Podcasts about Cloud Nine

Can You Segway?Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.So exactly who was going to be sympathetic to their plight, who we cared about?Beyond my fevered dream of making a difference there was a pinch of reality. See, the Cabindans and the people of Zaire were both ethnic Bakongo and the Bakongo of Zaire had also once had their own, independent (until 1914) kingdom which was now part of Angola. The Bakongo were major factions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) -(formerly for a short time known as the nation of Zaire, from here on out to be referred to as the DRC and in the running for the most fucked up place on the planet Earth, more on that later)- and Congo (the nation) yet a minority in Angola. Having an independent nation united along ethnic and linguistic lines made sense and could expect support from their confederates across international boundaries.The Liberation Air ForceThe Earth & Sky operated under one constant dilemma ~ when would Temujin make his return? Since they didn't know and it was their job to be prepared for the eventuality if it happened tomorrow, or a century down the line, they 'stockpiled', and 'stockpiled' and 'stockpiled'.That was why they maintained large horse herds and preserved the ancient arts of Asian bowyers, armoring and weapons-craft. That was why they created secret armories, and sulfur and saltpeter sites when musketry and cannons became the new ways of warfare. They secured sources of phosphates and petroleum when they became the new thing, and so on.All of this boiled over to me being shown yet again I worked with clever, creative and under-handed people. The Khanate came up with a plan for a 'Union' Air Force {Union? More on that later} within 24 hours, and it barely touched any of their existing resources. How did they accomplish this miracle? They had stockpiled and maintained earlier generation aircraft because they didn't know when Temujin would make his re-appearance.They'd also trained pilots and ground crews for those aircraft. As you might imagine, those people grew old just as their equipment did. In time, they went into the Earth & Sky's Inactive Reserves ~ the rank & file over the age of 45. You never were 'too old' to serve in some capacity though most combat-support related work ended at 67.When Temujin made his return and the E&S transformed into the Khanate, those people went to work bringing their lovingly cared for, aging equipment up to combat-alert readiness. If the frontline units were decimated, they would have to serve, despite the grim odds of their survival. It was the terrible acceptance the Chinese would simply possess so much more war-making material than they did.Well, the Khanate kicked the PRC's ass in a titanic ass-whooping no one (else) had seen coming, or would soon forget. Factory production and replacement of worn machines was in stride to have the Khanate's Air Force ready for the next round of warfare when the Cease-fire ended and the Reunification War resumed.Always a lower priority, the Khanate military leadership was considering deactivating dozens of these reserve unit when suddenly the (Mongolian) Ikh khaany khairt akh dáé (me) had this hare-brained scheme about helping rebels in Africa, West Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea coast/Atlantic Ocean, far, far away, and it couldn't look like the Khanate was directly involved.They barely knew where Angola was. They had to look up Cabinda to figure out precisely where that was. They brought in some of their 'reservist' air staff to this briefing and one of them, a woman (roughly a third of the E&S 'fighting'/non-frontline forces were female), knew what was going on. Why?She had studied the combat records and performance of the types of aircraft she'd have to utilize... back in the 1980's and 90's and Angola had been a war zone rife with Soviet (aka Khanate) material back then. Since she was both on the ball, bright and knew the score, the War Council put her in overall command. She knew what was expected of her and off she went, new staff in hand. She was 64 years old, yet as ready and willing to serve as any 20 year old believer in the Cause.Subtlety, scarcity and audacity were the watchwords of the day. The Khanate couldn't afford any of their front-line aircraft for this 'expedition'. They really couldn't afford any of their second-rate stuff either. Fortunately, they had some updated third-rate war-fighting gear still capable of putting up an impressive show in combat ~ providing they weren't going up against a top tier opponents.For the 'volunteers' of the Union Air Force, this could very likely to be a one-way trip. They all needed crash courses (not a word any air force loves, I know) in Portuguese though hastily provided iPhones with 'apps' to act as translators were deemed to be an adequate stop-gap measure. Besides, they were advised to avoid getting captured at all cost. The E&S couldn't afford the exposure. Given the opportunity ~ this assignment really was going above and beyond ~ not one of these forty-six to sixty-seven year olds backed out.No, they rolled out fifty of their antiquated aircraft, designs dating back to the 1950's through the mid-70's, and prepared them for the over 10,000 km journey to where they were 'needed most'. 118 pilots would go (72 active plus 46 replacements) along with 400 ground crew and an equally aged air defense battalion (so their air bases didn't get blown up). Security would be provided by 'outsiders' ~ allies already on the ground and whatever rebels could be scrounged up. After the initial insertion, the Indian Air Force would fly in supplies at night into the Cabinda City and Soyo Airports.The composition,14 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 jet fighters ~ though she entered service in 1959, these planes' electronics were late 20th century and she was a renowned dogfighter. 12 were the Mig-21-97 modernized variant and the other two were Mig-21 UM two-seater trainer variants which could double as reconnaissance fighters if needed.14 Sukhoi Su-22 jet fighter-bombers ~ the original design, called the Su-17, came out in 1970, the first 12 were variants with the 22M4 upgrade were an early-80's package. The other 2 were Su-22U two-seat trainers which, like their Mig-21 comrades, doubled as reconnaissance fighters. The Su-22M4's would be doing the majority of the ground attack missions for the Cabindans, though they could defend themselves in aerial combat if necessary.6 Sukhoi Su-24M2 supersonic attack aircraft ~ the first model rolled off the production lines in the Soviet Union back in 1974. By far the heaviest planes in the Cabindan Air Force, the Su-24M2's would act as their 'bomber force' as well as anti-ship deterrence.8 Mil Mi-24 VM combat helicopters ~ introduced in 1972 was still a lethal combat machine today. Unlike the NATO helicopter force, the Mi-24's did double duty as both attack helicopter and assault transports at the same time.4 Mil Mi-8 utility helicopters, first produced in 1967. Three would act as troop/cargo transports (Mi-8 TP) while the fourth was configured as a mobile hospital (the MI-17 1VA).4 Antonov An-26 turboprop aircraft, two to be used as tactical transports to bring in supplies by day and two specializing in electronic intelligence aka listening to what the enemy was up to. Though it entered production in 1969, many still remained flying today.2 Antonov An-71M AEW&C twin-jet engine aircraft. These were an old, abandoned Soviet design the Earth & Sky had continued working on primarily because the current (1970's) Russian Airborne Early Warning and Control bird had been both huge and rather ineffective ~ it couldn't easily identify low-flying planes in the ground clutter so it was mainly only good at sea. Since the E&S planned to mostly fight over the land,They kept working on the An-71 which was basically 1977's popular An-72 with some pertinent design modifications (placing the engines below the wings instead of above them as on the -72 being a big one). To solve their radar problem, they stole some from the Swedish tech firm Ericsson, which hadn't been foreseen to be a problem before now.See, the Russians in the post-Soviet era created a decent AEW&C craft the E&S gladly stole and copied the shit out of for their front line units and it was working quite nicely ~ the Beriev A-50, and wow, were the boys in the Kremlin pissed off about that these days. Whoops, or was that woot?Now, the Khanate was shipping two An-71's down to Cabinda and somewhere along the line someone just might get a 'feel' for the style of radar and jamming the Cabindans were using aka the Swedish stuff in those An-71's. The Erieye radar system could pick out individual planes at 280 miles. The over-all system could track 60 targets and plot out 10 intercepts simultaneously. NATO, they were not, but in sub-Saharan Africa, there were none better.Anyway, so why was any of this important?Why the old folks with their ancient machines? As revealed, since the Earth & Sky had no idea when Temüjin would return, they were constantly squirreling away equipment. World War 2 gave them unequaled access to Soviet military technology and training.Afterwards, under Josef Stalin's direction, thousands of Russian and German engineers and scientists were exiled to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan who were then snatched up (reportedly died in the gulags/trying to escape) and the E&S began building mirror factories modeled on the 'then current' Soviet production lines.So, by the early 1950's, the E&S was building, flying and maintaining Soviet-style Antonov, Beriev, Ilyushin, Myasishchev, Mikoyan-Gurevich, Sukhoi, Tupolev and Yakovlev airplanes. First in small numbers because their pool of pilots and specialists was so small.The E&S remedied this by creating both their own 'private' flight academies and technical schools. They protected their activities with the judicious use of bribes (they were remarkably successful with their economic endeavors on both side of the Iron Curtain) and murders (including the use of the Ghost Tigers).By 1960, the proto-Khanate had an air force. Through the next two decades they refined and altered their doctrine ~ moving away from the Soviet doctrine to a more pure combined-arms approach (the Soviets divided their air power into four separate arms ~ ADD (Long Range Aviation), FA (Front Aviation), MTA (Military Transport Aviation) and the V-PVO (Soviet Air Defenses ~ which controlled air interceptors).).It wasn't until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the various former SSR's that the E&S program really began to hit its stride. Still, while Russia faltered, China's PLAAF (Peoples' Liberation Army Air Force) began to take off. Since the Chinese could produce so much more, the E&S felt it had to keep those older planes and crews up to combat readiness. The younger field crews and pilots flew the newer models as they rolled off the secret production lines.Then the Unification War appeared suddenly, the E&S-turned Khanate Air Force skunked their PLAAF rivals due to two factors, a surprise attack on a strategic level and the fatal poisoning of their pilots and ground crews before they even got into the fight. For those Chinese craft not destroyed on the ground, the effects of Anthrax eroded their fighting edge. Comparable technology gave the Khanate their critical victory and Air Supremacy over the most important battlefields.What did this meant for those out-of-date air crews and pilots who had been training to a razor's edge for a month now? Their assignment had been to face down the Russians if they invaded. They would take their planes up into the fight even though this most likely would mean their deaths, but they had to try.When Operation Fun House put Russia in a position where she wasn't likely to jump on the Khanate, this mission's importance faded. The Russian Air Force was far more stretched than the Khanate's between her agitations in the Baltic and her commitments in the Manchurian, Ukrainian, Chechen and Georgian theaters.With more new planes rolling off the production lines, these reservist units began dropping down the fuel priority list, which meant lowering their flight times thus readiness. Only my hare-brained scheme had short-circuited their timely retirement. Had I realized I was getting people's grandparents killed, I would have probably made the same call anyway. We needed them.The KanateThe Khanate's #1 air superiority dogfighter was the Mig-35F. The #2 was the Mig-29. No one was openly discussing the Khanate's super-stealthy "Su-50", if that was what it was, because its existence 'might' suggest the Khanate also stole technology from the Indian defense industry, along with their laundry list of thefts from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the PRC, Russia and half of NATO.Her top multi-role fighters were the Su-47, Su-35S and Su-30SM. The Su-30 'Flanker-C/MK2/MKI were their 2nd team with plenty of 3rd team Su-27M's still flying combat missions as well.Strike fighters? There weren't enough Su-34's to go around yet, so the Su-25MS remained the Khanate's dedicated Close Air Assault model.Medium transport aircraft? The An-32RE and An-38. They had small, large and gargantuan transports as well.Bombers? The rather ancient jet-powered Tu-160M2's and Tu-22M2's as well as the even older yet still worthwhile turboprops ~ from 1956's ~ the Tu-95M S16.Helicopters? While they still flew updated variants of the Mil Mi-8/17 as military transports, the more optimized Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28 had replaced them in the assault role.Bizarrely, the Khanate had overrun several Chinese production lines of the aircraft frames and components ~ enough to complete fairly modern PLAAF (Peoples Liberation Army Air Force) FC-1 and J-10 (both are small multi-role fighter remarkably similar to the US F-16 with the FC-1 being the more advanced model, using shared Chinese-Pakistani technology and was designed for export,).They did have nearly two dozen to send, but they didn't have the pilots and ground crews trained to work with them, plus the FC-1 cost roughly $32 million which wasn't fundage any legitimate Cabindan rebels could get their hands on, much less $768 million (and that would just be for the planes, not the weeks' worth of fuel, parts and munitions necessary for what was forthcoming).Meanwhile, except for the An-26, which you could get for under $700,000 and the An-71, which were only rendered valuable via 'black market tech', none of the turboprop and jet aircraft the Khanate was sending were what any sane military would normally want. The helicopters were expensive ~ the 'new' models Mi-24's cost $32 million while the Mi-17's set you back $17 million. The one's heading to Cabinda didn't look 'new'.The Opposition:In contrast, the Angolan Air Force appeared far larger and more modern. Appearances can be deceptive, and they were. Sure, the models of Russian and Soviet-made aircraft they had in their inventory had the higher numbers ~ the Su-25, -27 and -30 ~ plus they had Mig-21bis's, Mig-23's and Su-22's, but things like training and up-keep didn't appear to be priorities for the Angolans.When you took into account the rampant corruption infecting all levels of Angolan government, the conscript nature of their military, the weakness of their technical educational system, the complexity of any modern combat aircraft and the reality that poor sods forced into being Air Force ground crewmen hardly made the most inspired technicians, or most diligent care-takers of their 'valuable' stockpiles (which their officers all too often sold on the black market anyway), things didn't just look bleak for the Angolan Air Force, they were a tsunami of cumulative factors heading them for an epic disaster.It wasn't only their enemies who derided their Air Force's lack of readiness. Their allies constantly scolded them about it too. Instead of trying to fix their current inventory, the Angolans kept shopping around for new stuff. Since 'new'-new aircraft was beyond what they wanted to spend (aka put too much of a dent in the money they were siphoning off to their private off-shore accounts), they bought 'used' gear from former Soviet states ~ Belarus, Russia and Ukraine ~ who sold them stuff they had left abandoned in revetments (open to the elements to slowly rot) on the cheap.To add to the insanity, the Angolans failed to keep up their maintenance agreements so their newly fixed high-tech machines often either couldn't fly, or flew without critical systems, like radar, avionics and even radios. Maybe that wasn't for the worst because after spending millions on these occasionally-mobile paperweights, the Angolans bought the least technologically advanced missile, gun and rocket systems they could get to put on these flying misfortunes.On the spread sheets, Angola had 18 Su-30K's, 18 Su-27, 12 Su-25's, 14 Su-22's, 22 Mig-23's, 23 Mig-21bis's and 6 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano (a turboprop aircraft tailor-made for counter-insurgency operations), 105 helicopters with some combative ability and 21 planes with some airlift capacity. That equated to 81 either air superiority, or multi-role jet fighters versus the 12 Union Air Force (actually the Bakongo Uni o de Cabinda e Zaire, For as Armadas de Liberta  o, For a Area ~ Liberation Armed Forces, Air Force (BUCZ-FAL-FA) Mig-21-97's.It would seem lopsided except for the thousands of hours of flight experience the 'Unionists' enjoyed over their Angolan rivals. You also needed to take into account the long training and fanatic dedication of their ground crews to their pilots and their craft. Then you needed to take into account every Unionist aircraft, while an older airframe design, had updated (usually to the year 2000) technology lovingly cared for, as if the survival of their People demanded it.A second and even more critical factor was the element of surprise. At least the PRC and the PLAAF had contingencies for attacks from their neighbors in the forefront of their strategic planning. The Angolans? The only country with ANY air force in the vicinity was the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and they had ceased being a threat with the end of Apartheid and the rise of majority Black rule in that country nearly two decades earlier.In the pre-dawn hours of 'Union Independence Day', the FAL-FA was going to smash every Angolan Air base and air defense facility within 375 miles of Cabinda (the city). Every three hours after that, they would be hitting another target within their designated 'Exclusion Zone'. Yes, this 'Exclusion Zone' included a 'tiny' bit of DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) territory. The DRC didn't have an air force to challenge them though, so,Inside this 'Exclusion Zone', anything moving by sea, river, road, rail, or air without Unionist governmental approval was subject to attack, which would require neutral parties to acknowledge some semblance of a free and independent B U C Z. Worse for Angola, this 'Zone' included Angola's capital and its largest port, Luanda, plus four more of their ten largest urban centers. This could be an economic, military and humanitarian catastrophe if mishandled.The Angolan Army did not have significant anti-aircraft assets. Why would they? Remember, no one around them had much of an air force to worry about. The FAL-FA in turn could hit military convoys with TV-guided munitions 'beyond line of sight', rendering what they did have useless. It got worse for the Army after dark. The FAL-FA could and would fly at night whereas the average Angolan formation had Zip-Zero-Nadda night fighting capacity.Then geography added its own mountain of woes. As far as Cabinda was concerned, there was no direct land line to their border from Angola. Their coastal road only went as far as the port of Soyo where the Congo River hit the South Atlantic Ocean. Across that massive gap was the DRC where the road was not picked back up. Far up the coast was the DRC town of Muanda (with an airport) and though they did have a road which went north, it did not continue to the Cabindan border.Nope. To get at Cabinda from the south meant a long, torturous travel through northeastern Angola, into the heart of the DRC then entailed hooking west to some point 'close' to the Cabindan frontier before finally hoofing it overland through partially cleared farmland and jungle. Mind you, the DRC didn't have a native air force capable of protecting the Angolans in their territory so,In fact the only 'road' to Cabinda came from the Republic of Congo (Congo) to the north and even that was a twisted route along some really bad, swampy terrain. This had been the pathway of conquest the Angolans took 39 years earlier. The difference being the tiny bands of pro-independence Cabindan guerillas back then couldn't hold a candle to the Amazons fighting to free Cabinda this time around in numbers, zeal, training and up-to-date equipment.Next option ~ to come by sea. They would face a few, stiff problems, such as the FAL-FA having ship-killer missiles, the Angolan Navy not being able to defend them and the Unionists having no compunction to not strike Pointe-Noire in the 'not so neutral' Republic of the Congo if they somehow began unloading Angolan troops. It seemed the Republic of the Congo didn't have much of an Air Force either.Before you think the FAL-FA was biting off more than they could chew, Cabinda, the province, was shaped somewhat like the US State of Delaware, was half the size of Connecticut (Cabinda was 2,810 sq. mi. to Conn.'s 5,543 sq. mi.) and only the western 20% was relatively open countryside where the Angolan Army's only advantage ~ they possessed armed fighting vehicles while the 'Unionists' did not (at this stage of planning) ~ could hopefully come into play.Centered at their capital, Cabinda (City), jets could reach any point along their border within eight minutes. Helicopters could make it in fifteen. To be safe, some of the FAL-FA would base at the town of Belize which was in the northern upcountry and much tougher to get at with the added advantage the Angolans wouldn't be expecting the FAL-FA to be using the abandoned airfield there, at least initially.Where they afraid attacking Angolan troops in the DRC would invite war with the DRC? Sure, but letting the Angolans reach the border unscathed was worse. Besides, the DRC was in such a mess it needed 23,000 UN Peacekeepers within her borders just to keep the country from falling apart. Barring outside, read European, intervention, did "Democratically-elected since 2001" President (for Life) Joseph Kabila want the FAL-FA to start dropping bombs on his capital, Kinshasa, which was well within reach of all their aircraft?Congo (the country), to the north, wasn't being propped up by the UN, or anything else except ill intentions. In reality, it hardly had much of a military at all. Its officer corps was chosen for political reliability, not merit, or capability. Their technology was old Cold War stuff with little effort to update anything and, if you suspected corruption might be a problem across all spectrums of life, you would 'probably' be right about that too.If you suspected the current President had been in charge for a while, you would be correct again (1979-1992 then 2001- and the 'whoops' was when he accidently let his country experiment with democracy which led to two civil wars). If you suspected he was a life-long Communist (along with the Presidents of the DRC and Angola), you'd be right about that as well. Somehow their shared Marxist-Leninist-Communist ideology hadn't quite translated over to alleviating the grinding poverty in any of those countries despite their vast mineral wealth,At this point in the region's history, little Cabinda had everything to gain by striving for independence and the vast majority of 'warriors' who could possibly be sent against her had terribly little to gain fighting and dying trying to stop them from achieving her goal. After all, their lives weren't going to get any better and with the Amazons ability ~ nay willingness ~ to commit battlefield atrocities, those leaders were going to find it hard going to keep sending their men off to die.And then, it got even worse.See, what I had pointed out was there were two oil refineries in Angola, and neither was in Cabinda. Cabinda would need a refinery to start making good on their oil wealth ~ aka economically bribe off the Western economies already shaken over the Khanate's first round of aggressions.But wait! There was an oil refinery just across the Congo River from Cabinda ~ which meant it was attached to mainland Angola. That had to be a passel of impossible news, right?Nope. As I said