Podcasts about Great hall

Emmy-nominated writer, stand-up comic and actor Josh Johnson may be the most prolific comedian on the internet right now. You might recognize him as a regular correspondent on The Daily Show, or maybe you've come across his sharp political critique on TikTok (where he has 2 million followers), or watched one of his longer, philosophical stand-up routines on YouTube (where he has 1.5 million subscribers). Josh is currently touring the country (catch his Flowers Tour in a city near you), but he took a break this week to sit down with Kara at the Great Hall at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. They discussed Josh's entrepreneurial approach to distributing and owning his work, how to make dry political topics like tariffs funny and relatable, what Elon Musk should really be doing with his money and how the ultimate antidote to fear is community. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Linda Ness hears about Cambridge Operatic Society’s production Bonnie & Clyde at Great Hall at The Leys, Trumpington Road (10-13 April).    

Are you ready to put your wizarding skills to the test?

In this Club Takeover special, we chat with Greg Hicks and Laura Bernier of the Queen’s Swing Dance Club.  This club is a swing dance community active at Queen’s in Kingston ratified by the Alma Mater Society in 1999 and celebrating its jubilee this year.  Each Monday, the group offers beginner lessons followed by social dancing at The Spire open to students and community members. Join the Queen’s Swing Dance Club in celebrating their Silver Jubilee On March 28th at St. Mark’s Lutherat at 6:45 PM for a blues dj-ed social dance.  On Saturday the 29th, the club will be at St. George’s Great Hall at 1 PM for a Balboa lesson and a DJ’d social dance followed by a Lindy Hop Lesson and Live Band social dance featuring Ed Thompson’s 6+1 starting at 6:30 PM. Learn more and join the club by following the club’s instagram @queenssdc or visiting their website at www.queenssdc.ca.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unveiling the Emperor's Secret: The Quest for the Lost Yùxǐ Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-03-23-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在紫禁城中，春天的阳光轻轻洒在古老的宫墙上，风中飘散着一丝淡淡的花香。En: In the Zǐjìnchéng, the spring sunlight gently kissed the ancient palace walls, and a faint scent of flowers drifted through the breeze.Zh: 在这宏伟的建筑群中，一个不安的谣言正在悄声传开。En: Within this magnificent architectural complex, a restless rumor was quietly spreading.Zh: 皇帝的玉玺失踪了，这个拥有神秘力量的历史宝物不见了。En: The emperor's yùxǐ, a historical treasure with mysterious powers, had vanished.Zh: 此时正值清明节，阴雨时节增添了几分紧迫感。En: It was just at the time of the Qīngmíng Jié, and the rainy season added a sense of urgency.Zh: 梁是个年轻的历史学家，满怀对中国历史的热爱。En: Liáng was a young historian, full of passion for Chinese history.Zh: 他站在太和殿前，眺望着眼前的宫殿。En: He stood in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, gazing at the palace before him.Zh: 他听过玉玺的种种传说，相信其拥有神秘力量。En: He had heard various legends about the yùxǐ and believed it possessed mysterious powers.Zh: 他知道找到它不仅是出于责任，也是为了证明这些传说。En: He knew that finding it was not only a responsibility but also a way to prove these legends.Zh: 梅是博物馆的策展人，她对于玉玺的传说总是抱有怀疑态度。En: Méi was a museum curator who always held a skeptical attitude toward the legends of the yùxǐ.Zh: 她更关心其历史价值以及对文化遗产的保护。En: She was more concerned with its historical value and the protection of cultural heritage.Zh: 此刻，她正在旁边的珍宝馆忙碌，为即将举行的清明节展览做准备。En: At the moment, she was busy in the Treasure Hall next door, preparing for the upcoming Qīngmíng Jié exhibition.Zh: 与此同时，珍，一个古董收藏家，有自己的计划。En: Meanwhile, Zhēn, an antique collector, had his own plans.Zh: 他面无表情地穿梭在人群中，有意无意地探听有关玉玺的消息。En: He weaved through the crowd with an impassive expression, casually gathering information about the yùxǐ.Zh: 对于他来说，拥有这样一件绝世珍宝是一生的追求。En: For him, possessing such a rare treasure was a lifelong pursuit.Zh: 这一天，梁决定与梅携手，寻找线索。En: On this day, Liáng decided to team up with Méi to search for clues.Zh: 夜幕降临，他们走过宫殿后的小路，来到御花园，试图理清玉玺失踪的那一天发生的事情。En: As night fell, they walked along the narrow paths behind the palace and reached the imperial garden, trying to piece together what happened on the day the yùxǐ disappeared.Zh: 就在他们讨论得激烈时，珍悄然加入了他们的行列。En: Just as their discussion grew intense, Zhēn quietly joined their ranks.Zh: 他博学多才，对藏品了如指掌，但他的动机不由得让人怀疑。En: He was knowledgeable and had an excellent grasp of collectibles, but his motives made others question him.Zh: 很快，矛盾浮出水面。En: Soon, tensions arose.Zh: 珍似乎对玉玺的了解过于熟悉，梁开始怀疑他的意图。En: Zhēn seemed overly familiar with details about the yùxǐ, making Liáng question his intentions.Zh: 他心里挣扎，是否应该相信这位深藏不露的收藏家？En: He wrestled with himself over whether to trust this enigmatic collector.Zh: 梅的犀利言辞让珍难以抵赖，她坚持这是一个共同解决的问题，而非个人利益的角逐。En: Méi's sharp words left Zhēn no room to deny; she insisted that it was a problem to be solved collectively, not a personal competition for gain.Zh: 经过一番辩论，梅在大殿的古老书架中找到了一条重要线索。En: After much debate, Méi found a crucial clue in the ancient bookshelves of the Great Hall.Zh: 线索指引他们前往皇极殿的地下密室，一个从未被人知晓的地方。En: The clue led them to an underground chamber in the Huángjí Diàn, a place previously unknown to anyone.Zh: 三人合力推动陈年的石板，终于找到隐藏的密室。En: Together, the three of them pushed aside an aging stone slab to finally uncover the hidden chamber.Zh: 那里，正是安放玉玺的地方。En: There, the yùxǐ was resting.Zh: 梁小心翼翼地拿起玉玺，感受到一种前所未有的力量。En: Liáng carefully picked up the yùxǐ, feeling an unprecedented power.Zh: 他转过身，看见珍悄然无声地离去，消失在远处的阴影中。En: He turned around to see Zhēn quietly slipping away, disappearing into the distant shadows.Zh: 最终，梁和梅成功地将玉玺带回，并在清明节展出了这份珍贵的文化遗产。En: In the end, Liáng and Méi successfully returned the yùxǐ and displayed this precious cultural heritage during the Qīngmíng Jié.Zh: 紫禁城在阳光下闪耀着历史的光辉，而梁则开始明白，传说与现实只有一线之隔。En: The Zǐjìnchéng shone in the sunlight with the glory of history, and Liáng began to understand that the line between legend and reality is a fine one.Zh: 信任与怀疑同样重要，唯有携手才能守护历史的真相。En: Trust and suspicion are equally important, and only by working together can they protect the truth of history.Zh: 故事的结尾，紫禁城依旧平静，风中再次飘来花香，仿佛一切未曾改变。En: At the story's end, the Zǐjìnchéng remained peaceful, with the scent of flowers wafting through the air once more, as if nothing had ever changed. Vocabulary Words:gently: 轻轻地magnificent: 宏伟的complex: 建筑群restless: 不安的rumor: 谣言vanished: 消失了historian: 历史学家passion: 热爱gazing: 眺望curator: 策展人skeptical: 怀疑的heritage: 遗产collector: 收藏家weaved: 穿梭impassive: 面无表情的intention: 意图enigmatic: 深不可测的suspicion: 怀疑debate: 辩论clue: 线索underground: 地下chamber: 密室slab: 石板unprecedented: 前所未有的slipping: 悄然无声地离去distant: 远处的displayed: 展出glory: 光辉wafting: 飘来truth: 真相

Last Friday, President Trump spoke before a gathering at the Department of Justice to lay out what was seen largely as a grievance fest, singling out individuals and media organizations he perceives as his enemies. Main Justice hosts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord lay plain the unorthodox nature of a speech like this, especially before a department that is meant to maintain independence from the executive branch. But that was just the start of a wild weekend, after Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport hundreds of Venezuelan migrants, just as a court order blocking their removal was filed. So, Andrew and Mary tackle the latest developments in several buckets before breaking down the Supreme Court's consideration of the request by the president to lift the pause on his birthright citizenship executive action.Want to listen to this show without ads? Sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts.

That Thing You Pardieu  College kid Tom Hanks plays RPG Mazes And Monsters and quickly descends into madness and murder in this notorious 1982 TV movie. Did Maze Controller Chris Makepeace (Meatballs) make the fantasy too real by swapping out dice bags and painted figurines for a live-action campaign inside a dangerous cave? Or did the future Oscar winner simply get too wrapped up in a delusional Method Acting quest to become his holy man character, forsaking his studies and sex with girlfriend Wendy Crewson (The Santa Clause)? Join us in the Great Hall to find out!

That Thing You Pardieu College kid Tom Hanks plays RPG Mazes And Monsters and quickly descends into madness and murder in this notorious 1982 TV movie. Did Maze Controller Chris Makepeace (Meatballs) make the fantasy too real by swapping out dice bags and painted figurines for a live-action campaign inside a dangerous cave? Or did the future Oscar winner simply get too wrapped up in a delusional Method Acting quest to become his holy man character, forsaking his studies and sex with girlfriend Wendy Crewson (The Santa Clause)? Join us in the Great Hall to find out!

Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump's trade war creates global unease and market chaos. Also, Trump gives a politicized speech inside the Justice Department's Great Hall. Plus, Vladimir Putin launches new strikes despite ongoing peace negotiations. And Republicans are advised to avoid in-person town halls. Sen. Peter Welch, Andrew Weissmann, Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman (ret.), and Jane Kleeb join Ali Velshi.

Taking a people-centered approach, national lawmakers were urged to unite and gather efforts to implement whole-process people's democracy and to strive unremittingly to advance the building of a strong nation and the great rejuvenation of China.Li Hongzhong, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, called for uniting the wisdom and strength of the broad masses of the people, adhering to the principle of "everything for the people and everything relying on the people" and continuously meeting the people's aspirations for a better life, as the country's top legislative body wrapped up its annual session on Tuesday.Entrusted by the presidium of the third session of the 14th NPC, Li presided over the closing meeting and made the remarks.President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other leaders attended the meeting, which was held at the Great Hall of the People."We must unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, focusing intently on our own tasks, implementing strategic decisions step by step, and turning our work plans into reality," Li said, calling on NPC deputies to further promote Chinese modernization.At the closing meeting, deputies voted to approve resolutions on the Government Work Report as well as the national economic and social development plan for 2025 and the central budget for 2025.They also adopted resolutions on the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and a decision to amend the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels.Zhao Zhao, an NPC deputy from Henan province, praised the amended law, saying that "the amendment was necessary and timely"."The revised law standardizes our behavior and protects our rights as deputies. It will greatly help us fulfill our duties," said Zhao, an entrepreneur in Nanzhao county.Li Dexiang, an NPC deputy from Guizhou province, regarded the amended law as his legal safeguard, noting that it provided clear guidelines on how to better serve the people.He said that the streamlining of the process of handling deputies' suggestions in the revised law would improve the quality and efficiency of their work, enabling them to perform their duties more effectively.By Saturday noon, the third session's secretariat had received 269 motions and more than 8,000 suggestions from NPC deputies.The suggestions mainly focused on legislation in key, emerging and foreign-related sectors, while the suggestions primarily addressed boosting consumption and investment, driving the integrated development of technological and industrial innovation, and promoting high-quality growth through artificial intelligence.

National political advisers have been urged to serve the country's major tasks and work to improve people's livelihoods through high-quality consultation and suggestions, in order to further promote China's modernization drive.Wang Huning, chairman of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, made the remarks while delivering a speech to around 2,100 national political advisers at the closing meeting of its third session in Beijing on Monday.President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other leaders attended the meeting, which was held at the Great Hall of the People.National political advisers should focus on key and difficult issues in deepening reform, promoting high-quality development, ensuring and improving people's livelihoods, and maintaining social stability in carrying out surveys and making suggestions and proposals, Wang said.The CPPCC should strengthen the mechanism for reflecting public opinion, connecting with the people, and serving the people, enhancing the unity of Chinese people at home and abroad, he added.A resolution on the work report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, a resolution on a report on how the proposals from political advisers have been handled since the previous annual session, a report on the examination of new proposals, and a political resolution on the third session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee were approved at the meeting.Samuel Yung Wing-ki, a member of the CPPCC National Committee from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said, "At this meeting, I have gained a deep understanding of the country's major policies and development direction, and I have also felt the country's emphasis on Hong Kong."Hong Kong should leverage its advantages in international exchanges and the "one country, two systems" policy to attract more talent to develop in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he said.Jin Hua, a national political adviser from Qinghai province, said that at this year's two sessions she wore the traditional attire of the Mongolian ethnic group that she had got married in, as she considered the meeting to be a major event for the country."I am most proud that I can use my platform to bring the livelihood-related facts of the ethnic group to the national level. Then I can deliver good policies to our ethnic minority areas," she said.Yang Yuni, another national political adviser and a post-1995 member of the Hani ethnic group, said that she will make efforts to combine artificial intelligence with ethnic minority songs and dances to attract more young people to the protection of intangible cultural heritage, thereby assisting in vitalizing rural areas.

The world is keeping its eyes peeled as top lawmakers gather in Beijing to decide the policy direction during China’s annual parliamentary meetings this week. In the lead-up to the official opening of the “two sessions”, a new wave of optimism was sweeping through the world’s second-largest economy. Following last year’s market gloom, when stagnation seemed to be China’s inevitable future and international capital favouring other Asian markets such as India and Japan, analysts are now closely watching to see China’s next steps as it tries to reinvigorate the economy and China’s place in the global tech race. This comes as China swiftly retaliated against fresh US tariffs - a range of American agricultural and food products will face between 10 to 15 per cent hikes in import levies. On this episode of Morning Shot, Dr Chong Ja Ian, Associate Professor from the Department of Political Science at the NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences shares his insights. Presented by: Audrey Siek Produced by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)Photo credits: Chinese leader Xi Jinping, center, at a meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People during China's annual two sessions political gathering last March. Ju Peng/Xinhua/Getty ImagesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is set to open at 3 pm on Tuesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and will conclude on the morning of March 10, lasting for six days, a senior official announced on Monday.中国人民政治协商会议第十四届全国委员会第三次会议将于周二下午3时在北京人民大会堂开幕，并于3月10日上午闭幕，会期六天。Liu Jieyi, spokesman for the third session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, the nation's top political advisory body, briefed the media one day ahead of its opening. The main agenda includes listening to and deliberating on a work report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and a report on the proposals from its members, according to Liu.中国最高政治咨询机构——中国人民政治协商会议第十四届全国委员会第三次会议新闻发言人刘结一在开幕前一天向媒体介绍了会议情况。刘结一介绍，会议主要议程包括听取和审议全国政协常委会工作报告和提案工作情况报告The CPPCC National Committee members will also attend the third session of the 14th National People's Congress to hear and discuss the government work report and other relevant reports, he said.全国政协委员将列席十四届全国人大三次会议，听取并讨论政府工作报告以及其他有关报告During the conference, there will be an opening and closing ceremony, two plenary sessions, and group meetings. Foreign diplomats will be invited to attend the opening and closing ceremonies, he added.他表示，大会期间，将安排开幕会、闭幕会以及2次大会发言和界别小组会议。开幕会、闭幕会邀请外国驻华使节旁听。

It's that time of year again – China's most important political event, the Two Sessions, is in the spotlight. Journalists from around the world are gathering in Beijing to cover China's economy, legislation, and policies, offering diverse perspectives on the country's development. Last year, Leota Marc Membrere from Samoa, a young journalist with Savali Newspaper, traveled thousands of miles to the Great Hall of the People for the event. How did this experience shape his understanding of China? What's his personal China story?

Send us a textIn this episode, we discuss how certain things give the wizarding world its magic. Enjoy!Topics/Summary:·      1:38 Owls. Owls are closely tied to the story because they are symbols for magic. In the beginning, owls are the first introduction we have to the wizarding world. Later, Hedwig's death represents the beginning of a new era for Harry and the difficulty of the path ahead.·      7:34 Moving portraits. They aren't at the very core of the story, but they are integral for the overall feel of the castle. The point of a painting is for it to be frozen in time, which is why the portraits moving are such a fascinating part of Hogwarts.·      12:57 Hogwarts grounds. One of the most interesting parts of the grounds is their lack of magic. Of course, there is a giant squid and a forbidden forest, but its just the lake, the mountains and the castle. Nature surrounding the castle is very important for the feel of the story.·       17:35 Diagon Alley. This is the first place where Harry sees a bunch of wizards and magical things in one place. Essentially, this is the first place he lands after entering the world of magic. For him, this is the coolest place he has ever seen. Later in the story, the darkness represents the state of the wizarding world as a whole.·      21:59 Great Hall. This is a fantastic place. It has an enchanted ceiling, candles floating in the air, and suits of armor and torches everywhere. You really can't beat the ambiance of the Great Hall. The beginning and the end of the story as we know it happens in the Great Hall, which speaks to its importance.·      25:30 Quidditch. Something that can never be replaced is quidditch. What is the story without this sport? There is so much development of the story and of characters that would be lost without quidditch. Just like the rest of the things in this episode, all these little details are the very things that make this series so great.Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text. ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.comthepotterdiscussion.comNox

Federal workers across the country are bracing for layoffs, including more than 40,000 right here in Colorado. So, how are Denverites handling all the DOGE cuts? Then, DIA turns 30 today! Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by political consultant Deep Singh Badhesha to talk about everything from the famed airport's Blucifer conspiracy theories and tales of a luggage-eating baggage system to the renderings of the next Great Hall renovation and a surprising DIA-Elon Musk connection. Plus, a Colorado lawmaker brings her newborn to Congress, a puppy heist in Centennial, and more wins and fails of the week.  Paul discussed our latest interview with Mayor Johnston and the 5280 feature on Scott Derrickson, Colorado director of The Gorge — which you can watch now on Apple TV+. Bree mentioned her friend Alisha Sweeney's long local radio career and the upcoming 303 Day concert. Deep talked about his excitement for the 2026 elections and his new Substack!  Producer Olivia would love you to see these pictures of “the Modobag.”  Get your tickets to HEYDAY now! We're putting on an indoor fair with urban flair, like a classic county fair but with a very cool Denver twist. Join us on March 8 for classic carnival games, vintage arcade games, Denver-themed balloon art, and a full day of grandstand entertainment, featuring some of your favorite guests from the podcast. It's family friendly, too, if you wanna bring your kids. Get those tickets now at www.heydaydenver.com. What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this February 28th episode: CAP Management Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Understanding the love life of James VI & I can give us a better picture of the man himself in his entirety, and not simply through the lens of his kingship, or the politics of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.   So in this episode, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is once again in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace, joined by Gareth Russell to discuss the subject of his latest book 'Queen James; the life and loves of Britain's first King'.     To take part in our survey and be in for a chance to win a £100 voucher, visit:  https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HRPPodcastSurvey/       Please be aware this episode contains themes of homophobia, grooming, and child abuse, that some listeners may find distressing.  

