Podcasts about French

British politicians have been warned by the security services that they face a significant risk of espionage from the Chinese state, after an MI5 alert identified two LinkedIn profiles it says have been operating on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security. The UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis has warned that the government won't tolerate covert attempts by China to interfere in the UK's sovereign affairs.In the Philippines, prosecutors have charged several people in connection with an ongoing corruption scandal linked to inadequate or non-existent flood defences. Also: the global vaccine alliance GAVI says it has prevented nearly one and a half million deaths from cervical cancer through a three-year vaccination campaign in low-income countries. How AI could help speed up research into ways of stopping anti microbial resistance. A human rights group accuses the French oil giant, Total, of complicity in war crimes at one of its gas sites in Mozambique. Cambridge Dictionary names ‘parasocial' as its Word of the Year for 2025 - and should there be a universal scale to measure spice levels?The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

President Trump is set to meet with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. Semafor’s Matthew Martin explains how the meeting is a significant development in U.S.-Saudi relations. The acting head of FEMA resigned after just six months on the job. Brianna Sacks, reporter for the Washington Post, joins to discuss what comes next for the beleaguered agency. The Louvre heist highlighted how unequipped many French museums are to safeguard irreplaceable historical artifacts. The Wall Street Journal’s Stacy Meichtry examines why they’re so vulnerable. Plus, the U.N. Security Council delivered its judgment on Trump’s Gaza plan, Larry Summers responded to pressure over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and why turkeys cost so much more this Thanksgiving.

Ukraine Conflict: French Arms Deal, Sabotage, and the Perilous Battle for Pokrovsk. Guest: John Hardie. John Hardie reported that Ukraine signed a letter of intent with France to obtain 100 Rafale warplanes over 10 years, along with air defense systems. While this partnership is encouraging, Hardy expressed concern that Ukraine is excessively over-diversifying its future air fleet (including F-16, Grippen, Mirage, and Rafale) which complicates long-term sustainment and maintenance. Simultaneously, alarming reports surfaced that sabotage was blamed for an explosion on a major railway line in Poland used to supply Ukraine, fitting a pattern of suspected Russian covert operations against European infrastructure. On the battlefield, fighting continues in Pokrovsk (Picro). Hardy warned that if Ukrainian forces prioritize a politically motivated hold, they risk the encirclement and destruction of troops in nearby areas. Poor weather, such as fog, plays a significant role in the conflict, as Russians often time assaults during these conditions to impede Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance and FPV drones.1855 CRIMEA

In the autumn of 1954, France found itself gripped by a strange and unnerving spectacle. From quiet rural villages to bustling towns and cities, witnesses reported everything from flying discs, cigars and carrots, to little creatures in diving gear waddling beneath a glowing sphere. Newspapers buzzed with excitement as sightings unfolded night after night, spreading across the country like a raging epidemic. It was the first major group of UFO sightings outside of America, and by the end of the year, more than two thousand reports were made from people from all regions of the country, and all walks of life. Was it signs of an impending alien invasion, or all the outcome of a collective delusion? That was the question posed at the time, and it's still one that's never really been answered. SOURCES Michel, Aimé (1958) Flying Saucers and the Straight Line Mystery. S. G. Phillips Inc. NY, USA. Graeme Rendall (2024) The French UFO Wave of 1954. Independently Published. Gross, P. (2025). UFOS at close sight: the 1954 French flap sightings catalogue. Patrickgross.org. https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/1954/1954.html ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surely Henry V can't like what he's about to do, but he knows enough about what cruelty can deliver. It's 1418 and his forces have been instructed to lay siege to Normandy's glittering capital, Rouen. If he takes this city, Henry places himself in prime position to take the French crown. With this stakes this high, Rouen's starved and desperate citizens call for help from Paris. It falls on deaf ears.  To hear about the last time an English monarch invaded France, listen back to The Battle of Crecy in season 6.  Remember, you can always delve deeper into the history behind each episode by becoming a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes — now available to watch on video — you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, chat with Dan and the team, and get exclusive access to behind the scenes extras just for favourites.  Don't miss out. Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory  –  A Sony Music Entertainment production.  Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts  To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com  Learn more about your ad choices.  Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  Written and presented by Dan Jones Producer - Alan Weedon  Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Executive Producer - Simon Poole Production Manager - Jen Mistri  Production coordinator - Eric Ryan  Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux Head of content - Chris Skinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're unpacking a topic that so many families struggle to understand—Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD—especially when it shows up in children. My guest is Dr. Tamar Chansky, a clinical psychologist and author of the newly updated and revised edition of her seminal book Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In our conversation, Tamar and I talk about how our understanding of OCD has evolved over the past 25 years, what intrusive thoughts really are, and how parents can recognize and respond to them with compassion and clarity. Tamar walks us through her five-step approach for helping kids manage OCD effectively, and she offers a message of hope—reminding us that with the right support, children can learn to take charge of their thoughts and lead full, joyful lives. About Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D. Tamar E. Chansky, Ph.D., founder of the Children's and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety, has helped thousands of children overcome fears and gripping mental compulsions. She is also the author of Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking, Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Freeing Yourself from Anxiety. Things you'll learn from this episode How OCD can deeply impact family life and why awareness and understanding make such a difference Why recognizing the difference between typical anxiety and OCD is key to getting the right support How intrusive thoughts are more common than many realize—and can be effectively managed with treatment Why parents play a central role in helping children navigate OCD using structured, behavior-focused approaches How the five-step model empowers families to support change without reinforcing compulsions Why education, support, and understanding can ease parental fears and lead to better outcomes for kids Resources mentioned Dr. Tamar Chansky's website Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Powerful, Practical Program for Parents of Children and Adolescents (Updated in 2025) by Dr. Tamar  Chansky Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking: Powerful, Practical Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Resilience, Flexibility, and Happiness by Dr. Tamar Chansky Freeing Yourself from Anxiety: Practical Strategies to Overcome Fears, Worries, and Phobias and Be Prepared for Life–from Toddlers to Teens by Dr. Tamar Chansky Children's and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety in Plymouth Meeting, PA Dr. Tamar Chansky on How to Free Children from Negative Thinking (Full-Tilt Parenting podcast) Tamar on Instagram Natasha Daniels on Helping Kids Crush OCD (Full-Tilt Parenting podcast) Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids: 50 Fun Activities to Overcome OCD With CBT and Exposures by Natasha Daniels Filmmaker Chris Baier Helps Families Get Unstuck from OCD (Tilt Parenting Podcast) UNSTUCK: An OCD Kids Movie (Available with Spanish, French, Russian, Greek, Portuguese subtitles and an audio description) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did a story made up by a mother for her sick children turn into Babar The Elephant? Why did two immigrants to France create such a patriotically French cartoon in Asterix and Obelix? How should we feel about racist depictions of people of colour in beloved children's cartoons today? Listen as William and Anita explore the controversial debates about two of the most beloved cartoons from twentieth-century France: Asterix the Gaul, and Babar The Elephant. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Email: empire@goalhanger.comInstagram: @empirepodukBlue Sky: @empirepodukX: @empirepodukProducer: Anouska LewisAssistant Producer: Alfie RoweExecutive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we talk about Venezuela, casus belli, and drug smuggling.We also discuss oil reserves, Maduro, and Machado.Recommended Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnimanTranscriptVenezuela, which suffered all sorts of political and economic crises under former president Hugo Chávez, has suffered even more of the same, and on a more dramatic scale, under Chávez's successor, Nicolás Maduro.Both Chávez and Maduro have ruled over autocratic regimes, turning ostensibly democratic Venezuelan governments into governments ruled by a single person, and those they like and empower and reward, over time removing anyone from power who might challenge them, and collapsing all checks and balances within the structure of their government.They still hold elections, then, but like in Russia, the voting is just for show, the outcome predetermined, and anyone who gets too popular and who isn't favored by the existing regime is jailed or killed or otherwise neutralized; the votes are then adjusted when necessary to make it look like the regime is still popular, and anyone who challenges that seeming popularity is likewise taken care of.As a result of that state of affairs, an unpopular regime with absolute power running things into the ground over the course of two autocrats' administrations, Venezuela has suffered immense hyperinflation, high levels of crime and widespread disease, ever-increasing mortality rates, and even starvation, as fundamentals like food periodically become scarce. This has led to a swell of emigration out of the country, which has, during the past decade, become the largest ever recorded refugee crisis in the Americas, those who leave mostly flooding into neighboring countries like Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.As of 2025, it's estimated that nearly 8 million people, more than 20% of Venezuela's entire population as of 2017, has fled the country to get away from the government, its policies, its collapsed economy, and the cultural homogeny that has led to so much crime, conflict, and oppression of those not favored by the people in charge.This has also led to some Venezuelans trying to get into the US, which was part of the justification for a proposed invasion of the country, by the US government, under the first Trump administration in 2017.The idea was that this is a corrupt, weak government that also happens to possess the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Its production of oil has collapsed along with everything else, in part because the government is so ineffectual, and in part because of outside forces, like longstanding sanctions by the US, which makes selling and profiting from said oil on the global market difficult.Apparently, though, Trump also just liked the idea of invading Venezuela through US ally Colombia, saying—according to Trump's National Security advisor at the time, John Bolton—that Venezuela is really part of the US, so it would be “cool” for the US to take it. Trump also later said, in 2023, that when he left office Venezuela was about to collapse, and that he would have taken it over if he had been reelected instead of losing to Joe Biden, and the US would have then kept all the country's oil.So there's long been a seeming desire by Trump to invade Venezuela, partly on vibe grounds, the state being weak and why shouldn't we own it, that kind of thing? But underlying that is the notion of the US being a country that can stomp into weaker countries, take their oil, and then nation-build, similar to what the government seemed to be trying to do when it invaded Iraq in the early 2000s, using 9/11 as a casus belli, an excuse to go to war, with an uninvolved nation that happened to own a bunch of oil resources the US government wanted for itself.What I'd like to talk about today is the seeming resurgence of that narrative, but this time with an, actual tangible reason to believe an invasion of Venezuela might occur sometime soon.—As I mentioned, though previously kind of a success story in South America, bringing people in from all over the continent and the world, Venezuela has substantially weakened under its two recent autocratic leaders, who have rebuilt everything in their image, and made corruption and self-serving the main driver behind their decisions for the direction of the country.A very popular candidate, María Corina Machado, was barred from participating in the country's 2024 election, the country's Supreme Court ruling that a 15-year ban on her holding public office because of her involvement with an alleged plot against Maduro with a previous candidate for office, Juan Guaido; Guiado is now in exile, run out of the country for winning an election against Maduro, which Maduro's government has claimed wasn't legit, but which dozens of governments recognize as having been legitimate, despite Maduro's clinging to power after losing.So Machado is accused of being corrupt by Maduro's corrupt government, and thus isn't allowed to run for office. Another candidate that she wanted to have run in her place was also declared ineligible by Maduro's people, so another sub was found, Edmundo González, and basically every outside election watchdog group says that he won in 2024, and handedly, over Maduro. But the government's official results say that's not the case, that Maduro won, and that has created even more conflict and chaos in the country as it's become clearer and clearer that there's no way to oust the autocrat in control of the government—not through the voting box, at least.This is part of what makes Venezuela an even more appealing target, for the Trump administration, right now, because not only is Maduro incredibly unpopular and running the country into the ground, there's also a very popular alternative, in the shape of María Corina Machado, who could conceivably take control of things should Maduro be toppled. So there's a nonzero chance that if someone, like the US military, were to step in and either kill Maduro or run him out of town, they could make a very sweet deal with the incoming Machado government, including a deal that grants access to all that currently underutilized oil wealth.This is theoretical right now, but recent moves by the US government and military suggest it might not remain theoretical for much longer.In mid-November, 2025, the US Navy moved the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean—the USS Gerald R Ford being an aircraft carrier, and the strike group being the array of ships and aircraft that accompany it—it was moved there from the Eastern Mediterranean, where it was moved following the attack on Israel that led to Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip.This, by itself, doesn't necessarily mean anything; the shifting of aircraft carrier groups is often more symbolic than practical. But the US government has suggested it might us these vessels and aircraft to strike drug manufacturers across South and Central America, and specifically in Venezuela.This is being seen as an escalation of an already fraught moment in the region, because the US has launched a series of strikes against small boats in the area, beginning back in September of 2025.These boats, according to the US government, are drug smuggling vessels, bringing fentanyl, among other drugs, to US shores. So the idea is that the people aboard these boats are criminals who are killing folks in the US by bringing this drug, which is highly addictive and super potent, and thus more likely to kill its users than other opioids, into the country for illegal sale and distribution. So, the claim goes, this is a justified use of force.These strikes have thus far, over the past two months, killed at least 79 people, all alleged by the US government to be drug smugglers, despite some evidence to the contrary, in some cases. The US's allies have not been happy about these strikes, including allies the government usually relies on to help with drug-related detection and interdiction efforts, including regional governments that take action to keep drugs from shuffling around the region and eventually ending up in the US.Many US allies have also called the strikes illegal. The French foreign minister recently said they violate international law, and the EU's foreign policy chief said something similar, indicating that such use of force is only valid in cases of self-defense, and when there's a UN Security council resolution on the matter.Canadian and Dutch governments have been doing what they can to distance themselves from the strikes, without outright criticizing the at times vindictive US government, and some regional allies, like Colombia, have been signaling that they'll be less cooperative with the US when it comes to drug-related issues, saying that they would no longer share intelligence with the US until they stop the strikes, which they've called “extrajudicial executions.”An extrajudicial killing is one that is not lawful; it doesn't have the backing of a judicial proceeding, and thus lacks the authority typically granted by the proper facets of a government. Lacking such authority, killing is illegal. Given said authority, though, a killing can be made legal, at least according to the laws of the government doing the killing.The argument here is that while governments can usually get away with killing people, only authoritarian regimes typically and regularly to use that power to kill folks without going through the proper channels and thus getting the legal authority to do so.In this case, the facts seem to support the accusations of those who are saying these killings aren't legally legitimate: the Trump administration has launched these attacks on these vessels without going through the usual channels, and without declaring Congressionally approved war on anyone in particular. They've instead claimed that drug cartels are terrorists, and have said that anyone they suspect of smuggling drugs, or who they suspect in any way might be involved with the illegal drug making and smuggling industry, can be considered enemy, non-state combatants that they're allowed to kill at will.And as part of that declaration that the US government has the right to kill anyone they like who's involved in drug smuggling, in late-October 2025 it was reported that the US has identified targets on land, as well, some of these targets located within ports and airstrips across Venezuela, including those used by the Venezuelan government, which the Maduro regime allegedly also uses for drug smuggling purposes.This loops us back around to that original possibility that the Trump administration, looking for a casus belli, an excuse to go to war with Venezuela, may be using these strikes and the drug smuggling industry to get social and maybe legal backing for strikes that reach closer and closer to Maduro and the Venezuelan military.If the US were to strike some vital Venezuelan military ports, using drug smuggling as justification, but taking out Venezuelan military infrastructure and/or people in the process, would that be an act of war? Would that trigger a response from Maduro? Could that response then allow the US military to claim self-defense?These questions are up in the air right now, and that confusion could provide the opportunity to move fast and not have to suffer legal consequences until all is said and done, but it could also help shape the outcome of those decisions: ask for forgiveness, not permission, basically, but maybe not even forgiveness, if other aspects of the government come to support the Trump administration's decisions and rule in their favor, after the fact.Some analysts have said they suspect this drumbeat toward war with Venezuela is meant to solve several problems for the Trump administration. It could help them deal with plummeting approval numbers leading into a midterm election in 2026, and it could also give Trump himself cover from the escalating issue of the Epstein files, which, among other things, seem to connect Trump with someone who's become the world's most famous human trafficker and pedophile even more tightly than before.This sort of process may also serve to slowly bolster the perception that the presidency has more powers than it has traditionally wielded, like the ability to unilaterally declare war, even though such powers are supposed to rest with Congress; an extension of other efforts by this administration to reinforce the presidency at the expense of the checks and balances that are meant to keep the US government from becoming an autocracy, like the one in Venezuela.Show Noteshttps://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/01/27/venezuela-s-supreme-court-disqualifies-opposition-leader-from-running-for-president_6469941_4.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/06/venezuela-election-maduro-analysishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Venezuelan_presidential_electionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_Strike_Group_12https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/15/politics/venezuela-trump-military-what-we-knowhttps://www.cnn.com/2025/11/12/americas/venezuela-us-aircraft-carrier-reaction-latam-intlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/us/politics/trump-pressure-venezuela.htmlhttps://www.npr.org/2025/11/15/nx-s1-5609888/aircraft-carrier-caribbean-venezuela-military-actionhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/16/us-rogue-state-extrajudicial-killings-venezuelahttps://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/15/trump-maduro-venezuela-column-00652369https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/justice-department-drug-boat-strike-memo-83711582https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/world/americas/trump-drug-boat-strikes-colombian-fisherman.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7810w37vwdohttps://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2025/11/13/colombia-to-suspend-intelligence-sharing-with-us-over-boat-strikes/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_United_States_military_strikes_on_alleged_drug_traffickershttps://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2025/11/trump-boat-strikes-killings-venezuela/684921/https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/trump-boat-strikes-drug-9bbbeb90?mod=hp_lead_pos11https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrajudicial_killinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_in_Venezuelahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_refugee_crisishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_United_States_invasion_of_Venezuela This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

