Podcasts about BMP

Flying solo this week, Big Moe Barrett talks to defensive tackle Christian Harris about his commitment to Wake Forest and 1980 grad Mike Suter comes in the talk about what he is doing now and his days at Big Moe.Check out this week's BMP

I'm excited to welcome my good friend and former colleague Ryan Johnson to the show. Ryan is the Environmental Manager for the City of Roseville in Minnesota and is my favorite storm water and water resources guru. Ryan joins me in this episode to talk about the underappreciated role of making sure that private stormwater BMP's are properly maintained. I know, exciting! But it is. And it is certainly very important for the overall efficiency of the public stormwater system as well. Enjoy!AI Generated Description:Private stormwater device maintenance is vital to the overall operation of municipal stormwater systems, especially for meeting retention and treatment goals. Ryan Johnson shares his expertise as Roseville's Environmental Manager on managing these often-overlooked infrastructure components.• Ryan's background includes working with Ramsey County on residential BMPs and critical area stabilizations before joining Roseville• Roseville faces unique challenges as a first-ring suburb built in the 50s-60s with limited stormwater planning• Private property BMPs are essential when municipalities can't handle all stormwater management alone• Maintenance of underground chambers requires regular inspection and cleaning of pretreatment structures• Proactive maintenance is far more cost-effective than emergency repairs or city enforcement• Roseville created a comprehensive program with maintenance agreements, plans, and code enforcement• Property owner education is crucial as many don't realize they have stormwater infrastructure• The city can perform abatements when property owners fail to maintain their systems• Success stories include both the property owner who immediately took action and challenging sites requiring enforcement• Future plans include potentially offering inspection services similar to private hydrant programsContact your local municipal stormwater team if you're uncertain about the maintenance requirements for stormwater infrastructure on your property.

**It's The Relax With Rendell Show Replay On Trax FM & Rendell Radio. Rendell Featured Soul & Boogie/Rare Groove/80's & 70's Grooves/Easy Listening Cuts From BT Express, Tyrone Davis, Stroke, Skool Boyz, Rhyze, Phil Fearon & Galaxy, LW5, Levert, Johnny Gill, Howard Smith, Deele, Cashmere, BMP, Klique, Jak, Goodie, DeBarge, Cameo, Armenta & Majik & More. #originalpirates #soulmusic #disco #reggae #raregroove #easylistening #boogiefunk Catch Rendell Every Saturday From 8PM UK Time On www.traxfm.org The Stations: Trax FM & Rendell Radio Listen Live Here Via The Trax FM Player: chat.traxfm.org/player/index.html Mixcloud LIVE :mixcloud.com/live/traxfm Free Trax FM Android App: play.google.com/store/apps/det...mradio.ba.a6bcb The Trax FM Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092342916738 Trax FM Live On Hear This: hearthis.at/k8bdngt4/live Tunerr: tunerr.co/radio/Trax-FM Radio Garden: Trax FM Link: http://radio.garden/listen/trax-fm/IEnsCj55 OnLine Radio Box: onlineradiobox.com/uk/trax/?cs...cs=uk.traxRadio Radio Deck: radiodeck.com/radio/5a09e2de87...7e3370db06d44dc Radio.Net: traxfmlondon.radio.net Stream Radio : streema.com/radios/Trax_FM..The_Originals Live Online Radio: liveonlineradio.net/english/tr...ax-fm-103-3.htm**

Back on the Big Moe Podcast, this week Big Moe Barrett and Andy Nagel talk with Director of Innovation and Curriculum Erin Brandyberry.  The also talk to Man of Moeller Conner Vaughan '27 and his mission trip to Tanzania.Check out this weeks BMP

Jarden’s Head of Commodities comments on the first GDT auction of the new season - “The positive momentum that we saw coming into the season, right up until the penultimate event, now looks to be lost with the overall event falling 1.6% and several of the key individual products coming under pressure. WMP -3.7%, SMP -1.1%, AMF 1.4%, Butter 0%, BMP -6.1% and Cheese -4.2%.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's BMP features LA Lakers star Jaxson Hayes, Bengal Ted Karras and the new Moeller hats, and last but not least, Big Moe Barrett's new intern Daniel Barnard from the class of 2022Check out this week's BMP!!!

Another school year is in the books,  It is graduation day!  Congratulations to all the Seniors and good luck in the future.   Big Moe Barrett and Andy also talk to talented videographer Diegan Lyons.  Check out this week's BMP

Thomas LecuitCollège de FranceDynamiques du vivantAnnée 2024-2025Colloque - Information Processing in Biological Systems : Deciphering cellular integration of the contradictory BMP and TGFβ signalsYaron AntebiWeizman Institute, Israël

He called into the 100th edtion of the BMP.  Big Moe Barrett and Andy Nagel talk to the Hit King.  A ten minute interview turned into 28 minutes of pure gold

Another Big Moe Podcast, this week, Andy and Big Moe Barrett talk to Carly Silverstein from "Sack the Stigma".  Sack the Stigma was created in 2021 with the intention of destigmatizing mental health struggles (for everyone) and increasing access to mental healthcare among the current and former student-athlete population.  They are partnering with Jordan Marshall this weekend for his football camp.  Then we talkto the head honcho....Moeller President Jason Niehaus '93.  Check out the BMP this week!

Moin, eine kleine Interessante Studie der Russen zum Bradley ist rausgekommen. Spannend.   Links: https://armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2025/russian-army-sees-the-us-made-bradley-m2a2-ods-sa-as-a-model-for-future-russian-infantry-fighting-vehicles https://taskandpurpose.com/news/russian-bradley-captured/ https://en.defence-ua.com/news/russia_admits_m2_bradleys_superiority_over_bmp_3_following_in_depth_analysis-14100.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Bradley https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMP-3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMP-3  

Dr. Kimberly Perez and Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero discuss the new guideline from ASCO on symptom management for well-differentiated GEP-NETs. They share the latest recommendations on managing symptoms related to hormone excess, including carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid heart disease, managing symptoms of functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and also palliative interventions. Dr. Perez and Del Rivero share how to use this guideline in concert with the systemic therapy for tumor control in metastatic well-differentiated GEP-NETs guideline, and hope for the future for the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Read the full guideline, “Symptom Management for Well-Differentiated Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: ASCO Guideline.” Transcript This guideline, clinical tools, and resources are available on ASCO.org. Read the full text of the guideline and review authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest in JCO Oncology Practice.        Brittany Harvey: Hello and welcome to the ASCO Guidelines Podcast, one of ASCO's podcasts delivering timely information to keep you up to date on the latest changes, challenges, and advances in oncology. You can find all the shows, including this one, at asco.org/podcasts. My name is Brittany Harvey and today I'm interviewing Dr. Kim Perez from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero from the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute, co-chairs on “Symptom Management for Well-Differentiated Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: ASCO Guideline.” Thank you for being here today, Dr. Del Rivero and Dr. Perez. Dr. Kim Perez: Thank you. Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero: Thank you so much for the invitation. Brittany Harvey: And then before we discuss this guideline, I'd like to note that ASCO takes great care in the development of its guidelines and ensuring that the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy is followed for each guideline. The disclosures of potential conflicts of interest for the guideline panel, including Dr. Perez and Dr. Del Rivero, who have joined us here today, are available online with the publication of the guideline in JCO Oncology Practice, which is linked in the show notes. So then to jump into the content here, first Dr. Del Rivero, could you provide an overview of the scope and purpose of this guideline? Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero: Yeah. Thank you so much. Well, first, we really wanted to thank ASCO for allowing us to develop these guidelines for the management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. I do want to mention that there is also another set of guidelines that I was very fortunate also to co-chair with Dr. Perez on the systemic management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. But when discussing these guidelines as well as with the different panelists, experts in this type of disease, we also realized that the management of these tumors are quite complex, not only from the management of the disease progression, but at the same time, management of the symptoms related to the hormone excess. And because of that, we like to thank ASCO for allowing us to then not only have a discussion on the systemic management of these tumors, but at the same time develop recommendations for the symptoms related to the different hormones that these neuroendocrine tumors may produce. These guidelines are for the management of grade 1 to grade 3 metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. These guidelines include the management of the different aspects and the symptoms related to hormone excess, such as carcinoid syndrome, carcinoid heart disease, how to manage carcinoid crisis, as well as the different symptoms and how to manage the functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and as well as provide recommendations in the different treatments for these tumor types, not only from the systemic management but also from the surgical management as well as for liver-directed therapy options and the different aspects in terms of the palliative care of these patients to improve not only the symptoms related to the hormone excess caused by these tumors, but as well as to improve the quality of life. Brittany Harvey: Absolutely. And I appreciate that overview. And yes, we'll link the guideline on the Systemic Therapy for Tumor Control for Well-Differentiated Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors in the show notes for our listeners so that they can refer to that companion guideline as well. So then you just described the several different categories of recommendations that this guideline covers on symptom management. So, Dr. Perez, I'd like to start reviewing some of those key recommendations of that guideline. So, starting with what are the key recommendations for carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid heart disease? Dr. Kim Perez: Thank you Brittany. Yeah, I also want to thank ASCO for inviting us to do this podcast today. Just to start, I think these guidelines will really add to what's available in the literature to provide a kind of a quick look for the community provider to manage carcinoid-related symptoms. I think the highlights that I would point out are we've all been using somatostatin analogs for the last few decades to manage symptoms, but with the newer treatments that are now available, we tried to highlight what does the literature support in regards to PRRT, what does the literature support in regards to using systemic therapy for disease management, but also the benefits that you will get from a symptom management perspective using other modalities. I think the highlight really is it's a multidisciplinary approach. We are now considering surgery and embolization or interventional radiology as a critical piece. And I think the third that I'd highlight is the fact that sometimes we get too focused on carcinoid syndrome and the symptoms will actually, may result from other things. And the highlight in the algorithms that we've provided is what other things cause carcinoid-related diarrhea. And let's not forget about that because we will find ourselves treating and patients getting very frustrated with persistence of symptoms when in actuality, we should be treating something else that is causing a very similar symptom. For carcinoid heart disease, I think there are more and more guidelines that are now available to provide guidance there, but I think the major advances are that we should be utilizing heart assessment with echocardiogram with lab values such as BMP. But also critical to this is consulting with our cardiology colleagues and making sure that we're identifying heart related issues that are resulting from hormone excess sooner than later because interventions on the earlier side can really make a significant impact on quality of life and associated comorbidities and mortality. Brittany Harvey: Thank you for reviewing those key points for both carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid heart disease symptom management. So then the next set of recommendations. Dr. Del Rivero, what are the key highlights for symptom management of functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors? Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero: Yes, it's very important to recognize the symptoms related to hormone excess due to pancreas neuroendocrine tumors. Up to 10% of pancreas neuroendocrine tumors may produce different hormones. Among those hormones can be insulin, gastrin, glucagon, somatostatin. So it's important to know and understand that based on what a neuroendocrine tumor is, they may produce different types of hormones. The importance of these guidelines is to also recognize some of these symptoms and how to address that, because it's not necessarily in these tumor types besides the management of metastatic disease, and know the different options that we recommend for metastatic disease from the systemic therapy, such as chemotherapy or targeted therapies or PRRT. It's important to recognize the symptoms because based on the symptoms we may recommend a different approach. That's something that is important to acknowledge and recognize. Moreover, in certain functional pancreas neuroendocrine tumors, as Dr. Perez mentioned, is a multidisciplinary approach. And it's important to also discuss these different cases with your endocrinologist. You may need to have an experienced endocrinologist to manage, for example, the excess of insulin. And also discuss your cases with a surgeon and interventional radiologist because some of these approaches can certainly improve the symptoms related to hormone excess. I understand that sometimes medical oncologists in the communities may not have access to the multidisciplinary approach or have the different teams that can manage these tumors, and that's the reason why with these guidelines we wanted to establish the understanding of different symptoms associated with the hormone excess to these neuroendocrine tumors as well as how to manage this. For example, in the case of insulinoma, I think for the medical oncologist it is important to know that the everolimus is an option to be used for these tumors, not only to manage tumor progressions related to this tumor type at the same time, because everolimus as a side effect causes hyperglycemia, that can also improve some of the symptoms related to the excess of insulin besides the somatostatin agonist. I think these recommendations will allow the medical oncologist to recognize the symptoms and based on what the symptoms cause, then you can have a different approach that could be added to the systemic therapies options as well. Brittany Harvey: Yes, beyond systemic therapy, it's important to be recognizing symptoms to provide an individualized approach for every single patient. So then, following that overview of symptom management for functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, Dr. Perez, what is recommended regarding palliative interventions for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors? Dr. Kim Perez: Yeah, great question. So I think what's unique to neuroendocrine tumors is that the palliative approach really mirrors what we would be doing for symptom management. Some of these patients are living a very long time with carcinoid related symptoms. And so the approach that we take for the carcinoid symptom control is going to mirror the palliative piece of it. I think for those who develop a burden of disease related symptoms, I think it mirrors what we do across the board for all cancer-related complications. And so I think what we attempted to highlight here and included one of our colleagues who focuses specifically on the field of palliative care and neuroendocrine tumors, was to never really lose sight of what we've been doing to care for symptom management throughout the patient's journey and to always rereview the etiology of the symptoms, ensure that we don't focus solely on carcinoid-related issues, but also the symptom management that we would apply to all patients with cancer-related burden symptoms. Brittany Harvey: Definitely. I think that's a helpful approach to consider when thinking about how to manage these palliative interventions as well. So then Dr. Del Rivero, what should clinicians know as they implement these symptom management recommendations? Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero: Yes, thank you so much for that question. As we have discussed in the last 10 or 15 minutes, we have discussed the different approaches on the management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Clinicians, I think it's important to know that neuroendocrine tumors is a quite complex disease because we're not only addressing the management of tumor growth, but we're also addressing the management of the symptoms related to hormone excess and the complexity associated with that. When medical oncologists or clinicians implement these recommendations it's to understand what symptoms these tumors may cause related to the hormone excess but at the same time, how do we approach those symptoms? As Dr. Perez said that I think is very important is to recognize the different types of diarrhea. It doesn't mean that if the patient has worsening diarrhea, it doesn't mean that this is related to disease progression. So it's important to recognize so that way you can address that, because the type of diarrheas can be related because of the lanreotide or somatostatin agonist, it could be because of the prior surgery. I think it's important to recognize those in order to address the symptom. And the same with the gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. It's important to know what hormones they produce because there are different measurements that may be added to the systemic management of these tumors. I think that there are two aspects here, and that's the reason why these guidelines were implemented in the sense that not only we're going to manage disease progression of these tumors, or how do we manage the metastatic disease of these tumors, but at the same time, how do we manage the symptoms related to the hormone excess and the different complications. Moreover, I think, as we discussed earlier, we need to manage these tumors in a multidisciplinary approach. And something very important is not like one size fits all, because the treatment recommendations, it will depend on different characteristics in terms of the tumor presentations. And hormone excess is one of the important aspects to recognize so that way we can implement these recommendations that will definitely help the quality of life of these patients. Brittany Harvey: Absolutely. And using these guidelines in concert with the systemic therapy guidelines is key. And then beyond this impact for clinicians that Dr. Del Rivero has just outlined, Dr. Perez, what does this new guideline mean for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors? Dr. Kim Perez: Yeah, I think that's an important highlight of this guideline. It really gives patients a voice. I think it recognizes the fact that these symptoms can go unmanaged or mismanaged or just missed, and patients commonly will come in feeling very frustrated and feeling very ill. And I think it will provide them a means to open up a conversation with their providers and say, “Hey, this is what I'm experiencing. Let's talk about what's available. How does this apply to me?” And I think that can be very empowering. I think it's really hard nowadays with so many sources and resources online and patients are really left wondering what are the bullet points that they should be bringing to their clinician appointments? And I think that these guidelines provide them a good framework for those discussions. Brittany Harvey: Yes, bringing these discussion points for patients is very important to be able to have those resources. And we have some patient resources and information available on the website for this guideline and we can link that in the show notes for listeners. So then you've both touched on the importance of this guideline for improving quality of life and we continue to see advancements in this field. So Dr. Del Rivera, what are the outstanding questions regarding symptom management and tumor control for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors? Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero: I have to say whenever somebody asks me that question, the word that I will say is I feel hopeful, because more than 10 years ago we didn't have that many options for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. And it has been in the last decade or so that there has been more developments in the management of these tumors as well as the understanding of the symptoms related to these tumors. But that said, yes, we do need more therapies for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Of the treatment options that we have, we all know in the field that even though we have disease control by using the different options for the systemic management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, we need options where we can achieve an objective response, especially for these tumor types. But there is a significant volume of disease and we see a lot of these patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. And now where the field is going is to make some of these therapies more effective, to develop more therapies as well. For example, immunotherapies, a different type of immunotherapy understand the tumor immune microenvironment of these tumors in order to develop therapies as well. From the antibody drug conjugates, I think that's a new way to also address or treat these tumor types, understanding about the different markers found on these tumors that way they can be addressed in different ways. Now with the development of new therapies, I think that's something that can help us as well not only have disease control and as well as having an objective response, but having a better objective response can certainly also help with the symptoms related to hormone excess too. In terms of other therapies, I think some of the issues that we encounter are like the refractory carcinoid diarrhea and how do we manage this. We do have therapies that can help us control the diarrhea in the refractory settings, such as telotristat. Telotristat is one of the newer medications that can help us control the refractory diarrhea. But that said, despite this, that we still encounter situations where it's sometimes difficult to control. I think in those situations it will be good to understand more about the biology of these tumors as well and how we manage. If there is a different time or how do we implement these options. I think there is so much to learn. But that said, I feel we're in hopeful times. We're understanding more about these tumors so that way we can help us develop better therapies not only to have control of the tumor growth as well having control of the symptoms. And it's the same with the pancreas neuroendocrine tumors in the metastatic setting. Sometimes it may be difficult to control this hormone excess. But understanding these and having therapies that can achieve more of an objective response, I think that will definitely help us more and manage these patients. But one aspect I want to mention, and Dr. Perez also mentioned as well, the fact that we have these guidelines that help us understand about the different symptoms related to hormone excess and how to address it, I think is very important because having symptoms related to hormone excess can be detrimental to the quality of life on patients with neuroendocrine tumors that may necessarily be related to disease progression and having this information is so important. And I'm hopeful for the different therapies. There's different clinical trials ongoing for neuroendocrine tumors and especially in the field of PRRT. And a lot of more information will come with the different alpha-PRRT and combination therapy. So more information to come in the next couple of years. So this is, in my opinion, hopeful times for this field. Brittany Harvey: It's great to hear that you're hopeful for all the developments in this field and we'll look forward to the development and discovery of new therapies and further research and then, hopefully incorporate those updates into guidelines in the future. So I want to thank you both so much for your work to develop these guidelines and thank you for your time today. Dr. Del Rivero and Dr. Perez. Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero: Thank you so much for having us. Dr. Kim Perez: Thank you. Brittany Harvey: And thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in to the ASCO Guidelines podcast. To read the full guideline, go to www.asco.org/gastrointestinal-cancer-guidelines. You can also find many of our guidelines and interactive resources in the free ASCO Guidelines app, which is available in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. If you have enjoyed what you've heard today, please rate and review the podcast and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.   The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.