Best friends Jac and Amy conduct a literary analysis of Sarah J. Maas's debut novel, Throne of Glass. In this episode, they discuss chapters 23 - 26. Each episode is broken into 2 parts. This is part 2 of this week's episode. Come back next Tuesday where we discuss chapters 27 - 31. (Spoilers for Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire will be discussed. Any larger series or other SJM spoilers will be reserved for the end of Thursday's episode in part 2.) Every episode, Jac and Amy use their combined 13 years of literary academic training to analyze and give voice to reasons why you may love or hate today's popular books. They embrace and respect modern fantasy, romance, and romantasy books written by women. And so, it is in their nature to analyze these books as you would any other novel you might have discussed in school. Chapter summary for this week's episodes: Celaena dreams of being broken in Endovier, and is saved by Chaol waking her to the day of Samhuinn. Though she is able to spend time with her friends in the palace throughout the day, Celaena is confined to her bedroom during the evening's festivities. But a phantom breeze calls Celaena's attention to draft in her room, which leads her to a hidden door safeguarding secret passages to forgotten parts of Rifthold's stone castle. During her illicit exploration, Celaena uncovers a secret route to escape the castle and a hidden window to spy on the Great Hall. When she realizes Chaol is returning to check on her, Celaena rushes back to her room, where Chaol and Dorian both pay her a visit. But the night's adventures don't end there, and Celaena is greeted by her dead ancestor, fate, and the evil that lurks beneath the castle. The morning brings ill tidings of another death of a king's champion. Sponsors: Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month's subscription and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code BOOKTALK. Let's keep the conversation going! Submit your thoughts to our form on our website (https://booktalkforbooktok.com/) for a chance to have your thoughts discussed during a future mini-episode, or on a Patreon-exclusive episode. Want to support the show? Follow us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/booktalkforbooktok Or check out our merch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/booktalkforbooktok Follow us! Instagram: @BookTalkForBookTok TikTok: @BookTalkForBookTok YouTube: @BookTalkForBookTok For all other information, visit our website https://booktalkforbooktok.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Best friends Jac and Amy conduct a literary analysis of Sarah J. Maas's debut novel, Throne of Glass. In this episode, they discuss chapters 23 - 26. Each episode is broken into 2 parts. This is part 1 of this week's episode. Stick around for part 2, which airs on Thursday. (Spoilers for Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire will be discussed. Any larger series or other SJM spoilers will be reserved for the end of Thursday's episode in part 2.) Every episode, Jac and Amy use their combined 13 years of literary academic training to analyze and give voice to reasons why you may love or hate today's popular books. They embrace and respect modern fantasy, romance, and romantasy books written by women. And so, it is in their nature to analyze these books as you would any other novel you might have discussed in school. Chapter summary for this week's episodes: Celaena dreams of being broken in Endovier, and is saved by Chaol waking her to the day of Samhuinn. Though she is able to spend time with her friends in the palace throughout the day, Celaena is confined to her bedroom during the evening's festivities. But a phantom breeze calls Celaena's attention to draft in her room, which leads her to a hidden door safeguarding secret passages to forgotten parts of Rifthold's stone castle. During her illicit exploration, Celaena uncovers a secret route to escape the castle and a hidden window to spy on the Great Hall. When she realizes Chaol is returning to check on her, Celaena rushes back to her room, where Chaol and Dorian both pay her a visit. But the night's adventures don't end there, and Celaena is greeted by her dead ancestor, fate, and the evil that lurks beneath the castle. The morning brings ill tidings of another death of a king's champion. Sponsors: Start your hair growth journey with Nutrafol. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month's subscription and free shipping when you go to Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code BOOKTALK. Let's keep the conversation going! Submit your thoughts to our form on our website (https://booktalkforbooktok.com/) for a chance to have your thoughts discussed during a future mini-episode, or on a Patreon-exclusive episode. Want to support the show? Follow us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/booktalkforbooktok Or check out our merch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/booktalkforbooktok Follow us! Instagram: @BookTalkForBookTok TikTok: @BookTalkForBookTok YouTube: @BookTalkForBookTok For all other information, visit our website https://booktalkforbooktok.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hour 4 with Joe Starkey: What is Russell Wilson's argument to come back to the Steelers? The poll results of our question are in and people would prefer Justin Fields. 70% of voters picked Fields over Wilson, Mason Rudolph, and Daniel Jones. MLB Network analyst Ron Darling compared Paul Skenes to Dwight Gooden. Joe compares the impact Skenes has to Caitlin Clark. Derek Shelton shared his message to the Pirates.