November 18th: Pierre Chanal Born (1946) There are some cases that, when looked at from an outside perspective, are very clearly mishandled. On November 18th 1946 the man at the center of what was later considered one of the most badly bungled investigations in French history was born. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Chanal, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/oct/16/france.jonhenley, https://murderpedia.org/male.C/c/chanal-pierre.htm, https://julesyus.medium.com/the-french-serial-killer-commando-9a374a18b784 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 283 of Growers Daily! We cover: how compost mulch acts differently in different regions, a potentially new way to nonprofit, and getting good brassica heads in hotter climates.  We are a Non-Profit! 

Is Antoine Griezmann the greatest player ever to feature under Diego Simeone? And why did his dream move to Barcelona never fully take off? Gary and Alex dive deep into the highs and lows of Griezmann's club career, asking whether a World Cup winners' medal makes up for the absence of a league title. They also revisit his Golden Boot heroics at Euro 2016 and celebrate his remarkable achievements with the French national team.  Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It's time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod.  It's FREE to join and as a member, you'll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at: therestisfootball.com https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

practice describing actions in progress in the present

practice describing actions in progress in the present

Christopher Ramos is currently serving as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He conducts the UVU Wind Symphony and directs instrumental studies within the music education area. He additionally teaches courses in conducting, music education, and music appreciation. He received the DMA in instrumental conducting at The Hartt School, studying with Glen Adsit and Edward Cumming. While at Hartt, he assisted in conducting Hartt's instrumental performing ensembles and the Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble, and as part of the adjunct faculty he taught courses for graduates and undergraduates in conducting, brass methods, diversity and belonging, jazz pedagogy, and in the core music theory sequence. Before Hartt, Chris served as a band director at Dalat International School in Penang, Malaysia where he taught Western classical and jazz music in performing and theory courses across grades 6-12, and his students were invited to perform in international festivals across Southeast Asia. He is also an active scholar working at the intersection of musicology, wind band studies, and music education with his latest publications forthcoming in the Music Educators Journal (NAfME) and the Utah Music Educators Journal (UMEA). In 2022 he received the Goldstein Award from the University of Hartford, and in 2016 he received the Joanne Kealinohomoku Prize from the Society of Ethnomusicology Southwest for his scholarship. He holds additional degrees from the University of New Mexico where he studied with Eric Rombach-Kendall, and from East Texas A&M University (formerly Texas A&M University-Commerce) where he studied with Phillip Clements (conducting), Luis Sanchez (piano), and Mike Morrow (horn). In addition to his conducting, researching, and teaching, he actively performs both on the French horn and at the keyboard. He has produced, performed, and conducted on records for the Naxos, Summit, and Parma record labels, and he has performed in and conducted ensembles in concert halls, stages, forests, and patios across the United States and Asia. An avid supporter of new music, he has been part of numerous commissioning projects for solo horn, chamber ensembles, and wind ensembles. He is a second-place winner in The American Prize for conducting and in 2025-27 he holds the Harry Begian Conductor Scholar Award at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. He is an active member in the College Band Directors National Association, Utah Music Educators Association, Utah Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, American Musicological Society, and National Association for Music Education, and is an honorary member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia National Music Fraternity.

Welcome to One Bright Book! Join our hosts Rebecca, Frances, and Dorian as they discuss I WHO HAVE NEVER KNOWN MEN by Jacqueline Harpman, translated from the French by Ros Schwartz, and chat about their current reading. For our next episode, we will be joined by book critic Sam Sacks for our fourth (!!!) annual most anticipated books episode. We will each come to the table with three books that we are excited to see published in 2026. Will we duplicate each other's choices? Will each of have enough choices in reserve to pivot if necessary? Will someone cheat and present more than three selections? These are questions that we love to pretend to care about each year. We hope you join us for what has become a highlight of our podcasting year! Want to support the show? Visit us at Bookshop.org or click on the links below and buy some books! Books Mentioned: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, translated from the French by Ros Schwartz Orlanda by Jacqueline Harpman, translated from the French by Ros Schwartz Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Wall by Marlen Haushofer, translated from the German by Shaun Whiteside Bear by Marian Engel The Road by Cormac McCarthy The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon Long Distance by Aysegül Savas Ugliness by Moshtari Hilal, translated from the German by Elizabeth Lauffer Electric Spark: The Enigma of Dame Muriel by Frances Wilson Like a Cat Loves a Bird: The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark by James Bailey A Dark Corner by Celia Dale Sheep's Clothing by Celia Dale The Face of Trespass by Ruth Rendell Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe You might also be interested in: The Yale Review. Further resources and links are available on our website at onebrightbook.com. Browse our bookshelves at Bookshop.org. Comments? Write us at onebrightmail at gmail Find us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/onebrightbook.bsky.social Frances: https://bsky.app/profile/nonsuchbook.bsky.social Dorian: https://bsky.app/profile/ds228.bsky.social Rebecca: https://bsky.app/profile/ofbooksandbikes.bsky.social Dorian's blog: https://eigermonchjungfrau.blog/ Rebecca's newsletter: https://readingindie.substack.com/ Our theme music was composed and performed by Owen Maitzen. You can find more of his music here: https://soundcloud.com/omaitzen.

As a teenager in early '60s France, Françoise Hardy somehow convinced a huge label to put out a debut 7-inch with songs she wrote—and it shot to number one! On this episode of the Spindle, Marc and John delve into the early history that launched Hardy's 60-year career as a French musical icon.Call us anytime at 1-877-WASTOIDS. More podcasts and videos at WASTOIDS.com | Follow us on Instagram and YouTube.

Psaumes 117:1-2

Send us a textFrench-Today's Advanced Word: [Le défi]Want to master this word and sound more like a native French speaker?

Iptamenos Discos announces Houdini, the new EP by label founders Local Suicide. The record features three of their darkest and most powerful originals to date, alongside striking reworks from French electroclash pioneer David Carretta and rising Greek EBM force Alpha Sect. Houdini begins with Obsessions, a song built around a brutal bassline, analog synthesisers, and stark vocal mantras. It's a melting pot of darkwave and techno influences. "Obsessions, they come and go" is hypnotically repeated throughout the ordeal, resulting in a relentless, claustrophobic dance track.  Obsessions by Local Suicide will release as part of the Houdini EP as a limited 12" vinyl and digitally on the 21st November 2025. Three original tracks, two remixes.

In this Corner Booth episode, host Chris Tripoli interviews Shawn Lalahzarian, founder and CEO of Red Chickz, a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in Nashville hot chicken. Shawn shares his journey from dishwasher to entrepreneur, detailing how his experience managing airport food operations helped shape his approach to restaurant concept development. His passion for flavor and crunch led to the creation of Red Chickz in 2018, with a menu that includes inventive items like Nashville hot shrimp, chicken and waffles, and French toast sandwiches—all built on authentic recipes sourced directly from Nashville. The conversation dives into Shawn's strategic approach to restaurant franchising, emphasizing the importance of building a strong operational foundation before scaling. He discusses how Red Chickz optimized its small footprint restaurant design to maximize efficiency and reduce labor costs, drawing from his background in airport operations. The podcast also explores how a negative review sparked the idea to franchise, leading to a smart growth model focused on consistency, simplicity, and selective franchisee partnerships. Listeners also gain insights into how Red Chickz leverages social media restaurant marketing, with over a million followers on TikTok helping to build brand awareness and customer engagement. Shawn outlines plans for East Coast expansion and long-term goals, including international growth, all while maintaining operational integrity. This episode offers valuable takeaways for independent operators looking to scale, improve operational efficiency, or explore franchise growth models in today's competitive restaurant landscape.