earlier, it seemed the people of northern Angola were the same racial group as the Cabindans AND majority Catholic while the ruling clique wasn't part of their ethnic confederacy plus the farther south and east into Angola you went, the less Catholic it became.But it got better. This province was historically its own little independent kingdom (called the Kingdom of Kongo) to boot! It had been abolished by Portugal back in 1914.The 'good' news didn't end there. Now, it wasn't as if the leadership of Angola was spreading the wealth around to the People much anyway, but these northerners had been particularly left out of this Marxist version of 'Trickle Down' economics.How bad was this? This northwestern province ~ called Zaire ~ didn't have any railroads, or paved roads, linking it to the rest of the freaking country. The 'coastal road' entered the province, but about a third of the way up ran into this river, which they'd failed to bridge (you had to use a single track bridge farther to the northeast, if you can believe it). It wasn't even a big river. It was still an obstacle though.How did the Angolan government and military planned to get around? Why by air and sea, of course. Well, actually by air. Angola didn't have much of a merchant marine, or Navy, to make sealift a serious consideration. Within hours of the 'Union Declaration of Independence' anything flying anywhere north of the Luanda, the capital of Angola, would essentially be asking to be blown out of the sky.Along the border between Zaire province and the rest of Angola were precisely two chokepoints. By 'chokepoints', I meant places where a squad (10 trained, modernly-equipped troopers) could either see everything for miles & miles over pretty much empty space along a river valley and the only bridge separating Zaire province from the south, or overlook a ravine which the only road had to pass through because of otherwise bad-ass, broken terrain.Two.Zaire Province had roughly the same population as Cabinda ~ 600,000. Unlike Cabinda, which consisted of Cabinda City plus a few tiny towns and rugged jungles, Zaire had two cities ~ Soyo, with her seventy thousand souls plus the refinery at the mouth of the Congo River, and M'banza-Kongo, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, spiritual center of the Bakongo People (who included the Cabindans) and set up in the highlands strategically very reminiscent of Điện Biàn Phủ.Of Zaire's provincial towns, the only other strategic one was N'Zeto with her crappy Atlantic port facility and 2,230 meter grass airport. The town was the northern terminus of the National Road 100 ~ the Coastal Road. It terminated because of the Mebridege River. There wasn't a bridge at N'Zeto though there was a small one several miles upstream. N'Zeto was also where the road from provinces east of Zaire ended up, so you had to have N'Zeto ~ and that tiny bridge ~ to move troops overland anywhere else in Zaire Province.So you would think it would be easy for the Angolan Army to defend then, except of how the Amazons planned to operate. They would infiltrate the area first then 'rise up in rebellion'. Their problem was the scope of the operation had magnified in risk of exposure, duration and forces necessary for success.The serious issue before Saint Marie and the Host in Africa were the first two. They could actually move Amazons from Brazil and North America to bolster their numbers for the upcoming offensive. Even in the short-short term, equipment wouldn't be a serious problem. What the Amazons dreaded was being left in a protracted slugfest with the Angolan Army which the Condottieri could jump in on. The Amazons exceedingly preferred to strike first then vanish.There was reason to believe a tiny number could have stayed behind in Cabinda to help the locals prepare their military until they could defend themselves. They would need more than a hundred Amazons if Cabinda wanted to incorporate Zaire. The answer was to call back their newfound buddy, the Great Khan. While he didn't have much else he could spare (the Khanate was ramping up for their invasion of the Middle East after all, the Kurds needed the help), he had other allies he could call on.India couldn't help initially since they were supposed to supply the 'Peace-keepers' once a cease-fire had been arranged. That left Temujin with his solid ally, Vietnam, and his far shakier allies, the Republic of China and Japan.First off ~ Japan could not help, which meant they couldn't supply troops who might very well end up dead, or far worse, captured.. What they did have was a surplus of older equipment the ROC troops were familiar with, so while the ROC was gearing up for their own invasion of mainland China in February, they were willing to help the Chinese kill Angolans, off the books, of course.The ROC was sending fifteen hundred troops the Khanate's way to help in this West African adventure with the understanding they'd be coming home by year's end. With Vietnam adding over eight hundred of her own Special Forces, the Amazons had the tiny 'allied' army they could leave shielding Cabinda/Zaire once the first round of blood-letting was over.To be 'fair', the Republic of China and Vietnam asked for 'volunteers'. It wasn't like either country was going to declare war on Angola directly. Nearly a thousand members of Vietnam's elite 126th Regiment of the 5th Brigade (Đặc cáng bộ) took early retirement then misplaced their equipment as they went to update their visas and inoculations before heading out for the DRC (some would be slipping over the DRC/Cabindan border).On Taiwan, it was the men and women of the 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade, 871st Special Operations Group and 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion who felt the sudden desire to 'seek enlightenment elsewhere, preferably on another continent'.They too were off to the Democratic Republic of Congo, man that country was a mess and their border security wasn't worth writing home about, that's for damn sure, via multiple Southeast Asian nations. Besides, they were being issued fraudulently visas which showed them to be from the People's Republic of China, not the ROC/Taiwan. If they were captured, they were to pretend to "be working for a Communist Revolution inside Angola and thus to be setting all of Africa on fire!" aka be Mainland Chinese.There, in the DRC, these Chinese stumbled across, some Japanese. These folks hadn't retired. No. They were on an extended assignment for the UN's mission in, the DRC. OH! And look! They'd brought tons of surplus, outdated Japanese Self Defense Forces' equipment with them, and there just so happened to be some Taiwanese who had experience in using such equipment (both used US-style gear).And here was Colonel Yoshihiro Isami of the Chūō Sokuō Shūdan (Japan's Central Readiness Force) wondering why he and his hastily assembled team had just unloaded,18 Fuji/Bell AH-1S Cobra Attack helicopters,6 Kawasaki OH-6D Loach Scout helicopters,12 Fuji-Bell 204-B-2 Hiyodori Utility helicopters,6 Kawasaki/Boeing CH-47JA Chinook Transport helicopters and4 Mitsubishi M U-2L-1 Photo Reconnaissance Aircraft.Yep! 46 more aircraft for the FAL-FA!Oh, and if this wasn't 'bad enough', the Chinese hadn't come alone. They'd brought some old aircraft from their homes to aid in the upcoming struggle. Once more, these things were relics of the Cold War yet both capable fighting machines and, given the sorry state of the opposition, definitely quite deadly. A dozen F-5E Tiger 2000 configured primarily for air superiority plus two RF-5E Tigergazer for reconnaissance, pilots plus ground crews, of course.Thus, on the eve of battle, the FAL-FA had become a true threat. Sure, all of its planes (and half of its pilots) were pretty old, but they were combat-tested and in numbers and experience no other Sub-Saharan African nation could match.The Liberation Ground Forces:But wait, there was still the niggling little problem of what all those fellas were going to fight with once they were on the ground. Assault/Battle rifles, carbines, rifles, pistols, PDW, SMGs as bullets, grenades and RPG's were all terrifyingly easy to obtain. The coast of West Africa was hardly the Port of London as far as customs security went. They were going to need some bigger toys and their host nations were going to need all their native hardware for their upcoming battles at home.And it wasn't like you could advertise for used IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), APCs (armored personnel carriers) and tanks on e-Bay, Amazon.com, or Twitter. If something modern US, or NATO, was captured rolling around the beautiful Angolan countryside, shooting up hostile Angolans, all kinds of head would roll in all kinds of countries, unless the country,A) had an Executive Branch and Judiciary who wouldn't ask (or be answering) too many uncomfortable questions,B) wasn't all that vulnerable to international pressure,C) really needed the money and,D) didn't give a fuck their toys would soon be seen on BBC/CNN/Al Jazeera blowing the ever-living crap out of a ton of Africans aka doing what they were advertised to do and doing it very well in the hands of capable professionals.And politics was kind enough to hand the freedom-loving people of Cabinda & Zaire a winner, and it wasn't even from strangers, or at least people all that strange to their part of the Globe. If you would have no idea who to look for, you wouldn't be alone.That was the magic of the choice. See, the last three decades had seen the entire Globe take a colossal dump on them as a Nation and a People. They were highly unpopular for all sorts of things, such as Crimes Against Humanity and 'no', we were not talking about the Khanate.We would be talking about Република Србија / Republika Srbija aka Serbia aka the former Yugoslavia who had watched all their satellite minions (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia) slip away. Despite being reduced to a tiny fraction of their former selves thus fighting two incredibly brutal and bloody World Wars for nothing, Serbia insisted on maintaining a robust armaments industry.Mind you, they didn't make the very best stuff on the planet. That didn't stop them from trying though. Of equal importance was their geographic location and the above mentioned desire for some hard currency without asking too many questions. The geography was simple, you could move even heavy gear unnoticed from central Serbia to the Montenegrin port of Bar by rail and load them up on freighters and off to the Congo you went.The Serbians produced an APC called the BVP M-80A's which weren't blowing anyone's minds away when they started rolling off the production lines back in 1982, plus some over-eager types on the Serbian Army's payroll sweetened the deal by offering 'the rebels' some BVP M-80 KC's and a KB as well.Then they slathered on the sugary-sweet Maple syrup by upgrading a few of the M-80A's to BVP M-98A's. Why would they be so generous? The KC's and KB were the Command & Control variants, so that made sense (C = company & B = battalion commander). The -98A had never been tested in the field before and they were kind of curious how the new turrets (which was the major difference) would behave. 'Our' procurement agents didn't quibble. We needed the gear.Besides, these Slavic entrepreneurs gave them an inside track on some 'disarmed/mothballed' Czech (introduced in 1963) armored mobile ambulances and Polish BWP-1 (first rolled out in 1966) APC's which were either in, or could be quickly configured into, the support variants those ground-fighters would need. The 'disarmed' part was 'fixable', thanks to both the Serbians and Finland. The 'missing' basic weaponry was something the Serbians could replace with virtually identical equipment.It just kept getting better. Unknown to me at the time, the Finnish firm, Patria Hágglunds, had sold twenty-two of their 'most excellent' AMOS turrets ~ they are a twin 120 mm mortar system ~ then the deal fell through. Whoops! Should have guarded that warehouse better. Those bitches were on a cargo plane bound for Albania inside of six hours.The ammunition for them was rather unique. Thankfully, it was uniquely sold by the Swiss, who had no trouble selling it to Serbia, thank you very much! Twenty-two BWP-1's became mobile artillery for the Unionist freedom fighters, though I understood the ship ride with the Serbian and Chinese technicians was loads of fun as they struggled to figured out how to attach those state-of-the-art death-dealing turrets to those ancient contraptions.To compensate, the Serbians added (aka as long as our money was good) two Nora B-52 155 mm 52-calibre mobile artillery pieces and one battery of Orkan CER MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) for long-range artillery, two batteries of their Oganj 2000 ER MRLS for medium range carnage and six batteries of their M-94 MRLS for 'close support' as well. More field-testing new gear for the "freedom fighters" We also managed to 'purchase' ten M-84AS Main Battle tanks plus an M-84A1 armor recovery vehicle. It should have been twelve tanks, but two had 'loading issues'.Not to be deterred, our busy little procurement-beavers discovered four tanks no one was using, in neighboring Croatia. Why wasn't anyone immediately keen on their placement? They were two sets of prototypes, Croatia's improvements on the M-84; the M-95 Degman which was a 'failed redesign' and the M-84D, which was a vast up-grade for the M-84 line which had been sidelined by the 2008 Global economic collapse, after which the project stagnated.It seemed they were all in working order because late one night 'my people' exited a Croatian Army base with them, never to be seen again, until two weeks later when an intrepid news crew caught the distinctive form of the M-95 sending some sweet 125 mm loving the Angolan Army's way. Whoops yet again! At least they hit what they were aiming at and destroyed what they hit, right?By then, millions of other people would be going 'what the fuck?' right along with them as Cabinda's camouflage- and mask-wearing rebel army was laying the smack-down on the Angolans. That was okay; over a million 'free Cabindan Unionists' were in the same boat. Over a thousand Asians with their mostly-female militant translators were right there to prop up their 'Unionist Allies', but then they were the ones with the tanks, armored vehicles, planes and guns, so they were less worried than most.To pilot these tanks, APC, IFV and man this artillery, they had to go back to the Khanate. Sure enough, they had some old tankers used to crewing the T-72 from which the M-84's and -95 Degman were derived. They'd also need drivers for those BVP M-80A's and Polish BWP-1's and OT-64 SKOT's... who were, again, derived from old Soviet tech (just much better). The Serbian artillery was similar enough to Soviet stuff, but with enough new tech to make it 'more fun' for the reservists to 'figure out' how to use.More volunteers for the Liberation Armed Forces! More Apple sales, great apps and voice modulation software so that the vehicle commanders would be heard communicating in Portuguese if someone was eavesdropping. As a final offering the Turkish Navy spontaneously developed some plans to test their long range capabilities by going to, the South Atlantic.On the final leg they would have six frigates and two submarines, enough to give any navy in the region, which wasn't Brazil, something to think about. This was a show of force, not an actual threat though. If anyone called their bluff, the Khanate-Turkish forces would have to pull back. These were not assets my Brother, the Great Khan, could afford to gamble and lose.If someone didn't call that bluff, he was also sending two smaller, older corvettes and three even smaller, but newer, fast attack boats, a "gift" to the Unionists ASAP. The frigates would then race home, they had 'other' issues to deal with while the submarines would hang around for a bit. The naval gift was necessitated by the reality the Unionists would have to press their claim to their off-shore riches and that required a naval force Angola couldn't hope to counter.As things were developing, it was reckoned since a build-up of such momentous land and air power couldn't be disguised, it had to happen in a matter of days ~ four was decided to be the minimum amount of time. More than that and the government of the Democratic Republic might start asking far too many questions our hefty bribes and dubious paperwork couldn't cover. Less than that would leave the task forces launching operations with too little a chance of success.Our biggest advantage was audacity. The buildup would happen 100 km up the Congo River from Soyo, the primary target of the Southern Invasion, in the DRC's second largest port city, Boma. Though across the river was Angolan territory, there was nothing there. The city of roughly 160,000 would provide adequate cover for the initial stage of the invasion.There they grouped their vehicles & Khanate drivers with Amazon and Vietnamese combat teams. The Japanese were doing the same for their 'Chinese' counterparts for their helicopter-borne forces. Getting all their equipment in working order in the short time left was critical as was creating some level of unit dynamic. Things were chaotic. No one was happy. They were all going in anyway.What had gone wrong?While most children her age were texting their schoolmates, or tackling their homework, Aya Ruger ~ the alias of Nasusara Assiyaiá hamai ~ was getting briefings of her global, secret empire worth hundreds of billions and those of her equally nefarious compatriots. She received a very abbreviated version of what the Regents received, delivered by a member of Shawnee Arinniti's staff.When Aya hopped off her chair unexpectedly, everyone tensed. Her bodyguards' hands went to their sidearms and Lorraine (her sister by blood), also in the room on this occasion, stood and prepared to tackle her 'former' sibling to the ground if the situation escalated into an assassination attempt. No such attack was generated, so the security ratcheted down and the attendant returned her focus to her Queen. Aya paced four steps, turned and retraced her way then repeated the action three more times."How many people live in the combined areas?" she asked."The combined areas? Of Cabinda and Zaire?""Yes.""I," the woman referenced her material, "roughly 1.1 million.""What is the yearly value of the offshore oil and natural gas production?""Forty-nine billion, eighty hundred and sixty-seven million by our best estimates at this time,""How many live in Soyo City proper?""Roughly 70,000.""We take Soyo," she spoke in a small yet deliberate voice. "We take and hold Soyo as an independent city-state within the Cabindan-Zaire Union. From the maps it appears Soyo is a series of islands. It has a port and airport. It has an open border to an ocean with weaker neighbors all around.""What of the, Zairians?""Bakongo. As a people they are called the Bakongo," Aya looked up at the briefer. "We relocate those who need to work in Soyo into a new city, built at our expense, beyond the southernmost water barrier. The rest we pay to relocate elsewhere in Zaire, or Cabinda."By the looks of those around her, Aya realized she needed to further explain her decisions."This is more than some concrete home base for our People," she began patiently. "In the same way it gives our enemies a clearly delineated target to attack us, it is a statement to our allies we won't cut and run if things go truly bad.""In the same way it will provide us with diplomatic recognition beyond what tenuous handouts we are getting from Cáel Wakko Ishara's efforts through JIKIT. Also, it is a reminder we are not like the other Secret Societies in one fundamental way, we are not a business concern, or a religion. We are a People and people deserve some sort of homeland. We have gone for so long without.""But Soyo?" the aide protested. "We have no ties to it, and it backs up to, nothing.""Northern Turkey and southern Slovakia mean nothing to us now as well," Aya debated. "No place on Earth is any more precious than another. As for backing up to nothing, no. You are incorrect. It backs into a promise from our allies in the Earth & Sky that if we need support, they know where to park their planes and ships."Aya was surrounded with unhappy, disbelieving looks."The Great Khan is my mamētu meáeda," she reminded them, "and I have every reason to believe he completely grasps the concept's benefits and obligations."The looks confirmed 'but he's a man' to the tiny Queen."Aya, are you sure about this?" Lorraine was the first to break decorum."Absolutely. Do you know what he sent me when he was informed of my, ascension to the Queendom?""No," Lorraine admitted."We must go horse-riding sometime soon, Daughter of Cáel, Queen of the Amazons."More uncertain and unconvinced looks."He didn't congratulate me, or send any gifts. He could have and you would think he would have, but he didn't. He knew the hearts of me & my Atta and we weren't in the celebratory mood. No. The Great Khan sent one sentence which offered solace and quiet, atop a horse on a windswept bit of steppe."Nothing.Sigh. "I know this sounds Cáel-ish," Aya admitted, "but I strongly believe this is what we should do. We are giving the Cabindans and Bakongo in Zaire independence and the promise of a much better life than what they now face. We will be putting thousands of our sisters' lives on the line to accomplish this feat and well over two hundred million dollars.""What about governance of the city ~ Soyo?" the aide forged ahead."Amazon law," Aya didn't hesitate. "We will make allowances for the security forces of visiting dignitaries and specific allied personnel, but otherwise it will be one massive Amazon urban freehold.""I cannot imagine the Golden Mare, or the Regents, will be pleased," the attendant bowed her head."It is a matter of interconnectivity," Aya walked up and touched the woman's cheek with the back of her small hand. "We could liberate then abandon Cabinda with the hope a small band could help them keep their independence. Except we need the refinery at Soyo so the people of Cabinda can truly support that liberty.""So, we must keep Soyo and to keep Soyo, we must keep Zaire province. There is no other lesser border which makes strategic sense ~ a river, highlands, a massive river, an ocean ~ those are sustainable frontiers. You can't simply keep Soyo and not expect the enemy to strike and destroy that refinery, thus we must take Zaire province.""But the Bakongo of Zaire cannot defend themselves and will not be able to do so for at least a year, if not longer. That means we must do so, and for doing so, they will give us Soyo and we will be honest stewards of their oil wealth. We cannot expect any other power to defend this new Union and if we don't have a land stake we will be portrayed as mercenaries and expelled by hostile international forces.""So, for this project to have any chance of success, we must stay, fight and have an acknowledged presence, and if you can think of an alternative, please let me know," she exhaled."What if the Cabindans and Bakongo resist?""It is 'us', or the Angolans and they know how horrible the Angolans can be. Didn't you say the average person their lives on just $2 a day?""Yes.""We can do better than that," Aya insisted."How?" the aide persisted. "I mean, 'how in a way which will be quickly evident and meaningful?'""Oh," Aya's tiny brow furrowed. Her nose twitched as she rummaged through the vast storehouse of her brain."Get me in touch with William A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. He should be able to help me navigate the pathways toward getting aid and advisors into those two provinces ASAP.""I'll let Katrina know," the attendant made the notation on her pad."No. Contact him directly," Aya intervened. "We established a, rapport when we met. I think he might responded positively to a chance to mentor me in foreign relations.""Really?" Lorraine's brows arched."Yes," Aya chirped."Are you sure, Nasusara?" the attendant stared. She used 'Nasusara' whenever she thought Aya had a 'horrible' idea instead of a merely a 'bad' one."Yes. He owes me. Last time we met I didn't shoot him.""Didn't?" the woman twitched."Yes. I drew down on him with my captured Chinese QSW-06. I didn't want to kill him, but I felt I was about to have to kill Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken and he was the only other person in the room both armed and capable of stopping me.""Why is he still alive?""Cáel Ishara saw through my distraction and then took my gun from me, asked for it actually," she shyly confessed."Would you have shot him?" the aide inquired."What do you think?" Aya smiled.And Then:So, given t