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter  or Bluesky for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 5th March 2025. The winner will be contacted via Bluesky. Show references: https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakmensah/Zak Mensah is the co-CEO of Birmingham Museums Trust. He is passionate about helping their service make an impact by focusing on the needs of over 1 million visitors. He is encouraging the organization to adopt a "digital by default" approach. Zak's mission is to ensure that their people, skills, and services remain adaptable to the rapidly changing landscape of the cultural sector. He is exploring new ways of doing things, including innovative business models, partnerships, and arts-related KPIs, while sharing as much as possible publicly.With a background in staff development and digital, Zak has been involved with the web since the late 90s and has seen its influence grow in all aspects of life. Prior to joining the arts sector in 2013, he helped small businesses, charities, Jisc, universities, and the Heritage Lottery Fund "do" digital well.Zak also runs his own consultancy to promote positive change and keep his skills sharp. His goal is to make a ruckus. https://www.vam.ac.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyakino-wittering/Amy Akino-Wittering is Head of Operations and Commercial at Young V&A, which opened July 2023 and recently won Art Fund Museum of the Year and Kids in Museums, Family Friendly Museum of the Year awardsResponsible for the general management of Young V&A she directly manages the visitor experience and teams, catering contract, volunteering and back of house operations, collaborating closely with central V&A colleagues to deliver operations and income for Young V&A. Previously Amy worked at V&A South Kensington as Senior Visitor Experience Manager-Sales and was on the opening project team leading on visitor experience and retail at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery.She started her career at Imperial War Museums working across sites from assistant to management roles in Retail and Admissions and systems management.  https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/​​https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-sapwell-b3b2a281/Paul Sapwell has been Chief Executive at independent arts and culture charity Hampshire Cultural Trust since 2018, having joined the trust in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer following an early career primarily in hospitality and leisure. Paul is a passionate believer in the transformative power that cultural experiences can have on the wellbeing of individuals and communities, and a prominent advocate for the role of commercial growth, underpinned by a flexible, entrepreneurial team culture, in sustaining museum and arts organisations. Transcription: Paul Marden: The museums and culture sector are facing unprecedented headwinds. Static or reducing funding from local government, fewer grants from trusts and foundations, all while dealing with increased people costs. The continued headwinds from cost of living crisis. But this sector continues to deliver more with less and support the cultural life of our country. Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue. I'm your host, Paul Marden and in today's episode recorded the Science Museum at the Association of Cultural Enterprises View from the Top event. I'm joined by Amy Akino-Wittering, Head of Operations and Commercial at Young V&A. Zak Mensah, Co CEO of Birmingham Museums Trust, and Paul Sapwell, CEO of Hampshire Cultural Trust. Paul Marden: And we're going to talk about how the cultural sector can innovate in order to thrive. Anyone that's listened to the podcast before will know. And this is the nervous bit. Paul Marden: We always start with an icebreaker question which my lovely guests victims have not been prepared for. So, Zak, I'm afraid you go first, my friends. So if you were a cartoon character, which cartoon character would you be? Zak Mensah: That's easy. I think I would be the thing that gets chased by the. Is it the wild Cody who runs around all his home? But I'd be the. What's the little, the stupid Roadrunner. Yeah, so I would be Roadrunner because you constantly are literally running 100 miles an hour and then a giant piano lands on you at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon, but you respawn on the Monday and you start all over again. Pretty much feels like me. Paul Marden: I love that. I love that. Amy, you're next. Let's think of all of the inventions over the last hundred years that were offered. Flying cars, those sorts of things. What is the one thing were promised that you really miss and think we really need in our lives? Amy Akino-Wittering: I think a Time Turner, which is basically from Harry Potter. Basically you can just go and do things like six. They do six days all at once. Paul Marden: You can be Hermione if you've got a Time Turner. Amy Akino-Wittering: Yeah, great. Paul Marden: Excellent. I love that, Amy. Thank you. Paul. Paul Sapwell: You said these were going to be under no pressure. I wouldn't have liked. I wouldn't have liked either of those. Paul Marden: Oh, well, you're not going to like this one then. I'm sorry, mate, I'm, I, I live in Hampshire. Paul runs Hampshire Cultural Trust. Paul. Paul Sapwell:  Oh, even better. Paul Marden: Saints or Pompey? Paul Sapwell:  Oh, blimey. Okay, well that's, I'm an Arsenal fan. Paul Marden: So there we go. Paul Sapwell: I couldn't possibly answer Saints or Pompey? I mean, we border both. So I would just be in so much trouble if I pick one or the other. So I can. I've got to get out. Paul Marden: Are you dodging that one? Paul Sapwell: Yeah. I thought you might watch Arsenal regularly. Paul Marden: I thought you might. So we are going to start with a question from somebody from the audience, a young man named Gordon. Apparently he might be a millennial. And he says, After 15 years of turmoil, financial crash, austerity, Brexit, Covid, we face continuing cost of living issues, rising national insurance and a Trump presidency. Are we doomed in 2025? Or to put it slightly better, what are the biggest risks for your organisation and the wider sector, and what are you each doing to thrive in the year ahead? And I'm going to start with you, Paul. Paul Sapwell: That's an easy question, isn't it? Paul Marden: You can thank young Gordon. Paul Sapwell: Brilliant Gordon, Yeah. I mean, I think 2025 is going to be an incredibly tricky year, but to sort of look further than that. I'm certainly an optimist, but I think we're in a time of transition, particularly in terms of our sector, in the cultural sector, in terms of what's going to fund us and what's going to sustain us going forward. You know, I think the years of the level. I think a lot of the speakers have touched on it, but the years of the level of public sector funding is, whatever happens with this government and next is going to be going down and we just have to face that. I run an organisation which we started out in 2019. We're about 85% publicly funded. Now we're 34% publicly funded with the same turnover, I hasten to add. Paul Sapwell: And so we've made a good go of it, but I think the headwinds this year are really difficult. That said, I think that we have to be confident investing for the longer term and particularly, obviously, in this conference in areas of commercial growth. I think that, okay, the growth projections have been downgraded. I am confident that we will, as the decade continues, move into a period of growth. And we've got to be looking at the long term rather than the short term. The trick is, of course, not running out of money in the short term. And that's a really difficult place to be. Paul Marden: In the water, just here. Paul Sapwell: I don't have an easy answer to that, but I think fundamentally, you've got to give the customer what they want and the customer is still there. Paul Sapwell: And we have a fantastic product. But we've got to certainly pivot much further towards what customers want commercially, in my view, than putting as much emphasis as probably we did 10 years ago on trying to find more and more public funding, because I think that's going down. Paul Marden: Zak, have you got any thoughts on that? Zak Mensah: Yeah, I mean, in terms of money, just generally people want to back winners. So I think one of the difficult things that internally we can all say it's doom and gloom, because it does feel that doom and gloom. There are definitely days, weeks and months. I think it's right to say that it's doom and gloom. Like you can be optimist but still understand it's difficult time. And I think a lot of our, you know, a lot of our workforces certainly feel that, it can feel very difficult because every year they ask, will they have their job? Right. And that's a really fair question to ask. And we sometimes as leaders kind of say, “Oh, if we can get through the next two years, but two years for normal staff are sometimes a very long time to try and say, “You or may have not have a job to make life through.”Zak Mensah: So I think that's something I always think back in back of my mind. I think a lot of the difficulties, whichever flavour of government is about understanding how to be more savvy, about understanding the trends, about things that are fundable. Because there are lots of things that were funded 10, 20 years ago, that money has dried up. And so we've all got to think about, for example, a lot of people now looking at, well, being a speaker this afternoon was talking about more on EDI, for example, and how younger people certainly are interested in having more of a purpose driven business. Is how for us, we can make sure we're focused on the, what I was called, the user need. So the needs that people use us. Zak Mensah: Because if you can concentrate and focus on what they want, whether it be money, otherwise that ultimately does lead to a business model. Because there's no point saying just because museums and galleries have been around for 100 to 200 years, they have an absolute right to exist. The only way they exist is because every decade or whatever there's another crisis comes along and a group of people, including ourselves here, live in this room, but also listening to this make it happen. Like, we've got to convince councillors, government, businesses to be part of that journey. Because the funny thing I will say is that, you know, at Birmingham Museums, the art gallery was founded in 1885 by industry people. It was industry people that founded it. It was industry people who wanted the city to have great arts. Zak Mensah: And so now we're turning back to those same people and saying, "We need you to now step up and contribute." It doesn't always have to be money. It could be in kind support, could be advocacy. That's the kind of thing that we need to do as leaders right now, in addition to the normal making the money work and stretch as far as we can. Paul Marden: Absolutely. Amy, what are you doing at Young V&A to thrive in the year ahead and face some of these challenges? Amy Akino-Wittering: Yeah, absolutely. So we've now been open for just over two years, so I feel kind of, well, coming up to two years. And so I feel we're kind of in that stage where we kind of opened and sort of just try to make sure that we are operationally savvy. And last year was very much about refining that. And I think this year is very much about what's next and how can we build upon kind of success of opening, looking at ways in which we can innovate through doing new kind of commercial opportunities, but also how can we develop our audiences. And as well as part of kind of the wider V&A, we've got two more sites opening as well. Amy Akino-Wittering: So how as an organisation are we going to work together to kind of be in this new family of sites and work together through there? So I think for us in the kind of coming year is all about, what's next? We've opened the door. We started with a really strong foundation and a really strong vision, but then how can we keep on innovating and keep iterating that to improve? Paul Marden: Excellent. I'm going touch on stuff that Lewis talked about a minute ago. One of his reflections I really liked was thinking about how do we create a space for colleagues to engage with some of these really important issues that have been on the PowerPoints. Zak, maybe you could start. What do you think your organisation can do to act as bottom up catalyst for change as opposed to trying to drive these changes from the top down? Zak Mensah: I think the first thing is about understanding that there are a lot of people who do want to be able to voice their hopes and fears around a whole host of subjects, whether it be specifically around, if you're ethnic minority, about your fear of living in the UK, if you have climate, lots of important subjects people want to talk about. You know, I think certainly internally, and I'll be very clear about this, I think there's a very different view sometimes about the difference between internal and the external voice of the organisation. So what we see a lot of is staff individually believe that as a service there are lots of things we could and should be talking about publicly that may or may not directly align with how as a leader we see it. Zak Mensah: So, you know, there are lots of fights we do get into. We can't get into every single fight. And sometimes there's a real fine balance around what we decide to go for. So if you take during Black Lives Matter example, me and Sarah Shropshire started in November 2020, there was an expectation that immediately we would be like the spokesperson for the whole museum sector about black and brown issues. And like, it's really hard to say, actually. I am not speaking on behalf of every single person in the whole country. I do take it seriously and we set up internally ways people to talk about it, but didn't always feel appropriate. Zak Mensah: And I'll give another example is around, for example, war. Any one time there's something like 15 global conflicts happening and, you know, we talk and go backwards and forwards internally sometimes about, you know, do we talk about them publicly? If we talk about them internally, how we talk about them, do we single one out or do we talk about them all? Are they equal? How do you equally talk about things are very horrific for a number of people?Zak Mensah: And knowing that we've got staff from dozens of countries who all have different views on how their homeland or area they're interested in is impacted. Things are very horrific for a number of people. But I do think that there's always. It's always really tricky because the best conversations and the best conversations need care and a lot of the conversations happen in like, pockets that we have no control over. Zak Mensah: And so it's again, how do you set an environment as a leader that is allowing the bottom up to do their own thing, but in a way that isn't going to be detrimental to the whole workforce? Because I think it is. Again, I mentioned it's been. It's really tricky and that's the simple truth. It is no easy answer to these things because if it was easy, we'd all solved it. Yeah. But acknowledging it there, it's the elephant in the room, I think is really important and growing to be more and more important for us as leaders. Paul Marden: I think Lewis was saying it's really important to know where you stand on issues and it is okay for you to have a stance on issues that says, I'm not going to make a stand on this one issue. I thought that was a really interesting perspective. Imy's talk. I think were talking a lot about the journey of Titanic Belfast, which I love as a museum, to go to a museum that emotionally moved me as much with so very few actual artefacts. I just think it's an amazing storytelling experience. But you talked a little bit about the team and what you do to be able to nurture that team. And one of the things that we're talking about is trying to get 110% out of everybody getting to more with less, getting them to innovate. Paul Marden: How do you balance all of those challenges and not break the people and maintain a 98% retention rate like Titanic does? Paul? Paul Sapwell: Well, maintaining a 98 retention rate, I think fairly unprecedented and huge congratulations. I mean, I think it follows on a bit from what Zak was saying, actually. You know, it's tough, isn't it, being leaders in terms of whether you're making that kind of external message or whether you've got a tough internal message. I mean, I've always taken a stance that you've got to be as transparent as you possibly can be and people will go a long way with you if it doesn't appear that things are being taken in a dark room somewhere. And I think for us, what we've tried to do is to put in the mechanisms for that to happen. I've been really fortunate to work with a fantastic people director, Hampshire Cultural Trust. Paul Sapwell: One of the first things, I think you've also got to make a stance, by the way, on people being important. One of the first things I did as CEO was say we need a people director. It's quite rare in the heritage sector. I came from hospitality, it was the norm. It's an odd thing that people and HR doesn't always sit at the top table. Sometimes it's sort of delegated down in operations or even finance. So I think that's really important and we needed a strategy and part of that is putting in place a lot of the stuff that you talked about of the Titanic, which I think is really impressive. And we're somewhere on that journey, but not quite as far along, but proper employee forums where you listen. Paul Sapwell: I meet with an employee elected employee forum quarterly and talk to them about all issues with nothing off the table. We also have an EDI group with a mix, again, senior leadership on there talking about these issues. And I think that, you know, if there was one thing I would say it's, you're not always going to be able to give easy answers, are you? This year we're being hit with an enormous national insurance hit to the staff costs and that is going to affect pay. I can't pretend that it isn't. And if we're going to not run out of money in the next few years, we're going to have to give less of a pay increase this year than we would like to. Paul Sapwell: But we've been talking about that openly since it hit and I hope that our team will go, will understand, but obviously that doesn't make it, make it easy. And I think the same is true with the issues that you're talking about. You can't take a stance on every single issue that comes through each of these forums every quarter, but you have a conversation about it. And I think that's the most important bit for me. Paul Marden: Amy, I'm going to segue wide away from today's talks. Regular listeners will know that I'm a Trustee of Kids in Museums and I was chatting with my fellow trustees about today's event and we wondered, given the impact of the cultural sector, on the impact that it has on the lives of young people and how there are so many challenges at the moment for disadvantaged young people to engage in the sector. You know, we all know that post Covid, many schools have cut their school visits into museums and galleries. I pick you because Young V&A was the winner of Kids in Museums Family Friendly Awards last year. So let's just start with you and talk about what are the innovative things that you've done to break down barriers to encourage children and families to engage in the museum. Amy Akino-Wittering: Yes, of course. So Young V&A when we kind of opened its entire purpose is about engaging children. It's all about kind of that creative confidence in Generation Alpha. And so the whole museum has been designed with and for young people. So its target audience is between naught to 14 year olds. We spoke with over 22,000 young people in the development of the museum to hear what do they want from it. I think there's a survey which said that 40% of children thought that museums were boring and it weren't places for them. So, well, what can we do as we've got this opportunity to redevelop, to make sure that it is a place that people want to go and enjoy and be themselves. Amy Akino-Wittering: And so that was kind of like the North Star in terms of what every kind of decision in the kind of opening and making and running of Young V&A is really centred around this as well. And so it goes from the aesthetic in terms of the height of things, the bright colours from this swirling staircase that we have at Young V&A, which came from an idea that someone wanted to helter skelter in the space to the tone of voice in our interpretation and also how the objects are displayed. We've got objects from across the V&A, we've got over 2,000 objects. But it's not just the museum as was the Museum of Childhood collection, it's from across all of the different departments of the V&A. And it's been curated with that kind of child centred and child focused way. Amy Akino-Wittering: Co design is also a really kind of core part of it as well. So we kind of co designed with local audiences and children for various design displays and also co curation. So each gallery was co curated between the learning team and the curatorial team as well. And then obviously we've kind of got to actually open the building and have a team to deliver that visitor experience. And again, that is all very much fed through that audience lens. And so we looked at our structures of, you know, what types of people do we want in the space? You know, our core audience are children. We need people who want to engage with that audience. It's a very specific kind of audience, but also we are a hyper local organisation as well and so how can we encourage applicants from the local boroughs? Amy Akino-Wittering: So we drove a very inclusive recruitment process where we basically did a behaviour led process for recruitment, we redid all the job descriptions, went out into our local community, did workshops and CV surgeries and basically just made it as easy as possible for people to apply and get interview. And the kind of core things that were looking at was behaviours. We can teach people how to go on a till or to learn how to do fire evacuations, but actually it's much harder to get people because that's what the job is. You know, the majority, you know, all your visitors will come to a touch point with the front of house team. They are your most important ambassadors. Amy Akino-Wittering: So we need to make sure that we've got the best kind of resources and time and structure in place to support them, to give the best possible experience that we can. So we spent a lot of time doing that. We spent a lot of time as well working Kids in Museums come in and do training about specific family engagement training as well, which has been really beneficial. And then also we really believe that, you know, the customer experience, the visitor experience is directly impacted by the employee experience. You can't expect the team to deliver this amazing, joyful visitor experience if actually they're pretty miserable behind the scenes. So how can we make sure that the structures that we have and the environment that we have is reflective of how we want them to be on the floor as well? Amy Akino-Wittering: So we make sure that we have forums to make sure that, you know, people can have their say. We make sure. So we did this team charter, which was this sort of collaborative effort to see, like, how do you want to feel in the workplace, but also how do you want your visitors to feel? And actually, it was all very similar in terms of the outcomes that came from that kind of exercise. And it's these kind of agreement that we have together to how we're going to work together and those kind of things which we do to ensure. It's that kind of frequent communication and making sure that we're on the same page and it kind of brings that joy which then comes out to the visitors. Amy Akino-Wittering: And that is kind of I think all those things together has all really helped in terms of when someone comes into the space, children, they're front and centre. They really feel like it's a place for them and they've got kind of people around them which really get them and that they will help facilitate their curiosity and things like that. So that's what we've done. Paul Marden: Amazing. Paul, have you got some thoughts? Paul Sapwell: Yeah. I love what you're saying about the visitor. The visitor services guys on the front desk. I mean, they are the most important people, essentially, and that's why I was nodding vigorously. I think that's part of what I was talking about earlier in terms of pivot into more of a commercial view, because a commercial company completely relies on their customer who comes in. And I think my experience of being in an organisation that's moved out of being run predominantly by a council to one that's independent now was, I've got to be honest, at the start, that wasn't how it felt. Paul Sapwell: And actually you could produce big lists of visitor figures, but ultimately, if they went up or down, it didn't really matter because the funding was going to stay the same, whatever, and there would be other metrics, and I think that's the big shift in mentality, because if you don't give the customer what they want, and that means really valuing people on your front line. And, you know, we've had conversations at the Museum Association about it, about how there's almost been that divide in museums between the people who talk to your customers and the museum staff. And I think that's a really. Or people who would see themselves doing proper museum work. And I think that, you know, that's something we've got to. We're moving in the right direction, but we've got to move quicker. Paul Marden: All of our best memories, aren't they, of going to these places are not necessarily about the amazing artefacts, it's the stories that your team tell people when they interact with them. You feel so happy as a result of it. I think of some amazing experiences. Zak, have you got any thoughts on this? Innovative ways in which we make museums family friendly, how we encourage make them more children friendly? Zak Mensah: Well, the first thing is it's something like 50% of people have children. And so knowing that is in the UK is a thing. Just knowing that as a fact. Right. Means that thinking then about families who will come, but also the staff workforce. Because again, like, you know, if your staff, you're your biggest advocates we just talked about is making it friendly for people to have children in the workforce means that most people recommend it and word of mouth is the biggest way that you can influence people and then from that when people come. So we've got nine venues overall pre pandemic, have a million visitors a year. Zak Mensah: We say we're family friendly, but I've got two young children and quite often the experience, not just my place, but other places doesn't actually say match up with that because like just saying to a seven year old, you must love art, doesn't really work, right, if it's Blue. Paul Marden: Can't tell them. You can't just make them like, yeah. Zak Mensah: I can't tell anything because anyone in my family anything. If you convince about bluey=, then you've got another chance. But you know, you've got to think about actually what is their experience going to be. So, you know, have you got picnic area? Have you got toilets? Lots of toilets. Do you allow your staff, for example, in previous roles? We allow people, if they want to do potty training, they could do potty training in the gallery. Because the reality was if they didn't use the potty that they had in their bag, it was going somewhere else. And so I remember watching in horror as someone literally tried to scoop up a child and move their parent out of a gallery to start to go to the toilet. Zak Mensah: And I was like, there was no way they were going to make it out that door. I would love to have that CCTV footage because I bet that was quite interesting. But, you know, it sounds, you know, some sort of flippant and fun. Zak Mensah: But that's the little thing because like all those little things about making it, you know, enjoyable. Because if you can make it enjoyable for the. For the parent or the guardian, you can make it fun for the, you know, for the kids. You know, you have to have sharp crayons and pencils. Whatever it is, like always things that's really kids don't want much. That's the little thing because like all those little things about making it, you know, enjoyable. Right. Like, if you can give them almost that version of experience to make people think it's good. Because I think we sometimes dissociate the child's experience with the fact they're with someone else. So actually you've got to make it good for the people that they're with. And quite often people do it, you know, who take. Zak Mensah: They might take the extended family. So they'll say like, you know, I'll take my niece or whatever, I'm there. And they don't usually actually have to have the children. So sometimes they need help as well, you know, to make sure the experience. Paul Marden: Extra needs to be able to solve the kids' problems. Zak Mensah: Absolutely. So for me it's about making it that friendly from that perspective. So often with school trips, for example, it's how can you make the school trips fun? Because I see quite a lot of kids on school trips that they sort of being marched through and forced to go. So then they're less likely to recommend it to their parents and their parents just like to come. So for me, it's kind of like trying to use that learning visit which often people's first. Most people tell me, I've been to museum as a child and they usually get towards school age, secondary school, and they don't go anymore. Paul Marden: Yes. Zak Mensah: So it's like, how do we make sure that. I don't think as a sector where family friendly enough, other than those people who already are super engaged, they make the kids have fun. I'm probably talking about my trauma now. Paul Marden: Let's return today's speakers. Let's just talk a little bit about Mike's discussion of using behavioural models to influence buying decisions. Yeah. What are the biggest behavioural barriers that you see within your organisation? In terms of visitor experience, from kind of awareness through to decision making, what could you do? What could you change? Zak Mensah: So the first obvious one is a lot of people are terrified of being in spaces because they're not sure how to behave. There's this weird secret code that doesn't. It's not actually written down anywhere that people think the museum experience has got to be quiet, that it's got to be. That you've got to know what you're looking at. It can't just be fun. And actually having. Just having fun is a really important part of what you want to do. So for us, I think the problem is, as well as once you work in the sector, those barriers are invisible because you just work there. You feel comfortable now coming. Yeah. And so the behaviour part is super interesting. And so, for example, it's a phrase I sometimes use around, like. Zak Mensah: It's around this idea of, like, “People like us do things like this”, which I stole from Seth Godin. So, you know, what we did, for example, is w e now don't have staff uniform because we've got quite a diverse. We're dividing diversity in Birmingham and we want people to feel comfortable and recognise people outside the building who then might be going, like, sure, I might. Hoodies, for example. If you wear a hoodie, you might own. The museum's. Not for me, the museums for other people who wear suits, etc. So actually, if they see staffing. Yeah, if they see staff in hoodies or whatever, in hijabs or niqab, whichever outfit they want to wear, then that is a signal about those people are welcome. Zak Mensah: That's one example where that idea came from the team about how we can show and tell and do what we say we're going to do, rather than just saying, “Oh, but we're really friendly museums are great and come in.” Because actually they are intimidating from the outside. They're often intimidating intellectually. Paul Marden: Yep. Zak Mensah: The train, the media, all the time is being really high brow all the time. So it's like actually we. We have to find ways to accept that those barriers exist. And that often means finding people who don't use you to actually tell you that. And we've just finished a citizen's jury, for example, which had almost 30 people who are representative of the city come in and 80% of them at the first meeting said they didn't think the museum is relevant to them. Those are ordinary people who live in the city who. That's 80% of those people. Four in five people don't think the museum is relevant for them, even though we know that we could make it relevant to them. And that was a really sad, shocking figure, but also is motivating. Zak Mensah: And I think our job, you know, as leaders is how do we help people feel inclusive, to be an inclusive space and then like. And go for it. Paul Marden: Excellent. Thank you, Amy. Amy Akino-Wittering: Yeah, I think a lot of what we have done as well is to try and go out of our four walls of Young V&A as well. So we do a lot of kind of community engagement as well through kind of the learning team as well as for volunteering programme. Like we rocked up at stores at Whitechapel Market and kind of saying, “This is our kind of programme”, just chatting with people where they haven't heard of Young V&A even though it's down the road. And so it's like, how can we, yeah, kind of go out and about and also kind of advocate across as well. And then also it's like when people do kind of take that step to actually go onto our site and then come into the building making sure that the visitor experience is as inclusive, as welcoming as possible. Similar. Amy Akino-Wittering: We also just have aprons and they can wear whatever they want underneath and just again, so as people feel relaxed and they feel when our audiences come in, they say, oh yeah, no, that's something that I might wear. Or you know, they just feel more kind of settled and at home. So that's something that's really important that we kind of do as well. Paul Marden: Lovely, Paul. Paul Sapwell: The biggest challenge for us, I mean being a smaller organisation and a brand that isn't known. As well as it could be, I think our biggest challenge now is that customer journey from online through to what you get when you arrive and we're not consistent enough. And I know we'd all talk about this forever but you know, big commercial organisations do this really well. You know, you're going to sell a ticket within a couple of clicks from a social media piece, you're going to get a follow up email that looks exciting and you know, then your product is either going to arrive or you're going to arrive at it and it will be like you thought you were buying. And I'm not sure that we always do that. Paul Sapwell: I've got to be honest and I think to do that you've got to put a lot of investment in it. And that's what we're part of the strategy that we've launched, we launched back in November is about that. Paul Sapwell: And again, that comes back to, you know, commercial mindsets that matters. It matters that we put the right image in whatever way that is to the right customer who we're trying to attract. We've got to understand those customers better and then make sure that's, that's seamless. And, you know, we run 20 venues. They're really different. We've got everything from the Great Hall, Mediaeval Hall in Winchester, which is full of people on from travel trade have come off of cruises and things. And then we've got Milestones Museum in Basingstoke, which is a sort of family living history museum. Paul Sapwell: They don't get any international tourists. So having a really limited pot of marketing to be able to go all these sort of areas is really difficult. But I think that would be the challenge. But thinking about it holistically, really, because it's the same person who clicks on the social media ad to the person who ends up arriving in your venue. And that needs to be really consistent. Yeah, it sounds like cash is the barrier. We're going to try and work with it. But that's the important bit for me. Paul Marden: I'm grinning like the village idiot because this is what I advocate all the time. I'm looking at my marketing friends in the audience who would also share. Share your thoughts on this. We know from the Rubber Cheese survey that it's eight to 10 steps it takes people to checkout. I tried to buy tickets for an aquarium last year and they made me enter a password along with the names and addresses of everybody that was joining me and then told me off three times for getting the password wrong in the checkout process. I had to be really to buy those tickets and. Paul Sapwell: Well, yeah, you touch on. Yeah. I mean, we could have a whole conversation, but no, I mean, we love a complicated ticketing system in the cultural sector, don't we? I mean, with all the right intentions. I mean, even the list in some places of different concessions. I mean, you don't want to go. I think I'm that or I'm that. You know, and it's done with the right intention. But it's an enormous barrier. Paul Marden: Yeah, completely. Paul Sapwell: And you know, we make things so complex and I don't have the fix, but I know we've got to fix it. And that means putting sort of. Again, learn from companies who do this really well rather than. Yeah. Looking for ideas ourselves. Lots of people do it really well out there. That's what we got to do. Paul Marden: Thinking of lots of my team who might think that this is something somebody should solve. Zak Mensah: The fix is simple, isn't it? Because you just said then that there are other people doing it well. What we're not really good at artists actually copying people. Zak Mensah: Like just copy someone else who's done it better than us. It's really. It really does annoy me. Let's just say that what always happens is that we make decisions by committee, don't we? So it would have been two steps, but then someone from marketing said, but you've got to have a newsletter. And someone from another team would say, “You've got to also ask for this. And then you've got to do this. Then you've got to try and get the kids to come for school trip.” Before you know it, people mean well and they've made it really complicated. I think sometimes it's like, actually, let's just do the simplest thing. Let's do all the hard work to remove those barriers and then we can try and flog them stuff when they get there. Paul Marden: So friend of mine, Andy talks a lot about you don't go to a fine dining restaurant and walk up to the maitre d and he says to you, “Would you like a table, by the way, are you going to have dessert? And would you like a coffee? And what are you going to have for your starter main course and dessert? Oh, right, I'll take you to your table.” You have a conversation with people and you lead them and you don't try and pack everything into the very first time you ever talk to the potential client. Zak Mensah: Which is why Greg's does so well. Paul Marden: Yeah, look guys, I could carry on about this conversation, but we are the barrier to everybody getting to their drinks and nibbles and so we've got. Paul Sapwell: Including us. Paul Marden: I know, sorry. We've got a couple of things that I must cover. So we always ask our guests for a book recommendation. It can be a novel, it can be work related. So Zak, would you like to go first with yours? Zak Mensah: Yeah. Turn the ship around! I think it's David Marquet. It's a book about a nuclear submarine commander who basically realises all these stupid rules. And so he just said to everyone, just tell me you intend to. So say to him, I intend to turn the ship left, I intend to take holiday, etc, because he realised that there were so many stupid rules and I think museum will have loads of stupid rules. It's a really good thing. And I know most of you won't read the book because most people say, “Yeah, I'll read it. They don't read it.” There's a 10 minute YouTube video. Surely you can spend 10 minutes of time if you can't be bothered to do that. There is literally a 30 second Wikipedia article about it. But please don't do it. Paul Marden: Zak feels very strongly about this. Paul, your book recommendation, please. Paul Sapwell: Well, last year I read Wild Swans by Jung Chang and I'm trying to find a way of getting into a business conversation. I think there's so much that comes out of that book, but I think, yeah, striving for Utopia is often, you know, the book. Right. Most people in terms of living under communist China and we know we could go on about utopian things that haven't worked, but I think there's, for this conversation, that's perhaps where we need to think, you know, going forward here. There isn't a sort of utopian way that things should be done for our sector. There is, you know, we're making our way here and yeah. Obviously it's a fantastic book. Paul Marden: Excellent. Thank you, Paul. Amy, your recommendation? Amy Akino-Wittering: Yeah, so mine isn't linked to like professional development at all. Mine. Paul Marden: Well, you did have one. Amy Akino-Wittering: Well, I did have one and you were like, no, just go for your favourite one. So I was like, Persuasion by Jane Austen. It's a classic. Paul Marden: We've got, we've got big anniversary at the moment, haven't we? In Chawton where Jane Austen lived has got big thing about 200 years, 250 years? Amy Akino-Wittering: Celebration for the whole year. So I'm gonna go in. Paul Sapwell: Yeah, everyone's trying to get in on this, by the way. I just have to put this out there. You know, she was born in Hampshire. Paul Marden: I know. Paul Sapwell: Born in Hampshire, actually. Born Basingstoke. Paul Marden: I know.Paul Sapwell: Yes. Paul Marden: There's a lot of celebrations for Jane this year. Paul Sapwell: Yeah, everyone's trying. I've seen so many angles for her. Oh, she was here and she went to the toilet. Fair enough. I mean, it's a big celebration. Paul Marden: If you'd like a copy of the book or any of these books, head over to Bluesky and like and repost the show announcement saying, I want Zak, Paul or Amy's book. And the first person to do that will get the book sent to them. Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this episode, then please leave us a five star review. It really does help more people to find us and remember to follow us on Bluesky , X or Instagram for your chance to win the book. Thank you very much, everybody. Paul Sapwell: Thank you. Amy Akino-Wittering: Thank you. The 2024 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsDownload the 2024 Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

