Podcasts about East Berlin

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 23 Planning Ceremonies.. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.  As Maya, Sarah, & Emily headed into the house, Emily pulling the wheelie bag behind her, all of the luggage taken into the house, as Andy glanced over to look at Phil, as Linda moved over to stand closer to him. "You didn't have to bring her over here yourself Phil," Andy said to him. "You've got plenty of people over at the base for that kind of thing." "Not as many as I used to," he said. "You heard about this Valhalla Shores they've set up over in Pacifica?" Andy nodded. "Yeah, the other Phil called a little earlier today, told me he'd been moved into there. Why, are they taking some of your people?" "Seems like it. Maya was in the last batch of people we were doing serum injections for here in New Eden for the foreseeable future. Me and my team have been retasked, with studying the long term effects of the treatment, and with finding a way to help women survive if their male partner is killed. This thing we've got, it's kept a bunch of us alive, but the last thing I ever intended was for it to be binding men and women together." "Fucking McCallister," Linda grumbled. "Who?" Andy asked. "Don't worry about it," Phil said. "Anyway, they're using the base next to Valhalla Shores to be doing serum induction and pairing now. New Eden's mostly a closed community at this point." "Mostly?" "Nothing's ever truly completely done, so if we get special requests, or emergency needs, we'll add some more people to New Eden, but they want us focused on countering these side effects so badly that even the people who are being moved into Dos Eden are mostly going to be dosed elsewhere. There's a large facility in Oakland that's basically going to be the headquarters for serum induction, even though I told them it would probably be easier for all the Dos Eden people to just be inducted here, but the higher ups are adamant I start working some of this out." "I mean, that's probably for the best, isn't it, Phil? What happens right now if a man dies and he's partnered to multiple women? They just go insane?" "Well, no," Phil said, "but it's not pretty. We have a sort of temporary work around, but I think it's cruel, and it's certainly not anything I want to be advertising." "The hell are you talking about, Phil?" "So fairly early on in the crisis, we had to send some samples out to Washington, so they could see about getting some key people inoculated against the virus. We sent enough that all of Congress and the Joint Chiefs of Staff could've taken it if they wanted, but almost to a man they refused. The military leaders were a lot smarter about it, though, and many of them decided to have their partners take the treatment, so they would have some level of immunity from DuoHalo. The fact that General Brown, who took over for General Goldfein in August, was so proactive in making sure the top brass at the Air Force were inoculated might just be the defining action that saved this country from extinction." "Once again," Linda said with a sigh, "the black guy has to work three times as hard just to get so much as a thank you." "Well, when I have the privilege of meeting General Brown, I'm going to thank him hard enough for three people, because he's basically the only reason any of us are alive," Phil said. "He sprung into action, and made sure that we were working to get our solution, the only workable solution, out to as many people as possible, as quickly as we could. And he's the person who assigned you to me, Linda, so for that I'll be eternally grateful, because you've saved my life more than a couple of times over the past few months, in more ways than one." "I told you, the sniper was a freebie, so he doesn't count," she said, a hint of flirting layered into her voice. "So that means you only owe me, like, three or four, tops. All the emotional, mental stuff, that's all Audrey's doing. She's the one who takes care of your brain while I take care of the body." "Oh she does her share of body care too," Phil teased back. "I suppose," Linda said with a wink. "Anyway, tell Andy what you needed to." "I'm getting there, Linda, just be cool." "Pssht. Like you know anybody cooler than me." Phil looked back to Andy with a grin and a shrug. "When she's right, she's right. Did Lesser Phil say much about Valhalla Shores?" "Only that they were super strict about their quarantine rules. He was calling to tell me he didn't think he'd be able to do poker for the foreseeable future, because he couldn't come and go any more. He said that if he left the area, he had to spend a week in quarantine before he'd be allowed back in to see the rest of his family. Struck me as sort of an over reach, considering we're all basically immune to DuoHalo, as long as we're having regular contact with our partners, right?" "Theoretically, yeah, although we're still doing a lot of testing on that," he said. "Well, I guess the Air Force is doing that testing, because right now, I'm just focused on making sure we get women the ability to survive the death of their partners." "You said you had a workaround." "Not a good one," Linda interjected. "Agreed," Phil said. "So if a man dies, as long as his body isn't too badly damaged, we can harvest slightly necrotized semen from his corpse, introduce that into one of his partners, and it will act as a sort of a reset function, but the woman needs to be reimprinted almost immediately. As soon as the necrotized semen hits her system, she'll basically be in a state like the one you found Piper in, in a crude, violent frenzy." "Jesus," Andy said, "who the hell knows about this?" "The women who are staffing what few emergency rooms we have open near any induction centers, and the staff of the centers themselves, so we're keeping the loop pretty small on it, at least for the time being. It's given me a starting place on where to work on a reset serum, but I'm still quite a ways from having anything even vaguely useful." "Have you considered trying to get the serum to work on men without the need of the pairing?" Phil shot him an annoyed look. "What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that?" he said, slapping his forehead. "Yes, I fucking thought of that, but it's almost like our serum is actively fighting against pairing with immunization suspensions. We suspect we had someone sabotaging the project from the get go, so it's entirely possible the bastard had this whole thing baked in there for some other reason. God only knows what the sick motherfucker thought he was going to do with it." "If you think you had a saboteur  " "No," Linda interjected, "we know we had one. His ass fled to Russia." "Russia? Seriously?" "It's part of the reason their military and political cabinets are in so much better shape than ours, although they clearly didn't have the infrastructure to mass produce it, considering how horrible the casualties of their population are. While the Russian authorities had plenty for themselves and their generals, their population was hit harder than almost anyone else's, with close to 90% of the Russian male population dead. Putin's not anywhere near as scary when most of his military bases are staffed by corpses, and there's nobody to climb inside of his tanks." "But what about all the women of Russia? With so few men there, there's no way your system would work, would it?" Phil nodded. "I mean, DuoHalo isn't anywhere near as fatal to women as it is to men, so I think the Russian gambit is to just hope enough women survive DuoHalo naturally as to keep the country even vaguely functional, while all the important men have at least a dozen partners each, to ensure they're always completely buffered from the DuoHalo virus. I'm almost wondering if this was what the saboteur had in mind when he started tampering with my serum in its early days, trying to invent something that would enslave women to men. Christ, if he was still here, I'd shoot him myself," the Filipino American man said, scratching the back of his neck. "Get to the point, babe," Linda told him. "Our absence off base raises red flags the longer we're gone, and the last thing we want is them getting suspicious." "Suspicious?" Andy scowled at his good friend for a moment. "Phil, what the hell are you up to?" "You remember when you told me a few years ago that you thought one of your superiors was actively getting in the way of you getting promoted?" "I do remember that," Andy said, "and I also remember you telling me that I was being paranoid and that I should just forget about it." "Yeah, well, maybe I was wrong, okay, and maybe someone's actively trying to keep my project from developing a version of the serum without the sexual side effects." "Phil are you  " "Listen, will you?" Phil said, grabbing his friend's shoulder. "The military has thought overpopulation was a giant problem in the U.S. dating back thirty years, and they had all sorts of contingency plans to reduce the population, not only of our country, but of the entire world. They called it the 'die back' contingency. I know it sounds insane  " "It sounds insane, Phil, because it is insane. Our own government planning mass casualty events across the globe?" "It was all supposed to be theoretical, Andy, whitepapers and proof of concept stuff, but nobody was every supposed to have built anything, but I'm starting to think that's what DuoHalo is, somebody's die back contingency that got loose and got out of control, because the Russians acted way too quickly quarantining their people for them to have just 'gotten lucky.' They knew this was coming, long before anyone else did, so I think it's their fuckup, and they just got lucky that we had something that could counteract it, and so be it if it's got some mad scientist's project woven into it. That just gave them a foothold into getting their hands on it." "Phil, we've known each other a long time, and if there's one thing I know about you, it's that you love your secrets, so if you're telling me all this, there's got to be a very good reason for it. You wouldn't give me a peek behind the velvet rope like this without an extremely important cause. What's going on?" His friend sighed, glancing over at Linda, who simply shrugged, before he looked back at Andy. "I've doled out a lot of favors over the last several months, so now it's time for me to ask one of you, and it's kind of a big one, so if you say no, hey, I get it, but realize I need someone I can trust on this." "Talk to me, Phil." "So you know how we had someone defect to Russia?" "Yeah?" "The Russians had some defect to us." "Seriously?" "It gets funnier," Linda said, a grin on her face. "So the guy who defected from us, the one who we think caused a lot of the mess with the imprinting in our serum, his name was Adam McCallister." "Okay." "The group that defected from Russia? The person who reached out to me on their behalf was Adam's wife, Evie." "Adam and Eve?" Andy asked. "Are you putting me on?" "Wish I was," Phil sighed, leaning his back against the door of his car. "She reached out to me personally with an offer. I get her paired to some rich fella who's going to take care of her, and she's going to help us crack the unpairing/repairing problem." "Phil,” "I'm not asking you to take her, Andy, relax. I was hoping maybe you could reach out to Watkins and see if he'd be willing to take her in." "Nate said he did feel like he owed me a couple still, even with all the money he gave me." "That's not the whole of it, though." "What else,” "So Evie McCallister has with her a pair of men who are imprinted on each other." "Wait, what?" Andy said. "I thought being homosexual was like a giant taboo in Russia." "They certainly frown on it, which is why two of the scientists who were working with Adam McCallister didn't reveal they were gay until they'd devised a work around, a sort of Rosetta Stone for this whole thing. That's what let them flee." "Just give him the short and quick, hon," Linda said to Phil. "Okay, long story short  " "Too late!" both he and Phil said in unison before chuckling. "Right," Phil continued. "So one of the two men has what he describes as 'reassignment sperm,' in that his sperm isn't toxic, even to women who are imprinted already. A small amount of it will essentially reset a woman, but she'll immediately go into the state we've seen with using the necrotized sperm, which is part of the reason I believe Evie when she told me all of this." "You haven't tested it yet?" "I'm getting to that. This guy, Sergei, has a variation of our serum running through his veins, and it might eventually lead to some kind version of the serum where people don't have to be paired to one another, but we are a long way from that right now. He also claims it can pair two men together, which was a large part of the reason he and his boyfriend fled here with Evie McCallister. In Russia, they'd both have been killed, but if he's right, we could, albeit very slowly, at least start getting gay men paired up and resistant to DuoHalo. But I've been keeping this on the down low because I'm worried that if some people on the base found out, they'd try and quash it." "You can't believe that," Andy said." "Wish I didn't, but I do. They're mostly focused on making sure I can get women to survive their partner's death. There hasn't been any push on us trying to get a solution for gay men and women, so now that I may have a partial one here, I'm doing everything I can to validate it quickly and pushed out in front of as many people as possible. It's really not scalable, but at this point, I'll take what I can get, you know?" "So what do you need from me?" "We've got Evie, Sergei and Sergei's boyfriend Andrei stashed in a house over in Dos Eden. Now I can't go over there, because if I do, they're going to know I was there, and I don't want to bring her in until I've validated her claims. Do you have anyone in your family who wouldn't mind fooling around with some other guy for a bit?" "My family's all here by choice, Phil," Andy said. "What about your cook, Jenny?" Linda asked. "Didn't you say she's married to your gardener, and they're both just with you to stay healthy? Think she'd be okay to help you test this all out?" "She doesn't want to leave the family, Linda, even if she's not emotionally invested in me like my partners are." "She wouldn't leave your family, Andy. She'd just be on a very short, temporary loan, and she's not going to have to sleep with anyone she doesn't want to," Phil said. "I can talk to her about it, but lay it out for me how it's all going to work." "You take her over to the house, along with one of your male friends, Eric or Xander, whichever one Jenny wouldn't mind having one evening of fun with. You put a little bit of Sergei's cum on her skin, just to prove it doesn't have any sort of adverse reaction. If it's all good, you have her taste a little bit, and then she should go back to the imprinting state, and you let your friend imprint her. A couple of days later, you do it again, but reimprint her back to you. If Evie's telling the truth, it'll only be a few days and then everything will be back to the way it was. And if she's not, the minute Jenny touches Sergei's semen, she'll have an adverse reaction and she doesn't have to go any further." Phil sighed, shrugging a little. "I need someone I can trust on this, Andy, and I don't know who else to turn to. If you don't think she'll go for it, you don't have to bring it up, and I'll, I'll see if there's anybody else I can ask. I could ask Xander, I guess." "No," Andy sighed, shaking his head. "You ask Xander and he'll feel obligated to try and help you. I'll talk to Jenny and Katie, and I'll let them decide. Fair?" "Fair enough," Phil agreed. "Get blood samples at every stage in between. Take Niko with you, and she'll know how to do it." "What have you got that girl up to behind my back, Phil?" "Oh hell no," his friend laughed. "If you can't get her to tell you, what the hell makes you think I'm gonna tell you? She'd kick my ass if I said anything. You can ask her again." "She'll probably tell me what she told me last time,  I shouldn't worry about it." "It took a long while for Phil to trust me as well, Andy, so I wouldn't worry about it," Linda said with a smile. "You guys are so used to thinking you have to be self reliant, how you need to be tough, that it takes you a while to get used to the idea of having a woman take care of your helpless asses. But you'll learn. You all do eventually." "Well, I feel like I just got scolding by the nuns at Saint Agnes Academy again. How about you, Andy?" Phil chuckled. "I didn't go to Catholic school, Phil, but I know the sentiment. I guess we just have to trust they're doing everything they can to keep us safe." "Even when you're both being a pain in the ass about it," Linda said, just the tiniest undercurrent of genuine annoyance to her voice. "Sorry Linda," they both said in unison. "You're both forgiven, but we really gotta get back to the base, Phil, otherwise Fielder's going to get suspicious, and that's the last thing you want." "She's right," Phil said, giving Andy a hug. "Thanks for even considering it. I know it's nuts, but if you follow the instructions I gave you, worst case scenario is that Jenny gets a rash on her skin for a couple of days." "Like I said, it's their decision, not mine." "Right. Right right right. Anyway, if you decide to do it, I can give you all the instructions when we're over in a couple of days for the party." "God, that is just two days away, isn't it? Crazy how time flies." Phil let go of Andy and headed back to his car. "Stay safe, man. Niko or Lexi with you at all times if you leave this house. And don't tell anyone about this little Evie thing that you don't have to." "I'm gonna tell my family, Phil." Phil shrugged a little bit, opening the door of his car. "If it was me, I would keep it to only the very few who need to know. Anyway, your house, your call. See you in a couple of days, man." He and Linda hopped into their car and drove down the driveway and headed off into the evening air. "That's the difference between you and me, Phil," Andy said to himself. "I'm no good at keeping secrets." He walked inside to find Aisling waiting for him, a warm smile on her face as she slid her arm around his waist and saddled up next to him as they walked to the dining room. "Why the long face, Andy?" "Phil dropped a bit of a heavy thing on me, and it's a lot to think about. I'm not built for this cloak and dagger shit like he is." On the stroll to dinner, Andy explained to her everything that Phil and Linda had told him, as she peppered him with questions along the way. At the end, she suggested he wait until later in the evening to talk to Jenny and Katie about it. When they got to the dining room, Andy was pleased to find nearly everyone there, Lauren and Taylor having texted earlier that they were just going to grab dinner at the training grounds tonight and would be back late. Emily, Sarah and Maya were a couple cocktails in already, but all of them were in that pleasant space between buzzed and tipsy, talking up a storm, and as soon as Andy and Ash walked into the room, Emily immediately ushered them over to make sure that Andy was sitting next to Maya, Ash on the other side of him. Early on, the girls had tried convincing Andy to always sit at the head of the table, and he'd told them exactly what they could do with that idea, so the table seating constantly shuffled, and nobody sat at either end of the table two nights in a row, so that it was clearly established that nobody was more or less important than anyone else. It was a symbolic thing, but Andy was the first to point out that symbols have power, and their subliminal influence should never be underestimated. Dinner gave everyone a chance to take turns grilling Maya, which let Andy just sort of sit and listen. After he'd made the decision of who he would offer spots in his house, he'd talked to each of the girls over Zoom for about an hour, letting them ask him whatever questions they wanted while he'd asked them a few as well. It wasn't enough time to get to truly know each other, but it gave both him and the woman in question a chance to check for any real deal breakers that they might have overlooked, so many of the questions the girl were asking Maya were things Andy already knew the answers to, although she did have one surprise up her sleeve for him. "So what's your favorite of Andy's books," Sarah asked her. "I know you have to have read some of them right now, since I gave you all of them the last time I saw you, a few years ago." Maya tilted her head to one side, a wry grin spreading wide on her face. "You're not going to believe me." "Is it 'The Trouble With Werebears,' because if you say it is, I'm gonna have to shield you from Andy throwing a dinner roll at you," the tall redhead giggled. Maya reached into her satchel and pulled out a book, setting it down on the table. It had dozens of post it notes sticking out from it, and the cover was starting to bend back a little. Andy glanced over and then his eyes widened in surprise. "No! Really?" The book in question was easily the least popular thing he'd ever written, partially because it was so far out of his normal wheelhouse. "I think it's easily your best work, and frankly, I'm surprised nobody's ever tried to make a movie out of it, which was something I wanted to talk to you about." Emily reached over and picked up the book. "'Fatal Alliances?' This isn't a Druid Gunslinger book. I don't know that I've ever seen Sarah reading this." "Oh I read it," Sarah said. "But it's super fucking sad. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's fucking hot, and I get why maybe it was too fucking steamy for the mainstream, but it's such a fucking downer ending that it isn't something I wanted to come back to that fucking often, even as great as it is." "What's it about, love?" Emily asked him. Maya decided to answer instead. "It's a Cold War story about two spies, one American and one Soviet, and they're each sort of fatal honey traps. Anyone who either of them has sex with dies within a couple of days, from what looks like natural causes, except that their bodies are generating some kind of sexually transmitted poison. They're considered important assets, the assassins you send when you want no traces left behind. They both witness something they shouldn't one night in East Berlin, and so they flee together. After killing their respective bosses, the two decide they're done with this world, so they have sex with each other, and die in each other's arms a few days later. If you expounded upon the action sequences, fleshed them out a bit more, this could be an excellent fucking movie." She paused for a second. "It could be my excellent fucking movie. Who owns the rights to this, Andy?" Maya asked him, taking the book back from Emily. "Nobody?" he chuckled. "Well, I guess that means I still do. Nobody had that much interest in it, so I didn't worry about it. Hell, I know it's out of print, so I'm a little amazed you got that copy." "I got her everything, Andy," Sarah told him. "And you know me. What I want, I fucking get." "So I have learned," he nodded. "Yeah, I can have my agent draw up a contract to let you get the rights to it." "Soon," Maya said, "before the Druid Gunslinger film makes everyone claw at all your old work." "I barely sold fifty thousand copies of 'Fatal Alliances,' Maya, so I think you're overestimating people's interest in the property." "Believe me, Andy, I know what I'm talking about." Dinner carried on with several conversations going on and Andy drifting in between them. One of the things he'd learned early on as his family grew was that as soon as they had moved into the mansion, the family size had grown too large for there to only be one conversation at the dinner table. He'd also stressed a number of times that the girls shouldn't always stick to their usual cliques and should intermingle, making sure to spend a little time with all the other girls over the course of any given week, and it was starting to settle into cycles. When Jenny was bringing out dessert, Andy grabbed her and asked her and Katie to meet him in his office in a few hours, so he could talk to them about something. Jenny seemed a little nervous and Andy said it wasn't anything bad, and they shouldn't worry. After dinner had wrapped up, the whole family began carrying dishes into the kitchen, refusing to let Jenny and Nicolette clear the table entirely by themselves, as Andy, Maya, Emily and Sarah started walking down the hall towards Maya's room. "So whaddaya think, Maya?" Sarah asked eagerly. It was clear that the relationships between Sarah and Maya and the relationships between Emily and Maya were very different, with Sarah acting almost like Maya's eager little sister, and Emily more like Maya's old friend. "You okay with staying?" "Yeah, I think I can make all this work for me," she said. "Good people, good environment, the dogs seem happy enough, and with the shooting studios in Oakland, Marin and Pleasanton, I can definitely carve out a career here. So sure, why not? I'll pitch in with you lot and call this home." "Marvelous," Emily said, leaning in to kiss Maya on the cheek. "Sarah and I will leave you and Andrew to make your final arrangements, and we will see you tomorrow. Good night!" "Night Maya!" Sarah said, taking a turn to kiss Maya on the cheek, before she and Emily headed back up the hallway towards the stairs, Maya's bedroom on the ground floor so the dogs could easily walk right out into the back yard. Katie had even set up the fenced area so that Maya could simply slide open the deck door in her bedroom and let the dogs run straight out into it unsupervised. "This new world's pretty fuckin' crazy," Maya said, looking up at him as they reached the door to her bedroom. "You must feel like the luckiest man in the world." Andy sighed a little. "I mean, on one hand, sure. On the other, my