Steiny & Guru believe this is the highest the Warriors have been this season, but how much did it take out of them?!

Nothing Like the Sun, or as it is written on the album, "...Nothing Like the Sun,"  is the second solo studio album by former Police bassist and front man Sting.  The title comes from Shakespeare's sonnet number 130 which contains the lines, "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun."  Sting was met on the street one evening, who asked him, "How beautiful is the moon?"  Sting responded with this line from the sonnet.  Two events play a lot of influence on this album.  First, Sting's mother died in 1986, inspiring the lyrics to the opening track, "Lazarus Heart."  Second Sting joined the Conspiracy of Hope tour for Amnesty International, and through this tour was exposed to victims of government oppression in Latin America.  He was particularly moved by people in Chile for whom loved ones had "disappeared" in government actions, and wrote "They Dance Alone" as a description of the mourners who would dance the traditional Cueca by themselves with a picture of their loved ones pinned to their clothes.Sting's first solo album leaned into jazz.  This second album continues to have a jazz influence but reaches across a number of other genres including reggae, funk, acoustic rock, soft rock, and world music.  He brought in a number of solid musicians into the recording sessions including Gil Evans, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Branford Marsalis, and even his fellow Police alumnus Andy SummersSting would continue to further success after this album, which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart.  In the UK, ...Nothing Like the Sun debuted and peaked at number 1 on the UK albums chart.Bruce presents this adult contemporary album for this week's podcast. Be Still My Beating HeartThis second single from the album went to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The lyrics are quite mature, describing the head telling the heart to settle down in the midst of an intense romance.  The title was likely inspired by a 19th Century poem from Mary Elizabeth Coleridge.  Andy Summers is playing guitar on this track.  Little WingMost of this album is original music written by Sting, but this one is a deeper cut and a cover.  Jimi Hendrix wrote "Little Wing" in 1967, and it appears on his "Axis" album.  Gil Evans did a jazz arrangement of this piece in 1974, and provided this arrangement and backing with his orchestra for this cover.  Sting's version runs just over 5 minutes, giving it a run time just over double that of the original Hendrix version.  Rock SteadyAnother deep cut, this song is Stings humorous look at a couple who have volunteered to join a cruise, and later find out that they are joining Noah on the Ark.  "Life may be tough, but we're sailing with the Lord."  FragileThis is the fourth single from the album, and is a gorgeous acoustic piece.  This anti-war song was likely inspired by Sting's work with Amnesty International. ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:That's Amore by Dean Martin (from the motion picture “Moonstruck”) This romance comedy starring Cher and Nicolas Cage delivered a Best Actress Oscar to Cher and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Olympia Dukakis.  STAFF PICKS:The Promise by When In RomeRob starts this week's staff picks with the only hit from a British new wave trio.  This track went to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a popular song to play at weddings later on.  It gained a revival in popularity when it was used in the soundtrack to "Napoleon Dynamite" in 2004.  Got My Mind Set On You by George HarrisonLynch brings us a cover of a song originally written by Rudy Clark and recorded by James Ray in 1962.  It is off Harrison's comeback album, "Cloud Nine."  Harrison worked with Jeff Lynne on the album because he wanted a producer who wouldn't be intimidated by working with a Beatle.  The teamwork went well, and the two would go on to form "The Traveling Wilburys" supergroup shortly thereafter.Dude (Looks Like a Lady) by AerosmithWayne features one of many hits from Aerosmith's monster "Permanent Vacation" album.  The lyrics tell the tale of a man finding out that the "girl" he has bee pursuing at a club was a man dressed up as a woman.  The idea for the song came from Motley Crue singer Vince Neil being mistaken frequently for a woman with long blonde hair.Mission by RushBruce closes out the staff picks with a song which arose from a conversation between Neal Peart and Geddy Lee about the perception people have that the rich and famous have easier lives.  The lyrics reflect how every life has its own difficulties, and perhaps those who are highly successful would often wish for a more plain and settled life at times.   INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:Bailando/Aquatic Park by Carlos SantanaGuitar virtuoso Carlos Santana takes us out this week with a track from his solo album, "Blues for Salvador." Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen  Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life.  If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want!  Namaste, Beautiful,