Thunderdome has been part of Black Rock City for 25 years. Marisa Winter has led it for most of that time. One need not experience it to benefit from the wisdom of a high-profile, high-intensity theme camp's insights.Hear Marisa and Stuart talk through the leadership structure and community practices that result in the Thunderdome's chaotic harmony of performance, showmanship, and cathartic “consensual violence.” Marisa shares insights gleaned from decades of theme camp operation. Such insights include: · Letting people make non-permanent mistakes allows them to own the lessons· Prioritizing community is never the wrong answer· Making hard decisions ASAP attracts quality people· How to schedule your crying day!Listen in on the laughter, and tolerate the cringe stories that prove Thunderdome is not cosplay, and you will be rewarded with the inspiration and institutional knowledge of the infamous Death Guild Thunderdome.www.divamarisa.comwww.deathguildthunderdome.comjournal.burningman.org/author/diva-marisaplayaevents.burningman.org/2024/playa_event/48007https://burningman.org/programs/philosophical-center LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

This week Big Moe Barrett and Andy Nagel talk about some big happenings at Moeller High School including an alumni flag plant in Denver, the Bourbon and Cigars event, and finally the announcement of who will emcee the Moeller Sports Stag.Check it out this week on the BMP!

Subscribe, like, and leave us a comment!Rhett and Zach dive into all things fuzz! Let's discuss the different types of circuits; Fuzz Face, Tonebender, BMP, and more. Advice on using fuzz with your setup or learning how to play a fuzz pedal.Support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/dippedintoneFollow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/dippedintoneDipped in Tone is:Rhett Shull https://www.rhettshull.com/Zach Broyles / Mythos Pedals https://mythospedals.com & https://highvoltageguitars.com/Edited by Addison! https://www.instagram.com/addisonsauvan/

A ABBC promoveu um importante debate sobre a Consulta Pública BCB nº 108, que propôs novas diretrizes para o modelo do Banking as a Service (BaaS) no Brasil, com impacto em todo o ecossistema financeiro.Raul F Moreira, diretor-técnico da ABBC, conversou com Carlos Eduardo Benitez CEO do BMP, e Paulo Brancher, sócio do Mattos Filho, sobre os desafios, as oportunidades e como podemos equilibrar regulação, inovação e competição nessa nova estrutura normativa.

Most people in Black Rock City live together in placed camps, aka theme camps, the most unique aspect of this unique event. There are 1200 camps in BRC. Somewhere at the intersection of Communal Effort, Self-Expression, and Immediacy, theme camps provide a uniquely decommodified ‘third place' of goods and services, and ambiance, offered as a gift. The annual Camp Symposium brings together staff and volunteers to share how they gift their interactive camps to participants. There's an art and a science to it. This is an episode of highlights about the art of it.Bryant Tan (aka Level Placerman): head of PlacementAndie Grace: Producer in the Philosophical CenterCharlie Dolman: Director of Event OperationsDA (aka Dominic Tinio): Environmental Restoration ManagerHarley K Dubois: Founder & Chief Cultural OfficerStuart Mangrum: Director of the Philosophical Centerand a keen crew of Placement Team volunteers BravoCosmicGovernessHepkittenHuntressKGBRazzmatazzListen to how it started, how it's going, and how Burners create these unique and interactive passion projects. Camps and Placement | Burning ManPlacement: About Us & VolunteeringCamp Support Team | Burning ManDe-bureaucratizing Your Burn (Burning Man LIVE 2025)Charlie Dolman · The Dust is in the Details (Burning Man LIVE 2022)Dark Angel of Black Rock & Restoration Destiny (Burning Man LIVE 2020) LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

Are we running on empty here in the final months of the school year?  OF COURSE NOT.  The BMP is huge again this week as we talk indoor track with Coach Russo and Stosh from the Class of '25.  Another huge BMP this week