brother and most of my oldest friends died to DuoHalo over the last few months, so a lot of times, I'm dealing with survivor's guilt, y'know? Why'd I make it and not them?" Maya took his hand in hers, shaking her head at him. "Don't get caught up in your head about it. It's too big for anyone to think about, so you just have to learn to roll with it." "Yeah, thanks. That's what everyone keeps telling me, so I'm doing what I can to not dwell on it too much. Anyway, I'm glad you've decided to join the family, and when you feel like the time is right, just let me know and we can make it official." Maya squeezed his hand a little bit, as if she thought he might be planning to pull away. "Look, I talked to Em and Sares about it while you were talking with your friend, and I decided I want our first time to be like normal people, without all the complications of imprinting tied to it, so I was thinking maybe you could come in, and I could give you a hummer to get over that whole hump, so that when we do bump uglies for the first time, we feel a little more like regular people. That cool?" Andy smiled at her. "Hey, whatever you want, Maya. We don't even have to do the imprinting now if you don't want to." She looked down, unable to look him in the eyes for the moment. "That's just it, Andy. I do want to. And we do kinda have to, because sometime in the middle of dinner, I realized it was getting harder to think clearly, and the one thing I don't ever want is to feel out of control of my own body. So is it cool if we just do this now? I'm sure you've banged, like, five or six people already today,” "Actually, it was a pretty light day today," he chuckled. "I provided for Jenny and Katie this morning, and Ash snuck in while I was writing to have a quickie as a break, to make sure I wasn't sitting all day." "Good," Maya growled at him, as she grabbed his shirt, "then you'll have a nice fat fucking load for me to swallow." She pushed him into her bedroom, and closed the door behind her. The sliding door was open just enough so that the dogs could come and go, and that made it cool inside, the evening November air chilling the room a bit. "How should I do this?" "The minute you get it,you're going to black out, so maybe I should lay down on the bed and you should just  " Maya peeled her tanktop up and over her head, revealing small tan tits with tiny brown nipples atop of them, tossing it aside. "I think I'm the most flat chested girl in this house, so I hope you're okay with that," she said, unbuckling the belt holding up her cargo pants as he crossed the room to her. She must have had some large tattoo on her back, because Andy could see what looked like a portion of a serpent's tail curving around her waist. He turned her head up suddenly and leaned down to press his lips against hers in an intense kiss, feeling her tense up for just a brief second before settling into it, relaxing. "You are absolutely fucking beautiful, Maya, and I don't ever want you to think I'm just okay with you. Got it?" Maya grinned up at him, a softening in her eyes. "Em's right. You are a magnificent and sappy bastard, but that makes you lovable. Can I finish getting naked now, or you wanna make out a bit more first?" "I wanna make out a bit more first," he said, grinning back at her. "Yeah, okay." They locked lips again, but even while they did, Andy could feel Maya's hands unbuttoning his jeans, unzipping them. He was about to shift to help her take them off, but when he did, she pulled back from the kiss, shaking her head. "Leave'em on. I like the idea of feeling like a couple of teenagers trying to get each other off quick before the parents come home." She turned them both and pushed him back onto the bed with enough sudden force that he didn't even see it coming and just fell backwards before she dropped her cargo pants down and stepped out of them, leaving her in just a large pair of cotton panties. She started climbing onto the bed next to him. "It's also that time of the month, and while Em said you aren't squeamish about playing on the field during red tide, not for our first time." Andy moved just a little bit, shifting to brace his shoulders against the pillows at the head of the bed, so he'd be able to watch her. "Whatever makes you comfortable." Maya frowned a little, her eyes narrowing at him. "Take a more active hand in this, would you? I don't even know if you're ready for this." "I don't know if you're ready for this, Maya, but you are gorgeous and I can't wait to feel you sucking my cock." She winked at him, the frown disappearing. "That's the spirit. Now let's see this mythical first contact orgasm," she said, stroking his cock, sitting on her knees alongside him. Maya moved to bend down, placing one hand against the top of the bed as the other brought his cock to her lips, a jewel of opaque white emerging from the tip of his cock to greet her. She leaned down and let her tongue swipe the dollop of precum into her mouth, and suddenly began to shake, her hand letting go of his cock to thrust down atop of the bed, keeping her up on all fours as an intense carnal moan ripped from her lungs, her face obscured from his view by that curtain of green hair. "You motherfucker," Maya eventually spat in between giggles and gasps. "You said it was gonna be strong, not, like, the strongest fucking thing I'd ever fucking felt." "The imprinting one's even stronger, everyone says." "Em said it was like being consumed by an orgasm until she blacked out," Maya said, tossing her hair out of her face to turn her brown eyes up at him. "She wasn't kidding?" "That's in line with how most of  " He was mid sentence when Maya suddenly shoved her face down onto his cock, forcing it into her throat before pulling her head up, her tongue spiraling around the head of his cock before she pushed her head back down onto it again. Over the last several months, he'd gotten more than his fair share of blowjobs, far more than he'd ever thought he would get in his lifetime, and he felt like he'd gotten familiar with most of the rhythms and styles, but there was something hungry about the way Maya was doing it, like she didn't want to pause, didn't want to break, hell, didn't even want to breathe until she got what she wanted. Her hands were gripping onto his hips, as her mouth slurped along the length of his shaft, from tip to base, trying to hold down with it engulfed for as long as she could every so often, no warning given when she was deepthroating or just quickly fucking her face onto his cock. He was along for the ride. Andy could feel himself starting to get close, when Maya popped her head off, one of her hands stroking his cock feverishly while her eyes held his gaze with her own, as he suddenly felt like a deer in the headlights, or a small animal caught under the gaze of a predator, the look on her face having total control of the situation. "You're gonna give me what I want, Andy," she growled at him, licking her lips. "And I'm gonna swallow you down and wake up a new woman, a kept woman, a bonded woman, a woman with a man who makes her cum like a fucking hurricane. You have no idea how hard I'm gonna fuck the shit out of you soon, but for now, you're gonna give me what I want. It's not your fucking cum, it's mine." She looked back down and started thrusting her face onto his cock as quickly and deeply as she could, letting spit drool from her lips all over his balls, filthy 'gluck gluck' sounds coming from the motions, until finally Andy knew his resolve was shot, but he wanted to have one stab at surprising her, so just before his balls drew up, his hands both reached down to grab her head and pushed her face down until her nose was buried in the trimmed pubic hairs of his crotch, and the first load of his cum blasted right against the back of her throat, setting her into a a fit of orgasms, at which point Andy was mostly just holding her head, while she spasmed in time with him, feeling her do her best to swallow it all before he pulled her head off of his shaft and rolled her limp body onto her side, as she whispered that word that haunted him now, "Imprinting." Andy moved to get her beneath the sheets and made sure the dogs were inside the room before he closed the outside door, so that the room would warm up. He would make a point to stop and tell Nicolette to come and open the door in the late morning so the dogs could go back out and do their business even while Maya completed the process. She looked peaceful beneath the sheets. There were a few speckles of his jizz on her cheeks, so he took one of his fingers and wiped them off, sliding the finger into her lips, which she seemed to instinctively suckle on for a moment before he pulled his finger free, having spent long enough in the room that she'd fallen silent. He moved outside of her room, and closed the door behind him, leaning his back against it with a slight smile of relief. That, he figured, would be the last person ever added to his family, if he had anything to say about it. Of course, as Emily had pointed out not so long ago, he really did have very little say about it. Chapter 40 He desperately wanted to get to bed, but there was work to be done before he could sleep, and his brain was still moving a mile a minute. It generally did, but his conversation earlier in the day had been rolling around in circles over and over again. Phil was one of the smartest people he'd ever met, but Andy knew everyone was capable of making mistakes. There was something they were missing about all the information Phil had presented to them. Phil's plan had all the things it should, but there was so much that Phil hadn't had time to tell them. He wasn't sure what he thought he might glean from it, but he decided to let it keep running on cycles in the back of his brain for the rest of the night. He hoped maybe it would just come to him. Different people in his household went to bed at different times, and typically, Piper and Sheridan went to bed not too long after dinner. He glanced at his watch, seeing it was just past 10:30, and he figured they were probably crawling into bed about now, since both were early risers. Niko was probably also heading to bed about now, so she could be up early in the morning, in case Lexi woke up before most of the house was up. Niko tended to be an early riser as well, as did Lauren and Taylor, so they were also probably also turning in for the night. Hannah and Asha were typical college students without classes, so they'd be up past midnight gossiping, and Taylor was probably more than a little sad she couldn't join them, but as she'd told Andy at dinner, she was taking her responsibilities over at 49ers HQ very seriously. Fi and Moira were trying to get adjusted to West Coast time, but the jet lag hadn't fully let go of them yet, so Andy guessed they were probably starting to get ready for bed as well. Em and Sarah kept their own schedules, but since Em planned to talk to her family in the morning, she had likely turned in also, and where Em went, Sarah usually followed, so he was fairly certain they were both snuggling up in bed, bemoaning the lack of him there, but knowing that he would join them when he was ready. Tala and Jade had formed a surprising friendship and had spent most of the day getting the pool house further converted into a workspace for the curvier woman. Jade was used to teaching, so he suspected she probably had also turned in relatively early. Aisling, however, kept her schedule in tune with his, and so he knew she'd be up, and willing to watch a bit of television before turning in for the night. He'd found that she'd never seen Farscape so as of late, they'd been making a point to watch an episode or two before bed every night, and in between they'd chat a little bit about their respective days. He was going to head down to the living room that was furthest from the bedrooms, which had sort of become the default theater room of the house, but found Ash in the kitchen, sneaking herself a pickle from the fridge, so they sat around the kitchen island to have their chat before their nightly television binge. This particular night Andy walked Ash through what Phil had asked of him, and as he talked through it, she asked pointed questions, most of which he didn't have an answer to, but eventually, she asked one that he hadn't even thought of, and it all snapped into sense for him. "So why not just use this Evie as the test case, instead of asking Jenny to do it?" she said to him. "What?" Andy asked, as if it hadn't even occurred to him. "Look, she made it here safely, right?" "Right." "That means she was imprinted, and if Evie's being asked to be imprinted to Nate, that means she was already imprinted to this McCallister prick, and you can use that to analyze her blood and the effect it's having on it. Shit, you could smear a little of McCallister's precum onto her skin at first, check that it causes a rash, then give her a little from the guy who's supposedly a de imprinter, then have Nate imprint her and take her blood again. I mean, if this Evie wants to get out from under her husband, ex husband or whatever, then she's gotta to be willing to show she believes in all of this." "I don't tell you that you're brilliant often enough, Ash," he said, leaning into to kiss her, which started tender but definitely amped up in intensity a bit before she pulled back, a wry smile on her face. "You don't, but it's okay," she said. "You say it lots, and lots is brilliant. Before we head to bed tonight, though, mister, I was given a request this morning, so we're going to go and fulfill it, you and I. The request was made to me, because they were worried you might take offense to it, but I want you to know, in advance, this is what everyone wants, they're hoping you'll lean into it, at least a little, and the safeword, should it be needed, is limoncello. Okay?" She was pulling him to his feet, that playful expression widening on her face, as he waggled his eyebrows. "You girls certainly do love testing me," he told her. "This one's not me at all, love," she said, sliding her arm around his waist. "It's more of just a thing to show you what you can be capable of when it's asked of you, and this particular play partner wants even more than you gave her last time." "Uh oh," he said. "That sounds like I'm not living up to my end of the bargain." "Stop. No," she said, squeezing his hip. "You did great, but the girls in question just want you to know you can and should go further." She led him down towards the room they'd been planning to go to anyway, the basement living room, but instead of heading for the television, Andy saw that over near where he'd usually sit, one woman was standing and another was kneeling, the room barely lit, as if the atmosphere of it was important to the ambiance of the moment. Andy's nighttime eyesight wasn't great, but as they got closer, he could make out who the two people were. The woman standing was Nicolette, but she had ditched her typical French maid's outfit for something that looked a lot more dominatrix. She wore a leather corset that was tied tight to force her tits into nearly a shelf of flesh, propped up and pushed out but still marginally covered. She also had black leather shorts, fishnet stockings and long leather high heeled boots that came up to her mid thigh. The heels were at least a few inches, because it made Nicolette look huge, her blonde hair done up in a tight bun atop her head. In her hand was the end of a long leash. At the end of the leash, on her knees, was Whitney, completely nude except for the collar around her neck, her hair done up in jetblack pigtails, her pale white flesh almost the shade of moonlight in the summer. Her arms were folded together in front of her to make her smaller tits press together, the rosy pinkness of her nipples like strawberries, her wrists resting on top of one another, as if she expected them to be bound at some point, or maybe they already were in her mind. He could see the black curls of her pubic V peeking from between her thighs. Ash took his hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "You did well with Whitney the first time, babes," she whispered to him. "But you need to know you can go further, you should go further, at least every so often, and that she doesn't just want you to do that, she's going to get off on it. I know that part of you is in there," she said, kissing his cheek. "We just need to wake the bastard up." Andy wasn't entirely surprised by all of this, if he was being honest with himself. Early on, he thought he'd given Nicolette exactly what she wanted, and then around when all the girls had presented their friends for consideration for the house, Nicolette had told him to go even harder at her. So he had. He'd been nervous out of his mind when he'd done it, almost certain that she was going to scream for him to stop, that he was being too rough, that she didn't want it. Instead, she had thanked him at the end of it, and told him that she was very glad he was learning that not all of his partners enjoyed the same kind of sex, and that that wasn't a bad thing. His first time with Whitney had been something of an eyeopener as well, as she wanted him to go at her hard. He thought he'd done enough to satiate her desires, but apparently she wanted to take him even further. He wasn't even entirely sure what that entailed. "Heya Master," Nicolette purred at him. "I think it's time you give your little porcelain slut a real go, don't you? She's been itching for round two, and it's about time you step up your game. Haven't you, slut?" She gave Whitney a nudge with her foot, and the brunette nodded. "Yes Master. Our first time was very nice, but you're capable of being stronger, harsher, more forceful," she said, not lifting her eyes. "And this slut wants to see what you're truly capable of." "I'm worried your friend's been hyping me up too much, Whitney," Andy said, stepping closer, Aisling walking along with him, as Nicolette toyed with the end of the leash idly. "I'm not entirely sure I'm capable of what you think I am." "She told your slut that you bent her over a table in the hallway and pounded her slippery cunt until your cock was slick enough to jam up her ass, and then pounded her until she came so hard her knees were shaking and she couldn't sit properly for a few days." "Well, I  " "She told your slut that you grabbed a fistful of her hair and shoved her face up against the wall and pinned her there while you had your way with her, drilling her like she was just an object for you to take your pleasure from." Ash giggled. "It certainly sounded like that from down the hallway," she said to him. "Don't you start," he replied. "She even told me you shoved her panties in her mouth to keep her from making too much noise, even though you like it when a slut uses filthy words, because you wanted to demonstrate how much control you had over her." "That wasn't  " "That was fucking hot was what it was, Master," Nicolette said, licking her lips. "I almost expected you to put your hands around my throat for a bit, and that would've just made me cum even harder. At first, he didn't even take them off, slut, he just tugged them aside, like they were an impediment that bothered him." "Your slut finds all of that very attractive, Master, and if she might be so bold," she said, turning her icy blue eyes upwards to look at him, "she very much wants to meet that man." "You can do this, Andy," Aisling whispered into his ear. "And both Nicolette and I will be right here, making sure you don't chicken out and/or go too far, whichever you're more afraid of." He inhaled a deep breath, and Whitney suddenly turned her eyes back downwards, as if she were a child caught looking at something she wasn't supposed to. "Before I start this, I want to confirm something. Aisling told me your safeword is limoncello. Is that correct, Whitney?" "It is, Master." "And you will use it if I cross a line?" "This slut does not think you're capable of that, Master." He stepped closely and reached forward, his fingertips pinching one of her nipples hard between his thumb and forefinger, seeing her wince even as she moaned a little bit. "No one knows what a man is capable of, Whitney, especially when he's pressed too much or too hard." "Yes Master," Whitney said. "Your slut apologizes Master." "Now answer my fucking question," he growled. He wasn't setting out to hurt her, but at this point, it had been made abundantly clear to him that he had a part to play, and if that was what Whitney wanted from him, it was what he intended to deliver. "If Master his slut beyond what she is capable of withstanding, Master, she will say the word and ask for relief," she said quietly, licking her tongue out over her bright red lips. "But until then, she implores you to have at her without mercy or reservation." "What limits do you have, Whitney?" he said, unbuckling his belt, grabbing the metal buckle, a simple square with a single stem in it, pulling on it to force the leather to come slowly slithering through his belt loops. "For you, Master? None at all. Your slut will do whatever it is you ask of her." He snapped the end of his belt out and then bent it in half, holding it on the ends as he pushed the belt together, forming a giant circle between two lines of leather, then yanking them apart to make a loud crack as he snapped one against the other. "You seem awfully confident of that." He wasn't sure who moaned the loudest at that motion, Whitney, Nicolette or Aisling. "She is at her best when she is fulfilling her purpose, Master," Nicolette said to him, a hint of amusement in her voice "Pleasure and pain are kissing cousins in our world." "Did I ask your fucking opinion?" he said sharply to Nicolette, and he felt like he must have done so very convincingly, because he could see her breath catch a moment, although he knew it was excitement he saw behind her eyes, not fear. "No Master. Sorry Master." He looked down at Whitney, towering over her, as she remained perfectly still. "When Nicolette came to me and asked me to bring you into my home, Whitney, she told me of your previous partner, and how the relationship you and he had was one of total dominance and submission. That you did nothing without his permission. That you enjoyed being commanded, being told exactly what you did and did have his consent to do, and that you found freedom in surrendering your own initiative." "Yes Master," Whitney said. "I can fulfill that role for you, but it will take some adaptation on your part, because as much as you may want to surrender complete and total control to someone else, I don't want complete and total control over someone else. Not all the time, anyway." He traced a fingertip along her cheek, and he could feel her leaning in towards his touch, as if she took comfort from the very contact of his skin against hers. "I'm probably capable of giving you what you want. I can push and pull you into place, slap your ass while I'm thrusting my cock into one of your holes with the kind of roughness from the more disgruntled pornography I've seen. I think I'm likely perceptive enough to know when strikes have crossed from pleasurable pain into pure pain, at least most of time. I think I can live up to my end of the bargain on this, but there are a handful of rules that are non negotiable, you understand?" "Tell your slut of your rules, Master, and she will follow them," Whitney said, pressing a kiss to his fingertip. "They aren't much, but they're important to me. The first is that you will need to be in charge of your own voice, and that if you aren't using it, I will start to doubt myself, and think I am doing something unwelcome. Nicolette told me you're unaccustomed to speaking without being ordered to speak, but this is a rule I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist upon. You will speak whenever you think is appropriate or even might be welcomed. If you think I am at all doubting my actions, and you want more instead of less, you will need to provide the carrot, understood." Whitney nodded. "She does, Master. Might you provide guidance as to how she should speak?" "The filthier the better," Nicolette said with a giggle, looking at Andy as if she was afraid he might scold her, but when she saw the smile on his face, she decided to elaborate. "I told you, Master loves dirty talk, so if you talk, whore, you should be talking dirty. Nothing clinical, only perverse. You do not have breasts, you have tits. You do not have a vagina, you have a pussy or a twat or a cunt. And although I know it goes against everything you've been taught for the last few years, you're going to have to be a little proactive here, slut." Whitney frowned a little, sighing slightly. "That, makes this slut nervous, ma'am," she said, turning to look up to Nicolette. "How will she know when it is right to remain in her place and when it is right to act unbidden?" Andy reached down and turned Whitney's head to look at him. "You'll act on instinct, much like you're entrusting me to do. And I do not expect perfection. You will make mistakes, and, frankly, I think you'll probably enjoy being punished for them, so maybe I expect some of the mistakes will be intentional and some will be accidental, but very little in this life is truly unforgivable, Whitney, and I think we'll both do well to remember that." "Yes Master," she said, looking up at him with adoring eyes. "What other rules do you have for your slut?" "When you want to see this particular stripe of me, Whitney, you will need to initiate it, you will need to ask for it, and not just subtly, but actually vocalize and express your desire for the closed fist instead of the open hand," he said. "By you regularly reminding me that you enjoy this, it will reinforce in my mind what you expect out of our arrangement." "Did, did this slut not express it well enough before, Master?" "With communication, Whitney, more is always better," he said confidently. To be continued in part 25, by CorruptingPower for Literotica.