Fluent Fiction - French: A Sparkling Evening: How a Dazzling Idea United a Neighborhood Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/fr/episode/2025-11-18-08-38-20-fr Story Transcript:Fr: Dans une banlieue moderne de France, les feuilles d'automne s'éparpillaient élégamment sur les jardins bien entretenus.En: In a modern suburb of France, the autumn leaves scattered elegantly over well-kept gardens.Fr: Les maisons symétriques se ressemblaient toutes, mais chacune affichait un charme particulier à la tombée de la nuit.En: The symmetrical houses all looked alike, but each displayed a particular charm at nightfall.Fr: Brigitte, avec ses cheveux blonds brillants et ses yeux pétillants d'enthousiasme, avait une idée en tête.En: Brigitte, with her shiny blonde hair and eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, had an idea in mind.Fr: Elle voulait que sa maison éblouisse sous les feux d'un éclairage festif.En: She wanted her house to dazzle under the lights of festive decoration.Fr: Luc, admirateur secret de Brigitte, accepta volontiers de l'aider.En: Luc, Brigitte's secret admirer, readily agreed to help her.Fr: Il avait peu de connaissances en électricité, mais la perspective de passer du temps avec Brigitte valait toutes les incertitudes.En: He had little knowledge of electricity, but the prospect of spending time with Brigitte was worth all the uncertainties.Fr: Théo, quant à lui, prétendait comprendre les secrets de l'électricité.En: Théo, meanwhile, claimed to understand the secrets of electricity.Fr: Il aimait donner des conseils, même s'il doutait souvent de son propre savoir.En: He loved giving advice, even though he often doubted his own knowledge.Fr: Le plan était simple : installer des guirlandes lumineuses spectaculaires.En: The plan was simple: install spectacular light garlands.Fr: Brigitte, les yeux remplis de rêves, décrivit la scène : "On veut des lumières qui brillent de mille feux, comme dans un conte de fées."En: Brigitte, her eyes filled with dreams, described the scene: "We want lights that shine like a thousand stars, like in a fairy tale."Fr: Luc, déterminé à impressionner Brigitte, hocha la tête énergiquement.En: Luc, determined to impress Brigitte, nodded energetically.Fr: Théo, bien qu'un peu inquiet, tenta de rassurer ses amis avec des paroles pleines d'assurance.En: Théo, although a little worried, tried to reassure his friends with confident words.Fr: "Ne vous inquiétez pas, je sais ce qu'il faut faire."En: "Don't worry, I know what to do."Fr: Les préparatifs commencèrent.En: The preparations began.Fr: Luc déroulait les câbles, Théo vérifiait les ampoules, tandis que Brigitte organisait tout avec une attention minutieuse.En: Luc unrolled the cables, Théo checked the bulbs, while Brigitte organized everything with meticulous attention.Fr: Mais bientôt, des problèmes apparurent.En: But soon, problems appeared.Fr: Les câbles s'emmêlaient, les ampoules clignotaient sans coordination, et Brigitte commençait à se demander si ces lumières verraient jamais le jour.En: The cables tangled, the bulbs flickered without coordination, and Brigitte began to wonder if these lights would ever see the light of day.Fr: La tension monta lorsque Théo, en tentant de connecter une prise, provoqua une petite étincelle.En: Tension rose when Théo, attempting to connect a plug, caused a small spark.Fr: Luc recula, les yeux écarquillés.En: Luc stepped back, wide-eyed.Fr: "Peut-être qu'il nous faut lire les instructions", suggéra-t-il prudemment.En: "Maybe we should read the instructions," he cautiously suggested.Fr: Brigitte, retenant un soupir de frustration, prit l'initiative.En: Brigitte, holding back a sigh of frustration, took the initiative.Fr: Elle ouvrit le livret avec détermination.En: She opened the booklet with determination.Fr: "D'accord, écoutons ce qu'il dit", proposa-t-elle, un sourire amusé aux lèvres.En: "Alright, let's see what it says," she proposed, an amused smile on her face.Fr: Enfin, guidés par le manuel, leurs efforts se concrétisèrent.En: Finally, guided by the manual, their efforts came to fruition.Fr: Mais au moment crucial de l'illumination, une surcharge causa une brève et inoffensive coupure de courant dans le quartier.En: But at the crucial moment of illumination, a power surge caused a brief and harmless power outage in the neighborhood.Fr: Les lumières s'allumèrent enfin, dans un chaos lumineux, attirant tous les regards amusés des voisins.En: The lights finally came on, in a luminous chaos, drawing amused glances from the neighbors.Fr: Les trois amis se regardèrent, d'abord ébahis, puis éclatèrent de rire.En: The three friends looked at each other, first stunned, then burst into laughter.Fr: Les voisins, curieux, les rejoignirent dans ce moment de convivialité.En: The curious neighbors joined them in this moment of camaraderie.Fr: Brigitte comprit alors qu'au-delà de l'éclat des lumières, c'était la joie partagée qui comptait le plus.En: Brigitte then understood that beyond the brilliance of the lights, it was the shared joy that mattered most.Fr: Et ainsi, dans une soirée où tout avait semblé incertain, quelque chose de magique émergea.En: And so, on an evening where everything seemed uncertain, something magical emerged.Fr: Les rires résonnaient dans l'air, et Brigitte, Luc, et Théo savourèrent le succès inattendu de leur aventure lumineuse.En: Laughter resonated in the air, and Brigitte, Luc, and Théo savored the unexpected success of their luminous adventure.Fr: Peut-être que le spectacle n'était pas parfait, mais il avait uni le quartier d'une manière inoubliable.En: Perhaps the show wasn't perfect, but it had united the neighborhood in an unforgettable way. Vocabulary Words:the suburb: la banlieueautumn: l'automnescattered: éparpilléeselegantly: élégammentwell-kept: bien entretenussymmetrical: symétriquesnightfall: la tombée de la nuitsparkling: pétillantsenthusiasm: l'enthousiasmedisplayed: affichaitcharm: le charmeidea: une idéedazzle: éblouiradmirer: l'admirateurknowledge: les connaissancesprospect: la perspectiveuncertainties: les incertitudesadvice: les conseilsdetermination: la déterminationspark: l'étincelleplug: la prisemanual: le manuelpower surge: la surchargepower outage: la coupure de courantchaos: le chaosglances: les regardsneighbors: les voisinscamaraderie: la convivialitéshared joy: la joie partagéesuccess: le succès

Ever stepped into an elevator and wondered, what if the cable snapped? It's a surprisingly common fear — but is it justified? I'll reveal the truth about elevator safety, how often accidents really happen, and exactly what to do if the unthinkable occurred. https://www.businessinsider.com/survive-elevator-crash-fall-2015-9 Why do so many people swear by Apple, Starbucks, or Amazon? What makes certain brands almost irresistible? Behavioral science has the answer. My guest Michael Aaron Flicker — entrepreneur, founder of the Consumer Behavior Lab, and author of Hacking the Human Mind: The Behavioral Science Secrets Behind 17 of the World's Best Brands (https://amzn.to/4oepxEB) and he explains how brilliant companies use psychology and design to tap into your subconscious desires and shape your buying habits. The English language is full of stories hiding in plain sight. Did you know there are about 20 ways to pronounce the word water? Or that the word silhouette comes from the name of a despised French bureaucrat? Journalist Martha Barnette, co-host of the popular radio show A Way with Words (https://waywordradio.org/) and author of Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland (https://amzn.to/3WBqeM5), joins me to uncover the delightful, bizarre, and surprising history behind the words we use every day. Next time you notice your grocery store has rearranged everything, that's no accident. Supermarkets often shift products on purpose to keep you wandering longer — and spending more. I'll explain the subtle psychological tricks retailers use and how you can outsmart them. https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/articles/supermarket-tricks-cost-of-living PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Give and get timeless holiday staples that last this season with Quince.  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! DELL: It's time for Black Friday at Dell Technologies. Save big on PCs like the Dell 16 Plus featuring Intel® Core™ Ultra processors. Shop now at: ⁠⁠ https://Dell.com/deals ⁠⁠ NOTION: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one connected space that just works . It's seamless, flexible, powerful, and actually fun to use! Try Notion, now with Notion Agent, at: ⁠⁠https://notion.com/something⁠⁠ PLANET VISIONARIES: In partnership with Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative, this… is Planet Visionaries. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The daylight heist at the Louvre Museum in October, during which thieves made off with more than $100 million in crown jewels, captured the world's attention. But the theft was just one in a series that have taken place at museums all across France this year. WSJ's Noemie Bisserbe explains how the wave of heists reveals deep-rooted security vulnerabilities in the country's hundreds of museums— and raises questions about what it takes to protect national treasures. Jessica Mendoza hosts. Further Listening: - How an Antiques Dealer Uncovered a Massive Museum Heist - Six Days of Chaos at MGM's Casinos - How Investigators Cracked a $3.4 Billion Crypto Heist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Rome's Emperor Valerian fell into Persian hands, his defeat became one of history's most grotesque legends — a tale of humiliation, torture, and a death said to come by molten gold. | #WDRadio WEEK OF NOV 11, 2025==========HOUR ONE: When it comes to receiving the death sentence, history has given us several ways to go about the execution. Hanging, firing squad, gas chamber, being stoned to death or burned at the stake… but you have to be some whole new level of “hated” by the people if your death blow comes by way of molten gold being poured down your throat. (Death By Golden Throat) *** Typically, when you hear the phrase “high speed chase”, you think of law enforcement trying to catch the bad guys who are in a getaway vehicle. Perhaps after a bank robbery, or after blowing a stop sign and simply refusing to pull over. But have you heard about the time that the police were involved in a high-speed chase up to 100-miles-per hour, trying to catch up to a flying saucer? (The 100mph UFO Chase) *** When the Black Plague arrived at their doorsteps, the villagers were forced to choose between life or certain doom. It's the tragic tale of England's Plague Village – the village of Eyam. (The Black Death Comes to Eyam) *** In the 1800s, women finding themselves “with child” but unmarried, were treated like second-class citizens or worse. And during a time when birth control was limited or even unavailable outside of the rhythm method, what was a girl to do if she found herself in such dire circumstances? Fortunately, there was a woman there ready to help – to take the baby off their hands and give it a good home. Or so everyone thought. (Minnie, The Baby Farmer) *** On frozen lakes near Manitowish Waters, a hooded figure appears to ice fishermen, silently guiding them to the best spots for a catch before vanishing into the winter air. (The Ice Fisherman Ghost)==========HOUR TWO: Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray devised a scheme to get rid of Ruth's husband – and they planned it so well that, okay… actually no. They were so inept they were caught immediately, and even the police publicly called them incompetent. (The Dumb-Bell Murder) *** For over 2,000 years across South and Southeast Asia, trained elephants served as living instruments of execution, crushing condemned prisoners with calculated brutality under the control of their handlers. (Execution By Elephant) *** Before he became a Civil War general, Congressman Dan E. Sickles' scandalous murder trial changed our legal system forever. He said outright that he had killed his wife's lover. So how did he avoid being found guilty of the crime he admitted to committing? (How A Congressman Got Away With Murder) *** In 1150, two children were found near Woolpit in England – they wore strange clothes, spoke oddly, but the most identifiable characteristic for both children was their skin was green. The children themselves were a mystery – but what happened when they grew up? Did they marry? Did they have children? Could there be decedents of the green children of Woolpit living among us today? (Great Grandkids of Green Children) *** In the summer of 1518, a mysterious dancing plague seized the French town of Strasbourg, compelling hundreds to dance without rest for months—some until they collapsed and died—in a frenzy that baffled authorities and remains unexplained to this day. (Dancing Plague)==========SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: “Tom" and "Lena" are in a loving relationship and have a young child together. It sounds like the perfect family – except for one tiny detail about their relationship. Tom and Lena are biological brother and sister. (I Fell In Love With My Sister) *** In Norfolk, England the village of Eccles was slowly gobbled by the rising waters of the sea in the early 1600s. But even today, sometimes during a particularly heavy story, you can see St. Mary's Church mysteriously reappear… bringing with it, the dead buried in the church graveyard who cannot find rest. (The Disappearing And Reappearing Village of Eccles) *** Lory Price and his wife Ethel mysteriously disappeared from Marion, Illinois. But then, sometimes that happens when you are mixed up with the mob or may have learned something you weren't supposed to. (The Vanishing of Lory Price) *** The Catacombs of St. Callixtus in Rome, Italy, hold the remains of sixteen popes, several martyrs, and around half a million Christians, and according to on author, a not-of-this world entity. (The Callixtus Catacombs Entity)==========SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT'S SHOW:“Death By Golden Throat” by Genevieve Carlton for Weird History https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3586qeqk, Rachel Nuwer for Smithsonian Magazine https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/18pu2d9b, and Laurie L. Dove for History https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3vy6r2a9“The Black Death Comes to Eyam” by Stephanie Almazan for The Line Up: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/1aptirxk“Minnie, The Baby Farmer” from The Scare Chamber: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2eqd77xa“The 100MPH UFO Chase” from The Parajournal for The Times Online: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ntcaqk3y“The Ice Fisherman Ghost” by Charlie Hinz: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8nzemt“The Dumb-Bell Murder” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/192wwaer (includes execution photo)“I Fell In Love With My Sister” by Jennifer Tillman for Vice: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y2dmtp2e“Execution by Elephant” by Joanna Gillan for Ancient Origins: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8jj255“The Cursing of Christopher Case” by Gurnoor Kaur for Conspiracy Theories: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/145d147q“The Disappearing And Reappearing Village of Eccles” by Stacia Briggs for Eastern Daily Press:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5fopg2hq“The Vanishing of Lory Price” by Troy Taylor from his book “Bloody Illinois”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/lsi06qet“How A Congressman Got Away With Murder” by Genevieve Carlton for All That's Interesting:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2jantfjj“Great Grandkids of Green Children” from Ancient Code: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4u4xdypk“The Callixtus Catacombs Entity” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/aqhlme0r“Dancing Plague” by Cassandra Yorgey at HubPages: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycke4fwe==========(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for material I use whenever possible. If I have overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it immediately. Some links may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)=========="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46==========WeirdDarkness®, WeirdDarkness© 2025==========To become a Weird Darkness Radio Show affiliate, contact Radio America at affiliates@radioamerica.com, or call 800-807-4703 (press 2 or dial ext 250).

Join Mark and Max for this special episode of Coffee Break French, where we're talking about something a bit different. We receive emails and messages all the time asking us "where should I start?", so we thought we'd answer that in this episode. We share details about how Coffee Break French first started back in 2007 - and all of the French resources we have released since then.We hope you enjoy hearing about the history of Coffee Break, with a few secrets revealed along the way!Click here to access our secret link mentioned in the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A story about a young woman trapped in an underground prison with 39 other women sounds like it could be a stone cold bummer, and it isn't not that. But this translated French novel from 1995 also hits some affirming, human notes, and it's those aspects of it that help explain why it's found new life via word of mouth and BookTok. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace. Go to squarespace.com/overdue for 10% of your first purchase of a website or domain.Our theme music was composed by Nick Lerangis.Follow @overduepod on Instagram and BlueskyAdvertise on OverdueSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They offered initiation into ancient Christian mysticism, ritual communion with the spirits, an understanding of reincarnation, and the destined transition to inhabiting a "solar-body" in the Sirius star-system. But it all ended in murderous blood sacrifice and fire—and 74 dead believers. What is this dark preoccupation with sacrifice and ritual killing in the name of metaphysical belief? Grotesque to modern ears, yet quite commonplace historically. Julian covers the late 20th-century French cult, The Order of the Solar Temple, for his Roots of Conspirituality series. They identified with the Knights Templar, weaving Rosicrucianism and Theosophy into a tangled web of fraud, spiritual deception, and the dramatic, tragic deaths of everyone involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine, David & Matt preview the 2025 tennis season's denouement - the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna, Italy. Part One (00:00) - With Matt reporting from the ground in Bologna, the team look ahead to the first two quarter finals; France vs Belgium, and defending Champions Italy vs Austria. How will Italy cope with the absence of their two best singles players Sinner & Musetti? And can Paul Henri Mathieu complete a redemptive arc from devastating defeat as a player in the 2002 final, to captaining a winning French side in 2025?Part Two (33:22) - A preview of the second two quarter finals; Spain vs Czechia - a tie that many think will determine the outcome of the whole competition - and Germany vs Argentina. Does David Ferrer have questions to answer and a point to prove as Spain captain? And after of years of saying he'd never play the Davis Cup in its new format, why is Alexander Zverev lining up for Germany?Part Three (53:47) - Punchy predictions for how the week will unfold and who will be holding the trophy come Sunday. You can keep up to date with the Davis Cup Finals on the Davis Cup Instagram, TikTok and X, you can sign up to the free official Davis Cup newsletter at Daviscup.com and you can follow all the action on the newly updated World Cup of Tennis app, which brings together the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge. Search 'World Cup of Tennis' on App Store or Play Store to download for freeBecome a ⁠Friend of The Tennis Podcast⁠Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠new merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Talk tennis with Friends on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Barge! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt's Stat, mascot photos, Fantasy League updates, and more)Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (@thetennispodcast)Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One-on-one pod recorded live from Jason's hotel room in New York. We chat about us hosting the GQ Man Of The Year, a Congressman getting caught looking at Twitter porn on the plane, Malibu gets a Chrome Hearts hotel, Carrie Coon and Chinese singer KUN appearing on the same red carpet, a recap of all the celebs we interviewed, toothbrushing and hotel tipping etiquette, full English at the airport, when the omelette is too French, and Timmy has gone too far with the Phat Farm and Timbs. twitter.com/donetodeath twitter.com/themjeans howlonggone.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 282 of Growers Daily! We cover: gravel mulches, storing seeds, and it's feedback… monday.  We are a Non-Profit! 