Vincent, Buffy and other family matter.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. It is selfish to believe that your family will always love you. At some point you will be asked to earn it The main front was stabilizing. The 2nd Army was in tough shape though all three divisions were still in the fight. The 1st Army's 2nd and 9th Divisions had corked up the advances out of Cambodia. As soon as night fell, they would maneuver the majority of the 2nd Division to crush the Alliance forces north of Bangkok. The rioters would be crushed tomorrow morning. They would survive.This realization came too late to them. The rot of fear had infected the 1st Army, 1st Division and the police force commands. Of more importance, a small group of secretive individuals convinced two senior Thai officers that something had to be done before the city fell, or the Prime Minister reasserted control over the city.Those two conspirators had the same problem as the Loyalists, enemy troops and protestors in the street. Those officers had no way to contact the crucial enemy commanders, but they knew who did, the Indian Navy. Surreptitiously, they contacted the Indian Navy's Expeditionary Fleet. The fleet's Admiral quickly put them in touch with the Alliance Command Authority and within two hours, a deal was made.The Great Khan would stop the Alliance offensive if the King of Thailand made a public appeal, no strings attached. This new group of rebels and the Alliance worked out the path they needed to take to reach the King so that the Alliance forces were out of the way and no planes, or helicopter attacked their formations. They even had a TV station that would broadcast the King's speech ending the conflict. All they needed was nightfall.And that was the true story of how the counter-coup was pulled off, how the King of Thailand was able to talk to the Great Khan and how the Thai government was overthrown. In the final analysis, the Loyalist hadn't fallen before the might of the Alliance. They were done in by a tiny number of Black Lotus operative almost no one knew existed, with a small amount of assistance from JIKIT."No wonder the Seven Pillars has never been able to wipe out these guys," Addison yawned. "They are slippery as eels and thrice as lethal. I am glad they are on our side." Several sets of eyes looked at her skeptically. "I mean, I am glad we are currently working toward the same goals."Thus,"I suggest we all get some sleep," Addison declared as she stood up and stretched.Odette was comfortably asleep, so I curled her up and carried her to the elevator. I wanted to go home and forget that I had lost any semblance of a normal life. I didn't know what was worse; me doing the shit I was doing, or me understanding what I was doing. Juanita had gone down ahead of us to pull the car around to the front.Chaz, Pamela, Odette and I went down in the first wave of the exodus from the workplace. The door opened on the ground floor. I wasn't the first person to notice her. My reflexes had improved to the point I had a moment to recognize her before the people around me sprang into action.Pamela side-stepped to the right, pistol mystically appearing in her two-hand grip. Chaz, Chaz bore Odette and me to the ground. His level of dedication astonished me. He was shielding us with his body. From what, I hadn't been able to determine."Deadman switch," one of my aunts stated. "I want to talk with Cáel." The voice had a stressed tenor to it."Back outside," Pamela simmered."No.""Chaz, what is going on?" I asked him. He hadn't moved and wasn't letting me wiggle around to see."Explosive vest," he responded coolly. That's right. Chaz was shielding Odette and me with his body.That is what I found astonishing, his desire to give his life for me. His expectation that Pamela could kill the threat while he was currently occupied was understandable."We seem to be at an impasse," Pamela edged further away.She wasn't avoiding the blast radius. That was impossible in this lobby. No, if it came to firing, she was making it easier for Chaz to get a shot off since the shooter couldn't cover both angles of attack."Let me talk to him," my aunt insisted. This made no sense."Chaz, let me deal with this," I told my bodyguard."Are you sure?" he questioned."Not really. As Pamela said, she's not going to let any of us leave until she talks to me and if you kill her, she kills all of you." Chaz let me stand.Odette was just awakening to the threat. Chaz rose to stand by my side. (Sadly, Odette didn't rate him dying for her.) I prayed I didn't fuck this up."Cáel, is that really you?" the women with green eyes and red hair asked me. She sounded desperate, which would explain the suicide vest."Yeah, which one are, Mom?"{9:10 pm, Tuesday, September 2nd ~ 6 Days to go}"Yes, I'm Sibeal. Are you my son?""Do you mean   No! Grandfather Cáel hasn't supplanted my spirit with his own," I took a deep breath. "I'm not sure how I can convince you of this.""Do you miss your Father?" she queried."Yes," I murmured."Ahh Cáel, you are still my son. Thank all that is divine," she sighed."Care to deactivate the vest now?" Pamela suggested."Do you promise not to shoot me? You two, and the one sneaking up on me from behind." She meant Juanita, who had sensed the danger and exited the car."You are three kinds of crazy, so I'm not making any guarantees," Pamela answered."Pamela   Chaz, I really think she is my mother. And I assume she is here to kill Cáel O'Shea, not me," I interjected. I still wasn't leaving Chaz' side. "Please don't kill her.""No guarantees," Chaz affirmed."She's his mother," Odette chimed in. "If it was anyone else, they would be in a cloud of bodyguards, not alone.""Here is the deal, Mom. You deactivate the vest, then we will talk. Otherwise, I'm taking my security's advice and backing the fuck out of here.""Okay," she nodded. "It's a fake. I'm upset, but not enough to be suicidal. I wanted to see what you would do. Father would have sacrificed everyone else. You got tackled and you obeyed the man who was trying to save your life.""Chaz, what do you think?" Pamela asked him."We could hold her here until Virginia shows up. That would give Cáel a few minutes to reminisce before she gets dragged off to the looney bin." (That would, of course, lead to her death while in Federal custody   so that wasn't happening, period.)"I concur," Pamela agreed. She still had her gun out and aimed. She went to a one-handed grip so she could motion Juanita to come inside.I took the opportunity to walk around Chaz, though I only advanced half way."I think it is asking too much from my bodyguards to walk up to you with that vest lying at your feet," I pointed. "You know   just in case you are lying." She nodded, smiled and came forward. A hug was in the offing. I almost missed Odette coming up behind me."I'm on a timetable," Mom murmured into my shoulder. "You know why.""I am afraid I do," (my pheromones were already affecting her). "What brought this on? How long can you stay?""The kidnapping made it imperative. But this has been my first opportunity to get close enough to you to determine if my father had won, or not," she confessed."I'm not sure how long I can remain ~ maybe a day, or three. I have heard you have an upcoming ordeal you must go through for your Amazons." Odette again by way of Delilah. I decided to give Delilah the benefit of the doubt and just accept that she did what she did because she was worried about me."Oh. Mom, this is Odette Sievert, my roommate and all-around better friend than I deserve." Odette extended her hand. Mom reached past me and shook it."Nice to finally meet you in person," Mom smiled."Nice to realize you aren't as nutty as the rest of the bunch,and considering you came at Pamela and Chaz with a fake suicide vest   that is saying something," Odette grinned."My son is all I have left of Ferko (my dad)," she grew grim. "If my father stole him after killing my husband   I wouldn't know how to carry on.""Aaahh," Odette stammered through this tense family moment. "You are about to be a grandmother in a serious way," she tried to turn things around. "How does a dozen grandkids sound?"Operational security and secret information were concepts Odette was aware of. She simply refused to use either one."Really?" Mom looked from Odette to me. "How serious?""How about we get out of here before the FBI shows up," I began directing my mom out the doors."Cáel?" Chaz questioned."Hey now, I never agreed to hand my mom over to Virginia. The vest was fake. Let's not dwell on this," I urged Mom and Odette out the door."Ishara," Juanita repeatedly prayed, "why do you test me so?"Chaz and Pamela showed their faith in me and my decision-making ability by tagging along. For me, what does a son who hasn't spent any time with his mother since he was seven (because she was supposedly dead for the past fifteen years) ask first?Actually, we waited for Chaz, who had the presence of mind to ensure the vest was truly a dud and then called Virginia so she could clean up one of my messes   yet again."Thank you, Color Sergeant," Mom looked toward Chaz as the GL 550 pulled away from One Mi Ma1 Tower. Unfortunately, the look he sent her way wasn't friendly."Thanks for reminding me," I nodded to Mom. "Chaz, what in the Hell possessed you to jump on Odette and me? I appreciate it,""Me too," Odette chimed in."But please don't do that ever again. Of all the, let's just say I have too many deaths of people I like on my mind. I don't want you added to that list.""Tough.""Well, thanks for considering my request," I groaned."Chaz, three nights ago our boy learned that one of the women he knocked up is going to die and no one will intervene to save her life and they won't tell him where she is," Pamela let him know."Who do we talk to?" he asked me. By 'talk' I assumed he meant torture until they coughed up a viable location/suspect."The Goddess Ishara.""Fuck. I apologize, Cáel. That is hard news for a young man like you to take. As for my jumping on you   suck it up. It is my job to make sure you can do yours.""Juanita," Pamela called out. "Stop driving to Havenstone. Take us back to Cáel's place. He won't let the Amazons take his mother, which means I won't let them, which means Chaz won't let them. Besides, Odette could get killed in the cross-fire and too many people like her for that to be safe for any would-be assassin.""Really?" Odette perked up. Of course she wasn't worried about being killed. Odette was fascinated that people found her valuable   enough to kill anyone who killed her. She'd more fully grasp that curse later on. She was a genuinely nice person. What Pamela left unsaid was that if 'people' thought someone might kill Odette, they would 'proactively' protect her. Too many people she now hung out with were of that stripe of crazy."Pamela, would you miss me if I got killed?" Odette turned to the most dangerous person in the car. (I didn't think Mom was in her league, but then I had never seen her fight, so I was keeping an open mind.)"You bet your ass, Baby-cakes," she grinned at my super-kind sidekick."Me too," Chaz added gruffly. "Of greater importance, Addison would take umbrage. Next to Ms. Love, she's the nastiest bitch I've ever met." He meant that as a compliment."Not Lady Yum   I meant Worthington-Burke?" I inquired."She doesn't take things personally. She'd miss Odette, but not enough to move off-mission," Chaz explained."Let's not forget Buffy," Pamela snorted. "What she lacks in experience she makes up for by being totally psychotic and fanatically loyal to Wakko here. People who piss him off tend to end up as a place holder on the Obituary page.""Unless they never find the bodies," Juanita commented   from her personal experience disposing of people for me. Groan."Cáel, I am so happy I met you," Odette hugged my arm. "My life was going nowhere before you gave me your phone number. Now, I know my life is at risk and I don't care. Being with you has been more wonderful than I ever thought possible."Mom was studying me, both pleased and worried."What?" I asked."You have a lot of your grandfather in you. He did have a gift for inspiring the best out of people. You are like your father in that you care for those people   caring for both their lives and their happiness. Your father inspired that same kind of loyalty because he kept the needs of his people in the forefront of his mind.""Dad was like Grandpa?" I worried."Hell no." That was Pamela."Thank the Divine, no," Mom exhaled at the same time. "How do you know my father?""I killed him," Pamela grinned."You were the one? I'm, I don't know what to think," Mom murmured."Keep that in mind before you try to pull another stunt like you did tonight," Pamela's grin grew feral."Pamela is the best Grandmother I could ever hope for," I explained."Spiritually speaking," Odette tried to lighten the mood (she was a cracker-jack morale officer). "Otherwise it would make Cáel's having sex with her granddaughters rather, suspect.""Odette, you can say 'incestuous'," Mom gave a half-grin. "Do you know much about my family?""Your Pa created you and your sisters to be fuck-toys who also ran errands for him," Odette nodded. "They are all loonies.""Don't share that view with them," Mom cautioned. "When we last met, they had a highly under-developed sense of humor and a well-cultivated mean streak.""Gotcha," Odette giggled. "After dealing with the Slayers of Testicles numbers 1 & 2, I have learned what kind of wacky girls Cáel attracts without even trying.""I really should make sure Mr. Fiennes is okay," I reminded myself."You would do better catching up with that girl down the hall. The Korean takeout girl also asked about you", offered Odette. Yeah, the girl in 3-F baked me some cookies when Dad was murdered."How many grandchildren are we talking about?" Mom looked at me with some serious maternal affection."Who are the Slayers of Testicles?" Juanita wanted to know. My family jewels belonged to House Ishara   at least in her and her sisters' estimation."Oneida's bodyguards," Odette let slip out before she saw the warning look in my eyes."You are sleeping with the apprentice of House Arinniti?" gasped Juanita   I was hoping her questioning wasn't hurting her driving. "What about the 84 day rule?""I'd better not bring up Rhada," Odette nodded thoughtfully."I'm going to spank you," I growled at Odette."Was that aimed at me?" Juanita."Yippee, and we are going home now, too!" Odette squealed."Not you, Juanita   Odette. I want to teach her how to 'not say' whatever pops up in her head," I grumbled."You promised to punish me!" she beamed brightly. "Punish me! Punish me!""Uuuuuuu," I beat my cranium against the headrest in front of me."I thought she was the 'nice' girl," Mom chided me."She was," Pamela smirked. "Unfortunately, she's been totally corrupted by your son.""Yep," Odette agreed. "He's opened up a whole new horizon of things sexual for me.""Son, how many women are you seeing? I thought you were engaged." Mom."Uuuuuuu," I repeated."I'll take care of this," Chaz intervened calmly. "He is as loyal as he can be   within the bounds of his limited moral arsenal   to Hana Sulkanen. So he is sexually and romantically involved with Brooke Lee and Libra Chalmers, civilians he met through contacts at Havenstone. There is Anais Saint-Armour, RCMP, who departed this weekend,""She'll be back," Pamela assured Mom. "They always come back at least once.""Who has only come back just once?" Chaz laconically questioned Pamela."Good point," Pamela acceded. "They keep coming back until he changes the locks, his phone number and address." That made no sense,"I am glad you two are my friends," I groused. "I'd hate to think what you would say about me if you hated me.""You're welcome," Pamela grinned."Ms. Marla Chalmers," Chaz continued without missing a beat, "Libra's younger sibling, who your son indubitably impressed while in college; three teachers at an exclusive school, he met them while body-guarding a group of children; an assistant manager of a hotel he stayed at; six attractive, college-educated European young women,""Don't forget the Macedonian!" Pamela interjected."I have removed her from the list because she has no reliable way to hunt down our boy," he explained."Good point," Pamela nodded."They like busting your chops, don't they?" Mom smiled."As opposed to physically busting my chops   this I can live with.""You have matured nicely. Your father would be very pleased   quietly, of course.""Thank you Mom." She knew the man better than I ever would."We won't count the 189 Amazons who have staked a claim to him for the next nine days," Chaz added."What! 189? When did that happen?""The thirty huntresses and the 159 members of House Ishara," Pamela clued me in."159? When did that happen?" I gasped again. I was repeating myself   not good. I knew I had told Buffy to 'keep up the good work', but still, House Ishara wasn't even two months old yet."They are the best of the roughly 20,000 Runners in the Host and thus, all are serious bad-ass bitches," Pamela assured me. "I think Helena would like you to explore a few more heroic Runners who have since passed.""Passed?" Mom."Cáel sees dead people," Odette beamed."So does his Aunt Baibre," Mom said."Met her, came off a bit, off," I confirmed."That's Baibre. What other ones have you met, besides Deidre and Brianna?"She was asking if I had met others outside of Delilah's watchful eye."Hmm, Imogen, Kelly and Matilda.""Okay. You haven't met the bad ones yet," Mom nodded. I was stunned yet again. Not by what Mom said, but by,"The 'bad ones'?" Pamela inquired. "They come in shades worse than Kelly and Matilda?""I'm with you on that. Those two were unsettling," Chaz agreed. Holy Shit! Pamela and Chaz were agreeing that two of my aunts had them worried on a tactical level. So 'not good' for me, since I couldn't take either of my friends. Bad-bad."Fiona is the worst. She is the second youngest of my generation and by far the most lethal. She was Father's pet.""Oh joy," I sighed."Is she bulletproof?" Chaz inquired."Not quite, but she is definitely hard to kill. She has a greater share of Alal while remaining sane.""Oh, she's the sane one?" Juanita joined in."On that side of his family, sane is a relative term." Thanks, Odette."Relative to how far your cock is into them?" Pamela snorted."Hold on now," I interrupted the jocularity. "What do you mean   'your generation'   'the second youngest'   what happened to the youngest   and when you say 'worst', define 'worst'."Pamela's phone rang."Father created three generations of daughters and sons. Carrig was the 'success' on the male side of the equation."Uncle Lumpy was the 'success'? What had the other uncles been like   idiot cyclops cannibals?"He destroyed all the rest.""Please clarify," Chaz studied my mother. "Your father murdered his own children?""Yes. All but one of the 36 sons. He kept Carrig around as a reminder to not create any more sons. The first generation of daughters were all 'failures'.""You mean dead?" Odette gulped."Yes   dead now, though he viewed all of us as property, not human beings.""Consider Grandad's low opinion of humanity, that's extra tragic," I put an arm around Odette. Pamela was muffling her conversation."Of the second generation of daughters, only Aunt Faoiltiama was kept around. I always had the impression her soul wasn't entirely human. She is rather primitive and predatory. A less horrifically unbalanced Carrig   physically that is. Carrig was somewhat more erudite.""Wow, I don't know what to think of that," I mumbled."Of my generation, eleven of us were allowed to live. Kelly and Maitilda are the most physically dangerous. That was their purpose   killing things.""Trained in combat styles by Cáel's grandfather?" Chaz looked, depressed."Yes. The four of us were. Fiona was the only one I couldn't best.""I would like to spar with you when it is convenient," Chaz requested."Okay. You deserve to know how bad it can be," she nodded. "Of the rest, Una was the youngest, the most human and humane. She was Father's final failure. I was never sure why he kept her alive.""For Cáel to rescue, of course," Odette insisted. Crap. She was right. By the horrified look on my Mother's face, she knew Odette was correct as well.Alal had let Una live as a contingency card, in case I was a soft-hearted sap. In hindsight, it was obvious. The innocent damsel trapped in a madhouse, at the mercy of her fiendish kinfolk, she was a perfect weapon to make me do stupider shit than normal."Damn," Mom muttered. "Anyway, Briana is the most willful and the family's representative to the Illuminati. Deidre is the most sedate, so she handles the normal business interests that we are allowed to know about. Darcie had Alal's hunger for lost and forbidden lore. In her case, it is all-consuming. She has memorized much of Father's collection.""She is rather good at it too   or was when I last saw her. Imogen is our tactician and oversees the O'Shea's bodyguard contingent. She has Father's ability to choose the best men and women, to train them to a razor's edge and to inspire fanatic loyalty.""Sadhbba: she is Father's spy master; with the exceptionally eerie talents of subterfuge, deceit and finding the weakness in others. She and I did not get along. Fiona could do it all, except for my talent.""Which is?" Chaz took over, since Pamela was waving me over for a close, quiet chat concerning her phone call."Fiona was an updated version of me. She was slightly better at everything I could do, except for one thing. I had Father's sixth sense about things. Fiona did not, and that was the reason she hated me so much. Father stoked our internal conflicts to keep us all on edge.""Good to know," Chaz understated his concern. "Do you have any intelligence on how, when and with what your father will come after our boy?" I wasn't insulted by the 'our boy' moniker. He wasn't calling me a child. He was telling Mom that I was 'one of the boys'   on his team. I felt all warm and tingly. My dearth of long-term male friends had meant I had never really been in a fraternity   the close brotherhood of men   before."Problem for you to deal with," Pamela handed me the phone. "It is Tabitha Loire." Tabitha? Vincent's   FBI Special Agent Vincent Lorie's   drop-dead gorgeous daughter. He had taken more than one bullet in Romania. I hadn't heard from him since that morning at the hospital, before being whisked away to the US via Germany. I remained a lousy friend."Hello? Who is this?" the weary, angry voice on the other end of the connection spoke."Cáel Nyilas. Tabitha Loire, what can I do for you?""What can you tell me about my Father?""Oh God! He is not dead, is he?" I grunted. Pause."No. No, Da is okay. He was released from the hospital a week ago. I would like to talk to you about what happened to him overseas.""He won't tell you?""No. Neither will his boss, or any of his acquaintances. Mr. Nyilas, he is down in the dumps and I want to know what I can do to help out. If you are his friend, you should help."I couldn't blame her for being both bitter and exasperated. She had run full tilt into the Great Wall of National Security and been stopped cold."How about I come down and talk to you?" I offered. "What I can tell you shouldn't go out over a phone and I have been remiss in not catching up with your father sooner.""Umm, when?""I'll take the next train down tonight," I decided. "We'll arrange some vehicles at the station. What is your address?" She hesitated. After all, she had Pamela's number, not mine and I was tied into her father being shot   badly. She gave me the address, her desire to know what happened overcoming her caution when dealing with strangers. "I'll give you a call when we arrive in Alexandria.""Train?" Juanita griped. Chaz pulled out his phone and called Agent-86 for both the next train from Penn Station to Alexandria and an update to Virginia and the Homeland Security people for clearance to bring along our ironmongery. Pamela looked at me with pride. So did Mom. Whatever Juanita's opinion of me was, it was concealed by her call to someone else   probably updating Buffy on my itinerary."Vincent was the Federal Agent who was wounded at Miercurea Ciuc?" asked Mom."I need to have a talk with Delilah," Pamela glowered."I want to be in the room when you do," Chaz agreed."Juanita   Penn Station and call someone at Executive Services to pick up our car. Long term parking there is a bitch," I related.Was it? I had no idea, but Alal apparently did. I had been to Penn Station three times; and I never had a vehicle that needed a parking space. All three times, Havenstone sent a car to pick me up. That was for my preliminary and final interviews, plus handling all the paperwork after I got the job.I'd left Bolingbrook in a U-Haul truck (without much in it) a week before starting work. I had an iron-clad belief I could find a place to live within that time span. That was all the time and money I had allotted to that endeavor. My budget had been tight, or so I believed.Unlike the other four chuckleheads who joined the New Directive, I hadn't received a signing bonus. Maybe I should have asked for one. Too late for that now."You taking your mother to meet Vincent?" Odette poked me. I looked from Pamela to Odette then back again.Sneaky-ass bitches. They were introducing my widowed Mother to a really nice, mature guy who was brave, a good father, a widower and all-around stand-up guy. He had a ready-made family, an oldest daughter my age. Beyond some physical similarities, Vincent was not much like Dad. Dad was a quiet, private man.By the nature of his job as a Field Agent, Vincent had to possess superior communication skills. Physically, they were nearly the same height, but Dad was broader in the shoulders. On the other hand, Vincent had both a warrior's spirit and the skills to back it up.But why Mom? Her life was more a disaster than mine, and mine was colossally fucked up."Don't get any ideas," Pamela put out there. Was she talking to me? "Chaz and I don't like you. Your father is a rat-bastard with a mind like a snake. We have no idea if you are yet another one his plots to get at Cáel."They were still taking her with us as we went to see Vincent in Virginia. Since this was going to be a quick trip   I had to be back at Havenstone at 6 a.m.   no clothing was necessary. Chaz received a call from Agent-86 with a follow-up call as we pulled up to the station. I didn't know the nature of the second call until we went to pick up our tickets for the 10:05 Northeast Regional.Waiting there was my old buddy and now sister, Wilma Draper/Ishara. I was at a loss why. It wasn't as if I needed more firepower than Juanita, Chaz and Pamela in the confined environment of a train."Wilma?""Hello Ish   Cáel," she smiled. She was emotionally pumped."What are you doing here?""Oh... Buffy told me that I was to be here on assignment to fulfill an Isharan obligation." This would be Wilma's first mission for House Ishara, no matter how brief and danger-free it might be. She was ecstatic.Huh? I couldn't recall any obligation I owed Buffy, or Vincent. Unlike every other Amazon House, things regularly happened without the Head of House's knowledge. Face facts: I was the least prepared leader the Host had ever had. I compensated by having hyper-competent underlings   the very best of the best Runners-turned-Full-blooded Amazons."Ah," Pamela nodded, sensing my loss of understanding, "A promise to provide Vincent a bodyguard was made in your presence. Being the highest ranking member of the Host present, and failing to pass on that knowledge, it falls to your House to answer that pledge.""Wilma, you are here to be Vincent Loire's bodyguard?""Only temporarily. The current state of affairs at HQ won't allow me to take more than three days leave. Your 'First' is seeking another appropriate Isharan for the task."I had totally dropped the ball.The initiative to bring JIKIT and the Amazons together was my creation. Katrina had approved it, yet it was my status as Chief Diplomat of the Host (as I had redefined that role,) that was responsible for that group, and thus Vincent. There was also another undercurrent to providing Vincent an Amazon bodyguard. I would be sending Vincent the message that he was still a valuable member of the team. His infirmity was simply a temporary difficulty.I gave Javiera a call. I suddenly needed to know Vincent's status with the FBI. A little past Philadelphia, she called back. Vincent was on long-term leave and, barring a positive physical assessment, he would never be going back into the field. They were making him a desk jockey for the rest of his career. That would be a heavy enough blow to the man to put him in the dumps.I made my view clear. As Unpaid Honcho Assigned to Unit L &  U HAUL, I wanted Vincent on my team   JIKIT's field team. I had plenty of lethal shooters. I needed a trained investigator and a veteran lawman to keep us aware of the niceties the world's legal systems wished to live by. I finished that off with a very regal "Make it so!" Javiera, my boss, hung up on me; though I thought I caught a laugh before the connection was cut."Pamela," Chaz turned to Pamela, "I am proud to call him 'brother'.""I think he is coming along nicely, Grandson Charles," Pamela preened. Wha- huh? My family had grown yet again. Grown yet again with people who were better than me."Does that make Aya your niece?" a sleepy Odette smiled."I guess it does," he nodded."Aya will love you," Pamela smiled."I hope Caitlyn loves him too," I smirked."A man could do worse than marrying an Amazon," Chaz blithely retorted. Less I forget, the Tomorrow Clan had its own long warrior tradition."Asking it to be three thousand years long is a bit too much," Pamela agreed with what I had not spoken aloud."On the plus side," I began."He's also getting several frisky sisters-in-law," Pamela finished. Hi-Five."Super Twin Powers Activate!" we proclaimed loudly.Fuck Ishara for taking Tad fi from me. I could be just like my Father. I could bleed off my pain with humor and look at my daughter with untainted love."When I grow up, I want to be just like you," Odette yawned. Which one of us she wanted to emulate wasn't clear.{Wounded, but not forgotten}{2:00 am, Wednesday, September 3rd ~ 5 Days to go}The tickets were one-way. Katrina was having a private jet come down at 4 a.m. to fetch me. We arrived in DC at 1:30. Two bleary-eyed State Department flunkies met us with an S U V and a sedan. We took the S U V ~ we had seven people ~ while they drove the sedan back so they could try to make something of the night that duty had destroyed.They looked curious about what this was all about and were a bit disappointed that no explanation was forthcoming from our crowd. We were polite, and I thanked them for their service. Being a decent human being doesn't cost you much and can pay serious dividends.The drive to Casa de Loire took thirty minutes. Juanita informed me the small airport I would be flying out of was a twenty minute drive, so I had roughly an hour and half with Vincent and his family. When we arrived, Juanita sent Wilma to make a 'walk-around' Vincent's home so she could get the lay of the land as well as keep an eye out for voyeurs.Pamela saved another series of frowns from Juanita by being the first person to the door. Tabitha had called her after all. Tabitha, Vincent's oldest and a Georgetown University senior, clearly didn't know what to make of us, and we weren't making it any easier for her by showing up on her stoop three hours after she had called Pamela.It wasn't going to get better. For starters, Juanita (and the not visible Wilma) had a MP-7A1. Ya know  military-grade weaponry. The door opened halfway. It was Gretchen Loire, the middle daughter."Hello. May I help you?" That wasn't her being uninformed about our imminent arrival. This was the child of an FBI agent allowing a stranger at her door to identify themselves instead of giving them a name to use."I'm Pamela Pile," my mentor answered. "This is Cáel Nyilas, my grandson. The gentleman to his left is my other grandson, Color Sergeant Chaz Tomorrow of the British military. To the left is Juanita Garza, my younger grandson's bodyguard   the one without a gun in his hand. The young lady in back is Odette Sievert, another one of your father's co-workers. The woman beside her is Sibeal Nyilas, Cáel's mother. Don't trust her   long story. A seventh member of our group is checking out your backyard. Her name is Wilma Draper.""You are heavily armed. Is my Da in trouble?""I want to talk to your father, if that is okay with you. I'll let Cáel answer your questions. He's our titular boss."'Thanks Pamela', I groaned inwardly.She was cute, exhausted and emotionally-vulnerable. Eager for answers and for someone to make sense of a world where her anchor   her father   had been nearly killed (not that his wounds had really been life-threatening). I hadn't had sex in over a day and that had only been a tension-breaker quickie with Odette.As we entered, it was obvious that Gretchen and her younger sister, Mariyah, had camped out in the front living room, catching some 'z's' on a recliner and a sofa with light blankets for covers. Mariyah was on the sofa, sitting up on her elbows and struggling to wake up.As Chaz shut the front door, Tabitha came down the stairs."Mr. Nyilas," she greeted me. Well, I was an infamous celebrity. I even had two Facebook pages (Nyilas Nailed Me! and Az  j Magyarorsz g kir lya (The New King of Hungary)) as well as four Instagram accounts devoted to me."Ms. Loire," I met her halfway and shook her hand."Call me Tabitha.""Call me Cabbage-Head," I grinned. That caught her off guard."Oh, kay, not what I expected." (I get that a lot) "We need to talk," she failed to stifle a grin."If you sleep with any of these girls, I will shoot you," Pamela warned me in Hittite."Excuse me?" Tabitha looked her way."Don't worry about it, Tabitha," Pamela gave her a congenial look. "I simply warned the boy that if he acted inappropriately, I would scar him.""Aren't you engaged?" she turned on me."Yes. Yes I am. Hana is a wonderful woman; beautiful, smart, with a big heart and a serious nature. Sadly for her, I'm a lousy human being, untrustworthy cad and perpetually prone to making bad decisions where women are concerned. Very bad decisions.""Miss, since my associate appears to be eminently capable of mangling the English language, let me help you clarify the situation: Cáel can't say 'no' where a woman is concerned. He can't even say, 'no, please don't hurt me', or 'no, not now. I'm talking to my date'.""Hi. I'm Odette. There are four sane people in this room and I'm one of them.""Says the woman who snuck aboard a transatlantic fight and hid in a place in the galley which you couldn't get out of," Pamela snorted."I got to go to Europe for free," she defiantly perked up. "Oh, and ladies," to the Lorie girls, "your father is a wonderful and brave male. (OK, too much time around the Amazons for her.) "He saved my life in Budapest.""He was in Budapest?" Gretchen."When?" Tabitha."Why?" Mariyah."We need to talk to Vincent  

