TikTok, if you think about it. Yeah, I mean, that sounds, I haven't looked into that, but that sounds right. That sounds, that checks out. It checks out, story checks out. Thank you, Garrett.Track 2:[43:34] Is there anything else before we kind of, like, move on, post-SNL stuff for Garrett? I've always liked his, that one role he had as the best friend Cliff for the Fenstruck Brothers. Oh, yeah. Like, he didn't have too much to do there, but, like, you know, he kind of came in and came out. And he'd always acted like a good sort of straight man to help the these two dudes just try to get the foxy foxy lady single women's yes yes yes I remember click very well I don't know if I undersold it honestly but I think he's on the shortlist and he might be the greatest singer in SNL history.Track 2:[44:37] Anna gasteyer is amazing cecily recently chloe trost currently but is there a better singer as far as cast than garrett i mean all those singers you mentioned are great uh melissa vio senor for the little time she didn't get to sing she's great but uh i think the fact that garrett is like classically trained and he like sung you know mozart songs and don otavino songs The fact that he can sing operatic stuff, I think maybe puts him a notch above all those other singers you mentioned. Because they're all great and have beautiful voices, but when you hear...Track 2:[45:15] Garrett Morris has a voice of an angel. Yeah, for sure. He can sing Ave Maria type stuff, and that's pretty special. Yeah, 100%. I would put Garrett, number one, probably on a gas tire right after that. She's still doing Broadway stuff. She's an incredible singer. And then everybody else is kind of fighting after that, after Garrett and Anna. But that should be part of his legacy as well. The most talented singer in SNL history. Yeah, you can't dismiss his singing prowess. I think there's enough stuff out there that people know he can sing when he sang on the show. But I feel like it's something that doesn't get brought up as much as it should. It because i mean he's he my man's got pipes yeah definitely uh yeah so after snl he made one cameo since he left the show in 1980 with the original cast garrett's made one cameo not including snl 40 and all those it was in november of 2002 the pop quiz here and i actually i'll admit i didn't know this until a couple days ago do you know the context of this cameo that That happened in an episode in November of 2002?Track 2:[46:27] I don't think. I don't believe so. No. He appeared in an Astronaut Jones sketch. Oh. Out of nowhere. It was Brittany Murphy. And of course Astronaut Jones. The Tracy Morgan character. And it was. Yeah. Garrett was standing right by him. And I forgot who else. So there was a third guy. Okay. No. It was Nellie.Track 2:[46:50] Nellie. It was Nellie. I was not expecting to say that. Yeah this is 2002 uh so so is tracy as astronaut jones and then nelly and garrett and then britney murphy was the host so so garrett appeared in astronaut jones darren that is wild i totally forgot about that yeah 22 years almost 23 years after he left the show that was his only appearance.Track 2:[47:15] Yeah, that is wild. I kind of wish he'd made more appearances. Yeah. But, yeah. Yeah, me too. But hopefully we'll see him here on SNL 50. I assume so.Track 2:[47:27] He guest starred in a lot of sitcoms, different strokes, The Jeffersons, Hill Street Blues, Married with Children, all over the place. If you watch Martin like I did, main part of the cast of Martin, very beloved, The Jamie Foxx Show, Two Broke Girls. Roles so man like i don't know he's still around he appeared in ant-man in 2015 which was awesome they made up a reference to him playing ant-man on snl yes the first wasn't he the first uh person ever to play ant-man in like tv or film it's like live action so maybe he's he is the first yeah so i'm glad that that was like a little tip of the cap to garrett playing ant-man in that it was like a parade of of superheroes kind of sketch oh yes yes i remember that that was a good one yeah so So, like, awesome, Darren, like, when Garrett just pops up in something you're watching, right? Yeah. Gets you excited. Yeah, it does. It does. It's like, oh, yeah, he's still out here. He's still doing it. He's still, he always just seemed, like, kind of just, like, kind of very zen, almost. Like, he's just, like, a very laid-back dude, and he's just kind of happy where he's at. And, you know, he's just, he just has a really great kind of aura about him. I don't know. I never met the man, but, like, I feel like if I, if we ever did, I would just, it would just like i would feel at peace at one yeah myself like through him he's buddhist it really yeah so that tracks no garrett's buddhist yeah i just made all that shit up i had no idea.Track 2:[48:54] That's awesome you have a good feel for it because i think i think garrett would be pretty zen i think he's he has said that he's buddhist uh so so yeah that's a good good read of a person darren Wow, way to go me. I did get that vibe. I think Martin was the first thing that I had. I mean, I think I had seen some old SNL clips when he was on, but I think Martin was my first real exposure to Garrett. So I do remember that just him being like just the funny station manager, the casual. So that was actually my first exposure to Garrett was Martin. Yeah, I think for a lot of, you know, people that grew up in the 90s, it was that, too. And, like, I mean, I remember him from Martin, of course, and Jamie Foxx show later on in the 90s. But, like, I guess I was big enough. I was a big enough SNL nerd to be like, oh, wait, that's the