This week, a TON of updates coming to the Disneyland Resort Hotels, two new stores are open in Downtown Disney, a new President for the Resort, Celebrate Soulfully is returning, we talk to Teresa about her latest cruise on the Disney Fantasy, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. Check out all of our current partners and exclusive discounts at https://www.dlweekly.net/promos. News: Some big updates are coming to the hotels at the Disneyland Resort. This Spring, Napa Rose will close to undergo a refurbishment that will bring French oak flooring and columns, which is the type of wood used to make wine barrels, new lighting, and materials throughout the restaurant. Expanded counters will allow more guests to experience the open kitchen, and a new outdoor patio will be added. – https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/exciting-new-additions-hotels-of-disneyland-resort/ Two new Concierge lounges will be coming to the Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Grand Californian. The High Key Club will open at the Disneyland Hotel, celebrating Disneyland in 1955. The overall aesthetic will be mid-century modern and will nearly double the previous club-level lounge in the Adventure Tower. A second club-level lounge will open at the Grand Californian. The new two-story space will celebrate the California Craftsman style and be located on the 5th and 6th floors overlooking the Great Hall lobby. This space should open in 2026. – https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/exciting-new-additions-hotels-of-disneyland-resort/ All guests of the Grand Californian will benefit from this next update. New decor will added to every guest room, including the Disney Vacation Club Villas. The new designs will feature bright colors inspired by California wildflower blooms. – https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/exciting-new-additions-hotels-of-disneyland-resort/ Two new suites are coming to the Pixar Place Hotel. The new suites will feature two bedrooms. The Coco Suite will have Oaxacan [Wah-Hah-Kihn]-style architecture with terracotta tiling, Mexican artisan quilted and woven pieces, a fireplace, and more. The Incredibles Suite will be a mid-century modern design with a “spy-fi” twist. A room designed by Edna Mode herself will be one of the spaces, along with a hand-scanning prop at the entryway, among other special effects. These rooms should open this summer. – https://disneyparksblog.com/dlr/exciting-new-additions-hotels-of-disneyland-resort/ Two stores in Downtown Disney have finally opened! Disney Wonderful World of Sweets, which replaces Marceline's Confectionary opened last week. The shop is spacious and offers many of the same items as Marceline's. A new offering is the Werther's Original Caramel popcorn. There is a nod to Marceline, MO in the train display in the window. Storyland Boutique, which is in the old Wonderground location, also opened offering a ever-changing theme. Currently, the theme is “cure, cuddly, and plushy.” The store currently has create-your-own headbands, plush characters, and Pooh and Stitch merchandise. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2025/01/22/phenomenal-popcorn-news-theres-a-new-disney-store-selling-werthers-caramel-popcorn/#more-1003589 https://www.micechat.com/344054-disneyland-news-downtown-disney-expansion/ The Disneyland Resort will have a new President starting in March. Ken Potrock, the current President, will be moving to overseeing Disney's involvement in the 2028 Olympics. The new President, Thomas Mazloum (maz-lowm), came from Disney Cruise Line and “Signature Experiences.” – https://www.micechat.com/408393-new-disneyland-president-what-needs-to-change-under-mazloum/ https://www.micechat.com/408424-disneyland-update-takeovers-makeovers-sugar-rush/ Last Friday was Anaheim Ducks Day at the resort. There was a cavalcade, guests had the chance to ride an attraction with players, a fan zone to test your hockey skills, and more. – https://www.micechat.com/408424-disneyland-update-takeovers-makeovers-sugar-rush/ Celebrate Soulfully will be returning to the Fantasyland Theatre on February 8th and February 15th. Award-winning artists and community choirs from across Southern California will take part. The headliner is 6-time Grammy nominated, and 2-time Dove award-winning musician DOE. The second week will feature Grammy Award-nominated gospel singer Melvin Crispell, III. There are some specialty dishes at Tiana's Palace and Troubadour Tavern. – https://www.micechat.com/408424-disneyland-update-takeovers-makeovers-sugar-rush/ Two iconic engineers responsible for their work on the Matterhorn are being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame posthumously. Karl Bacon, who passed away in 2008 at 98, and Ed Morgan, in 2009 at 93, worked for Arrow Development, the company Disney hired to work with them to create attractions for Disneyland. Karl and Ed came up with the idea of tubular steel tracks to make the attraction possible. The ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C. on May 8th. – NEWS: 2 Engineers Behind an Iconic Disney Attraction Will Be Honored at “The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation” | the disney food blog D23 Gold Members can take advantage of a deal at a local hotel. The Anaheim Hotel is offering 15% off direct bookings, which include a members-only welcome gift, two breakfast vouchers, and 23% off food and beverage at The Pizza Press, the attached restaurant. The offer is valid through December 14, 2026 to all active D23 Gold Members. – This Disneyland Hotel Is Offering an EXCLUSIVE Discount (with FREE Breakfast!) | the disney food blog SnackChat: Valentine's Day Foodie Guide – https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/disney-eats-valentines-day-foodie-guide-2025/ TriviaLand: *Warning Spoilers* https://www.livescience.com/56261-kidney-stones-roller-coaster.html Discussion Topic: Teresa and Vern's Disney Cruise – Jan 2025

In this episode, we revisit the reading of Reverend Martin Luther King's 1963 "Letter From A Birmingham Jail". It was performed annually as a staged reading in the Great Hall of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library prior to the library's renovation. Today, we continue that tradition in virtual form, blending voices familiar and new, including DC Public Library staff and community members.