Sibeal Pays A Visit.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.It is selfish to believe that your family will always love you. At some point you will be asked to earn it{Right where we left off}It was H-hour plus four. A Thai soldier fired another burst from his T A R 21. The other four soldiers around him did the same. They were using an overturned car as cover. He saw movement at a building across the street to his right. He fired off another few rounds. The figure fell to the ground. By hard-earned experience, he realized the enemy soldier had probably dived for cover, not been hit."Time to fall back. One block back," he hoped he didn't sound too shrill. "You two go first," he indicated the two townsfolk. His battalion major had drafted them minutes after the attack began. Any organized supply depot had been an open invitation for an artillery strike, so he had called for civilians to help carry the ammunition loads instead. These two had been attached to his platoon. Now they were with him.They nodded, hefted up the crate of 5.56mm and sprinted toward the rear while his men gave them cover fire. They made it. He named off two of his other men. It was their turn to go. After their sprint to safety, it was time for him and the last two to go. They ran past some terribly close flanking fire, but all made it.This Thai soldier wasn't the squad leader, or even the squad's second in command. He was a lowly Phon Thahan (Private, not 1st Class). Those two men were already dead. No, he was a common soldier who found other men listening to his orders so, by default, he was in command. His initial squad of ten had shrunk down to three. The fourth man had been part of the regimental staff, a driver, sent into the firefight to replace losses. He still could point and shoot, which was all that mattered at the moment.At the next block he found the two civilians. His men dumped their empty clips on them, then positioned themselves for the next enemy rush. The leader of this ad hoc force took the driver over to the far corner of the building they sheltered behind. Too often, going inside buildings was a death trap. The enemy would corner you then call in their artillery."Guard this corner," he told the driver. "I'll be checking up on you." The frightened soldier nodded, then took up his post. Now he had a few seconds to consider his position. He was running out of town to retreat through. Behind him lay open fields. Just then he saw the tale-tell site of a Dragon Anti-Tank missile firing from the next raised roadway to his rear-right.He couldn't see if it hit anything. There was no huge explosion. Still, it indicated that other elements of his battalion were in the fight. From what little briefing he had been given when the attack started, the major had placed his heavy machine guns and recoilless rifles on each flank to stop the enemy's mobile forces from getting around his command and surrounding them.Little did the soldier understand he was involved in a textbook defense by foot-bound infantry versus armored opponents. His two townsmen were busy shoving bullets into the thirty round magazines. His men had already engaged the enemy to the front. Gone were the cries of 'got him'. No one gave a damn anymore. They were too exhausted to care. Now they counted the comrades they had left, not the possible number of enemy out there.Six minutes later he heard the sound of death coming his way."Everyone down," he screamed a second before an artillery round flattened their shelter. For a few moments all he could do was gaze up at the heavens. His body hurt, his ears were ringing and the belief that he could stop now, he had given it his best shot and his part in this battle were over.He pulled himself and examined what he had left. He wasn't hurt if you didn't count the blood coming out his ears. He couldn't say the same for his companions. One of the townsmen had the top of his head torn off, his soulless eyes gazing up to the forever. One of his men had a smoking chunk of meat where his spine should have been. A second one was nursing a bad leg wound.The third soldier? He was already up and firing. The second townsmen was a bit dazed, yet looked like he could carry on. The soldier crouch-ran to check on the driver. He was laying on his belly. For a second he mourned for that fellow then the man got off a burst, then scooted back. He had been 'playing possum' in order to draw some enemy out. He was alive and fighting."We have got to get out of here," he told the man. "Get to the elevated road across the field then provide cover fire for the rest of us." The driver acknowledged the command, fired off one more burst then bolted for the field. The Thai made his way back to his other survivors. He gave them the same order, the civilian first.The wounded man? He couldn't make it with that leg wound and if any of the others carried him they would most likely die too."Cover us as long as you can," he ordered. The wounded shoulder crawled to the corner to relieve the only standing soldier."Go," he ordered that man. Off he sprinted. The leader placed two spare clips next to the wounded man, wished him luck, then it was his turn to sprint to safety. Close to the end, a few bullets hurried him along. He found the others had made it unwounded as well. The townsman was already shoving more bullets into the empty magazines.To his right was the remnants of the squad with the recoilless rifle and a light machine gun. To his left was a group of six Thahan Phran, paramilitary border guards. He rejoined the firing line. The enemy had overrun the buildings closest to them and were faced with the same quandary he had just overcome, the open field. When a man tapped his shoulder he nearly jumped out of his skin.It was his company commander."You've been doing well. I'm placing you in command of this section. We have a Carl Gustav (another version of a recoilless rifle) in the trees over there," the Captain pointed to the right. Hold this position as long as you can. Help is on the way."Before this fight, the soldier had dreaded this officer. He had been so pompous, so spit-and-polished and arrogant. Now he saw different qualities in the man. He was cool under fire, had his mind on the bigger picture of the fight and the discipline he had instilled in his men was paying dividends the private soldier hadn't appreciated at that time."You are Sip Tho (corporal) now," the officer told him. With that declaration, the common foot soldier had inherited 13 more men, the squad of seven to his right and the six Thahan Phran to his left. Combined with his two that made something more like a combat command. The Captain made his way back up the line. The Thai didn't have long to appreciate his promotion. Smoke shells began detonating between his position and the town, obscuring the place."Remember," he shouted. "Short, controlled bursts and only shoot at something that you know is out there!" With that, he had established his command of the situation. Several explosions detonated in the wooded position. Half a minute later, a tank appeared and pumped another H E into the position. In doing so, it exposed its side to Thai's section.The two men manning his Dragon launcher looked his way. It was a shot at a 45 degree angle and any heavy weapons fire would bring about all kinds of hate."Fire," he ordered. The man aiming the device took a few seconds then let loose. The rocket didn't penetrate the side, but it did knock a track out."Now we are going to get it," the Thai mumbled.A few heartbeats later, a larger TOW missile slammed into it from a position to his command's rear. This time the tank blew up. Of equal importance to the soldier's mind, there were men behind him and that could only mean, the second regiment had finally arrived. He was sure he wouldn't be falling back any further, giving the invaders one more inch of sacred Thai soil. It also meant his men would most likely live to see the end of the day. That mattered too.  It was H-hour plus six. Two hour earlier, elements of the Vietnamese People's Army's 314th Mechanized regiment and 206th Tank Regiment with the Mobile battalion of the Laotian 1st Division and the Khanate's Laos Force Command slammed into Khon Kaen. By that time, the small city had already seen its share of hell. Khanate forces had stormed the regional airport with an aerial assault at 4:10 AM that morning.There were no dedicated combat troops in Khon Kaen. It was the HQ for both the Royal Thai 3rd Division and its component 1st regiment. That had resulted in a see-saw battle until the relief force arrived from the north. After that, resistance had collapsed. Over three hundred men surrendered. A hundred miles to the north forces in the town of Udon Thani, battalions of the 1st and 2nd regiments of the 3rd Division were still in combat with Laotian and Vietnamese forces. The final outcome of that battle had yet to be decided.What did matter was that the entire command structure of northeast of Thailand had been neutered. There were five more battalions out there that had no idea what to do next. They suffered from sporadic air attacks, but nothing serious was coming their way.What none of them were aware of was that a Far North Force out of the Laotian highlands had broken a battalion of the Royal Thai's 6th Infantry Division, taken Roi Et and severed the communications between the two formations. At Roi Et, the Khanate armored spearhead had left elements of the 2nd Regiment of Lao's 4th Division to hold the airport and was blazing a trail westward along Highway 23, to the south/rear of those five battalions.South of Roi Et, two other Thai battalions were grudgingly giving ground to a regiment of Vietnam's 305th Division plus the 270th Combat Engineers and 16th Artillery Brigade. What mattered was that those forces were drawing off the efforts of the 6th Divisions to counteract the invasion.The 6th Division had its own litany of woes. It was the subject of a dozen pinpricks. The division's commander had lost contact with the other two divisions under the 2nd Army's command. He had enemy forces to his north around Amnat Charoen, he'd lost contact with this 1st regiment HQ at Roi Et.His second regiment, at Ubon Ratchathani, was heavily engaged with the Alliance's North Force. His 3rd regiment, spread out along the southern approaches to his life line, Highway 24, had discovered small teams of Special Forces at every bridge and crossing, making every attempt at creating a unified front costly and ultimately futile.The 2nd Army's HQ and supply hub were at Nakhon Ratchasima. They were under attack, the airport had fallen and the sole mechanized regiment (minus one battalion) was having a terrible time retaking it. They were presently incapable of coming to his defense, since their third battalion had already been called to the capital to put down unrest/enemy forces.He finally made his decision. The remnants of the 1st regiment were to retire westward over the back roads towards the division headquarters at the Si Sa Ket Railway Station. The second regiment was to hold in place until sunset. Using all of the division's remaining assets, he was going to secure Highway 24 so that his command could retire using that path before they were cut off and defeated one regiment at the time.  It was H-hour plus seven. For one of the drivers in a Khanate Heavy Mountain Supply Zuun, there wasn't much to love about this mission. He was a truck driver with a weapon, not a true foot soldier. He was content with his role in logistics, which was why his current mission scared the crap out of him. He wasn't in an armored vehicle and was accompanied by only one Fast Zuun ~ by its very nature a lightly armored unit. Now he was driving deep into enemy territory with a truckload of Karin freedom fighters, who also were lightly equipped.He had already reached the first goal, the town of San Buri, 270 kilometers behind enemy lines and only 60 kilometers from downtown Bangkok. There was a fear that his own air force would mistake then for an enemy supply column and shoot them up. Then there was the fear that some rear echelon troops would find the convoy suspicious and fill his unarmed vehicle with holes. His luck held, the enemy were looking to the north and east, not at a group of trucks heading south.Soldiers from the rebel faction of the Thai Royal Army were stationed in each vehicle to cover any conversation with the local constabulary that might come up. The cover story was that the unit was driving with a purpose ~ the capital was under attack and they were reinforcements using back roads to avoid airstrikes ~ the phone network was a mess and the fact that the plan was so audacious, the normal police officers didn't feel the need to slow the military trucks down.The last phase was pure madness. They rolled down Road 304 at 80 kph. Every time they approached a checkpoint, the unit's commander called in a hopefully faux airstrike, on both them and the Thai soldiers. That made it plausible for the convoy to race forward as the troops around them were too busy diving for cover to stop them. If anything, the defenders thought those truck drivers were the bravest men they'd ever seen.At the end of the journey, they rolled across the Road 304 Bridge over the Chao Praya River, then dispersed. Each truck disgorged 16 Karin fighters, for a total of 560. To that was added the 100 members of the Fast Zuun and 35 drivers, three Tigr's and 59 combat troops. Miracles of miracles, they found the capital to be in total chaos.  It was H-hour plus 6 and a half. The Turkish Khanate commander of 100 looked south in the direction of In Buri. He was already in the 'spread chaos' phase of his operation. The central part of In Buri was the junction of Highways 11 and 32. Somewhere to the far north, friendly units were fighting their way to him. Forces retreating south, or reinforcements from Bangkok would have to pass through his position. He commandeered some passing civilian vehicles and created barricades on all three sides of the T-cloverleaf.Before long, the ground elements of an Airmobile Zuun had joined him. That allowed him to deploy several two-man observer teams over the surrounding countryside. He left two AFV's on the bridge and camouflaged the others in the best ambush points he could think of. Then, he waited.  It was H-hour plus eight. For Julia Atwood, this was the culmination of twenty-five years working in Asia, covering a host of military conflicts and both natural and man-made humanitarian disasters. She'd gotten a tip two days earlier that Bangkok Thailand was going to be the place to be. Since she wasn't a known anti-government reporter, her entry into the country had been easy enough.She had spent the previous day picking a city guide, luckily finding one she knew well, and looking around for sources of information about 'trouble'. What she found was a quiet city on the edge of an explosion. The police, paramilitary forces and the military had everything battened down tight. At the same time, the population was extremely anxious over the upcoming loyalist offensive against the rebel northwest.The military had clamped down on all information coming out of the prospective war zones while exhorting on all forms of mass media the sacred traditions of Thai national identity and the need for law and order. That made the hairs on the back of Julia's neck tingle. It spoke of an upcoming shit storm. Still, Day One had been a bust. Few people wanted to talk about what was going on; all known opposition leaders were in prison or in exile.She had awakened early in the morning to the sound of heavy weapons fire. She had been in enough war zones to know the difference between grenades exploding, or pistol, assault rifle, machine gun, and tank fire. She was hearing tank fire, which made no sense. The Thai army didn't need to use their tank's big guns to fire at anything the opposition could bring to bear.She slipped out the back of her hotel to avoid any possible police minder, gathered up her guide and went hunting for the story. Twice she barely avoided roving army patrols. What immediately occurred to her was these soldiers didn't seem to know what was going on. They were jumpy (not good) and nervous (great for a story).Her trained ears and years of instinct led her to one of the eyes of the storm. Julia's jaw nearly dropped open. There were Central Asian men riding around in Russian equipment surrounded by throngs of hundreds, possibly thousands, of Thai 'Red Shirt' protestors marching on a police barricade. Several leaders of the movement had bullhorns and were communicating with the police. It was a tense situation.Julia forced her way to the BMP-3M, then shouted up at the commander standing in the copula. She tried Uzbek. The man looked her way."No. I'm Kazak. My Uzbek isn't very good," he replied. Julia's Kazak wasn't the best in the world, but she endeavored to make it work."What are you doing here?""I could ask you the same thing," the man smiled. "We are part of the Alliance effort to bring about democratic change in this country." Julia knew he was spouting the party line."What are you really doing here?" she pressed."I have no idea," he chortled. "I don't speak this language, don't know who these people are and only found out where Thailand was two days ago.""Are there a lot of you here?""Not really.""How did you get here?""We landed at the airport. We are a portion of an airmobile Zuun."Just then one of the protestors tried to get the unit leader's attention. He kept repeating something."He wants you to advance on the police line and look menacing," she translated."Okay," the Khanate officer shrugged. "That I can do."He spoke rapid fire Kazak, which Julia couldn't quite follow. Her ride lurched forward, the crowd parted and she could see the blood drain out of the police commander's face. Without looking her way, the Kazak spoke to Julia."Tell them they have thirty seconds to put down their arms or I'm going to shred the lot of them."Julia thought about it for a second. She was recording this exchange on her camcorder. She knew this was straying dangerously close to becoming a participant, not a reporter. She translated to the Thai young man. He sprinted toward the police and relayed the message. She had no idea what a 100mm fragmentation shell would do, had an idea how bloody a 30mm auto-cannon could get and had great familiarity with the effectiveness of 12.7 & 7.62mm machine guns.The lead protestor had a rapid discussion with the lead policeman, bowing and begging for this situation to be resolved peacefully. The countdown reached eight when the officer indicated his acquiescence. The mob didn't surge forward victoriously. Julia slapped the turret to get the Kazak's attention."You don't need to fire.""I understand that," the man acknowledged. It wasn't over though. Another protestor, a woman, waved for the Kazak's attention. Since she wasn't alone in doing so, the man hadn't noticed her. What she was saying did get Julia's attention."She is saying that tanks are on the way!" she shouted at the man in the copula."Which direction?" he inquired. Julia confirmed the information relayed by the girl, who double checked with the person on the other end of her phone, worked out the terrain in her head, then drew a quick map on her palm."They are coming up the road one block up. They are heading north toward us.""Clear out the crowd," he responded evenly. He once more ordered his unit to action. One of the Tigr's raced forward and disgorged its men close to the next corner then the vehicle withdrew."What do you plan to do?" she asked."Do what I came here to do, kill the enemy.""But they have tanks.""Fortunately I have things that kill tanks," he grinned."Do you mind if I stick around?""It is your life," he shrugged. The BMP moved forward to the point where, with its barrel turned sideways, the vehicle was just short of exposing itself. He was busy talking to someone else.Seconds later, one of the Khanate soldiers at the corner launched a grenade up the street, then two others opened fire with their assault rifles. They ducked back around the corner right as a larger caliber machine gun chewed up the wall as well as the street in front of her. Two other soldiers fired off flares into the sky."You might want to get down," the Kazak advised her. Julia nodded, jumped off and ran to the corner to join the other troopers. She edged around the corner, leading with her camcorder. Sure enough, up the street was an honest-to-God tank, with others behind it. One of the foot-bound Kazaks was busy shouting at the others. Once more, a soldier fired a grenade at the tank, to no visible effect. This time he apparently got the response the Kazaks wanted.The tank's big gun fired. One of the troopers, mindful of Julia, grabbed her as they propelled themselves to the ground. The world exploded. Julia was doing a quick check of her well-being when she heard the BMP race forward, barrel turned perpendicular down the street and then it fired. Julia barely caught it all on her camera. The IFV had fired an anti-tank missile out of its main gun. The oncoming tank was a Ukrainian made T-84 Oplot.It exploded; the turret flying away in a curtain of flame. This time it was the blast that blew Julia to the ground. A Kazak soldier hefted her up and pulled her to safety. He was truly pissed when she dodged back into the danger zone to retrieve her camcorder. She sighed happily when she found it undamaged. The BMP rolled back behind cover."Get down," the Kazak ground pounder growled. "It is about to get a whole lot worse.""How?" she looked at him."Well, now that we have stopped the column from moving," he grinned like a maniac. That wasn't much of an answer. Then she noted all the Kazaks clutching at the concrete sidewalks. She did likewise. Seconds later, she heard the jets. 'Oh God', she gulped. She'd seen more than her fair share of airstrikes. She had never been this close to one.Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the Thai crowd moving closer."Get down," she screamed in Thai. "Get Down!"Others repeated her warning and the crowed went down to their knees. Then came the thunder. Julia could barely make out the whoosh of missiles before the detonating rockets and missiles shook her world.A stubby-winged jet raced past her vision. The pilot had gotten so damn close to the building tops she could make out every feature of his aircraft. This level of caution where civilians were concerned was surprisingly unlike the Khanate. She tried to stand, but the soldier next to her had wrapped an arm around her."They come in twos," he cautioned her.Sure enough another series of explosions rocked her surroundings. No sooner had she gotten to her feet, the Kazak commander shouted,"They are coming around for another pass, then we go!"A series of passes followed with the jets using auto-cannons on whomever was left out there.Julia pushed away from her guardian and rushed up to the BMP officer."Wait," she called to him. Stunningly, he waited, looking at her. "Let the crowd save the survivors. This is their struggle too.""If the soldiers fire on them there will be little I can do," he responded."Give them a chance."Against all her expectations, he did. The crowd moved to discover the carnage visited on their oppressors, and fellow countrymen.  It was H-hour plus eight. The Thai tank commander was close to the end of his rope. He'd been fighting since sunrise. Defend, attack, withdraw to a defensive position then wait for the order to counterattack. His platoon had dwindled down to his sole surviving tank. His company no longer acted as a separate entity. Now his battalion, barely a company in strength, operated as a fire brigade, shoring up his beleaguered battle group.The last attack, backed by air power, had shattered his unit. He fell back, literally backing into a second story building to avoid the ever-present Alliance attack helicopters. From his vantage point he could see a column of armored vehicles rolling down Highway 11. He was debating which one he would fire on first when he noticed a jeep coming his way. Onboard were three Thai soldiers, rebels.The jeep rolled right up to his hiding spot. The man in the back dismounted and he walked right up to the tank."Can we talk?" the man inquired. The tank commander kept him covered with this machine gun."What do you have to say, traitor?" he barked."I come to request,""We will not surrender," he growled."We are not asking you to surrender," the man corrected him. "We are asking you to let the war pass you by.""Why should I?""If you fight, you will be destroyed. The Thai army will need to rebuild when this is over and we must be strong. If you throw your life away, we will all be weaker."The tank commander had to think that over. If he began firing on that armored column he would be striking a mighty blow for his country. He would also be sentencing him and his men to death."There will be no surrender?""No sir," the man insisted.The rebel soldier made some sense. The Thai military would have to rebuild when this catastrophe was over. He and his men had done their part."We will stay here for a while," the tank commander informed the rebel."Very well," the soldier bowed. He remounted his jeep and drove away."We are going to stay here a while," he addressed his crewmen. "Get a bite to eat and a drink of water."His men hesitated for a moment."Now, while we have the chance."The men hopped to. They had their orders. They would worry about the morality of their actions later.  It was H-hour plus nine. The men in the Royal Thai Army's high command were finally getting ahold of the big picture. The good news was the Third Army's offensive was grinding to a halt along a line stretching along Highway 1 from Tham Pet Tham Tong Forest in the east to Chai Nat on the Chao Praya River in the west. It was accepted as fact that the 3rd Cavalry and 11th Infantry divisions could hold the line.West of the Chao Praya was a chaotic mess of small garrisons involved in raids and counter-raids. It was deemed unlikely the Alliance forces could push forward any further in that direction either. It also meant that they couldn't pull units from that region to reinforce any of their other trouble points and they had a few.That was most of the good news.Another piece of good news was the1st Army's 2nd Infantry Division had stopped the invasion force they were facing only a few kilometers over the frontier in the area of Watthana Nakhon District. As soon as they had gathered the majority of the division together, they would be mounting a counter-offensive with the intention of overwhelming that force and destroying it.After that, it only got worse.In the area of the 2nd Army, the 3rd Infantry Division and the 2nd Cavalry Division had virtually ceased to exist as cohesive forces. Two battalions of the 3rd Division were retreating south into the 6th Division's area. The 2nd Cavalry division had been reduced pre-battle to one mechanized regiment. That regiment was gone and with it, the supply routes for the 2nd Royal Thai Army.Inside that zone, the 6th Infantry Division still existed, but it was in a world of trouble. They had lost control of Highway 24, their primary supply/evacuation route, and were relentlessly being driven out of Ubon Ratchathani. Even with the slowly arriving battalions of the 3rd Division, the 6th could barely muster two combat-effective regiments and those were running short of fuel and ammunition. The 6th had become a static force, too large to be overwhelmed, too immobile to press the enemy out, or save themselves from a slow strangulation. Had they their assigned tank battalion, but they didn't.The 1st Army's 9th Division was in the worst shape. They had gathered into one elliptical shaped perimeter centered on Chanthaburi and were down to four battalions and two tanks. Technically, they had another battalion, except the 1st Army command had ordered that into Bangkok to aid in suppressing the rebel movement. The 9th Division was surrounded, under attack from the land, sea (the Indian Navy had joined the fight) and air. Their commanding general expected to be wiped out before sunset.And Bangkok?It was turning into a typhoon scale disaster. They had finally determined that there were eight small Khanate platoons roaming the city, seemingly at will. The 1st Division had finally located and destroyed one of those, along with a dozen protestors who chose to fight by their side. The others were still at large and causing trouble.That wasn't the worst of it though. The plan had been to pacify outlying neighborhoods and work their way in to the worst areas. That had started out effectively, then suddenly they had lost the northwestern and southeastern sectors. In the northwest, there were Karin fighters killing, or capturing police and paramilitary strongpoints.In the southeast, it was much worse. Unknown armored troops from the 9th Division's rear area had come seeping in along the riverfront. They seemed to be everywhere at once, surprising roadblocks and checkpoints then ambushing the forces sent to restore order. They were a cancer pushing into a city already short on reserves.There were public displays of defiance going out over the international news, surgical air strikes and a growing sense among the rank and file 'Guardians of the Public Order' that they were on the losing side. There were reports of police turning their backs on the unrest, directing traffic and arresting petty criminals instead.The Royal Thai Army in Bangkok still had over 50,000 men under its command. They were sure they were facing less than a thousand hardcore militants, yet they were losing control of the streets. Part of that was caused by the military being tied down to certain strategic areas they had to hold. They had to protect over a dozen buildings and, as they had painfully learned, a platoon wouldn't do.The Government House had been temporarily overrun and Parliament had been shelled. Channel 3 had been hijacked and the forces sent to take it back had been subject to intense helicopter attacks and driven back. They'd killed two such craft, but that only seemed to make the Alliance troops angrier. This was what a death by a thousand cuts felt like. This was worse than bad, because it looked bad on media going out all over the world.  It was H-hour plus twelve. The commander of the MARCOS had finally taken the time to eat. He was in the Maleenont Towers section of Khlong Toei, Bangkok. It had been his masterstroke, seizing the Channel 3 station. He wasn't sure who the eight shady characters who showed up with the VIPs were and he didn't really care. What did matter was while the VIP's fought like wildcats in private they were putting on a unified front while on TV.One of the VIPs was the former civilian Prime Minister of Thailand. The other guys seemed to hate her guts, but were willing to work with her to overthrow the generals. What he did care about was the nearly five hundred men under his command plus a dozen helicopters and jets somewhere above, waiting to swoop in and help when the next government attack materialized.He had to give them this much, the police forces had guts, not a lot of brains, but plenty of guts. Their counter-terrorism unit had known their stuff, but they didn't have any effective anti-tank weapons and he had a half dozen tanks. Whenever the army got feisty, he called up 'Shiva's Fist' ~ his men's joking reference to the Khanate air support. Those bastards not only killed you, they came back around and killed your corpse too.He got a call from the perimeter. Some of those Karin fighters had crossed half the city to join them. The Indian officer had thought that part of the Khanate plan was utter madness, yet here they were, shooting up the place in a manner only highly experienced insurgents could. Those guys didn't even want to hang around. They were asking for more ammo. The locals were giving them all the food and water they needed.At nine, once it was truly dark, the Khanate was promising to drop off a few tons of whatever they need plus some more medivac units. He was down nine men dead and twenty-seven wounded badly enough they need to be removed. The Khanate had lost four times as many. All in all, the overthrow of a military regime was turning out to not be as difficult as he thought it would be. He was waiting to be surprised.  It was H-hour plus fifteen. The fighting had died down and now the main activity was the Thai civic authorities fighting the fires burning in Saraburi. The Khanate Commander of 1000 looked over his shoulder at the burning city. It hadn't been much of a fight, mainly a few rear echelon forces from the Royal Thai 2nd Army and some paramilitaries.He wasn't in the town. The majority of his troopers had already rolled down to the junction of Highways 1 and 33. He had communication with other elements farther west on Highway 32 at Ang Thong and to the northwest at the junction of Highways 1 and 32. The offensive operations was essentially over for his command. That was just as well. He was running low on petrol. He still had plenty of ammunition though.They were sitting on the lifeline for the 1st Army's 3rd Cavalry and 11th Division to the north and the 2nd Division to the east. The 6th Division was too far in his rear to matter and the 9th Division was facing annihilation along the coast. It was very dark now, but the air force was still active. Some pilots were flying their sixteenth mission of the day.For most of the day, the Khanate Air Force had concentrated on his axis of advance and the battle in Bangkok. The Vietnamese Air Force had concentrated on the hapless 9th Division. In reality, the Alliance was almost at the end of its tether.His combined Laos and Far North Task Forces were spent. The North and Cambodian Task Forces had the 6th Division pinned down. The South Task Force had done the same with the 9th. Only the Central Task Force facing the 2nd Division appeared to be in serious trouble.None of those formations were actually near defeat, though many of them wouldn't realize that until morning. Only the 3rd Army's two task force had consisted of more than 5,000 hastily gathered troops and most of those were Cambodians, Laotians and Vietnamese. To that the Khanate had added 50 mobile Zuuns spread over ten task forces and another 50 airmobile, parachute and airlifted units ~ less than ten thousand men and women spread over all fronts.The cold, hard reality for him was that not a single loyalist Thai unit had been destroyed. The 3rd and 9th infantry divisions has been battered, that was true. The majority of their mobile forces, the 2nd and 3rd cavalry divisions, still existed as a potent force. The 11th and 2nd infantry divisions were also out there, but they were all cut off from the capital. And in this elegant global play, the one theater that mattered was Bangkok.In the morning, if they came for him, the loyalist Thai's were going to discover that offense was a lot more painful that defense. Only the 2nd Division bothered him. The forces to the north were too heavily engaged with the rebel Thai 3rd Army to dispatch more than a battalion his way and he would gobble up a battalion.It would be too much to ask the battered Alliance Center Task Force to keep the 2nd Division occupied. From what he had heard, they were on the verge of disintegration after a powerful Loyalist counterattack. He did have patrols on the 304 and 359 Roads in case their commander got creative. What those few men lacked in vehicles, they would compensate for with air power.The Khanate Air Force was a 24/7, all-weather operation. They had lost 40 aircraft to enemy action and a further forty to mechanical malfunction. Losses in helicopters was also high. But there were still enough of both to get the job done. Now all he had to do was wait for the Americans to arrive.  It was H-hour plus seventeen.There were only three major acts left in this macabre play before the eyes of the world. A squadron of 12 Tu-22M bombers found two of the 2nd Division's regiments sneaking to the west. The Thais had done this with as much secrecy as they could. Unfortunately, their move was one of only two option left to the Loyalist Royal Thai Army.Option One, the most likely one, had the 2nd Division attacking the Khanate troops south of Saraburi. It would not only give the 2nd Division freedom of movement, it would establish supply lines to the divisions currently holding the rebel Thai Third Army at bay. It was the predictable choice.The Khanate U A V were out there, scouting for them and when they spotted the three columns using the backroads to approach their attack positions, they relayed that information to a not-so-distant A-50E/I. The squadron of waiting bombers had incredible endurance and had been circling the suspected target area for three hours. They broke up into groups of six then into groups of two. The first two lined up on their targets then unleashed their lethal cargo.Each plane dropped sixty-nine 250 kg bombs. That was138 bombs with a combined explosive power of 75,900 lbs. spread out over three-quarters of a mile. The A-50 assessed the damage for 7 minutes before sending the second set of two in. Another 138 bombs. Another 75,900 lbs. of death. The third group wouldn't be needed. In ten minutes the fighting power of the 2nd Royal Thai Infantry Division had evaporated.Option Two? That called for the 1st Infantry Division, with her added units, to sally forth from Bangkok and rescue the trapped elements of their other divisions. That would have entailed abandoning large areas of the capital to the protestors and the tiny groups of invaders that were helping them. No one thought they would do that and they were right. Had they been wrong, there was another squadron of bombers waiting for them.  It was H-hour plus nineteen. The Thai Phon Thahan-turned-Sip Tho looked out into the darkness. Four hours ago he was anticipating crossing the Cambodian border and burning down their town for a change. Now, now it was wait-and-see. The majority of the division had withdrawn for a long night march to the west. From what he had gathered, the 2nd Army had been pummeled and it was once again the time for the 2nd Division to save the day.He spotted movement in front of him. He glanced over to his 'sniper', a Thahan Phran who was the best shot in his unit and had a taste for the task. The man had the target in his sights."I come to parlay," the voice in the darkness shouted in less than perfect Thai. The Thai soldier had to think what that meant. His instinct was to shoot the man. His training taught him to not make choices above his pay grade."Advance. Don't do anything stupid," he called out. To the man next to him he whispered, "Go get the Captain." The man slunk away. No one alive in the unit stood up to do anything. You even pissed crouched down. The man coming toward him was a Cambodian. It was evident in both his gear and accent. "What do you want?""We want a truce," the man replied. He remained very erect, his hands in the air and only made slow, careful movements."I should shoot you," he growled."That would be unfortunate for both of us. I would, of course, be dead, and my allies would open up with our artillery."The conversation was truncated by the captain's arrival. They went through much of the same routine, absent the 'I should kill you part' and the counter-threat. The captain turned to the Thai soldier."Blindfold and bind this man's hands then take him to the Phan Ek (Colonel). Let him figure this out."Without the soldier saying anything the Captain added, "This could be a ruse. I must stay here. Hurry."He nodded, took a shirt from one of the civilian volunteers, cut it into strips then blindfolded and bound the man."If you so much as sneeze, I'll put a bullet in your head," he warned the man."I understand," the Cambodian replied. The soldier took the Cambodian one block behind the lines, spun the man around several times, then led him toward the command bunker. He spun him around twice more before making his final approach. A wounded junior officer met him at the entrance."Come on," he took custody of the man. Having nothing else to do and not having been ordered to release the prisoner, the soldier followed along.The Regimental Commander had the man un-blindfolded. His hands remained bound."What do your masters want?" the Major snapped."They want a truce," the Cambodian blinked in the sudden bright light."You invaded us without a declaration of war. That makes you criminals, not combatants.""We attacked at the request of the legitimate authority in Thailand, the Commanding General of the Royal Thai Third Army.""Those men are rebels and you will not refer to them as anything but," the Phan Ek insisted."Very well. My Commander wishes to let you know that our mobile hospital has arrived. We wish to exchange prisoners and place our facilities at your disposal as well.""The Royal Thai army will be there soon enough," the Major glowered."Unlikely. Our Khanate allies have informed us that most of your division was destroyed on the road. You have one battered regiment and a handful of tanks. You are not going anywhere."The soldier wanted to slap the smug smile off the man's face."I do not have the authority to hand over prisoners until their status as POWs or criminals has been established," the senior officer countered."If you consider our men criminals, we will treat your men like traitors.""Are you threatening me?""Yes. A fact you should be aware of is that the Khanate has been flying in reinforcements since noon and we have five more armored, mechanized and artillery Zuuns to attack with. Come sunrise, we will be coming at you again unless we have a truce.""Now you are threatening us again," the Phan Ek pointed out."I am explaining the realities of your situation, nothing more," the Cambodian countered. "Our task force commander believes that further violence will be futile. You have done your job and we have done ours.""And your job was to keep us occupied so you could rape and pillage other parts of our country?""No sir. The Alliance forces have been operating under very strict guidelines. The Thai people are our allies and we are a liberating force," the Cambodian replied."You consider this town 'liberated'? You've destroyed it," the Phan Ek noted."It was unfortunate that you chose to fight us here."The Colonel studied the man silently for thirty seconds."I will agree to a two hour truce. That should allow me to contact my superiors for further clarification on my mission. We will hand over any critically injured 'invaders'. You will return any POW's you are holding in exchange.""Agreed," the Cambodian immediately responded."Just like that? It is really within your authority to make such a deal?""As I said earlier Phan Ek, we believe the fighting is over. We don't need your captured men. We would like to see as many as our comrades live as possible. No matter what your commanders say, the fact remains that if you come out of these ruins, you will be slaughtered. You know that. I know that. Peace is the only avenue that leads to any level of success. Today, today, both our forces did what our commanders told us to do. The dying should stop.""Go. The truce will take effect in, fifteen minutes ~ 12:12 am. We will transfer prisoners and wounded at your point of entry. We will both give a warning whistle fifteen, ten, five and one minute before the truce ends at 2:12 am. Do you understand?"The Cambodian repeated the terms of the truce. He was bound up then sent back with the Sip Tho."Do you really think this is the end of the fighting," he asked his blind captive."On the lives of my children I hope so," the man sighed. "I led 88 men into battle this morning and now I'm down to 46 effectives. I have lost too many already for a battle that wasn't in my nation's best interest. I am tired of the killing.""Me too," the Thai said a moment later. After he delivered him to the Captain on the front lines, the man was unbound."Good luck," he found himself saying."Good luck for both of us," the Cambodian gave a weary smile. "May we not meet again.""If I see you again, I will kill you.""I feel the same way," the man chuckled. "We are both soldiers doing what more powerful men have commanded us to do. I don't know about you, but I have had enough." Several Thai soldiers nodded. They had driven the enemy off Thai soil. Continuing the fight didn't seem to have much of a point.  