guy who was on. That's Chico Escuela. That's the guy that was on that SNL show that I watched the reruns of on Comedy Central. That's the guy that was going to grab the shotgun. Remember him? Yeah, he was going to kill all of them. Yes.Track 2:[49:56] Um so lamorne morris will be playing garrett in the upcoming saturday night movie um like one of the things you do on your podcast is discussing snl related movies i'm sure you're excited about this one this could be like the holy grail of snl movies for you guys yeah no with we are super as soon as the trailer dropped we were we were both super pumped i think i watched that trailer at least five or six times yeah we're definitely like me and my buddy john trumbull we we i think we uh spent there was like one episode we put out recently we spent like at least 15 minutes just talking about that trailer uh but yeah i mean i love the way it looks i think it looks great i love the way there's this one scene in the trailer where, Lamorne Morris is kind of looking at Jim Henson while he's smoking a cigarette. And the stare that he gives Jim Henson, it looked a lot like a young Garrett Morris. For a minute, I was like, oh, that looks like Garrett.Track 2:[51:00] So I'm looking forward to that. And I just really like the look of it. I think everybody who's playing, whoever they're playing, kind of gets it. The guy that's playing young Lorne Michaels kind of has his speech patterns down and his little pout. But he doesn't do it to an extent where it's a goofy caricature. You know, he's just like, you know. He has the little pout going on and the voice down. The guy that plays Chevy kind of has Chevy's voice down.Track 2:[51:29] I'm really looking forward to this. I might... I mean, I'm not going to take the day off work or anything, but I think I'm going to definitely see this opening... Definitely opening weekend, maybe opening night. but like i yeah i am so pumped for this i want to see it opening night but my wife's gonna be out of town and i might have to wait for her to get back because she's really wants to see it too i don't know to see this is this is a moral quandary with the husband do i am i do i adhere to my snl passion as a podcast maybe i could justify it as like i'm a podcaster i gotta see it opening night honey and then we'll see it again maybe when you get back but i don't know this is a moral quandary for me darren yeah i know oh i've i've been in those shoes where it's like, she's not she's out of town but i really want to see this show uh just go and then i pretend to be surprised yeah no you don't want to do that.Track 2:[52:26] A marriage is built on honesty fair enough yeah you're damn right so uh either way uh i'll definitely be seeing it soon afterward lamorne morris seems like he has um garrett's kind of aura down a little bit there's this trailer where he kind of introduces it and it seems like he's really got a pretty good feel for garrett i love lamorne in a new girl um a lot of stuff he's other done he's done as well i liked him in the new season of unstable even though that season was I thought I liked Lamorne in the season. So I'm looking forward to seeing his portrayal of Garrett and just the movie overall. And I get skeptical with biopics, especially with SNL kind of things. But this does look really promising. It does. I mean, Lamorne Morris has always been really good. I really liked him in, I don't know if you saw the movie Game Night. I haven't. It's really funny. It's really good. I saw it on Hulu a while ago on a whim just because I heard a lot of friends say it's really funny. You should check it out and i checked it out and it's really it's like on the level of almost like bridesmaids or like the hangover or like all the big comedies that came out in the early it's but it's like smarter and it's really well shot and like game night fantastic movie but anyway uh saturday night we're talking about that movie yeah but yeah so we're yeah we're pumped for saturday night pumped for the garrett morris uh depiction by lamorne morris so now's the time Darren, we've reached the point in the show where you kind of make an appeal to people.Track 2:[53:54] So why don't you tell us, why should listeners, SNL fans, and folks at the SNL Water Cooler appreciate Garrett's place in SNL history? Because the fact, first of all, he's the first African-American cast member. Boom, right there. And secondly, yes, he may not be the most memorable one of the group, or the one that got the most spotlight or get the most accolades.Track 2:[54:23] You still remember him. Even though he didn't get that much screen time or much lines, you still remember Chico Escuela. You still remember the president of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing. Those things still reside in your brain for some reason. He's always somebody who's made quite a lot with not what little he's given. You still remember hearing him sing with that beautiful angelic voice of his. He stays in your memory. He's always been a solid cast member. And while it's a shame he never got his due, you still remember him. He still sticks around in your brain. And yeah, he might be the unsung hero, I'd say, of the original SNL cast.Track 4:[55:31] So there's that thank you so much darren patterson from the snl nerds podcast check that out if you're listening to this and you don't listen to the snl nerds podcast what are you thinking keep that's, you know, get your priorities straight.Track 4:[55:52] Add it to your playlist. Thanks, Darren. It's great to have you back. I'm real curious if you keep your streak up. Tom Hanks, Dana Carvey, that's