On September 4, 1993, Hervé Villechaize — the French-born actor and artist best known as Tattoo on Fantasy Island and Nick Nack in The Man with the Golden Gun — died by suicide the age of 50 in North Hollywood. Rising from a difficult childhood in Paris, he became a global television icon whose exuberant cry of “De plane! De plane!” made him a household name and a trailblazer for actors with dwarfism. Though his life ended in tragedy after years of chronic pain and fading fame, Villechaize's legacy endures as that of a singular performer who turned difference into stardom. Hosts: Jason Beckerman & Derek Kaufman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

learn how to say 'happy' in French

This week's guest is an icon, a chef's chef, and a tireless culinary educator -- it's not hyperbole to suggest that the entirety of food media as we know it, a food media that respects food and the process of making it as a skill to be fostered and shared, is in his profound debt. Raised in his parents' restaurant near Lyon, Jacques Pépin went from unpaid apprentice and presidential chef for Charles de Gaulle to redefining American cooking after moving to New York in 1959, even turning down an offer to become John F. Kennedy's White House chef to learn the science and scale of food at Howard Johnson's. His landmark books La Technique and La Méthode, followed by decades of PBS series from The Complete Pépin to Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home, made rigorous French technique approachable for home cooks everywhere. Now he's channeling that lifetime of craft into the Jacques Pépin Foundation, which supports community kitchens and culinary job training for people facing barriers to employment -- all while celebrating his 90th birthday with 90 dinners across the country. He calls into the Joiners studio from his home in Connecticut to chew the fat with the boys in a conversation that spans seven-day-a-week apprenticeships in postwar France to dinner parties with Julia Child and James Beard -- including who actually did the dishes. 

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit psgtalk.substack.com and subscribe.Joining me on the latest Ensemble PSG Podcast is French football expert, Jonathan Johnson, to discuss injuries to key PSG players, January transfer targets, a look back at the defeat to FC Bayern Munich, future FIFA World Cup storylines, and a breakdown of the back-and-forth between Kylian Mbappé and a French music artist over a former Ligue 1 club.

Click Here to Text us. Yes really, you totally can.Click Here to Text us. Yes really, you totally can.We're closing in on our Christmas rants, but until then, the Turkey Month run of full episodes continues WITH:Guess WhatCountry Music's number one song on digital is completely made from AI! BECAUSE WE LIVE IN HELL!Your Goopy Gift GuideJ-Law and Emma Stone teaming up with their biggest co-star yet!Pray for the ones who have to cast Jessica Rabbit in this new movieDRAMA ON THE RED CARPET! We're TMZ nowEven WeirderNot convinced we live in hell? Check out this Spider CaveSome nerds think they can prove the universe isn't a simulationA family says their cursed by DIVORCE GOBLINSWhat is this mysterious blurry cube??Hot Griffins Caught on FilmBeyond The PaleWe talk the BEAST OF GEVAUDAN! My sources:Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Whatcha Wanna Talk About?We play a game of IMPROV TED TALKS. We mostly end up yelling at each other about mayonnaise. Check Out Our Website!Join our Discord!Check out our Merch Store HERE!Follow us @theneatcast on TikTok!Follow us @neatcastpod on BlueskyFollow us @neatcastpod on Twitter!Follow us @neatcastpod on Instagram!Follow us @theneatcast on Facebook!

The Final Furlong Podcast breaks down a blockbuster weekend across Cheltenham, Navan and Exeter with Emmet Kennedy, French racing analyst Adam Mills and Be Lucky Podcast host Daryl Carter. This episode is packed with Festival clues, powerful takes and serious betting insights. Presented by 1xBet.ie – more than 7000 events per day, fast withdrawals, and new customer specials. The link to 1xBet.ie is here: https://cutt.ly/0r7bzDoH 18+. T&Cs apply. Gamble responsibly. Your game, your odds, your 1xBet. Final Demand made a winning chase debut and is now a short-price favourite with 1xBet Ireland for the Brown Advisory. The lads analyse the performance to decide whether the hype is justified or overstated. Kopek Des Bordes and Lulamba also made perfect starts over fences for Willie Mullins. Daryl has backed one of them for the Arkle and Adam explains the key data that separates the potential stars from the pretenders. We revisit the Arkle Trial, where Put The Kettle On launched an unforgettable career for Henry de Bromhead. This year's winner July Flower is now unbeaten in two chase starts, but does she have the speed, class and technique to follow that path? Sean Bowen delivered a superb ride on Wade Out and the National Hunt Chase talk has begun, but not everyone is convinced. The team explain what the market is missing. Paul Nicholls compared No Drama This End to Denman after his hurdles debut but Adam and Daryl break down the form and numbers to test that claim from every angle. Mydaddypaddy made an impressive hurdles debut for Dan Skelton but does that make him a legitimate Supreme contender? The panel have questions. L'Eau du Sud cruised home in the Shloer Chase. Is he now a threat to the leading two-mile chasers and where does that leave Jonbon? COMPETITION We have partnered with Punchestown Racecourse ahead of Premiere Weekend featuring a Grade 1 double header: the Morgiana Hurdle on Saturday and the John Durkan Memorial Chase on Sunday. Last year's Durkan was race of the season and this renewal could be even stronger with Fact To File seeking back to back wins. We are giving away the final two pairs of weekend tickets. To enter, answer the question asked in this episode and make sure you are subscribed on YouTube. Winner announced on Thursday's show.

In his first-ever podcast interview, Ludovic de Saint Sernin traces the journey from a nomadic childhood to becoming one of fashion's most closely watched voices. He talks about the diary-like beginnings of his brand, the Mapplethorpe collaboration that became a full-circle moment, and why he sometimes becomes his own muse. We explore queerness, visibility, and the tension between intimacy and scale as his label grows, along with how travel, community, and personal history shape his work. He's a designer committed to beauty, honesty, and the freedom to define oneself. If you want to understand the world of LDSS—its sensuality, vulnerability, and conviction—this episode is the essential entry point. “Being contemporary now is being recognized for your uniqueness and cultivating it with audacity and strength, with a community around you that helps you build the message.” - Ludovic de Saint Sernin PS His collection for Zara is available in stores today. Episode Highlights: On names and identity The full name is a mouthful, even in French. LDSS exists so the world can say and recognize it easily while still honoring who he is. On an itinerant childhood Born in Brussels, raised in Abidjan, then dropped into Paris's 16th where labels mattered. It was the shock that taught him how clothes define presentation and power. On finding fashion From sketching landscapes and Disney to sketching clothes in Paris. A mother who spotted the obsession early and sent him to draw, paint, and sew. On family and those legendary road trips Seven siblings across three marriages, languages braided together, summers packed into a car from Brussels to Portugal. A chaotic joy that shaped his sense of community. On travel as fuel Travel began as risk and escape and became a network. Work trips are less sightseeing than people finding. Inspiration now comes from the community he builds city to city. On launching the brand Leaving Balmain, making a first collection alone, putting a diary on the runway, and discovering a business on the fly when buyers immediately placed orders. On message and responsibility Autobiography became brand DNA. The work mirrors his story and holds up a mirror to queer life today, insisting on visibility without losing grace. On Mapplethorpe and making it personal A full circle collaboration treated like a six-month devotion, with hand work by Ludovic himself and the show in New York to honor the photographer's city and spirit. On the designer as muse He steps in front of the camera when the story is intimate and the image needs his body to make sense. Be your own muse as liberation, not vanity. On what is contemporary now Visibility, audacity, community. Cultivating uniqueness with confidence and surrounding yourself with people who help you build the message. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the polymorphous writer Ursula K. Le Guin died in 2018, she left behind novels, short stories, poetry, essays, manifestos and French and Chinese translations. The huge and loyal readership among children and older readers that she built during her lifetime has only grown since her death, as has recognition of her work as ‘serious' literature. Chafing against her confinement in genre fiction, she liberated sci-fi, fantasy and YA literature from the condescension to which they had long been subjected. In 2016, she joined the short list of authors to be published in their lifetime by the Library of America. For the final regular episode of Fiction and the Fantastic (though there will be one more special episode) Marina and Chloe read ‘The Left Hand of Darkness' and ‘The Dispossessed': works of exceptional imaginative power and intellectual range, passionate idealism and keen-eyed observation. Is Le Guin's status in both literary and ‘genre' canons a testament to the force and clear-sightedness of her radical – even prophetic – political vision? And what does it mean for the fantastic if we accept her self-characterisation as a ‘realist of a larger reality'? Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe: Directly in Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/applecrff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In other podcast apps: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lrb.me/closereadingsff⁠⁠⁠⁠ Further reading and listening from the LRB: Colin Burrow on Ursula K. Le Guin: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n02/colin-burrow/it-s-not-jung-s-it-s-mine A collection of writing on science fiction from the LRB: https://www.lrb.co.uk/collections/in-hyperspace Amia Srinivasan on Le Guin's experiments with pronouns: https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n13/amia-srinivasan/he-she-one-they-ho-hus-hum-ita Colin Burrow discusses Le Guin with Thomas Jones on the LRB Podcast: https://www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and-videos/podcasts/the-lrb-podcast/magical-authority Next episode: A taxonomy of fantastic literature with Marina, Adam Thirlwell and Edwin Frank.

Today we're looking at African Americans at war in 1917-18 - nearly 400,000 thousand men in uniform, most assigned to hard, essential labor, a smaller number fighting in segregated units that navigated American racial policy and coalition warfare at the same time. We'll trace that story from recruitment and training through service with both the US Army and the French, and we'll ask what their experience tells us about military effectiveness, citizenship and memory. Thanks to James Taub for joining us on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/taubhistory.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-taub-670096103/⁠⁠ Book recommendations from James Taub: https://books.google.com.na/books?id=z17eEAAAQBAJ&printsec=copyright#v=onepage&q&f=false https://www.amazon.com/Harlems-Rattlers-Great-War-Undaunted/dp/0700619577 https://www.amazon.com/Pershings-Crusaders-American-Soldier-Studies/dp/0700623736 Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! E-Mail: ⁠nsq@battleguide.co.uk⁠ Battle Guide YouTube Channel:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT⁠ Our WW2 Podcast:⁠ https://battleguide.co.uk/bsow⁠ If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter:⁠ ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter⁠ Twitter: @historian1914 @DanHillHistory @BattleguideVT Credits: - Host: Dr. Spencer Jones & Dan Hill - Production & Editing: Hunter Christensen & Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vicki Basnight of Vicki B's in downtown Manteo, Chef Cody Hooker of Ballast Stone Catering, and Holden McOwen of Kiiind Cocktails stopped by the studio to share details about a spectacular event you won't want to miss. Enjoy an unforgettable evening of French and Southern French fusion cuisine, featuring a five-course dining experience curated by Chef Cody Hooker and perfectly paired with a hands-on mixology class led by Holden McOwen of Kiiind Cocktails. For more information and to buy tickets click the link: Kiiind Cocktails 

Send us a textFrench-Today's Advanced Word: [L'avantage]Want to master this word and sound more like a native French speaker?

Psaumes 116:1-19

A dust-up over comments on Taiwan made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have led China to warn its citizens against travel to Japan, threatening the country's crucial tourism industry. And the French government is hosting an investment summit aimed at convincing domestic industrial giants to invest in new facilities in France. 