#realconversations #Germany #WorldWarII #communism #powCONVERSATIONS WITH CALVIN WE THE SPECIESMeet BERND HABER; “I call myself a bit of a World War IIstudent. That encompasses having watched Casablanca (1942) 157 times. And othermovies. Books. Documentaries. Interviews. Yet, I never encountered a storyquite like Bernd Haber's book, ‘Fritz Haber-The Complete Diary; 16 months in anAmerican POW Camp. Fritz Haber was Bernd's grandfather. In 1931 in Germany, hewas a devout communist and tried to warn about Hitler's new Germany. Nazisdidn't like communists. Eventually, Fritz was conscripted into the Germanmilitary, known as the Wehrmacht. And was captured near the end of the war andspent 16 months in an American POW camp, able to write a diary. Bernd saw thatdiary. He also immigrated to America from East Berlin just after reunification.Bernd is passionate, eloquent, and brilliant. This radiates in this interview.I'm mesmerized by this story and by Bernd. Obvious reasons. Bernd lives inPhoenix, obtained his Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering in Germany, andworks at Worldstrings Promotion, a music agency. This is a rare and specialinterview.” Calvinhttps://www.youtube.com/c/ConversationswithCalvinWetheSpecIEs550 Interviews/Videos  9200 SUBSCRIBERSGLOBAL Reach. Earth Life. Amazing People.  PLEASE SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT**BERND HABER; Author, ‘Fritz Haber; The Complete Diary: 16Months in an American POW Camp' (German Grandfather captured near the end ofWWII); LIVE fr PhoenixA story about how “human destinies can get easily mixed up,”reminding us to pay attention to forces that might interfere with our lives inunexpected ways.YouTube: https://youtu.be/kAWPHuVG2rEBIO: Bernd, grandson of Fritz, was born in East Berlin afterthe Berlin Wall was erected. He grew up in the German Democratic Republic undera Communist ruling government. Bernd attended the Technische Universität inChemnitz, Saxony, Germany, and graduated with a Master's Degree in MechanicalEngineering, with a focus on Manufacturing Process Design and Computer-AidedManufacturing. Very early in his life, he began to show an interest in Germanhistory, music, and modern information technology. When the Berlin Wall,separating East and West Berlin, fell on November 9, 1989, his world radicallychanged - an event that allowed him to embark on a personal journey, eventuallyleading him to move to Phoenix, Arizona, where he lives today.Bernd's move to the United States connects him with Fritzwho served many months in an American POW camp in 1945-1946 after WWII ended.The - what could be called: The Häber Family Trilogy - link between him and hisgrandfather is Bernd's father Herbert Häber who had climbed up in the hierarchyof the East German Communist Party, the SED, and later became a member of thePolitburo in 1984, the political body composed of the highest officials of theparty, state, and security organs. In 1985, Herbert was expelled from thePolitburo due to a staged high-level plot against him. After Germanreunification in 1990, Herbert was indicted and prosecuted for being allegedlyresponsible, as a Politburo member, for some of the killings at the BerlinWall. He faced two related criminal trials at the District Court of Berlinbetween 1995 and 2004.Bernd is the author of several books, such as "LettersTo and From My Senators FLAKE and MCCAIN: How they might have failed to fulfilltheir constitutional obligation", "Tempest - 20th Anniversary",and "The Wondrous Story of Hugo and Matilda". Bernd co-led theSpanish Civil War history project together with Björn Krondorfer - Director,Martin-Springer Institute at the Northern Arizona University called"Stories from the Spanish Civil War" which includes Bernd's greatuncle (and brother-in-law of Fritz) and other International Brigades volunteersfrom the United States, the UK and Canada.

In this episode of Audiobook Lovin', narrator Heather Kay Ling shares an electrifying excerpt from "The Dragon Spy" by Bill Blume, a thrilling blend of Cold War espionage and supernatural suspense. It's 1983, and the CIA's most secret weapon isn't tech, it's teenagers. Raised and trained in a covert program known as the Greenhouse, Lynna Harrison is half-human, half-sea dragon... and fully committed to protecting her country. But when a mission in East Berlin reveals a traitor in their midst and a new enemy with super-powered operatives of their own, Lynna must decide who she can trust — and whether loyalty is worth dying for. Spycraft, secrets, and sea dragons collide in this gripping twist on the Cold War thriller — perfect for fans of X-Men, John le Carré, and Tom Clancy. Listen in for an exclusive preview and get ready to dive into the world of The Dragon Spy. Guest: Narrator Heather Kay Ling Website Post for more info: https://www.vivianaenchantressofbooks.com/2025/06/audiobook-lovin-2025-presents-s11-ep-8.html Audiobook Lovin's Main Site: https://www.vivianaenchantressofbooks.com/p/audiobook-lovin-2025.html We hope you have enjoyed this production of Audiobook Lovin' Series. Become a patron at www.patreon.com/AudiobookLovin Follow us on: Audible: adbl.co/3lbkxl2 Amazon Prime Music: amzn.to/32xUgaA Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3L3Nf25 Spotify: spoti.fi/38l1odY Soundcloud: bit.ly/AudiobookLovinSoundcloud iHeart Radio Podcast: ihr.fm/38qaZ31 Host: Viviana Izzo Podcast Intro & Outro: Narrator Stephen Dexter All rights reserved. This has been an Audiobook Lovin' production Copyright 2017 by Viviana Izzo, Enchantress of Books. Production Copyright 2017 by Audiobook Lovin' Audiobook Lovin' is a division of Viviana, Enchantress of Books. Please visit Viviana, Enchantress of Books to learn more about the Audiobook Lovin' Series. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, modified, copied, distributed, repackaged, shared, displayed, revealed, extracted, emailed, transmitted, sold or otherwise transferred, conveyed or used, in a manner inconsistent with the Agreement, or rights of the copyright owner. You shall not redistribute, repackage, transmit, assign, sell, broadcast, rent, share, lend, modify, extract, reveal, adapt, edit, sub-license or otherwise transfer the Content. You are not granted any synchronization, public performance, promotional use, commercial sale, resale, reproduction or distribution rights for the Content. For permission requests, please visit Viviana, Enchantress of Books for more information.

God's Existence: Deeper Thoughts for Greater Insights by Gary R. Lindberg Amazon.com Garyrlindberg.com Does evolution contradict the Bible, or is it another tool God used for Creation? Why was the Old Testament written? What should Genesis tell us about creation? How should we look at certain issues raised in Genesis such as Adam and Eve, missing people, descendants of Adam, and even the Great Flood? We want to evaluate whether or not Moses was real, and whether or not the Exodus really happened. When did the alleged Exodus actually occur? We seek answers to these and other questions to get a better understanding of those events so long ago. The answers may be shocking, surprising, or different than what we were told. A profound book that is "on fire" to discover new truths to age-old questions.About the author Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the author's parents moved just before his seventh birthday to Santa Maria, California. There he grew up and attended grade schools up through high school. The author is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in U. S. History. Then he volunteered to join the Peace Corps for two and a half years during which he taught primary school students and teachers various techniques in a trial school gardens program in the Ivory Coast which is located in West Africa between Liberia and Ghana. He became fluent in French during that time. After his Peace Corps service, he toured Europe and visited primarily Italy, Germany (including East Berlin then under Communist control), France, England, and the Netherlands. Since he was drafted, he volunteered for the Navy in which he served for four years. Next, he went to San Francisco State University where he earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a concentration in Management and Personnel. After that he began his 43-year career as a Human Resources professional for a number of major companies including National Gypsum, Celotex, McCormick (spices), Del Monte, Quebecor Printing, and Micro Lithography, Inc. He retired in November, 2019 to pursue personal endeavors.

With his fantastic new book, EMINENT JEWS (Holt), writer and critic David Denby explores the impact on American culture of Jews Unbound through profiles of Leonard Bernstein, Mel Brooks, Betty Friedan, and Norman Mailer. We talk about how he selected his four subjects, how each of them came of age in an environment that Jews hadn't experienced in millennia, the ways each handled the responsibilities of family against their careers, the difference between "Jew" and "Jewish," and which one unfolded the most to him over the course of writing the book. We get into why Bernstein's greatest role may have been as a teacher, how Mailer's magnetism persisted way beyond its expiration date, how Friedan changed the world but was always challenged by her midwest upbringing, and whether Brooks was being disingenuous when he made musical numbers of our the Inquisition and Hitler. We also discuss judgements David made over the course of his career as a movie critic, what he did when he finally gave up reviewing and how he eased back into the cinema, why he revisited the Lit Hum course at Columbia a few years ago, after previously revisiting it 30+ years ago for Great Books, his take on my my lightning round of classic lit questions, his non-Le Carré experience in East Berlin, his reaction to my parents taking me to History of the World: Part 1 when I was 9, and more. Follow David on Instagram • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Stripe, Patreon, or Paypal, and subscribe to our e-newsletter

Simon Wood served in the British Army's Royal Military Police in Berlin during the1980s. He describes the unique challenges he faced patrolling the Berlin Wall and policing British troops in the divided city. Discover the political tensions, the camaraderie with fellow soldiers, and the surreal moments such as being present at the post-mortem of Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess. We also hear about life at Checkpoints Charlie and Bravo, interactions with East German forces, and taking part in Flag Tours in East Berlin which resulted in various confrontations with Soviet troops. Episode extras ⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode405/⁠⁠⁠ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Threads ⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠ Love history? Join Intohistory ⁠⁠⁠https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Busses are joined by special guest Sigi Oblander, a dear friend and one of the founders of Global Outpouring. Having survived the intense hardships of growing up in communist-controlled East Berlin, Sigi has an understanding of surrender that most of American Christianity has yet to experience. Sigi shares some amazing testimonies of what God can do through an ordinary person with a fully surrendered life.Sigi will be the speaker on the opening night of Convention 2025! She always brings a deep, life-changing Word from the Lord, so come join us to see what God has in store! Registration is available on our website.EMAIL: feedback@globaloutpouring.orgWEBSITE: https://globaloutpouring.net Upcoming Events:Global Outpouring Convention 2025 Info and RegistrationGeneration Awakening Youth and Young Adult Retreat 2025School of the Supernatural – Translation by Faith 2025 Related Links:Podcast Episode 26: Freedom with Sigi and David Oblander – Part 1Podcast Episode 27: Freedom! Part 2 with Sigi and David Oblander“Sigi and I” By Gwen Shaw (Book)“Sigi and I” By Gwen Shaw (PDF)“Rich Wounds” by Sharon Buss CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIAGlobal Outpouring Facebook PageGlobal Outpouring on InstagramGlobal Outpouring YouTube ChannelGlobal Outpouring on X

Welcome to HODGEPOD with Rob Fredette, featuring an exclusive conversation with Bernd Haber, the grandson of Fritz Haber, an author whose diaries unveil captivating stories from World War II. Born and raised in East Berlin, Bernd recounts his journey to Phoenix, Arizona, and shares insights into his grandfather's experiences as a German soldier captured by American troops during World War II. Bernd delves into his grandfather's diary, being a POW in an American camp, life in post-war Germany. They also explore family secrets that span generations, including connections to the Spanish Civil War. The conversation paints a vivid picture of Germany's historical changes and the resilience of its people. RECORDED MARCH 29, 2025 HODGEPOD can be heard on APPLE, SPOTIFY, IHEART, AUDACY, TUNEIN RADIO AND THE PODBEAN APP. hodgepodallin@yahoo.com  

Welcome to HODGEPOD with Rob Fredette, featuring an exclusive conversation with Bernd Haber, the grandson of Fritz Haber, an author whose diaries unveil captivating stories from World War II. Born and raised in East Berlin, Bernd recounts his journey to Phoenix, Arizona, and shares insights into his grandfather's experiences as a German soldier captured by American troops during World War II. Bernd delves into his grandfather's diary, being a POW in an American camp, life in post-war Germany. They also explore family secrets that span generations, including connections to the Spanish Civil War. The conversation paints a vivid picture of Germany's historical changes and the resilience of its people. RECORDED MARCH 29, 2025 HODGEPOD can be heard on APPLE, SPOTIFY, IHEART, AUDACY, TUNEIN RADIO AND THE PODBEAN APP. hodgepodallin@yahoo.com  

Send us a textHEDWIGBefore we say auf wiedersehen to Season 14 with its eight revamps of the previously covered during the show's first five years, the boys of TGTPTU reveal their unexpected special little packages: 1x1's, wherein each host shall choose a single film by its merits of discussion and unlikelihood to be exposed on a future 4x4, creator, or thematic season. The first of these darlings is Thomas's: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (2001). Adapted from the rock musical of the same name that started as the collaboration between frontman of the NYC-based band Cheater (performing on stage as Hedwig's band) Stephen Trask and then actor later turned actor-director with this debut film John Cameron Mitchell. Hedwig's story, on stage told in song and monologue, of male-to-female surgery so as to marry an American GI and leave East Berlin originated from Mitchell's own experiences as a military brat in Germany and Kansas trailer parks while the jealousy and newer betrayal Hedwig expresses toward her protégé and superstar success/successor Tommy Gnosis (also played by Mitchell in the play but embodied by Early Aughts indie film darling and pod-contentious actor Michael Pitt) is elevated by Trask's music and lyrics and is expanded and enriched with animation, locations, and added characters (most notably Andrea Martin as the band's manager) for the silver screen.   Learn more about the progression from stage to screen from Thomas on research; jam out to Rock Facts with Ryan (sorry, mineralogists, but we're talking glam and punk rock here); former host Jack on vibes in the rhythm section wakes up mid-episode to like the film and dig the hand-drawn animation; and Ken lands his rimshot, getting to tell his joke that calls back to TGTPTU's Nolan coverage (Season 12).  Spoiler: You'll be hearing from four Hed heads.  Reminder: You don't put a bra in a dryer!  CONTENT WARNING: At least once during the episode the “f” word (“Ferengi”) is used. For those allergic to Star Trek and nerdom, our sincerest apologies. My you live long and prosper. THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I.Email: thegoodthepodandtheugly@gmail.comFacebook: https://m.facebook.com/TGTPTUInstagram: https://instagram.com/thegoodthepodandtheugly?igshid=um92md09kjg0Bluesky: @goodpodugly.bsky.socialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6mI2plrgJu-TB95bbJCW-gBuzzsprout: https://thegoodthepodandtheugly.buzzsprout.com/Letterboxd (follow us!): Podcast: goodpoduglyKen: Ken KoralRyan: Ryan Tobias

This week's episode is one you cannot miss. We're joined by the extraordinary Ute Monsen, whose incredible journey from the oppressive walls of East Berlin to personal liberation is nothing short of transformative. Raised in fear and under constant suppression, Ute's story will leave you rethinking everything you know about freedom. In this raw, honest conversation, she opens up about the challenges she faced and how she ultimately discovered a freedom that changed not just her life but her entire perspective. Tune in for a gripping, life-altering story that will redefine what freedom truly means—and how it can unlock your own inner peace.Also, remember to submit your questions or topic suggestions anonymously for a future Insight Exchange. https://collectinginsight.com/insight-exchange All episodes edited and mixed by Jake Musiker.