a pretty good pedigree that you've established. And I am very curious to see whether or not your luck is with Garrett Morris. So there's that. that let's go to the garrett morris sketch that uh thomas is selected here and i want to tell you that it is uh the first chico escuela appearance on weekend update uh obviously we listened to thomas and darren and chico escuela was certainly a big part of of garrett morris's five-year tenure at SNL. This took place season four, episode eight. So that's his first appearance. Wow. So really he was only season four and season five that he was Chico Escuela. To me, it was something that was just, it was always there. I don't know. I guess because of the clip shows, I'm skewed. At any rate, let's go to that now.Track 3:[57:11] New York Mets, Chico Escuela. Welcome, Chico. Chico will be covering the sports team for Weekend Update. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Baseball being very, very good to me. Thank you, Hayne. Pete Ross Baseball being very, very good to Pete Ross, $3.2 million for Pete Ross Charlie Hustle, you bet Daniel, very, very much, And football. I don't know football. In Dominican Republic, football is... How you say in, um... soccer. Your football... I don't know. And National Hockey League. In baseball baseball being very very good to me thank you very much thank.Track 4:[58:38] You thank you very much oh man that's freaking fantastic what a baseball been better better good to me is just uh like thomas said in the conversation, it's just one of those things I knew and I was born in 74 so I was one and a half when SNL began so clearly I don't remember that my first memories are season 9 really, maybe a little bit of season 8 but I didn't really get into things until season 10 so there's that, I don't know whether or not.Track 4:[59:20] Garrett Morse makes the hall. It's going to be interesting.Track 4:[59:25] Tune in this week to the SNL Hall of Fame water cooler to hear what Joe and Shari have to say. I joined them this week on the show. And it should be interesting to take note of their feelings and thoughts on this. Thanks for joining us this week.Track 4:[59:47] It's always a pleasure. on behalf of Thomas and Matt I want to thank Darren Patterson once again and do me one last favor, on your way out as you walk past the weekend update exhibit turn out the lights, because the SNL Hall of Fame is now closed.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/snlhof/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1234, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Margaret Me 1: She led Britain through the 1980s. Margaret Thatcher. 2: I'll get you to name this "Wizard of Oz" actress, my pretty. Margaret Hamilton. 3: Princess Margaret was born in 1930, 4 years after this sister. Elizabeth II. 4: Margaret Burbidge was the first woman to head up this royal observatory. Greenwich. 5: She coined the term "birth control". Margaret Sanger. Round 2. Category: Science Vocabulary 1: "Specific" this is the ratio of a substance's density to that of a standard substance, often water. gravity. 2: It's the resistance that opposes the motion of one surface across another. friction. 3: From a word meaning "insect", it's the study of bugs. entomology. 4: Acone-shapeddeposit ofcalcium saltsthat builds upfrom a cave floor. stalagmite. 5: This adjective from the Greek for "moving" describes the mechanical energy of an object due to motion. kinetic. Round 3. Category: We'Re A North American Band! 1: In 1973 Mammoth thought it cheaper to hire David Lee Roth as a singer than rent his P.A. system; Mammoth became this in '74. Van Halen. 2: This trio sang, "Today's Tom Sawyer, he gets high on you, and the space he invades, he gets by on you". Rush. 3: B-b-b-baby, name this band that topped the charts in 1974"You ain't seen nothin' yet /B-b-b-baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet /Here's something, here's...". Bachman-Turner Overdrive. 4: This Canadian band was "watchin' 'X-Files' with no lights on, we're dans la maison, I hope the Smoking Man's in this one". Barenaked Ladies. 5: Gordon Gano sang, "I like American music" as the lead singer of this Milwaukee group. the Violent Femmes. Round 4. Category: Current Governors 1: George Pataki. New York. 2: Christine Todd Whitman. New Jersey. 3: Gray Davis. California. 4: Frank Keating. Oklahoma. 5: Tommy Thompson. Wisconsin. Round 5. Category: Trinidad 1: Trinidad's Pitch Lake is a natural lake of this black substance used to surface roads. Tar/asphalt. 2: In 1889 this Caribbean island was joined politically to Trinidad. Tobago. 3: This form of folk music popularized by Belafonte originated in Trinidad. Calypso. 4: U.S.O.C. president Leroy Walker, not Runner, once coached this Trinidadian Olympic team. track and field. 5: What the Trinidadians call Shango, the Haitians call this. Voodoo. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

They may be small islands in size – but the countries of the Caribbean are huge exporters of culture and need to remind younger generations at home of why they should feel proud of where they come from.That's according to Claire Nelson, a Jamaican based in the United States and founder of the advocacy-based Institute of Caribbean Studies, who's been attending this week's SIDS4 conference taking place on the twin island of Antigua and Barbuda.After taking part in a side event on the role of technology-driven artistic expression in cultural tourism, she spoke to UN News's Matt Wells, who's in Antigua, about the importance of not allowing small island culture to be swamped by the global entertainment industry.