Fluent Fiction - French: Unveiling Secrets: Art, Mystery, and a Hidden Treasure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/fr/episode/2025-11-17-23-34-02-fr Story Transcript:Fr: Par une journée d'automne à Montmartre, les feuilles dorées tourbillonnaient dans les rues pavées.En: On an autumn day in Montmartre, the golden leaves swirled through the cobblestone streets.Fr: Lucien, un jeune écrivain curieux, flânait dans un magasin d'antiquités.En: Lucien, a curious young writer, was strolling through an antique shop.Fr: C'était petit, mais plein de trésors.En: It was small but full of treasures.Fr: Les vieilles étagères boisaient des objets poussiéreux, des livres anciens, et même un vieux bureau.En: The old shelves were laden with dusty objects, ancient books, and even an old desk.Fr: Maëlle, une étudiante en art au sourire timide, l'avait rejoint.En: Maëlle, an art student with a shy smile, had joined him.Fr: Elle était là pour s'inspirer, ses crayons à la main.En: She was there for inspiration, her pencils in hand.Fr: Lucien et elle se connaissaient depuis peu, mais partageaient une passion pour le mystère.En: Lucien and she had not known each other long, but they shared a passion for mystery.Fr: C'est alors que Lucien remarqua un tiroir verrouillé dans le bureau.En: That's when Lucien noticed a locked drawer in the desk.Fr: Après avoir demandé au propriétaire du magasin, il parvint à ouvrir le tiroir avec un peu d'aide.En: After asking the shop owner, he managed to open the drawer with a bit of help.Fr: Dedans, se trouvait une lettre mystérieuse.En: Inside, there was a mysterious letter.Fr: Elle était codée, remplie de symboles étranges.En: It was coded, filled with strange symbols.Fr: Lucien voulait à tout prix déchiffrer ce mystère, mais les références dans la lettre le déconcertaient.En: Lucien was eager to decipher this mystery, but the references in the letter puzzled him.Fr: Il parla à Maëlle, plein d'espoir qu'elle pourrait l'aider.En: He spoke to Maëlle, hopeful that she could help him.Fr: Maëlle hésita.En: Maëlle hesitated.Fr: Elle avait un projet d'art urgent.En: She had an urgent art project.Fr: Mais la curiosité l'emporta, et elle décida de joindre Lucien dans son enquête.En: But curiosity won out, and she decided to join Lucien in his investigation.Fr: Ensemble, ils arpentaient Paris, se perdant parfois dans des ruelles oubliées.En: Together, they roamed Paris, sometimes getting lost in forgotten alleys.Fr: Ils retournèrent souvent à l'antiquaire pour étudier la lettre.En: They often returned to the antique shop to study the letter.Fr: Un jour, en explorant plus loin le magasin, ils découvrirent un passage caché derrière une étagère.En: One day, while exploring the shop further, they discovered a hidden passage behind a shelf.Fr: Une salle secrète apparut, remplie d'artefacts reliés à la lettre.En: A secret room appeared, filled with artifacts related to the letter.Fr: Sous un tableau poussiéreux, ils trouvèrent une autre lettre non codée.En: Under a dusty painting, they found another uncoded letter.Fr: Elle décrivait l'emplacement des dernières peintures jamais découvertes d'un artiste célèbre.En: It described the location of the last paintings ever discovered by a famous artist.Fr: C'était un trésor inestimable.En: It was an invaluable treasure.Fr: Lucien et Maëlle étaient abasourdis.En: Lucien and Maëlle were astonished.Fr: Grâce à cette découverte, Lucien comprit l'importance de collaborer.En: Thanks to this discovery, Lucien understood the importance of collaboration.Fr: Maëlle, elle, se découvrit des talents d'enquêtrice qu'elle ignorait.En: As for Maëlle, she discovered investigative talents she never knew she had.Fr: En sortant du magasin, ils se promirent de ne jamais oublier cette aventure étonnante à Montmartre, où l'art et le mystère se mêlent.En: As they left the shop, they promised never to forget this amazing adventure in Montmartre, where art and mystery intertwine.Fr: La collaboration avait éclairci leur chemin, et les feuilles continuaient à danser autour d'eux.En: The collaboration had illuminated their path, and the leaves continued to dance around them. Vocabulary Words:autumn: l'automneday: la journéeleaves: les feuillescobblestone: pavéestreasures: les trésorsshelves: les étagèresantique shop: le magasin d'antiquitésshelf: l'étagèredesk: le bureauart student: l'étudiante en artshy smile: le sourire timideinspiration: l'inspirationmystery: le mystèredrawer: le tiroirowner: le propriétairehelp: l'aideletter: la lettresymbols: les symbolesreferences: les référencesinvestigation: l'enquêtealleys: les ruellespassage: le passagehidden: cachéroom: la salleartifacts: les artefactspainting: le tableaulocation: l'emplacementtalents: les talentscollaboration: la collaborationpath: le chemin

Fluent Fiction - French: A Global Thanksgiving: Éloïse's Cultural Feast Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/fr/episode/2025-11-17-08-38-20-fr Story Transcript:Fr: L'air frais d'automne s'installait sur le campus.En: The crisp autumn air settled over the campus.Fr: Les arbres se paraient de couleurs chaudes : rouge, orange, jaune.En: The trees adorned themselves with warm colors: red, orange, yellow.Fr: Dans le dortoir des étudiants internationaux, Éloïse était excitée.En: In the international students' dormitory, Éloïse was excited.Fr: C'était le jour du dîner de Thanksgiving qu'elle organisait.En: It was the day of the Thanksgiving dinner she was organizing.Fr: Éloïse, étudiante en échange de France, éprouvait une envie particulière de célébrer cette fête américaine.En: Éloïse, an exchange student from France, had a particular desire to celebrate this American holiday.Fr: Elle voulait partager ce moment avec d'autres étudiants loin de chez eux.En: She wanted to share this moment with other students far from home.Fr: Bastien, son ami français connu pour être réaliste, la regardait un peu sceptique.En: Bastien, her French friend known for being realistic, looked at her a bit skeptically.Fr: "Tu sais, c'est beaucoup de travail," dit-il en vérifiant la liste d'ingrédients.En: "You know, it's a lot of work," he said, checking the list of ingredients.Fr: Éloïse répondit avec un sourire confiant.En: Éloïse responded with a confident smile.Fr: "Je sais, mais on peut le faire.En: "I know, but we can do it.Fr: Et on aura de l'aide."En: And we'll have help."Fr: Elle avait déjà envoyé des messages à des amis pour proposer un dîner-partage.En: She had already sent messages to friends suggesting a potluck dinner.Fr: Elle voulait que chacun apporte un plat traditionnel de chez lui.En: She wanted everyone to bring a traditional dish from their home country.Fr: Dans le dortoir, l'odeur des saveurs internationales emplissait l'air.En: In the dormitory, the smell of international flavors filled the air.Fr: Une étudiante de Chine avait cuisiné des raviolis, un étudiant d'Inde préparait un curry épicé, et Éloïse essayait de cuisiner une dinde malgré la petite taille du four.En: A student from China had cooked dumplings, a student from India was preparing a spicy curry, and Éloïse was trying to cook a turkey despite the small size of the oven.Fr: Bastien, lui, s'activait à préparer une tarte aux pommes.En: Bastien, on his part, was busy preparing an apple pie.Fr: "Regarde toute cette nourriture," dit Bastien, un sourire se formant sur ses lèvres.En: "Look at all this food," said Bastien, a smile forming on his lips.Fr: "Ça ne ressemble pas à un Thanksgiving traditionnel."En: "It doesn't look like a traditional Thanksgiving."Fr: Peu importe !En: No matter!Fr: Le but était de réunir tout le monde.En: The goal was to bring everyone together.Fr: Les étudiants commencèrent à arriver avec leurs plats.En: The students started arriving with their dishes.Fr: Le petit salon du dortoir se transforma en une joyeuse cacophonie de parfums et de rires.En: The dorm's small lounge turned into a joyful cacophony of aromas and laughter.Fr: Des guirlandes de feuilles d'automne et de petites dindes en papier décoraient les murs.En: Garlands of autumn leaves and small paper turkeys decorated the walls.Fr: La soirée se poursuivit dans cette ambiance chaleureuse.En: The evening continued in this warm atmosphere.Fr: Chacun partageait l'histoire de son plat.En: Each person shared the story of their dish.Fr: Les discussions passaient d'une langue à l'autre, et des liens d'amitié se tissaient entre les rires.En: Discussions flowed from one language to another, and bonds of friendship were woven amidst the laughter.Fr: Éloïse observait tout cela, le cœur rempli de joie.En: Éloïse watched all this, her heart filled with joy.Fr: "Je crois que ton idée était excellente," murmura Bastien, en pensant à son scepticisme initial.En: "I think your idea was excellent," murmured Bastien, reflecting on his initial skepticism.Fr: Éloïse acquiesça, fière de la réussite de la soirée.En: Éloïse nodded, proud of the evening's success.Fr: La nuit se termina bien après que la nourriture disparut.En: The night ended well after the food was gone.Fr: Ils se promettèrent de renouveler l'expérience l'année suivante, en ajoutant encore plus de cultures à ce mix harmonieux.En: They promised to do it again the following year, adding even more cultures to this harmonious mix.Fr: Enfin, Éloïse comprit quelque chose d'important : l'essentiel était dans le partage, pas la perfection.En: Finally, Éloïse understood something important: the essence was in sharing, not perfection. Vocabulary Words:crisp: fraisadorned: parésautumn leaves: feuilles d'automnecacophony: cacophoniefriendship: amitiédormitory: dortoirflavors: saveursgarlands: guirlandesaroma: parfumatmosphere: ambianceexchange student: étudiante en échangeexcited: excitéeskeptically: sceptiquerealistic: réalistelist of ingredients: liste d'ingrédientsconfident smile: sourire confiantpotluck dinner: dîner-partagejoyful: joyeusesmall lounge: petit salonessence: essentielharmony: harmonieoven: fourdish: platspicy curry: curry épicéwoven: tisséssuccess: réussiteautumn air: air d'automnejoy: joiepromise: promettrerenew: renouveler

Jun Tanaka, the renowned chef and owner of The Ninth in London, delves into his unique perspective on restaurant culture, emphasizing the importance of atmosphere, customer connection, and team cohesion over simply outstanding food. He shares memorable experiences from his time at legendary kitchens like Le Gavroche and under chefs such as Marco Pierre White, revealing how those influences shape his approach today. Discover the essence of making a restaurant transcend its menu, the value of sincere guest interactions, and how to cultivate a favorite dining spot for both patrons and the team. Whether you're a foodie, a budding restaurateur, or someone passionate about leadership and culture, Jun's reflections promise valuable takeaways. ============= ON THE MENU ============= 

John Legend - All Of Me (5HOURS x Double Deejay x Gianni Pilu Afro House Remix) KOBAIEN - I Like That (Extended Mix) Lewis Capaldi x Marcapasos - Someone You Loved x Goodbye (Fuvi Clan Halloween Bootleg) Eve - Who's That Girl (Richastic Remix) Ivanov - Les Nuits Sans Soleil ( Sebastien Kills Remix) Radio Edit Alex Gaudino feat. Crystal Waters - Destination Calabria (Miss Pauline remix) White Label Gala - Freed From Desire (THODE, BUTTER Remix) David Guetta, Jaden Bajsen, Travis Scott - Lets Go × Fein (IMOTO Mashup) Fedde Le Grand, Ida Corr - Let Me Think About It (Dunisco Remix) Paradisio, Maria Garcia, Dj Patrick Samoy - Bailando (Two B Remix) Scooter - The Logical Song (Dunisco Remix) USHER, Lil Jon, Ludacris - Yeah! (Kooyman Edit) Bon Jovi Vs. Bob Sinclar - It's My Life Vs. Rock This Party (Djs From Mars Bootleg) Will.I.Am, Britney Spears, Adrien Toma - Scream & Shout & Hills (KØRRUPT Mashup) Benassi Bros. Ft Dhany - Every Single Day ( Sebastien Kills Future Rave Remix) Andrew Rayel, Darla Jade - Promise Me (Extended Club Mix) Dbobby, Castle J - Nanli (Extended Mix) Lazy, Dbobby - Say Goodbye (Extended Mix) Spice Girls - Wannabe (MEDUN Remix)