Spend a bookish weekend with us in a country manor house! For centuries, nobles and ne'er-do-wells have gathered on country estates for a bit of leisure, a lot of sumptuous food, sparkling conversation, and general good cheer. You're invited to join us at Trevor Hall for a modern take on the traditional manor house weekend. Together, we'll make ourselves at home in this historic Georgian mansion surrounded by the picturesque North Wales countryside. We'll talk about books, share gourmet meals in the Great Hall, play parlor games, ramble in the Welsh hills, listen to stories by candlelight, and be dazzled by an illusionist from London. Our weekend begins in Manchester, England — a UNESCO City of Literature. We'll take over a boutique hotel in the city center where we'll enjoy an evening pub meetup, spend the night, and start our morning with a breakfast fry-up. Then we're off to the Elizabeth Gaskell House for a private tour of the Victorian villa where the author wrote her classic novel ‘North and South' (and entertained literary friends like Charlotte Brontë and Charles Dickens). After a restorative tea-and-cake break, we'll ride together via private motor coach — just over an hour — through the rugged countryside to Llangollen, a charming historic town on the River Dee in North Wales. Our destination: Trevor Hall. The Hall is a Georgian mansion on a wooded hilltop overlooking green slopes dotted with sheep and horses. After a tour of the house and gardens, we'll ease into country living in the Hall's luxurious (and tastefully eclectic) rooms. With literary activities, entertainment, and surprises planned throughout the weekend, you're sure to be delighted — and have plenty of time to connect with old and new bookish friends. For complete details about the weekend and lots of photos, visit strongsenseofplace.com/weekend. For early access to tickets for a Readers' Weekend at Trevor Hall, join our Patreon. To be notified the minute tickets go on sale, join our free Substack newsletter. Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hoes and Bitches Need A Champion.Based on a post by FinalStand, in 13 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. ‘Once you go Black, you don't go back; unless you are an Amerindian, Arabic, Asian, Black, Indian, Latina, or White girl, or guy who has tried Black, then found sexual fulfillment with a non-Black person and created a blissful relationship with them'Introduction:Right off the bat, be warned that I'm using the 'N' words, nigger, niggah, my niggah, plus homie, thug, coon, buck, spook, spade and whatever other crude racial slurs that come to mind. This story plays to both Black and White stereotypes.Lastly, this story is rather flippant with the entire concept of sexual assault. Those who have red my previous tales know this is not my attitude at all. For the sake of this genre I had to grapple with the concept of forcing a woman and 'making them love that cock'Prelude:My tale begins as the Winter Man Saga 1300 years ago, about the year 700 AD. One small clan of my Swedish ancestors lost a brutal feud with their neighbors. Their farms were burned, animals slaughtered and their women and children taken as slaves. Only three young brother-warriors survived, wounded but unconquered. The victors chased them high into the mountains when a terrible winter storm struck.The three brothers were trudging across a glacier between the mountain peaks in Whiteout conditions. The lead brother stepped into a crevasse and slid to the bottom of the glacier. Not giving up on their last kinsman, the other two slid down into the darkness after him. At the roots of that glacier they found an ice cavern formed by snow that fell 100,000 years ago.They melted the ice for water with their body heat and in doing so, unleashed a demoness (virus) that no man had ever known and survived. The three men grew very sick, but their fierce desire for vengeance kept them from succumbing. When they emerged from their icy tomb, they discovered that several of their pursuers had frozen to death in the blizzard and the rest had returned to their stolen homes and purloined lands, thinking the three brothers were dead.In the dark of the long northern night, they snuck upon the Great Hall of their enemies. When one of the brothers saw his 'former' wife doing a slave's work, he revealed himself to her. She rejoiced at the return of her love; physically, then brought the three table scraps to survive on. In the process, they learned that their sisters were also alive and the sexual playthings of their male nemeses.Due to the depth of winter, stealing back their womenfolk wasn't possible. They'd all freeze to death if they didn't starve first. To repay their enemy's wickedness, one of the brother's snapped and raped one of the chief's daughters. He was possessed with an unearthly desire and held her in a stable for hours. Only when he was utterly spent did he fall asleep.She ran to her father and returned with many warriors. So the first of the brothers was taken. He was tortured and abused. For three long nights he suffered at the hands of his captors yet refused to admit any of his other brothers were still alive. After that third night, the chief's daughter sneaked past the sleeping guards of the chained man, and raped him.For the next five nights, while her father, brothers and husband slept, she raped and raped and raped that brother. On the fifth night, a sister-in-law caught her at it. The daughter pled for the other to spare her; that the man's sexual prowess had ensnared her. She even challenged her kinswoman to sample the 'fruit' before turning her in. Five women later, the brother cracked and told the women how to find his brothers.The night after the Spring Equinox Celebrations, the women of their enemy rose up and slaughtered all their adult menfolk at the behest of the three brothers, on the conditions that their youngest sons be spared and that the men continue to share their favors with all the womenfolk (who were not their kin).The Sammi ClanThe isolated region of the land of the Swedes kept my ancestors out of contact with the wider world for some time. Many generations later, a son of that clan came to lead a band of (female) Finns. His Swedish name is forgotten. The Finns called him Sami (the Exalted One, no shit). He and this band took to fur trading along the Eastern tributaries of the Volga.In time, this group became identified with the Varangian. The Sons of Sami intermarried with the Slavs, becoming Slavicized and the Sons of Sami became Samsonovs. They followed the Rus expansion into the eastern tributaries of the Volga reaching Nizhny Novgorod in the 10th century.Then came the Mongol Conquest, the Tartar Yoke, Rus reunification and the Russian drive across Siberia. The Samsonovs remained tightly clannish and uncomfortable in urban settings. That wanderlust led them across the Bering Straits into Alaska where their genetic abnormality, the gift of that ancient demoness (virus), slumbered in isolation and monogamy.After a thousand years, the tales of mass orgies with strange women and protective female war bands faded into obscurity. Then my Mom, the brilliant, driven eccentric came along. Once she became enraptured with her own Samsonov lover, she had to know the secret of Samsonov men's sexual prowess.With her burning intellect and educational background, she eventually figured it out. She was also amoral enough to keep the knowledge to herself and vengeful enough to plan to use our curse as a weapon.My Living Family·         Father, Nikolay 'Nik' Samsonov;·         Mother, Gayle Fonteneau Samsonov;·         The Triplets, Alexander 'Alex', Mikhail and Vladimir 'Vlad'; that's me.Sitting at the dinner table, I protested; ‘Mom, You actually expect me to believe my Father, Brothers and I have the genetic capability to addict every woman we have sex with to our schlongs? That's nuts!'Mom retorted; ‘As opposed to thinking the color, length and girth of a phallus makes any woman lose all sense of loyalty, morality and decorum so she can become a man's sex sleeve, whore, bitch, property? Yes, I do.'The lives of my family took an unexpected detour in the spring of this year. My great-aunt Matilda (Mattie) died and willed her estate to Mom. I had never met the woman while she was alive yet in death she would have a profound effect on all our lives. Mom's family was a mess; a crowded dingy with a madhouse of odd characters.Lionel was my eldest maternal uncle. He was a Big, Bulging Brain working as a Chief Technical Advisor for NASA; a solitary crusader for all Mankind. What was he a technical advisor for? If anything left terra firma for more than fifteen seconds, he knew every detail about it. That included volcanic eruptions too. When we were younger, he invited us to various volcanoes (both above and beneath the waves). Great guy.Cassius, my second uncle, was serving time in Indonesia for piracy. Mom said he was meaner than every saltwater crocodile that ever lived. The two times I'd met him, he'd been a lean, happy laconic kind of guy with a love for military history. Mom said he was a charismatic rebel who was possessed by an obsession to defy authority in all its forms.Dido was child number three; my Mom's older sister, married to an Evangelical Televangelist in Nebraska under an assumed name, Paula Richmond. She also had a MD in Psychiatry and a Master's in Public Communications (under her real name), which she kept secret from the fundamentalist congregation. The few times we met; she was the perfect mother. Secretly, we three sons wished she'd been our mother instead of our real mother. Mom said Aunt Dido was a master manipulator and wielded a cruel whip;Then there was Mom's twin, Uncle Theo, who never lived in one place, traveled all around the globe and had every law enforcement agency in the civilized world looking for him. We always receiving presents from him during all the normal holidays; like Michaelmas, Holy Week, the start of Lent, Martinmas (his favorite) and our birthdays; which arrived at random, unrelated times of the year and never from the same location.He was the only one we'd never met, but the one Mom loved the most. Dad suspected he was a narco-trafficker while Mom insisted he was too paranoid to be considered reliable for that line of work. Mom told us he'd spent his formative years killing people for Uncle Sam until one day he simply walked away from Fort Bragg and became an independent contractor.The Defense Department sent some fine, brave men from Joint Special Operation Command, to talk to Mom every few months. They made sure not to trip over the CIA and Homeland Security types who occasionally staked out our house. We boys guessed they came around every time Uncle Theo assassinated people. Mom taught us how to appreciate them in an elaborate ritual she called 'April Fool's, which became an 'any day of the year' activity.My Mom's father (I never met the guy) was a leader of a cult in Nevada. He went down, guns blazing during a DEA raid. Apparently his interests included both harems and marijuana production.Mom's mom? She left my Mother outside a dive bar in San Diego and was never seen again. She had doctorates in Biology and Physics as well as the reputation for being a certifiable Space Cadet. Mom insisted her mom hadn't abandoned her, she'd simply forgotten where she left her youngest daughter who was 15 at the time.After five days, Mom decided to join an Alternative Rock band instead of looking for the lady yet again. Seven years later, she was declared legally dead; though all her offspring believed she was still alive; somewhere; doing something.Then you had Dad's family. We had some characters on that side of the family, just not like Mom's. For starters, Samsonovs were bred for law enforcement. We'd been arresting bad guys since the 1500's. We'd been doing that in Alaska since the time of the tsars. When the Alaskan Territory was sold to the United States; well, my ancestors simply started writing their reports in English instead of Russian.Over the centuries, we had bagged serial killers, smugglers, poachers, drug dealers, domestic abusers and thieves. Mostly they arrested drunks and wackos. My Great Grandfather Petrov was a law enforcement legend in Alaska. Alone, he ran down a pack of murderous robbers in the dead of winter before they made it to 'safety' in the Yukon Territory.In the spring, they found them frozen solid, him leading five men, he recorded in his journal he'd killed the other three while apprehending the gang, back in chains. That pretty much defined the nature of my Father's family, no too many stellar geniuses, but always relentless past all norms of endurance and reason. The moment females were allowed in law enforcement, the womenfolk joined the profession.My Aunt Iliana was in the Coast Guard, that made her the 'Black sheep' in this clan. Taking the law out to the high seas was about as wild as Dad's family got. Dad was pretty much the standard issue for my kin. Big, Dad was 6' 5' and 290 lbs., and about as imaginative as a glacier. Why Mom married Dad had long been a mystery to his sons.Don't get me wrong. I loved my Dad, but the man used a grand total of twenty different sentences his entire life. The fewer words he had to speak, the happier he was. He was a nice guy, never drinking too much and I'd never seen him lose his temper. He smiled, was unerringly polite and had always been helpful and playful with us kids from our earliest memories.Grandpa, my great-aunts and -uncles, my aunts, uncles and cousins by blood were the exact same way. I mean that quite literally. We all pretty much looked alike as well. Those who married, married eccentrics. In our regular family get-togethers that translated over to the blood kin in one room saying and doing nothing (we were already cluing into some sort of primitive telepathy) and being very happy that way, while the married relations were in another room packing on the lunacy.There was no middle ground; you were either a silent, brooding peak in the Samsonov mountain range, or the aurora borealis. That left me and my brothers, we were triplets, in a precarious position. We looked like smaller versions of our Dad (we were still growing) yet were totally at the mercy of our Mother most of our young lives. Recall what I said about eccentrics and lunatic behavior. Mom was the Queen of the Asylum.Mom quickly fell in love with 'things' and she loved doing those things with family. Since Dad worked long hours, family meant my brothers and me. We could make passable pottery by age seven. Krav Maga? Screw this 'driving to some dojo in Anchorage' crap. Mom signed us up for a two week course in Israel and online lessons for a year. Archery, check. Rewiring our house and refitting all the plumbing, check.The three of us were SCA squires at age 12. Pleading to Dad was pointless. He'd smile, mess up our hair and remind us these excursions made our Mother happy aka he wasn't going to help us have normal lives. We had some ex-Green Beret guys teach us outdoor survival skills in Wyoming. We could pull wool, make thread and knit a set of pants and sweaters.I and my brothers had to memorize 1200 medically useful plants before we could get our Christmas presents when we were 14. We free-climbed mountains, ran 10Kms, kayaked, were proficient seamen on a sailing ship and learned how to navigate by the Sun, Moon and stars. Around the age of 15, we figured out that Mom had a ton of money squirreled away. There was no way Dad, with his civil servant's salary, could afford all this crazy shit.By the age of 18 we had such a crazy patchwork set of skills, we weren't sure what we would end up doing with our lives; though tracking down Uncle Theo and living a life on the run was looking more attractive every month. What we didn't have were great social lives. We all had girlfriends at one time, or another, but they never lasted.Right before any of us were about to get serious with any girl in high school, my Mom dragged us off; to things like a five day course on Renaissance artwork in Milan; that's Italy. We had to learn to speak Italian in three days, plus during the flight over. Mom made it easy for us. We could only speak Italian the entire time. Doing that at school was 'fun'. Dad? He smiled and said nothing for three days.Welcome to the Fonteneau House, Kingston, ArkansasAnyway, Mom's Great-aunt Mattie kicked the bucket and left her vast fortune in northwestern Arkansas to my Mom. The old bird hated the rest of the nutjobs in the clan, but adored my Mom (and Theo). Upon receiving the news, my brothers and I began thinking the same thing: banjo lessons, redneck stunts and girls in Daisy Dukes. By 'fortune' we were thinking a ramshackle Ozark shack sitting on a mountain top.Nope. Great-aunt Mattie was loaded. In fact, Mom's whole family had tons of money. They'd made a killing, quite literally, during the White expansion westward using various despicable means. They'd even been cursed by an entire Indian Tribe for bilking them off their land. Mom's family blamed that malediction for their bizarre behavior.That Arkansas home was actually the summer residence for the Fonteneau clan from a hundred years ago. Along with the palatial residence came thousands upon thousands of acres spread over a quarter of the state (and some land in Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma too).Tara, or the Biltmore estate, it was not, but it certainly had pretensions. It was a wide and roomy, rambling Victorian structure. The house proper (there were two barns, a stable, storage sheds, two garages, one attached and the other stand-alone, semi-attached servant quarters and four outlying hunting lodges) abutted the Kingston town limits.The place was big enough to require Mom to employ six staff;Phineas Cobb the third, an angry, sullen old White guy and his carbon-copy son, Phineas IV, were our two Wardens. That meant they took care of the outlying property which included hunting down poachers, interlopers and moonshiners (the competition, no doubt) and seeing to the upkeep of the various lodges, roads, trails and bridges around the place. Phineas the third and Mom; well, he cried and hugged Mom when he saw her, so we didn't know what to think of him and his son.Bebe Marston worked the stables and the twelve horses therein. She was a college dropout, White and 21; a woman at one of life's crossroads. Great Aunt Mattie brought her on a few months before she passed on. Bebe was a bit shy and distant around the menfolk. Mom treated Bebe like her long lost daughter; they got along fine.Thomas Freeman was the groundskeeper. Thomas seemed nice enough, a polite and somewhat deferential older Black man. I liked him. Mom fired him the moment the lawyer finished reading Maggie's Will. She believed the man was a back-biter, liar and a thief.Kamika Perry was the cook. She was a largish, plump Black woman with a large family in town. She was a tyrant in the kitchen but friendly and out-going everywhere else. She knew Mom from before; before what, we didn't know. She was close to Mom's age and was the niece of the former cook. She and Mom were cordial yet a tad formal.Nefertiti Cooke was the upstairs maid. She was a whip-tin attractive Black woman in her late-20s and joined Thomas heading out the door. Mom discharged her due to Nefertiti's sour attitude and general unwillingness to adhere to a work schedule.Anita Turner was our downstairs maid and overall manager of the other servants. Like Kamika, she knew Mom from her previous stay at the house, though Anita was already part of the staff back then. They acted like old friends though they understood the mistress-servant dynamics of their relationship.Mom solved our labor shortage by bringing in Mexicans (Hondurans actually). The two families divided up the nine rooms in the detached servants' quarters with Bebe, since Anita and Kamika lived in town and the Cobb's had their own cottage somewhere on the property.Hector Martinez became our new groundskeeper. He had a wife, Maria. Mom enrolled her in some online college courses so she could get a teaching license. They were both pretty young.Consuela Castro was our new upstairs maid. She was a single mother with a son, Gustavo (10), and a daughter, Isabo (6); they went to the local elementary school in town. Both families were very nice to us and seemed happy with their current circumstance. Since this job was their first go at being domestic servants, Mom told us to be patient and respectful while they learned the ropes from Anita and Mr. Cobb (only Mom could call him Phineas without pissing him off).My brothers and I, our Father, the Martinez's and the Castro's couldn't have predicted the shit-storm Mom was creating between our house and the dominant Black populace of Kingston along the great racial divide. The Hondurans had spent half their lives learning to keep their heads low when faced with discrimination. We didn't, nor did we know that Mom was acting with deliberate malice of forethought at that time.To help appreciate our understanding of the situation, we triplets had known a grand total of four Black people well enough to call them by their Christian names our entire lives. One was a crazy, older guy who had been a sniper at some point in his military career. By crazy, I meant he'd go off on tangents in mid conversation, or just stopping entirely. We all liked the guy.He and Granddad Samsonov were real tight. They'd served together in Vietnam and we boys suspected something bad had happened to them both, something which scarred and bound them together closer than brothers. He and Alexander went hunting all the time back in Alaska. All I knew was Morris (Grandpa's comrade-in-arms) was treated like family.That meant if Morris got in trouble, fifteen to twenty Samsonov's would show up to bail him out. That's what family meant. The other two were a retired Air Force couple, Parker and Mariana Carrington plus their infant William, that had moved in next door (that's 40 yards away in Alaska) when I was fourteen. They were in their early thirties and wanted to start a family. The woman had been pregnant with her second child when we left.My Mom and another neighbor trundled her off to a clinic during her first birth. Dad had driven fifty miles in a blizzard to get her husband, so he could witness his firstborn come into the world. The man worked as a fishing boat mechanic and had gotten stuck at work when his wife went into early labor. It was the Alaskan way to look after one another.I never much thought about minorities. There were nearly as many Native Alaskans attending my schools as White folk. The Natives knew my family going back eight generations. I had a few cousins who were 'First Peoples'. Minority? Majority? We were Alaskans and that was that.Again, I didn't think much about there being a social and economic racial crevasse when I showed up in Kingston, Arkansas. I probably would have been totally blind-sided about it if Dad hadn't done his due diligence and went to the Kingston Police Station and Davis County Sheriff's Office to report his status as an Alaskan State Trooper and register his firearms.Since we didn't know what to look for, we missed the obvious signs of trouble. The Black police officer that Dad talked to was; impolite. He informed Dad there would be no 'courtesy' given despite Dad's professionalism, i.e. he wasn't permitted to carry any of his licensed firearms. The Sheriff's department was very different.We met the Sheriff and the man got Dad to be about as verbose as I'd ever seen him. The Sheriff verified Dad's story, gave him a 90 Day permit for his sidearm and told him to make no never mind over the Town cops' hostility. He certainly seemed pleased Dad had three big, strong, strapping boys and gave Dad an application to join his department.That night, Dad informed us all at the dining room table he was considering the Sheriff's job offer. Mom was secretly pleased (like her sister, she IS an evil mastermind and master manipulator). Anita, Bebe and Kamika were eating with us as well, Mom insisted all the help do so (the Hondurans weren't with us yet), and I detected a hint of worry in their posture. I would have thought 'us' staying in the house, thus their continued employment, would be seen as a good thing.Welcome To Kingston.That night, over some late night cocoa, Mom gave the family the regional 4-1-1. Kingston was 75% Black, 20% White and 5% other. The rest of Davis County was 95% White and 5% Black and other. In Kingston, the Blacks ruled the town. All elected officials and police officers were Black. The Sheriff's department had a few Black officers, but was mostly White.It would have been all White except a combined lawsuit by Southern Poverty Law Center and N Double A CP, forced the County to 'integrate'. I asked the logical question: why hadn't the town been forced to integrate too? Mom told me that wasn't how things worked in the Lower 48. Here, Blacks couldn't discriminate; they could only be discriminated against.The Federal government said so. I was sensing shades of Uncle Theo in Mom's blanket assessment of things. My brothers and I were wrong. Mom was right. We were entering White Man's Hell aka Big Black Cock Country. Of course, Mom wasn't sadistic, or masochistic. She had a tidbit of knowledge no one this side of British Columbia was aware of, a Secret Weapon.Dad applied for and got the job of Senior Deputy, which riled some of the other (read: Black) deputies, but Dad's extensive experience and easy-going manner eased his entry into the unit. Mom remained Mom, an unconventional, beautiful, free-spirited kook. She made no effort to make friends. I was the boldest of the triplets so I asked her why.‘Do you know how your Father's family would rather hack of a hand than go back on their word?' she gazed at me intently. I nodded. When she said 'Father' instead of 'Dad', this was our cue that this was a Major Life lesson we had best memorize. ‘These people aren't like that. They will take that which is not theirs, break trusts, sully families and lie to your face.'‘These women are all bold-faced whores, cock-hungry tramps and sluts who get abortions because they don't know what color the daddy is. The males are either the kind of men who would sleep with those kinds of women, or gutless wonders who won't fight for their rights as boyfriends, brothers, fathers, fiancés and spouses.'‘This is a colored thing, right?' I guessed. I wanted to be wrong.‘Got it in one,' Mom patted me on the shoulder. ‘Most White men in town are spineless wimps, Black men jump on whatever cunt they can crack open and women of either color put up with it, even beg for it. I know because I was once like them.'‘You and Dad?' I worried. Mom gave a deep, hearty laugh.‘That is not going to be a problem, I promise you. The only man for me is your Father,' she smiled. ‘I had plenty of lovers before your Dad. Since one month after I met him, I've never been with another man, or woman, or even wanted one.' More than I wanted to know, but good news none the less.While we were moving in the small amount of belongs that had followed us from Arkansas, two Kingston cops stopped by to see what we were doing. I had spent my entire life around law enforcement who knew about me and my clan. They were always friends and people we could trust. Kingston PD was a rude awakening we weren't in Alaska anymore.They were brusque and intimidating. Their real purpose was to remind my family the house was part of the town, even if the back acreage was not. Mom snorted at their pale deception. She asked to see their warrant. They asked if there was some reason they might need one. Mom politely asked them to leave as they were trespassing.They basked in their defiance. What could Mom really do? If she went all redneck and produced a gun, they'd lock her up, pointing weapons at law enforcement was stupid. Sadly for the cops, familiarity breeds understanding too. Mom gave us the April Fools' signal. Alexander, our oldest triplet, moved the cargo truck so it blocked the officers' view of their patrol car.While Mom looked peeved, feeding the Black cops sense of empowerment, my youngest triplet Mikhail and I (Vladimir) stripped their car of all easily removable parts; the dash-cam went first. They wanted to loiter around on our property? We let them behave stupidly. We dumped the parts and our work gloves in a packing box and carried it right past them.We walked straight out the back too. There was a burning barrel which we made prompt use of, for the oily gloves and box. We had spares. Mikhail tended the fire as I picked up a broken cinder block, a heavy-duty trash bag and walked a few hundred yards to the bog near the creek that ran through our property, county land. The bag and contents went into the bog.I used a branch to make sure it sunk deep before returning. Cleaning off my boots with the outdoor hose completed my destruction of evidence. Ten minutes later a member of the Arkansas Highway Patrol stopped by to see what the problem was. Mom had called them before the sabotage had even begun. She didn't know these two personally, but she knew from earlier visits to her aunt that these two were going to give us 'attitude'.Calling the Sheriff's Department would only cause a standoff where the police had the upper hand, the whole town jurisdiction thing. By the time the HP arrived, Alexander had left with the truck so when the Highway Patrolman began expressing concern for my Mom's civil rights, the two buck butt-bandits made to leave. That didn't work out well for them.First came the circus of the discovery they were missing key parts of their vehicle and the lack of an explanation of how that had happened. Mom wouldn't let the town cops search her place. She happily let the Highway Patrolman (who happened to be Black too) look around. We'd used the hose and the burning barrel because moving was nasty, sweaty work, especially in the Arkansas summer heat.The two policemen blamed us, the triplets. Mom asked them when, in the cops thirty minute trespass, had her 'little angels' stolen the parts, why we would do such a criminal thing, and if they knew where the parts might be. The Highway patrolman was kind of curious about the length of their stay as well.The cops lied, Mom went inside and brought back the camcorder that had taken in the entire event. They were caught in the lie and all they could claim was the cargo truck had been strategically placed to block a visual to their car; as we unloaded our truck. Mom even got the Highway Patrolman to co-sign her complaint to the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigations department.Mom knew this one wouldn't go anywhere. She had lived with cops long enough to know the value of building up a case file. Alexander was off returning the truck in another county, so he was safe. Mom called him and Dad so they could hook up before Alexander came home. She counted on the cops to be petty and they were.Alexander was on a motorcycle. When he got pulled, the city cops pulled in front of him. Dad stopped as well. Despite their continuing pressure to make Dad leave, they had no legal grounds to do so, he was Alexander's father, who would be responsible for Alex's ride if they took him into custody. Being an off-duty sheriff's deputy wasn't good enough, yet Dad's point was telling.Cops always pull up behind a suspect, not ahead of them unless they want to ignore the dash-cam evidence. Dad had pulled up in his Sheriff's vehicle behind Alexander and his dash-cam was recording everything. They let Alexander off with a Warning Ticket and departed giving father and son dirty looks. School was five days off. We checked out the property for two days. The third morning my brothers and I, on motorcycles, decided to explore Kingston.Having never before confronted such blatant racism, we weren't afraid, we were furious. We hadn't done anything to anybody. We were from Alaskan-Russian stock and had never owned a person ever, as far as we knew. We certainly weren't invested in this whole 'Black slavery, White guilt' issue. Those who gave us attitude about 'White privilege' didn't care for our counter, that saying all White people were alike was equally racist.As Mom had warned us, Black people couldn't be racist; just ask them. Mind you, many of the town's Black residents were friendly and helpful. They just weren't friendly enough to defend us from the 'haters'. At the end of the first day, Mikhail nearly got in a fight with five members of the Black post-high school crowd who were fucking with, and sitting on, our bikes.Where we came from, that was rude in the extreme. When he appeared to be alone, they were boisterous enough. When Alexander and I stepped out of the pool hall (we'd been made unwelcome there), they backed off from their threatening rhetoric. They still wouldn't leave, or get off our bikes. The three versus five odds didn't deter us.It was the lack of faith in the local justice system that encouraged Alexander and me to hold Mikhail back. We had an answer to their intransience, crowding. It takes a great deal of cool to have three guys, all over six feet tall and 220 lbs. lean in on you while you are sitting down. When the current bastard was dealt with, we moved to the next. Before the group could figure a way to thwart us, we had retrieved our bikes and were headed home.The next day, we took Mom's 2012 Shelby V8 Mustang out for a drive. We found the three spots in town the 'White folk' hung out in. We had the Country Western Redneck posse' section of town, pseudo-riche Southerner clique downtown region, and the movie theater (theoretically neutral turf). The saner White middle class had departed for safer pastures, they had established their own municipality a few miles outside of town).The rednecks welcomed our physicality. We were attempting to fit in until they began talking about all those damn 'niggahs'. Alexander broke down after a bit and asked what a 'niggah' was. It was a 'coon'. Since that was of no help, we asked what a 'coon' was.The regulars found our naiveté amusing. It took us three minutes of running a verbal obstacle course to piece together that 'niggahs' was their inbred pronunciation of 'niggers' (a term we knew from TV and movies) which was idiot slang for a Black person. We were 'crackahs', idiot slang for crackers aka White people. Hispanics were 'beeners'; yeah, right.We also learned that the favorite activities for teenage rednecks was knocking over mailboxes as they sped down the road, beating up White girls who sucked Black cock and beating up 'niggahs' who touched White girls. My analysis was that these yahoos were long on talk and short on action.I wasn't a fashion icon yet I could tell these boys could use a bath and some fresh clothes. The girls who hung around this crowd looked about as loyal as salmon during spawning season. At 18, we were hardly experienced, but we weren't desperate virgins either. Girls we had just been introduced to, flirting with us and suggesting later sexual rendezvouses were a definite turn-off because God knows who else they'd been doing it with.That led us to the riche clique. Among the guys; half were snobbish closet gays who weren't our thing. The other half were rich straight guys pretending to be rednecks. Rich White girls pretended to be friends with the rich Black girls. They were used to being pampered by their rich White boyfriends while eyeing every Black stud that crossed their path.Until they realized Samsonov = Fonteneau, they were snide. After that, they tried to convince us we were all (distantly) related. Bloodlines and riches were not the basis for what we called friends so we politely postponed any celebrations.The Cineplex was a hunting ground for all ages. White women I was pretty sure were married to someone else engaged in sexual liaisons with Blacks; be they teens, business types, or lay-abouts. We had no idea if these were random hook-ups, or affairs and we didn't really care.Having wasted nine hours of our lives we definitely wanted back, we ended up rendezvousing with Mom and Dad at his boss's, the Sheriff's, place. Whatever else he was, Robert ‘Big Bob' Carson wasn't an underpaid county employee. His home was nice, expansive, relatively new and sitting on four wonderful acres of land, half woodland/half professionally maintained lawn and gardens. He had an expansive deck with a built-in grill, hot tub and pool out back.My brothers and I had been under the impression this would be an office outing. It ended up being our two families; the five of us, Big Bob and his daughter, Brandy Crystal Carson. There was no Mamma Carson in sight and a lack of family pictures was noticed by us and our Mom. Dad and Bob (it was tough to call him Big Bob when Dad was bigger than he was) were deep in conversation at the outdoor grill when I arrived.‘Vlad, come out here,' my Dad called to me in his easy going manner.‘Brandy!' Bob shouted. I promptly showed up. Dad wasn't a passionate disciplinarian. I didn't hustle out of fear. I hurried out because I wanted my Dad to look good in front of the Sheriff. ‘Hello Vlad,' Big Bob greeted me. ‘You are a strapping lad, big like your Daddy.'That was a bit odd. I had only heard one person call my Father 'Daddy'. That was my Mom when she was feeling frisky. Mom walked around the house naked when the mood struck her (even when we had guests over) and had few compunctions about hopping into Dad's lap when she wanted attention. That was a common enough occurrence that 'us' boys had learned to sneak out of the room quietly before we were ten.Only in the last two years had we figured out part of Mom's bizarre sexual behavior was caused by Dad being utterly clueless where women were concerned. He could spot a shoplifter at a glance, or an expired car registration at fifty feet on a moonless night. I had seen a car saleswoman hit on Dad when he was getting his newest pick-up. She did everything but flash her tits and do a striptease; it all went right over Dad's head.‘Brandy! Get your ass down here!' Bob bellowed. She must have been most of the way to us because she materialized five seconds later.‘Yes Daddy,' Brandy sounded bored. I was too busy gawking to see Big Bob's reaction to his daughter's insolence.Brandy was beyond gorgeous (according to my personal standards). She had pale-blonde hair in a ponytail that clearly went past her shoulder blades. Her caramel skin was the beneficiary of countless sessions with a tanning booth. Her eyes were the darkest blue I'd ever seen. Breasts, Jesus, they were large and firm. I could tell that because she had on a pink crop-top and no bra. I could almost see the bottoms of each orb.Her stomach was muscled with a thin layer of fatty tissue to give her real womanly curves and she had curves to spare. Her waist was narrow and her hips were wide, complimenting her breast size. She had on super-short, cut-off, 'faded-almost-to-White' denim jeans that accentuated her dark skin. Her ass was to die for. A bit big but well-muscled, each a perfect hemisphere.Her thighs and calves were the product of consistent exercise. Hot, hot, hot. She had on white tennis socks (no shoes) that finished off her delectable image.‘Brandy, this is Vladimir, Senior Deputy Samsonov's son. He's going to be your boyfriend this year,' Bob announced. I had a feeling this wasn't open for debate, in his mind.‘What!' Brandy squawked.‘What?' I looked to my Dad.‘What the fuck?' Brandy turned and glared at me. I would have enjoyed her breasts bouncing more if I hadn't been eyeballing my patriarch.‘Dad?' I kept my voice calm. Brandy was fantastic looking, but I didn't want anyone dictating my social life, period. I was eighteen. Besides, Brandy was turning out to have a far less appealing personality, Pretty Princess syndrome.‘Brandy, Vladimir's a nice boy. His father is 'good people',' Bob laid out his case.How did he know I was a good boy? He was taking a lot on faith.‘I don't want to date this loser,' Brandy shouted. 'Loser'? She didn't knew me either.‘If you don't keep Vlad as your boyfriend, then no cheerleading and no dance team,' Bob glared at his daughter. This clash of wills made no sense to me.‘No way!' Brandy glanced back at her Dad, protested loudly and stomped her foot on the wooden deck.‘Well then, you need to be home at 3:20 pm every school day,' Bob threatened. ‘And I'll make sure to check up on you.' Before I could wonder about Big Bob's abuse of power, I noted the state of the art security system, cyber-nanny.Brandy turned on me in a furor. Her face was screwed up with anger, her fists were clenched and I was working double-time to not ogle the cleave she enhanced by leaning forward. Man, she hated me for reasons I couldn't fathom. I disgusted her which I didn't get either. Plenty of non-relative women had called me good-looking and handsome.I had a healthy, well-defined physique, nice thick, blonde hair and the common sense to keep my body and clothes clean and casual. My only downside I'd ever been told about was my size, I was tall for my age and 'cut'. Brandy was 5' 4'. I was 6' 2'. I had stormy grey eyes, light blonde hair the color of wheat and skin spared the ravages of acne.‘Brandy, I am as uncomfortable and surprised about this as you are,' I tried to placate her. ‘Do you want to talk about it?' She forced herself to appear calm.‘Fine Victor,' she grumbled. Worse than getting my name wrong was the look of viciousness that glimmered in her eyes. ‘We'll make Daddy happy and be a cookie-cutter couple.'‘Dad?' I tried to exit this fiasco with some decorum.‘You'll do fine son,' he responded. That wasn't helpful.‘I'll see you Monday morning, Victor,' Brandy snidely mocked me before leaving. I turned to follow her thunderous retreat.Running after her would have felt pathetic so my sedate pursuit meant she put some distance between us. She ran right into Mom, who grabbed her arm.‘I'm warning you right now,' Mom hissed. ‘Don't have sex with any of my sons.'‘That won't be a problem,' Brandy snorted. I was filth in her mind