It's time for the BMP!!!  This week, Andy Nagel and Big Moe Barrett talk to Louise Hoelker and Man of Moeller / Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brent Suter.

Explore the magic monuments of Black Rock City 2025.Katie Hazard, Director of Art, leads the selection, placement, and installation of artwork,  and she leads Burning Man's art grant selection committees. The ARTery is in the center of Black Rock City, slightly offset like the human heart. It's the epicenter of art support for nearly 400 art pieces, from towering sculptures to immersive environments.Before these art projects are sourced, crafted, and assembled with everything from hot glue to heavy equipment, they are first conceptualized by artists and engineers. Burning Man's Honoraria project grants 76 of these art projects about half of the funding they need, a total of $1.3 million.  Katie and Stuart explore how to foster accessibility and agency in artist groups. They describe some of the installations coming this summer, from interactive Sphinxes to a sphere of sinks, from a lost troll of sustainability to a fire-spinning pigeon. Some of the experiences include:an inflatable black cloud from Ukrainean Indigenous deer destined for ceremonial landan Afrofuturist pillar with an ancient modern secreta screaming booth that displays visual reactions to sounda woman with a merry-go-round crown, jump rope dreadlocks, and swing earringsListen in on this sonic journey of how Burner art is co-created and curated, and how BRC's surreal skyline is taking shape.Introducing 2025 BRC Honoraria Art (Burning Man Journal)Black Rock City Honoraria ProgramARTery (Art Services)The ARTery Volunteer TeamsKatie Hazard (Burning Man Journal)2025 Art Theme: Tomorrow TodayBurning Man Art Installation Archive LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

This is the March 12, 2025 Stray Casts Live,  Tonight, We are joined by Bass Fishing Legend Denny Brauer and 2025 Bassmaster Elite Champions Bill Lowen and Brandon Palaniuk  #fishing #podcast #BMP

This week on the BMP, Big Moe Barrett and Andy Nagel....talk about The Main Eventchat with Theology teacher Michael Masoninterview Moeller President Jason Niehauscongratulate wrestling champion Will Adkins '25

Legend whispers of a time when Burning Man was a lawless Eden, a fiery playground of unbridled do-ocracy; no rules, just pure creative chaos. But as Black Rock City has grown into a thriving metropolis, so has the need for structure. We've gone from jokey forms for an ‘artistic license' to complex permit obligations. We've gone from giving ourselves permission to taking on a system that can feel overwhelming.How can we better balance radical self-expression with the necessities of a city? How can we purge bureaucracy, or are all those old rules essential for safety and sustainability?This episode delves into the "agonizing reappraisal" within the Burning Man Project, a movement to streamline processes and discard red tape.Stuart explores the dusty trail from Black Rock City's anarchic origins to the sign marked 2025. He talks with Louder Charlie, the Operations Director of the whole place. He also talks with Chef Juke of the DMV Council, and Level Placerman, Manager of the Placement team.Here's a sneak peek behind the scenesters who are preserving the unique magic while navigating the complexities of growth, and how they ensure that the spirit of creation remains accessible to all.Is it possible to balance the wild heart of Burner culture and the grown-up practices of a city? We're about to find out.The Camp Symposium - March 22, 2025Camps and PlacementThe Department of Mutant Vehicles2025 Ticket Info The 10 PrinciplesBureaucracy (Burning Man Journal) LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

This week's BMP feature "The Mayor" Sean Casey talkin' baseball and then Nat and Phil from Sage Dining on the Moeller Campus talk about the upcoming 'madness'It's a big show this week on the B  M  P!

Mutant vehicles! Theme camps! Art experiences! It all emanates from the community… overlapping circles of people who are everywhere between being newcomers and seasoned, local and global, young and old.Andie Grace talks with dynamic 20-somethings Taylor Andrews, Kat Ebert, Mani Senthil, and Whitney Wilhelmy about how to find your crew like you never thought possible.They break down barriers and clear pathways through an initiative called “Rising Sparks” which demystifies BRC and Regional events, and guides next-gen Burners to get more from the magic.They explore the art of participation: seeing the sweet spot between being unmoored and overdoing itbalancing of survival and self-expressionfinding fresh takes on mentorshipHear how they claim their place and shape the future. "Rising Sparks is a grassroots collective fostering intergenerational collaboration, connection, and cultural continuity within Burning Man.We cultivate community-driven spaces where emerging leaders, newcomers, and seasoned Burners can connect, dream big, and contribute to the future of Burning Man—both within Black Rock City and globally.Our mission is to inspire participation, address barriers to entry, and cultivate leadership across generations by providing mentorship, community-driven tools, and creative collaboration opportunities.We are igniting the next generation of artists, leaders, and changemakers by stewarding an accessible, culturally diverse, and evolving Burning Man culture." https://linktr.ee/therisingsparks LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

For review:1.  IDF Warplanes Strike Hezbollah Weapon Depots in Lebanon.2. Three Israeli Hostages set for release on Saturday morning from Gaza Strip. Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners in return.3. In a speech from Tehran, the Iranian Supreme Leader vows Iran will respond to any threat or violation of the country's security by the US.4. Iran Unveils IRGC Navy Drone Carrier. According to an IRGC Navy Commander- the drone carrier is capable of carrying several squadrons of unmanned aerial vehicles, launching and landing unmanned fighter jets, deploying various reconnaissance and combat drones, launching and recovering various light and fast combat vessels, as well as carrying and deploying various combat and support helicopters.5. US Special Envoy to Ukraine & Russia- Keith Kellogg- will participate in the Munich Security Conference from 14-16 February. Though he will speak at the event, Mr. Kellogg denied that he will release the US Peace Proposal to stop the fighting between Russia and Ukraine. Mr. Kellogg: "The person that's going to present the peace plan is the President of the United States, not Keith Kellogg."6. Russian Army receives first batch of BMP-3 Fighting Vehicles. The BMP-3 is armed with a 100-millimeter gun launcher, a 30-millimeter autocannon, a grenade launcher, machine guns, and an optional remote weapon station with a 57-millimeter autocannon.7. France Sends Mirage Fighters to Ukraine. Sébastien Lecornu, France's Armed Forces Minister, said last year that the Mirage 2000 Fighters would be equipped with air-to-ground weapons and new electronic warfare equipment.8. UK to Chair Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels. United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defense John Healey will chair the event as it gathers for its 26th time next week in Brussels, marking the first time an American defense secretary has not convened the meeting in its three-year history.9. Dutch military renews focus on the strategic importance of rail transport for heavy military equipment and supplies.10. Panama declines to renew Panama Canal infrastructure agreement with China after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit.