The Time Riders: Part 9 Planning Another Vacation Time Travel. Based on a post by BiscuitHammer, in 16 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Cast of Characters: Mark Simmons: 18 year old High School grad, enamored with Miss Becky Fischer. He finds the time machine and builds a new life. Uses various aliases in traveling. Rebecca 'Becky' Fischer: Mark's Physics teacher. Very intelligent, in her later twenties, Shapely Tall Blonde, lusty bisexual, D Cup tits. Martial arts expert, Uses various aliases in traveling. Henri: Claims to be a French physician and Apothicary. Chester Edgerton: Time traveling mentor, living in 17th Century French village. Cardinal Richelieu: ‘The Red Duke'. Statesman and Roman Catholic Cardinal. Dispises Queen Anne. Alexandra D'Assaut ('Alexa', or 'Lexi': Lady in waiting (and trusted advisor) to Queen Anne of France, Lusty bisexual, Very Tall, Busty DD tits, long golden blonde hair, Blue eyed. Lisette: servant (and lover) of Lady Alexandra, young, bespeckled brown eyes. Short, shapely, with wavy dark hair, bisexual. Dhallyla: Mark's mother. Roxy: Mark's sister. Nanu: An Egyptian slave of Pompeneia Flavius, purchased by Becky, dark complexion. Pompeneia: Roman hostess of Orgies. Lusty wife of Flavius, Mother of Domitia, bisexual, tall and shapely. Flavius: Roman aristocrat, husband of Pompeneia, protective father of Dometia, Domitia: Lusty young daughter of Pompeneia and Flavius. A pledged Vestal Virgin, Escapes to Sumeria when sentenced to death by starvation by Roman court. The Retiallis: A gladiator of the Collosseum. Prefers the trident spear and netting, to subdue opponents. Escapes to Sumeria. Rullus: A bulky gladiator of huge physical dimensions. Has an affection for Achilleia. Escapes to Sumeria. Achilleia: A fierce female gladiator. Prefers the whip and sword as weapons. Has a crush on Rullus. Escapes to Sumeria. Roxy stomped out of his room, trying to not slam the door behind her. Once he heard her heading down the stairs, Mark sank onto the corner of his bed and exhaled loudly, another shiver running up his spine. He suddenly had to pee. Had he really told Roxy the truth? He hadn't planned to, but he didn't exactly know what he planned to tell her, either. Now that he thought of it, telling her the truth was even more ridiculous than any appreciable lie he could have come up with, wasn't it? Of course she wouldn't believe him about a time machine, and she was quite reasonable not to. Just because it was true didn't mean she was committing an error in judgment. But now what? He had no idea how long her coerced 'promise' would hold her. She was really hot under the collar, and Roxy didn't take losing well at the best of times. He'd just have to be careful, he supposed. More so. He sighed and looked down at her little weed pipe, still in its baggie. In a moment of panic, when Roxy had been standing over him and threatening to slug him across the jaw, he'd made an instant decision; taking a lesson from his playbook with Becky; and resolved that he would get into Danni's house and filch the pipe, because he knew Roxy kept it there. He'd heard her talking over the phone about it with Danni at various points, and never really thought anything of it. Until now. He was familiar with Danni's house, since she'd been best friends with Roxy since they were little. When the two families were having dinner together, the girls had often dragged Mark upstairs and dressed him in girl's clothes and put makeup on him, like he was a doll for their tea parties. He also knew that Danni's parents didn't care if she smoked, because he'd heard Roxy lament this fact over the phone, wishing her parents were that cool. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to do the math of all this in his head. It would take Roxy thirty minutes to reach Danni's house in her car, to ask what the Hell had happened. But Danni would protest, insisting she'd never betray her friend and give Mark the pipe. Then she'd prove it by showing Roxy it was exactly where it was supposed to be, which was taped inside to the top of her underwear drawer. Only it wouldn't be there. Unless Mark went back to Danni's place and stashed it again, before the girls got up to her room. And then got out again. That'd really fuck with Roxy's head, and make Danni think Rox had gone insane. It took eight minutes for Mark to fire up and prime the Holmes Field Device, which was sitting in a corner in the basement that no one ever used. It was dead space, and as safe as any place else could be that wasn't Becky's basement. Eight minutes to prime it and program in the coordinates and the time. Like, literally a minute after he'd apparently gotten the pipe out of there to begin with. What? His mind was almost spinning at the logic flips. He had to return the pipe before he actually stole it? When did he steal it if he hadn't done it before returning it? And did that mean he had to steal it twice? He could account, apparently, for Danni not being in her room the first time, because he'd seemingly gotten away with it. If he landed a minute or so after he had burgled her, he would have the time he needed, he hoped, before she came back from wherever she was. Return it; steal it later, when no one is looking, then return it; I think. He heard the distinct sound of Roxy's Mustang roaring away down the road angrily. He somehow doubted that he had thirty minutes. What if he miscalculated and got caught? The obvious issues aside, how did he explain the Holmes Field Device? Could he explain it? People in this era thought time travel was fanciful sci-fi, after all. What happened then? He dropped the baggie on the bed, clasped his face in his hands and groaned, the number of calculations he needed to do making his head hurt. He really needed to stop pulling his solutions out of his ass, he was going to give himself a time-hemorrhoid. Time was wasting. "Wow, Mark," Becky mused as she sat in her lounger, sipping at the Falernian wine. Her bottles were almost gone, and they'd soon have to go back to their secret place in the woods and get more. It had been a rather involved operation, getting the giant vats aged a certain number of years back in the Roman era, then transporting them into the present and burying them again, so that they had a large stock of perfectly aged wine. "You sure like to play with fire, don't you?" "Tell me about it," he said wearily, as he sat on the couch, long pull drink from his own wine glass. "Can't believe it went off without a hitch." "You were near death that first night with me," Becky said rather somberly, concerned about the stress on her student's face. "And that only required one trip on your part, and my belief in myself. This little circus, however, I'll be amazed if your time cops don't show up to lecture you again. You'd deserve it." "I felt trapped, okay?" he said, trying to keep the exasperation out of his voice. He knew Becky was right, and he didn't want to snap at her. It had just really worn him out. He'd lost track of when he was supposed to be there, and how often. He'd eventually concluded that dumb luck had saved him from criminal charges, not to mention any other headaches. "I just; when telling her the truth didn't make her go away, I jumped into my playbook, which at this time, consists of what I did with you." "What would you have done, exactly, if she'd believed you about the Holmes Field Device?" Becky queried, looking at him with interest. He considered and gave a halfhearted shrug. "I guess I knew she wouldn't, because if I told Roxy I was a guy, she'd yank my pants down to make sure. But to answer your question, I; I dunno. I was just really outta options." "I know you know this, Mark, but we obviously have to find ways for you to be even more careful," she said in a gentle tone. "You haven't timelocked yourself yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if you came really close there." "No shit," he muttered, scowling at his glass. "Sorry, just stressed." "Oh, poor baby," Becky cooed, getting out of her seat and coming over to sit down next to Mark. She pulled him into lean on her and then rested his face between her opulent tits, knowing exactly the effect this would have on him. "Just relax, it's all fine now." Mark sighed and nuzzled into her tits, relaxing a little. His teacher's scent and her glorious softness had a calming effect on his frazzled nerves. "Uhd, we should go on vacation in some remote time for a year or so. I could use it." Becky giggled, stroking her fingers through her student's dark hair. "If only we could." "Well, why couldn't we?" Mark reasoned, still nuzzling and refusing to leave his nest. "We've got a time machine, don't we?" "Mark, a two-week vacation is one thing, but longer stretches are problematic." "Why?" Becky sighed and put down her wine, opting to just hold him while he nuzzled her boobs. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy the sensation, after all. She knew that Mark, even though he was at least as experienced a time traveler as she was at this point, was still an eighteen-year-old boy, who had failed her Physics course. He just wasn't good at this stuff yet. But he took her with him readily, and she would have all the patience in the world until he caught up. If he ever did. "Mark, let's say you and I did indeed go on vacation for a year, somewhere in the time stream," she began, still stroking his wavy, dark hair. "And let's say we left tonight." "Sounds good, I'm in," Mark replied in a muffled tone. She smirked and continued. "And we come back after a year, to, say, an hour after we left, no one would notice, right?" "That's the beauty of it," he agreed, nodding in her boobs. "But we'd notice," she pointed out. We'd be a whole year older than when we left. When you got back, everyone would be trying to celebrate your nineteenth birthday, when, in reality, you're twenty. And you're the only one aside from me who knows it. Thanks to my captivity in the Louvre, I'm already a month older than our calendar indicates, so my birthday is technically inaccurate." He paused as he considered what she was saying. "And let's say, God forbid, that the time machine broke down somewhere in the past," she said, her voice taking on a serious tone. "Neither of us knows how to fix it, and there's absolutely no guarantee that we'd be able to find someone who could. What if it took the two of us five years to repair it, against all odds? We'd arrive back, an hour after we left, if we could, and everyone would notice we were magically five years older. I'd be thirty, you'd be twenty-three. We'd both look somewhat older, undoubtedly. How would we account for that?" Mark said nothing, just listening. "The only alternative would be to arrive five years in the future, to make up the difference, but then we've been AWOL with no explanation for five years," she continued. "Sure, maybe you can say you joined the merchant marines without a moment's notice, but what would I say?" She took his chin gently and turned his head to look up into her blue eyes. "We can't mess with the time stream and people's lives like that," she said quietly, almost sadly. "We're not from an era where time travel is the norm and people know what to expect." "You sure know how to take the fun out of time travel, Becks," he sighed, shaking his head. She giggled and cradled him in her bosom again, knowing he didn't mean it. "Silly," she cooed, jiggling her tits against his face a little. "You know better than anyone how much fun I can be in the time stream." "Yeah, that's true," Mark admitted, smiling and turning over on his back to look up at her while he lay in her lap. She was wearing black yoga pants, and a tight tank top and gave her impressive bust lots of breathing room. "But I really could use a little time away, to be honest. This nonsense stressed me out." "I'm sure it did, and hopefully you'll start thinking about these things ahead of time," she agreed, poking him in the nose. "In terms of what we could do, I have been giving the matter some thought." Mark raised an eyebrow. Becky never had bad ideas. Not compared to his, in any event. "I'm all ears." "Hardly," Becky giggled, reaching her hand down to gently cup his crotch beneath his jeans. "Let me explain first. You're not the only one with a predicament, although mine isn't necessarily self-inflicted." "Still listening," Mark said dryly, noticing the cheerful jibe. "It's difficult, being separated by three months the way we are," Becky said, caressing his cheek. "You, the Mark lying in my lap, you're from my upcoming summer. Me, I'm still waiting for the school year to finish. And three times a week, I see you in my classroom, and have to remind myself that the you sitting in that desk is not only still a minor, still, but has absolutely no idea about any of this." Mark said nothing, considering. "And I have to constantly be on guard, making sure I'm not sitting behind my desk, gazing at you dreamily in an off moment, or reminding myself not to sext you from the bathroom." "Damn, now I kinda wish you had," Mark mused, making her snicker. "Silly. What I'm saying, is that I think in the very near future, we'll need to not see each other for three months, as agonizing as that sounds, so that I can catch up with you." Mark screwed up his face as he thought about that. "That does sound sucky." "Oh, it won't be for you," Becky pointed out. "You get to hop on your time machine and return to three months from now, just like you always do every time we meet up. You won't even notice the difference. But you've also very tacitly avoided my future self for now, haven't you?" He nodded. "Yeah, you said to. Not that hard; it's a big city, and you told me where you tend to be at any given time, so it isn't much of a challenge." "Well, I want to catch up," Becky said firmly. "I want us to be on the same relative time frame, so that we don't need to worry about twists and so on, where things can go wrong. And if that means not seeing this you for three months," she whispered, placing her hand gently on his crotch, "and no time travelling for me because you've got the Holmes Field Device, then I'll manage. But it needs fixing, Mark." "Okay, done," Mark agreed, nodding. "But you mentioned something fun, which hasn't come up yet in this presentation so far." "Well," Becky began again. "I was thinking that we really should go and get Nanu and bring her forward with us. "It's not fair to leave her in that villa by herself. She doesn't really know how to look after herself, after all." "But we can keep visiting her," Mark pointed out. "She doesn't understand time travel, she'd hardly notice." "If we keep coming back to the same point in time to visit her, or at least within the same period frequently, it's true that little or no time will have passed for her," Becky said. "But we have our own lives, and goodness only knows when we'll have the time to pop out to Imperial Rome again. Years might pass for us before we can see her. How would we explain how much older we look to her?" "That again," Mark sighed, resenting the mathematical drudgery of time travel. "Yeah, that would freak her out. And as far as she's concerned, I'm still your slave, and she is too." "It's a notion I'll have to disabuse her of, once we bring her back here," Becky confirmed. "But I was thinking we'd have some fun when we go back and get her, and then she could stay with me. I'd spend our three months apart teaching her about our time and world, and when you meet us, we'd all be caught up together. Sound good?" "Well, I can't imagine it not being fun if you're around," Mark replied, grinning and sitting up, feeling considerably better after this talk with his teacher. "What're we gonna use to get the funds?" "Well," Becky said, making a cute show of thinking. "I've actually checked with that chroniques dealer? The one over on Adelaide that we were directed to?" "You've been busy!" Mark laughed, putting his arm around her shoulder. "I like to be prepared," she purred, snuggling into his side. "Anyway, I told him about my complete collection of Monchhichi minis that I inherited from my older cousin when I was young. Never did anything with 'em, because they just took up shelf space. But he's willing to give me a lot of money for them, apparently they're huge in the thirty-third century." "Well, of course they are," Mark said, rolling his eyes. "I; what the Hell are they, anyway? Never heard of 'em." "Oh, just collectible figurines from Japan in the Seventies, they look like cute little lolicon monkeys, along with a plushie toyline and several cartoons," she explained, waiving dismissively. "I couldn't care less about them, and if they make some person happy thirteen hundred years in the future, great. I'm getting lots of money for 'em." "Okay," Mark agreed, shrugging. "I was gonna sell my dad's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots or Micronauts if we needed the geld. I'd probably get a good price on those, too." "You will," she confirmed. "But my lolicon monkeys are worth more, so we'll use them. So, we'll go see Nanu, tell her what's really up, have a lot of fun, spread my money around, and then bring her back. Sound good? I think two weeks of solid sucking and fucking should make you forget your woes." "I can hardly wait," Mark declared. "Why wait at all, big boy?" she purred again, as she undid his fly and bent her head down while fishing his cock out of his pants. Nanu sighed as she sat on the solium, kicking her legs back and forth slowly as she looked at the mosaic on the floor. It had been over a week now since she had seen anybody, let alone her mistress. As gorgeous as her surroundings were, this expansive villa hidden in the distant hills outside of mighty Rome, she was decidedly lonely. She'd never really spent any appreciable time by herself before Lady Aurora had purchased her from the Flavians. Despite her mistress' unwelcome absence, she found herself smiling as she thought of her. Lovely, lovely Lady Aurora Horatia; tall, with long, golden blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, sensuous lips that were always parted to show her white teeth and radiant smile. Her thoughts turned to the lady's other parts now, and she blushed. She thought of her mistress' lovely neck, supple shoulders, her large, perky bust, trim waist and glorious, tight ass. Nanu felt warm as she pictured Lady Aurora's cunt, which she kept smooth and clean; so unusual for a Roman patrician woman. She had long, strong dancer's legs, just like Nanu. She remembered how captivated she'd been while she watched Lady Aurora dance at the orgy. Bonosus. Lady Aurora's principal slave, and her lover. Dark, wavy hair, and deep brown eyes; he was unnaturally tall, at least to Nanu, with an athletic build, broad shoulders, and a small waist that was hard to the touch; and his cock was huge. It had felt like it was tearing Nanu apart when she rode on it with wild abandon. She came out of her reverie and looked around again, sighing forlornly. The villa was beautiful, with plastered walls covered in colorful frescoes, mosaic floors, indoor bathing chambers and toilets, beautiful gardens, a stream just behind the building, and all the delicious food she could eat. She had all the creature comforts any slave could ever want, but it was still quiet and lonely for her. She looked down at herself, using her fingers to pull slightly at the material of the top of the dress she wore. It was a spare garment, made of quality linen, one of several Lady Aurora had bought for Nanu from the Flavius family. Of course, the slave girl was thrilled beyond words to wear such a thing, and in all ways, she saw her ownership by Lady Aurora as a turning point in her life, the beginning of something wonderful beyond words. She and Bonosus were the luckiest slaves to ever live. But not if she was so very alone. Nanu, born into poverty in the tiny settlement of Akhmim in Egypt, the youngest of twelve children. Sold into slavery to the Flavians at a tender age to help feed her family, she'd lived a hard life, doing the most menial of tasks for the wealthy Roman family at their home in Tepihu, far up the Nile. But then they discovered she could dance, and dance well. She was sent to the principal Flavian household in distant Rome, a place she'd only ever heard of, and could never imagine. She danced for the patriarch and his wife, and they agreed to keep her on, as long as her legs held out. So Nanu danced relentlessly, determined to never return to the misery she'd known before. Within a year, she was the leader of the dancing girls the Flavians owned, and whatever jealousies the other girls might have held were quickly cast aside. Nanu understood that if she treated them all equally, she was more likely to prosper, rather than looking after only herself at their expense. She was lovers with all of them, and it wasn't long before she was fucking the lord and lady as well. Her position was as secure as a slave's could be under such circumstances. True, she was still punished, quite often for things beyond her control. But the Flavians were not overly harsh with her, having her flogged with short, thin reed brooms, to avoid scarring her. It hurt, and she cried, but she inevitably recovered, usually to be fucked by Master Flavius as she soon as she could walk. She left the chair and walked over to a small table, on which sat a highly polished silver mirror. She picked it up and looked at herself, pursing her lips, assessing her features. She'd always concluded that she was at least somewhat attractive, since men (and women) always wanted to fuck her. She was aware that being a highly trained dancer gave her a desirable physique for a slave, and her strong, taut muscles kept her cunt tight. Her tits were not overly large, but were pronounced from her torso, and jiggled when she danced or ran. She thought they swayed nicely when she walked. She had the creamy bronze skin of the people of the Black Lands, children of the pharaohs. Her thick hair was a glossy blue-black, and she kept it trimmed to just past her jaw, in the manner of women in her country. Her eyes were a warm hazel, with tawny flecks many of the other dancing girls described as bewitching and seductive. If only she could- "Well now, if it isn't everyone's favorite dancing slave," quipped a lyrical voice from nearby. Nanu's head snapped around and she cried out in delight as she espied Lady Aurora standing in the door nearby, with Bonuses just behind, looming over her and grinning. Nanu had been so wrapped up in looking at her reflection and feeling sorry for herself that she hadn't even heard them approach. "Mistress!" the Egyptian girl called out as she darted across the room and threw herself into Lady Aurora's waiting arms. "Magistra! How I Have Missed You!" "We've missed you too, Nanu," Becky said softly, hugging the shorter girl and kissing the top of her head while Nanu burst into tears. "I'm sorry we were away for so long." "It felt like forever, mistress, I won't lie," Nanu said, choking back her sobs before pressing her mouth to Becky's and kissing her fiercely. Becky returned the kiss gladly, and the women greeted one another with tangling tongues and wandering hands for nearly a minute before they needed to breathe. Nanu looked up at Becky now, her eyes still wide and wet with emotion. "May I; may I say hello to Bonosus, mistress?" "I'm pretty sure he's counting on it," Becky said, stepping aside and giggling as Nanu flung herself against Mark, kissing him feverishly, but with her hands predictably snaking down his frame and under his tunic to fondle his cock. "Goodness, girl, did those toys I left get no love from you in my absence?" "Oh, mistress, they got loved day and night," Nanu replied, turning to look at Becky since she was being addressed. "But I do not need to tell you that it is hardly the same as the real thing, as to have a real lover. And I am sorry if it makes me sound deficient, but; I am not good at being alone. I am not at all used to it." "Oh, I'm sorry, darling," Becky said as Mark picked Nanu up in his arms and carried her back into the room. Nanu had her arms around his neck, and seemed to be in absolute heaven, now that the two most important people in her life had returned. "But we're back now, and we have no intention of leaving you behind again." Nanu looked curious. "Won't leave me behind again; are we going somewhere, mistress? Are we to leave the villa?" "It will take some explaining, I promise you that," Becky answered, nodding. "But first, I think the three of us should fuck one another stupid all over the villa, don't you?" Nanu's face lit up at her mistress' suggestion and she nodded eagerly. "Yes, mistress! I want to fuck you both until I cannot see or walk straight!" Becky made a grand gesture with her hand, taking in the whole villa. "Then you may pick where we fuck, my love. Anywhere, as much as you please. We await your pleasure." Nanu looked around in almost breathless excitement as Mark put her down. She didn't know where to begin, only that she wanted to fuck Mistress Aurora and Bonosus in every single area of the villa. She'd been so glum that she barely noticed how horny she was. Now the rampant feelings of lust washed over her, and her cunt was shamefully wet. She grabbed Becky's hand and pulled her excitedly along through the house. "This way!