The Countess of Brighton and Hackney Diaries.Chapter 31: The Bath of Divine RecoveryDearest Reader,It is with some embarrassment and no small measure of triumph that I pen this latest entry, for I have just emerged from a most restorative bath. Nay, not an ordinary bath of lukewarm water and soap as may suffice for the commonfolk, but one befitting a Countess of my grandeur and refinement—a bath of virgin asses' milk infused with crushed petals of Damask roses and a sprinkling of golden saffron threads. Such extravagance may be unthinkable to those with lesser ambitions, but my skin, glowing like moonlight on a silver goblet, declares it an investment well spent.The setting for this indulgence was, of course, the private Bathing Chamber of Providence Palace. I must make it clear, lest rumors begin to spread, that this chamber is discreetly hidden away, separated by a thick oaken door from the Great Hall, where preparations for tomorrow's festival are underway. As I reclined amidst the frothy luxury, the distant sound of workers hammering, hoisting, and chattering was barely a murmur, a background symphony to my repose.It is curious how one's genius often blooms in the most unlikely places. Amidst the milk and roses, I conceived of tomorrow's grand introduction for a certain performance artist—a lady who, with a commendable spirit of innovation, has fused the art of sewing with the thunderous beats of DJ decks. This fusion of needle and note shall, I am sure, leave my guests astounded. However, I shan't reveal more now, for I delight in the surprise of my audience almost as much as I delight in their adoration of me.As I soaked, I reflected on the chaos of the week past. Chief among the calamities was the disappearance of Girl Cat, my most delicate and beloved feline companion. When she went missing, I confess my vanity was slightly bruised—imagine the ignominy of the Countess scouring the streets like a common milkmaid, crying out for her pet! Yet, such was my devotion that I lowered myself to the task. When news came that she had been found lounging in a nearby garden, filthy but unharmed, I was overwhelmed with a joy so potent I nearly swooned. Naturally, I offered her rescuers the honor of attending tomorrow's festivities with a drink on me—an act of generosity that will no doubt become legendary in its retelling.Girl Cat, now restored to her rightful place in the palace, remains in a foul temper. Boy Cat, ever the shameless rogue, continues to sniff about her with unseemly enthusiasm, earning himself nothing but hisses and scratches for his trouble. I suspect her recent adventure has left her feeling unappreciated, for she glares at me with an expression that suggests I ought to apologize for her mischief. Alas, the life of a Countess is one of constant misunderstanding, even by one's own cats.Tomorrow promises to be a day of much revelry, with performances and debates in the afternoon followed by a raucous party in the evening. I am especially keen for the latter, for I have endured a week of unrelenting toil. The palace staff, though well-meaning, are as clumsy as untrained mules, and I have had to intervene in nearly every detail of the preparations. By eight o'clock tomorrow, I shall be well fortified with vodka and ready to dance with all the grace and vigor that my exquisite form allows. My guests shall marvel, as always, at how I manage to be both the life of the party and its most alluring ornament.Ah, but I must leave you now, dear reader, for the saffron has done its work, and my skin positively glows. I am certain tomorrow will bring triumphs to add to the legend of Providence Palace, as well as stories to delight you in future entries. Until then, I remain, as ever, your devoted and radiant Countess.Yours in beauty and brilliance,Pasha du Valentine, Countess of Brighton and Hackney

President Xi Jinping called on Monday for constant efforts to achieve new accomplishments that will stand the test of history and time and fulfill the expectations of the people, amid China's drive to build a strong country and advance national rejuvenation.Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing a meeting held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of late top legislator Qiao Shi.Xi praised Qiao's outstanding contributions to the Party and the country, and called for learning from his revolutionary spirit and noble character.Qiao was a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. He served as head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection from 1987 to 1992, promoting the building of a clean Party and improving anti-corruption laws and rules.Widely known as a champion of rule of law, Qiao served as chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, from 1993 to 1998. He supervised revisions to the Constitution, which saw the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics written into the Constitution as a guiding principle. He also oversaw legislative work on a series of economic laws so that the legal framework of the socialist market economy could take shape.In his speech on Monday, Xi said that generations of outstanding communists have emerged in the great process of China's revolution, construction and reform, and he stressed that Qiao was one of them.Xi said that commemorating Qiao is for the purpose of learning from him in maintaining a noble character of upholding firm beliefs and ideals, promoting better Party conduct with strict Party discipline, serving the people with the original aspiration in mind, and carrying out bold reforms with great political courage.He also emphasized the need to learn from Qiao's unwavering pursuit of respecting and enforcing the rule of law and his practical and realistic work style.While highlighting the need to firm up the communist ideal, Xi urged upholding the overall leadership of the Party as well as the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee.It is important to steadfastly exercise full and rigorous governance over the Party, vigorously improve conduct and combat corruption in strengthening the Party, in order to maintain the Party's advanced nature and integrity, he said.Xi also underscored the necessity to always adhere to the fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people, uphold people-centered development, effectively safeguard the fundamental interests of the people and ensure that the achievements of modernization benefit all the people more fairly.He called for further deepening comprehensive reform and advancing high-level opening-up, and emphasized the need to build a modern socialist country on the track of rule of law.It is crucial to resolutely oppose formalism and bureaucratism, focus on promoting development and take solid steps to advance Chinese modernization, Xi added.

This was a special sleep story to make, and I had so much fun doing so. I hope you enjoy the end result! Begin with a simple relaxation exercise to quiet your mind and spark your imagination. Then, embark on your own magical adventure through the Magical Castle on Christmas Eve. Feast in the Great Hall, help create a new potion, go ice skating on the frozen lake and take a sled ride to the Wizarding Village, where you can visit shops and the local tavern, and much more! If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  _________________________________ Thumbnail Image created using AI tools (Canva Magic Write) Music: Liborio Conti, Enlightened Audio (A Touch of Grace), Alexander Nakarada (Fall Asleep) SFX: Homemade / Freesound & YouTube Audio Library Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Original script and vocals are the property of © Sleepy Cat Meditations, est. 2020.

David Hobson is an Australian tenor, composer and performer. He is Australian Royalty in the music space and is one of Australia's best known operatic and recording artists. He has sung many roles for Opera Australia and in both state and international opera companies, including his award-winning performances of Rodolfo (La Boheme) and the title role in Orphee. Other roles include Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Ferrando (Cosi fan Tutte), Count Almaviva (The Barber of Saville), Nadir (Pearl Fishers), Lindoro (L'Italiana in Algeri), Frederic (The Pirates of Penzance), The Architect in the world premiere of The Eighth Wonder, Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), the title role in Candide, Danilo (The Merry Widow) and Aristaeus/Pluto (Orpheus in the Underworld). In the world of music theatre, David has played the role of Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Buddy in Sondheim's Follies and Nicky Arnstein in Funny Girl. Special engagements include appearing with the San Francisco Opera in the world premiere of Dangerous Liaison, a performance in the Great Hall, Canberra for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Schubert's Winterreise for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and singing the national anthem at the AFL Grand Final. He has performed his own show at the Sydney Opera House and at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and toured nationally with Lisa McCune, Marina Prior, Yvonne Kenney and Teddy Tahu Rhodes. He is also well known from his appearances on Carols in the Domain, Carols by Candlelight, Spicks and Specks, It Takes Two, Dancing with the Stars and as a presenter on the Foxtel arts channel, STUDIO. He has recorded numerous albums with many reaching No 1 chart status. David has also won awards including Operatic Performer of the Year, the Sydney Critics Circle Award, The Age Performing Arts Award for Best Performer in Opera and an Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Award. In 2023, David performed around Australia in a 60 city concert tour of The 2 of Us, with Marina Prior. David recently toured around Australia with comedian Colin Lane in their show, In Tails. We chat about saying no, collaboration, falling into his work, physicality behind opera, doing comedy with Colin Lane, his voice and looking after it, gratitude, rejection, generosity of spirit, fork in the road moments plus plenty more.   The video footage of this entire chat is now out as well (one day after release)! So check them out on YouTube under Michael Kahan Check David out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidhobbo/ Website: https://www.davidhobson.net.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidhobsontenor/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcLFneHVu5PDu46YBlGOecw In Tails with David Hobson and Colin Lane: https://www.davidhobsonandcolinlane.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1IjPdzVCaGhebzQzGMlfAv?si=bMPD1SLYRQOKnEU0i-YhHg&nd=1&dlsi=b6fb61e4d69542c3 ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/ and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

Raise your sustainable Celtic Christmas tree while listening to Celtic Christmas Music #81. Joseph Carmichael, Seán Heely, The Barra MacNeils, Cedar Dobson, The McDades, Irish Christmas in America, Brobdingnagian Bards, Screaming Orphans, Mary-Kate Spring Lee, Cherish the Ladies WELCOME TO CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC I am Marc Gunn. I am Celtic musician and host of Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. We are promoting Celtic culture through Christmas cheer all year long. That's right. I am planning bonus episodes in the off-season to keep you in the Christmas spirit throughout 2025. If you hear music you love, please support the artists. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes as well as how to support this podcast at CelticChristmasPodcast.com THIS WEEK IN CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC 0:06 - Joseph Carmichael “Snowdrift” from Single 4:36 - WELCOME 5:17 - Seán Heely "Medieval Carols in the Great Hall” from So Merry as We Have Been 9:40 - The Barra MacNeils "O Holy Night” from The Christmas Album 14:23 - CHRISTMAS SHOWS Last time, I mentioned some of the artists with Celtic Christmas Concerts. I missed Sean Heely, The Barra McNeils, Screaming Orphans, the McDades, and The Irish Rovers. Basically, many of the artists in this week's episode have Celtic Christmas concerts. 15:17 - Cedar Dobson "Good Christian Men Rejoice/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Joy to the World” from A Whistle Wonderland: Christmas Melodies in a Celtic Style 18:13 - The McDades "Snow Snow” from A Winter Collection 23:02 - SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS TREES If you've been following me for a while, I am continually looking for more sustainable ways to live. Christmas is a great time to do just that. We Celts have long had an important relationship with the land and our environment. So I'm gonna offer a bunch of thoughts in the coming months. l read an article on “What's The Most Sustainable Christmas Tree?” You can find a link in the shownotes. One of the most-interesting things I read was about Artificial Trees. You might think they are the most-sustainable. But it turns out that they are typically made with some of the worst, most-toxic types of plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC). My family prefers real Christmas trees. But there's always a catch, isn't there. The challenge with a regular tree is finding one that is sustainably sourced. Meaning is it shipped from across the country? Or is it locally grown? Or even better, is it a tree you can replant in your yard when the holiday is over? I'll be honest. Replanting is more than we will do. However, did you know you can rent a Christmas tree? Yeah. That's what I said when I read that. It's not available in all areas. But it is possible to rent one. Then it will be planted afterward. If you're artsy, maybe you can build your own Christmas tree. You could use a plant around the house or build a tree from scrap lumber around the house. Do a search for Christmas tree alternatives and you'll find a ton of options. As for disposing of your tree, don't send those Artificial Trees to the landfill. Instead give it to someone, donate it, sell it or repurpose it. That's the best way to keep it out of the landfill. The same goes with regular trees. Sustainable Jungle writes: “Real trees that end up in landfills can be detrimental to the environment. This is because the tree decomposes and produces methane gas, which is 26 times more harmful than CO2 in terms of climate change potential.” So see if there are local collection services or repurpose the tree instead of sending it to trash. 26:12 - Irish Christmas in America "Air_March_Polka - The Snowy-Breasted Pearl, Freedom for Ireland” from A Long Way From Home 31:51 - Brobdingnagian Bards "Bog Down In Christmas” from Christmas In Brobdingnag 36:28 - Screaming Orphans "You Are All Mine (At Christmas Time)” from Happy Christmas Volume 2 39:30 - Mary-Kate Spring Lee "O Little Town of Bethlehem/Celia Connellen” from Carol of the Child 43:13 - THANK YOU FOR SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER! Podcast advertising pays for some of the hosting fees of this show. But the podcast creation is entirely funded by your generosity. Your kindness pays for our engineer, graphic design, and promotion of the podcast. It allows me to buy the music I play here. It also pays for my time creating the show. As a Patron, you get ad-free episodes and a private feed to listen to the podcast. All that for as little as $1 per month. HERE IS YOUR THREE-STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST Go to our Patreon page. Decide how much you want to pledge every month, $1, $5, $10, or $25. Keep listening to Celtic Christmas Music to celebrate Celtic culture through Christmas cheer. You can become a generous Christmas Patron at patreon.com/celticchristmas . 45:14 - Cherish the Ladies "All on a Christmas Morning / The Carol of the Twelve Numbers” from Cherish the Ladies Ultimate Christmas Mix 48:42 - CLOSING Celtic Christmas Music was produced by Marc Gunn and our Christmas Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to subscribe to the podcast. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Finally, remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and discuss with others how you can make a positive impact on climate change. Promote Celtic culture through Christmas music at CelticChristmasPodcast.com. Nollaig Shona Daoibh! #celticchristmas #celticchristmasmusic  

Uncovering the Mysteries of Denver International Airport (Part 1) Denver International Airport (DIA) isn't just a travel hub—it's a focal point for some of the most bizarre and fascinating conspiracy theories in the world. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, we dig into the airport's mysterious origins, from its massive $2 billion budget overrun and unexplained construction delays to the infamous automated baggage system that never worked. We explore the theories surrounding hidden underground bunkers, unmarked buildings, and secret tunnels that some believe were built for government or elite use. But that's just the start. We also examine the apocalyptic murals and strange symbols throughout the airport, which conspiracy theorists claim hint at a sinister New World Order agenda. Are the runways designed to send a coded message? What's the significance of the time capsule with Masonic markings buried beneath the Great Hall? Join us as we unravel the secrets buried beneath DIA's runways and set the stage for even more mind-blowing revelations in Part 2. "Thanks for listening, but remember, don't tell anyone about what you heard today, because this podcast is a secret!"

Send us a textIn this episode, we discuss some major updates for the Harry Potter TV show from an interview with some of the executives. Enjoy!Topics/Summary:·      Read the article here·      1:18 The first season will be eight hours long. That is a heck of a lot longer than the few hours we had for the first film, so what might this mean? The hope is they won't face problems of time. If the season comes out and they make some excuse about cutting something for time, we will know something was up.·      8:21 30,000 submitted tapes? Wow. That is the number of people who auditioned for the trio. Now we have to continue to ask the age-old question, who will they cast? Will the actors play the characters from the film or the book? They had better be really good at acting and find a middle ground between the characters we know and the names on the page. ·      19:08 Peeves will be included. That was an explicit statement they made. Hopefully, this will tell us that they are in fact trying to include as many things from the books into the show as they can.·      21:16 They will keep the iconic sets and expand what we haven't seen. They said that they want to explore the aesthetics of the castle further, while keeping the iconic sets such as the Great Hall. This is great news! Changing the original and iconic sets would be a certain disaster.·       25:40 “No one can replace Alan Rickman, but we can find the next generation.” This is great news. Alan Rickman is impossible to top, and it is good that the filmmakers have realized this. Snape is technically 31 in the first film, and Rickman has a much more ancient air about him. It is good that they aren't trying to replace who we know and love, but expand upon their characters and show us more facets of who they are.·      29:09 Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy and are two names that have come up for Dumbledore and Voldemort respectively. The filmmakers themselves have thrown Rylance's name around before. He isn't perfect, but it might work well depending on how they spin it. Ralph Fiennes himself put a stamp of approval on Murphy's name for Voldemort, but Murphy seems just a bit too young to capture Voldemort essence.·      33:25 “We have a much larger sandbox.” I hope what they mean by this is they are going to use the basis of the films to expand into places we haven't seen and characters we haven't met. They have such a good chance to make this a fantastic series, all they have to do it grab it.Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text. ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.comthepotterdiscussion.comNox

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For today's podcast, Bill is joined live at Metro State's Great Hall by Minnesota State Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy.  A past Executive Director of the Minnesota Nurses Association, Erin was selected as the Senate Majority Leader in February of 2024, after the health-related resignation of Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic. They discuss Erin's time growing up in Wisconsin, what she learned as a surgical nurse, and how navigating the health care system on behalf of her ailing mother helped her find her ‘why' to enter political life.