In this week's episode we'll learn about asciminib plus dasatinib in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute leukemia. In a phase 1 study, combining two tyrosine kinase inhibitors with distinct mechanisms of action had encouraging activity in patients with de novo disease. After that: new research demonstrates that the iron exporter ferroportin contributes to the iron-sensing properties of liver endothelial cells. But is it the primary mediator of systemic iron homeostasis? Finally: anemia in pregnant patients with beta-thalassemia minor. In the third trimester, about one-third of patients have hemoglobin levels of 9 grams per deciliter or lower. This report may help to guide the appropriate diagnosis of anemia while limiting unnecessary testing and interventions. Featured Articles:Asciminib plus dasatinib and prednisone for Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute leukemiaThe hepcidin-ferroportin axis modulates liver endothelial cell BMP expression to influence iron homeostasis in miceβ-Thalassemia minor is associated with high rates of worsening anemia in pregnancy

In this episode of Leadership on the Links, host Tyler Bloom sits down with Gina Rizzi, a leader in sustainability and inclusion in the golf industry. Through Radius Sports Group, ARCUS Marketing, and VRA Connect, Gina drives environmental stewardship, economic impact, and diversity.  We'll discuss her role in developing state-level best management practice (BMP) guides and creating the first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report. Gina also introduces the BMP Hero platform, a groundbreaking tool simplifying BMP guide creation and helping golf courses showcase environmental leadership.  Additionally, Gina highlights her diversity efforts, such as PGA Vendor Match events and the VRA Connect platform, which supports over 5,000 diverse suppliers. Finally, we'll explore her work in economic impact reporting and the engaging “Turf Busters” segment, which busts industry myths with a mix of technical insights and humor.  Let's dive into this impactful conversation with Gina Rizzi.  What You'll Learn in this Episode:  Sustainability and Marketing Expertise: Gina Rizzi leads Radius Sports Group, ARKIS Marketing, and VRA Connect, focusing on sustainability, marketing, and inclusion within the golf industry.  BMP Hero Platform: Recently launched tool that streamlines the creation of facility-specific best management practice (BMP) guides for golf courses. Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: Rizzi's efforts aim to connect new communities with golf industry opportunities.  Technological Advancements: Golf's environmental and economic impact reporting is becoming increasingly sophisticated.  Soundbites:  “It's really about inclusiveness—making sure anyone who wants to be part of the industry has the opportunity, increasing awareness, and giving people a fair chance.” (22:10)  "The BMP Hero platform is a game-changer, simplifying a process that used to take hours into just 30 minutes." (25:13)  Key Quotes: “There's a lot of focus on DEI in the news right now. Speaking personally, as a female business owner, I would never want to receive business just to check a box because I'm a woman. I want to earn it based on merit. The same applies to the workforce. I wouldn't want to get a job just because of my gender—I want to be hired because I'm the best person for the role, period.”  “The goal is that if all facilities can have their BMPs, then this is something that the RGCSA can share with legislators and hopefully prevent them from having to undergo these types of irregular kinds of rules and laws or legislation between cities."  “When we talk about inclusion in the workforce, it's about reaching out to local markets, schools, colleges, universities, and associations—connecting with people in non-traditional areas, beyond just sports management programs.”  Links and Resources Mentioned:  Website: https://www.radiussportsgroup.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginarizzi/  Email: Gina.Rizzi@radiussportsgroup.com

I get it. The last thing the world needs is another podcast but it needs this one. Brandon Palaniuk is a former Bass Nation National Champion, he has qualified for 13 Bassmaster Classics, won 6 Bassmaster Tournaments and 2 Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. Kyle Vandever is an outdoor videographer & producer that not only shoots the incredible BMP behind-the-scenes series but he is a world traveler. Vandy has literally walked with Silverback gorillas & swam with Humpback Whales. Together they are two of the most positive people on this planet. No matter what they are doing it's obvious that they both believe in squeezing every ounce of joy out of life. This week they join the podcast to talk about life, struggles, success & their brand new podcast.

I get it. The last thing the world needs is another podcast but it needs this one. Brandon Palaniuk is a former Bass Nation National Champion, he has qualified for 13 Bassmaster Classics, won 6 Bassmaster Tournaments and 2 Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. Kyle Vandever is an outdoor videographer & producer that not only shoots the incredible BMP behind-the-scenes series but he is a world traveler. Vandy has literally walked with Silverback gorillas & swam with Humpback Whales. Together they are two of the most positive people on this planet. No matter what they are doing it's obvious that they both believe in squeezing every ounce of joy out of life. This week they join the podcast to talk about life, struggles, success & their brand new podcast.

Hundreds of people build the temple in Black Rock City. It's a community intent on creating a work of art that is a space for people to grieve and revive. We didn't have a temple in the early versions of Black Rock City. Now, people can't imagine living without it. Each year, participants create messages, tributes, and altars for who and what they want to release. The event culminates with the burning of the temple in what organically evolved to be a silent Burn.Listen to Stuart talk with Miguel Arraiz García, the team lead for this year's “Temple of the Deep.”Hear the stories of how a temple is built, from crew selection to fundraising, from chances taken to lessons learned. This poetic and playful conversation exemplifies how this year's temple is already healing. Miguel says, “We are always looking the answers above us. I was trying to make something just to look for the answer between us or among us. So it was not that much building a temple, it was more building like a shelter for emotions, a safe space where you can be with people.”Burning Man Journal: Introducing the 2025 Templewww.2025temple.comwww.miguelarraiz.comTempleGuardians.burningman.orgRenaixement: Burning Man 2016Burning Man Journal: Tomorrow Today  LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

I get it. The last thing the world needs is another podcast but it needs this one. Brandon Palaniuk is a former Bass Nation National Champion, he has qualified for 13 Bassmaster Classics, won 6 Bassmaster Tournaments and 2 Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. Kyle Vandever is an outdoor videographer & producer that not only shoots the incredible BMP behind-the-scenes series but he is a world traveler. Vandy has literally walked with Silverback gorillas & swam with Humpback Whales. Together they are two of the most positive people on this planet. No matter what they are doing it's obvious that they both believe in squeezing every ounce of joy out of life. This week they join the podcast to talk about life, struggles, success & their brand new podcast.

Disasters happen. Communities come together to recover and rebuild. Governments and NGOs help however they know how.  Will Heegaard sees every disaster as a chance to build back greener. His non-profit provides power and water from nature. · power from the sun - instead of gas generators· water from the air - instead of plastic water bottlesHe helped with disaster relief from hurricanes in Florida, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico.He helped in West Africa, in the Philippines, and with the Maui Fires.He's helping with the LA Fires.And he taught himself to create power and water from nature while serving as a paramedic in Black Rock City.These are stories about truths, ideas, and levity in learning. FootprintProject.orgBurnersWithoutBorders.orgBurning Man Project: Philosophical Center LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

rWotD Episode 2794: Cerberus (protein) Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia’s vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 27 December 2024 is Cerberus (protein).Cerberus is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CER1 gene. Cerberus is a signaling molecule which contributes to the formation of the head, heart and left-right asymmetry of internal organs. This gene varies slightly from species to species but its overall functions seem to be similar.Cerberus is secreted by the anterior visceral endoderm and blocks the action of BMP, Nodal and Wnt, secreted by the primitive node, which allows for the formation of a head region. This is accomplished by inhibiting the formation of mesoderm in this region. Xenopus Cerberus causes a protein to be secreted that is able to induce the formation of an ectopic head. Knockdown experiments have helped to explain Cerberus's role in both the formation of the head and left and right symmetry. These experiments have shown that Cerberus helps to keep Nodal from crossing to the right side of the developing embryo, allowing left and right asymmetry to form. This is why misexpression of Cerberus can cause the heart to fold in the opposite direction during development. When Cerberus is “knocked down” and BMP and Wnt are up regulated the head does not form. Other experiments using mice that this gene has been “knocked out” showed no head defects, which suggest that it is the combination of the up regulation of BMP and Wnt along with the absence of Cerberus that causes this defect. For the heart, Cerberus is one of several factors that inhibits Nodal to initiate cardiomyogenic differentiation The Cerberus gene family produces many different signal proteins that are antagonistically involved in establishing anterior-posterior patterning and left-right patterning in vertebrate embryos.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:18 UTC on Friday, 27 December 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Cerberus (protein) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Ruth.

He is a celebrated author, entrepreneur, leadership maven, and a founding Board Member of Burning Man Project. He's a serial contributor to the culture and the cause.In this episode, Chip and Stuart explore how to use the 10 Principles to make conversations interesting and how a description of Black Rock City always becomes a riddle.They resist the urge to quiz newbies on the 10 Principles, while they also say that Burners should not take themselves too seriously. They try on the notion that nothing matters and everything's humorous.They make sense of big ideas like collective effervescence, emotional equations, and the need for aesthetics and beauty.They talk about a deep diversity of ritual gatherings around the world, and the influence of the global community emanating from Regional Burns.They talk about all this and more, and somehow it all make sense. wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_Conleychipconley.comwww.meawisdom.com LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

Burners often speak about the work it takes to prepare their art, art car, or camp for Black Rock City, but for many, it doesn't end there. A project sparked in the desert or at Regional Events can take on a life of its own, continuing year-round in surprising ways.What happens when a camp or mutant vehicle takes a break from Black Rock City? After all the Communal Effort devoted to their playa project, do they even know how to stop? Apparently not... and the world benefits.kbot and Stuart speak with people who pressed pause on producing in Black Rock City, only to put their time, imagination, and heart into projects that build a better world.Leon & Patrizia of New York Dangerous discuss how their resource rescue nonprofit fosters a ‘pay it forward' form of altruism.Leo & Catarina of Jaguara share how their mutant vehicle has become a vehicle for education and expression in Columbia.Zoe (aka “Jeff”) of Camp Starbarf tells how a year off for her camp spawned a voter support initiative and a punk rock band!Their stories share a theme: the 10 Principles (and playa-born fortitude) inspire their year-round endeavors.https://nyd.nychttps://jaguara.coStarBarf (instagram) LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

The BGP Monitoring Protocol, or BMP, is an IETF standard. With BMP you can send BGP prefixes and updates from a router to a collector before any policy filters are applied. Once collected, you can analyze this routing data without any impact on the router itself. On today’s Heavy Networking, we talk with Bart Dorlandt,... Read more »

The BGP Monitoring Protocol, or BMP, is an IETF standard. With BMP you can send BGP prefixes and updates from a router to a collector before any policy filters are applied. Once collected, you can analyze this routing data without any impact on the router itself. On today’s Heavy Networking, we talk with Bart Dorlandt,... Read more »

The BGP Monitoring Protocol, or BMP, is an IETF standard. With BMP you can send BGP prefixes and updates from a router to a collector before any policy filters are applied. Once collected, you can analyze this routing data without any impact on the router itself. On today’s Heavy Networking, we talk with Bart Dorlandt,... Read more »

Tom Price co-founded Burners Without Borders, Black Rock Solar, and a company that gifts clean-burning kitchens to people in Kenya.Tom and Stuart talk about the weather, specifically hurricanes, and how Burners Without Borders started and persists in the face of extreme circumstances because Burners are extreme!Tom's tales of adventure include paperwork pranks and ad hoc Cajun catharsis. If Burning Man is a permission engine, giving people agency in their lives, he says that part of the lesson of Burning Man is finding out what is too much permission, then stepping back, and building aptitude to have agency, and responsibility for it. Note: The sponsor names joked about here are NOT sponsors of Burning Man, because Decommodification!Burners Without BordersBlack Rock SolarTom Price: Burning Man JournalBurning Man LIVE: Tom Price and the Benefactor's Dilemma (2022)Burning Man LIVE: Creative Solutions to Mass Destruction (2020)TEDx Black Rock City: Tom Price: Beyond Burning Man (2011)ecosafi.com LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

Academics from everywhere experiment, collaborate, and even interpret our stories of "This one time at Burning Man."In this episode, Stuart talks with people from Burning Nerds, an annual gathering of academics in Black Rock City. They keep it light, though; not too many unnecessarily fancy words. Dr Jukka-Pekka Heikkilä shares about the Open Strategy management technique used by Burning Man Project that gives more power to the people. Bryan Yazell and Patricia Wolf of University of Southern Denmark report on using Flash Fiction in BRC to develop a new subgenre of sci-fi called climate fiction (‘cli-fi'), stories that are less dystopian, even less utopian, more protopian (fancy word) about society that improves over time, rather than transcending all it's problems or descending into dysfunction.Professor Matt Zook of University of Kentucky extols the unique aspects of Black Rock City, from materiality to temporality, to being a place apart. He and Stuart explore the interplay between digital and physical spaces, and what about community actually makes it good.Then Jukka-Pekka Heikkilä returns to reveal how the Burning Stories project, now in its 6th year of tracking tales, is now a cultural repository, and is training a gifted AI on how Burners be Burning.jukkapekka.comsdu.dk/en/persons/yazellsdu.dk/en/persons/pawogeography.as.uky.edu/users/zookburningman.org/programs/philosophical-center/academicsregionals.burningman.org/european-leadership-summitburning-stories.comkk.org/thetechnium/protopiasdu.dk/en/paca-at-burning-man-festival-2024 LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