Eric Simons is the founder and CEO of StackBlitz, the company behind Bolt—the #1 web-based AI coding agent and one of the fastest-growing products in history. After nearly shutting down, StackBlitz launched Bolt on Twitter and exploded from zero to $40 million ARR and 1 million monthly active users in about five months.What you'll learn:1. How Bolt reached nearly $40M ARR and 3 million registered users in just five months with a team of only 15 to 20 people2. How Bolt leverages WebContainer technology—a browser-based operating system developed over seven years—to create a dramatically faster, more reliable AI coding experience than competitors3. Why Anthropic's 3.5 Sonnet model was the critical breakthrough that made AI-generated code production-ready and unlocked the entire text-to-app market4. Why PMs may be better positioned than engineers in the AI era5. How AI will dramatically reshape company org charts6. Eric's wild founder story (including squatting at AOL's HQ) and how scrappiness fueled his innovation—Brought to you by:• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• Fundrise Flagship Fund—Invest in $1.1 billion of real estate• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-bolt-eric-simons—Where to find Eric Simons:• X: https://x.com/ericsimons40• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-simons-a464a664/• Email: Eric@stackblitz.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Eric Simons and StackBlitz(04:46) Unprecedented growth and user adoption(10:40) Demo: Building a Spotify clone with Bolt(15:28) Expanding to native mobile apps with Expo(19:09) The journey and technology behind WebContainer(25:03) Lessons learned and future outlook(29:15) Post-launch analysis(34:15) Growing fast with a small team(41:00) Prioritization at Bolt(45:51) Tooling and PRD's(48:42) Integration and use cases of Bolt(52:24) Limitations of Bolt(54:24) The role of PMs and developers in the AI era(59:56) Skills for the future(01:14:18) Upcoming features of Bolt(01:20:17) How to get the most out of Bolt(01:23:00) Eric's journey and final thoughts—Referenced:• Bolt: https://bolt.new/• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/• Wix: https://www.wix.com/• Squarespace: https://www.squarespace.com/• Dylan Field on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/• Evan Wallace's website: https://madebyevan.com/• WebGL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebGL• WebAssembly: https://webassembly.org/• CloudNine: https://cloudnine.com/• Canva: https://www.canva.com/• StackBlitz: https://stackblitz.com/• Lessons from 1,000+ YC startups: Resilience, tar pit ideas, pivoting, more | Dalton Caldwell (Y Combinator, Managing Director): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-1000-yc-startups• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/• Dario Amodei on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dario-amodei-3934934/• Linear: https://linear.app/• Notion: https://www.notion.com/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/• Photoshop: https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Greenfield projects: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenfield_project• Gartner: https://www.gartner.com/• OpenAI researcher on why soft skills are the future of work | Karina Nguyen (Research at OpenAI, ex-Anthropic): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-soft-skills-are-the-future-of-work-karina-nguyen• Albert Pai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertpai/• Bolt's post on X about “Bolt Builders”: https://x.com/boltdotnew/status/1887546089294995943• Sonnet: https://www.anthropic.com/claude/sonnet• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/• Breaking the Rules: The Young Entrepreneur Who Squatted at AOL: https://www.inc.com/john-mcdermott/eric-simons-interview-young-entrepreneur-squatted-at-aol.html• Imagine K12: http://www.imaginek12.com/• Geoff Ralston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffralston/• AOL: https://www.aol.com/• Bolt on X: https://x.com/boltdotnew—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

MONOLOGUE "The Coronation Conundrum: Unmasking the Mark Carney Takeover" NEWSMAKER 'True Blue Trio' breaks silence following exit from B.C. Conservative Party Three former B.C. Conservatives say they have chosen 'truth' and 'integrity' over the 'woke Liberals' who've 'infiltrated' the B.C. Conservative Party. https://www.rebelnews.com true_blue_trio_breaks_silence_following_exodus_from_bc_conservative_party   Reporter Drea Humphrey, B.C. Bureau Chief for Rebel News OPEN LINES THE CULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE From EVs to Paper Straws, Trump Dismantling Climate Programs https://time.com/7258269/trump-climate-policies-executive-orders/   Steve Goreham - Executive Director of the Climate Science Coalition and an advisor to The Heartland Institute and author of Green Breakdown: The Coming Renewable Energy Failure MONOLOGUE Canada's Cities Are Burning, and Trudeau Wants You Defenseless NEWSMAKER Federal report deems it 'racist' to criticize Canadian anti-Israel activists https://nationalpost.com/opinion/federal-report-deems-it-racist-to-criticize-canadian-anti-israel-activists   Tristin Hopper Columnist and reporter at National Post OPEN LINES THIS DAY IN ROCK HISTORY   In 1967, the Velvet Underground & Nico released their self-titled debut. Though now regarded as a landmark album that launched art-rock, it was initially ignored by the critics, shunned by radio stations, and sold poorly. . In 1969, The Temptations became the first Motown act to win a Grammy Award with “Cloud Nine.” An early example of “psychedelic soul,” the song (which won for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance) peaked at No. 2 on the US charts and marked the debut of lead singer Dennis Edwards, who replaced David Ruffin.   In 2022, Stereophonics scored their eighth UK No.1 with their 25th-anniversary album, Oochya!. The feat tied them with Oasis, R.E.M., and Taylor Swift for the most chart-topping albums on the chart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textWe're kicking off season 5 with an underappreciated gem. Cloud Nine is Harrison's comeback after a 5-year hiatus from recording. Finding his mojo with the help of Jeff Lynne, Cloud Nine is a beauty to behold and gets better with age.Support the showBrowse the 33/24 Archives: Check out the backroom! Follow us: Instagram Facebook Watch us on YouTube!

KB & Harrison are BACK and the boys are just still floating on Cloud Nine because the Philadelphia Eagles are in the SUPER BOWL! Harrison voices his thoughts on the NFC Championship Game win, the guys discuss some more of what stood out to them, and just the overall excitement for the game. They are also recording this episode at 5am so things get quite silly. They also look at how different (in a good way) the 2024 Eagles are compared to the 2022 Eagles and why they have a great chance to dethrone another dynasty. Onboarding Form: forms.gle/mZYnkiQcGv1ZxBSg9 Voicemail Line: speakpipe.com/UndergroundSportsPhiladelphia Support Our Sponsors! The City of Vineland: Visit www.vinelandcity.org/ and stay connected with the community and learn about important announcements, programs, and services offered by the city! Vineland, New Jersey... Where It's Always Growing Season! '47 Brand Shop for your favorite sports fan and get FREE SHIPPING on ALL orders with '47 Brand! linktr.ee/undergroundsportspartnerships Kenwood Beer Visit kenwoodbeer.com/#finder and see who has Kenwood Beer on tap in YOUR area and crack open an ice cold Kenwood Beer to celebrate Victory Monday and the holiday season! (MUST be 21+ to do so and PLEASE drink responsibly.) Paramount+ Stream the NFL Playoffs on CBS live on Paramount+ including the AFC Championship Game! Get started! paramountplus.qflm.net/2aRDoD FOCO Shop the new, officially licensed 76ers merchandise & collectibles from FOCO! linktr.ee/undergroundsportspartnerships Merch & Apparel: www.phiapparel.co/shop + Use Code "UNDERGROUND" for 10% off! Tomahawk Shades Use code USP for 25% off at tomahawkshades.com or in the Tomahawk Shades App! Follow Us! Twitter: twitter.com/UndergroundPHI Instagram: www.instagram.com/undergroundphi/ TikTok: tiktok.com/@undergroundphi KB: twitter.com/KBizzl311 Watch LIVE: YouTube: www.youtube.com/@UndergroundSportsPhiladelphia FB: facebook.com/UndergroundSportsPHI Twitch: twitch.tv/UndergroundsportsPHI Intro Music: Arkells "People's Champ" Outro Music: Arkells "People's Champ" #subscribe #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly #SuperBowl #SuperBowlLIX #fyp

Join Darren Simons from Cloud Nine Spain as he sits down with Alfredo Bloy-Dawson, a key figure in real estate marketing on the Costa del Sol. Discover the transformative changes in the industry over the past few years, with a focus on the increasing importance of video content. Alfredo shares his insights on how Cloud Nine is leading the way in integrating lifestyle and expertise into real estate marketing. Learn about the shift from traditional methods to innovative strategies that build trust and authenticity with potential buyers.

Join James Pearce for immediate reaction from Anfield as Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points. Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah in either half capped a thoroughly dominant win for the Reds, coming just days after also seeing off European champions Real Madrid in the Champions League. As well as James' analysis from Anfield, there is also the best from Arne Slot's press conference including the latest on the fitness of Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley as well as his views on Pep Guardiola's struggles with City. Plus, The Athletic's Andy Jones also drops by to give his view on the input of Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai. Host: James Pearce With: Andy Jones Producer: Guy Clarke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cloud Nine 50-07-21 A man visits famous radio detectives  on Cloud Nine

If you're a business owner, you've likely felt that guilt—the feeling that you should be doing more, juggling everything better. And for the parents out there, you know the added pressure of mom guilt or dad guilt. It's the constant balancing act between responsibilities to your kids and your business.Today, in our Retail Therapy segment, we're joined by Robyn Noel, co-owner of Cloud Nine Pajamas. Robyn opens up about running a business with her sisters, managing motherhood, and trying to do it all. We dive into practical tips and tools to help balance our many priorities—whether you're a parent or not.This conversation gave me some much-needed clarity, and I'm sure it'll do the same for you. This episode is full of tips about finding balance, reducing that overwhelming guilt, and showing up stronger in both our personal and professional lives.[04:43] Robyn's challenge: the pressure of being a mom in business[11:19] The truth about why we're bad at multitasking[15:25] How to use transition rituals to fully engage at home[19:35] Most business issues aren't as urgent as they seem[31:31] Why no one builds a business aloneGet all of the resources in the show notes on our website: https://rootedinretail.com/episodes/balancing-business-and-parenthood/Join the Rooted in Retail Facebook Group to continue the conversation Get your ticket to EVOLVE 2025 - $200 off when you use the code rooted Join our newsletter for all the latest marketing news for retailers Show off your super fandom by getting your Rooted in Retail Merch!

New Zealand/Australian racehorse trainer Sheila Laxon joined Peter Psaltis on 4BC Wide World of Sports after her Queensland horse, Knight's Choice, took out the Melbourne Cup in a thrilling photo finish.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a text#300 - Wow!!! What a terrific weekend! I finished my first 50k in over four years this past weekend and I'm still on Cloud Nine! What a fantastic race run by amazing people! I could not have ask for a better race as my returning ultra race. This week, I talk all about the race and what it meant to be. I also talk about why you should run it! It feels good to get back into ultra races and to look forward to many more! Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showMartha Runs the World websitehttps://www.martharunstheworld.com/Email:martharunstheworld@gmail.comInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/martha_runs_sf/

At long last we finally got around to recording this one! Author and Music Journalist Mr. Eoghan Lyng (Culture Sonar/Stripped), U2 On Track, George Harrison In The 1970s, joins Andy and Tom for Episode 261. In Part III of the Paul and George relationship we examine their mainly George's icy comments directed at Paul between the years 1982 and 1988. A lot happened during this interval of time. Yoko, George and Ringo discovered the infamous "McCartney Clause" in 1983 setting off a series of lawsuits which ultimately resulted in Paul not attending the Beatles 1988 Induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. George's comments on Broad Street, George's continued projects with HandMade Films as well as his commercial success with Cloud Nine are discussed in this episode with Eoghan. We will likely wrap up this series sometime in 2025 with a fourth and final installment which will carry us through the 1990s, Anthology, George's untimely passing in 2001, culminating with the celebration of life that was/is the Concert For George in November 2002. Eoghan's Link:   Peace Andy & Tom

Cloud Nine, Monkey Dust oder auch Flex – viele von Ihnen haben sicher schon von der Droge gehört, die aktuell vor allem hier bei uns in Südniedersachsen weit verbreitet ist. Die Droge gilt als sehr gefährlich. Welche Risiken ihr Konsum birgt, warum ausgerechnet Göttingen so stark betroffen ist und was hier bereits für Drogenabhängige getan wird, weiß Annika Quentin. Sie hat darüber mit Markus Lingemann und Martin Finger von der Drogenberatungsstelle des Diakonieverbands Göttingen ...

A discussion between Sean and Darren from Cloud Nine about the rising trend of Aparthotels, especially on the Costa del Sol. They highlight that Aparthotels are becoming increasingly popular due to restrictions on traditional tourist rentals like Airbnb. Aparthotels offer a solution by allowing owners to use the property for a limited period each year while the rest of the time, the property is rented out by a hotel operator, generating revenue for the owner. This model is prevalent in the U.S. and Europe, with major brands like Marriott and Wyndham entering the market. The speakers also emphasize the investment potential of Aparthotels, noting that these properties can fill a market gap for second homes that owners wish to monetize. They discuss the flexibility in usage terms and the potential for such investments to qualify for Golden Visas if they meet certain financial thresholds. Get in touch with Cloud Nine Spain: Telephone: +34 951 203 808 Email: info@cloudninespain.com https://cloudninespain.com/ Follow us on Social: https://www.facebook.com/CloudNineSpain https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloud-nine-spain/ https://www.instagram.com/cloud_nine_spain/

Send us a textWell, have you come down from Cloud Nine yet? Colorado is 3-1, 1-0 in Big 12 play after an unlikely, if not miraculous, 38-31 overtime win over Baylor. I am pleased to be joined for this review/preview episode by Brad Geiger and Neil Langland, and we will be giving you our “T.I.P.S.", our preview for CU's first ever-game against Central Florida, coming up in Orlando on Fox at 1:30 p.m., MT on Saturday, with the Fox Big Noon Saturday show following the Buffs to Orlando. Before we do our preview, though, we will be breaking down what was “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” about CU's overtime win over Baylor. The Buffs were down to their final play, and the final two seconds of the game, before Shedeur Sanders hit LaJohntay Wester for a game-tying 43-yard touchdown. Not to be outdone, CU's All-Everything Travis Hunter made CU's next miraculous play just a few minutes later, forcing a fumble at the CU goal line in overtime, preserving the win, and sending some 50,000 Buff fans home happy ... Wet, but happy. After a few minutes reminiscing about one of the most improbable wins in recent Colorado history, we will move on to the Knights of Central Florida.   For those new to the podcast, or in need of a refresher, our “T.I.P.S.” previews are broken down into categories:T- Talent - What CU's opponents are bringing to the game; which matchups may prove crucial; I - Intangibles - What off the field issues may impact the outcome; P - Preparation/Schedule - How the calendar and the weather may play a role; andS - Statistics - Which numbers should Buff fans be on the lookout for in determining the outcome.After going through our preview, we will each give you our prediction for the game. So ... Both teams are coming off of come-from-behind wins, with Central Florida overcoming a 28-7 second half deficit to take down TCU. Which team gets the extra boost it will need to claim victory in UCF's “Bounce House”? ... Can the CU coaching staff devise a way to protect Shedeur Sanders, or is the Buffs' star quarterback destined to be lost to injury after continued beatings by opposing defenses? ... Will the Buffs be able to build on their two game winning streak, or is CU's 3-1 record, identical to the Buffs' record at this point last season, again a high water mark for CU's chances at a bowl invitation? ... Let's find out ... Support the show

John Bennett is joined by Mina Rzouki, James Horncastle & Seb Stafford-Bloor. The panel dissect the unrest at AC Milan as pressure mounts on Paulo Fonseca. Liverpool's 3-1 win at the San Siro in the buildup to a huge Milan derby at the weekend could spell trouble for Fonseca, whose team were serenaded by a chorus of boos after defeat to Arne Slot's side.The panel also chat Roma after Daniele De Rossi was sacked three months after landing the job on a permanent basis, and analyse Bayern Munich's record-breaking thumping of Dinamo Zagreb.Timecodes: 01:40 The Panel's UCL highlights of the week 05:20 Trouble at AC Milan 07:45 Zlatan being Zlatan 14:15 Daniele De Rossi sacked by Roma 22:45 Bayern Munich on cloud nine 28:35 Bayer Leverkusen off to a flyerBBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries this week: Liverpool v Bournemouth – Premier League – 15:00 – Saturday 21st September Crystal Palace v Man Utd – Premier League – 17:30 – Saturday 21st September Brighton v Nott'm Forest - Premier League - 14:00 - Sunday 22nd September Man City v Arsenal - Premier League - 16:30 - Sunday 22nd September