Ever wonder what spy books former CIA spy Valerie Plame can't put down? Today on Spybrary, host Shane Whaley is joined by none other than Valerie Plame—former CIA covert operative, bestselling author, and an iconic voice in the world of intelligence and espionage. For over a decade, Valerie Plame served on the front lines of national security, operating undercover in some of the world's most complex and volatile environments. Her CIA career—and the controversial public outing that ended it—has been the subject of headlines, books, and a major Hollywood film 'Fair Game' Now, Valerie Plame joins us for a very different kind of mission—her Spybrary Dead Drop 5. She'll reveal the five spy books she'd choose to stash in a hidden drop in East Berlin, the titles she'd rely on during a covert operation behind the Iron Curtain. From childhood favorites to deeply researched histories, Valerie's picks promise intrigue, insight, and a few surprises. Strap in—this is going to be a Spybrary episode to remember. The Dead Drop 5 is back! In this much-requested Spybrary feature, our guest is embedded behind the Iron Curtain and can request five spy books, a gadget, luxury items and more from their handler. Before we get to Valerie Plame's five favourite books do check out her event Spies at Seas. Valerie and her team have kindly offered a discount for Spybrarians.

In this episode of the On The Rail Podcast, we get into the intricacies of saddle making with custom saddle maker Joey Wenger from East Berlin, Pennsylvania. Joey shares his journey from growing up in a horse show family to becoming a renowned saddle maker. He discusses the challenges he faced starting his business, the learning curve of working with leather and tools without any prior experience, and how he gradually perfected his craft. Joey also provides insights into the importance of saddle trees, the process of designing custom saddles, and the evolving trends in the industry, particularly the rise of ranch saddles. This episode offers a thorough look at the dedication, craftsmanship, and innovation required to excel in the saddle making business.00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction01:22 Joey's Background and Early Years02:20 Starting the Leather Business03:39 Challenges and Learning on the Job06:12 Family Support and Initial Struggles10:54 Transition to Saddle Making20:22 Developing Custom Saddle Trees29:49 Saddle Making Process and Custom Orders38:56 Innovations in Saddle Design39:22 The Rise of Ranch Saddles42:39 Leather Tooling and Craftsmanship46:48 Challenges in the Saddle Industry50:33 The Impact of Rising Costs55:43 Future Trends and Opportunities57:17 Personal Reflections and Family Life01:01:25 The Importance of Quality and Customization01:08:20 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

Fritz Häber, The Complete Diary: 16 Months in an American POW Camp by Bernd Häber Amazon.com Worldstrings.com 16monthsaspow.com Examining history through family archives frequently complicates our understanding of the past. This complexity is heightened when descendants encounter diverse forms of testimonial evidence from a bygone era—whether it be a photograph, an object, postcards, official documents, or a diary—and undertake the challenging endeavor of deciphering the meaning of these personal remnants within the broader context of historical events. This diary stands apart from the typical World War II narratives found in documentaries, textbooks, and retellings, often providing only the highlights and a broad overview. For readers seeking a genuinely fresh and intimate perspective on the physical war and psychological war that unfolds beneath the surface, this real-life account offers an insightful and comprehensive experience. This is the story of Fritz Häber, a young German father who grappled with the dual responsibilities to his family and country. His reflections provide personal insights that extend beyond him to encompass broader global perspectives. Forced to serve in a Nazi anti-aircraft unit near Munich during WW2, he later endured 16 months imprisoned in an American POW camp. Fritz Häber begins his diary with this dedication: “I dedicate these pages to my wife and my children of whom I hope are still alive and whom to find well when I return from captivity… May these lines serve my wife in the future as a compensation for the long time during which she knew nothing about my well-being, and for the children to serve as an example of how human destinies can get easily mixed up.” Stories such as his prompt an exploration of our family histories and their untold narratives. They illuminate themes of resilience and survival, morality and choice. Even when these tales harbor discomfort or controversy, they possess the power to enlighten us and offer valuable guidance for our present actions. His steadfast and unyielding belief in his survival gave him the faith that he would be reunited with his family one day. Having endured physical and emotional challenges, his story is a timeless, powerful source of inspiration 75 years later and will resonate with future generations. From the author: n this book, which is both a diary and a memoir, you will meet my grandfather, Fritz Häber. As a child, he was just my grandpa, a jovial, vigorous, warmhearted man, whom I would visit during the occasional holiday vacation. It was only later when contentious, life altering, family events were revealed to me that I realized Fritz had served in Hitler's Wehrmacht during WWII, one of the most tumultuous and violent time periods of world history. I had so many questions. Although his part in this global drama can be considered minor, he extensively documented his experiences and shared his astute reflections on everything from human psychology to political philosophy. Like many history buffs, I have spent countless hours reading about high level diplomacy and watching documentaries that detail the technical and military aspects of war, but it was not until reading Fritz's diary that I could fully imagine both the momentous decisions he made and the drudgery of being a reluctant soldier. Fritz, an antifascist, not only warns “human destinies can get easily mixed up” during war, but also reminds us to pay attention to forces that might interfere with our lives in unexpected ways. I am excited to now share his story with you. About the author Bernd, grandson of Fritz, was born in East Berlin - after the Berlin Wall was erected. He grew up in the German Democratic Republic under a Communist ruling government. Bernd attended the Technische Universität in Chemnitz in Saxony/Germany and graduated with a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Process Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing.

This week on No Priors, Sarah and Elad talk with GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke about the rise of AI-powered software development and the success of Copilot. They discuss how Copilot is reshaping the developer workflow, GitHub's new Agent Mode, and competition in the developer tooling market. They also explore how AI-driven coding impacts software pricing, the future of open source vs. proprietary APIs, and what Copilot's success means for Microsoft. Plus, Thomas shares insights from his journey growing up in East Berlin and navigating rapidly changing worlds. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @ThomasDohmke Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 0:37 GitHub Copilot's capabilities 4:12 Will agents replace developers? 6:04 Copilot's development cycle 8:34 Winning the developer market 10:40 Agent mode 13:25 Where GitHub is headed 16:45 Building for the new challenges of AI 21:50 Dev tools market formation 29:56 Copilot's broader impact 32:17 How AI changes software pricing 39:16 Open source vs. proprietary APIs 48:01 Growing up in East Berlin

In this third episode of the East Germany series, Artie is joined by Deputy Minister and fellow Berlin tour guide Tina to discuss East Germany's first major crisis.By the early 1950s, West Germany was booming thanks to American subsidies, while the GDR remained in ruins, burdened by Soviet reparation payments. Living standards had declined, fuelling unrest. When the government ordered a 10% productivity increase without extra pay, anger boiled over. On 16 June 1953, workers in East Berlin went on strike. By the next day, protests had spread nationwide, turning into a full-scale uprising. Crowds stormed government buildings, tore down propaganda, and overpowered security forces. The SED was on the brink of collapse—until Soviet tanks rolled in.The uprising was brutally crushed, killing 55 people, with more subsequently executed after show trials. In response, the GDR expanded Stasi surveillance, cementing its status as one of history's most oppressive police states.The Ministry of History offers more than just podcast episodes! Check out our blog for engaging historical insights, access transcripts of episodes, subscribe to our newsletter for updates and early access to posts, and explore our digital content. Planning a trip to Berlin? You can even book a history tour with Artie himself! To find all this, simply head to our website. You can also follow us on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.Artwork by Leila Mead. Check out her website and follow her on Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 29 March 1974, Czesław Kukuczka stormed into the Polish embassy in East Berlin, threatening to detonate a bomb unless he was allowed to escape to the West. Shot at point-blank range while trying to cross the Berlin Wall, the identity of Kukuczka's killer remained a mystery for decades - until archive documents led investigators to former Stasi officer Martin Naumann. Naumann's historic trial made him one of the first former Stasi officers to be convicted of murder.Dan Hardoon speaks to Dr Filip Gańczak, the historian whose work helped bring Kukuczka's killer to justice.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: The Berlin Wall. Credit: Owen Franken/Corbis via Getty Images)

Download Bios:https://we.tl/t-kchI8WwhMT Playlist No 264 Another month commences our journey filled with wondrous sounds, where men and women harmonise with machines on an electric voyage, manifesting in atmospherics of interlacing moods static-hypnotic sequences diverse rhythms varied melodies and experimentation into strange soundworlds. Making their debut on our podcasts is flutist Liesbet, seamlessly blends with ambient guests and transports listeners into a sound and visual universe. For the first time since the EP was recorded in East Berlin over 40 years ago, the music of Martin Zeichnete, a disciple of Kosmische Muzik, can finally be heard. From The Sine label C37, an emotional downbeat album captures moments of love, loss and hope. Ambient producer from Finland Janne Hanhisuanto has described his work as spacious and cinematic. Rounding off with Matthew Labarge, whose orchestral mood unfolds like novels and yields new insights after many listens. 02.42 Kosmischer Läufer ‘Die Weisse Rose' (Track Club EP) https://kosmischerlaufer.bandcamp.com 07.51 Hello Mr Klaus ‘Il viaggio delle balene cosmiche (per Manuel, seconda parte)' (album The Fairy Of The Cyclical Journey) https://cyclicaldreams.bandcamp.com 16.47 Hanni Rani '24.03 (Studio 1, Warsaw)' (album Nostalgia) https://haniarani.bandcamp.com/album/nostalgia 21.41 Hanni Rani ‘The Boat (Studio 1, Warsaw)' 27.56 Janne Hanhisuanto ‘Barycentre' (album Moon On Man) https://jannehanhisuanto.bandcamp.com/album/moon-on-the-man 31.04 Janne Hanhisuanto ‘Moon And Sea' 37.33 Steve Roach ‘The Nurturing Ground' (album The Reverent Sky) www.projekt.com 50.04 Noveller ‘Mannahatta' (album No Dreams) https://noveller.bandcamp.com 58.10 Atlus ‘Holding The Moment' (album The Sun Will Rise Tomorrow) https://altusmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-sun-will-rise-tomorrow 01.03.46 Atlus ‘Such Fleeting Advancement (Stoic Mix)' 01.09.58 C37 ‘Between The Lines' (album) Into Thin Air) https://sine-music.bandcamp.com/album/into-thin-air 01.13.18 C37 ‘I Believe I Was Wrong' 01.17.00 C37 ‘Our Day Will Come' 01.20.51 Tom Eaton ‘Traces' (single) https://tomeaton1.bandcamp.com/track/traces-single 01.24.36 Urs Fuchs ‘Wolkenfee' (single ) www.bscmusic.com 01.29.46 DELREI ‘Mysterious Traveller' (album Live Curtarock Festival Curtarolo 07/26/2024 www.projekt.com 01.32.51 DELREI ‘Into The Wasteland' 01.36.11 Thaneco ‘Hercules Supercluster' (album Cosmic Atlas) https://thaneco-syngate.bandcamp.com 01.44.54 Thaneco ‘The Observable Universe' 01.51.54 Endless Dive ‘Petit Bain' (album Souvenances) https://endlessdive.bandcamp.com/album/a-brief-history-of-a-kind-human 01.54.44 Endless Dive ‘Iridescence' 01.57.00 Frank Tischer ‘The Grande Mirage' (album Circumpolar) https://franktischer.bandcamp.com 02.03.43 Frank Tischer ‘Cygnus' 02.06.47 Matthew Labarge ‘All Hope Illuminated' (Windy Starry Blue) https://www.matthewlabarge.com 02.11.10 Matthew Labarge ‘Night Divine' 02.14.59 Orchestra Indigo ‘Chimera#2' (album Hearing Visions) https://orchestraindigo.com 02.16.41 Orchestra Indigo ‘Hearing Visions' 02.21.17 Ivan Black ‘Follow The Leader' (album Dancing With The Stars) https://ivanblack.bandcamp.com/album/dancing-with-the-stars-2 02.28.56 Ivan Black ‘Pluto's Heart' (album Pluto's Heart) https://ivanblack.bandcamp.com/album/pluto-s-heart 02.36.21 Liesbet Leroy, Christian Alsemgeest ‘Calm After The Storm' (album Kindred Spirit) https://marenostrumlabel.bandcamp.com/album/kindred-spirit 02.39.09 Liesbet, Andrea Accorsi ‘Dawn Chorus' 02.41.29 Lightwave ‘To the Deep!/Waterfalls' (album Cantus Umbrarum) https://lightwave-musique.bandcamp.com 02.51.52 Lightwave ‘Tycho On The Moon/Apolgee' (album Tycho Brahe) 03.00.52 Lightwave ‘Sonnenstürme' (albums, Mundus Subterraneus) 03.09.46 Dirk Serries ‘Other Transformations' (album Treasure To The Stars (Streams Of Consciousness) *** www.projekt.com Edit ***

Citizens of the GDR were exposed to an idealised version of western freedoms made up of luxury shopping, blue jeans and cowboy flicks. Read by Helen Lloyd. Engelsberg Ideas is funded by the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit. Image: Intershop in Friedrichstrasse in East Berlin. Credit: Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo / Alamy Stock Photo

Today, Martin Luther King Day and the day before the reinauguration of King Ubu of the Divided States of America, is an appropriate time to revisit the life and legacy of the great Paul Robeson. Both great Americans, King and Robeson, were met with great resistance, incomprehension, and opposition in their day. While Dr. King is now justly celebrated with a national holiday, his legacy is often watered down by those, even right-wing extremists, that seek to attach their own agenda to his progressive legacy. Paul Robeson returned to his native country during the dark days of World War II. Shortly after the war ended, Robeson was also subject to incomprehension and oppression related to his embrace of Communism, which led to him being blacklisted and his passport being rescinded. Finally in 1958, after eight years of being hounded by the FBI, Paul Robeson finally regained the right to travel abroad. During the years of his blacklisting, he had effectively been unable to support himself. In thanks to his supporters following his emancipation, Robeson gave a celebratory concert on June 1, 1958 at his home church, Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Harlem. Shortly thereafter, he departed on years' long sojourn abroad. His first stop was the Royal Albert Hall in London, where he performed on August 10, 1958, the beginning of a nationwide tour across the UK. Thereafter he visited other countries as well, including East Germany, where he was particularly celebrated and revered and where, in 1959 in an East Berlin recording studio, he made a new recording of old and new favorites with his frequent collaborator Earl Robinson. Rare selections from each of these events are featured on this episode, which is enhanced with excerpts from, and commentary by, Paul Robeson on his greatest stage success, the title role in Shakespeare's Othello, a work which is distressingly relevant as the United States faces its greatest challenge in recent history. This episode is both a celebration of one of the greatest patriots our country has known as well as a warning of the pitfalls that await a nation that chooses to ignore or misrepresent those great Americans in lieu of hate-filled opportunists. Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel's lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody's core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody's Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.

