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Class truly is in session this week as Dr. Johnny Lupinacci returns from his sojourn to a teachers' meeting fit to burst with thoughts on this week's Homeroom episode. Johnny talks about the value of early child education in enabling children to start life on a strong footing and how Sesame Street has played a part in that effort for over fifty years. Plus how can we make education and the study of teaching both accessible to newcomers AND challenging? Johnny has thoughts. So join Johnny and his young ward Jakob as they search near and far for answers to today's burning education questions. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob
Our worst fears have come true; Monday is here and Dr. Johnny Lupinacci is nowhere to be found. Some say he's in Nepal climbing Mount Everest. Others speculate he may be deep undercover behind the Iron Curtain. Or, perhaps, he has a meeting. Regardless, Dr. Tim Slekar and Non-Dr. Jakob are here to discuss pressing issues in education. The government is trying to cut funding for PBS, leaving Bert and Ernie facing a fiscal crisis, and Indiana is turning down free money meant for feeding hungry kids (or as the President may misunderstand it, "Feeding Hungary kids".) Tune in for an in-depth discussion of Monday's biggest headlines in education. On another note, Producer Jakob would like to apologize for implying that enjoying NASCAR is in anyway linked to being closed-minded. Jakob would never, NEVER, want to denigrate NASCAR fans.* BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! *For NASCAR fans, "denigrate" means "put down." Guest: Jakob
We have a special guest for our weekly Homeroom segment: Dr. Jill Underly, state superintendent of public instruction. We'll talk about Teacher Appreciation Week, the status of the state budget debate in Madison, and the harm being caused by President Trump's efforts to gut essential educational support. We'll also visit with Congressman Mark Pocan about the difficulty getting Trump officials to acknowledge tariffs are taxes on consumers. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Guest: Mark Pocan
Today Dr. Johnny Lupinacci and Dr. Tim Slekar discuss an interesting development in education as the Supreme Court is set to rule on whether or not religious charter schools can receive public funding. What truly makes a public school? Is it an elected schoolboard, direct state funding, or something else? Can a religious organization provide a secular education? And how can we make sure that public tax dollars are used to serve the public good rather than to prop up any one particular religious ideology? Find the answers to these questions and more as we wade into unchartered waters on THIS episode of BUSTED PENCILS. Producer Jakob had a wild weekend. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
If you're not familiar with the issue of how lead paint is still poisoning children in Milwaukee schools, you can be forgiven for asking, “How is this still a thing?” Our guest from the Wisconsin Public Education Network has the background in this week's Homeroom segment. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Guest: Jenni Hofschulte
With Dr. Johnny Lupinacci indisposed, Dr. Tim Slekar has no choice but to try to educate junior producer-in-training Jakob about the intricacies of school choice. What is Texas Governor Greg Abbot planning to do with so-called universal school choice rules in his state and why does Tim think that they might backfire on him? Does Jakob know that the nationwide school choice movement started right here in Wisconsin? And how does universal school choice create a whole new mess of problems for rural parents and students? And what about our choice to support our public schools? Find the answers to all of these questions and more in today's episode of BustED Pencils! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Blue-collar scholars and warrior poets Dr. Johnny Lupinacci and producer Jakob overcome their grief over Tim's absence to take a look at one of the perhaps not unexpected results of Donald Trump's executive order banning “DEI” and “woke” from classrooms as in Idaho a 6th grade teacher finds herself in a difficult situation when her school's administration asks her to take down a classroom poster that simply reads “everyone is welcome here.” When the definition of controversial changes, should our values change too? Or do we all have an obligation to continue making everyone feel welcome regardless of what certain forces within society might like to scare us into doing? And what could be more patriotic than loving your country enough to want to see it improve? BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Today Dr. Tim Slekar comes fully leaded with a perplexing story out of Oklahoma as the state makes a controversial decision to begin teaching 2020 election denial as part of its official state social studies standards, a move that even David Griffith from the conservative think tank the Fordham Institute called “disappointing.” But is there an opportunity to come at this problem from another angle while insisting Oklahoma's haphazard implementation is just not ok? Dr. Johnny Lupinacci responds with a different take, seeing a chance to delve into the wider issue of growing election denialism in American society. When the subjects get tough, the only solution is a healthy dialog and that's precisely what occurs on today's episode as our hosts and special guest Jess PS grapple with the challenge of teaching students to embrace a healthy skepticism towards their government and its institutions without yielding ground to baseless conspiracy theories and debunked claims. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the trajectory all of our lives. Now, five years since the onset of the pandemic, we look at all that we've become. So often, we hear the endless clarion call of "learning loss" in education. Rarely do we hear about all of the learning students, teachers, and families gained. Nor do we take time to celebrate and honor how some trajectory shifts stemming from Covid led to spectacular growth and achievement for us personally. So today, we look not only at the loss- which we understand as grief, not some abstract loss of learning- but also at what we gained. For one thing, we gained Dr. Johnny Lupinacci as cohost of BustED Pencils! At this five-year mark, nearly every publication offers some form of reflective essay. Dr. Johnny shared his thoughts about the lessons gained from the pandemic with the Washington State magazine. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Class, welcome to another new week! Despite our best efforts at cheer, we're finding it hard to be all smiles to start this week. And we find that sentiment reflected in our nation's continually declining happiness index. For the second consecutive year, America ranks at a new low on the World Happiness Report. Why is our happiness declining? Well, when we look around at the uncertainty in the economy, willful denial of climate catastrophe, and lack of investment in the future the answer appears... Next, the news we've been waiting for since November 5th, 2024. President Trump officially ordered the beginning of the end at the federal Department of Education. Dr. Tim and Dr. Johnny address this news as their educated educator selves: with a short civics lesson. By the way, it's not as if teachers universally adore the federal department. The department needs massive reform to address the needs of students, teachers, and families. But gutting it and leaving states without critical funds only spells harm for many millions of Americans. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
In this week's Homeroom segment, the stakes of the state Supreme Court election when it comes to public education in Wisconsin. UpNorthNews with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-8 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and Instagram to keep up with Pat & the show! Guest: Julie Underwood
Happy Monday Class, let's bust some pencils! In last week's homeroom, we covered the lawsuit filed by 8 Attorneys General in opposition to the cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in teacher training grants. Now, their efforts in suing pay off- at least temporarily- as a federal judge orders those grants reinstated in the 8 states. This is a temporary measure, but it shows the power of our elected officials fighting in the necessary courts for our students. Do we wish suing wasn't necessary? Yes, of course. But it is, so we're damn glad for our Attorneys General! Next we turn to another pending lawsuit. Last week, the Trump administration proceeded with their first concrete steps to dismantle the federal Department of Education. On just one day, they fired over 1300 employees, reducing the workforce to half its size at the outset of the administration. Now, 21 Attorneys General are suing over the impending harm this will cause to schools. We encourage and wish them well! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
We apologize for being tardy to Homeroom today, Class! While we don't have a parent note, we do have trending education news to share with you! Let's focus in, because policy changes are coming fast, loud, and confusing. First, more labor unions representing educators join the AFT in their lawsuit against the federal Department of Education. The lawsuit follows the federal department's release of a Dear Colleague letter on February 14th outlining threats to funding for schools engaged in "DEI" efforts. Through the uncertainty, we agreed that we should focus on the effects, not the bluster. And now we see effects, as the department cancels hundreds of millions of dollars in grants for teacher apprenticeship programs. In response, eight state Attorneys General, including Wisconsin's Josh Kaul, filed suit. Because this isn't how we help students. So, there's a lot here. We urge you to focus past the dogwhistle of "DEI." This is a targeted attack on poor communities and on public schools. We'll be back on Wednesday and Friday with more hopeful podcasts! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Welcome to class, Pencil Busters! Today, we're discussing "Dear Colleague" letters, following up on our Homeroom session from Monday. Last week, the Office of Civil Rights within the federal Department of Education sent out a "Dear Colleague" letter to all schools subject to the department. So today, Dr. Tim and Dr. Johnny break down what these letters are and why they matter. Ultimately, at least according to Johnny, these letters are antithetical to a healthy democracy- especially with contents like this latest one. Will this letter from the federal Dept. of Ed dictate curriculum? No. But will it influence curriculum and educational outcomes? Most certainly. Tune in to learn more! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Class, let's get into the news for this week. President Trump's administration made clear that they do not value diversity, equity, or inclusion. Though those words "diversity," "equity," and "inclusion" separately rarely prompt any vitriol, together they form a rallying cry of- ironically- discrimination from some. Diversity is a basic truth of life, none of us is exactly the same. Inclusion should be a uniting force, where each individual is valued. And equity, equity is fairness incarnate. Equity is an ideal of each person having a fair shot at opportunity and success. Yet the second Trump administration paints these terms as sinister. And now in a Dear Colleague letter, this administration uses the very Department of Education they profess a desire to dismantle, to dictate curriculum. In response, AFT- led by President Randi Weingarten- sued the very same federal Education Department alleging that the dictates are not only harmful to students, but also illegal. Join us to discuss. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Pencil Busters, let's get into this new week! In this time of absolutely overwhelming and frankly scary news regarding the funding of our schools and democracy itself, let's focus on what we do best. We're educated educators, talking education. So that's what we have for you today, a Homeroom lesson on ways to learn. Coming from Arizona, two new schools set to open in which students will learn for two hours a day with an AI tutor. What about the rest of the day? Well, they'll have time to learn about what interests and engages them most! Is this the answer to the factory model of education? Perhaps not entirely. But it's certainly part of it! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Welcome to a new week of Pencil Busting, Class! We begin where we left off last week, with the "Nation's Report Card", NAEP. The National Assessment of Educational Progress is a standardized test for students across the country in 4th and 8th grade. So why are we talking about yet another standardized test? Because it's part of the National Institute of Education Sciences that President Trump gutted last week. Don't worry, the test will continue. But the people who interpret the data and make it accessible to the public will be replaced with loyalists. What could *possibly* go wrong? BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Dr. Tim and Producer Jess look at trending news concerning the federal Department of Education. President Trump ran on a platform that included dismantling this department. He's tapped a wrestling media megabillionaire to lead it in order to end it. And we wait with bated breath for an executive order declaring it's death. On Friday morning, Democratic lawmakers in Washington DC attempted to enter the Department of Education main building and were denied access. News sources differed widely in how they covered the event. NBC put it much as we did, 'House Democrats denied access...' while sharing a video of their confrontation. On the other side of the media aisle, Fox raised the level of aggression significantly, with the headline 'Democrats ambush Education Dept in attempt to force meeting". We urge you to take extra time in these coming days, weeks, months, and years to read beyond the headlines. And read beyond your first choice media source, not only to broaden your perspective but to gain additional clarity. Finally, we plead with you all- keep those critical thinking muscles sharp and flexible, we need them!!! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Class, it's been a chaotic two weeks since January 20th. That strange confluence of a day commemorated the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the second inauguration of Donald Trump to the presidency. It's important in these chaotic moments to take some time to check in with each other. Because as Educators Amplified's Teacher Joanna and Teacher Hallie often remind us, us educated educators need to be the regulated ones in the room. So take a few minutes. Breathe with us. Remember that to be an advocate for democracy in these moments is a form of resistance. And clear your head so you can be the calm, caring, compassionate voice in your world. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Last Monday, the 45th and now 47th President of the United States took the oath of office and began a second term that looks more like a reign than an administration. Since the immediate aftermath of the election in November, we've tried to name the moment. In the limbo between election and inauguration, we've named this moment contradiction– hopelessness and perseverance. We named it despair and determination. And we grappled for what to name what comes next. Now here we are in what comes next, and it's time to get to work. On Inauguration Day last week, coinciding with a day to remember the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we witnessed an extremely powerful example of how to resist the weight and darkness of Trump's second Presidential term. The Right Reverend Mariann Budde delivered the sermon for the Inaugural interfaith service. In it, she calls for unity, not uniformity or passivity, but a unified dedication to our people and country. And she directed a plea to the newly inaugurated President to have mercy on all those who are paralyzed by fear in this moment. Her words fell on deaf ears in the front row, but rose as strength in ours. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Today, January 20th, marks two very different occasions. This day, January 20th, is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A day when many people stop their usual work to dedicate themselves to community service and reflect on on all that we as humans share with one another. Today is also the day when Donald Trump will be inaugurated to a second term as President of these United States. And that feels like a bitter combination to us. How can we hold both of these memorials on the same day and move towards civic engagement? BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Happy Monday, Class, let's get to some pencil busting! Our pal Michael Petrili- read the sarcasm on this, please- President of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute wrote a piece last week seeking to compare education reform in 'red' and 'blue' states. To put it bluntly, we're not impressed. Michael misses several key issues and dodders around pesky little issues such as accountability while bemoaning a supposed lack of accountability in public schools. The article leaves us wondering: Is either of the major political parties in the United States interested in education reform that truly benefits our next generations? BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
And the Beat Goes On.Based on a post by FinalStand, in 13 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. Tuesday night, in the asphalt-covered rear loading area of the Wal-Mart there was a Redneck throw down. Buck Tooney was wasting no time in cementing his leadership position over the White portion of our High School. His job was made more difficult by Darius' ruthless efficiency in allowing no other organizations, no matter how informal, to challenge his dominion. That translated over to Buck having to bust more heads to bring the 'rednecks' all in line.If that worked out, the city-Whites would be next. The problem for everyone else was the High School had been a succession of autocratic tyrannies for so long, it was difficult for the students to successfully even balkanize, much less unify. Everyone assumed another 'Darius' would eventually arise to restore a brutal school order; as long as 'he' was Black.That meant Buck needed a Black figurehead to parade in front of the 'establishment' to get things done. So far, no such person existed. Rashaan not only had the mistaken impression he could resist Buck, he was the Chief of Police's son; so not a prime candidate to be a figurehead for a criminal like Buck. Therefore he had to get Rashaan out of the way; figuratively speaking.Another problem for Buck was the school already had an existing Black criminal element. Darius had not been a part of it, but like so many other aspects of school society, when he told the leaders of the school subcultures to do something, or not to do something, he expected compliance. If not; pain would definitely follow. These characters weren't going to easily knuckle under to Buck Tooney though. After all, he'd been Darius' brother's 'boy', not the other way around.If anyone seriously thought Buck had returned to High School to be the Black Man's Bitch (again), they were clearly high, brain damaged, and/or delusional. I wouldn't have put money on who could have taken who in a Buck vs. Darius brawl; except Darius wouldn't have been lured into that kind of fight.Absent Darius, the school's Black community only had two confederates with sufficient intellect and charisma to lead the forces on that side of the racial divide. Sadly for the disciples of the Almighty BBC, both were women. Not only was Taliyah's mom the Mayor, she herself was co-Captain of one of the establishment's most recognized bodies; the Cheer Squad.The other was Jewel 'C. S.' Lafontanté. She was more infamous than famous, intelligent, un-aligned with any club, or activity, which awarded accolades, yet was overly endowed with a host of natural abilities as well as learned skills and talents. And, unlike Taliyah,; absent Darius; she felt the top spot was hers for the taking from the get go.Step one had been to sit at the feet of her mother and father, taking their counsel on the principles of asymmetric warfare, transforming weaknesses into strengths and how to locate, isolate and exploit the weaknesses of her enemies. Step two was accomplished Tuesday night when she and the rest of the Zulu Princess Posse jettisoned their boyfriends. From here on out, the ladies would be taking whatever cock they wanted. The times; they were a-changing.I had two more imminent problems with my life. The first was Riley Pasternak, Mayor Malik's aide and a woman I'd put my cock into; without my Mother's permission. By the way she kept licking absolutely everything off her fingertips at dinner Tuesday night while staring at me, I was sure she was expecting another performance.Before I could worry about how to finally put the brakes on my out of control sex drive, we had a caller at the gate; for me. It was Randi Leigh Upshaw. That was more than a tad unexpected. I'd stuck my cock in her, so I felt obliged to provide hospitality now that she came calling, but promised myself 'no sex'. We met on the porch.‘Hey, Vlad,' Randi Leigh appeared distracted and a bit distraught and couldn't meet my gaze.‘Hello, Randi Leigh. Care to sit down?' I motioned toward the porch swing.‘Sure,' she walked that way. It wasn't all that cold, she was in a team jacket, yet she still felt the need to wrap herself in her arms.‘What's going on?' I said once we'd taken our seats and swung back and forth twice.‘I; do you like Brandy?' she turned on me, putting a both her hands on my right forearm.‘Yes, I do,' I nodded. ‘Very much.'‘I can make you happier than she can,' bubbled forth from her lips.'What gives you that idea', seemed inappropriate so; ‘I thought you were happy with Rashaan,' was my second, and apparently equally bad, choice. Her look said it all: Rashaan wasn't getting the job done in a fundamental way.‘He's nothing like you,' she purred with the understated passion of an addict needing fix; me being the drug.‘Vlad, what is going on out here?' Mom called out. With Mom's propensity to sneak up on things like a Martian and listen in on conversations, this had to be a clue about something more. We both hopped out of the swing.‘This is Randi Leigh Upshaw. She's a; ah friend of Brandy and on the Cheer Squad. She's dating Rashaan Quinterre now.'‘Nice to meet you,' Mom was full with the feigned politeness, ‘Randi Leigh. I need a moment of Vlad's time, then I'll give him back.'She pulled me aside and back down the walk around porch until we were out of earshot then;‘Care to explain?'So I did; everything from the encounter in the Parking Lot to the Music Room banter, her going off in an epileptic seizure and ending with her here; now. Mom put her hand to her chin as she lowered her head slightly. Her far-off look dictated she wanted a few moments to think things through.‘With some girls; it goes straight to the brain like some allergic reaction,' she related. ‘In 1898, one of your ancestors was felled by a delirium and was cared for in a cat house in Dawson City. Three 'Ladies of the Evening' quickly fell to fighting over him and concluding with two fighting a duel with pistols in the middle of Front Street to decide who got 'their man'. Clearly some ladies can go a bit nuts over what your family has in your nut sack.'‘That's totally nu; crazy and unfair to poor Randi Leigh,' I frowned. I kicked at the planks on the porch for good measure.‘Didn't you just tell me she is gladly whoring herself out for Rashaan Quinterre? Do you think she's doing that for love?'‘What about Brandy? I don't want to cheat on her; any more than I've already cheated on her,' I muttered. Man, I sounded pathetic!‘Here's what you do,' my Mother stroked my cheek. ‘You tell Randi Leigh she had better become Brandy's #2 friend from here on out, or you won't have anything to do with her. You aren't going to cheat on Brandy, but Brandy might see a way to share you from time to time if she behaves. No more Big Black Cock for her though.'‘Okay,' I felt partially relieved. Now that I had a moment alone, I added, ‘What about Riley?'‘I got her.'‘You?'‘Yes. Me and your Da are going to take her to bed for some pulse-pounding, three-way action,' she grinned like an orca about to devour a baby seal.I had no idea Dad was so; kinky.‘Once I get your Da going, he's quite the animal,' Mom enlightened me. ‘I'll get me and Riley going in the bedroom. When he walks in, he'll protest; like he always does; then he'll come around and; ‘‘Enough, Mom,' I raised my hands. ‘Enough.'She laughed. I retreated to the semi-sanity of Randi Leigh who was waiting on me expectantly.‘Here are the rules,' I began ticking off my points, finger by finger.‘I'm Brandy's boyfriend. If you want to spend time with me you had better become Brandy's #2 best friend.'‘You don't sleep around with anyone else besides me and my brothers without clearing it with us first.'‘You don't pick fights with anyone unless you 'okay' it with myself, or my brothers first.'‘You break the rules three times and we never even talk with you; ever again.'That would have been the point I at which would have expected her to scoff at me at least, possibly slap me, or at least cry as a form of manipulation. Randi Leigh simply nodded. I walked her off the porch to her vehicle. We hugged, but didn't kiss. Afterwards I called Brandy and gave her the basics of what had gone down without explaining the toxic stew which lay behind it.I avoided my family the rest of the night; choosing to go to bed early instead. As I lay reclined on my back, staring out the tall window into the clear, highland night sky, I felt sick to my stomach. Slowly a revelation came to me. What my family had was definitely a curse, not a blessing because it was wed to a sense of conscience and responsibility.I had often thought about why Mom sought out Dad as the 'One' for her, but until that night, never really considered why he had chosen her to be his 'One'. Looking back, I realized it wouldn't have made sense until that point because I didn't have enough pieces of Mom's puzzle. I had the belief Dad sensed the intense pain within Mom's soul and nothing short of the grave, or what he had within him, could soothe her.By Mom's own admission, she was a Wild Child. She would have never settled down. Never had us kids. Never felt the love of a family if Dad hadn't decided to share his genetic curse with her. He'd loved her enough to become her lodestone; the center of her life and to take on all the pain such a position entailed.Everything I knew about my Dad suggested Mom was the Last type of woman he would have wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Dad liked his life calm, quiet and orderly. Mom was the polar opposite of those desires; impulsive, loud and chaotic. I didn't doubt his love for her in the slightest, yet my Father had sacrificed his dreams of tranquility to save my Mother.Why wasn't Mom furious with him over enslaving her to his cock; his magic sperm? She probably had been, once she figured out the family secret; for a short while. Then she realized the import his love had, saw the course her life was taking her down and what she obviously meant to him. But Mom being Mom; she still made him pay with her explosively eccentric behavior and her bizarre tutelage of his boys.And Dad had accepted it all as the price necessary to save my Mother's life; and that was that. Dad could have had any woman he wanted. Any Samsonov man could have. Why weren't we a clan of billionaires then? Why didn't we have oriental-style harems and dozens of mistresses on the side?Because we saw what we possessed as a curse; which we sometimes shared with truly crazy people to give them a real world focus for their lives so they wouldn't finally be consumed by their peculiar forms of madness. My hypothesis certainly fit what I knew about my kinfolk. I took that uneasy psychic compromise with me to my dreams.Wednesday.Wednesday morning, the storm clouds began to gather. The big news was Jewel Lafontanté had dumped Thomas 'Shaka' Sneed, Student Body President. Certain notorious Redneck troublemakers were either absent, or had shown up bruised and battered from last night's rumble with Buck's crew.That wasn't the only bruising going on. Rashaan had gone from one cheerleader to none, to two, to none once more; inside a week. The damage to both his ego and prestige was immense. Into the void stepped a rather brutal individual named Porter Walmsley, the Football Squad's Defensive Team Captain. While he was big, bad and Black, Taliyah and Brandy insisted his thick sausage was also very short; a definite deal-breaker when it came to BBC Mastery.Not to be outdone, Alonzo Hollingsworth, son of the richest (Black) man in Kingston made a play for Taliyah at lunch. He was long on talking solidarity while showing no solidarity with any of the other social 'front-runners'. Taliyah told him she'd 'think about it' in a blatant attempt to rile Mikhail. It didn't, which only soured her mood more.At practice, the Assistant Athletic Director (aka Coach Weasel, aka Coach George Wilcox), named Deon Manley Team Captain. He was (surprise, surprise) Black, in my position (Point Guard) and on record as performing sexual favors for the coach (letting the coach suck his cock).After practice, I got a message; via Brandy; that Jed Lee Earl wanted to talk with me and my brothers. She had to give me the 411. He was from one of Kingston's old White Rich families, led a clique of rich and 'almost rich' White kids and she thought he was gay. Most likely, with Buck on a rampage, he was looking for some 'muscle of his own,' she added with a giggle. I swatted her ass over that one.At least this time we avoided any name calling as we made our exit from school. Alexander was off to Ms. Blanchard's class. Mikhail took Kaja home on his KTM 690 Enduro R motorcycle without argument. I took Monique and Shaquille home (her house actually) with Vicky and Kaelyne tagging along. Brandy and Taliyah took Alondra and Noémie to their homes before the rendezvous at the Fonteneau mansion.The routine cycle resumed: homework, working out, showering, then a small amount of friend time before dinner. Unlike Tuesday, Mikhail was downright responsive to Taliyah; playful if not contrite. Taliyah countered by being friendly to Kaelyne and Vicky. I had my hands full with Brandy the entire time, so I was of no help.Vicky surprised us all by asking to learn a few wrestling and Sambo moves as we migrated to the backyard. I was 'nominated' to be her instructor. Things were complicated by her relative small size (5'2' / 157.5 cm) and mass (98 lbs. / 44.45 kg.). Figuring out all she really wanted to do was grab my cock, or nuts (both clothed) and pinch my nipples took all of thirty seconds.While tickling is not in your regularly accepted repertoire of wrestling moves, I had grown up with two brothers and plenty of young cousins. With my superior reach and strength, Vicky never stood a chance; so Kaelyne rushed in as well. When she proved unable to turn the tide (recall: I'm one of three; triplets), Brandy jumped me as well. This time I had the good sense to go down under their combined might, cry and beg for mercy.Thursday.With Brandy's acquiescence, if not outright permission, I gave Randi Leigh a blowjob opportunity before Home Room on Thursday. Mikhail was in the stall next to mine doing the exact same thing with Alondra. The difference was Alondra left with bounce in her stride and a smile on her face. Randi Leigh was fidgeting and uneasy.We missed Lunch Period, replacing it with a truncated orgy session which included Taliyah and Brandy plus Vantrice Kirby, Mia Ryker and Le 'Pearl' Yates. That left only Noémie Lucie Desdunes (in her case the middle name was a Creole thing) and Amber Lee Huffington, who were both in the B and T camp anyway. We could get them Saturday, or so the plotting went.The (Football) Coach and Principal decided since Friday was a 'home' game, we would have a 'memorial' service for Darius Pope; not that he had actually died, or anything; instead of the standard 'victory' party after the game. Apparently the Principal thought Brandy, as Darius' girlfriend, could help coordinate the function. Help as in work with the suddenly school-active Jewel Lafontanté.The other event was Hell Must Have Frozen Over and Satan had Klansmen shoveling coal like mad while he shivered in his igloo chateau; at least as far as the Kingston and Davis County social scene was concerned. The family of Gayle Fonteneau was invited to dinner at; the house of the Madam Mayor aka Dominique and Chinedu Malik.Her father had broken the hold the Fonteneau's had over the town which once bore their name; but now was Kingston, back in the late 1960's and early 70's, ushering an age of Black Supremacy into this burgh. It hadn't been an easy, or happy, transition either. Generations of Fonteneaus had treated the town as an extension of their own estate and hadn't welcomed the march of democratic progress.My Mom's rape, Uncle Theo's rampage of vengeance, and the resulting cover-up had severed the links between the Fonteneau Clan and the town of Kingston. That was the other, hidden, part of 'The Deal' which saw Uncle Theo going to a military school, not straight-out prison, for the punishment he'd visited on my mother's attackers.It could be argued Mom was now violating the 'corrupt' bargain between old Mayor Fox and Great Aunt Matilda. I also imagined neither ever thought their heirs would ever find 'common cause'. Both were now safely dead and if his daughter, Dominque, was bothered by this, she was doing the opposite of complaining.Had I realized how much Mom was sending Dominque's way, I would have been stunned. Had I realized how little of the Fonteneau fortune her support represented, I'd have cringed. The Fonteneau has been rife with eccentric, often wicked, geniuses for over two centuries.They'd invented and patented stuff, they swindled, robbed and stole from kinfolk, neighbors, towns, tribes, corporations and countries, and they invested that wealth with prescient ability. Unlike other famous American capitalists and industrialists, they hadn't felt obliged to build theater halls, university buildings, or jack-squat to remind the Rest Of The World how rich they'd become.No; they had miserly hoarded their wealth with one family member in each generation getting the lion's share along with the tacit understanding they took care of one another. That had equated to Great-Aunt Matilda being the inheritor in her generation, yet taking care of her sister's children as if they were her own.How much did 'we' have? Mom snorted and told me the Fonteneau never kept all their money in one place; in case something happened. Still, it wasn't like Uncle Cassius in that Indonesian prison didn't have his own 'resources' to keep him safe, or Uncle Theo kept evading prosecution based solely on his military training. Had either of those funds been traced back to our family, there could have been trouble; and those were just two examples of how Great-Aunt Matilda dispersed the family fortune.Anyway, I decided to bring Brandy along as my date/protective shielding. Mikhail laughingly suggested Alexander bring Ms. Blanchard. He suggested Vicky. I suggested Alondra. He scoffed. I suggested we'd need the distraction plus someone we could rely on to keep their mouth shut if something untoward happened (or, in Alondra's case, failed to understand the significance of).After 'dressing up', Mikhail and I had to double-back to school to pick up Brandy, Taliyah and Alondra for dinner. They, and about forty other students, had been shanghaied by Jewel into making the auditorium into a tribute to Darius Pope; odd since I imagined she despised the guy and rejoiced at his departure.‘Hey there,' Jewel greeted us as we entered the largely empty arena. ‘Vlad, is it? Mikhail?'Jewel was a tall (nearly 6 feet) woman with skin a soft shade of brown enhanced with coppery highlights. Currently her long, kinky black hair was worn braided with a mixture of beads and ribbons which 'clacked' when she moved. Her figure was dynamite, more a powerful Amazonian 'C' to Brandy's curvaceous 'D', but an ass just as scrumptious.Her lips were wide and her nose broad, but her most sensual quality, in my eyes, was her smoldering dark eyes; so dark they seemed totally devoid of an iris, yet keenly perceptive and subtly intelligent, surrounded by the longest, most natural-appearing eyelashes I'd ever witnessed.Today she was in a leather, electric blue mini-skirt, white knee socks and a long sleeved, skin-tight white shirt with the torso-sized images of a rampant phoenix and tiger facing one another on both front and back.‘Yes. Vladimir and Mikhail Samsonov, Ms. Lafontanté. A pleasure to meet you,' I stated since we'd never been formerly introduced. Likewise, I'd been raised a gentleman who waited for a lady to offer her hand to be shaken before a man shook it.She gave me an appraising, almost predatory, up-and-down gaze.‘Call me Jewel,' she extended me her hand.‘Vlad!' Brandy called out. Her someone must be trying to poach my Man sense must have gone off because I was definitely getting that sensation as her fingertips played across my fingers and palm before we shook hands. She had a confident, solid grip.‘Princess,' I was continuing to 'test drive' Brandy's pet name as I looked around Jewel.‘We are almost done,' Jewel shifted so as to interrupt my view (almost worked; but I was taller than she was).‘Let me help then,' I offered, even as I realized she hadn't let go of my hand yet.‘I'm planning on it,' she smirked, then released my hand and spun quickly around.‘Alright!' she addressed the room, the word accentuated with a sharp clap of her hands. ‘Let's finish getting those banners hung; Brandy?'Brandy was decidedly ignoring Jewel by throwing herself into my embrace and including an impressive, tongue-hungry lip-lock. 'Umm; tasty'. I kept her off the ground, so she decide to kick up both her legs until her heels almost touched her buttocks. When our mouths separated, she gave off a breathless giggle.‘Strawberry?' I questioned the flavor of her lip balm.‘Yes,' she grinned. With exaggerated slowness, Brandy turned to Jewel. ‘Almost done, Jefe?'‘So Jewel, I understand your regular cock wasn't getting the job done,' were the first words out of Mikhail's mouth; the Jackass! The assumption was he was referencing her dumping her last boyfriend; who was also here tonight.‘Mikhail!' Brandy gawked.‘Damn it, Mikhail,' I pivoted and glared at him.‘You auditioning for the job?' Jewel took a provocative pose. So much for the possibility of being offended. It was at times like this I didn't get women at all.‘I'm willing to put you in my rotation,' he bantered back courageously.‘What is mine, is mine. I don't share,' Jewel volleyed.‘You won't be the first Top Bitch I've had to deal with. Won't be the last,' he chuckled.‘Am I 'your type'?'‘Babe, you are hitting on all cylinders; you're smart, fierce, built like a true athlete; plus you think you are better than me,' he leered.‘I'm AM better than you, Samsonov.'‘By all means,' he took two steps her way. ‘Prove it.'‘Mikhail, we are here to retrieve our dates and go to dinner with our parents,' I reminded him. ‘Speaking of which; where are Taliyah and Alondra?'‘Which one of you is dating Alondra?' Jewel scoffed. With the way she said 'Alondra' she might as well have said 'The Chihuahua'. I put Brandy down.‘Alexander,' Brandy simmered. ‘They bonded over having a soul; unlike some people.' Gosh, that was awful feisty of Brandy. ‘Vlad, they went to get some colored light filters for the spotlights. They should be back soon.'‘Hey now,' I patted Brandy's ass. ‘Needless hostility isn't getting the work done.' I used that hand on the ass to press her against my hard-on to remind her of our primal connection.Her eyes flashed up, she gave me a salacious look, two hip wiggles, and then sauntered off to complete whatever project she was assigned. I tagged along because I both liked that ass and decided keeping close to her was my best bet to stay safe. Jewel directed Mikhail to help with something else. When Taliyah returned with Alondra and Misty Dawn in tow (along with several boxes of something), she immediately alerted to his distraction.She gave him no warning of her approach. Unfortunately for her, growing up triplets left us all a bit hyper-situationally aware and always ready for some rough and tumble, so Mikhail clued into the impending threat right before Taliyah repeated her Charlie Horse from Hell. Instead, he caught her blow, pulling her in and pinning one of her arms behind her back.‘Care to explain that?' Mikhail mused; 'that' being the incoming pain.‘I saw you scoping her out,' Taliyah sizzled.‘Well-duh,' he snorted, ‘but I wasn't touching, or anything.'‘You'd better not be.'‘Don't you have some work to do?' Jewel intervened.‘Yeah; if this Neanderthal would unhand me; ‘‘You going to take another swing at me?'‘You going to give me a reason to remind you to behave?' Taliyah snapped.‘Most likely,' my triplet shrugged then let her go.‘Come on Alondra,' Taliyah called over to the cheerleader. They went off to stack up the proper colored light filters by the various spot lights. The actual work would be done by the custodial staff sometime tomorrow.Soon enough we finished all our assignments. Jewel's No. 1 minion; a short, Sepia-complexioned, sharp-looking young lady named Dana Owens; checked off each completed item on her tablet as the group leaders reported to Jewel. She ran a very tight, almost scarily-so, regime. Notable absent were the student-athletes.Notably present was Jewel's ex-boyfriend, Shaka Sneed. He was handsome enough, chestnut-hued, slight acne-scarring along his cheeks with lighting-bolts cut on each side of his more-on-top, closer-cropped-on-the-side/back curly hair. He was right as 6' and broad enough in the chest and narrow enough in the hip to suggest he worked out once, or twice, a week, but his attempt to physically intimidate Mikhail was woefully ill-considered.His shiny, black tennis shoes, dark-grey slacks and black t-shirt were all top quality and tight enough to suggest he was 'aroused', but he was playing out of his league when comparing himself to any of us. Clearly not every BBC stud was packing a 10' Passion Piston inside his boxers and with all the hot chicks Jewel had assembled, it would have been pretty discernable it he'd had one.‘I don't like the way you were talking to Jewel,' he approached my brother as we were exiting the school.With so many polite replies to choose from and a proper dinner to get to; ‘What are you going to do about it?' we turned and regarded him.‘I; ah; ‘ Shaka stammered. Open, obvious defiance wasn't what he expected, despite some of the clear signs we Samsonovs weren't playing by the established rules.‘Listen up, Shaky,' Mikhail feigned annoyance, ‘I've got a dinner to go to. If all you are going to do is spit at me, I'm going to get to it. I'll catch up with you at lunch tomorrow and we'll settle Jewel's perceptions of your penile inadequacies then.'‘It is Shaka,' he insisted angrily.‘Whatever,' Mikhail shrugged.‘I'm going to inform Principal Jean-Georges of your threats,' Shaka pledged.‘What threats?' Mikhail gave a lopsided grin.‘You threatened to fight me at lunch tomorrow,' he looked left then right. We had quite a gathering. Since none of them looked ready to fight, it wasn't a problem.‘My exact words,' my triplet sounded bored, ‘we'll settle Jewel's perceptions of your penile inadequacies. Not once did I mention the words 'fight', punishment, or violence of any kind, Shaky.'‘It is Shaka!' he growled.‘It is Thomas,' Jewel announced in an amused tone. She'd been locking up.‘Shaky's real name is Thomas?' Mikhail's gaze settled on Jewel. ‘Why the fuck did he pick a shitty nickname like Shaky when he had a perfectly good name like Thomas to go by?'‘It Is Shaka; you pinhead!' Shaka shouted.‘Shaka? What kind of lame name is that?' Mikhail mocked him.‘It is Zulu, you dumbass cracker,' he glared.‘Why didn't you pick a more relevant name; like; Vlad, help me out here?' Mikhail's countenance lost all its humor.‘Like Agaja, Askia, Ewuare, or Samori?' I supplied some viable alternatives.‘Yeah; them. You know; West African war leaders you might have some relation to as opposed to a South African butcher who is as likely related to you as I am to Christopher Columbus, you dumbass nigger.'Silence.A White Boy had called a Black Man a 'nigger' and not just the 'n-word'.‘What did you call me?' Shaka puffed himself up.‘Whatever was the appropriate abusive racial insulting counter to 'cracker', pencil-dick,' Mikhail huffed.‘Say it.'‘Shaky.'‘You little bitch,' he said in a low voice.‘I promised we'd revisit your penile inadequacies at lunch tomorrow, Shaky, not now. If you are not going to 'jump', I've got a dinner to go to.'‘Chicken-shit.'‘I really don't have the time to go down the long list of all the things Jewel called you as she kicked you out of bed, Shaky; ‘ and then Shaka shoved him.‘That'll do, Pig. That'll do,' Mikhail chortled. He was getting ready to fight. We really didn't have the time to clean up this mess; I had no doubt Mikhail would destroy Shaka in ten seconds flat. The problem was we'd have to stick around and deal with the fallout which was time we didn't have.‘Enough,' Jewel intervened both verbally and vocally. She had two of her ladies backing her up. I had a firm hand on Mikhail's shoulder as a reminder we had to be elsewhere. ‘Shaka, I thought better of you,' she looked at her ex. ‘He's playing you.'‘You've been playing with him,' Shaka countered.‘Even if I was; which I was not (she wasn't?), I'm not your property, or your woman,' she sneered. ‘You are pathetic. I dumped you because I know I can do better.'Ouch! That was harsh.‘No; you can't,' Taliyah spoke up aka demarcating Mikhail. ‘Not while I'm standing.'‘Damn you, Jewel,' Shaka grabbed his former girl by the arm. ‘I; ‘And then she laid into him. I was pretty sure it was elbow to the solar plexus, a stomp on the instep and then an arm grab into judo flip, but head-over-heels Shaka went. I say 'pretty sure' because it was dusk and Jewel move freaky-fast. Shaka had been completely flipped over onto his back in that final, fluid move.Even though Jewel still had a painful hold of his wrist, it was clear Shaka was out of the fight. Any sane combatant would have stopped at that point. Not Jewel. Up came her foot and down came that heel on his crotch. Shaka hissed like a punctured Zeppelin. Every single guy who witnessed the blow recoiled instinctively in sympathetic agony as well. Not to be outdone though;‘I guess Shaka Zulu is now just another Bushman Brother,' Mikhail quipped jokingly.‘You are useless,' Taliyah began to drag him away.‘How is any of this my fault?' Mikhail laughed. ‘I didn't lay a hand on him.'‘You opened your fool-mouth,' she groused. She was dragging him off though.‘Alright everyone!' Jewel announced. ‘Time to go home.'Quickly enough there were only nine of us left standing there; Jewel, her six posse members, me and Brandy. Alondra had retreated with Taliyah and Mikhail. Shaka was still on the ground, hands cupping his tenderized privates.‘Yes?' Jewel tilted her head as she examined me.‘I'm hanging around to make sure Shaka makes it to his car okay.'‘I'll see to it.'‘I'll wait.'‘I said I'll see to it,' she reiterated as her eyes narrowed.‘Vlad, let's go,' Brandy tugged on my dress jacket.‘I heard you the first time, Ms. Lafontanté. You are also the one who put him in his current incapacitated condition, so I am going to stick around until I know he can take care of himself.'‘Do you think you can take me?' she shifted into a fighting stance; all subtle-like.‘I don't know. It isn't about me thinking I can beat you up. It is about not leaving any person at the mercy of those who would do them harm,' I explained coolly.‘Really?' she blinked.‘Really.'‘And if I tell you to get lost, or else?'I heard a car trunk shut rather gently; it was the 'click' of the lock engaging. Then came the crunch of the loose gravel on asphalt as my brother returned. Jewel's eyes shifted passed me, to him then back to me.‘You were stalling for time?'‘Pretty much,' I relaxed minutely.‘Here you go,' Mikhail handed me a padded, rattan practice broadsword. He had another broadsword plus a targe, a 20' diameter shield of Scottish origin).‘It is still seven on two odds.' from Jewel.‘We'll fight,' Brandy stated defensively.‘You and I ~' Taliyah directly addressed Jewel.‘Means nothing,' Jewel snorted. I could virtually see her work out the fight in her mind, going over and then discarding the various possibilities and resulting outcomes. Too many left her and hers with too many welts and bruises (rattan swords really sting) without a completely positive outcome.‘You don't even like him,' she motioned to the still moaning Shaka.‘That never matters,' Mikhail shrugged. ‘The moment you stomped on Shaky's peanuts, I knew Vlad wouldn't leave him here; at your mercy; so here we are.'‘Vlad?' Jewel searched my eyes for answers.‘Right is right and wrong is wrong,' I responded. ‘There is just and unjust punishment. You had every right to throw Mr. Sneed to the ground.'‘The heel to the groin was excessive,' I could hear myself channeling my Father. ‘At that point, he became a victim too. As my Brother said, I couldn't leave him at your mercy uncertain of your intentions.'‘So you do think you can take me,' she grinned like a Moray eel.‘I was really unsure until my Brother put this practice sword in my hand and returned to my side,' I related. ‘Even now, I'm not 100% positive. I've never witnessed your style of marital arts and you are certainly very good. Tha
Options:Based on a post by FinalStand, in 13 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. ‘Senior Deputy Sheriff Samsonov is a hell of a guy,' Brandy mused.‘Him? No; not at first. Before me, the man had the sexual techniques of a cloistered monk. His cock on the other hand; whoa Nelly!' All three women nodded. ‘I had to train him over the years and he's pretty stubborn with these peculiar ideas about propriety and what locations are acceptable for intercourse.'‘Huh?' That was Brandy.‘In my opinion, if you can escape law enforcement it isn't really a crime.'‘What?' Taliyah.Sigh; ‘is there a place you wouldn't attempt to have sex?' Gayle looked them over. The two teens exchanged looks.‘Where is the weirdest place you've had sex?' Brandy asked the senior sex fiend.‘It is a toss-up between fucking while parachuting and having two orgasms in the Seattle Space Needle.' The girls looked for the joke. ‘Bitches, I don't mind you being centerpieces at a gang bang for the entire football team because of some sort of archaic moral hang-up. I'm glad my boys picked a pair of experienced sluts; I am.'Taliyah's fist clenched. Brandy took a different approach.‘So Vlad really doesn't care that I'm; more experienced?' A K A, nowhere close to virginal.‘No; not in the least. I don't like the fact you two let yourself be used as sex slaves by fuckers you know don't respect you,' Gayle schooled them.‘So you really don't mind me hitting Mik?' Taliyah mentally regrouped.‘Not at all. Some Men need a strong spinal realignment from time to time and don't call him 'Mik'. He finds it insulting and not in a playful way.'‘Do you hit; Mr. Samsonov?'‘No. The man is immune to negative physical reinforcement. Lord knows, I've tried. With their Da, it pays to be simple and direct. I grab his cock and say 'Here! Now!' and get down to business.'Both girls were aghast at both the visual and Gayle's frank honesty.‘And he puts up with that?' Taliyah grunted. Senior Deputy Samsonov was a huge man and could have tossed Mrs. Samsonov around one-handed, or so she had believed. He'd never came across like the cunt-whipped type.‘He's my partner, Taliyah,' Gayle kept 'explaining'. ‘He knows I'm a constantly horny, little slut whose kitty needs petting and I respect his rarely doing anything else I want him to do; like getting my name tattooed on his cock, starting a bar brawl for the shits and giggles, celebrating National Nude Day, or going skinny-dipping in your pool,' aimed at Brandy.‘Have you two had sex in my house?' Brandy choked.‘Twice,' Gayle recalled fondly. ‘Once in the kitchen, bent over the center island; a trifecta; and once in your Daddy's bedroom. I hoped he enjoyed the show on the playback.'‘She really is crazy,' Taliyah looked to Brandy.‘That I am,' Gayle gleefully agreed. ‘Back to the program. Brandy, tomorrow morning before Homeroom, I want you to 'suggest' to Vlad you want double-penetration. He'll ask you if it is my idea, you'll tell him 'no' and he'll believe you are lying to him. He'll go along with it anyway to make sure I don't get angry with you.'‘Will you?' Brandy meeped. ‘Will he?'‘No and no. Your sensuality is pretty physical, Brandy. You'll learn to be a lying, manipulative whore later.'‘You want me to lie to Vlad? He'll be furious with me when he finds out!'‘No, he'll be angry with me for making you lie to him,' Gayle shook her head. ‘Vlad's clever that way.'‘But; you want us to lie to them?' Taliyah didn't believe her.‘Taliyah, any man who believes everything a woman tells him is an idiot. My boys aren't idiots, just inexperienced and hormonal.'‘So you want us to lie to them,' Taliyah confirmed.‘I want you two to use your fucking brains along with those smoking hot bodies; that is what I want,' Gayle clarified. ‘Tomorrow, arrange for the Cheer Squad to meet in the Music Room at the start of 4th period. It just so happens, the Music Room is unoccupied during the 3rd period as well; here is the key,' she handed Brandy a key.‘You have a key to the Music Room?' Taliyah muttered.‘No. I have a Master Key to the school. I took it off that fat bastard former-Principal after he attempted to rape me,' she confessed blithely. ‘I made some copies for contingencies such as this.'‘Now Brandy; you, Vlad and Mikhail are going to skip 3rd period, sneak off to the Music Room and; enjoy yourselves. Take your time. Turn it into one huge seduction. Use that body to make them lose all track of time.'‘Where am I going to be?' Taliyah frowned; her Man was going to be fucking Brandy, damn it! Her aching possessiveness was new and raw.‘You make sure you are the first one to the room at the bell between the 3rd and 4th period. Gather up the girls and sneak them into the room with your key,' Gayle handed Taliyah another key.‘Won't the period bell let them know something's up?' Taliyah wondered.‘What are they going to do? Rip their dicks out of Brandy?'‘Oh no; ‘ Brandy gasped and shook her head. She didn't like that idea at all.‘No. Brandy will tell them the Music Room is vacant for the 4th period as well; so, in theory, they could keep going for another five, or ten minutes,' Gayle said.‘And the other eleven cheerleaders are going to walk into the room, see Brandy, Vlad and Mikhail; ‘‘Perhaps less than eleven, but yes; rushing hungrily to join in; ‘ Gayle interrupted.‘Oh; ‘ Taliyah blinked. ‘They are going to see the three of us and fall magically in love with them; oh.'‘Kind of like what happened to you,' Gayle smirked to Taliyah.‘Wait! Did you have Mikhail and Vlad; or just Mikhail, do that to me on purpose; at the lodge?' Taliyah rumbled angrily.‘No. What I needed to know was written all over Brandy's face their first Saturday together. My boy 'fixed' her something good. You and Mikhail keeping your hands off one another wasn't even a possibility; he was horny, just like you.'‘I swear, if that boy had set me up,' Taliyah growled.‘I suggest scratching and biting to remind him you are unhappy with him,' Gayle provided unlooked for advice and insight. ‘If that doesn't work, try hot candle wax.' The two girls, once again, gawked at Gayle. ‘Or you can pout, whine and tell him he is a big bully,' she spoke mockingly.Taliyah glared.‘Taliyah, you both like rough sex. I am suggesting you keep going with what works,' Gayle chuckled. ‘Brandy, you keep up the pouting. Be a little less whiney. Your 'pouty' pisses him off and makes him want to punish you with some hard fucking.'Pause.‘Oh,' Brandy grinned. Pouting = primal sex. check! Taliyah play-punched her, so Brandy pouted at them both.‘That'll do,' Gayle approved.‘What do we do if Vlad and Mikhail decide they like one of the other girls more?' Brandy revisited her panic.‘Fight for them,' Gayle sighed in exasperation. ‘Just like you two should be worthy of fighting over, you should be prepared to fight for their affections as well. I don't mean debasing yourselves. I mean reminding them you are the ones who will make them happiest, inside and outside of the sexual arena.'‘If Mikhail's gaze strays too long, I'll nut him,' Taliyah declared.‘I suggest a Charlie Horse on the off chance you surprise him. Do you really want to put that nut-sack out of commission?' Gayle snorted.‘Ah, good point,' Taliyah nodded; then, ‘How do you do a good Charlie Horse?'It dawned on both girls, like a flash of lightning across a clear night sky, they had been suborned to Gayle Fonteneau Samsonov's agenda; to the point where they were asking the older woman; the hated, feared enemy-bitch; for practical advice. The World had turned upside down.What it means.For me and Mikhail it meant no sex without being privileged to know why we were being punished. Dad came home with our young English teacher, Ms. Blanchard, only to have to drive Brandy and Taliyah back to school to pick up Taliyah's car; so she could drive Brandy home, not me.Alexander didn't have sex either (as far as I could tell), yet was gifted with an attentive Ms. Andrea Blanchard who 'appreciated' his gallant nature. Stunningly, Alexander's infirmity reappeared and Ms. Blanchard felt obliged to dote on him in a confusing flirtatious-mothering style. It took me a bit to figure out there was a fearful nervousness behind her actions as well.The situation was exacerbated by Mom deciding to get naked; ugh; just as everyone else was clearing the table.‘Nik,' Mom purred.‘Huh?' from Dad.‘Here; now!'‘Huh?'‘Sex.'‘We have company, Gayle.'‘And?'‘Quick!' I jumped up. ‘Everyone grab a plate and run for it.'Isabo hurried the children from the room while the rest of us stacked up the plates and serving trays as rapidly as possible before making our own exits. Andrea was flabbergasted. To add to her surreal feelings, as soon as we made our escape, the rest of the house life returned to normalcy. Even Bebe, who had been initially (in her case; weeks ago) freaked out by Mom's eccentric sexual behavior, appeared amused. I left it to Alexander to help Andrea adjust.‘Mom's; eccentric; erratic; and free spirited,' he shrugged.‘So, this happens; ah; often?' she whispered. No one else was whispering, but we understood the impulse.‘Two, or three, times a week,' Alexander admitted.‘; a week?' Andrea gulped.‘Oh yeah,' smirked Mikhail. ‘Don't worry. We understand Mom is beyond unusual. You won't see anyone else doing that; around here.'‘Okay; ‘ she hesitated. Ms. Blanchard caught his pause.‘What my brother is referring to is an earlier, unfortunate episode up at the hunting lodge,' I punched Mikhail as I explained. He chuckled.By the look on Ms. Blanchard's face, she was unsure if she wanted further clarification. Alexander took a slightly defensive posture hovering close by. Bebe, normally so silent around us boys, miraculously came to her rescue.‘Andrea; Mrs. Samsonov is a wonderful woman. She's also off her rocker and everyone in the house knows it. What is important is her true affection for those she holds close is genuine, her dedication is fierce in all she does and her husband and sons carry that intense devotion into their own friendships.'‘Thank you, Bebe,' I nodded. ‘As an outsider looking in; well, I couldn't have possibly said it better myself; being on the inside.'Andrea nodded as well. After all, Mom's insanity translated over to a bloodily beaten, abusive former Principle, five plus beaten students who had harassed her, a school escort, new locks on all her windows and doors, and a completely unsolicited whole house-cleaning.A feminine feline purr rumbled from the dining room. The five of us exchanged awkward looks.‘Ms. Blanchard, have you seen the stables?' I intervened. Her eyes flickered to me.‘No.'‘Great.'Mom's moan faded into Dad's growl. While my Pa was generally oblivious on the uptake and slow out of the starting gate, he was the ‘Hammer of the Gods', once he got going, about 1 hour minimum. Considering we three were most likely going to grow up to be similar in stamina to him; we had high hopes for our long term sexual futures.‘Alexander, why don't you show Ms. Blanchard the stables. Bebe, why don't you make yourself and Ms. Blanchard something to drink with a kick to it while Mikhail gets himself and Alexander something legit to drink,' I took command.‘Why am I involved in any of this?' Mikhail scoffed.‘I have to do the dishes because I was elsewhere; ‘ I reminded him.‘Oh yeah,' Mikhail snorted. Off he went. Bebe gave me a tiny smile before turning and heading for the library and its bar.‘Ms. Blanchard?' Alexander offered to direct the educator outside via another, 'safer' route.‘Oh; maybe I should go?' she hedged.‘Ah; ‘ Mom.‘Your purse is; ?' Alexander asked. We knew the answer. It was in the hallway; right outside the entrance to the dining room. It would be offsetting, or so it might appear. In actuality, my brothers and I had snuck thru the 'danger zone' many times before.‘Let's go see the stables,' Andrea redirected Alexander. I had a kitchen to clean up, so I missed the detailed tour of the stables as well as Ms. Blanchard's decision to spend the night; again.Tuesday.To maintain the illusion of Ms. Blanchard not spending time with Alexander (even though there was nothing sexual going on), we triplets were sitting in her gravel driveway while she ran inside to change and got a few things. 'A few things' meant a shot of vodka. She'd take a breath mint afterwards, but come on now; we were from Russian stock and vodka was our national beverage. It still made Alexander nervous.Mom had taken a different tactic in dealing with Ms. Blanchard's alcoholism. After she and Consuela cleaned up the place, Mom had come back with vodka bottles big and small and hidden them all over her small home; a shot glass with each big bottle. She'd left sticky notes to let her know where each bottle was hidden. I imagined the sticky notes were gone now, yet;The psychology was a shot glass would mean less alcohol per desperate desire to bury her pain and misery. The 'game' would allow Andrea to indulge while not turning her domicile into a drunkard's den. In theory, she could safely have company over now. Lastly, if Ms. Blanchard got too drunk, she couldn't remember where the bottles were hidden, or so the reasoning went.At school, Alexander (with our help) would diminish the root cause of her anguish; the sexual blackmail her students inflicted on her. At 'home', Mom and Bebe were befriending Andrea Blanchard; giving her female friends to connect with outside of the school's still poisonous BBC atmosphere.I was ruminating over that when;‘Do you really believe Mom's bullshit about 'magic dicks'?' Mikhail asked me out of the blue. Alexander was out of the Mustang, sitting on Ms. Blanchard's stoop. Today, Mikhail had ridden his motorcycle over, so I had the car momentarily to myself. I hesitated.‘Fuck,' he groaned. In our triplet group, I was the 'clever' one. We didn't resent our designations;· Alexander; kind,· Vlad; clever, and· Mikhail, violent;because it allowed us leeway in our actions. See, Mikhail could react physically to problems because he knew if he was doing something exceedingly stupid, I'd stop him.If he was being 'too' brutal, Alexander would reign him in. Likewise, if Mikhail's gut instinct was to lash out, we respected it. Sometimes instinct trumped reason. If Alexander was being too sappy, we'd let him know. If I was over-thinking something, either brother could step in. By the time we hit our mid-teens, we couldn't imagine any other way of living.By our 18th birthdays we figured we'd spend the rest of our live together; we were an awesome trio and rightly proud of our co-dependence. Even if we ended up on the run with Uncle Theo, we'd all go down together. It was how we faced the family and our world. The blood-kin Samsonov's weren't the easiest people to deal with. We had Mom to thank for us not quite fitting in.We loved and admired Dad and his family. Mom's upbringing had tainted our way of thinking though. Time and again, Mom skirted, bent, or bastardized the 'ordinary' way of approaching life's pitfalls and pleasures. We three would never truly be 'Samsonovs'. I think Dad knew that as well. The one time an older cousin slipped us a catalog on the best Criminal Justice College programs in Alaska; Dad frowned. The man quietly withdrew his 'suggestion'.In a way, it was a blessing to the clan. Thanks to Mom, we were also gifted with the ability to navigate the machinations of the Samsonov brides and grooms; those folks who married into our lineage. Since they were all somewhat nutty, our ability to separate them when the lunacy set in was appreciated. That way, the rest of them didn't have to become overly confrontational; which was the way the blood-Samsonovs liked it.Being the clever one, I also clued into Mikhail's subliminal anger. He didn't want to cheat to get Taliyah's affections. He might even start trying not to be a jackass around her because of it; making them both miserable.‘Mikhail, you had her on the kitchen counter and backing that ass up against you in the recliner before any 'magic' kicked in. She likes you for reasons which defy even 'magic dicks',' I punched him in the arm.‘Thanks,' he nodded then hit me back. ‘So, what's next?'‘Gang-bang.'‘You really think we are going to pull it off?'‘Yeah. Mom sketched out the general plan to me a while ago,' I nodded.‘Cool. I've wanted to stick my cock down Alondra Lamb's throat ever since the first time I saw her lips part,' Mikhail rubbed his hands together.‘Taliyah is going to whoop up on you if she hears you talk like that,' I cautioned him.‘Yeah,' he grinned like the Heath Leger's Joker. ‘Cool, ain't it?'‘Being slapped by a girl?'‘Nah,' he cavalierly dismissed any misconceptions. ‘Making her angry with me. Then she gets this look in her eyes like she's going to own me; it is a huge fucking turn on.'‘Mom would be so proud,' I muttered.‘Then I'm going to nail Jewel Lafontanté,' Mikhail's eyes shown with relish.‘She's not on the Cheer Squad,' I pointed out.‘Yeah, but she's sexy, smart and thinks she a 'top' bitch,' he chuckled.‘Isn't she dating somebody?'‘So? I only want to borrow her; take her out for a spin,' he laughed. He was a jackass and ambitious and;‘Mikhail, both those girls are Black. Do you have a thing for Black chicks?'‘I like 'em dark,' he mused. ‘Hadn't really thought about it as a preference, but you're right. My Top Ten 'Most Fuckable List is filled with Ladies of Color. I guess that means you get the blondes and Alexander gets the red-heads and brunettes.'‘Top Ten List? You're a pig,' I chided him.‘Grunt, grunt, oink.'To put things in perspective, Alondra Lamb was a medium height, tawny skin Black lass with straight, black hair past her shoulders and a killer body with decent tits, perfect for her athletic body type, and a divine ass.She was also; to put it politely; mentally-underwhelming. Beyond her exemplary looks, she was an above-average gymnast and on most days capable of tying her own shoes; the ones with the Velcro straps. Her hazel eyes were always wide open and her lips pursed in an 'o' unless she was blathering on about something inane and off-topic, or just giggling for no understandable reason.She found simple things amusing (kind of adorable) and didn't 'date' a member of the football team; she barely could remember their names and normally got passed around like a living onahole. I felt sorry for her. Usually, she hung out with Betty Jo Starling (one of the team's other two Blondes) who shared her mentally-endearing qualities. The rest of the squad treated those two rather poorly.In contrast, Jewel Lafontanté was from a new (to Kingston) nouveau riche Black Family. Rumors say her Dad worked for the Government years ago, before setting out and founding his own IT company here in Arkansas. He and his Choctaw wife had retired here in Kingston a few years back. They bought a nice spread and became pillars of the community. Jewel was a late child. The rest of her brothers and sisters were grown, with families of their own. So she was effectively an Only Child, doted on by her aged parents.Jewel was also one of the smartest kids in school, one of the best members of the local studio's Dance troupe and possessed a crippling wit. At 5' 11', she was noticed and her curvaceous and sporty build was widely admired, although when her dark eyes danced with amusement at the suffering her 'diversions' caused, the timid backed away. Her preference for a different hairstyle, or two, every week kept the local hair stylists in business.She was bright, sassy and vicious with her own little group of Black women called the ZPP (Zulu Princess Posse, i.e. 6 rich Black girls and their one token rich White girl). They only dated 'rich' Black guys, yet consistently cheated with impoverished, or medium-income, White underclassmen. They toyed with the boys and finally let their official 'boyfriends' know of the White boy's indiscretions. If you somehow resisted their advances, they lied about what happened instead. Either way, beatings always followed.During Darius' reign, Jewel had kept a low profile from 7:15 to 2:15 pm and hadn't participated in the school's sports religion. No; she'd stayed safely away doing stuff with the other rich kids on the evenings and weekends. Darius must have decided her dad, while old, was an uncertain enough quantity to not screw around with his youngest child.Brief Segway.Beyond my understanding at the time, Jewel also represented another fabric of Kingston/Davis society; those from the post-divide i.e. higher-income families from out-of-State who moved in after the new millennia, both Black and White, who weren't invested in the bitter interracial struggle of the 1970's and took the status quo at face value.They'd moved here when Arkansas State put a satellite campus in down the road and the natural recreation industry gained a regional recognition; sports-fishing, hunting and hiking. A S U Kingston was a Medical Technical School which taught, as you might guess, various programs for technicians in the medical field as well as nursing. Not only did the graduates not normally go on to top tier careers, A S U K wasn't a research university, so the teaching staff, while well-to-do in this rural dystopia, weren't filthy rich either.A S U -K had a small campus with a faculty and student population under 2,000 and was, like the White Middle-class enclave of Sunshine Terrace, its own little microcosm in Davis County. Yep; A S U -K had its own Campus Police Force while Sunshine Terrace had a contracted private security service.Anyway, as Kingston prospered and the Middle Class Whites fled to their own segregated hamlet, these new Blacks moved into Kingston. Likewise, more 'country' Blacks moved in from Davis County as well, further segregating the races. Forty years after Taliyah's grandfather was first elected mayor, Kingston had tripled in size (2,100 to 6,400) while Davis County as a whole was roughly 60% larger (13,500 to 21,700), thus the Town being 'Black' while the County was 'White'.Inside, the town's Black community was another divide and it was best expressed in their 'womenfolk' and what was expected of them. Dominique, for all her power and influence, basically worried about her daughter dating the 'popular' Black guy because this was BBC country and women defined their positions by the masculine auras around them.In contrast, Jewel's mother didn't worry over-much about who Jewel dated, because Jewel was going to college (somewhere else). High school and high school boys were just stepping stones. BBC was still out there, but 'the Modern Black Woman' had developed a host of weaponry of their own. To the outside world, such a distinction made Jewel and her Mamma feminists.Later on Jewel was to qualify that for us; she was a Feminist with a capital 'F'. Whereas Taliyah wanted to own Mikhail's body and soul because he challenged and completed her, Jewel wanted to own us; period; all three of us Samsonov boys.Why?Excuses were for people who needed to explain themselves to their fellow losers. Winners like Jewel 'achieved' and took what rewards they wished.Apparently seeking Equal Rights was a hallmark of the unambitious, being 'just as a good as a man' was settling for less and Racial Equality implied there might be something a White Person could do that a Woman of Color couldn't do better; according to her doctrine. Had they (Jewel, her mom and our Mom) not all been Class-A Bitches, they would have gotten along famously.To be fair, had Mikhail not gone gunning for her, she would have most likely left us alone; but he did. My youngest brother is an asshole at times, as well as relentless, and after so many years having Mom controlling our social lives, he now was sexually 'off his leash'.Resume‘How about we just stick with the Cheer Squad for the rest of the week,' I tried to divert him. ‘Perhaps you might find ten other women enough for you.'‘Nope,' Mikhail shook his head and laughed.‘How about Taliyah's feelings?' I launched as a 'Hail Mary'.‘No,' he kept shaking his head. ‘I'm not boyfriend material, Vlad. Sex is too much fun. I really like Taliyah, but; no. No promises, no lies and no illusions. There is going to be no ring on my finger, or through my nose. I'll hold her hand, and hold her if she's weeping, but I'm not going to mistake sex for friendship, or vice versa. I'm 18, damn it! I want to roam.'The rest of the conversation was truncated by Ms. Blanchard's appearance. Mikhail returned to his motorcycle, Alexander got into the Mustang and she got into her battered, green 1997 Toyota Camry. Off we went. Close to the main entrance of the main building, most of the Cheer Squad was waiting for us. They were dressed in 'regular' clothes; we knew them by their faces.As soon as we rolled up, Rashaan Quinterre and a few of the football team members made an appearance. Taliyah frowned. Her frown only deepened when another cheerleader; this one White, Randi Leigh Upshaw, went into his arms. He did his best to look triumphant. Randi Leigh certainly looked pleased with herself.‘Coach is making Rashaan the new Team Captain,' she informed the crowd.‘Ha!' Mikhail laughed at the couple. ‘Anyone who thinks Rashaan Quinterre is even half the man Darius was, raise your hands.' His mockery was eviscerating. Worse, it took several seconds for several of Rashaan's teammates to raise their hands. ‘You are only Captain because your Daddy is Police Chief, not because anyone thinks you can replace Darius, you loser.'‘I'm going to kick your teeth in, Cracker,' Rashaan seethed. He had six other footballers versus Mikhail and me. How the Cheer Squad would break down was an unknown. Alexander had already deviated for the Teacher's Parking Lot. There were maybe a periphery of forty other students at that moment plus;‘Boys,' softly drawled a voice of an adult I hadn't seen before. He was a Big (as in muscular) White guy with a 'five o'clock' shadow at seven in the morning, unkempt, dark-russet hair, darting, soulless brown eyes and a weathered, sun-creased complexion.Of more critical importance he had my Samsonov Law Dog senses tingling at first sight; he was a human predator. His easy-going mannerisms were deceptive and his leadership skills were exhibited by the aura of dominion he seemed to project over the eight rednecks he had accompanying him.‘Buck!' Misty Dawn Sizemore burst forth from the Cheer Squad and ran up to the lead hillbilly. He wrapped her up in a bear hug while keeping his eyes on the rest of us. ‘I didn't think you were coming back.'‘The new nigger Principle made a deal with my wetback Parole Officer. I graduate and they cut the last three and a half years off my parole,' he replied nonchalantly.'Nigger' didn't go over well at all. It was telling to me that it took Rashaan several seconds to step up into his new leadership role. 'Wetback' on the other hand was just;‘Buck, watch your fucking mouth before you get your teeth kicked in,' Rashaan tried to sound brave, but wasn't very convincing. Buck looked him up and down, then chortled.‘Rashaan, ya ain't no Darius, Nigger,' he sneered. ‘Fuck with me and I'll gut you like the sweaty little piglet you are.' He emphasized his point by casually pushing Rashaan back a step. The light of Justice flared up against the forces of Intolerance and Intimidation.‘Taliyah, who is this latest knuckle-dragger?' Mikhail grinned at Buck.‘Your bad attitude makes you Mikhail,' Buck responded first, grinning. He'd already scouted us out; which made him even more dangerous. ‘That makes you; ,' nodding to me and since I was closer, he moved toward me for the handshake (he tried to break my phalanges and got nowhere), ‘; Vlad cause your brother Alex went hobbling off already. I'm Chester Ray Tooney, but everyone calls me Buck.'‘Hi Buck, I'm Vladimir Samsonov.'‘So, you are the guy who made Brandy's ass 'All Access',' he leered. He hadn't let go of my hand. He was about to regret that.‘Oh, so it is going to be like that then. Buck, I'll give you the same options I gave Darius on Day One. Let's settle this Man-to-Man. I'm challenging you to a duel,' I hadn't let go of his hand yet either.‘A duel?' he muttered as he pushed Misty Dawn away.‘That's a fight between two men with some semblance of rules.'‘Like an M M A bout?' he studied me.‘Sure. You dropped the insult. I issued the challenge. Now you get to pick the weapons, or lack thereof. I then pick the time and location,' I explained.‘Do this a lot?'‘You'll be the first.'‘You are really pissed over me calling Brandy a slut? Everyone knows she was Darius' hoe,' he grumbled. He'd just lost the hand-grinding war. His guys were tensing up even as I was grinding his knuckles together in my grip.‘Don't Vlad,' Taliyah spoke up. ‘Back in the day, Buck was Darius' brother Cyrus's bitch. Holding his hand might make him feel lonely.' She then taunted Buck by adding, ‘Missing Cyrus much while he's in prison?' Buck took the opportunity to sucker-punch me. To avoid the blow, I'd have had to release his hand. Instead, I took the newly proffered arm, channeled his momentum into a hip-toss and planted him on the ground.I had his wrist twisted painfully, his arm locked up and my foot was on his throat. Buck was on his back on the asphalt with a furious expression on his face.‘Motherfucker,' the closest redneck made ready to rush me.‘Take that step and I'll break his arm,' I informed them both angrily. ‘Buck, I'd appreciate it if you would apologize to Brandy now.'‘Get off me,' Buck snarled. ‘I'll fucking kill you.'‘Vlad,' Misty Dawn hesitantly reached for me.‘Vlad, let him up. He's not worth it,' Brandy intervened. When it was clear she was the one I was listening to, I backed off. I even offered Buck a hand up. Oddly, he took it; without the expected sneak attack.‘Duel, huh?' Buck scowled.‘Yeah.'‘I'll think about it.'‘I'm not hard to find,' I stepped aside as he and his group forced their way forward. His departure left Rashaan and his crew staring at me, Mikhail and the Cheer Squad once more.‘Don't worry, Misty Dawn. I wouldn't have let Vlad hurt your cousin much,' Brandy roped in her fellow cheerleader. Brandy shot me a dazzling smile in the process.‘Thanks, Vlad,' Misty smiled my way as well.What was going on? Well Brandy and Taliyah's position as leaders of the Cheer Squad
We now know who is running in nonpartisan elections across Wisconsin and whether any of the races will require a primary in February before a general election on April 1. We'll update the choices for State Superintendent of Public Instruction and an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court—both races with major implications for the state. And in this week's Homeroom, we'll review what kinds of legislation will be considered by the Assembly and Senate that could impact the education of Wisconsin kids. UpNorthNews with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-8 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and Instagram to keep up with Pat & the show! Guests: Salina Heller, Bryn Horton
Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, died last week at the age of 100. He lived a full life devoted to the American people and leaves behind a legacy of a man who led with compassion and firm defense of our democracy. As President, he established the federal Department of Education, officially created in 1979. Education, as Dr. Tim and Dr. Johnny often remind us, is a state right. Yet Carter called for and followed through to create the federal department, primarily to enforce civil rights throughout the country. The federal department of education also serves to provide robust support and structure for schools across the nation. The department hasn't always lived up to its promise, and our docs certainly don't shy away from criticism, when due. Yet the promise lives on. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Pencil Busters, 2024 has been a wild ride! Join us for this very special Homeroom, as we take a look back at the standout moments of this past year. From the lows to the highs and the laughs to the cries, 2024 gave us a lot worth remembering. From all of us at BustED Pencils: Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny, and Producer Jess, thank YOU for a fantastic year! We wish you a very Happy New Year and we'll see you in 2025 for a fresh year of Busting Pencils! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Welcome to the #ShareYourHotness Podcast episode 151! Join Clara Bush— former pageant girl, founder of Homeroom Apparel, and previous missionary in Paris and Belgium for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — as she dives into real talk about overcoming a faith crisis. Recently married to the love of her life, she's all about finding joy in authenticity and learning to build a life that reflects her values. Tune in for relatable stories, growth, and a touch of humor as Clara shares her journey and insights on embracing true faith. Support The #ShareYourHotness Podcast by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-syh-podcast Find out more at https://the-syh-podcast.pinecast.co
The next session of the Wisconsin Legislature is still weeks away, but Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is already spreading misinformation in order to justify not using the state's $4 billion surplus to fix chronic underfunding of public schools. We'll have one of the state's best experts in our Homeroom segment to tell us the tricks being played and how to talk to your own legislator about school funding in the next state budget. UpNorthNews with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-8 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and Instagram to keep up with Pat & the show! Guests: Heather DuBois Bourenane, Christopher Thiel, Sandy Whisler
How do you create an amazing place to work? Is it the mac & cheese? Kevin chats with Erin Wade, founder of the wildly successful Homeroom restaurant, which specializes in one thing: mac and cheese. Erin shares the personal journey that led her from being an unhappy corporate lawyer to building a thriving business that values culture, autonomy, and joy. Erin discusses how the idea of a mac and cheese restaurant came to her on a rainy night, craving comfort food after a tough day as a lawyer. She shares her leadership viewpoint of connection, collaboration, and collective success and how focusing on process, systems, and trust empowers employees and creates extraordinary customer experience. This podcast was recorded during Virtual LeaderCon 2024. Listen For 0:00 Introductio 1:24 Welcoming Erin Wade 2:10 Erin's Background and Introduction 3:43 Becoming "The Mac and Cheese Millionaire" 4:04 From Law to Mac and Cheese 5:17 The Inspiration Behind Homeroom Restaurant 8:06 Lessons from Working in Fine Dining 10:06 Importance of Gaining Practical Experience 12:16 Erin's Leadership Philosophy 13:10 Connection, Collaboration, and Collective Success 14:39 Erin's Violin Story Fake It Till You Make It 17:12 The Role of Reflection and Self-Listening 19:01 Passion as a Key to Fulfillment and Success 20:08 Importance of Having a Reflective Hobby 22:33 Balancing Work Passion and Life 24:32 Creating Culture and Systems in Business 28:18 Paint by Number vs Coloring Book Leadership Styles 31:11 The Stoking Out Rule for Memorable Customer Experiences 33:50 The “Color Code” System for Managing Harassment 38:10 Power of Inclusive Leadership and Collective Solutions 39:15 Restorative Discipline Making Things Right 42:35 Erin's Approach to Reading and Staying Informed 43:14 Mac and Cheese Tips and Recommendations 44:48 Mac and Cheese Ice Cream and Other Creative Ideas 47:15 Closing Remarks Meet Erin Erin Wade is the author of The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box. She opened a wildly popular restaurant, Homeroom, which has been covered everywhere from the Cooking Channel to the Wall Street Journal. She authored the bestselling The Mac & Cheese Cookbook, as well as a viral op-ed in the Washington Post that was named one of the publications' best of the year. Erin's work on business culture has been covered in Forbes and The New York Times, and she was named one of thirty-five “World-Changing Women” by Conscious Company magazine. Erin has a public policy degree from Princeton and a law degree from UC Berkeley. She lives in the Bay Area with her family and an array of surfboards. Book Recommendations The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box by Erin Wade Like this? Winning! with Gary Brackett Creating a Culture of Hospitality with Cameron Mitchell Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group
The 2024 General Election is TOMORROW. In deep purple Ohio and Wisconsin, Tim and Jess are feeling the stress. Johnny, in reliably blue Washington reports less... AAAAAH... than Dr. Slekar and Producer Jess. Regardless, of the election stress, we still have trending news for Homeroom this week! First, check your ballots for measures regarding education, many school districts will have them! Next, as we reported last week, guidelines for AI use in classrooms lag behind actual AI use by students and faculty. Well, the Federal Department of Education now provides some structure! For a one-stop shop to check your voter registration, find your polling location, and practice voting with a sample ballot, go to myvote.wi.gov. Make a plan to vote and fulfill your CIVIC duty! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
Welcome to Homeroom, Class! Let's get this week started with some trending news. First up: a private Catholic school seeks public funds. Then, a few takeaways from the growing push for "school choice"- otherwise known as public school funds theft. Tim and Producer Jess share their strong responses to these stories. We can't help wondering what ramifications may unfold from a clearly exclusionary school seeking public funds. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!
In this first episode of season 7, we dive into the captivating world of artificial intelligence and its impact on education in Utah. Join us as we trace the history of AI, from its early origins in the 1950s to its current state-of-the-art advancements. We'll ask experts to share their insights on what AI truly is and how they envision its transformative potential for teachers and students across the state. Get ready to be inspired as we explore the exciting possibilities that AI brings to the future of learning.Sign up for UEN's weekly Professional Development Newsletter: http://go.uen.org/c2aStay connected with UEN
Erin Wade hated her job. So she created a mac & cheese restaurant called Homeroom, then rethought how every other employee should be treated. In this episode, she explains how she rethough discipline, incentives, and the working environment, and built a place that people actually want to work in. Erin's new book about this is called Mac & Cheese Millionaire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today our guest is Cindy Bourget - Middle School Counselor, Elk Mound Area School District and also a 2024 ASCA School Counselor of the Year finalist. We talk to Cindy about how she integrates CharacterStrong as a Universal Tier 1 support, helping teachers effectively use it in their homeroom settings. Cindy emphasizes that Tier 1 is about the day-to-day functioning of a school community, and she explains how CharacterStrong aligns with the ASCA Student Standards for Student Success. She also shares her approach to using conversation circles, a powerful tool to encourage movement, foster dialogue, and keep students engaged. Learn More About CharacterStrong: Learn more about the NEW Tier 3 Solution Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Attend our next live product preview Visit the CharacterStrong Website Cindy Bourget is a school counselor of 10 years who believes that every student deserves a school counselor. As a first generation college graduate, she focuses on building systems that ensure all students are supported. She is the current Wisconsin School Counselor Association Data Director and a 2024 National School Counselor of the Year Finalist.
Jump into Monday with a whirlwind of money topics! We start by celebrating the arrival of fall and the excitement around baseball playoffs (especially for Detroit Tigers fans). But the real fun begins after we salute the troops and dive into the main event: a riveting conversation with Erin Wade, a former lawyer turned chef and entrepreneur. Have you ever thought you wanted to do more with your life than you currently do? Erin shares her tumultuous journey from corporate law to opening one of America's top restaurants, Homeroom, and drops valuable lessons on following your passions and creating a rewarding work environment. During our headline segment, we discuss the recent Federal Reserve rate cuts and what it means for your finances. How can you benefit from lower interest rates? We'll dive into how interest rate cuts work and help the economy. We discuss what this means for your savings, debt strategy, and more. Plus, macaroni and cheese-related trivia AND—how to take your mac and cheese recipe to the next level! Monday Morning Musings Baseball Playoffs Excitement Saluting Our Troops Introducing Today's Guest: Erin Wade Mac and Cheese and the Holiday Season The Journey to Entrepreneurship The Importance of Passion and Play Challenges and Triumphs in the Restaurant Industry Empowering Teams and Open Book Management Mac and Cheese Tips from the Expert Mac and Cheese Tips and Tricks Doug's Mac and Cheese Trivia Powdered Cheese and Nostalgia Federal Reserve and Interest Rates Explained Impact of Interest Rates on Loans and Economy Credit Scores and Mortgage Tips Car Market and Financing Insights Upcoming Events and Closing Remarks Post-Game Press Conference FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/erin-wade-from-attorney-to-mac-and-cheese-millionaire-1581/ Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to Homeroom, class! Once upon a not so distant time ago, we celebrated "Columbus Day" on the second Monday of each October. Today, many Americans commemorate that day as Indigenous Peoples' Day. Why the change? Well, we started rethinking what we thought we knew and what we wanted to celebrate about our country's history. Howard Zinn was a major force propelling us to do so with his 1980 book, A People's History of the United States: 1492 – Present. And Howard Zinn changed much more than that for all of us who study history in this country. Today, Dr. Tim and Dr. Johnny share how Howard Zinn's philosophy guides them. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Leave us a comment or question at 608-557-8557!
Host Emily Washcovick sits down with Erin Wade, best-selling author, chef, and entrepreneur. Erin shares her journey from being an unhappy lawyer to opening Homeroom, a wildly popular mac & cheese restaurant in Oakland, CA. Hear the lessons Erin learned along the way, and specifically how she built a unique restaurant culture, as well as system for dealing with sexual harassment. Tune in for insights that can help any small business thrive, from Erin's new book, "The Mac and Cheese Millionaire.” Erin Wade More about the episode Theme Music by Ali Schwartz and Meserole Sound
In this lively episode of the Homeroom was Moved podcast, D hosts the Goalsby Empire to discuss their journey through life, love, and content creating. They touch on their history, sharing anecdotes about how they met at UCA and managed a long-distance relationship. The couple also opens up about the challenge of balancing family life with content creation, emphasizing trust, communication, and the importance of their supportive audience. They share their strategies for managing their social media presence, parenting, and entrepreneurial ventures, showing determination to continue growing and inspiring others. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Kickoff 00:46 Daily Life and Sleep Struggles 02:13 College Memories and How We Met 04:09 The Webby Concert and First Impressions 09:17 Building a Relationship and Trust 10:47 Starting Content Creation Together 18:51 Navigating Social Media as a Couple 23:49 Starting a New Life in Houston 25:13 Long-Distance Relationship Challenges 27:15 Balancing Career and Family 28:39 Entrepreneurial Journey 33:34 Current Life and Future Plans 35:57 Content Creation and Social Media 45:21 Message to Supporters 49:00 Conclusion and Farewell
In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Erin Wade, founder of Homeroom, an Oakland-based mac 'n' cheese concept with three locations. Erin released a book called “The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box,” which details her journey going from lawyer to restaurant entrepreneur and how she and her team achieved a more collaborative and meaningful work environment. She joined the podcast to talk about the book and a color-coded system that has helped protect her employees from harassment. In this conversation, you'll find out why:Great experiences don't cost more to create, they just require caring moreA better working environment leads to better restaurant performanceHarassment from your customers may be a bigger problem than you thinkYou owe it to your employees to protect them from harassment and abuseIf you want to build a strong culture, start with trust Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.
Check in for homeroom this week with trending educational news about inclusion and equity. Turns out, we all do better when we all do better. And, we are not yet past the disturbances in education from the COVID-19 pandemic. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Leave us a comment or question at 608-557-8557!
Send us a textThe FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!Erin Wade, founder and former CEO of Homeroom, a mac-and-cheese restaurant in Oakland, to discuss her latest book: The Mac and Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box and her journey from being an unfulfilled attorney to a successful entrepreneur. Erin opens up about the lessons learned while building a company culture that balances freedom with structure, and how she turned her passion into a thriving business. Joe and Erin dive into the power of titles, leadership, and the importance of creating a workplace that people genuinely want to be a part of. Episode Topics:Erin's transition from law to the restaurant industry.The balance between freedom and structure in leadership.How facing struggles shaped Erin's entrepreneurial journey.The role of intentional culture-building in business success.Leadership beyond titles and the power of influence.Watch the interview here.Erin Wade is a best-selling author, chef, and entrepreneur. Erin opened a cultishly popular restaurant, Homeroom, which has been covered everywhere from Cooking Channel to The Wall Street Journal. She authored The Mac & Cheese Millionaire, the best-selling The Mac and Cheese Cookbook, and a viral op-ed in the Washington Post about her restaurant's solution to sexual harassment that was named one of the publication's best of the year.Erin's work on business culture has been covered in Forbes and The New York Times, and she was named one of thirty-five “World-Changing Women” by Conscious Company magazine. Erin has a public policy degree from Princeton and a law degree from UC Berkeley. She lives in the Bay Area with her family and an array of surfboards.A special thanks to this week's sponsors!Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!Exray a veteran-owned apparel brand elevating the custom gear experience. Exray provides free design services and creates dedicated web stores for unitsMy favorite coffee is veteran-owned Alpha Coffee and I've been drinking it every morning since 2020! They make 100% premium arabica coffee. Alpha has donated over 22k bags of coffee to deployed units and they offer a 10% discount for military veterans, first responders, nurses, and teachers! Try their coffee today. Once you taste the Alpha difference, you won't want to drink anything else! Learn more here.
In this episode, Erin Wade discusses her journey from being a practicing lawyer to making mac and cheese...as a business. Wade shares how surfing became a personal escape while managing a busy life as a CEO and mother, and how she applied lessons from her career to build a restaurant known for its strong workplace culture. She introduces the concept of open book management, which empowers employees by involving them in the company's financials and decisions, leading to higher engagement and performance.Erin also highlights her innovative approach to tackling sexual harassment in the workplace with the “color code of conduct,” a system now used globally in the restaurant industry. She reflects on the power of titles in shaping both external perception and self-identity, and the importance of managing for impact rather than intent. The conversation is packed with insights on leadership, culture-building, and how to create work environments where employees feel valued and empowered.Erin Wade is a chef, author, and entrepreneur. She is the Founder and CEO of Homeroom, a restaurant in Oakland, California, known in equal parts for its unique workplace culture and incredible macaroni and cheese. She has a degree in public policy from Princeton University and a law degree from UC Berkeley. Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it's completely free. Learn more and sign up at https://fs.blog/newsletter/ -- Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: https://fs.blog/membership/ and get your own private feed. -- Follow me: https://beacons.ai/shaneparrish -- Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tkppodcast (00:00) Intro (02:30) Wade's surfing obsession (04:42) Defeating overthinking (05:00) Wade's background in food (06:40) Wade's law detour (10:20) On being fired (12:40) Early mistakes and freedom (20:00) Employee-centric companies (32:30) Homeroom Hard Times (34:40) How Wade's law background helped (and hurt) (42:40) The Color Code of Conduct (49:30) Why Wade sold Homeroom (and how she felt) (55:58) Impact vs. Intent (59:00) Why titles are important (01:04:00) On success
Welcome to Homeroom, class! Grab your #2 pencils and let's get busting! Every week, you can expect Homeroom to drop Monday at 6:00 AM CST. In this weekly segment, we'll cover trending educational news, give you a preview of the days to come, and establish themes to guide us for the week. This week, we're checking in on vouchers in South Carolina and participation in extracurricular activities. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows.
In this episode of the Homeroom with Smoot Podcast, Smoot engages in an insightful conversation with Cody, an experienced R&B artist with over 20 years of professional performance. Cody shares his musical journey, beginning with gospel music in the church and transitioning to R&B. The discussion covers Cody's recording history, his preference for analog over digital platforms, and his commitment to producing high-quality music. Cody also talks about his inspirations, his process of honing his sound, and the meaningful stories behind his albums 'More Than I Knew' and 'The Sides of Love.' The episode concludes with Cody's reflections on the local music scene and his efforts tocreate memorable live performances. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:19 Cody's Journey in R&B 01:14 Early Recording Days 03:36 Musical Influences and Learning 05:43 Favorite R&B Records 07:46 The Story Behind 'More Than I Knew' 14:25 Creating 'The Sides of Love' 15:36 Crafting a Fresh Album 16:27 The Journey of 'In Love with You' and 'Bad at Love' 17:09 The Concept of Two Sides of Love 17:40 Collaborating on 'Letter to R&B' 18:21 Favorite Collaborations and Production Insights 21:51 The Importance of Authenticity in Music 24:11 Breaking the 'Local Artist' Label 29:58 Challenges and Triumphs in Showcasing Talent 32:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
In episode 292 of the Homeroom with Smooth Podcast, the host dives into hot topics within the hip-hop community, focusing primarily on Eminem's unexpected diss towards Benzino and the ongoing feud between Nicki Minaj and Megan The Stallion. The episode starts with a detailed breakdown of Eminem's harsh lyrics targeting Benzino, highlighting the long-standing history of their beef. The discussion moves on to the conflict between Nicki Minaj and Megan The Stallion, dissecting recent diss tracks and social media interactions. Additional conversations cover Megan's industry relationships, her music's performance, and Nicki Minaj's intense social media responses. The host also touches on other related topics, such as Cardi B's absence and Doja Cat's dominance in the music scene. The episode concludes with teasers for upcoming podcast episodes and interviews. 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 01:11 Eminem Disses Benzino 05:38 Nicki Minaj vs. Megan The Stallion 08:14 Megan The Stallion's Career and Music Critique 14:42 Nicki Minaj's Response and Social Media Fallout 19:34 2024: A Year of Drama and Content 22:28 Grammy Weekend Plans and Podcast Schedule 23:50 Upcoming Episodes and Interviews 24:57 Playlist of Interviews 25:33 Nicki Minaj and Megan The Stallion Drama 26:59 Industry Relationships and Loyalty 29:55 Nikki Minaj's Legacy and Future 31:18 Twitter Reactions and Management Issues 37:02 Comparing Female Rappers 46:49 Final Thoughts and Outro
In this episode, Dr. Assibey is joined by CAFP's Justice Through Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee co-chairs, Drs. Shannon Connolly and Melissa Campos to discuss how and why the committee was formed, the work being done by this committee to focus CAFP's work with the JEDI lens. Guests: Dr. Shannon Connolly, MD, FAAFP (she/her) is the Associate Medical Director at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Dr. Connolly offers Adult primary care with a focus on sexual and reproductive health, and gender-affirming care. She is Chair of CAFP's JEDI Committee, as well as Past President of the CAFP Board. Dr. Connolly also serves on the AAFP Commission on DEI in Family Medicine. Dr. Connolly identifies as Asian American, and an immigrant to the US. Melissa Campos, MD (she/her) identifies as Mexican-American. Dr. Campos is the Associate Program Director at Scripps Chula Vista Family Medicine Residency and a Physician for San Ysidro Health. She practices full spectrum family medicine, inpatient, OB, SNF, and clinic. Dr. Campos is Vice-Chair of the JEDI Committee, and Past-President of the San Diego Chapter of CAFP.. Rob Assibey, MD, FAAFP (he/him) identifies as Ghanaian American. Dr. Assibey is the Associate Program Director at San Joaquin General Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. He practices full spectrum family medicine with an emphasis on street medicine, addiction medicine, SNF. Dr. Assibey is the District 8 Director on the CAFP Board, and a member of the JEDI Committee. Resources: Find more information about CAFP's Justice Through Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at familydocs.org/jedi. Find more information about Family Medicine POP! (August 23-25, 2024 in Costa Mesa, CA) at www.familydocs.org/pop. Read the article by Drs. Connolly and Campos published in the California Family Physician magazine at www.familydocs.org/cfp. CAFP's Online Education is Homeroom: https://education.familydocs.org AAFP links EveryONE Project: https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/the-everyone-project.html Center for Diversity and Health Equity: https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/the-everyone-project/aafp-center-for-diversity-and-health-equity.html Neighborhood Navigator: https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/the-everyone-project/neighborhood-navigator.html CAFP's Committee page: https://www.familydocs.org/committees CAFP's local chapter page: https://www.familydocs.org/chapters The Family Docs Podcast is hosted by Rob Assibey, MD. The Family Docs podcast is developed, produced, and recorded by the California Academy of Family Physicians. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent or the California Academy of Family Physicians. More information at www.familydocs.org/podcast. Visit the California Academy of Family Physicians online at www.familydocs.org. Follow us on social media: Twitter - https://twitter.com/cafp_familydocs Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cafp_familydocs Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/familydocs
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