Mokuhanga can be approached in many ways. For some, a hands-on approach is the most appealing, as it places full responsibility on the artist to carefully craft each step—designing, carving by hand, and printing—to achieve the best possible result. However, other mokuhanga artists take a more experimental route, where the possibilities are limitless, and innovation leads to unique outcomes. On this episode of The Unfinished Print, I speak with printmaker Mike Lyon, who has been creating mokuhanga for nearly 30 years. We delve into his philosophy on mokuhanga, his innovative use of a CNC machine in printmaking, and his inventive spirit. We also explore his own mokuhanga prints and the Lyon Collection of Japanese woodblock prints.  This interview was conducted while Mike was at the Mokuhanga Project Space in Walla Walla, Washington, and he reflects on his real time experiences during the interview. One other note; there is reference to an accident Mike had as a young man regarding his fingers. Listeners be warned.   Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com  Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Artists works follow after the note if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known. Mike Lyon - website Shotokan Karate - is a traditional Japanese martial art that emphasizes powerful, linear movements, strong stances, and precise techniques. Developed by Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) in the early 20th century, Shotokan blends self-defense, physical fitness, and mental discipline. It is characterized by its deep stances, focus on kata (pre-arranged forms), kihon (basic techniques), and kumite (sparring). Practitioners strive for mastery of body and mind, aiming to improve both physical strength and inner calm through rigorous practice. Shotokan is one of the most widely practiced karate styles worldwide. Zen Buddhism - is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism that emphasizes direct experience, meditation (zazen), and mindfulness as paths to enlightenment. Originating in China as Chan Buddhism and later flourishing in Japan, Zen focuses on achieving insight into the nature of existence through meditation rather than reliance on scriptures or ritual. Central to Zen practice is the concept of "no-mind" (mushin), which seeks to quiet the mind and transcend dualistic thinking. Through sitting meditation, koans (paradoxical questions), and the guidance of a teacher, Zen practitioners aim to awaken to their true nature and the interconnectedness of all things. Hiroki Morinoue - is a mokuhanga printmaker and artist living in Holualoa, Big Island, Hawai'i. He is a co-founding member of the Holualoa Foundation For Arts & Culture, the establishment of the Donkey Mill Art Center and Studio 7 Fine Arts. Hiroki's interview with The Unfinished Print can be found, here.  Kitchen Fosit (2012)  Gotō Hidehiko (b.1953) - is a mokuhanga printmaker and tool maker based in Japan. He makes and teaches seminars about the construction of the mokuhanga tool, the baren.  From The Window (2017) 15" x 12" Anderson Ranch Arts Center - since the 1960s, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Colorado, has been a beacon for the arts in the United States. The Ranch offers master classes, workshops, artist-in-residence programs, and more. For additional information, please click here. registration - there are several registration methods in mokuhanga. The traditional method is called the kentō registration, where you carve two notches, straight another an "L." There is also a "floating kentō," which is where the notches are cut in a piece of "L" shaped wood and not on the wood where you are cutting your image, hence "floating." Lastly, there are removable "pins," such as ones made by Ternes Burton.  The Fisherman and His Wife (1996) 15" x 10" International Mokuhanga Conference - is a bi-yearly conference dedicated to mokuhanga which started in 2011 by the International Mokuhanga Association. Each conference is themed. The latest conference was in 2021, delayed a year because of the pandemic. More information can be found, here. Prussian Blue - is a dark blue pigment, which has been used by painters, and mokuhanga printmakers. The pigment has been used in Europe since the 18th Century, and in Japan since around 1820, having been imported by Europeans into Japan. More information about Prussian Blue can be found in my interview with Professor Henry Smith, here.  reduction printmaking - is a process in printmaking where the printmaker cuts away on a piece of wood, or linoleum. After every carving, the printmaker makes an impression with pigments, beginning with lighter colours, gradually using darker colours. William H. Mays has a fine description of reduction on his website, here.  CNC Machine - A CNC (Computer Numerical Control) router is a machine used to cut, carve, or engrave materials like wood, plastic, metal, and foam with high precision, guided by a computer program. The router is controlled by pre-programmed software that dictates the movement of the cutting tool along multiple axes (typically three to five), allowing for complex shapes and designs to be created with great accuracy. CNC routers are commonly used in manufacturing, woodworking, sign-making, and prototyping because they can produce detailed and repetitive cuts that would be difficult to achieve by hand. Friends of Baren Forum - is a Facebook group dedicated to those interested in mokuhanga and woodblock printing in general. it can be found, here.  David Bull - is a Canadian woodblock printmaker, and educator who lives and works in Japan. His love of mokuhanga has almost singlehandedly promoted the art form around the world. His company, Mokuhankan, has a brick and mortar store in Asakusa, Tōkyō, and online, here.  River In Spring (2009)  shihan - is a title in Japanese martial arts, often translated as "master instructor." It is an honorific title given to highly skilled and experienced practitioners who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and commitment to a particular martial art over many years. A shihan is not only a technical expert but also a role model and leader, responsible for preserving and passing on the traditions and philosophies of the martial art to future generations. The title is typically granted in arts such as karate, aikido, judo, and kendo, and it is often reserved for senior instructors with a rank of 5th dan or higher. aizuri-e - (藍摺絵) are woodblock prints made entirely with shades of blue. This style gained popularity during the Edo Period.  yakusha-e - (役者絵) is the Japanese term for actor prints in mokuhanga.  bijin-ga - (美人画) is the Japanese term for beautiful women in mokuhanga.  Ezoshi - is a mokuhanga focused art gallery and store located in Kyoto, Japan. It was established in 1978. More info, here.  Tōshūsai Sharaku (dates unknown) - was a Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker active during the late Edo period, primarily from 1794 to 1795. He is known for his portraits of kabuki actors, capturing their dramatic expressions and movements with remarkable realism and emotional depth. Sharaku emphasized individuality and personality in his subjects, using bold colors and strong contrasts to create a distinct style. Despite his brief career, lasting only about ten months, his innovative approach had a lasting impact on the ukiyo-e tradition, making him one of the most significant printmakers of the Edo period. The true identity of Sharaku and the reasons for his sudden disappearance from the art scene are still unknown. Otani Oniji III as Edobei (1794) 14 15/16" × 9 7/8" ōkubi-e (大首絵) -  are woodblock prints of close-up human heads, which came into prominence in the late 19th Century. For me, the best mokuhanga designer of okubi-e is Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900). His okubi-e of kabuki actors is unparalleled, showing the actors in various positions with intricate backgrounds and poses. Kamigata - is a region of Japan which refers to the area encompassing the cities of Kyoto and Osaka, located in the Kansai region. During the Edo period (1603–1868), Kamigata became a significant cultural and artistic center, known for its contributions to theater, literature, and the arts, particularly ukiyo-e  mokuhanga. The term "Kamigata," meaning "upper region," reflects its geographical position relative to Edo (modern Tōkyō), which was considered the "lower region."  Photoshop - is a powerful graphics editing software developed by Adobe Systems, widely used for image manipulation, photo editing, and digital art creation. It offers a variety of tools and features for tasks such as retouching images, creating graphics, applying effects, and designing layouts, making it an essential tool for photographers, graphic designers, and artists. Benjamin Selby - is an artist who works in mokuhanga, as well as serigraphy and installations. More information about Benjamin's work can be found, here. His interview with The Unfinished Print can be found, here.  Crushed (2024) Fudezaishiki - Hand Colored With Brush Mokuhanga 9" x 12" Mokuhanga Project Space - is a mokuhanga residency located in Walla Walla, Washington, USA. It was established in 2016 and is led by printmaker Keiko Hara. More info can be found, here.  coding - also known as programming, is the process of writing instructions for computers using programming languages. These instructions, or code, enable computers to perform specific tasks, solve problems, or automate processes. Coding involves creating algorithms, which are step-by-step procedures for carrying out a task, and translating these algorithms into a language that a computer can understand, such as Python, Java, C++, or JavaScript. Coding is essential in developing software applications, websites, and systems that power various technologies in everyday life, from mobile apps to complex databases and artificial intelligence systems. HP-25 - is a scientific calculator introduced by Hewlett-Packard in 1975. It is notable for being one of the first pocket-sized programmable calculators, featuring a unique Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) input system, which allows users to enter calculations in a more efficient manner than traditional algebraic notation. The HP-25 is equipped with a 49-step program memory, enabling users to create and store complex calculations. It has a 2-line display for showing both the program and the results, and it can perform a variety of functions, including trigonometric, logarithmic, and statistical calculations. The HP-25 is recognized for its durability, design, and the pioneering role it played in the evolution of personal computing and calculators. subroutine - also known as a function, method, or procedure, is a set of instructions designed to perform a specific task within a larger program. Subroutines allow programmers to break down complex problems into smaller, manageable pieces, promoting code reusability and organization. When a subroutine is called, the program temporarily transfers control to that subroutine, executes its instructions, and then returns control to the main program or calling code, often providing a result or output. This modular approach makes it easier to debug, maintain, and understand code, as well as to share functionality across different parts of a program or between different programs. Echizen - is a region in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, known for its long history of papermaking. The area is home to many paper artisans. One notable figure is Iwano Ichibei. He is a Living National Treasure in papermaking and the ninth generation of his family still making paper today. More information can be found here.in English, and here in Japanese.  baren - is a mokuhanga tool that typically consists of a round, flat disk with a bamboo base, covered with a layer of cord or cloth, often wrapped in a spiral pattern made from various materials such as cotton or hemp. Additionally, there are baren made from ball bearings and other materials, including plastic and metal. Linda in Black (2019) 41" x 29.5" - for more information on how this print was made you can find that on Mike Lyon's website, here.  rectangular spirals -  are a pattern which Mike Lyon uses a lot in his mokuhanga. Here is a posting on Mike's website in which Mike discusses his ideas on these spirals and how he uses them through coding. It can be found, here.  Guerra & Paint Pigment Corp. - is a brick and mortar store located in Brooklyn, New York that sells artists pigments. More info, here.  CMYK colour model - stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key which are the colours used in the printing process of whichever work you are making. More info, here.  rasters - or raster graphics, are a type of digital image composed of a grid of individual pixels, each containing colour information. This pixel-based format is commonly used in digital photography, web graphics, and image editing, with resolution defined by the number of pixels in each dimension (width x height) and measured in dots per inch (DPI) or pixels per inch (PPI). While raster images can capture detailed and complex visuals, such as photographs, they can lose quality and become pixelated when enlarged, as the individual pixels become more visible. Common raster file formats include JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP. Unlike vector graphics, which use mathematical equations to represent images and can be scaled infinitely without loss of quality, rasters are less suitable for images requiring resizing or scaling. Shotbot code - typically refers to programming or scripting used to automate tasks in photography, particularly in photo booths or photography studios. It may involve controlling camera settings, managing image capture, and organizing files, allowing photographers to streamline their workflows and enhance productivity. Often associated with the ShotBot app, this code enables remote triggering of cameras, capturing images at set intervals, and integrating with other software for efficient image management. By utilizing Shotbot code, photographers can achieve consistent results and improve the overall efficiency of their photography projects. Madz - Portrait of the artist Madeline Cass. 31"x32" for more information regarding the process of how this print was made can be found on Mike Lyon's website, here.  Post Digital Printmaking - is printmaking using Computer Numeric Control (CNC) devices, including laser cutters and CNC routers, that are used for matrix production in lithography, intaglio, and relief printing. closed-loop controller -is a type of control system that continuously monitors and adjusts its output based on feedback from the system it is controlling. In this system, the controller receives information about the current state or output and compares it to a desired setpoint or target value. This feedback allows the controller to make real-time adjustments to the input or control signal to minimize the difference between the actual output and the desired output, enhancing accuracy and stability. Closed-loop controllers are commonly used in applications such as industrial automation, robotics, temperature control, and motor speed regulation, and they are contrasted with open-loop controllers, which do not utilize feedback and rely solely on predefined input commands. The feedback mechanism in closed-loop systems improves performance, allowing for better handling of disturbances and changes in system dynamics. MDF - or Medium-Density Fiberboard, is an engineered wood product made from wood fibres, wax, and resin that are compressed under high pressure and temperature. It is known for its smooth surface, uniform density, and versatility, making it a popular choice for furniture, cabinetry, moldings, and decorative applications. MDF can be easily cut, shaped, and painted, allowing for intricate designs and finishes. Unlike solid wood, MDF does not have knots or grain patterns, providing a consistent appearance. It is often used as a cost-effective alternative to solid wood and plywood, although it can be more susceptible to moisture damage and may require sealing for certain applications. Foundry Vineyards - based in Walla Walla, Washington is a vineyard and art space. It has been hosting artists from all types of media such as painting and printmaking since 2010. It has exhibited The Mokuhanga Project Space, printmaker Mike Lyon,  and the International Mokuhanga Print Exhibit. More info about this space and the good it does for the art community at large can be found, here.  The Wichita Art Museum - located in Wichita, Kansas, is the largest art museum in the state. Established in 1935, it features a diverse collection of American art, with a particular focus on works from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum's permanent collection includes paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, highlighting notable artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, and John Steuart Curry. In addition to its collections, the museum offers rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and community events that engage the public and promote an appreciation for the visual arts. The museum's architecture, designed by the renowned architect Edward Durrell Stone. More info can be found, here.  The International Block Print Renaissance: Then & Now - was a woodblock exhibition held at the Wichita Art Museum from February 26 - August 7, 2022. It was an exhibition which exhibited prints from around the world as well as printmakers from Wichita, Kansas, USA. It described various print making techniques from Japan, Western and Eastern Europe, as well as the United States.  Secret Garden [Clover] (2017) 36" x 36", a video on how Mike Lyon printed this particular print can be found on YouTube, here.   © Popular Wheat Productions opening and closing credit -There Is No Greater Love by Chet Baker (1928-1988) from the album City Lights (2024) UMG Records.  logo designed and produced by Douglas Batchelor and André Zadorozny  Disclaimer: Please do not reproduce or use anything from this podcast without shooting me an email and getting my express written or verbal consent. I'm friendly :)  Слава Українi If you find any issue with something in the show notes please let me know. ***The opinions expressed by guests in The Unfinished Print podcast are not necessarily those of André Zadorozny and of Popular Wheat Productions.***    

Everywhere? Regional events actively align with Burning Man's 10 Principles. 85 official events happen in 30 countries, with collectively more participants and more art grants than the original Nevada event.After 25 years, the combined regional presence is huge, diverse, and evolving, and it all started in one place: Black Rock City. Whether you're Burning in New York or New Zealand, all backroads lead back to BRC.We called a bunch of the Regional leaders to see how things are going out in their other homes away from home. We heard from Argentina, China, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, and even the far-flung realms of Texas and Kentucky.Play this mixtape of people sharing stories from everywhere in the world.regionals.burningman.orgAnd here's a related episode from 2022: burningman.org/podcast/burning-man-is-not-a-place LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

Huge Big Moe Podcast this week.  Big Moe Barrett and Andy Nagel do the first show from the brand new WMOE studio!  Head Baseball Coach Tim Held drops by to give up some huge news about the Moeller Baseball Team.  Finally a brand new BMP degment with Moeller Freshman Lukas Rueve and Gideon Pitzer.

Thousands and thousands of people volunteer each year at Black Rock City, for days, weeks, or months. Add to that the volunteers at the many Regional events around the world and it's more than can be counted on fingers and toes.Why do we volunteer?Is it because we feel we received a gift and we want to pay it back or pay it forward?Is it a meditation of hard work (in a hard place to work) to add dimension to our experience?Is it the chance to be something different, for a pixel pusher to build something with bare hands, an engineer to cook for artists, a project manager to be a… manager of a different kind of project?Yes.We interviewed a few longtime citizens of BRC about why they volunteer with the Greeters, with DPW, and the Man Base. Here are some stories from Topless Deb, Tamsin, Ruin, Terra, and a guy named Fuckyeah.https://burningman.org/event/participate/volunteering/teams LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

Burning Man doesn't make itself. The people who share their time and treasure, they create this weird wonder. Each of these people have stories about how Burning Man influenced their lives and how their lives influenced Burning Man. The Flaming Tuba Guy is one of these people. His name is David Silverman aka Tubatron. Andie Grace talked with him about how his animation career started, how his musical career started, how the Mansonian Institute started, how his career with The Simpsons started, and how that influenced his involvement with Burning Man and vice versa. He also volunteers at BRC with the DPW at the Man Pavilion. They recorded this at Burning Man and you can hear in their voices the phonic patina of the playa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Silverman_(animator)https://x.com/tubatronDavid shares more of his story in Episode 27 from 2020: https://burningman.org/podcast/holiday-special-santacon-from-home LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

Allow us to introduce you to the people who called the Black Rock Desert “home” way before we did. This is your backstage pass to the original Burners of the Great Basin: The Pyramid Lake Paiute. Strap in for a road trip that's part history lesson, part cultural exchange, and essential listening for when you wonder, "Who lived here before we showed up in tutus?"We're not just passing through, we're digging deep with…Billie Jean Guerrero: Director of the Pyramid Lake Museum Mervin Wright: Environmental Manager James Phoenix: Former Chairman Steven Wadsworth: Current ChairmanDean Barlese: Elder and Spiritual Leader"Double D": A tribal member at at the Golden Spike CeremonyHelpful links:Donate your leftover, non-perishable food to the Pyramid Lake Paiute. Drop it off at Bunny's Tacos in Nixon! Here are Google Map Directions from playa to Bunny's. Camp or recreate at Pyramid Lake. Buy a permit here.Volunteer at the Pyramid Lake Visitor Center and Museum. Help build out the new medicine garden or improve the museum's new haba (traditional Paiute shade structure). Contact Billie Jean Guerrero at bjguerrero@plpt.nsn.usDonate to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Stop by the Pyramid Lake Museum and Visitor Center. You can donate in person! Gifting! You can also write to the Tribal Secretary at tribalsecretary@plpt.nsn.us with which program, department, or tribal office you'd like to direct your donation. LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

The Wes Buck Show | Ep. 354 | Today's episode features an incredible lineup! We're joined by BMP track owner Victor Alvarez, where the Drag Illustrated Winter Series will call home. Also on the show are No Prep Kings standout Kye Kelley, fresh off an outstanding PDRA performance, and the bad to the bone wheelman, NHRA Pro Mod racer Lyle Barnett. Tune in for an action-packed episode filled with expert insights and the latest in drag racing! Each week on The Wes Buck Show, the Drag Illustrated team, Wes Buck, JT "Murder T" Hudson, and Mike Carpenter, bring their unique insights and analysis to the most electrifying moments and storylines from a packed weekend of drag racing. Don't miss out on the action and conversation - hit SUBSCRIBE for the latest in drag racing: @dragillustrated Grab your MERCH here: https://dragillustrated.store Stay connected with The Wes Buck Show: @thewesbuckshow @dragillustrated RACERSCLUB MERCH: http://www.racers.club Want to sponsor the show? Contact us: wes@dragillustrated.com #dragracing #wesbuck #dragillustrated #NHRA #PDRA #NoPrep #Streetoutlaws #NoPrepKings #Promod #MWDRS #topfuel #funnycar #prostock #radialracing #NPK #WDRA #dragrace #DI #WBS #WesBuckShow #WSOPM #WorldSeriesOfProMod #Brandenton #MMPS #FloRacing #FloDragRacing #Stroud #RedLineOil #RacersClub #racers.club #NHRAFinals #ProStock #NoPrepKingsDallas #WorldStreetNationals #Episode354 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewesbuckshow/support