David Mackay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America's Scottish Bastion in the Cold War. He continues his unvarnished anecdotes about his Cold War career as an officer in the Parachute Regiment. The conversation extends to further experiences in East Berlin, West Germany, Nigeria, and Northern Ireland, highlighting the varied roles and military duties he undertook—from Flag Patrols in East Berlin to being shot by the IRA  with many stops in between. Through David's unique humorous and reflective storytelling he sheds light on the often absurd and dangerous realities of being a British officer during the Cold War. All our combat episodes in one convenient playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6j6YJmRWzt42kYiPGkcFfa?si=95e5366e4ad945a3 Buy David book here https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9781849955546 Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode384/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social Follow us on Threads https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a narrative-redefining approach, Engaging the Evil Empire: Washington, Moscow, and the Beginning of the End of the Cold War (Cornell UP, 2020) dramatically alters how we look at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Tracking key events in US-Soviet relations across the years between 1980 and 1985, Simon Miles shows that covert engagement gave way to overt conversation as both superpowers determined that open diplomacy was the best means of furthering their own, primarily competitive, goals. Miles narrates the history of these dramatic years, as President Ronald Reagan consistently applied a disciplined carrot-and-stick approach, reaching out to Moscow while at the same time excoriating the Soviet system and building up US military capabilities. The received wisdom in diplomatic circles is that the beginning of the end of the Cold War came from changing policy preferences and that President Reagan in particular opted for a more conciliatory and less bellicose diplomatic approach. In reality, as Miles vividly demonstrates, Reagan and ranking officials in the National Security Council had determined that the United States enjoyed a strategic margin of error that permitted it to engage Moscow overtly. As US grand strategy developed, so did that of the Soviet Union. Engaging the Evil Empire covers five critical years of Cold War history when Soviet leaders tried to reduce tensions between the two nations in order to gain economic breathing room and, to ensure domestic political stability, prioritize expenditures on butter over those on guns. Written with style and verve, Miles's bold narrative shifts the focus of Cold War historians away from exclusive attention on Washington by focusing on the years of back-channel communiqués and internal strategy debates in Moscow as well as Budapest, Prague, and East Berlin. Grant Golub is a PhD candidate in U.S. and international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research examines the politics of American grand strategy during World War II. Follow him on Twitter @ghgolub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In a narrative-redefining approach, Engaging the Evil Empire: Washington, Moscow, and the Beginning of the End of the Cold War (Cornell UP, 2020) dramatically alters how we look at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Tracking key events in US-Soviet relations across the years between 1980 and 1985, Simon Miles shows that covert engagement gave way to overt conversation as both superpowers determined that open diplomacy was the best means of furthering their own, primarily competitive, goals. Miles narrates the history of these dramatic years, as President Ronald Reagan consistently applied a disciplined carrot-and-stick approach, reaching out to Moscow while at the same time excoriating the Soviet system and building up US military capabilities. The received wisdom in diplomatic circles is that the beginning of the end of the Cold War came from changing policy preferences and that President Reagan in particular opted for a more conciliatory and less bellicose diplomatic approach. In reality, as Miles vividly demonstrates, Reagan and ranking officials in the National Security Council had determined that the United States enjoyed a strategic margin of error that permitted it to engage Moscow overtly. As US grand strategy developed, so did that of the Soviet Union. Engaging the Evil Empire covers five critical years of Cold War history when Soviet leaders tried to reduce tensions between the two nations in order to gain economic breathing room and, to ensure domestic political stability, prioritize expenditures on butter over those on guns. Written with style and verve, Miles's bold narrative shifts the focus of Cold War historians away from exclusive attention on Washington by focusing on the years of back-channel communiqués and internal strategy debates in Moscow as well as Budapest, Prague, and East Berlin. Grant Golub is a PhD candidate in U.S. and international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research examines the politics of American grand strategy during World War II. Follow him on Twitter @ghgolub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In a narrative-redefining approach, Engaging the Evil Empire: Washington, Moscow, and the Beginning of the End of the Cold War (Cornell UP, 2020) dramatically alters how we look at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Tracking key events in US-Soviet relations across the years between 1980 and 1985, Simon Miles shows that covert engagement gave way to overt conversation as both superpowers determined that open diplomacy was the best means of furthering their own, primarily competitive, goals. Miles narrates the history of these dramatic years, as President Ronald Reagan consistently applied a disciplined carrot-and-stick approach, reaching out to Moscow while at the same time excoriating the Soviet system and building up US military capabilities. The received wisdom in diplomatic circles is that the beginning of the end of the Cold War came from changing policy preferences and that President Reagan in particular opted for a more conciliatory and less bellicose diplomatic approach. In reality, as Miles vividly demonstrates, Reagan and ranking officials in the National Security Council had determined that the United States enjoyed a strategic margin of error that permitted it to engage Moscow overtly. As US grand strategy developed, so did that of the Soviet Union. Engaging the Evil Empire covers five critical years of Cold War history when Soviet leaders tried to reduce tensions between the two nations in order to gain economic breathing room and, to ensure domestic political stability, prioritize expenditures on butter over those on guns. Written with style and verve, Miles's bold narrative shifts the focus of Cold War historians away from exclusive attention on Washington by focusing on the years of back-channel communiqués and internal strategy debates in Moscow as well as Budapest, Prague, and East Berlin. Grant Golub is a PhD candidate in U.S. and international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research examines the politics of American grand strategy during World War II. Follow him on Twitter @ghgolub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

In a narrative-redefining approach, Engaging the Evil Empire: Washington, Moscow, and the Beginning of the End of the Cold War (Cornell UP, 2020) dramatically alters how we look at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Tracking key events in US-Soviet relations across the years between 1980 and 1985, Simon Miles shows that covert engagement gave way to overt conversation as both superpowers determined that open diplomacy was the best means of furthering their own, primarily competitive, goals. Miles narrates the history of these dramatic years, as President Ronald Reagan consistently applied a disciplined carrot-and-stick approach, reaching out to Moscow while at the same time excoriating the Soviet system and building up US military capabilities. The received wisdom in diplomatic circles is that the beginning of the end of the Cold War came from changing policy preferences and that President Reagan in particular opted for a more conciliatory and less bellicose diplomatic approach. In reality, as Miles vividly demonstrates, Reagan and ranking officials in the National Security Council had determined that the United States enjoyed a strategic margin of error that permitted it to engage Moscow overtly. As US grand strategy developed, so did that of the Soviet Union. Engaging the Evil Empire covers five critical years of Cold War history when Soviet leaders tried to reduce tensions between the two nations in order to gain economic breathing room and, to ensure domestic political stability, prioritize expenditures on butter over those on guns. Written with style and verve, Miles's bold narrative shifts the focus of Cold War historians away from exclusive attention on Washington by focusing on the years of back-channel communiqués and internal strategy debates in Moscow as well as Budapest, Prague, and East Berlin. Grant Golub is a PhD candidate in U.S. and international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research examines the politics of American grand strategy during World War II. Follow him on Twitter @ghgolub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

In a narrative-redefining approach, Engaging the Evil Empire: Washington, Moscow, and the Beginning of the End of the Cold War (Cornell UP, 2020) dramatically alters how we look at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Tracking key events in US-Soviet relations across the years between 1980 and 1985, Simon Miles shows that covert engagement gave way to overt conversation as both superpowers determined that open diplomacy was the best means of furthering their own, primarily competitive, goals. Miles narrates the history of these dramatic years, as President Ronald Reagan consistently applied a disciplined carrot-and-stick approach, reaching out to Moscow while at the same time excoriating the Soviet system and building up US military capabilities. The received wisdom in diplomatic circles is that the beginning of the end of the Cold War came from changing policy preferences and that President Reagan in particular opted for a more conciliatory and less bellicose diplomatic approach. In reality, as Miles vividly demonstrates, Reagan and ranking officials in the National Security Council had determined that the United States enjoyed a strategic margin of error that permitted it to engage Moscow overtly. As US grand strategy developed, so did that of the Soviet Union. Engaging the Evil Empire covers five critical years of Cold War history when Soviet leaders tried to reduce tensions between the two nations in order to gain economic breathing room and, to ensure domestic political stability, prioritize expenditures on butter over those on guns. Written with style and verve, Miles's bold narrative shifts the focus of Cold War historians away from exclusive attention on Washington by focusing on the years of back-channel communiqués and internal strategy debates in Moscow as well as Budapest, Prague, and East Berlin. Grant Golub is a PhD candidate in U.S. and international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research examines the politics of American grand strategy during World War II. Follow him on Twitter @ghgolub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

In a narrative-redefining approach, Engaging the Evil Empire: Washington, Moscow, and the Beginning of the End of the Cold War (Cornell UP, 2020) dramatically alters how we look at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Tracking key events in US-Soviet relations across the years between 1980 and 1985, Simon Miles shows that covert engagement gave way to overt conversation as both superpowers determined that open diplomacy was the best means of furthering their own, primarily competitive, goals. Miles narrates the history of these dramatic years, as President Ronald Reagan consistently applied a disciplined carrot-and-stick approach, reaching out to Moscow while at the same time excoriating the Soviet system and building up US military capabilities. The received wisdom in diplomatic circles is that the beginning of the end of the Cold War came from changing policy preferences and that President Reagan in particular opted for a more conciliatory and less bellicose diplomatic approach. In reality, as Miles vividly demonstrates, Reagan and ranking officials in the National Security Council had determined that the United States enjoyed a strategic margin of error that permitted it to engage Moscow overtly. As US grand strategy developed, so did that of the Soviet Union. Engaging the Evil Empire covers five critical years of Cold War history when Soviet leaders tried to reduce tensions between the two nations in order to gain economic breathing room and, to ensure domestic political stability, prioritize expenditures on butter over those on guns. Written with style and verve, Miles's bold narrative shifts the focus of Cold War historians away from exclusive attention on Washington by focusing on the years of back-channel communiqués and internal strategy debates in Moscow as well as Budapest, Prague, and East Berlin. Grant Golub is a PhD candidate in U.S. and international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research examines the politics of American grand strategy during World War II. Follow him on Twitter @ghgolub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

In a narrative-redefining approach, Engaging the Evil Empire: Washington, Moscow, and the Beginning of the End of the Cold War (Cornell UP, 2020) dramatically alters how we look at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Tracking key events in US-Soviet relations across the years between 1980 and 1985, Simon Miles shows that covert engagement gave way to overt conversation as both superpowers determined that open diplomacy was the best means of furthering their own, primarily competitive, goals. Miles narrates the history of these dramatic years, as President Ronald Reagan consistently applied a disciplined carrot-and-stick approach, reaching out to Moscow while at the same time excoriating the Soviet system and building up US military capabilities. The received wisdom in diplomatic circles is that the beginning of the end of the Cold War came from changing policy preferences and that President Reagan in particular opted for a more conciliatory and less bellicose diplomatic approach. In reality, as Miles vividly demonstrates, Reagan and ranking officials in the National Security Council had determined that the United States enjoyed a strategic margin of error that permitted it to engage Moscow overtly. As US grand strategy developed, so did that of the Soviet Union. Engaging the Evil Empire covers five critical years of Cold War history when Soviet leaders tried to reduce tensions between the two nations in order to gain economic breathing room and, to ensure domestic political stability, prioritize expenditures on butter over those on guns. Written with style and verve, Miles's bold narrative shifts the focus of Cold War historians away from exclusive attention on Washington by focusing on the years of back-channel communiqués and internal strategy debates in Moscow as well as Budapest, Prague, and East Berlin. Grant Golub is a PhD candidate in U.S. and international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research examines the politics of American grand strategy during World War II. Follow him on Twitter @ghgolub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a narrative-redefining approach, Engaging the Evil Empire: Washington, Moscow, and the Beginning of the End of the Cold War (Cornell UP, 2020) dramatically alters how we look at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Tracking key events in US-Soviet relations across the years between 1980 and 1985, Simon Miles shows that covert engagement gave way to overt conversation as both superpowers determined that open diplomacy was the best means of furthering their own, primarily competitive, goals. Miles narrates the history of these dramatic years, as President Ronald Reagan consistently applied a disciplined carrot-and-stick approach, reaching out to Moscow while at the same time excoriating the Soviet system and building up US military capabilities. The received wisdom in diplomatic circles is that the beginning of the end of the Cold War came from changing policy preferences and that President Reagan in particular opted for a more conciliatory and less bellicose diplomatic approach. In reality, as Miles vividly demonstrates, Reagan and ranking officials in the National Security Council had determined that the United States enjoyed a strategic margin of error that permitted it to engage Moscow overtly. As US grand strategy developed, so did that of the Soviet Union. Engaging the Evil Empire covers five critical years of Cold War history when Soviet leaders tried to reduce tensions between the two nations in order to gain economic breathing room and, to ensure domestic political stability, prioritize expenditures on butter over those on guns. Written with style and verve, Miles's bold narrative shifts the focus of Cold War historians away from exclusive attention on Washington by focusing on the years of back-channel communiqués and internal strategy debates in Moscow as well as Budapest, Prague, and East Berlin. Grant Golub is a PhD candidate in U.S. and international history at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His research examines the politics of American grand strategy during World War II. Follow him on Twitter @ghgolub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno's studio is two big and old industrial units covered in graffiti, in what was East Berlin. This was where the company AGFA developed and made the chemicals that made colour photography possible. The ground is so polluted Saraceno's lease forbids him from growing any vegetables, and this matters to this environmentally concerned artist. But the industrial past of Studio Saracen is fitting as Tomás' work is highly technical. Here he has an architecture department, an arachnid research laboratory and an engineering works. He has about 40 people working on different projects. Tomás talks to Julian May about some of his projects, including Aerocene - sculptural hot air balloons that ascend and fly without the use of any fossil fuels, by capturing the reflected heat of the sun. His ambition is to create a kind of slow aviation, in which his balloons circumnavigate the globe on air currents.

"You go through this feeling to then be in freedom." The notorious photographer and bouncer talks about the ethos behind selecting the world's hardest door, early life in East Berlin and Berghain's 20th anniversary. Today's Exchange guest is Berghain's infamous figurehead and doorman Sven Marquardt, who was born and raised in German Democratic Republic (GDR)-era East Berlin. He lived a rebellious life as a queer punk in Prenzlauer Berg, which banned him from entering Berlin's central districts because of how he looked. It was during these years that he congregated with fellow East Berlin new wave kids and began documenting their relationships and his own life through photography. When the wall fell, electronic music and the exciting scene that arose in the DDR's vacuum became Marquardt's focus. He started partying at gay fetish parties and bouncing doors at new clubs alongside his brother. In this interview, he talks to RA Exchange producer Chloe Lula about how Berlin has evolved from his adolescence in the post-war years and his thoughts on the changes erasing institutions in the city's clubbing landscape today. He also reflects on the contemporary nightlife industry and how Berghain's policies have shifted with the times, initially catering to an almost exclusively gay male crowd but now welcoming a demographic more representative of the diversity of people who make up club culture. While German politics and the rise of the right wing have deeply affected him, he says, he recognizes the opportunities it enables for his community to use art and culture as a reactionary, countercultural force. Listen to the episode in full. Photo by Torsten Ingvaldsen.

"You go through this feeling to then be in freedom." The notorious photographer and bouncer talks about the ethos behind selecting the world's hardest door, early life in East Berlin and Berghain's 20th anniversary. Today's Exchange guest is Berghain's infamous figurehead and doorman Sven Marquardt, who was born and raised in German Democratic Republic (GDR)-era East Berlin. He lived a rebellious life as a queer punk in Prenzlauer Berg, which banned him from entering Berlin's central districts because of how he looked. It was during these years that he congregated with fellow East Berlin new wave kids and began documenting their relationships and his own life through photography. When the wall fell, electronic music and the exciting scene that arose in the DDR's vacuum became Marquardt's focus. He started partying at gay fetish parties and bouncing doors at new clubs alongside his brother. In this interview, he talks to RA Exchange producer Chloe Lula about how Berlin has evolved from his adolescence in the post-war years and his thoughts on the changes erasing institutions in the city's clubbing landscape today. He also reflects on the contemporary nightlife industry and how Berghain's policies have shifted with the times, initially catering to an almost exclusively gay male crowd but now welcoming a demographic more representative of the diversity of people who make up club culture. While German politics and the rise of the right wing have deeply affected him, he says, he recognizes the opportunities it enables for his community to use art and culture as a reactionary, countercultural force. Listen to the episode in full. Photo by Torsten Ingvaldsen. Audio overdubs by Marios Gavrilis.

It is day six of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas, and we are headed to Germany. After World War II, Germany was divided into four Allied occupation zones, with the Soviet Union controlling East Germany and East Berlin, while the United States, France, and the U.K. managed Western Germany and West Berlin. By 1949, Europe had transformed dramatically, symbolized by the creation of two Germanies. Initially, movement between the two regions was unrestricted, but as East Germans fled westward in droves, the border was sealed in 1961, culminating in the Berlin Wall, a defining emblem of the Cold War.  In Plauen, East Germany, young Volker Eckert grew up in a Communist city near the Czech border. As a child, Volker developed a fixation on hair, playing with his sister's dolls and mother's wigs, which sparked sexual fantasies he kept secret. By age 14, his obsession with hair escalated into violence. On May 7, 1974, he strangled his classmate Sylvia Unterdörfel in her home under the pretense of needing help with homework, driven by an uncontrollable urge to feel her hair. Fearing exposure, he killed her and staged her death as a suicide. Sadly, Sylvia would not be his only victim. In fact, there would be many more. Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode entitled ‘The Polaroid Killer: Volker Eckert.'A huge thank you to Sleep Creme for sponsoring this episode. Order your bottle today at sleepcreme.com. Use the code OTCPODCAST at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order! Thank you to our team:Written and researched by Lauretta AllenListener Discretion by Edward October from Octoberpod AMExecutive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky PawprintSources:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8BLkEZ7zk0&ab_channel=Mia%27sRealityChannelhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volker_Eckerthttps://murderpedia.org/male.E/e/eckert-volker.htmhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/07/crimehttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/dec/01/germany.gilestremletthttps://web.archive.org/web/20120103001441/http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_11264.shtml#ixzz5TG24bAlwhttps://www.novinite.com/articles/73211/Bulgarian+Victim+of+German+Sex+Killer+was+Pregnanthttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/nov/23/germany.gilestremletthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall

When she began her masterpiece The Handmaid's Tale in 1984, Margaret Atwood was living in West Berlin, just a stone's throw away from the Wall to East Berlin, with its omnipresent secret police. The world behind the Iron Curtain clearly influenced her famous future dystopia, in which she set as a rule that she would not include any horrors that humans had not already done in some other place or time in history.On the other side of the Wall, author Jenny Erpenbeck grew up in the east, the German Democratic Republic (DDR), experiencing the country's zenith as well as its disintegration and the victorious capitalist West just a few years later. In her award winning body of work, Erpenbeck has gone on to explore the complex history of Germany and greater Europe, where ordinary citizens become hostages to the grand ideas and ruptures of the times.Both Atwood and Erpenbeck are concerned with totalitarianism, with history and how it informs the present and the future, with our fragile normality, and how quickly it can turn into brutality. While they write lyrical and innovative fiction - incorporating mythology, literature and philosophy - the links to the world around us, either past, present or futures we are headed towards, are always there.Margaret Atwood has published more than 70 books of poetry, short story collections, novels, children's books,and essay collections. Stories like The Handmaid's Tale and the MaddAddam trilogy have made her a name across the world, and a number of her books have been adapted to film, TV, opera and ballet, and, like Erpenbeck, she is regularly mentioned as a favorite for the Nobel prize in literature.Jenny Erpenbeck is the author of a number of critically acclaimed and award winning novels, short story collections, plays and essays. Her latest novel, Kairos, won the 2024 International Booker Prize.In this event, these two exceptional authors met for the first time on stage, for a conversation about history and society, memory and hope for the future. The conversation was moderated by Helge Jordheim, professor of cultural history at the University of Oslo.The conversation took place on November 2st, 2024 in The University of Oslo's Ceremonial Hall. LitHouse is a podcast from the House of Literature in Oslo, presenting adapted versions of lectures and conversations featuring international writers and thinkers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wanna have a coffee? Well, I hope you're not an East German in the '70s & '80s, 'cos it's gonna be tough (and taste like wood).On this episode of History Flakes Pip & Jonny dive deep into the lukewarm cup of coffee that is East Germany's struggle to procure the brown stuff for its people. To do that we've enlisted the help of TikTok's own Call Me Steve. If you follow Jonny on various socials you may have bumped into Steve's excellent, deep, engaging, and humorous East German/Cold War content. He takes us on a ride through East Germany's economic woes as we sit and sip our own coffee (Jonny had tea...) in East Berlin's Café Sibylle.++++++Jonny's idea (sorry) to record this in a café was perhaps a little ambitious. Bear with us through some robotoic AI-sounding audio.++++++Want more Steve? You got it:YouTubeTikTokInstagram++++++ToursWant to book Pip & Jonny for tours you can get in touch via the Whitlam's Berlin Tours website.You can follow Jonny online on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and more!++++++Donations keep us running. If you like the show and want to support it, you can use the following links:Donate €50 •• Donate €20 •• Donate €10 •• Donate €5++++++SourcesBooksBrewing Socialism: Coffee, East Germans, and Twentieth-Century Globalization by Andrew Kloiber ⁠Communism Unwrapped: Consumption in Cold War Eastern Europe edited by Paulina Bren and Mary Neuburger ⁠Illustrierte Konsumgeschichte der DDR by Annette Kaminsky ⁠The Plans That Failed: An Economic History of the GDR by André SteinerStasi Fileshttps://www.ddr-im-blick.de/jahrgaenge/jahrgang-1977/report/reaktionen-auf-die-versorgungsprobleme-mit-kaffee-1/https://www.ddr-im-blick.de/jahrgaenge/jahrgang-1977/report/tendenzen-der-unzufriedenheit-in-der-bevoelkerung-1/https://www.ddr-im-blick.de/jahrgaenge/jahrgang-1977/report/tendenzen-der-unzufriedenheit-in-der-bevoelkerung-2/https://www.ddr-im-blick.de/jahrgaenge/jahrgang-1977/report/reaktionen-auf-die-versorgungsprobleme-mit-kaffee-2/

Today is the 35th anniversary of the Berlin Wall and East German border opening in the autumn of 1989. In this riveting episode, I speak with Dietmar Schultke, a member of the Grenztruppen, the East German Border Guards and delve into the life of those responsible for preventing escapes over the Berlin Wall and the East German Border. Dietmar opens up about his life in the GDR, sharing personal stories of his recruitment into the border troops, the rigorous training he endured, and the psychological pressures he faced during his service. Training in Eisenach prepared him for a potential third World War, with exercises in sharpshooting, combat, and gas mask drills. The psychological toll of such training was immense, as soldiers were constantly under surveillance, with one in ten being a Stasi informant. The cultural impact of the time was not lost on Dietmar. He vividly recalls attending a Bruce Springsteen concert in East Berlin, an event that felt like a taste of freedom amidst the oppressive regime. The concert was a beacon of hope, yet, the return to the border was a stark reminder of the barriers that still existed. Episode extras including links and videos here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode373/ Dietmar's web site https://www.dietmar-schultke.de The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've reached No. 90 on our list and it comes with a visit to Kansas via East Berlin as we watch the 2001 punk rock musical comedy ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch'. The film was written, directed and stars John Cameron Mitchell who had previously played the role on stage. The story follows a rock musician chasing after an ex lover who plagiarised her songs. Full of beautiful music and storytelling join us as we journey through Hedwig's journey in this cult classic!

The Berlin Wall is, for most, one of those historical topics you're aware of, but probably don't know a ton about. Well don't freak out because that's what we're here for. Post WW2 Germany was divided into zones with the U.S., U.K. and "France" taking stewardship of West Germany and the Soviet Union taking East Germany. Now this was right at the start of the Cold War,  East Berlin and West Berlin, which were also divided basically become a 24/7, 365 side by side comparison of Western Capitalism vs. Soviet Communism. Things got pretty bad in East Germany and East Berlin as their neighbors to the West thrived with the influx of western culture and that sweet sweet money. Well eventually J. Stalin got fed up with the embarrassment suffered due to the mass exodus of young talented people from East to West and decided to put a stop to that. How did he do it you ask, well he started building a wall. But it was what was happening on the East side of the wall that's really the story. Support the show

James Stejskal, ex-special forces, tells of the jubilant and vitriolic scenes, as the Berlin Wall came down. November 9th 1989 - the Iron Curtain descends. Hear how it was on the ground, as both ordinary citizens, and global intelligence services, descend on East Berlin, seeking the vast archives of information meticulously gathered over decades by the Stasi. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2008, Union Berlin played in the third division in German football. They were best known for the extraordinary atmosphere at their unique stadium, the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, which is surrounded by forest in East Berlin. But long term financial challenges for the club meant the stadium was becoming too run down to use. The team was at risk of having to move, until fans volunteered in their thousands to take on the renovation work themselves. Lifelong Union fan Sylvia Weisheit oversaw the project, and she tells her story to Kit Holden. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You'll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women's World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football's biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who've had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.(Photo: A supporter cements stairs during renovation work at Union Berlin's stadium. Credit: John MacDougall / AFP via Getty Images)

This episode explores Bridge of Spies (2015), the Cold War legal and political thriller directed by Steven Spielberg (and written by Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen). The film is based on the true story of American attorney James Donovan, who is assigned to represent Soviet spy Rudolf Abel after Abel is arrested in New York and prosecuted for espionage. The story takes a turn when American pilot Francis Gary Powers is captured by the Russians after his plane is shot down over the Soviet Union while conducting a surveillance mission. Donovan is then tasked with negotiating a high-stakes prisoner exchange—Abel for Powers—that culminates in a climactic scene on the Glienicke Bridge connecting Potsdam with Soviet-controlled East Berlin. The film is not only highly entertaining; it also provides a window into important legal issues around national security, criminal, and immigration law that still resonate today. Joining me to talk about Bridge of Spies are Lenni Benson, Distinguished Chair in Immigration and Human Rights Law at New York Law School, one of the nation's foremost authorities immigration law and a prominent advocate in the field, and Jeffrey Kahn, University Distinguished Professor at SMU Dedman School of Law, a leading scholar on constitutional and counterterrorism law, an expert on Russian law, and the author of a must-read article on the Abel case, published in the Journal of National Security Law and Policy. Timestamps: 0:00   Introduction2:19     Who were Rudolf Abel & James Donovan6:08    Cold War tensions and anxieties9:09    American justice on trial12:12    Misusing immigration law18:18    Abel's arrest and the legal issues in the case24:40  Abel's disappearance and coercive interrogation      30:23  A history of anti-communist hysteria 33:06 Cherry-picking from legal categories to avoid constitutional guarantees42:16  A frightening time for noncitizens engaged in political activity48:22  A foreshadowing of government abuses after 9/1153:55  A questionable citation to Yick Wo v. Hopkins59:17   The vast system of immigration detention105:24 Behind the Iron Curtain115:14  An ex parte conversation with the judge119:16  The aftermath for Abel, Donovan, and Francis Gary Powers123:31  The absence of women in important positions Further reading:Arthey, Vin, Like Father, Like Son: A Dynasty of Spies (2004)“‘Bridge of Spies': The True Story is Even Stranger Than Fiction,” ProPublica (Feb. 24, 2016)Donovan, James B., Strangers on a Bridge: The Case of Colonel Abel and Francis Gary Powers (1964)Epps, Garrett, “The Real Court Case Behind Bridge of Spies,” The Atlantic (Nov. 17. 2015)Kahn, Jeffrey D., “The Case of Colonel Abel,” 5 J. Nat'l Sec. L. & Pol'y 263 (2011)Sragow, Michael, “Deep Focus: ‘Bridge of Spies,'” Film Comment (Oct. 14, 2015)  Law on Film is created and produced by Jonathan Hafetz. Jonathan is a professor at Seton Hall Law School. He has written many books and articles about the law. He has litigated important cases to protect civil liberties and human rights while working at the ACLU and other organizations. Jonathan is a huge film buff and has been watching, studying, and talking about movies for as long as he can remember. For more information about Jonathan, here's a link to his bio: https://law.shu.edu/profiles/hafetzjo.htmlYou can contact him at jonathanhafetz@gmail.comYou can follow him on X (Twitter) @jonathanhafetz You can follow the podcast on X (Twitter) @LawOnFilmYou can follow the podcast on Instagram @lawonfilmpodcast

Juli begins by recounting her early years in East Berlin, a time marked by the tragic loss of her father. Drafted into the army just days before her birth, her father continually deserted to see his family, ultimately leading to his untimely death. This early loss left Juli and her mother to navigate a harsh landscape in East Germany alone. Life in East Berlin was a world of contrasts. Juli describes the indoctrination she experienced in school, where lessons were steeped in socialist propaganda. The Berlin Wall, a symbol of division and oppression, loomed large in her family's life, cutting them off from relatives in the West. Despite the regime's efforts to control information, Juli's family found ways to glimpse the outside world through Western television channels, fuelling her desire for freedom. As Juli grew older, she became increasingly aware of the regime's lies and the oppressive nature of the state. The revolutionary movements of the late 1980s, sparked by events like the Tiananmen Square massacre, galvanized her. Juli joined the Monday demonstrations in Leipzig, risking her safety to demand change. Juli's story doesn't end with the fall of the Wall. She moved to Ireland, where she built a new life and family. Her reflections on transitioning from a controlled, oppressive state to a free society are profound. She speaks candidly about the challenges of adapting to a new way of life and the lingering impact of her upbringing. East Germany episode playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gHCa6R8q5OXkUncJQmyFm?si=9cc56794cf7244bc Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode363/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Milde, the race director of the BMW Berlin Marathon joins Set the Pace to talk about what it's like to race 26.2 miles through one of Germany's most storied cities. With the marathon celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Mark has a lifetime of experience when it comes to this race because his father, Horst Milde, founded the race in 1974. This year will have a celebratory feel with lots of music along the course and a special exhibition at the Brandenburg Gate showcasing the history of the race. The past 50 years has seen dramatic change in Berlin, most notably, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 that had divided the city. Mark's father, along with other race organizers, rerouted the course from being run entirely in West Berlin to entering parts of East Berlin, yet still maintaining the fast and flat course that it's known for.Then, the great Meb Keflezighi will be here with NYRR member and seasoned marathoner Paola Marte, and today's Meb Minute which focuses on week 7 of training for the TCS New York City Marathon.FOLLOW NYRR: Instagram | Facebook | X | TikTokSUPPORT: Support the Set the Pace podcast! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.DISCLAIMERSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perhaps best known for his accomplishments on the field, at its core, Coach Troy Calhoun's work is about building athletes in to leaders of character.----more---- SUMMARY In this conversation, Coach Troy Calhoun discusses his journey from childhood to becoming the head football coach of the Air Force Falcons. He talks about his upbringing in a family of service and the influence of his parents. Coach Calhoun shares his experiences as a cadet at the Air Force Academy and the lessons he learned in leadership. He also discusses the intersections of athletics and academics and the importance of patience in navigating the highs and lows of life. In this conversation, Coach Troy Calhoun discusses the importance of resilience, patience, and delayed gratification in the pursuit of success. He emphasizes the need to slow down and assess challenges, rather than seeking instant affirmation. Coach Calhoun shares examples of cadets who have shown tremendous growth and success after facing initial difficulties. He also highlights the importance of instilling values and standards in his players, both on and off the field. Coach Calhoun discusses his philosophy on leadership, which includes being right alongside his people, knowing his craft well, and creating an environment where ideas and perspectives are valued. He also emphasizes the significance of believing in and supporting others. Outside of football, Coach Calhoun enjoys spending time with his family, learning, and maintaining a balance in life. He concludes by emphasizing the importance of passion, involvement with people, and the development of others in leadership.   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "Coach Calhoun can easily be considered a game changer and trailblazer shaping the world of sports, leadership and beyond." "You gotta go serve the people." "The discipline, the attention to detail, and the unselfishness for what was required and demanded in terms of teamwork." "If you push forward when you come out the other side, just the additional strength, the confidence." "Maybe you can share a story? And what I'm thinking about is when you talk about patience and affirmation showing in an outcome that is later on." "You know, I think it is more difficult than ever for a teenager, for all human beings."   SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |   LINKEDIN   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:50 Childhood and Upbringing 04:25 Discovering the Air Force Academy 05:22 Life as a Cadet 09:00 Leadership and Mentorship 10:27 Intersections of Athletics and Academics 13:23 Lessons in Leadership 16:06 Navigating Challenges and Growth 19:43 Transition to Coaching 22:54 Coaching and Leadership 23:23 Values and Character Development 25:46 The Power of Resilience and Patience 30:08 Instilling Values and Standards for Success 31:59 The Philosophy of Leadership 35:18 Believing in and Supporting Others 42:30 Finding Balance and Pursuing Personal Interests 49:34 Passion and Involvement in Leadership 51:59 The Reward of Developing Others   TAKEAWAYS Coach Calhoun's upbringing in a family of service shaped his values and commitment to leadership. His experiences as a cadet at the Air Force Academy taught him the importance of discipline, time management, and teamwork. Coach Calhoun emphasizes the value of mentorship and the impact it can have on young people. The intersections of athletics and academics provide opportunities for personal growth and leadership development. Navigating the highs and lows of life requires patience and a willingness to learn and grow. Resilience and patience are key qualities for success in any endeavor. Delayed gratification can lead to greater strength and confidence. Instilling values and standards is important for personal and professional development. Leadership involves being involved with and supporting your people. Believing in and supporting others can help them achieve more than they thought possible. Maintaining a balance in life and pursuing personal interests is important for overall well-being. Passion and involvement with people are essential in leadership. Developing others and helping them grow is a rewarding aspect of leadership.   ABOUT COACH CALHOUN BIO Air Force Academy Head Football Coach Troy Calhoun graduated USAFA with the class of ‘89.   Coach Calhoun can easily be considered a game-changer and trailblazer, shaping the world of sports, leadership and beyond.  He is the very dynamic head coach of the Air Force Falcons football team. Known for his innovative approach and unwavering commitment, Coach Calhoun has led the Falcons through remarkable seasons, transforming them into a formidable force in college football and as warfighters. With a career that spans over a decade at Air Force Academy, Coach Calhoun has earned a reputation for building resilient teams and cultivating emerging leaders using a blend of discipline and inspiration.  We'll walk through his journey from his days as a child, to becoming a cadet, then on to coaching and the challenges and triumphs he's experienced in and out of sports. We'll explore his unique strategies, his philosophy on leading and what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of leadership. He is among the most recognizable and respected figures in football.  - Image credit:  Ryan Hall, USAFA AOG   CONNECT WITH COACH CALHOUN RADIO SHOW  |  AIR FORCE FOOTBALL  |  FULL BIO     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Guest:  Coach Troy Calhoun '89  |  Host:  t. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Navier Walkewicz My guest today is Air Force Academy head football coach Troy Calhoun, USAFA Class of '89. Coach Calhoun can easily be considered a game changer and trailblazer, shaping the world of sports, leadership and beyond. He is the very dynamic head coach of the Air Force Falcons football team and a 2023 recipient of the Association of Graduates' Leadership Achievement Award. Known for his innovative approach and unwavering commitment, Coach Calhoun has led the Falcons through remarkable seasons, transforming them into a formidable force in college football and as warfighters. With a career that spans over a decade at the Air Force Academy, Coach Calhoun has earned a reputation for building resilient teams and cultivating emerging leaders using a blend of discipline and inspiration. We'll walk through his journey from his days as a child to becoming a cadet, then on to coaching and the challenges and triumphs he's experienced in and out of sports. We'll explore his unique strategies, his philosophy on leadership and what it takes to succeed at the highest levels. This promises to be an insightful and engaging conversation with one of the most respected figures in football and leadership. Coach Calhoun, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Coach Calhoun Well, thank you, Naviere, and what an honor it is to be a part of your show. Naviere Walkewicz Well, this is an honor for us, and I think what our listeners really appreciate about each of our guests is they kind of know a little bit about them, but once they start to learn about your paths and your journey, I think they really find ways to connect with you. So we hope that this will continue that trend so that they feel just as connected to Coach Calhoun as we do. Coach Calhoun We sure hope so. So let's kick it off, right?   Naviere Walkewicz Yes, let's do it. So, Coach, the way we like to start, we like to roll back the dial, we go back to when you were a child. What were you like as a child? Where'd you grow up? Coach Calhoun You know, I grew up in southern Oregon. Ironically, we settled in a town, it was a lumber town, which at that time was very labor-intensive. My dad was a high school teacher and a high school coach. My mom raised the kids and as soon as the kids started grade school — myself and my younger sister — she went and got a two-year nursing degree and then worked as an emergency room nurse. Naviere Walkewicz Wow, so you guys have a just a family of service. Coach Calhoun That's exactly it. I can't tell you how many times I heard my mom say, “You know —" we'd ask mom, “Hey mom, don't you know it's a holiday, it's Thanksgiving, it's, you know, you don't have to go to work today.” And she said, “No, you gotta go serve the people.” The way that resonates now when you look back and to have that kind of figure that way was very inspirational, still is. Naviere Walkewicz That's wonderful. And I can imagine that. So what were some of the experiences like in the Calhoun household when you were a child? Coach Calhoun You know, my dad, obviously being a coach, goodness, he knew so much about every sport, whether it was basketball or baseball. So myself and my younger sister, we both played all kinds of sports. It was year round. It was wiffle ball in our front yard, or it was, we learned how to pole vault at a really young age, which was hard to do. We had a little paved cement area and we had a basket on each end. So we were always playing 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 basketball. Naviere Walkewicz So who would win, your sister or you? Coach Calhoun She'd tell you she always won, but it was just an unbelievable upbringing that way. Naviere Walkewicz My goodness. So you're in sports, no one in your family was  serving in the military though, so how did that even touch your family? Coach Calhoun You know, great question. My mother had three brothers. This was in the early '60s. They were around 20, 22 years old and each enlisted: one in the Marines, one in the Navy and one in the Army. So we really thought, well, that's about the extent of it. And at the beginning of my senior year high school, I got a call from the Air Force Academy, one of the football coaches, who shared a little bit about the Academy. And I really, to be candid, I had no idea. I really didn't. And so my mom goes into work the next morning and asked one of the ER docs, who was also in the Reserves, and said, “Hey, there's this place called the Air Force Academy that called Troy last night, but I really would like for him to go somewhere where he can get an education. Do you know anything about the place?” And immediately one of the docs said, “Joan, if he has that opportunity, you have to make him go.” And she took it literally to heart. And ironically, two years later, my sister also came to the Air Force Academy too. Naviere Walkewicz Wow. truly connected. So let's talk about that. So your mom kind of helped facilitate that encouragement. What did that look like? So you came out here, what was that experience like? Coach Calhoun You know the very first day I arrived here was the first day of basic training, which is not the way to do it. Naviere Walkewicz You knew you were coming for football, but you had not been here yet. Coach Calhoun I had not because I played three sports in high school. I played football… Naviere Walkewicz Then you went right into basketball, then you went right into baseball… Coach Calhoun In the summers, it was all three. It was baseball in the evenings playing games. You'd have football workouts in the afternoon, and I ran the YMCA basketball camp in the morning for younger kids. So, yeah, Day 1 of arrival here was July 5, the morning of July 5, 1985. The first four days, I'm just telling you, I thought, “No way. How do I get out of here?” And I just vividly recall whether you're brushing your teeth or shaving thinking, “There's no way.” And then I got to thinking, you know, “Your mom's an ER nurse in an area where there are lot of significant accidents,” because it was the lumber industry, whether it was, you know, trees falling, accidents at the mill. I mean, just all kinds of different things. And I remember once in a while she'd come home, I thought, “Goodness, she had a real game that day. It's not one of those where the ball bounces one way or the other. And there's no way you can call home and say, no, this isn't for me.” Naviere Walkewicz So that makes sense. You develop that deep resilience you saw from your mom. So I want to talk, before we go into the Academy, let's talk about — you had that great family, it was shown to you as embodied through your mom, your dad, and obviously you and your sister. Were there any other leaders that inspired you? Your own coaches as well, or just teachers? Coach Calhoun Yeah, absolutely. I was blessed to have some really, really outstanding teachers. I don't know why. Math was always a strength, which I think helps while you're here at the Academy, they jump you right into calculus and then Calc 2 and then later on it's Aero and it's Astro. But the other part was to have teachers that taught you the value of history, you know, to understand yesterday. And we're always living to make the most of the present in the moment and what kind of vision we can put forth for the future. But to learn from some of the mistakes in the past, to learn from the good things in the past, just to know where that can be applied as we move forward too. And my high school football coach was incredibly influential. He ran an incredible program where not only did they win a lot, but more importantly than the result were the standards, the discipline, and more than anything else, just the attention to detail and the unselfishness for what was required and he demanded in terms of the teamwork. Naviere Walkewicz So you actually were living the life of a cadet as a high school football player. Coach Calhoun I tease people about this when I'm asked back home once in a while and I say, you know, all those times you were lining up just getting through the first 10 minutes of practice — which was stretching where you couldn't put your toes on the line, they had to be just behind it — I said, “After playing for Coach Thurman Bell in high school, basic training wasn't all that hard.” So, absolutely I do. Naviere Walkewicz I love that. OK, so the Academy recruited you for football, you showed up and you made it through basic training. So, let's talk a little bit about your life as a cadet, because I think we appreciate this about our athletes. We've had a chance to talk with Karl Falk, who was also on the team. I think what's interesting is there's more to the cadet life than just one facet. And so while I think athletics is a huge part of it, what were you like as a cadet? What were some of your experiences? Coach Calhoun You know, I actually did really well on the MPA part of it. I think the academic end took me a little bit of time, to be frank. Now I end up making the Dean's List towards the end of my time here at the Academy a few times. And yet you learn the value of time management. We're all blessed with the ability to make good choices, to be disciplined, to work hard. We all have that talent. And I think that's a key part of moving forward to coaching. You realize how important that is to share with young people. Yeah, that's in there, now we gotta tap into it. And certainly here at the Academy, it's just invaluable, all those intrinsic qualities that I think come to the surface. And I certainly felt that way, in a good number of facets were just how transformational it was for you as a human being. Naviere Walkewicz Some of our listeners are early in their leadership journeys and so I think there is a period of time where maybe there's more peer leadership. Can you share some examples when you're a cadet, what did that look like to you and where did you maybe struggle or soar? Coach Calhoun I'll say this, during the four-degree year I was fortunate enough to be with the older guys and to travel a good bit and so you naturally looked up to some of those juniors and seniors and those older players, and the older cadets too. I think the part that was so — it made such an imprint while you were here was really the strong interest that older students took, in this case older cadets, their first year, two-degree year, they're juniors or seniors in college, but how committed they were to younger grades, because, candidly, you rarely experience that maybe when you're in high school or even on other teams. Boy, I just, I thought that's so incredible where the older guys want to help the younger guys on your team or the older cadets truly do — the way they're invested and how much they care about the younger generation. Naviere Walkewicz Was there one in particular that kind of took you under his wing that there's something that you carry with you now in the way that you lead? Coach Calhoun I had so many, you know, they were teachers. I think that was the other part that was absolutely awesome. I think we both felt this at times, maybe in different ways. The commitment of our faculty here at the Academy, you know, to be able to go get extra instruction. You complete a quiz and maybe you didn't do real well on that quiz and the instructor comes to you and says, “Hey, let's find a time where we can get together,” and I think we know how unique that is in higher-level education in this day and age because there are a good number of universities where the classroom size may have 250 or 300 students, or there may be a teaching assistant or a graduate assistant, but here the expertise and truly the commitment to the cadets, it just made it even more inspiring to say, “All right, I want to be a good student while I'm here.” Naviere Walkewicz You actually are seen and felt in the classrooms here for sure. So you saw some of your upperclassmen really kind of pouring into you. How did that translate in your leadership as a cadet, either on the field or off? Coach Calhoun No doubt. I think not only, you know, while you're young person growing up, whether it's in your home, playing sports or you're working in a job or you're in your squadron during your time in Vandenberg or  Sijan, you see so many different ways to lead or to have impact. A lot of good and honestly, there are some times where you say, “No that might not be the most effective way to reach and to encourage and to mentor somebody,” and I try like crazy to learn from everybody, you know, because no matter what the encounter is or the experience, maybe let's pull from it. Naviere Walkewicz Is there anything from when you were a cadet that you carry now with you as a coach and leader? Coach Calhoun Yeah, an immense amount. I think more than anything else, you have to do everything you possibly can and it's no way can you put yourself in the soles of each person, but to realize that every human being is a unique individual. Are we trying to build teams? Absolutely. But we're trying to bring the most to tap into those talents of each person and to do everything we can to help them sprout. Naviere Walkewicz I think I can share firsthand with our listeners: I've had the great honor of listening to you introduce your team, introduce your coaches and I think what's so impressive about you is it's beyond just their name and maybe some of their stats, but you know them as people and you know them as how they are in their families. And I think that translates really, really well to all those pieces you just spoke to. Coach Calhoun Well, I appreciate it. I'll tell you this: I want to know them as deeply as you possibly can. I think in order to be the most effective for our team's sake, again, it's got to be person by person. And I truly believe in this day and age, it's easier to reach a young person than it's ever been. Not everybody would agree with that. And I say that from the standpoint — we all do, we spend so much time looking at a monitor or a phone or, you know, that whenever we have real human interaction and their sincerity, you know, there's a genuine feeling where this person's trying to help me grow as a leader, grow as a person, do a little better academically and realize the value of education or help me develop as a better football player too. Naviere Walkewicz Just to dig into that a little bit more, I think part of leadership is being able to have conversations that help people grow. Sometimes that's, “Hey, this is a good fit for you, this is not a good fit for you.” When you were a cadet, how did you navigate some of those conversations that's translated over time? Because I know a lot of our listeners feel like that's one of the biggest challenges in leadership. It's great when things are great, but when things aren't, how do we navigate that? Coach Calhoun Well, honesty. If you provide me, it may be critical, but I know you're doing it to help correct or to improve, you got me. I think the other part is to have a forever appetite and thirst to learn and to grow. And I think when that's really your heart, your mindset, that you're completely open to understand and various viewpoints that will help you do exactly that. Naviere Walkewicz I think that's powerful for people to really intake because, especially when it's coming from a place of care, and I think that's what we're in the business of and being open to feedback is really critical for leadership. So I'd like to transfer to when you graduated from — well actually before we do that, your sister was here. How were you as a cadet supporter of her? Coach Calhoun You know she had an amazing four years here at the Air Force Academy. She graduated No. 1 in her major academically, was a 10-time All-American distance runner in track and cross country, won six NCAA championships as a runner. Her senior year she was the NCAA champion in cross country and then won five other national championships in indoor and outdoor track. You know, she teases her brother a little bit. “So,” she says, you know, “you must suffer from big brother syndrome or older brother syndrome.” I say, “Cool it, young lady.” But, you know, she made the utmost of the cadet, the Academy experience. And truly I, boy, in so many ways, I looked up to my younger sister and I still do. Naviere Walkewicz Well, I understand why you chose baseball. So let's talk about when you graduated. What were the early years of post-graduation like for you? Coach Calhoun Yeah, I stayed for one year here at the Academy as a graduate assistant football coach and also taught a PE class. I'm thinking initially, “This will be kind of neat. You'll let down a little bit after you've been at the Academy.” But it was an awesome leadership experience. You know, the mentorship, the interaction, especially with the new cadets or new basics going through basic training, during that four-degree year being able to help them plan their schedule academically or teach them how if they have better footwork for this particular call they'll execute a play a little bit better or just interacting with them as people. My goodness, you realize, I mean just the various backgrounds, the interests, maybe the motivational levels too because that's real, the different strengths in terms of skills and talents — that was where you realized, my goodness, as a leader, as a coach in this case, how helpful you can be. Naviere Walkewicz Is that when the seeds were planted for you that you knew you wanted to coach golf and football down the road? Coach Calhoun You know, that wasn't the plan, it really wasn't. In fact, I really wanted to go to pilot training. Naviere Walkewicz So after that first year, what happened? Coach Calhoun Well, you have your physical late in your junior year, it was March of your two-degree year. And at that time, they said there's a little bit of distance concern. And we didn't have LASIK or PRK, you know? And so you end up taking a little different path naturally. Naviere Walkewicz So after you did the year here kind of teaching and also supporting the team, what did you do? Coach Calhoun I worked in management information systems in the Air Force and specifically it was a program where if the president, the commander-in-chief, had to send an EAM literally from one of the legs of the triad to launch, is it a real message? Can you authenticate the message? And is it dual key where it's truly two people that say, “Yep, it's a go?” Trying to recreate some of the roles and the intensity of what that situation may be and being able to get to execution and just to see it in so many fascinating ways because you saw it at the field level, with longer range missiles, the ICBMs, being able to interact with that community, to interact with a contractor for software for hardware, just every facet of it that way — you had an awful lot on your plate in terms of managerial leadership responsibility. Naviere Walkewicz Right off the bat, I'm familiar with that — I'm actually retired strategic command so, yes, everything you just shared is definitely important. So you did that, and then what happened? Coach Calhoun You know, I got a call when I was a first lieutenant from the Academy that said, “We'd like for you to come back.” So I came back for what would have been years five and six, my first two years as a captain here to the Air Force Academy and coached during those two years and recruited during those two years. One of the assistants on the staff, Jim Grobe, became the coach at Ohio University. He asked a few of us that were here at the Academy — It was Brian Knorr, was Billy Mitchell, it was... And then he went and asked Tim DeRuyter, who was a 1985 graduate of the Academy, if we wanted to join him at Ohio University. And that's exactly what we did. Naviere Walkewicz So you started your team there, and now we see a lot of that team has been part of this Falcon family as well. Coach Calhoun Absolutely, you know, and I think, you know, you just kind of knew immediately so much of what we leaned on initially were the lessons that we learned while we're here at the Academy. Naviere Walkewicz Can I pull on that thread a little bit? You're here as a captain, you're coaching. Let's talk about the intersections of athletics and academics because I think that's really important for our listeners just to understand, how you said earlier, those leadership skills translate. Can you talk a little bit more about that — what you saw in the cadets from your perspective as a coach? Coach Calhoun Well, I think I think there are so many different reasons why cadets come to the Academy. There are a good number of them that are either second-generational, second-generation or multi-generational in terms of military families. We probably, I know we do, we have many that are first-generational as far as being the reason why they chose to come to the Academy. Naviere Walkewicz Like you. Coach Calhoun Yeah. And yet what's neat is the rewarding part of it, whether it's seven years later or 15 years later, being able to see how many of them have absolutely thrived once they go on to active duty or even beyond in the civilian sector too. Just, boy, I mean, it's a process. It truly is. If everybody was ready on Day 1, we wouldn't need a United States Air Force Academy. We'd commission them right away. But during those four years, 47 months, the ups and the downs, so many different mistakes that are made, but to learn and to grow from those mistakes, I don't think we can ever take for granted. There's a reason why from really initially, the very first week, there's so many things that are spelled out in terms of our values. When it comes to respect for each human being, the work ethic, always give a third effort, the resiliency and the grit part of it, that really — that's what we want them to internalize in terms of the fortitude and the character. And then we go on to the other skills when they're here a little bit longer at the Academy. Naviere Walkewicz So some of our listeners love when there's shared ways of how they can navigate. You talked about some of those highs and lows. And I'm sure that happens in life, right? Not just on the field, but also academically and all of the different facets of life. So what would be just something you would share with a leader that's helping someone navigate through the highs and lows that's kind of cyclical? Coach Calhoun Yeah, I think more than anything else is to be patient, which kind of works a little bit… while you're here at the Academy initially. So much of it is creating an instant impulse or the instant drive rather than saying, “No. We're working with human beings here.” There are going to be some bumps and some struggles and some adversity, but let's help them realize that what may look like a real challenge, and it is a real challenge, or a real time of difficulty, if you push forward when you come out the other side, just the additional strength, the confidence, the forever resiliency that hopefully has become internalized. Naviere Walkewicz I love that. Teach a little bit of patience because I think in a society that is running so fast, everything is instantaneous, to teach our cadets, our future leaders, et cetera, to slow down and really kind of assess. Is that what you mean? Coach Calhoun Absolutely. And you hit the nail on the head. In this day and age, how quickly we can get anything, we think we're getting so much instant affirmation. That somebody re-liked or re-tweeted something that I said. You know, we think that's real affirmation. Or maybe that's not the case in terms of it really being best in terms of our well-being. Naviere Walkewicz So maybe can you share a story? And what I'm thinking about is when you talk about patience and affirmation showing in an outcome later on, maybe talk through, has that been someone that you've seen come through your program that maybe you thought was, “I don't know,” and then on the other end, you're just, “Wow!”? Coach Calhoun I have many, many examples. The reason why, you know, it's so many other — comparatively speaking, a college football program, how many are bringing a guy in, they're saying in Week 1 in June. In fact, I'll back up. Instead of  finishing high school in spring semester your senior year, we're going to bring you in in January so you can get going to classes, you can go through spring practices. That way, maybe we have you ready in the fall to be able to play right away. Where here, it's a different approach, you know? No, when you first get here, you're gonna start basic training and you're gonna go through five and a half weeks. We get you one tremendous haircut. No, you're not gonna have your phone or really any interaction with any kind of outside source, whether it's media, whether it's any kind of personal interaction unless you handwrite a letter, you got a pen right there and now exactly where to put the stamp on the top right hand part of the envelope. And so the foundation that you see here, probably specifically to the football part of it, it takes a little longer because there is that basic training prior to the freshman year or four-degree year. There is the first three weeks of June are going through CST or what used to be SERE, you know, prior to the three-degree year. And so football-wise, a lot of times maybe you don't see the real capability of that person until their two-degree year. And so the lessons that you have to share, I think especially with four-degree players is that, hey, it takes time, but you can cite so many examples of guys that didn't play a snap their freshman year, maybe only played in three games their three-degree or sophomore year. And whoa, PJ Ramsey has seen years as a First-Team All-Conference player. But why? You go back, incredibly hard worker, sharp, cared about other people and was incredibly committed to whatever his craft was at that time, whether it was school during the academic time, being a good cadet, or certainly when it came to football during those times, whether it was in the weight room, meeting rooms, just the commitment that way. Naviere Walkewicz Yes, that's a great example. How do you instill in your players the importance of those same standards off the field? Coach Calhoun You know, I think it is more difficult than ever for a teenager, for all human beings. And, you know, the amount of distractions that are present for all of us, you know, there's a lot more items happening on Facebook. There's a lot more media. There's a lot more judgment. To have the discipline to be able to put that aside at times, boy, that can become a strength for you later in life if you do develop that. There are times where you have to turn your phone off. I think the other part is you don't take for granted that everybody understands the values that maybe our team is — each team member is going to be committed to as a part of our program. I think you have to be very clear in terms of what those standards are, how you treat people. We're here to get an education. We're going to be completely committed to help you develop as a football player. But most importantly, when you're done playing football, whether that's at age 19, 22 or 32, we want to put you in a position where you can do tremendous work, whether it's in our Air Force or our Space Force. You can be a really strong contributing member of our community or whatever community in which you live. And to be a quality member of your family, whatever that may be in your personal life too. Naviere Walkewicz So you talked about some of those standards that you expect from the team. Can we shift a little bit to some of your philosophy on leadership that you've developed over the years, right? I'm sure that it's continued to evolve. You mentioned that you're learning all the time. What are some of those things? Coach Calhoun I'll say this. I think you have to be right alongside your people. Goodness, maybe 125 years ago during the Industrial Revolution, everything could be top down and dictated and say you have to be here from 7 to 3, you're working that shift or you have the late night shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. That's not where you're going to get the most out of people and certainly not where they're going to develop the most either. I think you have to know your craft incredibly well. Even the nuances, certainly strategically there has to be a vision, but even tactically, you know, they know if you know your stuff and, again, I just can't say enough about getting to know each individual human being too. Naviere Walkewicz How do you lead your staff so that they carry that same level of care — the cadets and the team members? Coach Calhoun Yeah, awesome question. You know, I think first of all, during the hiring process is making it quite clear in terms of every place has challenges or obstacles. Certainly if you come to the Air Force Academy and you coach football, you're a recruiter for the United States Air Force Academy, the admission standards. We're looking for somebody that's an exceptionally strong student, has a good bit of aptitude leadership-wise. And the other part of it is, yeah, there are some things that are involved here in terms of conduct, in terms of personal choices. And yes, you are going to serve because often, with a good number of the 17-year-olds with whom we interact initially they don't know that. Naviere Walkewicz That's right. So how do you communicate the values and the standards so that it does kind of reach them? Coach Calhoun Well, I think more than anything else, again, I think you have to be as much as you possibly can involved in the inner workings of how the day to day goes. And I don't think you can be distant. I don't think you can say, “Well, it's a little bit of the CEO mindset,” or, “I'll just tell people what to do.” That doesn't work real well in this day and age, especially. People want to know why. They want to know the logic behind a good number of the choices or decisions that we make for our program. I think deep down they appreciate that. I think you tend to get a little more buy-in when that's the case. And the other part, quite frankly, is trying to create an environment — not everybody feels comfortable this way, but where they will bring thoughts and ideas to you, the cadets do. And realizing that's embraced, because they have some pretty unique perspectives or adjustments. I mean, you're forever going to evolve and adapt. And that's a must, I think, in any environment, really in any industry in this day and age too. Naviere Walkewicz I mean, leadership is 360, right? Up, down, sideways. Can you share something that you learned in leadership from a cadet? Coach Calhoun Well, a bunch. I mean, the number of things they bring us. I remember one year we were playing at Army. This was in 2008. And it was a 12 o'clock Eastern kickoff, which is 10 o'clock Mountain. And so we left on Friday. We really didn't get any rest at all on Friday afternoon. And our meetings were a little bit hurried on Friday evening. And a couple of the junior cadets after the season came up and said, “Coach, would there be any way we could maybe leave on Thursday evening after practice, so we had all day Friday to carry forth on a regular schedule like we usually are accustomed to the 24 hours leading up to the game?” I was like, “You're on it. Let me go see what we can get done.” And it did not compromise in terms of more missed classes. They were better rested and they played better as a result. And so I think more than anything else is do everything you can again to make people feel welcome to bring different perspectives, especially when it makes our team better. Naviere Walkewicz Absolutely, that's a great example. Our listeners are always looking for, “I might not be the most seasoned leader. I might not be charge so I don't feel like I have a voice.” It sounds like what you're sharing is good leaders, make it an open field for feedback. Coach Calhoun Absolutely. I think more than ever how important that is. There are so many different viewpoints and perspectives. Like I share with the guys all the time, you know, I try to meet with the seniors frequently and just say, “Don't assume that I know,” you know — if there's not hot water in the showers and we aren't practicing good hygiene, boy, that's going to affect maybe having more viruses. Something that simple, you gotta bring it to me. Naviere Walkewicz That's wonderful so you make that open — that communication is key. Wow, this has been really incredible. Maybe tell some of our listeners, because I think a lot of times people will assume, well, this is what they do, this is all they do. What are some of the things that you enjoy outside of football? Coach Calhoun I think being with your family, trying to soak in as much of an imprint, to be with your own. I have kids. You know, that time and how much you learn from your own son and daughter. I've been beyond fortunate to have an incredible co-pilot with Amanda, just how bright she is, how caring she is, how perceptive, how much she's helped me coach, might not necessarily be X's and O's, but just when it comes to, you know, maybe how people are doing. And then the other part is I think the level of fitness, you know, to be committed that way. Naviere Walkewicz Is physical fitness a part of it? Coach Calhoun It is. trying to create some balance and perspective. You've got to carve out a little time, even in the heat of the season, you know, where that's the case. Naviere Walkewicz How do you do that? Coach Calhoun And well, I think you got to read. That's one way, you know, for many, and it is for us. Is there a spiritual balance there? There is. I think the other part of it is still trying to engage with people, because they bring you so many ideas and thoughts that may not be necessarily that are in our working field, but certainly we can carry over. Is it a new use of a technology? Is it a different way to look at nutrition? Just because of how important that is. And so I love learning. I think there are so many awesome examples that way. We went on a trip for 15 days here in early June, Amanda and I did, and we tried to digest as much World War II, Cold War, Holocaust and Europe. And it was just astounding how much we were able to learn during that journey. Naviere Walkewicz What did you take from that? Coach Calhoun Well, we were in Berlin. We spent two nights there in East Berlin — what was East Berlin. You know, and certainly you could recognize a good number of the buildings that were formerly in old East Germany. You could see some of the influence of the infrastructure and commitment, whether it was to business or facilities on the east side that's been made. That was unbelievable. You know, to go to Nuremberg, to go to Dachau, just how stunning it truly was. To go to Munich and then to come back up through, down into Austria and Switzerland. We ended up in Amsterdam and went through the Anne Frank house. More than ever, you realize how important it is, what we do at the United States Air Force Academy. The commitment to freedoms, to how you interact and treat people, the maturity and the respect, and how I believe even more strongly we need the United States Air Force Academy and the commitment to the values that we have here. And not only in our Air Force and our Space Force, but really to carry that forth into our communities and throughout our society. Navier Walkewicz Oh my goodness. What a trip to reinforce so much of what you live every day. Maybe you can share with us, as a coach, we talk about many successes. That's come with a lot of learning. What have you learned about yourself through the years? Coach Calhoun Well, it's not about you. You know, and I think especially as time passes, if you really want your team to perform at the highest level possible, goodness, it's got to be about the people that are especially at the front line. That's our players that are blocking and tackling; it's our coaches that are providing that individual, you know, individualized instruction. And are we doing everything we can to support them that way? And I think we all do in all of our roles. We know somebody really does have a strong, sincere interest in helping us achieve or to win. You know that. And that's where you want to gravitate towards, because they're going to help you change and transform. Trying to provide that to not only our young men that are a part of our team, but the number of young women that we have that support, whether they're as cadet managers or working and recruiting, it takes everybody. Naviere Walkewicz It really does. I think that's really powerful. It's Interesting when you know that someone believes in you, it's almost like you're capable of more than you ever thought possible. Coach Calhoun So true. I mean, I think we all can cite examples, whether it was a loved one, a family member, a teacher, a coach, somebody that you just knew they believed in you. And that's how you grow. That's how you change. Are there going to be failures and mistakes? Absolutely. Yet as we go through life, we can't be afraid to make a mistake. You know if you're flying an F-16, there are going to be some mishaps and yet hopefully you don't repeat those mistakes because you learn from them and that's how you grow. Naviere Walkewicz Coach, this has been amazing. Sometimes our listeners want to learn something interesting that you would share with us that you haven't shared with others. Is there a hidden talent or something that is unique to Coach Calhoun? Coach Calhoun I don't know if there's a hidden talent. I'll say this: I absolutely love what I do. I've felt that way all along. And yet maybe even more today than ever before. Just because now that you've done it for a few years, there have been a good number of young men. Maybe you were in their home when they were 17 years old and now you see them when they're 28 or 29 and they're flying F-35s or they're your team doctor like Travis Decker is currently, or guys that are working out in the corporate world. And so you see and the kind of fathers or maybe husbands they are that's quite impactful in fact it just tells you we got to go even harder here. So, you know, I think the other part that's so unique about the Air Force Academy too is we have to develop a warrior mindset. You know, and are there times where we are in an office setting? Yeah, there's a different demeanor there that you have to have in terms of the maturity and how you work together. Yet at the same time, we're developing young men and young women that are ready to be right at the tip of that spear too. You know, that's a requisite as part of our work is to prepare them to, if you have to eliminate an enemy or an object, to be in the right frame of mind to do that legally and operate in a way where you're following a candid order. Naviere Walkewicz You didn't share with us a hidden talent but we do know you love what you're doing. No, I'm just teasing. So, is there anything that I — so, two more things. One, I'm gonna ask you if there's anything I didn't ask that you really want to make sure our listeners hear. And then we always like to leave our listeners with like very specific kind of leadership lessons. So I'll just ask you the first one: What haven't I asked you that's on your heart to speak about today? Coach Calhoun Well I I'll say this: I think the other part that's so important for a service member or a cadet is there's somebody else that's been instrumental, whether it was in their upbringing or a co-pilot — I mentioned Amanda earlier — how invaluable they are to the performance of a person. And boy, you just know there's somebody in that — whether it was a parent, mom, dad, maybe a coach. Getting to know them a lot of times helps you too. There's so much insight that a parent provides me so often, even when a cadet is at the Academy. That's why you want to do everything you can. We talked about lines of communication, of trying to create that two-way dialogue. I know a lot — and it happens frequently in college coaching — there are a good number of coaches that say, “Man, those parents are something else.” I'm like, “Nah, I love my parents.” They share a lot with me. That helps me not only coach their son, but helps me develop and grow their young man too. Naviere Walkewicz I love that. Alright, well, I know our listeners are really excited to hear what are going to be those key items you want to share on leadership. But before we get there, I want to be sure that we provide a note of thanks to all of you listening to Long Blue Leadership. Naviere Walkewicz (Long Blue Leadership promotion) This podcast drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on all your favorite podcast apps. Be sure to send us your thoughts and comments at socialmedia@usafa.org and listen to past episodes at longblueleadership.org. Naviere Walkewicz So coach, I want to get back to you because this is all, and I know you said it's not about you, but today it's about you, Coach, and we're really appreciating this. What do you want to leave our listeners with? Because we have leaders of all levels and I think that's the whole point, right? You can be a leader at all levels. But what are some of the best leadership lessons you'd like to share? Coach Calhoun Well, you need to be doing something that you love, that you're passionate about. And the other part is, again, just the involvement that you have with your people. You know, to get in there literally where you're hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder. And I think sometimes whether you're in a leadership role or maybe you have a certain rank, you think, “I can't do that in order to maintain my distance professionally.” And I wholeheartedly disagree. I think you have to be able to operate from different perspectives as a leader. I think clearly you can still articulate and live the standards that are a part of your operation or your unit or your football program. But again, it's about people and that's what makes it go. I heard somebody say once, “If there were only computer chips or ones and zeros, the binary, then maybe we would need these standards or we wouldn't have some of these behavioral challenges,” yet we'd be really, really limited, not only in the growth, but the talent that gets to come to the surface. And it's our job to identify potential attributes and see them sprout, to see them change, and to see them grow. It's the greatest reward there is to help another human being, not only maybe in the future, be it their quality of life or to help them professionally, or maybe with a specific task. And that's what real leadership — that's what real coaching is. Naviere Walkewicz That's outstanding, Coach. Thank you. You've done this a couple times. Coach Calhoun Not like this. Naviere Walkewicz I appreciate you doing this then. Just kind of opening up. Was there anything else that was on your mind though? I didn't want to focus on asking you about the season. I'm sure you get plenty of that. Coach Calhoun No. Goodness, I think we hit the main points. You could talk about leadership — the breadth and the depth of what's involved — you could go on and on and on and on about how important so many things are, but I think we hit the key points, at least from kind of the way I see it.   Naviere Walkewicz Alright, I wanted to make sure we were able capture your thoughts on leadership in the way you feel really good about it because I think you're going to have listeners hanging on to every word. Coach Calhoun OK, thank you. If you need anything else, let me know. Naviere Walkewicz Oh, definitely will, Coach.   KEYWORDS Troy Calhoun, Air Force Academy, football, leadership, childhood, upbringing, cadet, coaching, challenges, triumphs, strategies, philosophy, success, sports, education, mentorship, resilience, teamwork, discipline, inspiration, resilience, patience, delayed gratification, challenges, growth, success, values, standards, leadership, involvement, support, family, learning, balance, passion, development     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation        