Chapter 33 - The Prince's TaleAs Ginny and Hermione moved closer to the rest of the family, Harry had a clear view of the bodies lying next to Fred: Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful-looking, apparently asleep beneath the dark, enchanted ceiling.Q1 - What do you think about Tonks and Lupin?Q2 - In the beginning of the memory what do you think of Snape, Lily, and Tuneys connection?Q3 - Petunia wrote a letter to Dumbledore asking to be let into the school…do you understand her character more from this?Q4 - According to Snape's memory, what do you think of James and Sirius?Harry watched again as Snape left the Great Hall after sitting his O.W.L. in Defense Against the Dark Arts, watched as he wandered away from the castle and strayed inadvertently close to the place beneath the beech tree where James, Sirius, Lupin, and Pettigrew sat together. But Harry kept his distance this time, because he knew what happened after James had hoisted Severus into the air and taunted him; he knew what had been done and said, and it gave him no pleasure to hear it again. . . . He watched as Lily joined the group and went to Snape's defense. Distantly he heard Snape shout at her in his humiliation and his fury, the unforgivable word: “Mudblood.” Q5 - Why is this Snape's worst memory?“Her boy survives,” said Dumbledore. With a tiny jerk of the head, Snape seemed to flick off an irksome fly. “Her son lives. He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and color of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?” “DON'T!” bellowed Snape. “Gone . . . dead . . .” “Is this remorse, Severus?” “I wish . . . I wish I were dead. . . .” “And what use would that be to anyone?” said Dumbledore coldly. “If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear.” Snape seemed to peer through a haze of pain, and Dumbledore's words appeared to take a long time to reach him. “What — what do you mean?” “You know how and why she died. Make sure it was not in vain. Help me protect Lily's son.” “He does not need protection. The Dark Lord has gone —” “The Dark Lord will return, and Harry Potter will be in terrible danger when he does.” There was a long pause, and slowly Snape regained control of himself, mastered his own breathing. At last he said, “Very well. Very well. But never — never tell, Dumbledore! This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear . . . especially Potter's son . . . I want your word!” “My word, Severus, that I shall never reveal the best of you?” Dumbledore sighed, looking down into Snape's ferocious, anguished face. “If you insist . . .” Q6 - Do you understand why Snape hated and yet protected Harry?“No,” said Snape, his black eyes on Fleur's and Roger's retreating figures. “I am not such a coward.” “No,” agreed Dumbledore. “You are a braver man by far than Igor Karkaroff. You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon. . . .” Q7 - Do they sort too soon?Snape raised his eyebrows and his tone was sardonic as he asked, “Are you intending to let him kill you?” “Certainly not. You must kill me.” There was a long silence, broken only by an odd clicking noise. Fawkes the phoenix was gnawing a bit of cuttlebone. “Would you like me to do it now?” asked Snape, his voice heavy with irony. “Or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph?” “Oh, not quite yet,” said Dumbledore, smiling. “I daresay the moment will present itself in due course. Given what has happened tonight,” he indicated his withered hand, “we can be sure that it will happen within a year.” “If you don't mind dying,” said Snape roughly, “why not let Draco do it?” “That boy's soul is not yet so damaged,” said Dumbledore. “I would not have it ripped apart on my account.” “And my soul, Dumbledore? Mine?” “You alone know whether it will harm your soul to help an old man avoid pain and humiliation,” said Dumbledore.Q8 - Do you understand why Snape killed Dumbledore now?“Harry must not know, not until the last moment, not until it is necessary, otherwise how could he have the strength to do what must be done?” “Tell him what?” Dumbledore took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Tell him that on the night Lord Voldemort tried to kill him, when Lily cast her own life between them as a shield, the Killing Curse rebounded upon Lord Voldemort, and a fragment of Voldemort's soul was blasted apart from the whole, and latched itself onto the only living soul left in that collapsing building. Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry, and it is that which gives him the power of speech with snakes, and a connection with Lord Voldemort's mind that he has never understood. And while that fragment of soul, unmissed by Voldemort, remains attached to and protected by Harry, Lord Voldemort cannot die.” Q9 - Harry is a Horcrux…“So the boy . . . the boy must die?” asked Snape quite calmly. “And Voldemort himself must do it, Severus. That is essential.” Another long silence. Then Snape said, “I thought . . . all these years . . . that we were protecting him for her. For Lily.” “We have protected him because it has been essential to teach him, to raise him, to let him try his strength,” said Dumbledore, his eyes still tight shut. “Meanwhile, the connection between them grows ever stronger, a parasitic growth: Sometimes I have thought he suspects it himself. If I know him, he will have arranged matters so that when he does set out to meet his death, it will truly mean the end of Voldemort.” Dumbledore opened his eyes. Snape looked horrified. “You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?” “Don't be shocked, Severus. How many men and women have you watched die?” “Lately, only those whom I could not save,” said Snape. He stood up. “You have used me.” “Meaning?” “I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter —” “But this is touching, Severus,” said Dumbledore seriously. “Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?” “For him?” shouted Snape. “Expecto Patronum!” From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe: She landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office, and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears. “After all this time?” “Always,” said Snape. Q10 - Does Snape love Harry?Q11 - What does always mean?Q12 - Do you get why Snape kept the letter?Chapter 34 - The Forest AgainHarry understood at last that he was not supposed to survive. His job was to walk calmly into Death's welcoming arms. Along the way, he was to dispose of Voldemort's remaining links to life, so that when at last he flung himself across Voldemort's path, and did not raise a wand to defend himself, the end would be clean, and the job that ought to have been done in Godric's Hollow would be finished: Neither would live, neither could survive. Q1 - Was this really the whole purpose of Harry's life?Dumbledore's betrayal was almost nothing. Of course there had been a bigger plan; Harry had simply been too foolish to see it, he realized that now. Q2 - Was Dumbledore really just raising him like a pig for slaughter?Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak over himself and descended through the floors, at last walking down the marble staircase into the entrance hall. Perhaps some tiny part of him hoped to be sensed, to be seen, to be stopped, but the Cloak was, as ever, impenetrable, perfect, and he reached the front doors easily. Q3 - If you were in this situation, would you have said goodbye?Harry glanced down and felt another dull blow to his stomach: Colin Creevey, though underage, must have sneaked back just as Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had done. He was tiny in death. He felt he would have given all the time remaining to him for just one last look at them; but then, would he ever have the strength to stop looking? It was better like this. The long game was ended, the Snitch had been caught, it was time to leave the air. . . . The Snitch. His nerveless fingers fumbled for a moment with the pouch at his neck and he pulled it out. I open at the close. Breathing fast and hard, he stared down at it. Now that he wanted time to move as slowly as possible, it seemed to have sped up, and understanding was coming so fast it seemed to have bypassed thought. This was the close. This was the moment. He pressed the golden metal to his lips and whispered, “I am about to die.” The metal shell broke open. He lowered his shaking hand, raised Draco's wand beneath the Cloak, and murmured, “Lumos.” The black stone with its jagged crack running down the center sat in the two halves of the Snitch. The Resurrection Stone had cracked down the vertical line representing the Elder Wand. The triangle and circle representing the Cloak and the stone were still discernible. Q4 - Was this a surprise to you?And again Harry understood without having to think. It did not matter about bringing them back, for he was about to join them. He was not really fetching them: They were fetching him. Lily's smile was widest of all. She pushed her long hair back as she drew close to him, and her green eyes, so like his, searched his face hungrily, as though she would never be able to look at him enough. “You've been so brave.” He could not speak. His eyes feasted on her, and he thought that he would like to stand and look at her forever, and that would be enough. Q5 - What did you think of Harry bringing everyone back?“I thought he would come,” said Voldemort in his high, clear voice, his eyes on the leaping flames. “I expected him to come.” Nobody spoke. They seemed as scared as Harry, whose heart was now throwing itself against his ribs as though determined to escape the body he was about to cast aside. His hands were sweating as he pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and stuffed it beneath his robes, with his wand. He did not want to be tempted to fight. “I was, it seems . . . mistaken,” said Voldemort. “You weren't.” Harry said it as loudly as he could, with all the force he could muster: He did not want to sound afraid. The Resurrection Stone slipped from between his numb fingers, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw his parents, Sirius, and Lupin vanish as he stepped forward into the firelight. At that moment he felt that nobody mattered but Voldemort. It was just the two of them. Q6 - What do you think of Harry here?Voldemort had raised his wand. His head was still tilted to one side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if he proceeded. Harry looked back into the red eyes, and wanted it to happen now, quickly, while he could still stand, before he lost control, before he betrayed fear — He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone. Q7 - Is Harry dead?Chapter 35 - Kings CrossHe recoiled. He had spotted the thing that was making the noises. It had the form of a small, naked child, curled on the ground, its skin raw and rough, flayed-looking, and it lay shuddering under a seat where it had been left, unwanted, stuffed out of sight, struggling for breath. He was afraid of it. Small and fragile and wounded though it was, he did not want to approach it. Nevertheless he drew slowly nearer, ready to jump back at any moment. Soon he stood near enough to touch it, yet he could not bring himself to do it. He felt like a coward. He ought to comfort it, but it repulsed him. “You cannot help.” He spun around. Albus Dumbledore was walking toward him, sprightly and upright, wearing sweeping robes of midnight blue. “Harry.” He spread his arms wide, and his hands were both whole and white and undamaged. “You wonderful boy. You brave, brave man. Let us walk.”Q1 - Were you shocked it was Dumbledore?“But . . .” Harry raised his hand instinctively toward the lightning scar. It did not seem to be there. “But I should have died — I didn't defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!” “And that,” said Dumbledore, “will, I think, have made all the difference.”Q2 - Why is this going to make all the difference?“But . . .” Harry raised his hand instinctively toward the lightning scar. It did not seem to be there. “But I should have died — I didn't defend myself! I meant to let him kill me!” “And that,” said Dumbledore, “will, I think, have made all the difference.” “He took my blood,” said Harry. “Precisely!” said Dumbledore. “He took your blood and rebuilt his living body with it! Your blood in his veins, Harry, Lily's protection inside both of you! He tethered you to life while he lives!” Q3 - Do you get why Harry is not dead really?“I believe that your wand imbibed some of the power and qualities of Voldemort's wand that night, which is to say that it contained a little of Voldemort himself. So your wand recognized him when he pursued you, recognized a man who was both kin and mortal enemy, and it regurgitated some of his own magic against him, magic much more powerful than anything Lucius's wand had ever performed. Your wand now contained the power of your enormous courage and of Voldemort's own deadly skill: What chance did that poor stick of Lucius Malfoy's stand?” Q4 - Did Harry's wand temporarily become a Horcrux?“Can you forgive me?” he said. “Can you forgive me for not trusting you? For not telling you? Harry, I only feared that you would fail as I had failed. I only dreaded that you would make my mistakes. I crave your pardon, Harry. I have known, for some time now, that you are the better man.” Q5 - Is Harry a better man than Dumbledore?“The argument became a fight. Grindelwald lost control. That which I had always sensed in him, though I pretended not to, now sprang into terrible being. And Ariana . . . after all my mother's care and caution . . . lay dead upon the floor.” Q6 - What are your thoughts on the whole Dumbledore and Grindelwald situation?“Would I?” asked Dumbledore heavily. “I am not so sure. I had proven, as a very young man, that power was my weakness and my temptation. It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.Q7 - Had Dumbledore had power thrust upon him, would he have been a good leader?“Maybe a man in a million could unite the Hallows, Harry. I was fit only to possess the meanest of them, the least extraordinary. I was fit to own the Elder Wand, and not to boast of it, and not to kill with it. I was permitted to tame and to use it, because I took it, not for gain, but to save others from it. “But the Cloak, I took out of vain curiosity, and so it could never have worked for me as it works for you, its true owner. The stone I would have used in an attempt to drag back those who are at peace, rather than to enable my self-sacrifice, as you did. You are the worthy possessor of the Hallows.” “If you planned your death with Snape, you meant him to end up with the Elder Wand, didn't you?” “I admit that was my intention,” said Dumbledore, “but it did not work as I intended, did it?” “No,” said Harry. “That bit didn't work out.”Q8 - What are they talking about that it didn't work out?“I've got to go back, haven't I?” “That is up to you.” “I've got a choice?” “Oh yes.” Dumbledore smiled at him. “We are in King's Cross, you say? I think that if you decided not to go back, you would be able to . . . let's say . . . board a train.” “And where would it take me?” “On,” said Dumbledore simply.“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love. By returning, you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed, fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say good-bye for the present.”Q9 - Harry is going back?“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?” Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure. “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”Q10 - Is this real or is it happening inside Harry's head?Chapter 36 - The Flaw in the PlanHands, softer than he had been expecting, touched Harry's face, pulled back an eyelid, crept beneath his shirt, down to his chest, and felt his heart. He could hear the woman's fast breathing, her long hair tickled his face. He knew that she could feel the steady pounding of life against his ribs. “Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?” Q1 - Were you surprised at Narcissa lying?And now a chill settled over them where they stood, and Harry heard the rasping breath of the dementors that patrolled the outer trees. They would not affect him now. The fact of his own survival burned inside him, a talisman against them, as though his father's stag kept guardian in his heart. Q2 - Why is Harry not affected by crucio and the dementors and stuff?“Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!” “He beat you!” yelled Ron, and the charm broke, and the defenders of Hogwarts were shouting and screaming again until a second, more powerful bang extinguished their voices once more. Q3 - What do you think of Ron's progression as a character?In one swift, fluid motion, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming hat fell off him and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle — The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet —Q4 - Do you get why we all love Neville so much now?The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers, and at their head, the locket of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher, his bullfrog's voice audible even above this din: “Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!” Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Molly, and Harry stood, invisible, torn between both, wanting to attack and yet to protect, unable to be sure that he would not hit the innocent. “What will happen to your children when I've killed you?” taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. “When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?” “You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!” screamed Mrs. Weasley. Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and suddenly Harry knew what was going to happen before it did. Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart. Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.Q5 - What was the most emotional moment in the whole series for you?“You won't be killing anyone else tonight,” said Harry as they circled, and stared into each other's eyes, green into red. “You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people —” “But you did not!” “— I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?”Q6 - What do you think of this?“Yeah, it did,” said Harry. “You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you to think about what you've done. . . . Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle. . . .” “What is this?” Of all the things that Harry had said to him, beyond any revelation or taunt, nothing had shocked Voldemort like this. Harry saw his pupils contract to thin slits, saw the skin around his eyes whiten. “It's your one last chance,” said Harry, “it's all you've got left. . . . I've seen what you'll be otherwise. . . . Be a man . . . try . . . Try for some remorse. . . .” Q7 - Thoughts on Harry telling Tom to try for some remorse?“The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy.” Blank shock showed in Voldemort's face for a moment, but then it was gone. “But what does it matter?” he said softly. “Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone . . . and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy. . . .” “But you're too late,” said Harry. “You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him.” Harry twitched the hawthorn wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone in the Hall upon it. “So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?” whispered Harry. “Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does . . . I am the true master of the Elder Wand.” Q8 - What do you think about the Elder Wand issues?Q9 - How did you like the death of Voldemort?After a while, exhausted and drained, Harry found himself sitting on a bench beside Luna. “I'd want some peace and quiet, if it were me,” she said. “I'd love some,” he replied. “I'll distract them all,” she said. “Use your Cloak.” “And then there's this.” Harry held up the Elder Wand, and Ron and Hermione looked at it with a reverence that, even in his befuddled and sleep-deprived state, Harry did not like to see. “I don't want it,” said Harry. “What?” said Ron loudly. “Are you mental?” “I know it's powerful,” said Harry wearily. “But I was happier with mine. So . . .” He rummaged in the pouch hung around his neck, and pulled out the two halves of holly still just connected by the finest thread of phoenix feather. Hermione had said that they could not be repaired, that the damage was too severe. All he knew was that if this did not work, nothing would. He laid the broken wand upon the headmaster's desk, touched it with the very tip of the Elder Wand, and said, “Reparo.” Q10 - What are your thoughts on the Hallows now?EpilogueQ1 - What do you think about the epilogue?Q2 - What do you think of Harry and Ginny and their kids names?“Teddy's back there,” he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. “Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!”“Don't forget to give Neville our love!” Ginny told James as she hugged him. “Mum! I can't give a professor love!” “But you know Neville —” James rolled his eyes. “Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't walk into Herbology and give him love. . . .” Q3 - What do you think about Prof Longbottom?

The Champions of the Magilympics are finally being chosen in a unique and moist way, as Harry brings a super soaker to The Great Hall to squirt them. SUPPORT MY WORK! Support me on Patreon → www.patreon.com/radiomike Follow me on Instagram → www.instagram.com/radiomike Follow me on TikTok → www.tiktok.com/@radio.mike Follow me on Twitter → www.twitter.com/@itsradiomike READ MY BLOG: https://radiomike.substack.com/ MY PODCASTS: 20th CENTURY BOY Podcast → https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/20th-century-boy/id1450137287 Harry Potter & The Boys FAN FICTION Podcast → https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/harry-potter-and-the-boys/id1537216249 Thanks for watching and supporting me, Radio Mike.