Carl Quintanilla and Jim Cramer led off the show by delving into the broadening market rally, as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq aim for a ninth consecutive day of gains. David Faber called into the show with reporting on Edgar Bronfman's bid to acquire Paramount Global. Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks joined the program "First on CNBC"  to discuss the pharma giant's weight-loss drug: The company says it cut diabetes risk by 94% in a late-stage trial. Also in focus: Nvidia and the "Mag 7" post-selloff surge, earnings from the likes of Lowe's and Palo Alto Networks, another setback for Boeing, the Alaska Air-Hawaiian Airlines merger clears an antitrust hurdle. Squawk on the Street Disclaimer

SUMMER...inspires an even more ethereal brand of Ambient electronica. Whether flying or floating on the balmy breezes, the sounds are airy and the movement is light and buoyant. The words we use to describe the moods it creates are superlative: joyous, blissful, ecstatic, delightful — even heavenly. And when it comes to heaven, for some reason we prefer the seventh. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, an ambient-electronic-summer-journey called CLOUD NINE. Yes, we also number the clouds. Music is by CHRONOTOPE PROJECT, FANGER & SCHONWALDER, JOHN LYELL, ARIEL KALMA, and DAVE LUXTON. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

In this episode:  Some of the guests get nasty   Joe and Ellie make up and...  We don't visit the laundry once! (well... maybe once!) Support the Show.Click the link above to head over to Patreon where you can join our community & access ad-free, early release episodes from $2 per month (USD) or for $5 USD per month enjoy all the above perks AND our weekly bonus episode 'The Wrap Up' for Patreon subscribers only! You can also support us by clicking the link below to purchase a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theaftdeckpodAs an entirely independent podcast, we appreciate ALL of your support!!! Ask us questions, give us your thoughts on the show or tell us what you'd like us to cover in future episodes at theaftdeckpod@gmail.com or DM us @theaftdeck.podMusic by: AudioCoffee (Denys Kyshchuk)

On today's episode we talk about their big press conference at Cloud Nine last week, recap the year thus far, the upcoming UAS summit in October, and yesterday's UAS Alliance meeting.   For more information on ISIGHT and The HIVE, visit their websites -  www.isightdrones.com - www.hivegf.com - or their Facebook pages - @isightdrones - @thehivegf Show is recorded at Grand Forks Best Source. For studio information, visit www.gfbestsource.com Or message us at bit.ly/44meos1   #isightdroneservices #thehive #drone #drones #gfbs #grandforksbestsource

Send us a Text Message.This week I'm on Cloud Nine. My eldest is here to share their thoughts on the dreaded dark night of the soul. We also delved into manifesting, and learn about empty-handed magic! You'll remember Nora from their Season One conversation, as well as the art they created for both Curious Cat Podcast AND Cascadia! They have their own ethically sourced, meticulously created handmade art company, Solstice Eve. Find the links and add your name to the mailing list!Hang on after the closing music for another segment of The Curious Queue! Find the links for those articles below!Episode Sources and LinksSolstice Eve Richard Simmons X (Twitter) feedArticles Featured in The Curious Queue! Truckers' Strange Encounters with the UnexplainedAn Odd Case of a Creepy Abandoned Notebook, Bizarre Disappearances, and Strange Mysteries in the Woods from Mysterious UniverseReport YOUR UFO/UAP sighting here!Bigfoot Sightings Reported by Month at BFRO dot netLISTEN TO ONE OF THESE NEXT!Talking Astrology with Nora!ForgivenessI'd love to hear what you think of The Curious Queue - or share a story/subject you'd like me to cover. Click on the, "TEXT THE SHOW" button and share! :)Curious Cat Crew on Socials:Curious Cat on Twitter (X)Curious Cat on InstagramCurious Cat on TikTokArt Director, Nora, has a handmade, ethically-sourced jewelry company!

My Hero Academia Chapter 102: On Cloud Nine / My Hero Academia Manga Reading Club  - Keywords: Manga, My Hero Academia, Anime, Manga Podcast, Manga Reviews, My Hero Academia Manga,  My Hero Academia Podcast, Pop Culture, Comics, Comic Books, Shonen Jump, Indie Comics, movies, television, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, MarvelLike the Show? Help Support All of Our Shows with a Donation Here: https://ko-fi.com/weirdsciencecomicsKeywords: Manga, My Hero Academia, Anime, Manga Podcast, Manga Reviews, My Hero Academia Manga,  My Hero Academia Podcast, Pop Culture, Comics, Comic Books, Shonen Jump, Indie Comics, movies, television, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, MarvelLinks to all our Manga Reading Clubs Here: https://campsite.bio/weirdsciencemangareadingclubsSupport us and help us feel loved (plus get early access to all of our shows) for as little as $3/Month by joining our Patreon @ https://Patreon.com/WeirdScienceMangaClick Here for all the Weird Science Manga Links! https://campsite.bio/weirdsciencemangaRemember to Check out our other Manga Shows ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

A nearly perfect game against the Saints has taken us to nine in a row, on the cusp of doing something the Lions haven't done since the early 2000s by making it ten straight. The Giants have already crushed our spirits once in 2024 though, and a tough-fought win against the Hawks has them in good form for another attempt. On this week's episode, we talk through the dangerous Giants, try to make sense of what's happened to the Swans, and celebrate the ongoing rise of Cam Rayner. Also this week: -Will Charlie pass down Country Roads? -Dom's conversation with Joe's Dad -Reading the tea leaves for the rest of 2024 And much more!

Welcome to the Nothing Shocking Podcast 2.0 episode 257 with our guest Tim Branom Producer, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist (Gypsy Rose, Cloud Nine).  We discuss his solo music and other future releases, pursuing a publishing deal, Layne Staley Tribute Shows, Seattle's early metal scene, and more!     For more information visit:  https://timbranom.com/about https://www.facebook.com/timbranommusic/   Upcoming Shows: Fri August 23 - Layne Staley Tour 2024 at London Bridge Studio Fri August 23.- Grunge Night - A tribute to Seattle Music Sat August 24 - Layne Staley Tribute 2024   Please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nothingshockingpodcast/  Follow us on twitter at  https://twitter.com/hashtag/noshockpod.   Libsyn website: https://nothingshocking.libsyn.com For more info on the Hong Kong Sleepover: https://thehongkongsleepover.bandcamp.com Help support the podcast and record stores by shopping at Ragged Records. http://www.raggedrecords.org    Nothing Shocking Podcast Best of 2024 Apple Playlist: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/nothing-shocking-podcast-2024/pl.u-NP2Ws7135YR

Former President Donald Trump and the VP nominee JD Vance arrive in St. Cloud over the weekend to much fanfare and we react to it all. Our DC correspondent Andrew Langer chats with Jon about the state of the race for the White House and much more.

CW: Totalitarian regime, mental illness, heightsThe party attempts a rescue of Artemis's mother...We are the Rollers Guild and welcome to The Gilded City 2: The Lost Kingdom. This campaign serves as a direct sequel to our first full campaign, The Gilded City. Need a recap of the events of The Gilded City season 1? Want to know what happened in our first campaign without watching the whole thing? Ace reporter Penny Presswell has you covered! Check out the season 1 recap here: https://youtu.be/AYmk-ojmi9AJoin our adventures every Monday at 6 PM eastern time!Cast:Matt as Artemis BrightshieldZuzu as Penny PresswellKelly as Nyx LefferySam as BowminEva as Jinarra DarlingKyra as Elinaand Ben as the Dungeon Master==Social Media==Follow us @RollersGuildDnD on Threads, Instagram, and TikTok==Copyright Disclaimers==The Gilded City is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.Some magic items, spells, subclass details, and other miscellaneous material used in the game are originally presented in the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, made in cooperation between Wizards of the Coast and Critical Role. Portions of the materials used may contain trademarks and/or copyrighted works of Critical Role. This material is not official, is provided for free, noncommercial entertainment purposes only, and is not endorsed by Critical Role.Some material is drawn from several 5e supplements, including MCDM's Flee, Mortals!, 2cgaming's Total Party Kill volumes 1 and 2, and Keith Ammann's The Monsters Know What They're Doing, MOAR! Monsters Know What They're Doing, and How to Defend Your Lair.#dungeonsanddragons #dnd #actualplay #ttrpg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Its nine new players through the door and this week we talk about the two latest recruits to come to S6 Nathanial Chalobah and Charlie McNeil.We talk about the pre season preparations at St Georges park and beyond.Also we look back at Englands final defeat to Spain, yes I know but we had to use the intro one last time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, it's Katie and I want to welcome you to this special bonus episode. It'll be here for you completely ad-free for the next week so you can get a feel of what it's like to be a PREMIUM member. If you'd like an easy ad-free experience for all of our podcasts - that's over 200 episodes each month, then JOIN PREMIUM today at https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium

In this episode of the Tell Me Somethin' Good podcast, Clint Swindall shares why the highest highs (and the lowest lows) don't last all that long. While he's riding on cloud nine today after a very successful fundraiser Saturday night (he'll share the preliminary number in today's episode), he recognizes the ride will be a short one. He'll explain why. Check it out! ---------- If you like the podcast, you'll love the Tell Me Somethin' Good! book. Check it out: Tell Me Somethin' Good! - https://www.tinyurl.com/yxcsg3sh ---------- Have Clint bring his message of positivity to your organization, either in person or virtually. Check out his Speaker Video   ---------- Follow me: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/clintswindall Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmsg_clintswindall/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clintswindall2 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clintswindall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clint-swindall-csp-9047174/ ---------- Part of the Win Make Give Podcast Network

Yapping.   Feedback : blackgirlcouch@gmail.com  (audio/written) Twitter: BlackGirl_Couch   Tumblr: slowlandrogynousmiracle

A supergroup is a band made up of musicians who have already achieved fame either as soloists or members of another band.  One of the most iconic of supergroups would be formed in 1988 and go by the name of The Traveling Wilburys.  In 1987 George Harrison released his album "Cloud Nine" with Jeff Lynne performing a number of instruments and co-producing.  They started talking about forming a group during those sessions, with Harrison talking about bringing in Bob Dylan and Lynne talking about bringing in Roy Orbison.  Tom Petty joined in when Harrison went to his house to pick up a guitar he had left there previously.  The criteria that Harrison had, according to fellow Wilbury Tom Petty, was a group of folks "who you could hang out with."  The group bonded over their appreciation for 50's-style rock n' roll, and their love of the Monty Python comedy troupe.The group took on personas of half-brothers, with George Harrison as Nelson Wilbury, Jeff Lynne as Otis Wilbury, Roy Orbison as Lefty Wilbury, Bob Dylan as Lucky Wilbury, and Tom Petty as Charlie T. Wilbury Jr.  Frequent collaborator Jim Keltner provides percussion work and takes on the name of Buster Sidebury.  The name Wilbury comes from a running joke between Lynne and Harrison.  When some error in the equipment would occur during the production of Harrison's "Cloud Nine" album, Harrison said, “We'll bury 'em in the mix.”The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 had to be done in 10 days, because Dylan and Orbison had upcoming tours and projects.  Generally the writing and recording of a song was completed in a single day.  The result was a commercial and critical success, and the album won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1990.Bruce presents this supergroup in today's podcast. MargaritaThis track starts with an 80's electronic feel, but quickly moves into a Bo Diddley beat that is more roots rock.  A deeper cut, this song was released as the B-side to the single "Handle with Care."Handle With CareThe big single went to number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 2 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.  This song was the impetus to bringing the group together, as it was originally supposed to be an extra track for a B-side of a European single, but the result was deemed too good for a limited release.Not Alone Any MoreThis deeper track finishes off side 1.  It was written mainly by Otis Wilbury for the vocal style of Lefty Wilbury, although all members are credited as songwriters.  The lyrics reflect themes of loneliness, which were Lefty's signature style back in the 60's.End of the LineThis was the band's second single.  It peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100, but number 2 on the Album Rock Tracks chart.  Roy Orbison died of a heart attack at age 52 after recording the song but before the video was made.  The video features a guitar sitting in a rocking chair in memorial to Orbison ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Baby Doll by Devo (from the motion picture “Tape Heads”)Despite sporting an all-star cast, this comedy movie bombed at the box office. STAFF PICKS:Big League by Tom Cochrane and Red RiderWayne starts off the staff picks with a bittersweet song.  Cochrane tells a tale of a young hockey star destined for the pros until he lost his life in a car crash.  It was inspired by a true story told to Cochrane by the boy's father.  This song went to number 9 on the American Billboard Rock Tracks chart, and gets frequent airplay on classic rock radio stations in Canada. Didn't Know It Was Love by SurvivorRob's staff pick finds the singer looking back at a relationship he missed, and hoping it isn't too late.  Survivor had their big splash a few years prior with “Eye of the Tiger,” and this is off their seventh album, “Too Hot to Sleep.”  Unfortunately it barely made it onto the Billboard 200 album chart at 187, and the group broke up shortly thereafter.Kokomo by The Beach BoysLynch brings us the first number 1 US hit for the Beach Boys since the 60's.  The song was featured in the Tom Cruise movie “Cocktail,” and the song reflects a relaxed tropical vibe.  This single reinvigorated the Beach Boys, as fans began to look at their catalogue again.What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) by Information SocietyBruce wraps up the staff picks with the signature song from a Minneapolis synth pop trio.  This song started as a 10-minute instrumental jam, but received minimalist lyrics reflecting the trouble people have communicating for the single release.  It also features sampled lyrics from Star Trek, particularly the repeated "pure energy" lyric from Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock. COMEDY TRACK:A Nightmare on My Street by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh PrinceThis single reflects the Halloween vibe as Will Smith aka The Fresh Prince riffs on Freddy Kruger's horror in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Cejay Graham enjoyed the biggest win of her career when she rode Kintyre in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The guys are still on Cloud Nine following Everton's tremendous win in the Goodison derby that takes them to the brink of Premier League safety. They give credit to the players who, to a man, gave 100% to get over the line a victory, orchestrated by Sean Dyche and his staff that will live long in the memory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tommy Tune. The boy genius of Broadway. He dazzled audiences onstage in his Tony Award winning performance in Seesaw. Then he kept reinventing himself as a director with The Club, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Cloud Nine, Nine, Grand Hotel, The Will Rogers Follies. Nothing could stop him except…..well, we're gonna let producer Barry Weissler tell you in this week's episode which explores the bone fracturing Busker Alley…I mean Stage Door Charley…I mean Buskers….I mean… Busker Alley? BROADWAY BOUND PLAYERS Sabrina Brush as Liz Smith James Cella as Ken Madelbaum Michael McDonald as Robert Feldberg Robbie Rozelle as Michael Riedel Andy Tighe as AJ Crothers If you like what we are doing DONATE HERE Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances. Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 provides the statutory framework for determining whether something is a fair use and identifies certain types of uses—such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research—as examples of activities that qualify as fair use.

Bloodworks' Tree of Life celebrates blood donors who have given 100 or more units. Ed Schultz fell in love with the Tree of Life on visits to Bloodworks' Bellevue Donor Center, but seven years ago, it appeared he might never donate blood again. Bloodworks 101 co-producer Helen Pitlick sat down with Ed and his wife, Ellie, to capture the emotions of his 100th donation.

This is the story of rock's ultimate supergroup which happened by way of a happy accident. Warner Bros. Records' International Department had asked that George Harrison come up with a B-side for “This Is Love,” a single from his Cloud Nine album. What happened next, was all of this. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With Valentine's Day, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate all types of love and invite you to do the same whether you are single, coupled up, or celebrating with friends. I share insights+ ideas + what my Valentines looks like. Tune in to hear Self-Love in 7 Min or Less with bonus resources! Lets CREATEIT www.bit.ly/createitlikeaboss --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/create-it-like-a-boss/message

Our parents really wanted us to be a matchBy DangerHunt69. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mom Picks Out a Girlfriend For Me“Hey Mom?” I said, answering the knock at my bedroom door.“How are you, dear?” My mom said as she poked her head through my door.“I’m fine, just playing Terraria. What’s up?”“Could you come with me to the living room please?”“Sure thing.” I said, getting up out of my gaming chair and following her downstairs to the living room.“Adam, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come out and say it: Dad and I are worried that you might be gay.” My mom said as she sat down on our big brown couch.I sat up in my deck chair. “What?” I gasped. “Mom, I have no idea where you got that idea from. I’m sorry if I worried you, but I’m not gay.”My mother, as beautiful as she was, was the world’s most pious Catholic. Her biggest fear was catching one of her daughters sinning in bed with a man (or worse yet, her son). The thought of her good little boy with a dick up his ass was too much to bear.“I know,” said Mom. “And we’re just going to make sure that is not the case.”I sat down on the couch across from her. “And umm how is that, Mom?”“You know Madison from down the street? The one who’s parent’s held that big barbecue last year for the Fourth of July?” She grinned. “Well, she has a little crush on you.”“Huh? Madison Johnson? The one whose parents are big shot lawyers?”“Yes, that one.” Mom chuckled. “I spoke with her parents and we’ve all agreed, you two are going to date!”I shot back up from the couch. “What? You can’t just tell me who to date.”“I can, and I am. Your father already gave his blessing.”“I’m not gay mom, I promise. I don’t know why you’re doing this?”A moment of silence, then my mom responded “Honey, a boy as good looking as you, 20 years old and still has never had a girlfriend? Now I might have been born on Sunday, but I wasn’t born last Sunday.”Shit, how do I explain that? I thought. “Mom, I love you and nothing would make me happier than to have a girlfriend as cute as Maddie. To be blunt; she's smart, kind, and curvy. But there are some things that I need to do for myself. I can’t have my mom bringing women to me to date!”“Why not?”“It’s an invasion of privacy! And I don’t know, it’s unmanly! What man’s mother chooses who they can and can’t go out with? You're not helping me look confidant and in charge.”“Well, so long as you live under my roof, it's my way or you’re sleeping under the highway.”“This is so emasculating.”“Don’t worry, you’ll thank me later. She thinks you really like her, but are afraid that she's out of your league. Besides,” my mom chuckled. “It’s about time you got your dick wet!”“Mom!”“Oops! Mum’s the word!”It was decided. On Friday night I would be taking Maddie out for a date at a nice restaurant near the river park. I thought about what even to say. All these years being single, I was too busy working on school and gaming tournaments. I definitely missed out on things. Other kids were getting head in the backseat during after-prom or getting drunk at parties & at the lake; I was playing Yu-Gi-Oh. At college I had some friends but only a couple. Making friends, and especially meeting women, was hard. I’ve never gone to a party and have never even been drunk. In fact; I stayed in my room and worked on my essays. I do like women though, don’t I? Just because I’ve never kissed one, doesn’t mean that I’m gay. Sure! Plenty of men haven’t touched a woman until their twenties! I’m only 20, I’ve still got time! And as annoying as this whole setting me up on a date situation was, I couldn’t deny that Madison was pretty cute, in her preppy sort of way. What scared me most though, was the fact I’m a virgin.The Date“Damn, look at you! Tall, tan and handsome. My god, you are a serious looker!”“Thanks mom, I just hope this goes well.” I sighed.It was true. I really did hope things went well. While I had only ever had limited interactions with Maddie, she was definitely my type. Smart & tall. Plus I love her fat ass that pressed tightly against her jeans, and sways when she walks.“Well I’m going. Wish me luck!” I said, leaving the front door in my snazzy outfit. I did not dress up often.“Good luck hun!” My mom cheered.I picked up Maddie down the street, and together we went to the restaurant. She was dressed in an adorable little denim jacket, tight jeans, and was wearing these long black boots. I even opened up the door for her, so that I could get a peek at her big round bubble ass. Luckily, it wasn’t that long of a wait for a table. When we sat down, we started talking and getting to know each other.When in high school, I was deathly anxious around girls my age. I never dated. Madison had not dated much either. She had only a few close girlfriends and had always been very self-conscious and ashamed that she didn’t have the ideal body that she saw on Instagram; or heard about on the rap songs they’d play on TikTok. She was also apparently the type to trauma dump on a first date, but hey, nobody’s perfect. She was very pretty to me though. Her short blonde hair, long legs and athletic build. I’d be lying if I said I had never peeped a glimpse at her bubble ass whenever her family invited us over for holiday parties. Her chest wasn’t exactly massive, but I didn’t mind that. I’m more of an ass guy anyway. Neither of us were popular in high school but where I was playing Smash Bros with my friends, she was competing in academic challenge and in Key Club. God I hate academic clubs. Pretentious shit for people with nothing better to do, so that they can pad their resumes. I found out she plans to major in engineering. She said she discovered her mechanical skills in home economics. Evidently, she was creating her own clothing patterns at 14, and liked to help her dad recreate a replica of his old muscle car, from the 80s.  She wants to work at nasa, developing better rockets and space suits. Did I mention she's a gamer, too! After dinner we walked along the trail at river park. Then I drove her home.“I’ll be honest with you, I had a really good time. I’ve never had such an enrapturing conversation about prevalent character tropes in Nintendo games before with a girl, well with anyone. You are really fun to talk to!”She smiled at my compliment. “Thank you, truly. You are too, I’ve never felt someone listen to me as much as you have. Not just hear the words I was saying but actually listen.” she said, blushing.I didn’t know what to say, so I said “Thanks, no problem. Any time.” Damn my awkward tongue.Once at her place, I opened her car door for her and carried her ‘to go' box to the door.“It’s so beautiful here,” I said. “I can understand why you love Rowan trees.”“Yeah, they’re pretty,” she said. “Like you.”“Thanks I guess?” I nervously laughed. “I think you mean handsome.”“No,” she said “pretty.” I chose to accept that she is a woman and talks in a feminine vocabulary.At the door, we starred into each other’s eyes and just stood there. I was too nervous though and wimped out when I had the chance to kiss her.The porch light came on and spooked me. “Have a good night!” I said, running back to my car.“Thanks, you too.” She said, sounding a little bit dejected.I felt embarrassed not kissing her. But it was probably for the best. As I drove away, I noticed her dad peering through the blinds at me.Mom's sex talkMy mom had interrogated me the next morning. “Okay,” I said. “It went well.” She was prying every detail from me about the evening. “Relax. Nothing happened. We just flirted a little.’”I could sense my mother’s disappointment. “That’s it? Not even a kiss??”“No? But there’s plenty of time for that. No need to rush things.”“Son, I haven’t been on a date in decades. And as a good Christian woman, I have always stayed faithful to your father, but when I was in college I at least kissed every boy I went out with. Almost always on the first date too.”There was a long pause. I tried to imagine my mom getting frisky. “Gross!” Then I added; “Maddie didn't initiate it either. Are you going to call her up and hound her about it, too?”"Oh well. When you’re young your passions overrun your senses. Do you know how to have sex?”I decided not to add fuel to the fire, so I stayed silent.“Oh boy. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.” My mother sighed. “You see, when a man likes a woman his penis gets hard. It feels really good for things to touch it, so he’ll want to stick it in a woman’s wet hole that she has between her legs. This is a fun activity for married couples to do but sometimes young adults will do it before they get married. This is wrong and a sin. But, inevitable, especially for young men who are having their hormones going wild. It’s not as bad, and actually somewhat okay, for a man to have sex with women before he gets married. Men have stronger urges than women.”‘Holy shit,' I thought. My mom’s really sexist?Mom looked at me. “Do you have any sexual urges, Adam?”“Yeah.” I said, embarrassed. “What if I cum too soon and embarrass myself?”“Well, it won't happen if you relieve yourself often enough. How many times a day do you masturbate?”My face was already beet red from the embarrassing conversation. Oh hell I might as well be honest. I haven’t any shame left. “Once a day.”“Only once a day? For a young man like yourself? God you’re only 20, you should be stroking it out three to five times a day!”I looked even more embarrassed, although I wasn’t sure that was even possible until now. “Well, it’s hard to keep interested. Usually just one is enough. I’m too busy with other things to have five orgasms in a day.”“Cheeze-Itz and rice!” my mother laughed. “Well I recommend you start doing it more often now, so that you don’t embarrass yourself in front of your pretty girlfriend when she finally decides she can’t keep it in her pants anymore. How old is she, 19? Women at that age are whores, putting everything in their cunt that they can.”I did not appreciate the way she was talking about Maddie, but was too afraid to say anything sticking up for her. I just stared at her until she got the message not to call Maddie a whore.“Don’t get me wrong though, Maddie seems like a nice girl sweetie. Of course they all seem like good Christian girls until they’re lying on their back spreading their legs for you.” my Mom said in a tone of voice that could only have been jealousy. I think my mom is sexually frustrated, and turning her focus to vicarious challenges.Mom was silent for a while. “Tell me, how big is it? Your penis. Your father has a massive seven inches, but my brother’s, I saw it a couple times; and it seemed to be about a pitiful five. I figure yours is likely pretty average then. Hardly matters I suppose, it's more about how you use it than the size.”“God, Mom.”Mom grinned. “Do not use the Lord’s name so nonchalantly!” She paused for a second.“Mom, you're telling me to enter a life of sinful sexual debauchery; but offended that I said God?” I turned the tables on her.“I'm doing no such thing, young man.” She got defensive. “I'm helping you be receptive to the woman God is wanting to give you. Besides, you should be thanking me.“"And why is that?”“Because I’m about to get you some alone time, so that you can deflower your cute little girlfriend.” My Mom said with the biggest fucking devilish grin on her face.Good God! My catholic mother's lecture boiled down to three words, ‘start fucking her!'Another dateMom came up with a clever, yet simple, plan to get Maddie and I alone together. She invited Mr. and Mrs. Johnson over to dinner while Maddie and I were “out on another date;” to discuss our future. They were, after all, responsible for us dating in the first place.At 6:45pm I picked up Maddie and left. Maddie said; “You wanna do fast food and go back to my house? We'll have it all to ourselves while my folks will have dinner at your house?”  I told her she was reading my mind. “My mom said she'd text me when your folks leave, so we can make the most of the evening date.” It was simple, yet effective. Maddie's face blushed and she grinned. The grin stayed on her face for quite a while.At 7:00pm The Johnson parents rang our doorbell. “Mr. & Mrs. Johnson, please come in, take a seat!”“Don’t mind if we do!”“Martha! Your home is so beautiful! Is that a marble entertainment center?”“Yes!” My mother gushed, “It’s an import! From Italy! Oh yes, also dinner should be finished in about fifteen minutes! Sorry, for running a little late. It’s my famous Albanian Pasta!”“Oh, Albanian?” Mrs. Johnson asked.“Yes! The noodles are a little thicker and the meat used is venison meat!”Taking her home earlyAt 7:15pm Maddie and I had already had fast food drive through, and pulled back into her driveway. Once inside, she grabbed my hand then immediately made a dash for the stairs with a certain giddiness to her step. I told her I would have invited her over to my place, but my Dad; a work-from-home engineer, would never have let me have a girl around in my room.Never mind that my mom was quite the odd one, but hey I wasn’t complaining! Her intervention was about to get me laid!Maddie and I sat on her bed and she smiled at me. “Honey, I; I want to, she paused, “Umm well, I want to have sex with you. I’ve thought about it for a long time and you’re just so damn amazing and I want you. I want to be yours. And I’m willing to do anything to make that happen. I know boys are always thinking about ‘popping a girl's cherry', my mom told me so. And I want to give it to you, as a sign of my love.”That hit me like a tidal wave. Crap! Is it that easy to get a girl? Who knew? How am I supposed to respond to that?“Woah. I; I love you too.” I was a little hesitant using the L word, but I was about to have sex for the first time and didn’t want to say anything that might possibly jeopardize my chances. Besides, eventually it would probably prove to be true anyway. "You’re an amazing woman and the only person to make me feel this way. You’re kind, caring and smart with a great future ahead of you. Being a Nasa engineer? That is the coolest possible profession I can think of.“ Did I say that she has a passion for engineering? My dad would slap me silly if I blew this chance."Thank you dear,” she said; as she got up to dim the lights. “Besides, I think you’ll be very happy with what you see underneath these.” She said, shaking her big ass in the yoga pants she was wearing. They were form fitting and clung intently, to leave no room for the imagination. It was so sexy. She popped in a mix CD on the stereo and came back over.“Would you like to kiss me?” She said after taking a seat next to me on the bed. The love songs and soft lighting transformed the room into a love nest.I leaned into her body and she held me tight as we found each other's mouths.Parents arrange our futures.Mrs. Johnson said, “I knew that your son was the best candidate for our daughter, Madison.” She added, “We know that, well, all young men have, or want to have, a lot of sex. We don’t want our daughter to be debased when some random man that she barely know, takes her purity away from her. We know your family well and just how devout you all are, in your faith.”Mr. Johnson continued from there, “We think some sexual activity is a necessary evil, to affirm devotion to each other. We just want what’s best for our daughter. Your son is always such a gentleman with us, so I know we have nothing to fear from him. In fact, your son is such a gentleman that he did not even try to impose himself by kissing our daughter, after their date!”“What are you saying?”“We want your son to marry our daughter.” The Johnsons said in unity.“Goodness gracious,” gasped Mom. “I thought I was getting ahead of things! Maybe this match is just to obvious to ignore?”Getting physicalI could feel Maddie's breasts rubbing against my chest. She wasn't just giving me a kiss, she was giving her body to me. I tried to be respectable, but I could feel my dick starting to rise in my pants. I knew I shouldn’t be getting these urges but I couldn’t help myself. Those years of Catechism did a good job of making me feel religious shame for being human. A slow song from Shania Twain began to play on her stereo it was slow sensual. ‘The Woman in Me Needs the Man in You.Madison looked into my face and then she kissed me again, sliding her tongue down my throat. We just lost control. My hands went to my new girlfriend’s chest and I rubbed her handful-sized tits.The chorus began to sing of the song began to playMaddie stood up facing me, swaying to the song, lip-syncing the words and pointing at me for emphasis, and began stripping.The woman in meNeeds you to beThe man in my armsTo hold tenderly‘Cause I’m a woman in loveAnd it’s you I run toYeah, the woman in meNeeds the man in youShe got down to her bra and panties. Then, when she unhooked her bra, her tits gently popped out. Her nipples were tiny, like dimes. They were already hard. Madison then turned and rocked her fabulous ass for me. She looked over her shoulder in a teasing expression of mock shyness. The she turned and stared into my eyes as she pulled down her grey Calvin Klein panties. Her pubic hair was completely shaved off, I knew then that she had been expecting this. Her cunt glistened and I think I saw a drip running down her inner thigh. As the next song started to play, she moved to the headboard and sat naked, I got up and pulled down my pants.It was Michael Bolton singing Sexual Healing. Maddie watched intently, grinning her approval of my presentation.The chorus was passionate;I need some lovin’And baby, I can’t hold it much longerIt’s getting stronger and strongerAnd when I get that feelingI want Sexual HealingSexual Healing, babyMakes me feel so fineHelps to relieve my mindShe then slid down on her back and just laid there. I crawled up the bed and kissed her. Then I lowered on top of her and positioned my dick between her thighs. I spread her puffy cunt lips apart and I moved the head of my dick into place right in front of her sopping wet cunt hole.I took a deep breath. “Maddie, I’m still a virgin.”“Oh,” said my girlfriend. “Well So am I.”“Are you okay doing this, hun?”“Yes.” she said. “We’re both adults and I’m not a prude. Please, I’ve been waiting for this forever! Yes!”I didn’t waste another second. I thrust my dick all the way into my girlfriend’s sopping wet virgin vagina. God, did she let out a painful grunt as I slid all six inches into her. There was no foreplay. I stroked as fast and hard as I could. My balls were slapping hard against her round ass. She stretched her legs up into the air before bringing them behind my back and then locking them in place. I barely noticed as I continued to pound her virgin cunt.“Slow down, a bit, cowboy!” She grunted. “Ah, are you enjoying your present?”“Fuck yeah!” I said, wantonly thrusting my hips against hers.“I love you, Adam.” She whispered into my ear.“I love you too babe” I said, unconvincingly.She panted so many painful grunts at first, and when I scooted up a bit I looked down to see a little bit of blood from her hymen; but eventually the sounds turned into cries of desire, as we locked eyes. I couldn’t believe how tight she was! She had me in her gorilla grip as I punished her tiny pink cunt with my cock. She was a ravished whore, my whore. Eventually, I lowered my mouth and started to lick one of her hard nipples. This pushed her over the edge.I could feel her contracting around my cock. She just cried incoherent rapid nonsense. We couldn’t have been fucking for more than fifteen minutes. I was trying hard not to cum but I could feel it moving in my balls. I was so enamored by her warm, tight cunt that I didn’t even bother trying to pull out. My body tensed up and I shot load after load of hot cum into her fertile sex. Maddie let out a gasp as she felt my seed hitting her vaginal walls. Her cunt clenched me tight and I dripped even more sticky cum into her cervix. Another Shania Twain song was playing.I just laid there, on top of her, for close to five blissful minutes.From this moment life has begunFrom this moment you are the oneRight beside you is where I belongFrom this moment onFrom this moment I have been blessedI live only for your happinessAnd for your love I’d give my last breathFrom this moment onI then finally felt myself shrink up.“Thank you.” She kissed me, “thank you.” She said weakly.Once we got ourselves cooled down, we cuddled for a little bit then got in her shower together. I got busy rinsing myself clean, then moved to let her stand under the hot spray. I wrapped my arms under hers from behind and fondled both her tits while kissing her neck and earlobes. As her arousal mounted, I gently reached one hand down and gently caressed her clit. This pushed her into a deep convulsion. She shook and started to fall back into me.  I soon had to hold her up with both arms. I continued kissing her neck as she returned from her semi-conscious trance.We both toweled off, then it was time for round two! This time Maddie had me lay back while she crawled up and fondled my cock for a while. I asked if she still had any pain from her first time?“What pain? That was so long ago, Adam!” She said with a wink.She kissed and stroked my shaft. Then she mounted me and slid down onto my cock. It was euphoric reaching up and squeezing her cute tits. We stared into each other's eye, saying nothing. As  Journey's ‘Faithfully' resonated the four walls of the room.Then her arousal ramped up and she got loud. After a slow interlude of soft stroking my cock while she orgasmed; she got busy  getting me off with her tight cunt action. One thing I did find out though: Maddie hated sticky cum on her skin. See, this time I actually did manage to scoot up pull out on her upstroke, and sprayed cum all over her stomach & tits. She did not like this and was grossed out by the sticky liquid and made me grab some tissues immediately.The next song was ‘Perfect' by Ed Sheeran.It was fine with me that she wasn't ready to deal with my semen. It just means next time I get to squirt my love juice into her cunt, and stay there a while. I hated pulling out.We got back to the business of Sensing my motives, she said, “I went on the pill 6 months ago, so we're safe.”I beamed! “And since we've been virgins, I don't think we really need to deal with condoms, Maddie.”Maddie smiled, “I love your cock in my cunt. I don't want to feel latex. I want to feel you!”We laid there a while as the chorus bellowed out.Baby I’m, dancing in the darkWith you between my armsBarefoot on the grassListening to our favorite songI have faith in what I seeNow I know I have met an angel,In person, Darlin’ you look perfectI don’t deserve thisDarlin’ you look perfect tonightAfterglowEventually, though all good things must come to an end, and I drove away just as her parents were leaving my parents' home. My mom, saint that she was, had talked them into staying & watching a movie.The next day Mom was giddy. She told me that the Johnsons wanted me to marry their daughter. I was a bit apprehensive at first. Until the next day when Maddie sent me a long, romantic sext about how she wants my cock exclusively for herself. She wants me to knock her up after our wedding and then never stop making her pregnant. Just one baby after another. She was going to be my sex toy, and I was going to be her breeder.From that point forward, life was awesome. Throughout our remaining years of college, I never had to beg my Maddie for sex. She never said no and loved to be of service. After our wedding sex got even better, because of her praise kink. All I had to do was say good girl and then sex was like Cloud Nine for her. Thanks Mom and Dad. And Mr. and Mrs. Johnson of course. By DangerHunt69 for Literotica

Our parents really wanted us to be a matchBy DangerHunt69. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Mom Picks Out a Girlfriend For Me“Hey Mom?” I said, answering the knock at my bedroom door.“How are you, dear?” My mom said as she poked her head through my door.“I’m fine, just playing Terraria. What’s up?”“Could you come with me to the living room please?”“Sure thing.” I said, getting up out of my gaming chair and following her downstairs to the living room.“Adam, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come out and say it: Dad and I are worried that you might be gay.” My mom said as she sat down on our big brown couch.I sat up in my deck chair. “What?” I gasped. “Mom, I have no idea where you got that idea from. I’m sorry if I worried you, but I’m not gay.”My mother, as beautiful as she was, was the world’s most pious Catholic. Her biggest fear was catching one of her daughters sinning in bed with a man (or worse yet, her son). The thought of her good little boy with a dick up his ass was too much to bear.“I know,” said Mom. “And we’re just going to make sure that is not the case.”I sat down on the couch across from her. “And umm how is that, Mom?”“You know Madison from down the street? The one who’s parent’s held that big barbecue last year for the Fourth of July?” She grinned. “Well, she has a little crush on you.”“Huh? Madison Johnson? The one whose parents are big shot lawyers?”“Yes, that one.” Mom chuckled. “I spoke with her parents and we’ve all agreed, you two are going to date!”I shot back up from the couch. “What? You can’t just tell me who to date.”“I can, and I am. Your father already gave his blessing.”“I’m not gay mom, I promise. I don’t know why you’re doing this?”A moment of silence, then my mom responded “Honey, a boy as good looking as you, 20 years old and still has never had a girlfriend? Now I might have been born on Sunday, but I wasn’t born last Sunday.”Shit, how do I explain that? I thought. “Mom, I love you and nothing would make me happier than to have a girlfriend as cute as Maddie. To be blunt; she's smart, kind, and curvy. But there are some things that I need to do for myself. I can’t have my mom bringing women to me to date!”“Why not?”“It’s an invasion of privacy! And I don’t know, it’s unmanly! What man’s mother chooses who they can and can’t go out with? You're not helping me look confidant and in charge.”“Well, so long as you live under my roof, it's my way or you’re sleeping under the highway.”“This is so emasculating.”“Don’t worry, you’ll thank me later. She thinks you really like her, but are afraid that she's out of your league. Besides,” my mom chuckled. “It’s about time you got your dick wet!”“Mom!”“Oops! Mum’s the word!”It was decided. On Friday night I would be taking Maddie out for a date at a nice restaurant near the river park. I thought about what even to say. All these years being single, I was too busy working on school and gaming tournaments. I definitely missed out on things. Other kids were getting head in the backseat during after-prom or getting drunk at parties & at the lake; I was playing Yu-Gi-Oh. At college I had some friends but only a couple. Making friends, and especially meeting women, was hard. I’ve never gone to a party and have never even been drunk. In fact; I stayed in my room and worked on my essays. I do like women though, don’t I? Just because I’ve never kissed one, doesn’t mean that I’m gay. Sure! Plenty of men haven’t touched a woman until their twenties! I’m only 20, I’ve still got time! And as annoying as this whole setting me up on a date situation was, I couldn’t deny that Madison was pretty cute, in her preppy sort of way. What scared me most though, was the fact I’m a virgin.The Date“Damn, look at you! Tall, tan and handsome. My god, you are a serious looker!”“Thanks mom, I just hope this goes well.” I sighed.It was true. I really did hope things went well. While I had only ever had limited interactions with Maddie, she was definitely my type. Smart & tall. Plus I love her fat ass that pressed tightly against her jeans, and sways when she walks.“Well I’m going. Wish me luck!” I said, leaving the front door in my snazzy outfit. I did not dress up often.“Good luck hun!” My mom cheered.I picked up Maddie down the street, and together we went to the restaurant. She was dressed in an adorable little denim jacket, tight jeans, and was wearing these long black boots. I even opened up the door for her, so that I could get a peek at her big round bubble ass. Luckily, it wasn’t that long of a wait for a table. When we sat down, we started talking and getting to know each other.When in high school, I was deathly anxious around girls my age. I never dated. Madison had not dated much either. She had only a few close girlfriends and had always been very self-conscious and ashamed that she didn’t have the ideal body that she saw on Instagram; or heard about on the rap songs they’d play on TikTok. She was also apparently the type to trauma dump on a first date, but hey, nobody’s perfect. She was very pretty to me though. Her short blonde hair, long legs and athletic build. I’d be lying if I said I had never peeped a glimpse at her bubble ass whenever her family invited us over for holiday parties. Her chest wasn’t exactly massive, but I didn’t mind that. I’m more of an ass guy anyway. Neither of us were popular in high school but where I was playing Smash Bros with my friends, she was competing in academic challenge and in Key Club. God I hate academic clubs. Pretentious shit for people with nothing better to do, so that they can pad their resumes. I found out she plans to major in engineering. She said she discovered her mechanical skills in home economics. Evidently, she was creating her own clothing patterns at 14, and liked to help her dad recreate a replica of his old muscle car, from the 80s.  She wants to work at nasa, developing better rockets and space suits. Did I mention she's a gamer, too! After dinner we walked along the trail at river park. Then I drove her home.“I’ll be honest with you, I had a really good time. I’ve never had such an enrapturing conversation about prevalent character tropes in Nintendo games before with a girl, well with anyone. You are really fun to talk to!”She smiled at my compliment. “Thank you, truly. You are too, I’ve never felt someone listen to me as much as you have. Not just hear the words I was saying but actually listen.” she said, blushing.I didn’t know what to say, so I said “Thanks, no problem. Any time.” Damn my awkward tongue.Once at her place, I opened her car door for her and carried her ‘to go' box to the door.“It’s so beautiful here,” I said. “I can understand why you love Rowan trees.”“Yeah, they’re pretty,” she said. “Like you.”“Thanks I guess?” I nervously laughed. “I think you mean handsome.”“No,” she said “pretty.” I chose to accept that she is a woman and talks in a feminine vocabulary.At the door, we starred into each other’s eyes and just stood there. I was too nervous though and wimped out when I had the chance to kiss her.The porch light came on and spooked me. “Have a good night!” I said, running back to my car.“Thanks, you too.” She said, sounding a little bit dejected.I felt embarrassed not kissing her. But it was probably for the best. As I drove away, I noticed her dad peering through the blinds at me.Mom's sex talkMy mom had interrogated me the next morning. “Okay,” I said. “It went well.” She was prying every detail from me about the evening. “Relax. Nothing happened. We just flirted a little.’”I could sense my mother’s disappointment. “That’s it? Not even a kiss??”“No? But there’s plenty of time for that. No need to rush things.”“Son, I haven’t been on a date in decades. And as a good Christian woman, I have always stayed faithful to your father, but when I was in college I at least kissed every boy I went out with. Almost always on the first date too.”There was a long pause. I tried to imagine my mom getting frisky. “Gross!” Then I added; “Maddie didn't initiate it either. Are you going to call her up and hound her about it, too?”"Oh well. When you’re young your passions overrun your senses. Do you know how to have sex?”I decided not to add fuel to the fire, so I stayed silent.“Oh boy. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.” My mother sighed. “You see, when a man likes a woman his penis gets hard. It feels really good for things to touch it, so he’ll want to stick it in a woman’s wet hole that she has between her legs. This is a fun activity for married couples to do but sometimes young adults will do it before they get married. This is wrong and a sin. But, inevitable, especially for young men who are having their hormones going wild. It’s not as bad, and actually somewhat okay, for a man to have sex with women before he gets married. Men have stronger urges than women.”‘Holy shit,' I thought. My mom’s really sexist?Mom looked at me. “Do you have any sexual urges, Adam?”“Yeah.” I said, embarrassed. “What if I cum too soon and embarrass myself?”“Well, it won't happen if you relieve yourself often enough. How many times a day do you masturbate?”My face was already beet red from the embarrassing conversation. Oh hell I might as well be honest. I haven’t any shame left. “Once a day.”“Only once a day? For a young man like yourself? God you’re only 20, you should be stroking it out three to five times a day!”I looked even more embarrassed, although I wasn’t sure that was even possible until now. “Well, it’s hard to keep interested. Usually just one is enough. I’m too busy with other things to have five orgasms in a day.”“Cheeze-Itz and rice!” my mother laughed. “Well I recommend you start doing it more often now, so that you don’t embarrass yourself in front of your pretty girlfriend when she finally decides she can’t keep it in her pants anymore. How old is she, 19? Women at that age are whores, putting everything in their cunt that they can.”I did not appreciate the way she was talking about Maddie, but was too afraid to say anything sticking up for her. I just stared at her until she got the message not to call Maddie a whore.“Don’t get me wrong though, Maddie seems like a nice girl sweetie. Of course they all seem like good Christian girls until they’re lying on their back spreading their legs for you.” my Mom said in a tone of voice that could only have been jealousy. I think my mom is sexually frustrated, and turning her focus to vicarious challenges.Mom was silent for a while. “Tell me, how big is it? Your penis. Your father has a massive seven inches, but my brother’s, I saw it a couple times; and it seemed to be about a pitiful five. I figure yours is likely pretty average then. Hardly matters I suppose, it's more about how you use it than the size.”“God, Mom.”Mom grinned. “Do not use the Lord’s name so nonchalantly!” She paused for a second.“Mom, you're telling me to enter a life of sinful sexual debauchery; but offended that I said God?” I turned the tables on her.“I'm doing no such thing, young man.” She got defensive. “I'm helping you be receptive to the woman God is wanting to give you. Besides, you should be thanking me.“"And why is that?”“Because I’m about to get you some alone time, so that you can deflower your cute little girlfriend.” My Mom said with the biggest fucking devilish grin on her face.Good God! My catholic mother's lecture boiled down to three words, ‘start fucking her!'Another dateMom came up with a clever, yet simple, plan to get Maddie and I alone together. She invited Mr. and Mrs. Johnson over to dinner while Maddie and I were “out on another date;” to discuss our future. They were, after all, responsible for us dating in the first place.At 6:45pm I picked up Maddie and left. Maddie said; “You wanna do fast food and go back to my house? We'll have it all to ourselves while my folks will have dinner at your house?”  I told her she was reading my mind. “My mom said she'd text me when your folks leave, so we can make the most of the evening date.” It was simple, yet effective. Maddie's face blushed and she grinned. The grin stayed on her face for quite a while.At 7:00pm The Johnson parents rang our doorbell. “Mr. & Mrs. Johnson, please come in, take a seat!”“Don’t mind if we do!”“Martha! Your home is so beautiful! Is that a marble entertainment center?”“Yes!” My mother gushed, “It’s an import! From Italy! Oh yes, also dinner should be finished in about fifteen minutes! Sorry, for running a little late. It’s my famous Albanian Pasta!”“Oh, Albanian?” Mrs. Johnson asked.“Yes! The noodles are a little thicker and the meat used is venison meat!”Taking her home earlyAt 7:15pm Maddie and I had already had fast food drive through, and pulled back into her driveway. Once inside, she grabbed my hand then immediately made a dash for the stairs with a certain giddiness to her step. I told her I would have invited her over to my place, but my Dad; a work-from-home engineer, would never have let me have a girl around in my room.Never mind that my mom was quite the odd one, but hey I wasn’t complaining! Her intervention was about to get me laid!Maddie and I sat on her bed and she smiled at me. “Honey, I; I want to, she paused, “Umm well, I want to have sex with you. I’ve thought about it for a long time and you’re just so damn amazing and I want you. I want to be yours. And I’m willing to do anything to make that happen. I know boys are always thinking about ‘popping a girl's cherry', my mom told me so. And I want to give it to you, as a sign of my love.”That hit me like a tidal wave. Crap! Is it that easy to get a girl? Who knew? How am I supposed to respond to that?“Woah. I; I love you too.” I was a little hesitant using the L word, but I was about to have sex for the first time and didn’t want to say anything that might possibly jeopardize my chances. Besides, eventually it would probably prove to be true anyway. "You’re an amazing woman and the only person to make me feel this way. You’re kind, caring and smart with a great future ahead of you. Being a Nasa engineer? That is the coolest possible profession I can think of.“ Did I say that she has a passion for engineering? My dad would slap me silly if I blew this chance."Thank you dear,” she said; as she got up to dim the lights. “Besides, I think you’ll be very happy with what you see underneath these.” She said, shaking her big ass in the yoga pants she was wearing. They were form fitting and clung intently, to leave no room for the imagination. It was so sexy. She popped in a mix CD on the stereo and came back over.“Would you like to kiss me?” She said after taking a seat next to me on the bed. The love songs and soft lighting transformed the room into a love nest.I leaned into her body and she held me tight as we found each other's mouths.Parents arrange our futures.Mrs. Johnson said, “I knew that your son was the best candidate for our daughter, Madison.” She added, “We know that, well, all young men have, or want to have, a lot of sex. We don’t want our daughter to be debased when some random man that she barely know, takes her purity away from her. We know your family well and just how devout you all are, in your faith.”Mr. Johnson continued from there, “We think some sexual activity is a necessary evil, to affirm devotion to each other. We just want what’s best for our daughter. Your son is always such a gentleman with us, so I know we have nothing to fear from him. In fact, your son is such a gentleman that he did not even try to impose himself by kissing our daughter, after their date!”“What are you saying?”“We want your son to marry our daughter.” The Johnsons said in unity.“Goodness gracious,” gasped Mom. “I thought I was getting ahead of things! Maybe this match is just to obvious to ignore?”Getting physicalI could feel Maddie's breasts rubbing against my chest. She wasn't just giving me a kiss, she was giving her body to me. I tried to be respectable, but I could feel my dick starting to rise in my pants. I knew I shouldn’t be getting these urges but I couldn’t help myself. Those years of Catechism did a good job of making me feel religious shame for being human. A slow song from Shania Twain began to play on her stereo it was slow sensual. ‘The Woman in Me Needs the Man in You.Madison looked into my face and then she kissed me again, sliding her tongue down my throat. We just lost control. My hands went to my new girlfriend’s chest and I rubbed her handful-sized tits.The chorus began to sing of the song began to playMaddie stood up facing me, swaying to the song, lip-syncing the words and pointing at me for emphasis, and began stripping.The woman in meNeeds you to beThe man in my armsTo hold tenderly‘Cause I’m a woman in loveAnd it’s you I run toYeah, the woman in meNeeds the man in youShe got down to her bra and panties. Then, when she unhooked her bra, her tits gently popped out. Her nipples were tiny, like dimes. They were already hard. Madison then turned and rocked her fabulous ass for me. She looked over her shoulder in a teasing expression of mock shyness. The she turned and stared into my eyes as she pulled down her grey Calvin Klein panties. Her pubic hair was completely shaved off, I knew then that she had been expecting this. Her cunt glistened and I think I saw a drip running down her inner thigh. As the next song started to play, she moved to the headboard and sat naked, I got up and pulled down my pants.It was Michael Bolton singing Sexual Healing. Maddie watched intently, grinning her approval of my presentation.The chorus was passionate;I need some lovin’And baby, I can’t hold it much longerIt’s getting stronger and strongerAnd when I get that feelingI want Sexual HealingSexual Healing, babyMakes me feel so fineHelps to relieve my mindShe then slid down on her back and just laid there. I crawled up the bed and kissed her. Then I lowered on top of her and positioned my dick between her thighs. I spread her puffy cunt lips apart and I moved the head of my dick into place right in front of her sopping wet cunt hole.I took a deep breath. “Maddie, I’m still a virgin.”“Oh,” said my girlfriend. “Well So am I.”“Are you okay doing this, hun?”“Yes.” she said. “We’re both adults and I’m not a prude. Please, I’ve been waiting for this forever! Yes!”I didn’t waste another second. I thrust my dick all the way into my girlfriend’s sopping wet virgin vagina. God, did she let out a painful grunt as I slid all six inches into her. There was no foreplay. I stroked as fast and hard as I could. My balls were slapping hard against her round ass. She stretched her legs up into the air before bringing them behind my back and then locking them in place. I barely noticed as I continued to pound her virgin cunt.“Slow down, a bit, cowboy!” She grunted. “Ah, are you enjoying your present?”“Fuck yeah!” I said, wantonly thrusting my hips against hers.“I love you, Adam.” She whispered into my ear.“I love you too babe” I said, unconvincingly.She panted so many painful grunts at first, and when I scooted up a bit I looked down to see a little bit of blood from her hymen; but eventually the sounds turned into cries of desire, as we locked eyes. I couldn’t believe how tight she was! She had me in her gorilla grip as I punished her tiny pink cunt with my cock. She was a ravished whore, my whore. Eventually, I lowered my mouth and started to lick one of her hard nipples. This pushed her over the edge.I could feel her contracting around my cock. She just cried incoherent rapid nonsense. We couldn’t have been fucking for more than fifteen minutes. I was trying hard not to cum but I could feel it moving in my balls. I was so enamored by her warm, tight cunt that I didn’t even bother trying to pull out. My body tensed up and I shot load after load of hot cum into her fertile sex. Maddie let out a gasp as she felt my seed hitting her vaginal walls. Her cunt clenched me tight and I dripped even more sticky cum into her cervix. Another Shania Twain song was playing.I just laid there, on top of her, for close to five blissful minutes.From this moment life has begunFrom this moment you are the oneRight beside you is where I belongFrom this moment onFrom this moment I have been blessedI live only for your happinessAnd for your love I’d give my last breathFrom this moment onI then finally felt myself shrink up.“Thank you.” She kissed me, “thank you.” She said weakly.Once we got ourselves cooled down, we cuddled for a little bit then got in her shower together. I got busy rinsing myself clean, then moved to let her stand under the hot spray. I wrapped my arms under hers from behind and fondled both her tits while kissing her neck and earlobes. As her arousal mounted, I gently reached one hand down and gently caressed her clit. This pushed her into a deep convulsion. She shook and started to fall back into me.  I soon had to hold her up with both arms. I continued kissing her neck as she returned from her semi-conscious trance.We both toweled off, then it was time for round two! This time Maddie had me lay back while she crawled up and fondled my cock for a while. I asked if she still had any pain from her first time?“What pain? That was so long ago, Adam!” She said with a wink.She kissed and stroked my shaft. Then she mounted me and slid down onto my cock. It was euphoric reaching up and squeezing her cute tits. We stared into each other's eye, saying nothing. As  Journey's ‘Faithfully' resonated the four walls of the room.Then her arousal ramped up and she got loud. After a slow interlude of soft stroking my cock while she orgasmed; she got busy  getting me off with her tight cunt action. One thing I did find out though: Maddie hated sticky cum on her skin. See, this time I actually did manage to scoot up pull out on her upstroke, and sprayed cum all over her stomach & tits. She did not like this and was grossed out by the sticky liquid and made me grab some tissues immediately.The next song was ‘Perfect' by Ed Sheeran.It was fine with me that she wasn't ready to deal with my semen. It just means next time I get to squirt my love juice into her cunt, and stay there a while. I hated pulling out.We got back to the business of Sensing my motives, she said, “I went on the pill 6 months ago, so we're safe.”I beamed! “And since we've been virgins, I don't think we really need to deal with condoms, Maddie.”Maddie smiled, “I love your cock in my cunt. I don't want to feel latex. I want to feel you!”We laid there a while as the chorus bellowed out.Baby I’m, dancing in the darkWith you between my armsBarefoot on the grassListening to our favorite songI have faith in what I seeNow I know I have met an angel,In person, Darlin’ you look perfectI don’t deserve thisDarlin’ you look perfect tonightAfterglowEventually, though all good things must come to an end, and I drove away just as her parents were leaving my parents' home. My mom, saint that she was, had talked them into staying & watching a movie.The next day Mom was giddy. She told me that the Johnsons wanted me to marry their daughter. I was a bit apprehensive at first. Until the next day when Maddie sent me a long, romantic sext about how she wants my cock exclusively for herself. She wants me to knock her up after our wedding and then never stop making her pregnant. Just one baby after another. She was going to be my sex toy, and I was going to be her breeder.From that point forward, life was awesome. Throughout our remaining years of college, I never had to beg my Maddie for sex. She never said no and loved to be of service. After our wedding sex got even better, because of her praise kink. All I had to do was say good girl and then sex was like Cloud Nine for her. Thanks Mom and Dad. And Mr. and Mrs. Johnson of course. By DangerHunt69 for Literotica

Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe addresses the media during his postgame press conference following New England's 26-23 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, December 24, 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you get déjà vu? We do too because this year's ATP Finals, unfortunately, followed the trend of most of the tournaments this year and we saw Novak Djokovic win…again…yay. But, never fear! We talk about whether Holger Rune should've just worn Speedos and if he should write his gummy bears off his taxes. Should Jannik Sinner should have tanked? (Spoiler: for the good of the narrative, the answer is yes. But ethically, no.) Also, has Jannik figured out how to beat Daniil Medvedev indefinitely now? It certainly looks that way after two months. And Katie got to live on Cloud Nine for a little bit and discuss her beloved doubles! Her favorite team, Ramsbury, won for the second year in a row! This doesn't come without some gripes about the lack of Hawkeye Live for one of the biggest events of the year. And Katie mourns the fact that none of her favorite doubles teams are particularly good at Jenga, so she misses out on some good ~content~. If you particularly like our tangent-filled episodes, you'll definitely love this one!  New to tennis or trying to get a friend into the sport? Check out our ATP 101 and 102 episodes to understand who/what we're talking about.Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/backhandsandcompliments and on Twitter twitter.com/backhandspod. 

In this episode of Drew Blood's Dark Tales, a fearsome fever dream from author Ryan Harville. To watch the podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/ChillingEntertainmentYT Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/DrewBlood If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/DrewBlood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

October 25, 1988 saw the release of Traveling Wilburys Volume 1, the debut of a supergroup that no one saw coming. Born out of an idea that George Harrison and Jeff Lynne shared as they worked on his hit album Cloud Nine, they decided they'd like to make music with friends and people they admired. Jeff wanted to work with Roy Orbison and George wanted to work with Bob Dylan. After enlisting the help of new buddy Tom Petty, they set about putting together the most high-powered supergroup of all-time. They all took turns writing, singing lead and playing guitar and the results were strong - more than 3 million in US sales and a grammy nomination for album of the year. The harmonies between all their voices are something to behold and while some songs give most everyone a chance to sing lead (Handle With Care, End of the Line) others are showcases for their individual styles like like Roy Orbison on Not Alone Anymore and Tweeter and the Monkey Man for Bob Dylan. You can really sense the joy coming from George Harrison as he had been jaded with the music industry and was happy to be part of something special again. Roy was completely chuffed to be back on top of the charts (#3 US, #16 UK, #1 Canada, #1 Australia) but unfortunately he would pass away mere weeks after the album was released. This collaboration helped revive the careers of all these legends and they would continue to work together on each others projects immediately after this. It may not be our typical musical style but as this record turns 35, it was fun to reflect and take a listen to what true rock legends can accomplish by working together and having a bit of fun. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 25, 1988 saw the release of Traveling Wilburys Volume 1, the debut of a supergroup that no one saw coming. Born out of an idea that George Harrison and Jeff Lynne shared as they worked on his hit album Cloud Nine, they decided they'd like to make music with friends and people they admired. Jeff wanted to work with Roy Orbison and George wanted to work with Bob Dylan. After enlisting the help of new buddy Tom Petty, they set about putting together the most high-powered supergroup of all-time. They all took turns writing, singing lead and playing guitar and the results were strong - more than 3 million in US sales and a grammy nomination for album of the year. The harmonies between all their voices are something to behold and while some songs give most everyone a chance to sing lead (Handle With Care, End of the Line) others are showcases for their individual styles like like Roy Orbison on Not Alone Anymore and Tweeter and the Monkey Man for Bob Dylan. You can really sense the joy coming from George Harrison as he had been jaded with the music industry and was happy to be part of something special again. Roy was completely chuffed to be back on top of the charts (#3 US, #16 UK, #1 Canada, #1 Australia) but unfortunately he would pass away mere weeks after the album was released. This collaboration helped revive the careers of all these legends and they would continue to work together on each others projects immediately after this. It may not be our typical musical style but as this record turns 35, it was fun to reflect and take a listen to what true rock legends can accomplish by working together and having a bit of fun. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve's grocery store repainted the lines in their parking lot, and Steve is on Cloud Nine.