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with anticipation. "I want us to bathe and fuck!" Becky and Mark laughed as they followed the Egyptian girl into the small antechamber in front of the sudatorium, which Mark and Becky would normally identify as a sauna. They were amazed at the speed with which Nanu had not only removed her own clothes, but also undressed the two of them. Clearly she was in great need and had no intention of waiting. She had apparently lit the fire to heat the small room earlier in the day, for her own use, and now all she had to do was scrub the three of them down before bringing them inside. With a small sponge and rough linen cloths, she did this quickly. She then brought them into the sweat room, which was filled with steam already. Rocks in the little containment chamber over the brazier heated water and caused the steam, while small pouches of herbs hung over the rocks, and wine dripped through them to sizzle and evaporate, giving the steam a heady, aromatic quality that often left guests somewhat drunk. The three now stretched out on the wooden benches that lined the wall, sighing and relaxing for a moment before Nanu's eagerness overtook her. She crawled on top of Becky and kissed her deeply, squirming her body down into her mistress' while they fondled one another. Mark watched on lazily, knowing that the day was young, and it was best that he conserve his strength. Keeping up with Nanu's libido was no small task, not to mention Becky's once she got going. It wasn't long before the two girls were locked in a slippery, trembling sixty-nine, moaning as they lapped at one another's twats and fingered each other's puckered knots. Nanu came so hard she almost shrieked inside Becky's cunt, while the blonde goddess shuddered and speared her tongue deep inside her lover as she came, glazing Nanu's face with her cum. Both girls seemed almost to become puddles, sighing languidly as they lay together, bodies shining with sweat. Through the haze of steam, Mark could see them kissing one another's pussies gently, and the look on Nanu's face could only be described as rapture, mixed with a sense of relief and contentment. She was so happy her mistress had come back to her. But Nanu recovered quickly, turning her head to look at her fellow 'slave', whom she knew as Bonosus. Mark was lying on his side on the bench he occupied, idly stroking his cock. Nanu had already focused on his manhood like an arrow, and managed to extricate herself from Becky without disturbing her mistress' bliss, and crawled across the tile floor on all fours, her hazel eyes glinting. Without waiting, she knelt next to him, moved Mark's hand aside, and took his cock into her grip. She began stroking slowly and gently, before leaning in to kiss the swelling tool lovingly. She swirled her tongue around the head, then up and down the hardening shaft several times, her hand following her tongue. Then she popped her mouth around the head and slowly pushed down, humming as she moved wetly down his length. Mark sighed in pleasure and began running his hand through her raven hair. Becky now watched, caressing her creamy cunt as she gazed over at the lovers. Mark was half on his back, half on his side, while Nanu was kneeling on the floor, bent over and bobbing up and down on his stiff cock. Her tiny hand made a gentle twisting motion on the smooth skin of his shaft, following her warm, wet mouth. Becky smiled, knowing how great it was to give her student head, since she'd done it countless times herself now. Things would be so much easier for them all when she finally caught up with him in the timeline. Mark stroked down Nanu's back and reached her ass, giving one of the tight, perk cheeks a squeeze before nudging her. Nanu took the hint readily and stood up, clambering over Mark's face and looking down his body. The bench wouldn't have been big enough for Mark and Becky to do what was now happening, but Nanu was considerably smaller than Becky, and somehow managed. She leaned down his body, crying out suddenly as Mark pulled her ass cheeks apart and slid his tongue around her gooey cunt. She trembled and squirmed for several moments before composing herself and returning to the task of sucking on his cock hungrily. He was at full mast now, and Nanu's tiny hand could hardly fit around the girth of his shaft. Amazingly, though, she could take his manhood all the way inside her mouth, and down her throat readily. Becky's slave was as gifted as she was shameless, clearly. Nanu grunted as Mark slid one of his fingers inside her ass. Mark had larger hands than most people from her home era, and his finger was larger than some dicks she'd had back there before. Or at least, it certainly felt that way at the moment. She accepted the intrusion willingly, squirming back against his hand, and squeezing her tight tunnel around it while he massaged her cunt and clit with her tongue. She let out little moans, still bobbing up and down while giving Becky a sidelong look with heavily lidded, glazed eyes. Determined to not be left out, Becky slowly rose from her bench and wiggled over across the small area. She observed the setting with a critical eye for several moments, working out the logistics of how to best fit into this carnal puzzle. Just like she could not readily engage in a sixty-nine with Mark on these relatively (to them) narrow benches, she could not straddle him and fuck him to proper effect either. The answer presented itself quickly. She eased Nanu up into a sitting position over Mark's face, and if the slave girl was disappointed in having to relinquish that delicious cock, the feeling quickly gave way to yelps of delight as she sank her cunt even further down onto Mark's tongue, squirming and grinding lustily. Becky pumped and stroked Mark's cock steadily for several seconds, making sure he would stay hard. He was lying down the length of the bench, his tool ramrod-erect for her. She then stood and moved over his midsection, facing out into the tiny chamber. She bent her knees and reached under, steadying his throbbing cock while she guided it to her cuntlips. One she had him in place, she slowly sat down, sighing as he pushed up inside her steaming depths. Her ass come to rest on his hips, while she sat sideways on him, pinned to his cock. She closed her eyes and just savored the sensation for several seconds, her fingers flexing against his stomach and his knee, respectively. She finally opened her blue eyes and turned her head to smile at Nanu, who was moving up and down slowly on Mark's tireless tongue. Becky leaned in toward the slave, who immediately moved her torso forward to meet Becky. They kissed over Mark's long form, tongues tangling while Becky began to move up and down slowly, loving the feel of this unique position with him deep inside her. The threesome slowly squirmed and undulated against one another, time lost within the confines of the tiny, steaming chamber. The dim, amber light of the fire beneath the heated stones was their only illumination, but in this misty, ethereal sitting, it was utter perfection. The scent of spiced wine mingled with the aromas of bodies making love. Becky could taste the wine in Nanu's sweat as she drew her tongue along the girl's collarbone and over her tits. "I think it's about time for you to fuck Nanu and cum in her, Mark," Becky panted after several minutes of churning up and down on his thick rod. She was massaging and groping her tits, or Nanu's as she rode. The Egyptian girl had reached forward and was massaging her mistress' cunt dutifully as well. "It's been a few weeks for her, and you just filled me up this morning." "Relatively speaking," Mark quipped from beneath Nanu's writhing hips. "You sit on the bench and spread 'em, Becks, and she can kneel and lick you. I'll get behind her." Becky had no problem with this plan, and quickly coaxed Nanu off Mark's face, to kneel on the floor in front of her. Nanu's eyes widened with delight as Becky smiled and parted her legs, before reaching down with two fingers to spread her thick nether lips wide, exposing her glistening inner pink to the slave girl. Nanu practically dived in, and Becky grunted and almost jumped, clasping the girl's head suddenly, her feet leaving the floor. "Nuh, fuck!" she wheezed as Nanu began lapping at her like she was eating her last meal before she died. Her fingers gripped Nanu's black hair while she began grinding her snatch against the girl's face desperately. Nanu licked cunt like nobody's business. Mark, meanwhile, had positioned himself behind Nanu, and lined his cock up with her dripping twat, holding her by the ass cheeks. Nanu trembled while he slid his cockhead up and down her slippery lips, and against her tingling clit, making her squeak and whimper into Becky's cunt. He braced her for only the briefest of moments before sliding inside her without any warning, sinking in to the hilt. The Egyptian slave-girl wailed in ecstasy as he forced her wide, pinning her to him. Mark began fucking Nanu with a steady, strong pace, and she yelped into her mistress' cunt with each thrust, even while lapping at her pink twat hungrily. Her face was shining with sweat, and Becky's wetness, her tongue thick with the cloying sweetness of the blonde woman. Nanu's head was spinning in delight. Surely this was the heavenly afterlife? Becky almost curled up on herself, her fingernails threatening to leave grooves in Nanu's scalp as she shook uncontrollably and came, barely able to keep herself from screeching. She slathered Nanu's face in her essence, her entire body tingling with fire. Nanu shuddered and writhed, wailing as she came, her cunt tightening around Mark's cock fiendishly. As if on cue, Mark arched his back, gritted his teeth and growled, pumping all his cum inside Nanu, thrusting strongly. The trio rocked and writhed in depraved unison for close to a minute before Mark leaned forward on Nanu's back, breathing heavily. Becky sighed in exhaustion, sinking down on the bench, her cunt pressing into Nanu's face. The slave girl, pinned in place between her mistress and her fellow slave, simply held still, surrounded by warm, slick flesh and gently caressing fingers. She could still feel Bonosus throbbing deep inside her, and her mistress' cunt oozed against her mouth. She felt so blessed and safe like this. But then she looked up from between Becky's legs, her own glinting with eagerness. "Come! I know where we need to fuck next!" And with that, the Egyptian girl extricated herself from between them and wiggled quickly out of the room. Mark groaned and sagged forward between Becky's tits, and she held onto him wearily. "Now I know why we can't leave her for weeks on end," he mumbled in her cleavage. "Because we won't survive the backlog of fucking we need to do;” Nanu was sitting in the chair, her expression one of bewilderment. She seemed to have forgotten the goblet of wine in her hand, and she sat with her arms and legs tucked in close to her body. Clearly, she was confused and feeling uncertain about what she was hearing. "You're; mistress, you're not a Roman at all?" she asked quietly as she stared at Becky. They were sitting in the atrium of the villa, and it was a quiet evening. Birds sang, and a gentle breeze caressed their faces and the nearby blossoms as it dipped over the villa and into the central opening. Becky shook her head, knowing that this was going to take a lot of patience on her and Mark's part; and even more on Nanu's. Everything she was in the process of telling the girl would sound completely preposterous, even more so than Mark's explanation to his sister the day before. "No, Nanu, I'm not a Roman of any sort," the blonde woman confessed, trying to smile. "And my name is not Aurora Horatia. My name is Rebecca." "Rebekah?" Nanu queried, making a wry face. "That is a Hebrew name." She looked Becky up and down skeptically. "You don't look like a Hebrew." The slave girl looked at Mark. "And your name is not Bonosus, and you're not a Roman either?" He shook his head. "Nope. I'm Mark. And Becks is actually my teacher." Nanu squeezed her eyes shut for several seconds and when she finally opened them, they were filled with worry. "Are; are you going to kill me?" Despite herself, Becky burst into giggle fits at the question. Nanu looked confused, and then slightly irked at the response from her 'mistress'. She thought it was a perfectly reasonable question, under these circumstances. She folded her arms, crossed her legs, and looked off at the sky over the far wall, annoyed. "I'm sorry, Nanu," Becky said finally reining herself in. "I wasn't laughing at you, I mean it. It just wasn't what I expected to hear at all, and we both love you too much to ever consider killing you. Hell, I'm not sure we could if we tried." "Well I don't know what to believe," sniffed the younger girl. "You've bought me, and taken me away from a comfortable, if not happy life, and nearly gotten me killed at least once, and then there was that; thing; that you two ride around on;” "The Holmes Field Device," Becky said, nodding. "It doesn't just take us where we want to go, it allows us to travel through time, which is why we are here at all." Nanu shook her head, indicating that she had no idea what Becky meant. The teacher leaned forward slightly, smiling. They weren't sitting that far apart, but she had allowed for a small amount of distance between them, so that Nanu didn't feel trapped or pressured if she took all this poorly. To be honest, she was taking it surprisingly well, even if she wasn't buying all of it. "Nanu, I apologize for asking simple questions, but please bear with me;” she said quietly, noticing that even if she was listening, Nanu was now staring at Becky's cleavage, framed between her arms while she sat forward. Mark was staring too. Some thing would never change. "You understand the concepts of yesterday, today and tomorrow, yes?" Nanu nodded slowly. "Yes, mistress." "Do you ever wish you could visit days that have gone by?" Becky asked. "Like maybe go back and visit your childhood, or meet some member of your family who was lost years ago? Or even see the Sphinx getting built?" The girl looked confused again. "Suh-finx?" Becky looked at Mark, hoping for some help. He still had the chip that let him speak Egyptian in his head. He pondered the issue for a moment before the tiny computer in his noggin gave him the answer. He looked at Nanu and smiled. "Horemakhet." Nanu's eyes went wide. To see the Horus of the Western Horizon being built by the gods. She shook her head. "What you say is impossible!" Becky smiled now, not blaming Nunu for her disbelief. "Nanu, a long time ago, people would have thought that chariots were impossible, that mastering fire and steel were impossible. But you know they're not just possible, you know that these things are fact." Nanu nodded, willing to listen to her beloved mistress, who apparently wasn't her mistress. But she listened. "Mark and I come from many, many tomorrows away, a time many years from now. That device that we travel on, it allows us to do it." The Egyptian girl screwed up her face, trying to understand. She thought she'd heard outlandish things in her life before, but this was so far beyond her conceptions and experience that it sounded like a ridiculous fable her grandmother would tell her. But she had stepped on the wondrous device, and it had taken them somewhere far away from Rome in the blink of an eye, and back. She could not deny this had happened, even if she didn't understand it. Which brought up a big question for her. "Why do you do this?" she queried, looking at each of them. Mark shrugged. "It's fun to move through time and do things." Another skeptical look from Nanu. "You think it's fun to have the gladiators of Rome try to kill you?" Mark faltered slightly. "I; well, no, not that part." Becky giggled. "No, Nanu, that part is unplanned. Mark and I like to travel to different times, to see important events, and to fuck there." Nanu tilted her head curiously at the statement. "What it so important about fucking in these places?" Becky considered her answer. "There's nothing important about it, you're right. But it's still fun. We love to do these things, because almost no one else can. And hopefully it's exciting but not dangerous. If we didn't do this, we never would have met you, and we wouldn't be fucking you now. And we both wouldn't be crazy about you." Nanu's stomach was in her feet as she thought about what her mis; what Rebekah was saying. She was horrified by the thought now that she might never have met them, they she might not have been bought, or living here, in freedom, and getting fucked to her little heart's content. "But if you are not; not from today;” she murmured, trying to formulate her thoughts around these strange concepts. "Then you will keep leaving me. You might come back, but you will keep leaving." Becky could see the tears welling in Nanu's eyes, and she rose from her chair and moved to sit with the smaller girl, cradling her into her bosom as Nanu tried not to cry. "Oh, Nanu, I'm sorry," she cooed. "I didn't realize how hard it was for you to be alone." "I've never been alone," sniffled the raven-haired girl, wrapping her arms around Becky's waist tightly, unwilling to let go. "My whole life, I've never been alone for so much as a day, never mind a week. It was terrifying. I'm a slave, you know." Becky caressed her fingers through Nanu's hair and kissed the top of her said. "I understand now. And I am sorry. But Mark and I wanted to talk to you about that, actually." Nanu choked back a sob and looked up at Becky, ready to hear what she had to say. "Mark and I want to bring you with us," Becky explained, using a thumb to wipe some tears from Nanu's cheek. "Come back to our time, and perhaps take you with us on our adventures." Nanu's eyes went wide. "L; leave Rome?" Becky shrugged. "Is there anyone left for you to care about?" "Well, no." Nanu admitted. "And as I've already told you, Mark and I are crazy about you, so since we cannot stay here in Rome with you, maybe you should come with us, Becky continued. "I love having you around." Nanu's face lit up at Becky's words, but then a cloud passed over her face as things occurred to her. "But I; know nothing about this place you are from. How would I live?" "Well I would teach you, of course," Becky replied, smiling. "And it'll probably be terrifying at first, since you will see things you cannot even imagine, but Mark and I will protect you and help you learn." "I; would stay with you?" Nanu asked in a voice begging for assurance. Becky nodded. "You won't leave me alone?" The blonde woman smiled. "Well, I might have to step out the door once in a while to go and get food, or go to my job, but I won't leave you alone for days at a time, I promise." Nanu returned to hugging Becky, looking off at the far wall across the atrium. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she thought about what she should do. Did she take these two up on their weird offer? Did she just ask to stay here at the villa, and take her chances about when they could visit? Did she ask to be sent back to the Flavius household? Every option terrified her. She finally looked up at Becky again and drew a deep breath. "Can we; fuck some more, while I think about it?" Becky and Mark both laughed and nodded their assent. It was the most Nanu thing Nanu had ever said. Predictably, Nanu, after much fucking and pondering, had decided to take Mark and Becky up on their offer. Delighted, Becky had declared that they would be doing some shopping first, heading into Rome to get things she wanted. Nanu was always happy to visit the city, she was always enthralled by the sights and sounds around her. "But I; I must point out something," she confessed, looking uneasy. "I know you keep saying that I need not be your slave anymore, but it is not safe for me to walk around freely, Mistress, no matter what you tell me. If you say you don't own me, I am still a slave to them. They'll put me in chains and have me on the auction block again in no time, but probably not before they do awful things to me." "She has a point, Becks," Mark started, shrugging as he fastened his tunic in place. "We may know slavery is immoral, but Rome doesn't give a shit. As far as they're concerned, you're still a patrician woman, and we're still your slaves." "Which brings up another troublesome fact," Becky sighed, building on Mark's premise. "You're the most hated individual in Rome. You defiled a Vestal Virgin;” "Pervert," Nanu said in a low voice, nudging Mark. "You made a mockery of the legal system, and turned the Colosseum into a sexual freak show. I wouldn't be surprised if every soldier in Rome had orders to skewer you on sight." "Hey, I'm not the one who dropped a giant canvas sail on the emperor's head and wiggled my tits at seventy thousand people, you know!" Mark protested. "Well, that part was fun," Becky mused, smirking, lapsing into English for a moment. "So what do we do? I want to go shopping, but without getting you killed." "Yeah, you've got a point there," Mark allowed, looking at the ground as he pondered the issue. Nanu looked back and forth between them as they spoke in their unintelligible gibberish. "Well, we either need a disguise for me, so I don't look like Bonosus anymore, or we need to jump back a few days to before we arrived, and before anyone would know us." "More of your time twists," Becky chided, holding up a finger. "Didn't you learn?" "I know what you mean, but I kinda think we did that," Mark replied. "Don't you remember how you said people were waving at you like they knew you already, and you thought that was weird? That maybe they'd mistaken you for someone else? It's kinda unlikely that they are mistaking you for anyone, Becks. You're as tall as most of the men, and you're like a living embodiment of Venus to them, with blonde hair." "I'm afraid you may be right," Becky sighed, not liking the hypothesis, but forced to admit it was probably accurate. "So we go back maybe a week before we first arrived, do our shopping, and split?" Mark turned and looked at Nanu now. "Nanu, have you been into the city of Rome any time in the last week before you met us? Or anyone from the Flavius household?" "Ooh, good catch, Mark," Becky mentioned, nodding. "Can't have her running into herself by accident, no matter how unlikely." Nanu considered for a moment and then shook her head. "No, before you arrived, it had been more than a month, I think. Master Flavius resented paying the prices they wanted in the city, he usually made us shop in Lavinium, it was cheaper." Mark shrugged. "We could probably do your shopping and find some fun, Becks. Then we'll plan our next move. Sound good?" Becky removed her outfit, letting pool around her feet before sitting down in a low chair. She held out her arms, beckoning for Nanu to join her. The Egyptian girl shed her clothing, and then went to sit naked in her blonde lover's lap, their lovely tits squashing together. They kissed for some moments before Becky smiled at Nanu. "I want to buy you some outfits, Nanu, outfits like I wear. Would you like to dress and look like mistress?" It seemed as though Nanu might faint. Becky was also pretty sure she felt the girl getting wet. She giggled and kissed Nanu's nose. "I'll take that as a yes." Rome. The litter glided through the crowded street, with people dutifully making way for it; whomever was inside was clearly important. The four dark-skinned slaves bearing it on their shoulders walked along silently, seemingly not bothered by the weight within. The litter itself was simple in design, but ornate in appearance, the canopy held aloft on carved poles, and much of it decorated with gold leaf or edging. Diaphanous curtains on all sides obscured the women within. Becky and Nanu lay on their sides, facing in toward one another. Nanu was wearing a beautiful stola, just like Becky, and she gazed down at her raiment in wonder, running a hand delicately over the fabric. Becky smiled as she watched the Egyptian girl while reaching into a bowl between them and putting a grape in her mouth. "Mistress, this is wonderful," Nanu whispered, knowing to not refer to Becky as her mistress too loudly. "I've never felt anything like this in my life, except on someone else." "Well, it's yours, and yours alone, so enjoy it," Becky said cheerfully, enjoying Nanu's elation. She put another grape between her teeth and smiled slyly. Nanu leaned in and took the grape between her own teeth, their lips touching. As Nanu masticated on the grape, Becky opened the gauze-like drapes in the back if the litter and called out gently. "How we doing back there, Mark?" "Oh, just fine, thanks so very much for asking," muttered the student-slave, who trudged along behind the litter, carrying several handbags made of linen and animal skins, filled with shopping goods. His hands and shoulders ached. How the Hell could Becky purchase so much shit in an era that didn't have electronics? "How much farther we got?" "Not too much longer, I think," mused the blonde teacher casually. She wasn't too worried about Mark having to carry stuff, he'd been through worse recently. She'd bought outfits and jewelry, pretty house furnishings, and other curios to take home. She considered what she'd need to buy for Nanu upon their return. Clothes aside, she would somehow need to procure ID for her, some sorts of medical records, and so forth. How did she get any of that done? "Will I like my new life, mistress?" Nanu asked, eating another grape. "I am sure I will love living with you, but;” Becky smiled and caressed her face lovingly. "It will be very, very different, Nanu. And at times it will seem frightening. But there are so many things I cannot wait to show you." "Then I will wait and trust you," the Egyptian girl said softly, giving herself over to her mistress' carefully in her mind. "Because I believe you when you say you love me and want the best for me." Nanu was silent for some time, as if deep in thought. "What's on your mind, darling?" Becky asked, curious. Nanu sighed. "I just miss my family. I have not seen them since I was young. And I dreamed of returning to them one day." Becky smiled. "Oh, you want t

World-class historian and Hoover Institution senior fellowVictor Davis Hanson joins Jillian for a masterclass on how crony capitalism, socialism, communism, and religion are intertwined — and why the stakes right now could not be higher A renowned classicist who has spent his life studying war, empires, and the rise and fall of civilizations takes us inside the mind of Karl Marx — who he was, what he believed, and how his theories morphed into the socialist and communist movements that reshaped the world and still haunt us today. We examine the deadly pendulum swing between crony capitalism and communism: how unrestrained, corrupt capitalism breeds the resentment that fuels Marxist revolutions, and how those revolutions inevitably give rise to regimes just as oppressive — if not worse.Victor then takes us back to the teachings of Christ and the religious roots of Western morality to reveal how our concepts of justice, equality, the individual, and the state all began as religious ideals — and how religion itself has been weaponized throughout history for both extraordinary good and staggering harm.From the early church to medieval Europe… from the French and Russian Revolutions, to Mao, the Cold War, Mamdani and the cultural battles of today… Victor walks us through the entire arc of history to explain how we arrived at this moment: a West that is exhausted, divided, and once again flirting with ideologies that have already burned the world down.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So-called “libertines” like Mothe le Vayer revive ancient skepticism, provoking a backlash from Mersenne and Arnauld. Were they right to see the skeptics as anti-religious?