In 1983, punk rock was strictly forbidden in East Berlin. However, that didn't stop young music obsessive Mark Reeder, from Manchester in the UK, smuggling cassettes, and then a punk band across the Berlin Wall. Mark shares how he arranged for the West German band, Die Toten Hosen, to perform illegally at a secret concert in a church. This episode was produced by Paul Hanford and Rosalie Delaney. A Munck Studios production for the BBC World Service.(Photo: Members of the band Die Toten Hosen and friends in East Berlin in 1983. Credit: Mark Reeder)

In 1980, Dalkey United went on a football trip to Germany which ended up in East Berlin. A certain economist, festival director and once under 13s centre half was on that schoolboy trip and so began a lifelong fascination with all things East German. Less than ten years after that Dalkey Utd. trip, the country vanished. In her wonderful book, Katja Hoyer argues that amid oppression and frequent hardship, East Germany was home to a rich political, social and cultural landscape, a place far more dynamic than the Cold War caricature often painted in the West. This is one for cold war anoraks, communist nostalgists and the odd few intrepid ones who always know there's more to the story of any country than first meets the eye.  Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Germany's Jenny Erpenbeck is the winner of the International Booker Prize 2024 for her novel Kairos, translated by Michael Hofmann. She spoke with Eleanor Wachtel, who chaired the International Booker Prize jury, in 2015 about The End of Days, an imaginative story that spans the 20th century through the eyes of a character who lives multiple versions of her life. Erpenbeck also reflects on her own childhood, growing up in a literary family in East Berlin before the fall of the Wall, and the ways in which history, politics and her experience with personal and national transformations have inspired her work.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the greatest European playwrights of the twentieth century. The aim of Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) was to make the familiar ‘strange': with plays such as Mother Courage and The Caucasian Chalk Circle he wanted his audience not to sit back but to engage, observe and discover the contradictions in life, and act on what they learnt. He developed this approach in turbulent times, from Weimar Germany to the rise of the Nazis, to exile in Scandinavia and America and then post-war life in East Berlin, and he has since inspired dramatists around the world.WithLaura Bradley Professor of German and Theatre at the University of EdinburghDavid Barnett Professor of Theatre at the University of YorkAnd Tom Kuhn Professor of Twentieth Century German Literature, Emeritus Fellow of St Hugh's College, University of OxfordProducer: Simon Tillotson In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio productionReading list: David Barnett, Brecht in Practice: Theatre, Theory and Performance (Bloomsbury, 2014)David Barnett, A History of the Berliner Ensemble (Cambridge University Press, 2015)Laura Bradley and Karen Leeder (eds.), Brecht and the GDR: Politics, Culture, Posterity (Camden House, 2015)Laura Bradley, ‘Training the Audience: Brecht and the Art of Spectatorship' (The Modern Language Review, 111, 2016)Bertolt Brecht (ed. Marc Silberman, Tom Kuhn and Steve Giles), Brecht on Theatre (Bloomsbury, 2014)Bertolt Brecht (ed. Tom Kuhn, Steve Giles and Marc Silberman), Brecht on Performance (Bloomsbury, 2014)Bertolt Brecht (trans. Tom Kuhn and David Constantine), The Collected Poems of Bertolt Brecht (Norton Liveright, 2018) which includes the poem ‘Spring 1938' read by Tom Kuhn in this programmeStephen Brockmann (ed.), Bertolt Brecht in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2021)Meg Mumford, Bertolt Brecht (Routledge, 2009)Stephen Parker, Bertolt Brecht: A Literary Life (Bloomsbury, 2014)Ronald Speirs, Brecht's Poetry of Political Exile (Cambridge University Press, 2000)David Zoob, Brecht: A Practical Handbook (Nick Hern Books, 2018)

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the greatest European playwrights of the twentieth century. The aim of Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) was to make the familiar ‘strange': with plays such as Mother Courage and The Caucasian Chalk Circle he wanted his audience not to sit back but to engage, observe and discover the contradictions in life, and act on what they learnt. He developed this approach in turbulent times, from Weimar Germany to the rise of the Nazis, to exile in Scandinavia and America and then post-war life in East Berlin, and he has since inspired dramatists around the world.WithLaura Bradley Professor of German and Theatre at the University of EdinburghDavid Barnett Professor of Theatre at the University of YorkAnd Tom Kuhn Professor of Twentieth Century German Literature, Emeritus Fellow of St Hugh's College, University of OxfordProducer: Simon Tillotson In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio productionReading list: David Barnett, Brecht in Practice: Theatre, Theory and Performance (Bloomsbury, 2014)David Barnett, A History of the Berliner Ensemble (Cambridge University Press, 2015)Laura Bradley and Karen Leeder (eds.), Brecht and the GDR: Politics, Culture, Posterity (Camden House, 2015)Laura Bradley, ‘Training the Audience: Brecht and the Art of Spectatorship' (The Modern Language Review, 111, 2016)Bertolt Brecht (ed. Marc Silberman, Tom Kuhn and Steve Giles), Brecht on Theatre (Bloomsbury, 2014)Bertolt Brecht (ed. Tom Kuhn, Steve Giles and Marc Silberman), Brecht on Performance (Bloomsbury, 2014)Bertolt Brecht (trans. Tom Kuhn and David Constantine), The Collected Poems of Bertolt Brecht (Norton Liveright, 2018) which includes the poem ‘Spring 1938' read by Tom Kuhn in this programmeStephen Brockmann (ed.), Bertolt Brecht in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2021)Meg Mumford, Bertolt Brecht (Routledge, 2009)Stephen Parker, Bertolt Brecht: A Literary Life (Bloomsbury, 2014)Ronald Speirs, Brecht's Poetry of Political Exile (Cambridge University Press, 2000)David Zoob, Brecht: A Practical Handbook (Nick Hern Books, 2018)

#Berlin:     At odds with Macron, Orban, Trump. Judy Dempsey, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Editor-in-Chief: Strategic Europe, in Berlin. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/03/12/macron-allies-liken-him-to-churchill-for-ukraine-plan/ 1958 East Berlin