Chapter 29 - The Lost Diadem“Alecto, Amycus's sister, teaches Muggle Studies, which is compulsory for everyone. We've all got to listen to her explain how Muggles are like animals, stupid and dirty, and how they drove wizards into hiding by being vicious toward them, and how the natural order is being reestablished. I got this one,” he indicated another slash to his face, “for asking her how much Muggle blood she and her brother have got.”Q1 - Obviously not entertaining Death Eater ideas, but do they have any kind of point?Thing was,” he faced them, and Harry was astonished to see that he was grinning, “they bit off a bit more than they could chew with Gran. Little old witch living alone, they probably thought they didn't need to send anyone particularly powerful. Anyway,” Neville laughed, “Dawlish is still in St. Mungo's and Gran's on the run. She sent me a letter,” he clapped a hand to the breast pocket of his robes, “telling me she was proud of me, that I'm my parents' son, and to keep it up.”Q2 - What do you think of all the students rebelling at Hogwarts?Q3 - What do you think about the Room of Requirement hideout?“There's something important we need to do —” “What is it?” “I — I can't tell you.” There was a ripple of muttering at this: Neville's brows contracted. “Why can't you tell us? It's something to do with fighting YouKnow-Who, right?” “Well, yeah —” “Then we'll help you.” The other members of Dumbledore's Army were nodding, some enthusiastically, others solemnly. A couple of them rose from their chairs to demonstrate their willingness for immediate action. “You don't understand.” Harry seemed to have said that a lot in the last few hours. “We — we can't tell you. We've got to do it — alone.” Q4 - Is it good they're being so secretive? Harry looked from Ron to Hermione, who murmured, “I think Ron's right. We don't even know what we're looking for, we need them.” And when Harry looked unconvinced, “You don't have to do everything alone, Harry.” Q5 - Should they tell?Q6 - Where is the Diadem?“Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?” “Hmm . . . What do you think, Harry?” said Luna, looking thoughtful. “What? Isn't there just a password?” “Oh no, you've got to answer a question,” said Luna. “What if you get it wrong?” “Well, you have to wait for somebody who gets it right,” said Luna. “That way you learn, you see?” “Yeah . . . Trouble is, we can't really afford to wait for anyone else, Luna.” “No, I see what you mean,” said Luna seriously. “Well then, I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning.” Q7 - What do you think about the Ravenclaw tower's entrance?Harry stepped out from under the Cloak and climbed up onto Ravenclaw's plinth to read them. “‘Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.'” “Which makes you pretty skint, witless,” said a cackling voice. Harry whirled around, slipped off the plinth, and landed on the floor. The sloping-shouldered figure of Alecto Carrow was standing before him, and even as Harry raised his wand, she pressed a stubby forefinger to the skull and snake branded on her forearm. Chapter 30 - The Sacking of Severus Snape“We can push it off on the kids,” said Amycus, his piglike face suddenly crafty. “Yeah, that's what we'll do. We'll say Alecto was ambushed by the kids, them kids up there” — he looked up at the starry ceiling toward the dormitories — “and we'll say they forced her to press her Mark, and that's why he got a false alarm. . . . He can punish them. Couple of kids more or less, what's the difference?” “Only the difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice,” said Professor McGonagall, who had turned pale, “a difference, in short, which you and your sister seem unable to appreciate. But let me make one thing very clear. You are not going to pass off your many ineptitudes on the students of Hogwarts. I shall not permit it.” Q1 - Thoughts on McGongall and the Carrows?“It's not a case of what you'll permit, Minerva McGonagall. Your time's over. It's us what's in charge here now, and you'll back me up or you'll pay the price.” And he spat in her face. Harry pulled the Cloak off himself, raised his wand, and said, “You shouldn't have done that.” As Amycus spun around, Harry shouted, “Crucio!” Q2 - Should Harry have used crucio?“Time's running out, Voldemort's getting nearer. Professor, I'm acting on Dumbledore's orders, I must find what he wanted me to find! But we've got to get the students out while I'm searching the castle — it's me Voldemort wants, but he won't care about killing a few more or less, not now —” not now he knows I'm attacking Horcruxes, Harry finished the sentence in his head. “You're acting on Dumbledore's orders?” she repeated with a look of dawning wonder. Then she drew herself up to her fullest height. “We shall secure the school against He-Who-Must-Not-BeNamed while you search for this — this object.” “Is that possible?” “I think so,” said Professor McGonagall dryly, “we teachers are rather good at magic, you know. I am sure we will be able to hold him off for a while if we all put our best efforts into it. Of course, something will have to be done about Professor Snape —” She marched toward the door, and as she did so she raised her wand. From the tip burst three silver cats with spectacle markings around their eyes. The Patronuses ran sleekly ahead, filling the spiral staircase with silvery light, as Professor McGonagall, Harry, and Luna hurried back down.Q3 - What was the doe Patronus?“No, he's not dead,” said McGonagall bitterly. “Unlike Dumbledore, he was still carrying a wand . . . and he seems to have learned a few tricks from his master.” With a tingle of horror, Harry saw in the distance a huge, batlike shape flying through the darkness toward the perimeter wall. There were heavy footfalls behind them, and a great deal of puffing: Slughorn had just caught up.Q4 - Is Snape as dark as Voldemort?“My word,” he puffed, pale and sweaty, his walrus mustache aquiver. “What a to-do! I'm not at all sure whether this is wise, Minerva. He is bound to find a way in, you know, and anyone who has tried to delay him will be in most grievous peril —” “I shall expect you and the Slytherins in the Great Hall in twenty minutes, also,” said Professor McGonagall. “If you wish to leave with your students, we shall not stop you. But if any of you attempt to sabotage our resistance or take up arms against us within this castle, then, Horace, we duel to kill.” “Minerva!” he said, aghast. “The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalties,” interrupted Professor McGonagall. “Go and wake your students, Horace.”Q5 - Do we trust Slughorn?There was a scuffling and a great thump: Someone else had clambered out of the tunnel, overbalanced slightly, and fallen. He pulled himself up on the nearest chair, looked around through lopsided horn-rimmed glasses, and said, “Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I — I —” Percy spluttered into silence. Evidently he had not expected to run into most of his family.Q6 - Do we trust Percy? How do you like him coming back at this moment?“I was a fool!” Percy roared, so loudly that Lupin nearly dropped his photograph. “I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a — a —” “Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron,” said Fred. Percy swallowed. “Yes, I was!” “Well, you can't say fairer than that,” said Fred, holding out his hand to Percy. Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. She ran forward, pushed Fred aside, and pulled Percy into a strangling hug, while he patted her on the back, his eyes on his father. “Where's Ron?” asked Harry. “Where's Hermione?” “They must have gone up to the Great Hall already,” Mr. Weasley called over his shoulder. “I didn't see them pass me,” said Harry. “They said something about a bathroom,” said Ginny, “not long after you left.” “A bathroom?” Q7 - Where did they go?Chapter 31 - The Battle of HogwartsQ1 - What did you think of the students staying back to help and do they stand any chance against Voldemort and the Elder wand?“Well, help me, then!” Her composure was slipping. “It — it is not a question of —” she stammered. “My mother's diadem —” “Your mother's?” She looked angry with herself. “When I lived,” she said stiffly, “I was Helena Ravenclaw.” “You're her daughter? But then, you must know what happened to it!” Q2 - What do you think about the Grey Lady?“He tracked me to the forest where I was hiding. When I refused to return with him, he became violent. The Baron was always a hot-tempered man. Furious at my refusal, jealous of my freedom, he stabbed me.” “The Baron? You mean — ?” “The Bloody Baron, yes,” said the Gray Lady, and she lifted aside the cloak she wore to reveal a single dark wound in her white chest. “When he saw what he had done, he was overcome with remorse. He took the weapon that had claimed my life, and used it to kill himself. All these centuries later, he wears his chains as an act of penitence . . . as he should,” she added bitterly. Q3 - What do you think of her story?“He hid the diadem in the castle, the night he asked Dumbledore to let him teach!” said Harry. Saying it out loud enabled him to make sense of it all. “He must've hidden the diadem on his way up to, or down from, Dumbledore's office! But it was still worth trying to get the job — then he might've got the chance to nick Gryffindor's sword as well — thank you, thanks!” Q4 - Do you understand why he applied for the job now?“— attacking because they haven't handed you over, yeah,” said Aberforth, “I'm not deaf, the whole of Hogsmeade heard him. And it never occurred to any of you to keep a few Slytherins hostage? There are kids of Death Eaters you've just sent to safety. Wouldn't it have been a bit smarter to keep 'em here?” Q5 - Would you have kept a few Slytherins captive?“I was the last to come through,” said Mrs. Longbottom. “I sealed it, I think it unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?” “He's fighting,” said Harry. “Naturally,” said the old lady proudly. “Excuse me, I must go and assist him.” With surprising speed she trotted off toward the stone steps. Q6 - Understand why I love Neville so much now?Q7 - What do you think of Crabbe and Goyle and Malfoy?And he saw them: Malfoy with his arms around the unconscious Goyle, the pair of them perched on a fragile tower of charred desks, and Harry dived. Malfoy saw him coming and raised one arm, but even as Harry grasped it he knew at once that it was no good: Goyle was too heavy and Malfoy's hand, covered in sweat, slid instantly out of Harry's — “IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!” roared Ron's voice, and, as a great flaming chimaera bore down upon them, he and Hermione dragged Goyle onto their broom and rose, rolling and pitching, into the air once more as Malfoy clambered up behind Harry.Q8 - What do you think about Harry saving them and Crabbe dying?He pulled the diadem from his wrist and held it up. It was still hot, blackened with soot, but as he looked at it closely he was just able to make out the tiny words etched upon it: Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure. A bloodlike substance, dark and tarry, seemed to be leaking from the diadem. Suddenly Harry felt the thing vibrate violently, then break apart in his hands, and as it did so, he thought he heard the faintest, most distant scream of pain, echoing not from the grounds or the castle, but from the thing that had just fragmented in his fingers.Q9 - They're getting close…Nagini is only left?Then he heard a terrible cry that pulled at his insides, that expressed agony of a kind neither flame nor curse could cause, and he stood up, swaying, more frightened than he had been that day, more frightened, perhaps, than he had been in his life. . . . And Hermione was struggling to her feet in the wreckage, and three redheaded men were grouped on the ground where the wall had blasted apart. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand as they staggered and stumbled over stone and wood. “No — no — no!” someone was shouting. “No! Fred! No!” And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face. Q10 - RIP Fred…Chapter 32 - The Elder WandShe had pulled Ron behind a tapestry: They seemed to be wrestling together, and for one mad second Harry thought that they were embracing again; then he saw that Hermione was trying to restrain Ron, to stop him running after Percy. “Listen to me — LISTEN, RON!” “I wanna help — I wanna kill Death Eaters —” His face was contorted, smeared with dust and smoke, and he was shaking with rage and grief. “Ron, we're the only ones who can end it! Please — Ron — we need the snake, we've got to kill the snake!” said Hermione. But Harry knew how Ron felt: Pursuing another Horcrux could not bring the satisfaction of revenge; he too wanted to fight, to punish them, the people who had killed Fred, and he wanted to find the other Weasleys, and above all make sure, make quite sure, that Ginny was not — but he could not permit that idea to form in his mind — Q1 - What do you think of Ron's anger and grief here?Q2 - Is Hagrid dead?“How — how're we going to get in?” panted Ron. “I can — see the place — if we just had — Crookshanks again —” “Crookshanks?” wheezed Hermione, bent double, clutching her chest. “Are you a wizard, or what?”Q3 - Do you remember where you first read this line?“. . . my Lord, their resistance is crumbling —” “— and it is doing so without your help,” said Voldemort in his high, clear voice. “Skilled wizard though you are, Severus, I do not think you will make much difference now. We are almost there . . . almost.” “Let me find the boy. Let me bring you Potter. I know I can find him, my Lord. Please.” Snape did not speak. “Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen.” “My Lord —” “The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine.” “My Lord!” Snape protested, raising his wand. “It cannot be any other way,” said Voldemort. “I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last.” And Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand. It did nothing to Snape, who for a split second seemed to think he had been reprieved: But then Voldemort's intention became clear. The snake's cage was rolling through the air, and before Snape could do anything more than yell, it had encased him, head and shoulders, and Voldemort spoke in Parseltongue. “Kill.” Q4 - Initially you were happy Snape died…has your tune changed?Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak and looked down upon the man he hated, whose widening black eyes found Harry as he tried to speak. Harry bent over him, and Snape seized the front of his robes and pulled him close. A terrible rasping, gurgling noise issued from Snape's throat. “Take . . . it. . . . Take . . . it. . . .” Something more than blood was leaking from Snape. Silvery blue, neither gas nor liquid, it gushed from his mouth and his ears and his eyes, and Harry knew what it was, but did not know what to do — A flask, conjured from thin air, was thrust into his shaking hands by Hermione. Harry lifted the silvery substance into it with his wand. When the flask was full to the brim, and Snape looked as though there was no blood left in him, his grip on Harry's robes slackened. “Look . . . at . . . me. . . .” he whispered. The green eyes found the black, but after a second, something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank, and empty. The hand holding Harry thudded to the floor, and Snape moved no more. Q6 - What do you think?Q7 - Voldemort owns the Elder Wand now?

James and Oliver Phelps reflect on their journey to landing their iconic roles as Fred and George Weasley, sharing humorous stories about their audition, where they skipped school and traveled hours to join thousands of hopefuls. They reminisce about their on-set antics, from inventing ways to pass the time to unforgettable pranks with co-stars like Rupert Grint, where they'd crack up in scenes and create games to stay entertained. They discuss their excitement in blending the magical world with baking on Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, describing the unique set with nods to the Great Hall and the awe-inspiring edible creations the contestants bring to life. James and Oliver express a deep appreciation for the bakers' artistic skills, recalling moments of pure wonder at seeing elaborate designs take shape under pressure. They describe how the show's competitive yet community-driven atmosphere makes it accessible to audiences beyond the Harry Potter fanbase, creating a sense of connection across generations. Follow Food Network on Instagram: HERE Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: HERE Follow James Phelps on Instagram: HERE Follow Oliver Phelps on Instagram: HERE Learn More About Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking: HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump's tariffs could remake world trade. The Wall Street Journal's Greg Ip explains the president-elect's plan and how the world is preparing. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn and Haleema Shah, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members President-elect Donald Trump and China's president Xi Jinping outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in 2017. Photo by Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mass. State House honoring veterans with a ceremony in the Great Hall of Flags, brush fires and teacher strikes take over the North Shore, and Green Line extension closed for track work. Stay in "The Loop" with #iHeartRadio.

Carla Hall dishes on her role as a judge on the new baking competition, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking. She shares her excitement for the show, from working on iconic sets like Platform 9 ¾ and the Great Hall to collaborating with hosts and former Harry Potter actors. She describes the high-energy atmosphere, where self-taught and professional bakers alike create awe-inspiring structures that embody the spirit of the wizarding world. Carla discusses the unique challenges, including balancing intricate visuals with delicious flavors, and shares her approach to judging with co-judge Jozef Youssef, whose shared life parallels fostered an instant bond. Alongside her tales of magical sets and wardrobe, Carla reveals her admiration for the incredible details of the sets and props, from enchanted forests to floating candles. She also reflects on embracing the unexpected in her own life, fueling her own magic and creativity. Follow Food Network on Instagram: HERE Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: HERE Follow Carla Hall on Instagram: HERE Learn More About Halloween Baking Championship: HERE Learn More About Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking: HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

King Charles' first visit to Australia as monarch laid bare a lot of unfinished business. Moments after the king sat down following an address to the Great Hall in Parliament House, independent Senator Lidia Thorpe was escorted out after shouting “you are not our king” and “this is not your land”. It didn't just bring home the fact that, despite a failed referendum in 1999, the Australian republican movement is still alive – it also highlighted that the more recent failed referendum on a Voice to Parliament has far from settled any of the issues around Truth, Treaty and justice. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno, on the demands from Australia and other colonies for justice and reparations. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.

Shortly after entering the Great Hall, each and every new first year student is required to place the fabled Sorting Hat upon their head.And the Hat, which has the unique and essential task of assigning new students to one of the four houses, will place this new student in to Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.For the most part, this process runs pretty smoothly, with students being sorted across the board.But what if for some strange reason, things didn't go quite as smoothly as they usually do? What if the Sorting process led to a completely disproportionate number of students in one house? Or better yet, what if one or more houses had no new students at all?Today we're tackling all of that (and more) as we dive (deeper) in to the Sorting Ceremony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shortly after entering the Great Hall, each and every new first year student is required to place the fabled Sorting Hat upon their head. And the Hat, which has the unique and essential task of assigning new students to one of the four houses, will place this new student in to Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. For the most part, this process runs pretty smoothly, with students being sorted across the board. But what if for some strange reason, things didn't go quite as smoothly as they usually do? What if the Sorting process led to a completely disproportionate number of students in one house? Or better yet, what if one or more houses had no new students at all? Today we're tackling all of that (and more) as we dive (deeper) in to the Sorting Ceremony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a bonus episode for The Documentary of The Engineers: Intelligent Machines. This year, we speak to a panel of three engineers at the forefront of the 'Machine Learning: AI' revolution with an enthusiastic live audience.Intelligent machines are remaking our world. The speed of their improvement is accelerating fast and every day there are more things they can do better than us. There are risks, but the opportunities for human society are enormous. ‘Machine Learning: AI' is the technological revolution of our era. Three engineers at the forefront of that revolution come to London to join Caroline Steel and a public audience at the Great Hall of Imperial College:Regina Barzilay from MIT created a major breakthrough in detecting early stage breast cancer. She also led the team that used machine learning to discover Halicin, the first new antibiotic in 30 years. David Silver is Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind. He led the AlphaGo team that built the AI to defeat the world's best human player of Go. Paolo Pirjanian founded Embodied, and is a pioneer in developing emotionally intelligent robots to aid child development. Producer: Charlie Taylor (Image: 3D hologram AI brain displayed by digital circuit and semiconductor. Credit: Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images)

In a presidential election year when democracy itself is under threat, local political megadonor Kent Thiry is proposing a massive reform to Colorado's elections. But Initiative 310 will only make it onto our November ballots if the campaign can collect 125,000 signatures by the first week of August. So producer Paul Karolyi sat down with Thiry and one of his top allies — former Denver Elections director Amber McReynolds — to talk about how this reform would work, why both Democrats and Republicans are so mad at them, and whether or not Thiry is just clearing the path for his own long-anticipated run for governor. Oh, and you better believe Paul asked what's up with Thiry's reported obsession with The Three Musketeers. Initiative 310 would implement “open primaries” and ranked choice voting in elections for federal and state offices in Colorado. We recently published an explainer for ranked choice voting, which you can read here, and you can learn more about open primaries from our friends at Colorado Public Radio. Paul mentioned the 2017 episode of Last Week Tonight where John Oliver explored the dialysis industry and poked fun at Thiry for dressing up like The Three Musketeers.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think about Kent Thiry and Initiative 310? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Blanco Cocina + Cantina Babbel “Lavender Festival” at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms (July 20-21) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Hey Victoria, thanks for listening and leaving us a message. I agree Patty is the best! This is Paul btw. I thought you might be curious, I just checked Union Station's code of conduct and it confirms my personal experience: "Restrooms and seating within the common areas of the Great Hall are reserved for patrons of Denver Union Station, Amtrak, and the Crawford Hotel only." You can find the rest of their rules here: https://www.denverunionstation.com/content/uploads/2023/02/DUS-Code-of-Conduct.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buckeyes great, Hall of Famer Cris Carter talks Ohio State WRs, role at FAU | Ohio State football #OhioStateFootball #OhioState #CFBNews Subscribe for more Ohio State Football coverage: https://www.youtube.com/c/Lettermenrow?sub_confirmation=1 Ohio State Buckeyes videos from Columbus, Ohio from the staff of Lettermen Row. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices