Podcasts about Lancaster

⚡ How to Get a Fast Divorce in Lancaster | Lancaster Divorce ⚡ Want to get your divorce finalized fast in Lancaster? It's absolutely possible. In this video, Tim Blankenship from Divorce661.com explains how to complete your entire Lancaster divorce quickly, efficiently, and without ever going to court.

This week's Buffalo Beer Buzz has several stories we are incredibly excited about, including dates announced for Barrel Jam 2026 at 42 North Brewing and Buffalo On Tap 2026, Hofbrauhaus Winterzwickel barrel tapping, Hamburg Brewing's annual Lighting of the Fireplace, Wayland Brewing bringing a new taproom to Lancaster, New York State Craft Beer 24 NYS Beers of Holiday Cheer and Beer Kind Brewing planning to close for December, as well as several beer sales at the brewery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 28 Sandwiches? In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Some masks hide who we are. Others show who we want to be                I could bowl Mercy over with a feather. Rio and I are doing the same social mechanics and come to the same conclusion. There are three reasons to marry a gay guy; 1.      money, 2.      social pressure and 3.      camouflage. Felicity doesn't need the money, so we simply assumed it to be number two. We totally missed the other reason; Felicity is a lesbian. Rio takes it in her slow and easy style. She walks up and puts Felicity in a gentle Mercy, Felicity, Rio sandwich. "I am going to have so much fun breaking you in," Rio whispers affectionately to Felicity. "When you get good at it, I'll let you play with Mercy, she likes to be played with but you have to be firm. Do you like it firm and hard, my most favorite and annoying little Ass-Tramp?" Subtle like a freaking tsunami. Mercy recovers from her shock to nod her head vigorously. "What about Barbie Lynn?" Felicity inquires with velvet hunger. "She's Zane's," Rio informs her. Felicity looks a bit disappointed. "Zane shares her though, so don't expect her to fall in love with you," then leans in and up, "but you'll find out her lips, titties and ass are to die for. Now let's go back to my room and let me show you some things," Rio grins, looks over her shoulder and gives me a wink. Who's room? Barbie Lynn pats my ass then skips after the trio. "We are going to lube up Mercy and try out some of the basics," Rio instructs Felicity. "We'll see what intrigues you then I'll send you home with some toys to practice with and, well, loosen you up a bit. Mercy didn't become fantastic overnight. I had to work on her a lot. See, and the conversation is drowned out by the rest of the students on the floor. No one has batted an eye about Mercy, Rio, and/or Felicity either. Maybe I really am the downfall of the Judeo-Christian tradition after all. Rio is taking responsibility for Mercy. Mercy just stepped out to the World as her true self, a tiny, tiny step anyway. Barbie Lynn is playing Dorm Mother in spades and in a manner way beyond the Handbook's job description. Valarie, Vivian and Iona have gathered together then when Vivian finger-beckons me over. I saunter over to see what's going to go wrong with my life next, and if they have any Tribbles hiding there I'm going to burn the little bastards in the sink. That's not what brings me over. "All the Advocate-candidates have been approached and agreed to serve," Vivian seems amused to inform me. "They want what little ceremony exists to be performed and the Advocates sworn in at 9pm." "Has someone worked on an Oath of Office," I groan. 'To one's self be true', what else can I say? "It seems some of the prelaw students actually had a little contest and they've put something together," Vivian smiles warmly. "It has been downloaded to your phone, it is under Advocate Oath of Office." "Why are you being such a smart ass?" I look her over. "Hasn't my day been bad enough?" "Zane, have you seen your phone log for the past twelve hours?" Vivian asks me. I have been ignoring my phone, in fact. I check it now and I bless those hard working Taiwanese and the huge memory capacity they've put in my global lifeline; otherwise my phone would have melted down hours ago. Fuck, I have phone calls from people I don't even know, who live in, France, Germany, Brazil and Belarus? I rack my mind to remember where Belarus is, blonde-haired, blue eyed Slavic ladies, now I know! The viewing of Star Trek humiliations seem to be universal but at least they don't know my name or face. There is some serious Time Lord Mafia paddling over this one. They've used my damn private phone number. "When do you think you'll talk to Rio," Iona asks cautiously. "I'll take care of that right now, while she's feeling happy and playful," I comfort Iona. "Besides, it could be worse; everyone is looking for a pudgy Sasquatch, not me." The three ladies all stare at me. "Oh fuck," I groan. "Well," Vivian looks away (oh hell), "the footage sort of shows you taking a shower plus your name and phone number." "But your transformation into is a fur-ball is truly precious," Valarie comforts/mocks me. "All my gal-pals out West think you are so cute; Phoenix, one of my Mom's jailbird friends, even used the 'too cute' emoticon and I didn't even think she knew what emoticons were. She sent it to all her buds still in lock-up too." "Great, I'm popular in a women's correctional facility, at least it is in another state," I sigh upward. I pray to God that never becomes relevant. "Hell, I have a housewife in Belarus she wants me as a house pet." "What does she look like?" Valarie seems curious. "How would I know?" I am somewhat offended. Valarie takes my phone but I don't resist too much. She scrolls a bit then hits the number. "Don't call her," I bark. Valarie laughs then hands me my phone back. She shows me the 'entirety' of the girl's message. Nice bikini, or what there is of it and I can't imagine it being too practical that far north. She is divorced, with a one year old son, 22 years old and fresh out of college with a job as a PR specialist for a real estate development firm. She also speaks seven freaking languages, I feel like such an underachiever right now, or male underwear model. Maybe I'll make her a pen pal ~ she's a half a world away. I should be safe. Right now I can't play it safe though; I have to go play with Rio and I know that violates my health insurance under the 'feeding dangerous animals' clause. "Zane," Iona offers to take my phone so I give it to her (why should I distrust her right?). Her delicate little fingers fly across it then she hands it back. "You now have a fifteen minute warning," she is trying to be helpful. "Paige seems to have vanished," I request, "so when you see her, tell her to give us some peace please." The three of the saner women I know give me a nod. I round the final screen and there is my sleeping platform. Barbie Lynn and Felicity are examining a stunning large collection of sexual aids (that my credit card must have paid for), which Rio is sedately explaining to them, sort of what you would expect from a Mary Kay or Avon saleswomen. Mercy is bent over the bed, pushing up her ass by standing on her toes, skirt and panties gone and surreptitiously undoing her blouse buttons when she thinks Rio isn't looking. Mercy even flashes a precious grin my way when she sees me. It is the 'Weeee! I'm about to get fucked' look. While amiably chatting away, Rio puts her hand over one of Felicity's hands and leads it over to Mercy's flank. Felicity puts up a token resistance. "Do that again and it will cost you," Rio purrs. Felicity stares at Rio's feral nature, seeing her truly for the first time then obeys. "Good girl," Rio coos in Felicity's ear. That reminds me what I've forgotten to do today, the air filters. I look around the various wardrobes for some sort of precision tool like a baseball bat, crowbar, sledgehammer, fire axe or chainsaw, I have a cricket bat? What the hell am I doing with a cricket bat? Isn't that the National sport of India; is it even played on this continent? It may be one of a kind; I'll spare it. "Zane!" Rio snaps. Apparently she's been calling my name for a second or two. "Yeah Bro, what do you need?" I answer. I'm not being attacked by someone so she must need something from me. "Felicity is self-conscious about being naked in front of us girls," Rio grins. "Could you pick out a swimsuit for her that is conservative and demur?" In Rio-speak that means three small circle Band-Aids and some dental floss. "What color would you like Felicity?" I ask. She says white; I groan because when you sweat/drip on white it becomes translucent. Maybe she's teasing me. I pick out a Rio-approved set (she has a whole drawer labeled 'Slut Wear' after all), hides it from her until I walk around and hand the 'suit' to Rio. Top lesson: 1.      Rio is in charge. Rio approved approves the look suit then hands it to Felicity. "You expect me to wear this?" Felicity gasps. "That's going to cost you Sweet-cheeks," Rio grins wickedly. "I can't wear this," Felicity stammers. Rio puts a finger to her lips to stop Felicity from saying anything else. "I apologize, Ms. Tolliver," Rio nods, "I think you are in the wrong place. Thank you for the books; good-bye now." Felicity is looking back and forth between Rio, Barbie Lynn, Mercy and me. Barbie Lynn gives Felicity a friendly shrug; I mirror that gesture while Rio takes up a medium lavender dildo, a bottle of lube and pours an expertly delivered thin stream on the tool and Mercy's asshole as if they are one. She's pointedly ignoring Felicity. Felicity is a 'Prom Queen' type and now some jumped-up freshman has dismissed her like she is nothing; I doubt that has ever happened before. On the other hand, Rio is brazenly open with her sexuality and sexual desires; a freedom Felicity has always felt denied her. Felicity almost makes a crucial mistake but I catch her starting to form the words 'I'm sorry' to me but I redirect her with a tilt of my head. "I apologize," Felicity whispers. "Zane, could you take over for me please," Rio says. I step around to her far side and start working my dildo slowly into Mercy's rectum. She wiggles her ass playfully to the intrusion. Rio steps up to Felicity, rises up on her tiptoes and grips Felicity's head firmly but gently. Rio tries to kiss Felicity but I can tell the taller blonde's jaws clench and her body stiffens. "One last chance," Rio insists. She lets the implications sink in then kisses her again. It is a close thing but Felicity finally breaks down and let's Rio's tongue master her tongue, mouth and lips. Felicity moan eradicates a decade of repression and denial and it is with some reluctance that the taller blonde lets the short, darker Rio settle down. Rio presses a finger to Felicity's lips again. "This is going to be the last time I'm nice to you for some time," Rio begins. She stops Felicity from speaking once more. "Zane and I are closer than family, he's number 1 in my book; there is no other. I will call you whatever I want to call you and you will not talk back. My safe words are 'That fucking hurts' or clapping your ankles together if you can't speak." "Mercy is mine; hurt her and I will bury you, my hand to God. Outside of that, I will use you like I want to. I will show you things you've only read about, make you dress in clothes that terrify you, and press you as hard as I can because I care about you Felicity. Are you a virgin?" Rio inquires. "Yes," Felicity moans somewhat frightened. "Your vaginal virginity is yours, your oral and anal virginity are mine," she explains. "When I say come over, don't make excuses, bring your ass to wherever I am. I am going to be hard on you and give you to my friends to play with because it amuses me, clear? Are you okay with this; if you aren't, this is your last chance to back out because I will hunt your ass down after tonight." "I can, I'm okay with this," Felicity says with less trepidation. "Okay Bitch," Rio growls, "Take off your shoes, panties and skirt; pick out the paddle you think you deserve to be spanked with and bed over the bed. That shirt better not be in the way. Oh, you are leaving your bra with me tonight, go home without it. You only wear panties if you have my permission as well." "Yes, Felicity falters. "Call me Rio," she clarifies. "I'm not afraid of who the fuck I am. You've looked down at people like me all your life and now you are going to be as degraded as what you wanted me to go through. Payback is a bitch." "Yes Rio," Felicity confirms softly. "Well, get to it," Rio snaps and swats Felicity's ass. "I want to waste some time on my beautiful, wonderful, annoying slut here," she moved to Mercy, "and her tricky little self has been taking off her clothes without my permission." The slap Rio plants leaves a red handprint on Mercy who exhales contentedly at Rio's attention. "Oh, you've been a naughty little fuck-slut, and you are wetter than the damn river," Rio whispers in Mercy's ear as one hand pumps the vibrator in her ass and the other strokes her wet cunt. Yeah Rio, that's putting the fear of God in Mercy, right. Felicity takes the most-wicked looking paddle available and I've never even seen Rio consider using. "Bro, we have a meeting at 9pm so we need to break it up in about an hour," I give the bad news. "Zane, damn, take over Mercy once more; I trust you with her but I want tears and if you could get her to bite up a ball gag, I'd appreciate it," Rio asks. Mercy has been placated and her position with Rio affirmed. She's a happy little Bottom once more because Rio finds her annoying, which means 'love' when translated into sane people-speak. "Barbie Lynn, warm her up for me," Rio requests of the blonde bombshell as she falls on Felicity's behind's like a Bedouin dying of thirst. I can see Felicity about to turn and plead for Barbie Lynn's attention because she mistakenly believes BLT will be hesitant. Boy, she's in for a surprise. Barbie Lynn's thumbs push the base of Felicity's softly resistant ass up and apart. Barbie Lynn is lapping like a dog at Felicity's cunny alternating flicks of the tongue along the labia and short, rapid intrusions. "What kind of sick masochist are you?" Rio snarls, waving Felicity's chosen paddle before her eyes. "I use this to crush the skulls of rogue water buffaloes; where was I supposed to hit you; on the asses of your ancestors cause that was where you were headed? What the hell was this even doing in my collection anyway?" "Also, what are you doing with your bra still on? I'm going to want those bad boys milked before you escape tonight," Rio grumbled. "You didn't, Felicity starts to protest even as Barbie Lynn twirls her toward orgasm. "Shut up!" Rio hisses. "Barbie Lynn, teach her a lesson." Barbie Lynn frees up one hand long enough to give her one 'moderate' spank. "Where is Paige; I need her nimble, spider-like finger of Evil." I can't seem to spot her so Paige is forced to clear her throat, she has carefully hidden herself behind my, pillow; she's hiding by the simple expedients of being in semi-darkness and being very still. It is so eerie I almost love her, love her. "Jesus H. Christ," Rio jumps. "I'd put bells on you but I'd probably end up with them in my cunt, now that actually, focus Rio!" she chastises herself. "Paige, help me strip my latest toy down and give her nipples a stress test," Rio requests. "Deal, but you need to do me one favor," Paige starts crawling over toward Felicity. "Sure, now get snappy," Rio urges her on as starts to pull Felicity's shirt over the girl's head. "Forgive me for forcing Iona to help me and the Time Lord Mafia," Paige cashes in her favor immediately. It is all the more self-sacrificial in that I suspect Cordelia kept Paige out of the whole plot. "Bitch," Rio seethes at Paige, "if you messed up Iona I'll still find a way to make you pay, I promise you." "You granted me a favor," Paige reminds Rio cautiously. "Zane, do something," Rio pleads. "I've already sworn not to make the responsible parties pay, beyond what Cordelia has already granted me," I grin. "I get Paige's ass whenever I want, how often I want, until the end of October," I add. Paige lowers her head and trembles with fear and anticipation; the 'threat' of anal sex is something Paige and I are working through plus, since Paige fears it, Rio will love the fantasy vision of Paige squirming on my 'meaty pole', see Barbie Lynn's thesaurus. Rio can't get away from Paige fast enough, falling into the narcotic pleasures of Mercy's treasures. Rio is often misunderstood; pain is a daily part of her life brought about by her blatantly aggressive lifestyle and the wraiths of her past. Mercy isn't in any danger; she could hardly be safer at the moment, figuratively speaking. Mercy's ass and cunt are getting a workout to the point I'm afraid that Rio is going to shove that dildo all the way into Mercy's colon and Rio's tongue might end Mercy's 'pesky' virginity by tongue-muscle action alone. Paige shoots me a sad smile before she gets on her back and starts sliding under Felicity. When they are face to face, but running in different directions, Paige and Felicity exchange some wistful kisses. "You are beautiful," Felicity moans down at the pale pink lips and snowy skin of someone who is working both overtime at being my lover and more importantly, a friend to my group of friends. "I know," Paige responds confidently before wiggling her way further under Felicity. Soon she has the first taste most likely anyone has had over of her breasts and nipples. I can tell when Paige draws in the first full gulp of tit because Felicity goes off like a bronco mare with a cougar cub on her back. She is making deep, guttural moans but at least she's not screaming her head off. "Rio, do you want Felicity to taste my tits?" Paige asks. Rio is being petulant. "Rio, if you want I'll never talk to Paige or Iona again because they are both Time Lord Mafia and they all had a part to play in this," I declare. "I know of only one who didn't, and if she's my sole friend with them after this, so be it, but you have to let me fight my own fights alone from time to time and let me decide what counts as a victory." "Fuck the bitches," Rio pops up, much to Mercy's astonishment, "One is more than enough." "Fine, Iona is out Rio. The only one who didn't have a part in this morning was Paige," I tell Rio. "I'll go tell her that you two are done, but I'll have you know she was operating under my orders, sort of. I told her not to go against Cordelia and she did as I asked." Rio seems truly conflicted for the longest time then she drapes herself over Mercy's body. "Honey-hole reach back, take over and keep yourself going or I'll make you feel up each Karate Club member during practice Monday," Rio purrs to her lover. Mercy hastily obeys because I think something about the way the situation playing out intrigues her. Rio shuffles down to Barbie Lynn, Felicity's posterior and Paige's head. "You fucking lied to me you freaky douche," Rio declares venomously at the albino Paige. Paige wisely keeps silent, there is nothing positive she can say. SheRio plants four resounding smacks on Felicity's exposed bottom. Felicity squeals, distracting Rio momentarily. "You'll pay for that, you skank," Rio hisses at Felicity. "Paige, how fucking dare you disappoint me," she growls. "How dare you act above my expectations; you are almost a human being," Rio finishes - as if the term 'human being' is as horrid a term as ATF agent or fashionista. Rio stands up and views her domain. Mercy is going all out though she clearly misses her Top and Felicity is panting herself toward another, more prolonged climax. "Barbie-licious, would you take care of my prize for me; you know what she likes," Rio requests with a hint of her normal madness. "Paige, give her some nipple-age and I'm going to break in Felici-hump's whore-hole." For the English-speaking public that means (I think) that Paige is to open her own shirt, unfasten her front-access bra and lead Felicity's lips to those translucent, succulent breasts I find so tasty. Felicity is clearly in a sexual buzz; otherwise she might spend precious minutes trying to figure out that Rio just declared her intention to introduce Felicity to anal sex of the strap-on variety. "Hey, pansy-boy," Rio mocks me and my reclining majesty, "get over here and give me some of that magic tongue and finger work that will turn her back into a straight." That's just mean. "Please don't make me like men," Felicity stammers. Her eyes are glassy and feverish. Rio smacks both buttocks this time and Felicity squeals louder. "You don't get to talk, you listen," Rio commands. "You are a perfect lover, a lesbian," Rio explains from some teasing twisted core. "We simply sleep with men to control them, but I don't want you sleep with Lance without my permission, is that understood?" Felicity keeps her words within her lips as well as going back to use another one of Paige's nipples for further succor. This is just bizarre, the bi-sexual is demanding/empowering the lesbian to not sleep with her gay fianc , I couldn't write stuff this weird and then avoid rehab. "In fact, Zane has an in with your future Mother-in-law and she'll tell him if she even suspects her baby boy is having sex with a woman," Rio double-pumps her eyebrows at me. Rio doesn't 'know' that I'm having sex with Rochelle Wellington; Felicity's soon to be MIL. We do both know Lance, the fianc , likes playing with other men's cocks. We have the video file to prove it too. "You step out on me and I'll sell you to that sorority next door to Zane's house for a weekend," Rio threatens. Felicity isn't Mercy, she's repressed while Mercy is perverse (by outside standards). Full exposure to the town at large frightens Felicity because she doesn't want deal with the social consequences of being labeled homosexual. Mercy is actually afraid of her sexual proclivities themselves as well as the real physical danger of exposure. Once Felicity finds her own identity her relationship will change, in essence she'll never replace Mercy in Rio's heart. There is never going to be that vulnerability and utter acceptance that those two have. Felicity is going to be fun and in time I think Hudson Lane may be a better match as a companion. Hudson and Felicity are adults where Rio fights adulthood with every breath. Rio's choice in strap-ons is odd to say the least; the only time Rio had shown it to Mercy, Mercy had been afraid, afraid that Rio would waste their time on something so, unimpressive. Until I noticed Mercy's distress that morning I didn't think Rio had something so, (training wheels?) in her arsenal; this was what Rio picked to break Felicity in. No one knows my buddy like I do. Rio is still working Felicity's bunghole over with a sole finger when she leans over the tall slender blonde's back. Rio uses one hand to cord that long hair until it is one thick mass, and then she pulls it back like a corded rein. It isn't until the tip of the dildo nestles into the cusp of Felicity's sphincter that Felicity figures out what's about to happen. "No Rio, please, I don't want this," Felicity panics. "Sssh," Rio coos, "it is going in and I'm going to teach you how." "Rio, I don't," Felicity trembles. "Why?" Rio whispers her question. 'Why is Felicity afraid of this violation' is what Rio is aiming for. They stay there locked and silent. After a minute, Rio picks up her actions. "When I begin to thrust forward, I want you to use your inner muscles to push back," Rio says tenderly. Rio goes forward and Felicity tenses so she stops. "Relax, it won't hurt, only feel funny," Rio assures her. Not always true but, This time things culminate with Felicity gives a sharp gasp followed by a whispered sigh. "Okay," Rio murmurs to her prey, "I am tired of doing all the work. You need to push back now," she continues. "Come back against me you cunt-loving whore." Felicity bucks slightly and shakes her head. "No, no," she pleads at barely above a whisper herself. "It's okay," Rio runs a hand along Felicity's spine. "You can come back later if you like. Your ass is mine but I'll wait for you to give it to me but, no cunt for you to taste or lips upon your cunt until then Felicity. I'll be taking care of Barbie Lynn for you". Rio winks at me, "Or more likely you are leaving her for Zane, man that he is; you know she'll get addicted to that cock eventually." Bang! Felicity looks heart-shot. Felicity starts working Rio's artificial cock down her asshole. Rio looks at me and gives the best 'Home Alone!' face I've ever seen. She's floored that Felicity has been sucked into our mad circus. She then puts both hands on Felicity's hips. "Slow down Felicity, and welcome to the club," Rio grins down at her. Felicity rests for about thirty seconds then Rio spanks each flank. "Giddy-up now; you still have four inches to go." "I thought I could stop," Felicity whined. "You said, "You stopped; I let you stop," Rio sneered, "Now I'm telling you to back your sweet ass up." I'm going to give Rio a Janus mask for Christmas. I'd get her medication for her insanity but I know she'd eventually slip it into my food no matter what. "Come on now Felicity-Sugah," Barbie Lynn joins it. "You always had such a gentle hand training me in Karate. It'd be a crying shame if no other girls got to feel the way you made me feel. You have always been so strong, be strong now." Felicity rotates her head somewhat foal-like and stretches the hair Rio is using as a rein before she pushes back again. This time when Felicity stops Rio slaps her ass lightly. My buddy also grins madly at me and mouths 'I am so going to Hell over this' then giggles. I mouth back 'Right beside you'. Felicity is finally all the way back and resting when Mercy begins to shudder violently. "Holygoddamnfuckingpieceofshit!!!!" Mercy howls into the sheets. Barbie Lynn hammers her bunghole and mangles her clit so much that she repeats the phrase three times in rapid succession and all the time she looks as compassionate as a mother changing a newborn. Felicity takes that inspiration and runs with it. Rio is pulling back with the strap-on when Felicity pushes back hard. Rio pushes her forward and rotates her hips for more of a sensation before snatching up a slender blue paddle that seems more flexible than rigid. She quickly makes good use of it, stinging Felicity's rump and making the ride home for her interesting. Paige starts flicking Felicity's clit but that is more than Felicity can take. Thankfully she releases Paige's right tit before she clamps her teeth and bows her back up and down multiple times as orgasm hits her. Rio has to grip Felicity's hips tightly to not be bucked off and she's loving it. Felicity collapses on Paige but I quickly roll Felicity on her back, Rio's strap-on slides out painlessly, so I can pull Paige to me. Paige and I exchange a heated kiss while Rio unfastens the dildo, lets it fall to the floor. Rio crawls on the bed, hooks a finger into Mercy's collar and forces the exhausted beauty to follow her farther up the bed. Rio reclines against the headboard with Mercy resting her head on her Mistresses stomach, hair cascading over Rio's stomach, crotch, and thigh as well as her own face. Rio is running her hands through her lover's hair with an affection few at the school would believe. Barbie Lynn decides to take her own approach with Felicity. She mentioned experimenting with girls before meeting me on the day I first moved into this dorm, downstairs and a long, long time ago it seems. With the fear that permeated this place, it was probably furtive touches at night in bed with your roommate or a quick grope in the showers. Felicity barely has the time to register Barbie's presence before Barbie Lynn has Felicity's legs up, bent at the knees and cunt full exposed. Barbie doesn't dive in, instead crawling onto Felicity's body until they are face to face. Felicity gets this surprised, I can't believe this is finally coming true' face, the Barbie Lynn's lips are pressing hers. "Hey Honey-Trap," Rio snaps playfully, "what do you think you are doing with my Thing Two?" (Note: Never combine Rio and Doctor Seuss on You Tube; legions of little minds will be forever corrupted) "Give it a rest Rio," Barbie Lynn looks up and grins at my Bud, "Felicity gets a time-out and she gets to have it with me, are we clear?" This is not a fight I'm stepping into and Rio, Mercy and Barbie Lynn know it. Barbie Lynn doesn't ask for much from Rio and is pretty tolerant of her so now that Barbie Lynn is making a stand and, "This is really hard on her," Rio says affectionately. "Take your time." I leave Barbie Lynn and Felicity to play and carry Paige around to the far side of Rio. Paige is coiled around my body so I doubt she could be happier outside of 'bouncy, bouncy'. "What's going on Babe," I whisper to Rio. "What's your game?" "Don't tell anyone because they won't believe you but I've been reading," she tilts her forehead against mine. "I've been reading the diary of an actual dominatrix by the firelight of me burning 'Fifty Shades of Someone Stupid'." "You are right," I snicker, "no one would ever believe you actually read a book." She punches me then Mercy shoots me a weak blow to the ribs. "Hey you," Rio tapped Mercy's nose, "who said you could get in a fight? I think someone is getting hog-tied and ice cubes rubbed up and down their spine." Mercy shivers happily. "Do you want to do anything like that with me," Paige purrs. "I want to sneak into your parent's room and fuck you hard on their bed in every position we can think of," I state calmly, as if I've given it great thought. Paige's dampness streams down onto my left hip and thigh as she shivers in delight. It is all about knowing your partner. This forbidden act knocks her right out of the ballpark. "Are we, you and I, any closer?" Paige murmurs. "You know who has my heart, Paige, but we are closer, if that matters," I tell her. "When did that happen?" Paige smiles up at me. "About fifteen minutes ago," I kiss the tip of her nose. "So I had to lie to a total nut-job to save another friend of yours and risk a beating to take us a step forward, and it wasn't the black leather micro-mini," Paige moans as finds the perfect spots on my chest and lap to settle into. It is a precious few minutes we share, with Rio alternating tender caresses with pinches to the nipples and slaps to the breasts, buttocks and thighs. Mercy makes mewling little sighs in response to both sets of gestures. Felicity has finally rolled Barbie Lynn over and engaging in every less-than-vanilla sexual act she thinks she's missed over the three years she's known, showered with, and competed with my Georgia Honey-box. By the play of Barbie's right hand, the thick, sloppy sound that's emanating from between Felicity's thighs and Felicity's shortness of breath, Barbie Lynn is driving her former classmate made with lust. "Bro, can I turn Mercy into an ice cream dispenser? Sort of 'squeeze these wonderful titties' then scoop out some Neapolitan from her cunt," Rio snickers my way. She loves yanking my chain, and Mercy's, from time to time. "No! That has to be cold as hell and you may not make Mercy poop or pee dairy products," I command, "Rio-saurus Rex!" "Oh, that's gross," Rio dares to look offended. "I would never put ice cream up my favorite Lust-receptacle's butthole. That is for the ice cream cones." "Fine, you may not stuff Mercy like an clair," I clarify. "I'm putting my foot down and if Paige and I have to do full body cavity searches to make sure you behave, so be it." Felicity erupts through her final orgasm of the night, her body twisting and stretching as sweat drips off her body. Barbie Lynn keeps subtle control of Felicity's body which is both touching and frightening, she's getting sexually wound up and she's going to corral my cock and drive it up her ass, my approval being optional. The dirty, sexy look she shoots me is as good a piece of proof as I need. "I can't have you two touching my bitch without supervision," Rio states angrily, yeah right. "I'll have to check out all her opening once you two get done, a triple check." Mercy looks over toward Paige and me. Her eyes are open wide with lust and anticipation. "I suppose we could simply trust Mercy and take her word for it," I tease. "No," Rio goes off, "I can tell you right now; she's one sneaky little slut." "I don't trust her," Paige nods. "The pretty ones always need to be kept in line, harshly." Mercy merely shakes her head vigorously in affirmation of her devious and untrustworthy nature. "Where are you people from?" Felicity pants through her fatigued smile. "The People's Republic of None of Your Damn Business," Rio slaps Mercy's thigh. "We keep Rio in a steel box," Barbie Lynn pets Felicity's left nipple. "The rest of us are regular students. Okay, Zane's a tad irregular, but he means well." My phone buzzes from the far side of the bed. "Time to wrap it up team," I give out the bad news. "Felicity, you can sweep step out with Barbie Lynn to the shower, different showers because giving the freshman student body an alternative lifestyle exhibition is not an option for tonight. The rest of us will give it a few minutes and go out and pretend the world is a normal place." "Felicity, I want your bra and panties up here on my pillow," Rio demands. "I'm going to use them to bind up Mercy tonight. She's been, umm, mediocre so I'm gagging her with that boring underwear and hooking her hands over her head with that sad, old bra of yours." "I thought you only wanted my bra," Felicity questions? "Spank her for me BLT," Rio growls. Barbie Lynn gave gives three sharp, alternating smacks on each ass cheek. Felicity bites her lower lip and whimpers. "No back talking now F; I said no bra tonight, but also no panties ever without my approval." Felicity nods. Barbie Lynn takes Felicity by the hand, over to the towel closet then leads her somewhat reluctantly out into the main floor. "Rio, did I do you a good turn," Paige asks. Rio thinks that over for a minute, making small circles in Mercy's hair. "Yes, yes you did, you albino deviant," Rio allows. "Can I have Mercy for my use for one night sometime soon?" Paige requests. "That's not how it works," Rio scolds Paige after a few seconds. "She's mine to use, no one else's. I can have someone use her for my pleasure but she's a damn human being, not a bean-bag chair. I will give you this though, because you can be so incredibly stupid about people, I'll let Mercy know that it would make me happy to see her with you; how is that?" Mercy is resting on her head on Rio's lap, so she clearly hears what's going on. Rio is really the best friend in the world, and one of the best people I've ever known. I can live with the crazy. Homecoming. So, it was Friday, Homecoming Day at FFU, and several dozen of us were not doing what we were supposed to do but I wanted this headache taken care of before the rest of the day's festivities. All the Advocates were gathered as was Ms. Goodswell, as a Student Advisor. Other people were gathered to observe the spectacle and guessing which way I would jump. This first major crisis of my role as Mediator since the creation of the Janissaries wouldn't have been complete without Iona, my trusty sidekick, and Rio, my chronic pain in the ass & truest friend. In fact, Rio was the reason for this meeting. She had been given the writing assignment of 'place the writings of a juvenile story into an adult setting'. The train wreck wasn't hard to foretell. Rio had chosen four works of the late, lamented Doctor Seuss (if he wasn't dead he would be after reading halfway through Rio's creation). Rio had attacked the project with a gusto that made Ms. Tucker, her English instructor, hopeful that Rio was finally fitting in (read: conforming). Rio turned in the pornographic Tales of a Cat with a Really Big Hat on Tuesday. Ms. Tucker had flunked the effort and dragged Rio down to Doctor Victoria Scarlett's office but that senior educator had volleyed this time bomb into my lap. I promptly told them to pick an Advocate and get back to me after dinner. Rio Talon/Christina Buchanan's argument had been that the vagueness of the instructions allowed for a liberal interpretations of the assignment. Athena Varna (representing the rest of Ms. Tucker's class)/Joy Jefferson had argued that the standard was what 'any reasonable individual going to a Christian school would find acceptable' as their defense, which meant that it wasn't acceptable in their opinion. Two days of mediation went nowhere and I wasn't going to let this matter fester through the weekend. I had called all the concerned parties to join me after breakfast and received Doctor Scarlett's blessing for missing Assembly where many of the students and their families were gathered in our daily religious/social function. "Okay, I've given the matter serious thought and I saw merit to both arguments but I found Ms. Jefferson's argument to be the more compelling," I led off. "We live in a society; each person should be free and act with freedom but that cuts both ways, we have to give our society some support to retain our harmony. This is my judgment." "I would hope that since Rio did make an exceptional effort in her creative writing work that Ms. Tucker would consider allowing Rio one additional week to make up the assignment since this is one-quarter of her grade and her effort, while misdirected, was acknowledged as a vigorous attempt. That is my suggestion anyway," I said hopefully since I wasn't sure if I could instruct a teacher in any manner, much less order a do-over for Rio. It took a few seconds for my words to sink in. This was hardly re-writing the Charter of the Commonwealth of Virginia but it did mean I'd ruled against my best friend and the woman I wanted to marry and several girls looked at me in some disbelief that I hadn't gone that way. "Thank you Mediator," Joy was the first to offer me her hand, and she was still technically the enemy, being in the Traditionalist faction here at school. "Your argument carried the day, Joy. I'm pretty sure there was no favoritism involved," I smiled. "I will get you next time," Christina came up and shook Joy's hand. She turned and clasped my hand after that. "You were wiser than I thought you'd be," Christina winked to me. A few people came by and went through the same routine until Rio approached last of all. She hit me in the shoulder causing multiple heads to swivel our way. "You threw me under the bus Bitch," she laughed. "Don't look so surprised," I rubbed my shoulder, "you built the bus I rolled over you with, ya Deviant." Iona gave me a shy wave right before she slipped out to go meet her parents and most of the girls did likewise. Finally it was Ms. Goodswell, Christina, Faith, Rio and myself. "Faith and I will polish off the minutes of your final decision Zane," Christina said before turning her imperious head away and leading Faith out to do what seniors do. "So, are you two going to be hiding out all day?" Virginia Goodswell looked Rio and my way. "I would but two dozen over-eager and overly-endowed students have asked Zane to be available to meet their ancestors or some other such cheesy crap," Rio ranted. "Besides, I'm sure there is some law or ordinance that causes the rest of you to never leave me alone." "Yes Ms. Talon," Ms. Goodswell said with some gravity, "That is the Self-preservation Act of 1908. You are listed under 'Elements with Corrosive properties." "Woot!" Rio hollered, "I'm a corrosive influence!" "Thanks Virginia," I addressed my teacher and Spiritual Advisor, "like she needed more ammo." Goodswell laughed and headed out toward the main campus while Rio and I headed for our dorm. "I think I'm going to become a superhero," Rio teased me. "My X-ray vision will vaporize the panties off of unsuspecting stuck-up babes." "Wasn't there a time when heroes were heroes and villains were villains; none of this gray crap?" I half-grinned. "Zane," Rio sounded exasperated and but motherly aka Ma Barker, "you keep saving girls and they keep kicking you in the teeth." "I look at it as opportunity to get back up again," I smiled. "That's called masochism, look it up," Rio sneered. "Let's go to my room," I said, rather redundantly, as we'd reached the elevator door and I'd hit the button. Rio became oddly close to me as we got on board and even let me wrap an arm around her. For me, being parentless today required I convince Aunt Jill that parking would be a bitch and I'd see her Saturday night, we had our first Marksmanship outing tomorrow morning in Kentucky, so I'd would be back to have dinner with my sole family member. Rio's parents hadn't asked Rio if she wanted them to come. They hadn't made any contact at all, denying Rio the ability to scream at her parents and tell them to 'fuck off'. Adding to the misery, Mercy's parents were here and everyone in our close circle had convinced Rio that being close to Mercy would be disastrous, in the belief that Rio had poor impulse control, imagine that. When the end of Assembly sounded and the parents began exiting the building to join up with their kids, we proceeded to my Solarium level of the dorm. The parents would meet their girl's friends, teachers, & the key members of their various clubs. We opened my 'vault' door and Rio led me upstairs then gave a start. I slipped around her to see what the problem was, Cordelia Dresden. To her credit, Cordelia and her Time Lord Mafia had either been behaving or doing things in such a sneaky manner as to avoid my notice. Besides the three of us, only three freshmen girls occupied the rest of the floor, leaving us effectively alone. "Hi Rio!" Cordelia led off, "Zane, I only want you to know you have our full support," was her cryptic statement that I was still digesting when Rio hurled herself at the slender brunette. Cordelia cried out as Rio toppled them both to the floor. Rio rose up on her knees and slapped Cordelia across the face. "Get her off me," Cordelia screamed as she raised her hands to defend herself. "What's the fucking secret you're hiding?" Rio growled. "Yank Rio off me right now. Zane," Cordelia snapped as she took a second slap to the cheek. "You know what I can do." "Cordy, Rio wants to live free or die trying; so you might want to consider your next words carefully," I shrugged. "She prefers to exist free of fear. Rio, I'm going to the shake dispenser; do you want something?" "A strawberry shake sounds good," Rio smiled as she began pinning Cordelia's wrists down. Once she finished that maneuver, Rio glared triumphantly down at Cordelia. "Great," Cordelia met that glare with one of her own, "what's your next brilliant plan; a little sexual assault to go with your brazen attack?" "Nope, I'm going to drool spit on your face and ears Cordelia-baby," Rio answered then began swirling her tongue in her mouth to gather up her first glob of spit. "Zane," Cordelia pleaded. "Rio, let her up," I requested (Rio knew my vocal tones). "She's agreed to help you with your Mercy problem." Cordelia had done no such thing but Rio would need help dealing with her lover's parents and Cordelia could be a powerful ally. Cordelia could lie her way out of things, except she would be lying to me and our trust was a fragile thing. If it was just Rio, Cordy would lie in a heartbeat but I believed I was somewhat special to her. Cordy said nothing and Rio got off of her. It wasn't Rio's style to offer Cordelia a hand up even though she knocked her down. Rio joined me making shakes and grinned evilly. "Cordelia, do you want a shake," I called over to her. "Peach," she replied. Somewhat reluctantly she walked over to us. Cordelia, like Rio and me, had no parents coming. "So, are you going to tell Zane what your secret is or do we go for the best two out of three falls?" Rio sneered. "Let it be Rio," I nudged her. "It isn't something bad. If it was bad, she would have coughed it up already." "I don't know what you see in this wacky Whore," Rio asked me, with Cordelia standing beside us. "She's Ra's al Ghul to my Bruce Wayne," I explained. "How can I step beyond the streets of my own personal Gotham without her?" "Wait, does that mean I'm Harlequin?" Rio mused. "No, you are the Joker, Rio," Cordelia huffed, "and yes, that makes Mercy Harlequin." "Cordy, there are times I wish you weren't so evil and manipulative," Rio observed. "Titles such as Evil, like genius, are the hobgoblin of small minds," Cordelia countered. "Zane sees that, which is why I tolerate the rest of you." "You just want to play jockey to his thoroughbred," Rio snorted. "Never said I didn't," Cordelia bantered. Rio stole a look toward the door so I leaned into Cordelia. "Thank you," I whispered. Cordy nodded. "Pist," Rio hissed. "Iona is here with a slightly larger version of herself and two guys who look vaguely related to her as well." I looked over and there was Iona pointing what had to be her mother my way. She didn't look furious but she wasn't beaming sunshine and happiness at me either. "Scatter," Rio whispered. "Pissed off Momma on the way," before dashing off behind the showers. "I'm gone," Cordelia gasped playfully, took her peach shake and slunk away. Iona "Mr. Braxton?" this conservatively dressed woman with a slight build and shoulder length black hair addressed me. I'd seen a few pictures of her on Iona's Facebook page. "Mrs. Beckett, I am Glenn Zane Braxton, but please call me Zane. Your daughter is one of my closest friends." She seemed to mull that over, whether to be stiff or to give me a chance. "Zane, is there a place we can talk in private?" she inquired. "Absolutely," I nodded; then led her to the far corner and sat down on a sofa with her so that we could both look out over the changing leaves on campus. "Mr. Brax, Zane, what are your intentions with my daughter?" she came right out with it. "She was my second friend here and constantly supportive of my often precarious situation and she's never asked for anything in return," I stated. "I'd paint her house if she asked me," I continued, "or drive across country to help her move. She's that great a friend." I didn't brag about killing or even hurting someone for her, though I would, because that wasn't the kind of extreme friendship her Mom was looking for. "Very well, Zane; but I am worried about you and Iona in another way," she sidestepped. "You are an attractive young man and there are rumors that you have several girlfriends on campus." "I think I can answer the real question with three statements of my own; the only person I have ever called girlfriend is Heaven Vickers, a senior here. "I love Heaven's best friend, Christina Buchanan, and they are both aware of our relationship. Second, your daughter is the second-smartest, most level-headed, and most forward thinking young woman I have ever met; you have done a wonderful job raising her," I related. "Lastly, I have offered to have sex with your daughter twice and she's said 'no'." "You did?" she studied me intently. "And she was naked in bed with me both times. She's seen me have sex, too, but she's decided that when she's ready, she'll ask me and I'll say 'yes' because I'm positive that she will pick the moment when it is right for her and no one else." "Wha, what?" Mrs. Beckett's eyes grew wide. "Naked in bed with you? And nothing happened?" "Yes; but I felt safe because I trust her," I said calmly. "You have to admit she is diligent and organized and she's not going to simply jump feet first into anything." "I have to admit I was afraid you were taking advantage of my daughter's kind nature; but you seem oddly frank about everything you two have done. I admit I expected you to be, more deceptive and evasive," she mused. "Do you have sex with any of the girls on campus?" "Tons; though thankfully, things eased off with midterms approaching," I smiled. "Is that so," she said in a clearly questioning tone. "I want you to understand that Iona thinks the world of you. She writes home every day, and you often figure in her experiences, though I knew she was editing some things, like why she appears to be friends with Ms. Talon." "When we started out, Rio and I were doomed to be expelled but Iona joined with us and together we survived some really rough times." "I recall getting several letters from the Chancellor from that time. Was Iona in any danger?" she asked. "Yes, she got a pair of bloody knees but please believe a whole lot of us were looking out for her," I responded. "Trust me, Ion has a fair number of friends who appreciate her numerous qualities." "Mom," Ion called out as she came over. "I hope Zane hasn't been scaring you." "Iona, it is only that you didn't have many friends in High School," her mother smiled at her daughter. "Mom, I had no friends in high school, but Zane gave me the courage and opportunity to come out of my shell," Iona interrupted. "Zane says you two have been sleeping in his bed, naked," Iona's mother met her daughter with an even gaze. "Yes," Iona blushed furiously, "but I bet he's also informed you that we haven't had sex," she leaned into her mother, "and there he lied." Mrs. Beckett stared at me, a bit peeved. "Mom, that is only because what Zane considers sex and what you would consider sex are two slightly different things. Suffice it to say, I am still a virgin as far as the marriage bed is concerned," Iona assured her parent. "And I have Zane well in hand, because I have control of his phone." "I keep telling you that smarts count for more to in life than a model's good looks," Iona's mother reminded her daughter. "I'm glad Iona has both," I chimed in. Both women looked my way then grinned. "He is such a good friend, Mother; that I forgive his exaggerations," Iona reached over and kindly touched my cheek. As that gesture ended, Iona's face grew shocked. "Mom, I think we need to go see Mrs. Worsham's class now, if we are going to get everything taken care of before lunch," Iona hurried her mother. "It was nice to meet you Zane," we shook hands as we both stood as well. Hope I followed Iona's gaze and my heart stopped. It was Hope, looking so do-able in her school-wear. With her were a petite woman, smaller and maybe a bit heavier than Hope, three more little Hope's in descending age and lastly, a male version of Hope, but this one was made out of Lego bricks, really big Lego bricks, it was Yeong Song. Yeong Song had charisma in spades; he wasn't the Angel of Death, he had grabbed that punk by the short and curlies and taken over his job. That was how he appeared to me at that moment. Oh yeah and he was looking right through me. As if on cue, Hope smiled and whispered something to her father and they both came my way. Imagine a choreographed interpretive dance troupe; you had Hope's three younger sisters spread out over the middle half of the room, having fun with some of the few freshmen girls that were hanging around. Yeong was like his eldest daughter in the way they moved, you could tell they were walking toward you but I couldn't recall their feet moving or even hearing footfalls. That was probably just my fear speaking. From personal experience I knew Hope was human with all our frailties and imperfections, she was simply more perfect than most. "Father, this is my good friend Glenn Zane Braxton, who is known by the name Zane to both his friends and enemies," demurred Hope. "Zane, this is my Father, Major of the Republic of Korea, retired, Yeong Song," she introduced her father to me. I extended my hand, he took it in a granite grip and gave it two sharp shakes. I stood there like an idiot but at least my heart was beating and I was breathing again. "Your pulse is racing young man, your palms are sweaty and you are staring at me with dilated pupils," Yeong noted dispassionately. "Well, since I've lain down with your naked daughter for a variety of bedroom antics on several occasions; I naturally assumed you had come here to kill me," I blathered. "You have been naked with my eldest daughter," he said in a way that could be contrived as a statement or a question. "You didn't know?" I groaned. I wondered if this counted as suicide. "You have honorable intentions toward my daughter," he informed me. Huh? "No," I gulped. "I was thinking we could fool around, mainly." "I understand you are the last of your line," he glared at me. Uh oh, wait. "You know who I am, so you must have already been told by Hope what's really been going on," I breathed a sigh of relief. "See Father, Zane's not dense," Hope hugged her father's arm, "he's simply terrified of you." "I noticed," Yeong almost smiled. "Mr. Braxton, I don't mind you seeing my daughter socially, but please learn at least to fight as well as my youngest daughter, she's nine." "You learn from people who are better than you, not from people you are

The Amazon rainforest is home to billions of trees, animals and people. It's spread across nine countries in South America - Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela - but the majority of it, almost 60%, is in Brazil. As well as being rich in biodiversity, the Amazon is also very important in the world's fight against climate change; as it absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen. But the Amazon has been declining. In fact, in 2022 Brazil set a new deforestation record for the amount of trees cut down in the rainforest in one month. This impact is being felt directly by the indigenous groups who have been living there for thousands of years, but also the world as a whole. In this episode we're joined by Graihagh Jackson, from the BBC's The Climate Question podcast, and Dr Erika Berenguer, who's a Senior Research Associate at the University of Oxford and Lancaster. We chat about why the Amazon is so important, and what's being done to protect it. This year's climate summit Cop30 is being held in Belem, in the Amazon, for the first time. So we also discuss what impact this could have on the world's largest rainforest. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Mora Morrison and Chelsea Coates Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Tuesday, November 5th, 2025Today, bomb threats rock New Jersey on election day as Trump whines about California mail ballots; FBI Director Kash Patel lashes out at the response to his use of a private jet to visit his girlfriend - and that he has a girlfriend; the Trump and Republican shutdown has threatened food, healthcare, and now heating; Trump's Justice Department is withholding transcripts of Lindsey Halligan's presentation to the grand jury in the Comey case; Feds say immigration enforcement might have to stop if judge intervenes at the Broadview facility in Chicago; local Colorado police are investigating a federal agent for excessive force; and Allison delivers your Good News.Thank You, CoyuchiGet 20% off your first order when you visit Coyuchi.com/dailybeansThank You, SmallsFor a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping, when you head to Smalls.com/DAILYBEANS.Guest: Kat Abughazaleh Illinois 9th Congressional DistrictKat Abughazaleh - Kat For IllinoisSocials: Kat Abughazaleh (@kabughazaleh) - Instagram,@katmabu.bsky.social - Bluesky, @katmabu -  TikTok, Kat Abughazaleh - YouTube, KatAbughazaleh - Twitch, @KatAbughazaleh - TwitterDana Goldberg Outrageous Tour - November 14th ChicagoStoriesNew Jersey bomb threats and Trump's warnings for California mark final day of voting | PBS NewsGovernment shutdown threatens to delay home heating aid for millions of low-income families | AP NewsICE Altercation With Protester in Colorado Prompts a Police Chief to Push Back | The New York TimesImmigration enforcement might have to stop if judge intervenes at Broadview facility, feds say | Chicago Sun-TimesFacing difficult questions about his use of an FBI jet, Kash Patel pitches weak defense | MSNBCGood TroubleICE Out San Diego 11/06/25 - More Info and RSVPThursday, November 06, 2025 @10:00 AMAt The Federal Building880 Front St, San Diego“This is more than a protest! It's a stand for dignity, justice, and the right of every family to live free from fear. Bring your friends, your signs, and your voice. Together, we can show that San Diego stands for community, not cages. For more information contact jlopez@calorganize.org”**Group Directory - The Visibility Brigade: Resistance is Possible**Vote Yes 836 - Oklahoma is gathering signatures**How to Organize a Bearing Witness Standout**Indiana teacher snitch portal - Eyes on Education**Find Your Representative | house.gov, Contacting U.S. SenatorsFrom The Good Newsnhmarf.orgMutual Aid HubThousands fill streets of downtown Lancaster for second 'No Kings' rally [update] | lancasteronline.comWarwick UnitedTin foil hat - WikipediaFoundry United Methodist ChurchDana Goldberg Outrageous Tour - November 14th Chicago(Patreon And Super)This is the video companion to The Daily Beans.You can watch it on Youtube here (Please do not share the link):youtu.be/hLbfqaVQuH8Please let us know what you think! - https://near.tl/sm/7WpMw3fFvOur Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - Donate, MSW Media, Blue Wave CA Victory Fund | ActBlue, WhistleblowerAid.org/beansFederal workers - email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Find Upcoming Actions 50501 Movement, No Kings.org, Indivisible.orgDr. Allison Gill - Substack, BlueSky , TikTok, IG, TwitterDana Goldberg - The 2025 Out100, BlueSky, Twitter, IG, facebook, danagoldberg.comMore from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | SubstackReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Our Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - DonateMSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory Fund | ActBlueWhistleblowerAid.org/beansFederal workers - feel free to email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Find Upcoming Actions 50501 Movement, No Kings.org, Indivisible.orgDr. Allison Gill - Substack, BlueSky , TikTok, IG, TwitterDana Goldberg - BlueSky, Twitter, IG, facebook, danagoldberg.comCheck out more from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | SubstackShare your Good News or Good TroubleMSW Good News and Good TroubleHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?The Daily Beans | SupercastThe Daily Beans & Mueller, She Wrote | PatreonThe Daily Beans | Apple Podcasts Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Democrats resoundingly swept the contentious statewide judicial races. Republicans, backed by billionaire donor Jeffrey Yass, sought to make history with a series of votes to remove three Democratic judges from the state Supreme Court. But all three Justices, Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue and David Wecht, will retain their seats. Democrats also won a seat each on the state’s Superior and Commonwealth appellate courts. In Harrisburg, incumbent Wanda Williams secured another four years as mayor by receiving 56% of the vote, over city treasurer Dan Miller's 43%. And in Lancaster, Democrat Jaime Arroyo will be the city’s next mayor after securing a resounding victory. In Dauphin County, a bomb threat triggered a lockdown at an elementary school serving as a polling location Tuesday afternoon. A lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s ban on Medicaid coverage for abortions returns to court this week. Graduate student workers at Penn State are holding a vote on whether to form a union. Gov. Josh Shapiro and the leaders of all four legislative caucuses met in person several days last week. Franklin and Marshall College is announcing a major initiative designed to make the Lancaster-based private school more affordable. Cumberland County Commissioners are reminding volunteer fire, ambulance, and EMS personnel of an upcoming deadline. November 15th is the final day first responders can apply for the Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Tax Credit of up to $250. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does it give you pause when you see a photo, video, or story and you wonder "Is this real, or was it created by AI?"Does it even matter anymore whether the art and information we're interacting with was created by human or machine?And, how is classical Christian education - so deeply focused on cultivating well-read, well-written, and well-spoken students - still relevant in a world that is increasingly obsessed with the efficiency that artificial intelligence tools promise?Our host, Veritas Head of School Ty Fischer is joined in this by two guests who are employed in various STEM fields and are in the thick of some of this AI usage - Jack DeWeese, a software developer and Veritas alumnus Zach Spykstra, a mechantronics engineer. They will dive into:How most AI programs actually work (they're not actually intelligent).Thoughts on how (or even if) parents and Christians can use these tools rightly and with discernment.What kind of education will serve the next generation growing up in an AI-fueled world...and how kids can set themselves apart by maintaining their God-given abilities to reason, think, and create freely.Warnings on the use of too much AI.Why (or whether) it matters if humans or a machine created content that we use.This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located on North Pointe Blvd. in Lancaster, PA, leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.

You are blue, and are surrounded by other blue people: swirling together in a dot, identical and indistinguishable. From somewhere above you hear the ticking of a clock, and suddenly find yourself and some of your fellows pulled upwards, sucked through a tube arcing high above... Intrigued? That is a description of one of Jess Enright's adventures in her mathematical models. This is an exciting new approach that researchers are using to invite people into the worlds of their models, both to communicate their research to the people outside of academia, but also for the researchers themselves to reflect on what aspects of reality these models actually do, and don't, describe. These adventures in model land build on the work of Erica Thompson in her book, Escape from Model Land: how mathematical models can lead us astray and what we can do about it. Any mathematical description of a process in the world around us is a mathematical model: whether it's describing the processes in our climate, the spread of a disease through a population or the movement of water across a landscape. They are incredibly useful and key to research in modern mathematics and science. But these mathematical models are, by necessity, simplifications of the real world. Erica's book inspired geoscientist Chris Skinner to use principles of role-playing games to explore and communicate mathematical models. And this approach was a perfect fit with Jess' experience building board games to communicate her research - we event get to play some in this podcast at the huge UK Games Expo in Birmingham earlier this year! Jess Enright, along with Emma Gort, in action at the UK Games Expo in Birmingham earlier in 2025. (Photo: Rachel Thomas) In this podcast we talk to Jess (a reader in the school of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow and member of the JUNIPER partnership of disease modellers from across the UK), Chris (an independent geoscientist and researcher and a visiting fellow at York St John University)and Erica (Associate Professor of Modelling for Decision Making at University College, London) about their explorations of these ideas. You can find out more information about the ideas discussed in the podcast here: Maths in a Minute: Mathematical model – a brief and an accessible introduction to mathematical models and where they are used. Escape from Model Land: how mathematical models can lead us astray and what we can do about it – Erica's book Adventures in Model Land– the framework, developed by Chris, Erica and Jess, together with Liz Lewis, Rolf Hut and Sam Illingworth, for exploring mathematical models using table-top role-play games You can find some of the adventures in model land and other games that Jess took to the UK Games Expo in Birmingham This podcast is part of our collaboration with JUNIPER, the Joint UNIversity Pandemic and Epidemic Response modelling consortium. JUNIPER comprises academics from the universities of Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol, Exeter, Oxford, Manchester, and Lancaster, who are using a range of mathematical and statistical techniques to address pressing questions about the control of COVID-19. You can see more content produced with JUNIPER here.

On this Election Day, Pennsylvanians will decide whether three state Supreme Court Justices should keep their seats. The unprecedented spending and polarization this year has put off some voters. Partisan control of the court could have major implications for the 2028 presidential race, since justices might be asked to rule on election disputes, as they did in 2020. Republican lawmakers across the mid-Atlantic met in Harrisburg last week to discuss rising electricity bills. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a draft air permit to a natural gas fired power plant in Westmoreland County. Environmental groups say the draft has several flaws. American Water and Essential Utilities are merging. They’re the two largest municipal water and wastewater management companies in the United States. Both the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg released statements in response to a controversial float in the Hanover Halloween parade last week. Seven hundred faculty members at Harrisburg Area Community College - HACC - went on strike yesterday. The Lancaster Stormers are under new ownership. Prospector Baseball Group acquired the minor league baseball team from four Lancaster-area businessmen who owned the Stormers for the past 12 years. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 163 Doe ID: Roberta Mumma   In 1984, the decomposed remains of a woman wrapped in plastic were found in remote Wizard Wells, Jack County, TX.  Experts posited that she was a young white woman, but without any identification, no fingerprints, and no corresponding missing persons reports, she could not be identified. Fast forward nearly 40 years – when IGG would be used on her bones to identify her as Roberta Mumma.  Roberta hailed from the Lancaster, PA area and was believed to have died around age 25.  Her death is considered a homicide, and the Jack County authorities and the Texas Rangers are seeking information about her case.   To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply  visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on social media;  find all of our social media links in one spot at our Linktree:  linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast

In this episode, we open the door to stories of transformation, growth, and opportunity through literacy. Featuring Cheryl Hiester, President of the Literacy & Learning Success Centers & Bill Morgan, President of Capital Coating, Inc. - this conversation highlights how literacy is strengthening Lancaster's workforce and enriching lives.Cheryl shares the mission and impact of the Literacy Council, helping individuals gain critical language and learning skills. Bill discusses how his company benefits from a diverse workforce and why English language learning is essential for communication and safety on the job. From classrooms to kitchens to construction sites, this episode of Lancaster Connects shows how literacy is a vital connector helping our community learn, grow, and thrive.???? Connect with Cheryl Hiester, Bill Morgan, and Fernando Garcia Aguila: Literacy & Learning Success Centers - Cheryl Hiester✅ Website : https://literacysuccess.org/ ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/literacysuccessLC/ ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/literacy-learning-success-centers/ ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/literacycouncil/ Capital Coating, Inc - Bill Morgan✅ Website: https://capitalcoating.com/ ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapitalCoating/ Thank you for watching Lancaster Connects! This is the show about small business and small charity success in Lancaster county - we showcase the battle on Main Street, big vs. small David vs Goliath, and bring you the best of what makes Lancaster so great. ???? Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://StreamYard.CastAhead.net Lancaster Connects is produced by Chris Stone at Cast Ahead:  https://CastAhead.net 

In this week's message, Pastor Tim Moore shares a powerful reminder that our time on earth is short — and every moment matters. Using James 4:13–17 and Matthew 25:14–30, he challenges us to see life as a gift from God and to invest it wisely. Through honest stories, humor, and heartfelt reflection, Pastor Tim shows how fear and comparison often keep us from living the life God intended. Instead of playing it safe, we're called to take bold steps of faith, use what we've been given, and live with intentional purpose.🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube: DON'T WASTE IT | PASTOR TIM MOORE

In this week's message, Pastor Tim Moore shares a powerful reminder that our time on earth is short — and every moment matters. Using James 4:13–17 and Matthew 25:14–30, he challenges us to see life as a gift from God and to invest it wisely. Through honest stories, humor, and heartfelt reflection, Pastor Tim shows how fear and comparison often keep us from living the life God intended. Instead of playing it safe, we're called to take bold steps of faith, use what we've been given, and live with intentional purpose.🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube: DON'T WASTE IT | PASTOR TIM MOORE

This week on The Spark Weekly we highlight two important conversations on Disabilities. At St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, a new three-day program called Encountering Disability is sparking dialogue about faith, inclusion, and the human experience. The event, running November 1–3, brings together community partners, advocates, and educators to explore how faith communities can help bridge gaps between disability, policy, and public health. For many, losing vision can feel like losing opportunities, but for Clinton Tyler and Maribel Surita, Vision Corps in Lancaster has been a place of empowerment, growth, and professional achievement. Both employees credit the nonprofit organization with giving them tools, training, and support to thrive in the workplace despite visual impairments.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vision Jet owner Ken joins Max Trescott to recount an unforgettable five-day training adventure that bridged the gap between piston flying and turbine jet proficiency. As a longtime Cirrus SR22 pilot from the Boston area, Ken had spent nearly a decade flying for both business and family trips, rarely exceeding 300 nautical miles from home. When he decided to upgrade to a 2019 G2 Vision Jet, he wanted more than a checkout—he wanted a head start on mastering the airplane before tackling the Cirrus type rating course in Knoxville.   In this episode, Ken explains how his "pre-SOE" plan came together. After reaching out to Max, the two pilots scheduled nearly a week of flying to experience diverse weather, airports, and procedures. The goal: to learn the G3000 avionics, improve cockpit workflow, and build real-world familiarity before entering formal training. Their first day took them from Bedford, Massachusetts, to Burlington, Vermont, and then to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Max demonstrated how to safely cancel IFR and load a visual approach when haze and sun glare limited visibility. That night, while returning to Bedford, they learned the importance of aiming for runway aiming points—not the numbers—especially during night landings in jets. Day two brought a new challenge: deciding whether to fly west toward the Rockies or south toward better weather. A massive cold front made the decision easy, and the pair headed south instead. After a scenic leg along Long Island to Atlantic City, Ken received what Max called "the longest IFR clearance ever." Rather than manually entering the clearance into the G3000, Max showed how to import the flight plan directly from ForeFlight—a huge time-saver for managing long routes. That evening's destination was Greene County, Georgia (3J7), near Ken's in-laws' home at Lake Oconee. The stop held sentimental value: it was the same airport where Ken had first landed years earlier with his brand-new SR22. The next morning brought low fog and another teachable moment. When poor cell coverage prevented them from obtaining an IFR release, Max used the Vision Jet's SAT phone to call clearance delivery—a practical use for a feature many pilots overlook. Later that day, while practicing a VX climb—a maximum-performance takeoff used for steep departure gradients—Ken forgot to raise the landing gear, a common mistake during the high-workload maneuver. The oversight led to a discussion about better cues, timing, and division of tasks between pilots to avoid forgetting critical steps. They also discovered that one set of keys had been left in the cabin door—a harmless but memorable moment that required returning to the airport to retrieve them. From Georgia, they flew to Asheville, North Carolina, for real-world mountain experience, and then to John C. Tune Airport in Nashville. When ATC issued a last-minute vector, Max demonstrated how to safely "do nothing"—allowing the autopilot to intercept as planned instead of overcomplicating things. On day four, they returned to Boston. At night, controllers twice ignored their request for an ILS approach into Bedford, forcing a visual approach at higher altitude and steeper descent rates. Max explained why instrument approaches at night are always safer, and how overworked controllers sometimes inadvertently increase pilot workload. The final day offered a lighter tone: a short hop to Nantucket, one of Ken's favorite destinations. There, Max illustrated how adjusting throttle settings and altitude can drastically change fuel burn—saving nearly 18 gallons on a short leg by reducing power. Ken wrapped up by reflecting on what he gained from the experience: confidence, familiarity with the Vision Jet's systems, and a deeper appreciation for proactive learning. "I encourage other pilots to build their own syllabus," he said, "because flying with an instructor like Max before formal training was both incredibly valuable and a lot of fun." Whether you fly a Cirrus SR22 or aspire to own a Vision Jet, this episode is packed with insights about transition training, pre-type preparation, and real-world decision-making that can make any pilot safer and more capable. If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Patreon. Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk. Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1299 NEW – Lightspeed Zulu 4 Headset $1099 Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $949Lightspeed Sierra Headset $749 My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu Send us your feedback or comments via email If you have a question you'd like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone. News Stories Hurricane Melissa relief by GA groups has begun Shutdown Driving Controllers Away From the Profession Garmin unveils two new pilot watches Pocket carbon monoxide detector for pilots introduced Missionary Pilot Kidnapped in Niger's Capital Fuel exhaustion leads to crash Dehavilland Beaver Crashes in Alaska after spotting Wolves After an emergency landing in Minnesota, plane seized by Indians Mentioned on the Show Buy Max Trescott's G3000 Book Call 800-247-6553 Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset Giveaway NTSB News Talk Podcast UAV News Talk Podcast Rotary Wing Show Podcast Buy ForeFlight Sentry ADS-B Receiver Montana small aircraft crash rate among highest in the nation Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we'll make a couple of dollars if you do. Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android. Check out Max's Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/ Social Media Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook Follow Max on Instagram Follow Max on Twitter Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium "Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.

Recorded- October 30, 2025 Uploaded- November 1, 2025   There's new ownership in Lancaster and the campfire goes out in Rocky Mountain. We discuss the implications for both the leagues and teams.

Join Sophie for a captivating conversation with Simon Lancaster, the pioneering mind behind Omni Ventures and a former innovator at Apple and Google. Simon's journey from shaping hardware giants like the MacBook and iPad to nurturing the next wave of manufacturing technology through his niche VC fund is nothing short of inspiring. Simon Lancaster is the Founding General Partner of Omni Ventures, a first-check Manufacturing Tech VC backing AI-powered software and IoT that modernize engineering, automation, and industrial supply chains. An Apple and Google alum with 45+ patents, he helped shape MacBook, Magic Mouse, and iPad hardware before scaling Arris Composites to a $260M valuation. At Omni, he now partners with technical founders at pre-seed with operator-grade rigor (no hype), and is authoring "Unlocking Alpha: Rise of the Niche VC." In this episode, you'll hear about: Simon Lancaster's journey from Apple and Google to founding Omni Ventures and focusing on manufacturing tech investments Insights on the evolution of venture capital, including the significance of business development and branding Discussion on strategic partnerships, corporate venture capital, and fostering successful startup ecosystems The role of provisional patents and the impact of robotics and automation on global manufacturing Recent advancements in immigration laws supporting startup founders' visa applications Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Supporting Resources: Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonlancaster/ Website - www.omnivl.com https://a.co/d/1 7Foegc Underwriting the Unknown Alcorn Immigration Law: Subscribe to the monthly Alcorn newsletter Sophie Alcorn Podcast: Episode 16: E-2 Visa for Founders and Employees Episode 19: Australian Visas Including E-3 Episode 20: TN Visas and Status for Canadian and Mexican Citizens Immigration Options for Talent, Investors, and Founders Immigration Law for Tech Startups eBook

The events of the Wars of the Roses caused many changes in England, but the impact upon the economic and political landscape of London, is often overlooked. This episode, we take a short break from the nobles, the King, the intrigues of the Houses of York and Lancaster, to just look at what was happening in London and on its streets at the time… and also how forces beyond anyones control, changes in population, in wealth distribution, in social mobility, and wider forces of economic changes across Europe, saw that the most political powerful of all the Guilds of London to date, the Grocers Company, stumbled, and then fell from the dominant position they had once held. This then examines why we feel we are passing out of the medieval world and into something new- a new world being born before our very eyes.

Spencer and Laurie discuss what they learned from their recent trips. Laurie went to Milwaukee, WI, to do research on the Peter Maurin papers and to give two talks on Maurin and Day. Spencer and Emily traveled to Pennsylvania and other spots on the East Coast to help move a friend, and along the way visited two Catholic Worker houses, the Rodale Institute, Blue Hill Farm, Dorothy Day's gravesite and more.

✍️ How to Modify Your Divorce Agreement in Lancaster? | Lancaster Divorce ⚖️ Your divorce agreement doesn't always have to stay the same. In this video, we'll show you how to modify your divorce judgment in Lancaster when life changes—like income, custody, or support—make your current terms unworkable.

Moderated by Matthew Resch (Ambassador Financial Group) and Brian Love, Head of Banking & Fintech at Travillian, this NEXT Forum fireside features Curtis Myers, CEO & Chairman of Fulton Bank, on navigating today's banking climate: deposit strategy, scalable community banking, talent development, and the real-world M&A calculus regional banks face while protecting local identity.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 19 It Doesn t Matter, and I Don t Understand. In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Being dead is wonderful; you never get tired and you have all the time in the world to regret how you ended up this way      "You are so good to me, Zane, and I appreciate it," Barbie Lynn murmured. "You never give me less than 100% and I've never felt like you take me for granted." "It is you and only you, Sarah, Cindy, Eve, umm, help me out here," I grinned. Barbie Lynn lilted in the voice of an angel while she pressed off the glass with her upper body and leveraged down onto my cock. I shifted one hand off an ass cheek to move it to the back of her neck and pull her face in and up to mine. She also constricted her anal muscles around my shaft, concentrating on my cockhead. "Does this make my body more familiar to you?" she panted, our lips only inches away. "Not as much as these eyes, these eyes of my own beautiful seraph," I whispered. Barbie Lynn completed the kiss. Her hips rotated up slightly and mine shifted lower and under so that my penetration reached deep inside. For thirty seconds we kept the tender kiss going before she had to break free. "Oh, Jesus, Zane, this feels so good, I can't, oh, Lord Jesus," she gasped out as I shifted out, then back in rhythmically. "More time, I want more time with you, Zane," Barbie Lynn panted with a heavy breath. "We have tests this afternoon and Vivian is waiting," I shook my head in disappointment. Fierce passion engulfed both of us. Clearly, I got my money's worth from the contractor who had installed the shower because the glass wall didn't give way despite our enthusiasm. "Lord Jesus loves, ," Barbie Lynn screamed across campus. Her arms locked my head and shoulders in place, her face grinding into my chest. Her torso desperately tried to impale her hole deeper onto my rod. Her scream degenerated to an uncontrolled growling against me while I kept her back to the glass and up against my body. "Zane, I know I've been really needy today but you've been so kind and understanding, and I appreciate you putting up with me the kind way you have," Barbie Lynn snuggled into me. "You are the best." That's what I wanted to talk to Barbie Lynn about, taking me for granted and using me like a sex toy. Boy, I just saved myself from acting like a total ass! "Babe, you are better than I deserve." I kissed her neck as I lowered her legs down to the tiled floor. "If I ever take you for granted, promise me you'll kiss me, rub your body against me front and back, and then walk away. I guarantee you I'll fall on my knees and beg for forgiveness." "I like it when you beg," she said with a glimmer in her eye. "Why am I being nice to you again?" I teased. Barbie Lynn simply let her eyes go wide and innocent with a cute little smile on her face. "Oh, yeah," I whistled, "you give me hope, happiness, and warmth in good times and bad." "My body has nothing to do with it?" she questioned in a coquettish fashion. "It's passable," I shrugged as I cut the water off, "but I hope you will fill out one day, you know, quit the training bra and become a little more womanly." Mind you, Barbie Lynn hadn't seen a training bra in ten years. Hourglasses went to Barbie for lessons on how they should be shaped and her ass was the perfect balance between fantasy cheerleader and soccer girl. "Thank you for spending time with someone as poorly endowed as me," she purred. "I admit that I'm holding out for Doctor Burns. He's got it going on," I struggled to say convincingly. Barbie Lynn fought valiantly to hold back her reaction to the thought of seeing our over-70-year-old male Biology teacher in any sexual manner. "Burns without his clothes on is an image I could have forever gone without," she shuddered. "Gosh, I value you more than my own personal desires so I guess I'm stuck with you, Barbie Lynn," I sighed playfully. "Would you two get out of the shower!" barked Vivian. She was sitting in a chair in the main room. We stepped out of the shower, grabbed the waiting towels, and began drying each other off. Vivian surprised me by keeping a somewhat detached eye on the two of us. Maybe she wanted to make sure Barbie Lynn and I didn't turn drying into fondling, thus ending up with us rolling on the tiled floor. The floor would be uncomfortable but having hot, sweaty Barbie Lynn flesh pressing into me, I put this on my 'to do' list. We quickly got dressed and moved to where Vivian was standing and waiting. It wasn't until we were making our way to the elevator that Vivian spoke. "Barbie Lynn, would you take the elevator? Zane and I need to take the stairs," she said. "Sure thing, Vivian," Barbie Lynn smiled. She stepped up to me and kissed me on the lips. "I'll see ya Sunday night, slugger." "I kinda, sorta have a standing date with Heaven," I cautioned her, "so if you come by, be careful." I didn't miss Vivian rolling her eyes in exasperation. The elevator came and took Barbie Lynn away. I waved Vivian to the stairwell, held the door for her, and together we went down. "What are we going to do?" I broke the insufferable silence. "What do you mean?" Vivian evaded. "Damn it!" I snapped. Since I stopped moving, Vivian decided to stop too. "Yes?" she looked to me with what I was learning to read was a disarming friendliness. "I want to make you happy but I don't want to change, Vivian," I grumbled. "So, what are we going to do?" "How much of your time and energy are you willing to devote to Christ?" she countered. I had to think that over. Monday was no good; it was Recovery night. Tuesday was 'make it up to the girls' night. Wednesday was Specialty Night, Thursday, that was no good; it was Orgy Night. Friday was first date night, Saturday was SYFY/Party night and Sunday was second-date night. "I am on a committee at Church on Wednesday nights and I go to both Sunday school and Church service on Sundays," I offered. "Isn't that enough religious stuff?" "Zane, do you have sex at Church?" Vivian pierced me with her eyes. I was so boned because while I was preparing some sort of verbal obfuscation, Vivian sighed and looked down at the stairs. "Why do I even bother?" she moaned with despair. She looked up at me, clearly in pain, "It is a Church, Zane. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Because it definitely means something to me." "Vivian, it is a building, made of stained glass, brick, stone, and lumber," I responded heatedly, "and I don't need any of those to be in God's presence." "It was sex in a church," Vivian nearly screamed. "Come on, now, do you respect anything at all?" "You are right, I don't respect a building simply because someone declares it to be holy. I don't recall my vote being consulted. I don't respect people who bully with scripture but won't study the original Greek and Latin texts it was written in to learn what was really said. I don't respect anyone who refuses to think for themselves and listens to some two-bit liar like Pastor William." "He is your pastor," Vivian growled back. "He deserves, " "Nothing," I snapped. "He's an adulterer, and I've seen it with my own two eyes so don't you dare lecture me on him. If you defend him, it is only because you don't know shit about him." Vivian glared at me but I could see she was trying to see if I was making stuff up. "I respect you, Vivian, and that's no lie," I continued. "Since our fight I haven't a clue what to do with you but I have respected you. You believe in give and take; you believe in consequences and redemption. The only other person I've met like you is Iona. I trust Iona with more than my life; I trust her with Rio's." "Right now you are pissing the hell out of me, but that doesn't change the fact that I trust you and respect you," I added. "I don't need someone with spiritual authority to tell me what to do; my heart does that for me." "Zane, it is the constant sex," Vivian groaned. "I thought I could take it but it never seems to slow down with you." I had to think that over. "Vivian, you can't confuse love and sex," I insisted. "You are in love with your boyfriend and you two have been through some rough patches and survived. Sex without passion is masturbation, Vivian. If you are ever tempted, fall back on your love for that man because when you love something, there is nothing you will let stand in your way." I could see the turn in the argument defused some of Vivian's wrath and sent her mind down different pathways. "Okay, then why is it okay for you to have sex without love?" Vivian said as we resumed our progress downstairs. "I love in different ways, Vivian. I love Iona and Rio as best friends, there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. I love Heaven and Paige because they do for me things that make me want to do for them right back. I love Brandi and Opal because they are fun and they give me the space to be me. I love Barbie Lynn, well, just because it feels natural and right. Christina, Christina, I will always love without cause or reason. I love her," I related. "If Christina asked you to stop seeing all those other women, would you?" Vivian asked with a glimmer of hope. "I don't know. Our pseudo-agreement lets me have my college years to go wild before I give it all up to be a good husband and father," I replied. "Are you thinking of going to Christina and asking for her help with me?" "Yes. Yes, I am," Vivian told me. "The only problem with that plan is that it requires Christina to declare her feelings toward me and make a commitment about what she wants to do with me," I pointed out. "Good luck with that." We hit the bottom of the stairs at a run and raced through the halls and doors on our way to the Dining Hall. We found Christina and company waiting outside for us when we got there. Christian handed a thick envelope over, my bribe to Deacon of the Warlord's motorcycle gang. "Heaven, date night Sunday? I've found a theater playing Hugo," I asked my fox-faced girl. "What? You think you can ask me out on Friday for a date on Sunday? What kind of girl do you think I am?" she growled. "Heaven, you weren't here for most of the week, and you have to admit the world had gone crazy. Come on, Babe," I pleaded. "I'll have to think about it," Heaven grumbled. Behind her back all her other friends were stifling their grins. All those grins fell behind impassive masks when Heaven turned around facing them and stomped back and forth. "What's the problem, Heaven?" Hope asked. "Barbie Lynn comes skipping across the yard from her dorm with a smile that outshines the Sun, Heaven began. "She said she's been doing intensive physical therapy," Christina interrupted. Yay! I've graduated to being considered exercise equipment. "Harrumph," Heaven grunted. "How come his hair is wet? Besides, he's taking another girl home for the weekend." "It's Iona," Chastity explained. "Think about how wound up he's going to be by Sunday evening, because you know he's not going to do anything Iona's uncomfortable with." "Yes," added Faith, "he'll be ready to knock 'em out of the ballpark after a whole weekend of physical denial. Maybe you shouldn't go out with him; he's probably going to be pretty fierce." Heaven glared at all her friends before turning on me. "Fine, I'll go out with you, but if I can still walk by curfew, you had better know I'm going to make next week hell for you. Are we clear?" Heaven threatened. "Is that all Zane is to you, a sexual release valve?" Vivian gasped before I could answer Heaven. "You are making light of a serious moral struggle for him." "Vivian, Zane was the first man to tell me he loved me and I've believed," Christina said. "He saved me from a fight and academic troubles by putting his body on the line," Chastity added. "Me too," continued Hope. "He pretty much saved my life," Faith chimed in, which oddly twisted back to ruining her life with Christina and company when I exposed her as the Chancellor's spy. Maybe the girls had made up somehow. "He's put up with more of my crap than I care to get into. He loves me for who I am, and he's my lover and boyfriend," Heaven clarified. "If you spent one night with Zane making love, you would know I'm more of an addict than anything else. It is just that I get, grumpy when he's not around every minute of every day." Everyone's eyes sort of gravitated toward me. "You are all great women but I have to go to class," I grinned, then took off. Vivian raced to catch up with me. "Do you have commitment issues?" she panted beside me. "No. I was getting hard. All that feminine compassion directed my way was getting me sexually aroused and they were all staring at my crotch," I explained. "I figured running away was the best resolution for what was coming down the pipeline." "Have you ever considered chemical castration?" Vivian asked. WHAT? The last quarter of the school day went rather well, considering I had to juggle balls once between classs. (Apparently I resemble a dancing bear or something.) My second chore required me to bounce a soccer ball on my knees for a trip to the soccer field. Considering some of the crap I've had to do here, I almost volunteered to do it walking backwards. Karate started out so surprisingly normal (not my normal, but normal-normal), I should have known better. We had barely finished warming up and stretching when Gabrielle Black walked into the room. She stood against the far wall poised for our dispersal into teams. When first team knelt and waited for Coach Gorman's instructions for today, Gabrielle made her approach. "Coach Gorman, we seem to have had some difficulty connecting so I decided this would be the best place to meet," Gabrielle said in a deceptively upbeat manner. "I'm teaching a class," Gorman replied deadpan. "I teach several classes. I guess that makes me a teacher. In fact, I'm teaching right now, get lost." "I'd rather not." Gabrielle gave her deadliest smile. "Care to make me?" They really need to start psychological testing of the staff at FFU, or at least stop giving them daily doses of testosterone. "Since reason and rationality have clearly avoided you like the plague," Gorman growled, "why don't you tell me what you have in mind?" "A little sparing match," Gabrielle suggested. "So you really need to see if you can kick my ass, or is it just that you have to be Alpha bitch?" Gorman countered. Several of the more religious-minded students gasped, but they didn't realize this wasn't a game. Someone needed to do something, and of course it had to be me. I didn't very well have the time to overdose Rio with caffeine and throw her at Gabrielle. Besides, I am sure that's a war crime. "Me first!" I declared as I broke free of my second-team circle and walked toward the two adults. This was the point where I expected one or both of the women to tell me to ass out, mind my own business, I'm stupid, or something. Gabrielle stepped back and stripped off her jacket and slipped off each boot. I figured that since I was about to die, I'd best get rid of my gi; that way they'd have something to drape over my lifeless eyes. "Zane, what are you doing?" Cappadocia belatedly hissed at me. "Eh, you know, sometimes a woman has to be put in her place," I joked. It wasn't like Gabrielle was going to take it easy on me in the first place. Several girls laughed at what they were sure was levity on my part. You see, I was about to become a legend. Unfortunately, it was the legend of Don Quixote, damn fucking windmills dressed in tight black form-fitting outfits. To the credit of my limited intellect, I approached this fight with a totally different philosophy than any I'd faced before. I discarded every tenet of Thai kick-boxing (except the one that says never do anything that will make the lady-boys mock you). I went completely defensive, abandoning any hope of striking Gabrielle. I figured if such an opportunity presented itself, it would only be a trap. It took Gabrielle about two seconds to unravel my master plan, then she was on me like a fart in an airplane bathroom, choking the life out of you with nowhere to run. Because I am such a badass, it took Gabrielle eight more seconds to land a telling blow. I staggered back but instead of coming at me, she shifted to my side. Since I had my arms up to defend my head, she was slipping out of my field of vision. There was an added bonus; I discovered I couldn't hear her move over the mats. I somersaulted in the other direction which bought me a few more seconds, but I never regained my feet. Once more she opted to shift to my flank than come head-on. A man on his knees cannot out-turn a woman on her feet. I caught her knee in my shoulder, propelling me face-first into the mat. I tried to turn with the blow so I could keep eyes on her. Gabrielle slammed into my shoulder blade and I slapped the mat hard. I pressed up with my arms but Gabrielle was on my back so fast I might as well have been standing still. For a second our legs struggled as she tried to put me into a leg lock. Then her body rolled over on me and drove three fingers into my spine right above the coccyx. Blinding pain exploded over my body and I screamed. I wasn't paralyzed but I didn't need to be; I was in too much God-damn pain. Gabrielle's body was tight against my back. One hand cupped my chin and the other was placed on the back of my skull. She gave my head a quarter-twist. "You are dead," she whispered. Technically, she would have merely snapped my spine at the base of my skull. My cells would have struggled on for a few more minutes but that hardly seemed to be the point. Gabrielle stood up within inches of me and gave me an emotionless, pitiless stare. "Did you get what you wanted?" she asked softly. "We'll see," I grunted, then rolled onto my back. "Did you put me in my place?" she queried next. I had to chuckle, then I had to choke back on the pain. "Oh, yeah, we are perfectly placed." Seeing her brows crowd together in displeasure, I added with a pained gasp, "You've clearly never stood on a mirror and looked up at your cleavage the way I am now." Gabrielle reached down and touched my wrist before letting her fingers work up to my elbow. She pulled me up quite rapidly and gave me a soulless, piercing gaze. "You are insane," Gabrielle noted. That wasn't said as a joke or a condemnation. She said it as if she was recognizing a kindred spirit. When you are ten years old, being best friends with an assassin sounds pretty cool. Most of us grow out of that. After all, being buddies with a person who has a casual disregard for human life might come back to haunt you if they ever decide you are an encumbrance they can do without. "When I beat you, can I draw a smiley face on your forehead?" I blurted out. Why did I say those things? Maybe it was a brain tumor, or maybe Gabrielle was right and I am insane. Maybe my buddy Don Quixote was telling me the windmill is still standing. "What do I get when I beat you, again?" she inquired. "I've developed an inside track on some authentic saltwater taffy," I shrugged. Gabrielle didn't seem very impressed. "I could feel honor-bound to jump on the next grenade thrown your way?" "I'll think of something when the time comes," Gabrielle informed me. Turning to Gorman, she said, "Are you ready?" "I'd like a, Wilhelmina started to say as she stood. Dana put a hand on Willy's shoulder and shook her head. "I've got this," Coach said. She stood up and discarded her gi, depending on your point of view, she was fortunately/unfortunately wearing a white sports bra. Wait! Am I in chest-to-chest proximity with Gabrielle while scoping out Dana? Was I dropped on my head repeatedly as a child? Maybe I should hunt down my former nanny and ask her. "Let's make Zane's idiocy, Dana continued telling Captain Willy, ", worth more than the beating he took." Gorman stripped off her pants, revealing white biker shorts. It was very cinematic; Gorman in white and Black in black. Sadly, I believed White needed some serious Divine intervention to win this showdown. "Zane," Gabrielle requested my attention with that deathly quiet voice of hers. I must have looked pretty scared because she almost smiled at me. "You can let go of my hand now." Jumping back felt like a surefire way to test her killer instinct so I let go of her hand and backed away slowly and carefully. Only after I gave us some space did I contemplate the trust she'd put in me, allowing anyone to be that close outside of combat. I was walking past Dana when she grabbed my shoulder, stopping my progress. She pointed me to the spot on the floor she had just vacated. Wow, I had my ass kicked and still made First Team. I moved over to my new place in the hierarchy and thanked Dana in the only way I knew how. "Does this mean you are going to sit on my lap when you get back?" I said with a voice as sincere as I was serious. "Zane," Coach Gorman said over her shoulder. She was keeping her eyes on Gabrielle, "when I get back, I am giving grave consideration to having a general melee, and I'm placing a bounty on your head if we do. You will have all weekend to recover." A general melee sounded a whole lot like a 'beat up the new guy' kind of thing, and I had planned on devoting my weekend to Iona. Further banter was ended by Black and Gorman facing off. Willie gave the 'Go' and things went John Wu-crazy. My bright shining moment was delivered right off the bat. Gorman went fullout, denying Gabrielle the ability to control the maneuvering in the fight the way she'd controlled me. My beating hadn't been in vain; Gabrielle undoubtedly knew Gorman's fighting style but Dana knew nothing of hers. My body had bought Dana what little insight Gabrielle had been willing to give up. After all, Gabrielle knew my game from the moment I'd thrown out my challenge. Still, she had to beat me up to get at Dana. I could take on most members of the first team and, as Dana constantly reminds the world, I can take a beating, which meant I was the body for the job. I've fought Gorman on several occasions and she's damn impressive. Gabrielle was doing crap I'd never seen before and I wasn't even sure was humanly possible. I swear, if she'd turned into a Terminator, I couldn't have been more surprised. Dana's fighting prowess only went up in my estimation because she wasn't impaled on Gabrielle's fist in the first thirty seconds. It wasn't a misstep that screwed up Dana's game plan; her mistake was predictability. One second she was pushing Gabrielle back and the next she was on the floor, struggling to keep Gabrielle from establishing a chokehold. For a second I contemplated grabbing up Cappy and Willy, then rushing Gabrielle. After all, it would have been a shame for Dana to die alone. It would also seriously curtail my desire for an open-casket funeral but hey, Dana is almost a friend. Dana wasn't finished yet. Unknown to me, she has the ability to dislocate and relocate her shoulder. No one in the class wanted to consider how painful that had to be. The loud popping noise was enough to make us decide to miss dinner. Dana got an elbow and fist in before they separated. They went at it again, but this time, it was harder on Dana. I could feel that her confidence was shaken now that she had a clearer measure of Gabrielle's strengths and weaknesses. Gabrielle remained a steadfast cypher. If Dana was turning out to be a tougher opponent to crack than she'd expected, Gabrielle wasn't showing it. What she was doing was exhibiting the iron stamina of a triathlete. Dana wasn't fighting for air but I didn't see Gabrielle even breaking a sweat yet. Had I been Dana, this would have been the time I started crying out to a vengeful God for forgiveness. Dana didn't do that. Instead, digging down to her dogged determination and fighting on, her game, her gamble, was for Gabrielle to screw up somehow and take advantage of it. She had to hope that something came up before her endurance failed. And in the fourth minute of the fight, it happened. Of course it was a trap. I couldn't blame Dana for risking it because fighting hard, non-stop, for over four minutes is its own form of torture. Gabrielle caught Dana's leg, swept the other one out from under our Coach, then finished up with driving an elbow into her hip as they hit the mat. There is fast, unbelievably fast, a weasel on speed, and then Gabrielle, and if you gave a weasel enough speed to keep up with Gabby, the weasel would explode first. Dana is fast, but I'm faster and I know I didn't have a prayer of blocking Gabrielle at this point in their fight. The blow to Gorman's hip seemed to have temporarily paralyzed that leg. Without the leg, her torso below the ribcage was fatally exposed. Getting repeatedly punched in the stomach sucked. Sadly, Dana thought the same thing and totally missed Gabrielle flipping her over onto her stomach. Gabrielle came down with a palm to the center of Dana's spine. It had to hurt, but I had little doubt that if Gabby had used her fist, the spine would have been broken. "We are done here," Gabrielle announced calmly as she rose to her feet. No one said a word until Dana stirred on the ground. With varying degrees of speed, the first team swarmed over Dana. I alone approached Gabrielle. After she finished dressing and stood, she acknowledged my presence. "Did you learn what you wanted to know?" I asked. "Yes," she stated, once more into her emotionless mode. "Then you asked the wrong question." I drilled her with a combination of bravery and anger. Gabrielle walked away without acknowledging my statement. She got to the door and stopped before exiting through the door. "What do you think I should have asked?" she said with a vapor of condescension. "You should have asked us if we can help," I told her. Maybe I'm na ve, but I'm sure she's facing her past alone. Purity is a paradox; we are awed by it yet we are repulsed by it as well. Vivian was terribly subdued as she walked me back to the dorm. It was the two of us because my Handmaiden mistress was Erica, a second-team Karate classmate. She'd given me a rain check due to the trauma we had all just been through during class. "You can use my room this weekend if you like," I broached the silence. "I'll ask Rio and Mercy to be somewhere else and Barbie Lynn can stay with you." "I don't want to sleep with Barbie Lynn, Zane," Vivian replied. "I want to sleep in my own bed." "That's bull- , I decided saying "shit", while a minor infraction, wouldn't do my argument any good. "You know Barbie Lynn to be kind-hearted and decent. She's not going to molest you. You two will be totally platonic." "I don't know what to think," she replied. "I never thought Barbie Lynn would be the one to have sex outside of marriage." "I knew she was flirty but that was it," she continued. "Now, now she's moved into your room and is having sex with you as if you were a married couple." She sighed. "Fine, not like a 'normal' married couple so we don't need to go there." Ah, no mention of anal sex I see. "Vivian, I don't like to talk about my relationships with other women but I think Barbie Lynn would understand," I tried to explain. "There was no seduction between us, we collided. I showed up at FFU pretty depressed. I'd spent a long month with my Aunt trying to adjust to America and a place and lifestyle I didn't know." "My Aunt and I fought a lot and that Sunday Pastor Bill and his buddies tried to shake me down for my inheritance. I had the feeling that is why they wanted Aunt Jill in their church, and after all the crap Jill had been through, I felt that sucked," I said. "I'm in my room, sad and pissed off, then Barbie Lynn Masters comes soaring into my life." "She thought I was 'Glenda's' brother, I told her my name was Zane, and next thing I knew we were all over one another. She gave me a blowjob and I gave her multiple orgasms and we parted ways. She thought she might see me once a month and I had no idea this was a girl's college. You are aware of the humiliation that followed," I concluded. "Zane, that explains nothing," Vivian observed. "Okay, I could have been clearer," I admitted. "What I was trying to say is that Barbie Lynn didn't change. I allowed her to do what she wanted to do with a guy all along. She is still the same woman who goes after life full of enthusiasm, who likes to work with kids, teaching Sunday school and going to church." "And you want me to sleep with her when I've avoided the pleasure for the past three years?" Vivian refused to give in. "I'd want you to sleep with Iona if she wasn't already heading out with me. I have a few others I could ask but that would be awkward. I like Opal and Brandi but I also know they'd hit on you if given half a chance," I outlined. "I can sleep alone, Zane," Vivian stated. "I know that, but do you want to?" I asked. Vivian didn't immediately reply. "You climbed into bed with me and some of the ladies, Vivian. There is a certain quality provided by a sleeping companion that you enjoy. You wanted it enough to put some faith in me and Barbie Lynn last night," I added. "Zane, why are you making a big deal about this?" Vivian inquired. "Your happiness matters to me," I answered. Vivian and I walked into the dorm and into the elevator before she spoke. "Coach Gorman warned me about this," Vivian groaned. "Do you realize how much easier my life would be if you grabbed my breast or something like that?" "Is that an invitation?" I perked up. "No," she stated decisively. Her glare emphasized the point. "I mean my job keeping the Devil in line would be easier if he wasn't constantly giving me my favorite cupcakes." "What's your favorite cupcake?" I grinned. "Behave yourself," she sighed, somewhat amused and somewhat exasperated. "Yes, ma'am," I nodded. "That's a good boy," Vivian acknowledged. "When I'm a good boy Heaven gives me a ginger cookie," I prodded. "We are Not going to go there," Vivian declared authoritatively, and that was that. I thought I would have to stop by and pick up Iona Beckett on my way out. I was obviously forgetting I was dealing with the most organized person I'd ever met. I know Iona looks after all her own affairs and most of mine, plus I suspect she keeps an eye out for Rio as well. She was waiting in the main area of my 'room' when Vivian and I arrived, her overnight bag beside her. I gave her a kiss and hurried to my room, where someone had already packed a weekend worth of stuff for me. I do not deserve one tenth of the affection aimed my way. Being hung by my toes from a ceiling fan is a small price to pay for what I receive. Still, I make a note to avoid girls with bizarre foot fetishes while in close proximity to ceiling fans, my life is pretty freaking weird enough already. I gathered my stuff, gathered up Iona, and made my good-byes. Brandi was kind enough to snuggle up to my back, reach around and pinch my nipples. It was playful, not painful, so I didn't mind too much. Besides, I had bigger fish to fry. When I told Rio that she'd need to share another bed with Mercy for the weekend she nodded. "No problem, Bro," Rio told me. She then stepped up under the guise of hugging me good-bye and tried to nut me. She's a dangerous friend to have but since I can count her public displays of affection for me on one hand, I was ready for her. "Damn it," Rio snarled, "you can't give my room to that Jesus-freak!" By 'my room' she really meant my (Zane's) room and 'Jesus-freak' was Vivian, who was eight feet away looking at her. "It isn't going to kill you two to behave for two days, Rio," I stated. Mercy, standing right behind Rio, remained unfortunately silent on the subject. "Rio, if you two would agree to abstain until I got back, I'd be willing to let you stay, but you are the King Kong of bedroom antics and Vivian needs the space," I explained. "Fine, we'll crash at Aunt Jill's," Rio smirked. "I'm sure she can't shut the door before I get a foot in. She's far too nice to break it or kick me out." Oh yeah, I cannot begin to describe what Jill's reaction to a Mercy-Rio lesbian love-fest at 2:00 in the morning would be like. It would probably involve paramedics and a defibrillator. "Okay," I shrugged. I fished out my keys and tossed them to Rio. "Sweet!" Rio trumpeted. "We'll meet you at the car." "We are not going," I corrected Rio. "Iona and I will stay here, camp out on a sleeper-sofa, and take in some Pay-per-View. Come by and pick us up for the party around nine tomorrow night." "Your loss, Princess," Rio mocked me and walked away. Mercy loyally padded along. "I'm sorry, Iona," I said to my petite friend. "I promise I'll make it up to you." "I'm not looking for any particular place but a particular man," she smiled serenely. "Sadly, I still have a piece of business to attend to and I see the person I need to see," I said as I spotted Valerie playing a competitive game of pool versus Raven of all people. When Valerie had taken her shot I stepped up to her side. "Can I catch a ride to the Dixie Roadhouse in the next few minutes?" I whispered. "Sure. Wait,  are you expecting me to hang around when you go inside?" Val smirked. "I've already gone a round with Gabrielle Black today so I don't feel I deserve a second ass-whooping. I'd appreciate you sticking around at least until the gunfire starts," I chuckled. "Fine, I'll stay, but you'll owe me one," Valerie smiled. "By the way, how tough is Gabrielle?" "I'll let you know when my concussion fades," I responded. "That good, huh?" Valerie persisted. "In less than thirty seconds she snapped my neck. It took her less than five minutes to break Dana's back after that, and right there at the end I swore I saw a lone bead of sweat on Gabrielle's brow," I related. "Just so we are clear; if I ever see her chasing your ass down like Gorman did that day, you are on your own," Valerie snorted. "I thought you were a bad-ass," I taunted her. I really didn't want her fighting Ms. Black on my behalf. "Granddad is a bad-ass; I'm a teenage girl who is good with bikes and can handle myself in a brawl but I'm not a true bad-ass. What I am is smart enough to not attempt the craziness that is your life," she huffed. "Being smarter than me is hardly an accomplishment to be proud of," I jibbed back. Raven, who had been pretending to not be eavesdropping, made this choking sound at that comment. "Let me finish Raven off and I'll take you there," Valerie said. "Valerie, she's killing you," I noted. "I like a challenge," Valerie countered. She must because Raven only had one ball left to sink while Valerie had four. Less than a minute later Raven sent Valerie and I heading for the stairs. Iona gave me a slight nod and grin. Rio came storming up at us half-way down. "You motherfucker," she snarled. "Problems?" I replied cautiously. "Mercy said she wasn't going with me," Rio growled. "What did you do?" I asked. "I slapped the bitch," Rio retorted. I could tell that pissed Valerie off; I wasn't too happy either. "You put her up to this, didn't you?" "I certainly did. I told her that she was going to have to step up instead of taking advantage of you all the time," I explained. "Did it hurt?" Rio knew I wasn't talking about Mercy's pain. "Yes," she rumbled. "If I can't trust her, I can't use her." "Whatever you decide to do, I'll live with," I shrugged. "I hope you know how hard it was for her to do what she did." Thankfully, Valerie was far more controlled than Rio and judged the conversation to be too delicate for her input. "Mercy is my deal, Zane. She's my responsibility and I'll take care of her without your interference," Rio stated aggressively. "It doesn't work that way. People aren't one dimensional and you can't expect to help people and not have them change," I countered. "You changed Mercy, for the better, and that includes her desire to take up some of the responsibility you've borne onto her shoulders. And the only reason for her to do that is, you annoy her so much." "Yeah," Rio finally deflated, "she was looking pretty miserable." "Buddies take your pizza; friends take your pain, Rio. Get used to the fact that there are three of us standing beside you when you need us," I reminded her. "I wasn't asking for anyone's help," Rio insisted. "In that case, get in Zane's car and take a trip. When the cops finally pull you over you will have three years friend-free in prison," Valerie now interjected. "Ha!" Rio snorted. "That's no good. Zane already promised to break me out if I get sent away." "Zane," groaned Valerie, "do you have even a passing acquaintance with common sense?" "I get a lot of that," I answered. "What now, Rio?" "I go back to my room," she sighed, "apologize to Mercy, then come back upstairs and work out a deal with Vivian for use of your room." "No tying them up and gagging Vivian and Barbie Lynn in their sleep," I cautioned Rio. "Fuck you," Rio muttered darkly. "Fuck you and your mind-reading ability. Fine, I'll be good, okay, I'll be as good as I can be." With that, Rio tossed me back my keys and then bounded downstairs and out the door. "I swear to God I would have tossed her out a window by now, if I were you," Valerie snorted. "Umm, she grows on you, kind of like a tapeworm," I chuckled. "I think my invitation to catch a bullet has been voided now that you have your keys back," Valerie noted. "I'll catch you tomorrow night." "Sure thing, but I may need you for that 'thing' if I can set up a meeting," I replied. That thing was meeting up with a possible undercover officer which held the possibility of being a real disaster. Valerie was being kind enough to ignore her instincts, and her advice to me, by helping me out. Valerie shook her head in skeptical amusement at my poor decision-making before we walked back upstairs. That bit of drama over, I swooped in, picked up Iona (figuratively) and escaped my room before anyone else could intervene. I thought we were doing quite well until I spotted someone sitting on the hood of my car, with a suitcase. "Hey, Paige, what's up?" I inquired with a good deal of exasperation. It was kind of stupid, actually. I knew exactly what she was doing here; I hadn't invited her and I didn't want her coming along on Iona's weekend. "I thought I'd let you spend the weekend with me," Paige smiled smugly. A light breeze tossed her alabaster hair across her translucent albino features. "You are late, by the way." "No, Paige, this is Iona's, I started to say. "It would be wonderful spending the weekend with you, Paige," Iona stepped up and hugged her. "It will be so great; their house is huge, Aunt Jill is so kind, and there is the sorority right next door." "Okay, Paige, you can come along, but this is a no sex weekend. Are we clear?" I warned her. "We'll see," Paige smirked. "I plan to sleep both nights in his bed, completely naked and rubbing against him," Iona beamed. "He'll crack," Paige wagered. "No, he won't. I trust him," Iona pledged. Paige appraised me for a second. "Okay, I'm game. We'll see if we can break him," Paige allowed. I once joked with some Kappa Sigmas about joining a monastery. I'm being driven to reconsider that option. After that exchange I was happy enough to make it to my home in one piece. I'd have been happier if there wasn't a police car in the driveway. I was walking onto the porch when my ladies spoke up. "Zane, why would the police be here?" Iona worried. "Zane, if they arrest you and I then attack them, will they let us share a cell?" Paige mused. "Iona, I have a few ideas and none of them are good," I responded. "Paige, they don't house men and women together, but I can probably smuggle a message to your side and tell all the lesbians what a screamer you are." Iona didn't get to question and Paige didn't get pick on me before I opened the door and went inside. "Hey, Aunt Jill," I called out, "I'm home and I've brought Iona Beckett and Paige Zeller with me." We had already talked over Iona's stay with Jill; Paige would be a whole new series of complicated hurdles. "Zane," Aunt Jill greeted me heartily. She was coming off her lounger while Officer Danica Campbell rose from the sofa and gave me a measured look. "This is Officer Campbell of the Lancaster Police and she has an official criminal matter to discuss with you," Jill finished in a worried tone. "Mr. Braxton, if I could have a word with you on the porch," Danica put forth the question that wasn't really a request. "Of course, officer," I responded. "Ladies, could you please hang out here with Aunt Jill for a few minutes and I should be back as soon as possible." I walked back to the porch. When Danica passed me, I shut the door and we turned to face one another. "Zane," Danica smiled. "Hey, it is good to see you, Officer Danica Campbell, but I have a feeling this isn't a social call," I sighed. "You are correct. There was an incident at the Dixie Roadhouse last night and your name came up during the inquiry. The Sheriff's Department contacted the PD and I decided that it would be more discrete that I meet you at your home as opposed to on campus," Danica related. "What can you tell me about the Dixie Roadhouse?" "I went there with a few buddies, got into a fight, and beat a Warlord named Big Ted into unconsciousness," I informed Danica. "What do you know about a guy named Peter 'Deacon' Baker?" Danica asked. "He's like a big deal with the local chapter but I don't actually know the guy," I replied. She studied me for a moment then appeared to accept me at my word. "This is a different crop of girls," she said with smirk. "Yes, they are friends of mine. Iona is a best bud and Paige is, Paige. She's very smart but very hard to get along with at times too," I explained. "How is your other friend?" She tried to sound casual. "I was curious if she'd be here tonight." "I'll tell her that," I grinned. "It will make her week when she hears you've asked about her. She still thinks you are very special." "She's quite a handful," she grinned back. "Not that I'm complaining. I can hardly get over the sensation of her nipples on my back as she drove into me." Heaven was going to love that, I was sure. Her eyes wandered northward to the adjoining property. "More girls?" I followed her gaze to see three Kappa Sigmas coming through the tree-line. "Those are some Kappa Sigma sorority sisters, friends of mine. They are cool," I told her. "Uh-huh," she sounded skeptical. "There has to be a story behind that that statement, I'm willing to bet." She pulled out a business card from her breast pocket. "Here's my card, in case something regarding the case occurs to you, or whatever." The girls were almost on us so I had to whisper. "You aren't, like, married, or divorced from somebody with violent tendencies, are you?" I inquired softly. "No," she chuckled, "and cause for you asking that question has to be yet another interesting story, I'll bet. Maybe you can tell me about it if we get together." "Mr. Braxton," she said a bit louder as she took a half-step back from me, "have a good weekend and try to stay out of trouble." "I'll do my best, Officer Campbell," I responded. "Ladies," she made a passing recognition of the Kappa Sigs as she left the porch and headed for the car. Only when Danica's cruiser pulled onto the road did the Kappas speak. "Hey, Zane," Leigh spoke up first, "isn't that the speed trap lady?" "Yeah, she's nailed me before," I admitted, and immediately regretted my choice of words. "Really?" Paris prodded me. "Isn't she a bit old for you?" "No, speed trap, she pulled me over but I got off with a warning ticket," I back-pedaled. "So, she got you off," Ferrara skewered me. "Which of her orifices was required for that?" "Aarrrggh," I cried heavenward. "Fine, Iona and Paige Keller are inside. Together with Jill, they will be making dinner for those of us who care to share our table. I have to go a bar and pay off a biker gang chieftain before he hunts me down and kills me." "Can we come along?" Leigh smiled. "We don't want to fight or anything like that, but I'd like to get some video of it, in case something fun happens." "That's right," Ferrara joked. "Something like him being beaten up, shot, stabbed, or killed. Leigh, Zane has sustained two beatings on our behalf. Let's not go for a third time before the month's out." "He didn't take a beating in the second fight," Paris corrected her sister. She was right; in the fight at the mall my opponents hadn't landed a blow. "I heard he was pretty roughly abused when he went to jail over that," Ferrara gave me a knowing smile. "All that conjecture is fascinating, ladies, but I do have a guy to pay off so go inside, make yourself at home, and I'll be back soon," I announced. I kissed each sister; Ferrara on the cheek, Paris on the lips, and Leigh with a tonsillectomy. I double-timed it to my car and didn't look back. The Fading Light And The Lord Mafia. I made it to the Dixie Roadhouse five minutes late. There were only fifteen bikes parked out front so I figured that if something went wrong I'd only be kinda dead, as opposed to the totally dead, killed in five or more fashions. There were three biker babes outside the door, drinking beers and talking; one was thankfully Willa. I made sure I had the money before disembarking from my car and heading in. "Hi there, Zane," Willa greeted me. I recalled that Belle would be working at the bar near UV campus tonight and tomorrow. "Hey, Willa, Katt, and Janet," I grinned. "Willa, if I get out of this, can I have a moment of your time when I get back?" "Sure," Willa seemed curious. "I would like to talk to you too." That was a bit odd but okay. When I entered the Dixie Roadhouse it took me a moment for my eyes to adjust but I knew where Deacon's table was from my last visit. Deacon was there with two of his associates, all in similar states of disrepair. My first thought was: What in the hell happened to them? The second was: Wow, they let someone in a half-body cast out of the hospital rather quickly these days. It looked like a herd of water buffalo had worked out the dance routine from that prison scene in the play Chicago, he had it coming, all over their bodies. None of his infirmities kept Deacon from glaring with horrible malevolence at me as I approached. "Here is your five thousand dollars," I stated as I lay the envelope on the table. None of them made a move on the money and I began to worry. Then I took in the full effects of their injuries and I figured out that not one of the three could reach over and get it. I opted to push the money across the table to the closest cripple. One of the guys managed, with some pain, to pick up the envelope and count the money. "It is all here," the guy mumbled to Deacon. I could see in Deacon's eyes that his hate for me was far from quenched but I didn't know why. It wasn't like I came back and kicked his ass, oh fuck, maybe I had. "I'll be going, then," I said as I backed up four steps. "I hope you feel better next time we meet." With that, I rapidly evacuated myself from the building. I found myself de-stressing next to Willa outside. "So, who in the hell fucked up Deacon and his buddies that bad?" I inquired. "Some people were hoping you could tell us," Willa prodded. "It wasn't me if that is what you are worried about," I assured her. "Tell me what happened." "From what little we've been told or been able to figure out, Deacon and his two senior officers stepped out to their rides around 11:30 last night when they got jumped," Willa related. "Then it gets weird, weirder," Katt continued. "Their attackers dragged them thirty yards over to the electrical shed," she pointed. That way no one could see them from the bar. "Then they proceeded to beat the ever-living hell out of them," Janet concluded, then took a swig of beer. I had to think about that for a moment. "Didn't they see who did it?" I questioned. "Blackbeard and Booth (who I assumed were the other two broken bikers) were knocked out before they saw anything and Deacon hasn't related what he saw, his jaw is wired shut because it's been broken in four places," Willa tried and failed to hide her grin. I had to think about that for a second; Deacon's jaw looked like it was carved out of granite. "Ladies (an affectation they found amusing), if Deacon and his two buddies had gotten into a fight outside the Roadhouse, wouldn't the rest of you come running, and wouldn't they have called out if they saw a gang of guys they didn't know coming toward them?" I ruminated. "That makes sense," Katt confirmed, "but what does that mean?" "One person," I muttered; "one really, really skilled person." "No way," Janet shook her head. "I can and have one-punched a person and I'm only so good," I countered. "I would have figured out which bike was Deacon's, picked the third one closer to the door to hide behind. After that, when he passed by me, I would come around the bike at a crouch-run and kick the closest target where the ear and jaw meet. If I do it right his brain beats around inside his skull a few times and it's lights out," I explained. "It looks like you've given this some thought," Willa observed. "No; the move is standard kick-boxing and the tactics are the usual for ambushing a dangerous animal. If you come at it head-on, you might still win but the price is much higher. Deacon and the other two talking in a place they felt safe was the 'distraction' for the ambush," I explained. "Oh," Willa contemplated the scenario. I could see her eyes walk over the parking lot as she considered the events playing out. "Of course, that still leaves you facing two opponents, right around six feet and 220 to 240 who are adept at violence," I pointed out. "If you could hit the second guy the same way fast enough and somehow render the last one incapable of speech, Willa concluded. "You would have to be insanely fast and if someone was that good, what would they be doing at a biker bar in Lancaster, Virginia?" "Don't you know? This is the destination of choice for all international assassins on the run?" I joked. "Willa, can I have that moment now?" She shrugged, grinned, and walked with me to my car. It was refreshing to be side-by-side with a woman not interested in jumping my bones. If she'd been a lesbian instead of what she was, it would have been perfect. "You are too young for me, Zane," Willa headed me off. "Cool," I answered, which was not what she expected. "I need to talk with you a bit but not here. I don't want to risk anyone else listening in." Now Willa appeared to be curious. "Okay. The abandoned roadside motel on Chandler Road, 2:00 pm tomorrow," she responded. "Thanks, Willa. And also, do you know where I can get some fake ID's?" I asked as I got into my car. "I'll see what I can dig up," Willa smirked. She rejoined her buddies on the porch and was chatting away as I took off for home. I knew that my ordeal for this evening was far from over. There still was the hurdle of finding a place for Paige to sleep and making sure she stayed in the room Jill and I agreed on. The struggle with Jill over Rio had been epic enough; I certainly didn't expect the sounds of women's laughter and modern music to be the first thing I heard when I stepped out of my ride. Mind you, Jill thought Rio still had moral fiber. If I told Rio she had even a single moral fiber left she'd span Heaven and Earth hunting the mythical beast down a la King Pellinore. On the plus side, Aunt Jill knew nothing of Paige so I could play up that angle. I walked indoors to a chorus of 'hey' and 'Zane' coming from the kitchen. I strode into a flurry of dinner-prep activity. Apparently we were attempting Italian sausage ravioli, broccoli & carrots, mashed potatoes, salad, and gazpacho. Okay, I was pretty sure Jill thought ravioli was the invention of Chef Boyardee and

Join us for a milestone celebration as we turn the spotlight on the heart behind Lancaster Connects. For 35 years, Gardner's Mattress & More has been helping Lancaster County families sleep better and wake up happy, but this anniversary episode goes beyond mattresses to explore what it really means to build a business on honesty, expertise, and genuine community care.Hear the origin story of how Gardner's got its start in Lancaster and what's evolved over more than three decades of serving local families. Discover why their approach stands out in a crowded market, and learn about the customer moments that remind the team why helping people find better sleep truly changes lives.We'll also dive into Gardner's Gives Back, the community impact program that has partnered with local nonprofits to make a real difference across Lancaster County. Find out what inspired this commitment to giving and how it connects directly to the creation of Lancaster Connects itself.From adapting to industry changes like memory foam and online shopping while staying true to core values, to looking ahead at the next chapter for both the business and the podcast, this episode celebrates not just 35 years of success, but 35 years of showing up for the Lancaster community.Whether you're a longtime customer, a fellow small business owner, or simply someone who loves hearing stories about what makes Lancaster special, this anniversary episode offers inspiration, insight, and a reminder of what's possible when you build something with heart.Tune in to celebrate this milestone and discover the vision guiding Gardner's and Lancaster Connects into the future.Thank you for watching Lancaster Connects! This is the show about small business and small charity success in Lancaster county - we showcase the battle on Main Street, big vs. small David vs Goliath, and bring you the best of what makes Lancaster so great. ???? Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://StreamYard.CastAhead.net ➡️ Get your FREE copy of Ben McClure and Jeff Giagnocavo's book - "Sleep Better" https://gardnersmattressandmore.com/sleep-betterLIVE SHOW PODCAST & REPLAYS: ???? Connect with Lancaster Connects:✅ Official: https://lancasterconnects.com/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LancasterConnects ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lancaster-connects✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LancasterConnectsLancaster Connects is produced by Chris Stone at Cast Ahead:  https://CastAhead.net 

(00:00:00) Encountering Disability is a series of free events over three days focused on community health and public policy as well as community inclusion and spirituality. Asia speaks with keynote speakers Marisa Brown and Michael Gamel-McCormick, as well as Rev. David Peck who spearheaded the initiative. (00:22:04) Consumer Affairs recently published a report covering the top metros in the U.S. with the worst housing shortages. These areas were found after researchers at the site calculated metrics like the vacancy ratio for the 200 most populous metro areas in the country. Not one, not two, but three spots in the Keystone State were ranked amongst the top 10: York in second; Harrisburg in fifth; and Lancaster in ninth.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of High Notes, host Melissa Thom speaks with Simon Lancaster, one of Britain's most acclaimed speechwriters.Simon traces his path from aspiring songwriter to shaping the words of top politicians and business leaders. They explore the art of persuasive communication, the timeless power of rhetoric, and why authenticity and emotion matter on stage.With stories from his remarkable career, Simon offers practical strategies for crafting unforgettable speeches, from harnessing rhythm and repetition to mastering rhetorical devices that captivate an audience.Tune in for practical insights on speaking with clarity and how to craft words that leave a lasting impression.More about Simon:https://www.bespokespeeches.com/Speak like a Leader Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGBamfWasNQReady to elevate your voice, confidence, and communication at work?Contact us at BRAVA Business and start making every conversation count:brava.uk.com/businessStay connected with BRAVASubscribe to our newsletter for the latest news, training opportunities and insights connecting business, acting, and voice:brava.uk.com/subscribeFollow us for more informationhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/bravauk/https://www.facebook.com/bravaukhttps://www.instagram.com/bravauk00:00 Introduction to High Notes Podcast00:30 Meet Simon Lancaster: Britain's Renowned Speech Writer01:40 The Journey to Becoming a Political Speech Writer03:14 The Art of Unforgettable Speeches05:40 The Language of Leadership07:05 Rhetorical Devices in Public Speaking12:23 When Speeches Go Wrong: Lessons from Gerald Ratner17:19 The Power of Rhetorical Devices: TEDx Talk Insights21:31 Favourite Rhetorical Devices and Techniques23:45 The Power of Hypnosis in Overcoming Nerves26:02 Engaging Your Audience: The Role of Charisma27:27 Finding Inspiration in Speech Writing31:07 Building Confidence in Communication33:29 Admiring Modern-Day Speakers37:50 The Impact of Iconic Speeches40:13 The Influence of Music and Funk41:16 Conclusion and Farewell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 17 I Need A Bigger Bed? In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Being dead is wonderful; you never get tired and you have all the time in the world to regret how you ended up this way      Yes, Rio," Mercy wiggled in even tighter, "you can annoy me whenever you want." I was starting to seriously work over Heaven's butthole when I caught Barbie Lynn move her lips over to Rio's ear. "You rock," Barbie Lynn whispered to my 'Bro'. Rio kept her eyes shut but grunted in disgust. She was a stone-cold pitiless bad-ass who cared about nothing and nobody, just ask her. "Are you putting your whole god-damn fist up my ass?" Heaven hissed. "That's my thumb, ya big baby," I quietly teased. We owed it to our bed buddies to keep the noise down as much as possible. "That's right, Big Daddy, tear my poor little hinny up," she pouted devilishly. She was on top so she had to press her tits hard against me to whisper in my ear. "Next time I want to be alone so you can treat me like your dog-bitch, press my face into a pillow to stifle my screams, and drill me deeper than you've ever reached before." "Are you trying to make me cum before I even get inside you?" I gasped. "Oh, God, no," Heaven squeaked. "Don't you dare, please," she begged. "You make me feel so good. I'm sorry I teased you. We can take it slow if you want." "If you want to make me happier, play with yourself and let me feel it," I breathed. Heaven struggled for words before giving up and grunting. Her hips shook as she accelerated her hand's manipulations of her cock, which rested tightly against my stomach. At the same time, I switched up my one thumb with three fingers in her rectum. Heaven gave a choked whimper as she took my intrusion tentatively, then pushed down even harder. As my bulbous head pressed past her sphincter, Heaven hiccupped and tears welled in her eyes. "I, I, did the calculations," she gulped. "If I, have sex with you, every twelve hours, my rectum will, adjust so sex, will be more, fun." "You figured this all out?" I teased. "Purely scientific, I swear," she grinned. "It is, not because, I want to, fuck you, all the time." "I respect you for your mind, Heaven, but this time I think you might be too close to the subject matter," I tickled her back. She took hold of my cock. "Too close to this," she gulped. I swiveled my hips back and forth, sending my cock deeper and deeper into Heaven. She eventually gave up any hopes of a coherent argument and curled herself onto my chest, panting. "Hello, Lover," I told her in near silence. "Thank you, my Bitch," she responded between kisses to the line where the jaw meets the throat. The rest of what either one of us wanted to say was lost as I rocked my hips up, propelling my cock even deeper into her bowels. Heaven clawed at my chest as her sexual tension ramped up. Eventually, our symmetry brought Heaven struggling to the end of her road. "Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend," she gurgled. "He's my Boyfriend!" she screamed. At least she didn't use my name, unless you counted the fact that I was the only boy on campus. "Oh, damn," Heaven gasped for air. "Thanks for bringing me back, Zane." We kissed passionately. "Thanks for the, attitude adjustment too." "Huh?" I wondered. I'd heard the term before but not from someone who regularly talked with Heaven. "Iona posted the slang," Heaven gasped-giggled. I shifted my head from the right side of Heaven's head to the left. My shock must have registered with Heaven, whose gaze went from my face to looking over her shoulder to the form of Gabrielle Black. Heaven scrambled off me and pulled the sheets tight. Shades of Gabrielle Black "We need to talk, Zane Braxton." I saw Gabrielle's lips move but I was pretty sure the words floated across the room without disturbing the ears of anyone around us. I gave her a nod, planted on Heaven a reassuring, full-on kiss, then quick-stepped over to a wardrobe and put on a robe. She followed me out, keeping a keen eye on me while mostly hanging in my blind spot. Vivian was sound asleep as we passed her. I took Gabrielle to the far corner of the Solarium, locating a remote control when we were close. Ms. Black gave me a fatally cold look as I punched in the code that would give us a dead zone electronically to talk in. "Surveillance," I held up the remote. She understood the implications. "I want to see more of your so-called gift with women." I had no doubt this was not a sexual come-on. I would have been a hell of a lot happier if it was; instead, it put me in a situation I knew very little about. "Strip," I requested, with as much calm as I could instill in my voice. Gabrielle gave me a lightning assessment, then started shedding her perpetually black outerwear and lingerie. When she finished, the words 'Hot Damn' came up a ton of times unbidden to my thoughts. I worked out regularly, took martial arts, and stretched whenever I could. I might as well have been a coach potato as far as Gabrielle was concerned. She wasn't bulky; rather, strong in the long muscles that counted more for strength and stamina. I still managed to have the courage to ask her to extend her arms and spread her legs. Hell, I even touched her ass, thigh, and caressed the right shoulder twice. When I finished up, I was before her once more. I leaned on the back of a chair and waited, I had taken five minutes, where in most cases it took seconds, but this woman's body wove deceptions like a champion. "Well?" she finally gave in to her curiosity before I gave in to my fear. "Well, I imagine the most important thing to you at this second is the wrists. I did spend some time in a high-pressure private academy in my formative years and I know the difference between horizontal and vertical. Horizontal cuts on the wrist are a cry for help, vertical show a real desire to die." "Now, I can't know for sure that you didn't make two attempts but you look like you're insanely intense, emphasis on the insane, so I guess some fucked up shit happened to you that made you damn sure the only answer was to check out permanently," I stated evenly. "What now?" she questioned me, her intonation utterly devoid of emotion or compassion. "I'd like to tell you what I tell every other woman I learn a secret about, that your past is your business and your business alone," I sighed. "But?" she prodded me. "Gabrielle, your body is a roadmap of pain, suffering, and death," I shrugged, "and there is no damn way you came to this school legally." Gabrielle studied me in a way that made an icy fist grasp my heart. "Of course, I am hardly a poster child for someone who does belong at FFU. Are you going to kill me now or do you want me to continue?" I inquired hopefully. "Mr. Braxton, Zane, the wiring in this place is sub-standard and clearly unauthorized. I would choke you unconscious, put you in the hot tub, then electrocute you," she informed me with the air of a professor describing the events of tenth century Anglo-Saxon England. "I will not do this right now because you are terrified of me, which shows a great deal of insight and intelligence, somewhat remarkable in someone so young," she added. "Okay. Something allowed you to slip past the Psych Evaluation to get into someone's military; I could put that down to being experience with the system plus being clever enough to fool the testers," I said. "Once inside, something fucked up your perception of authority, something not good. I figure you are obsessed with physical defense, bi-sexual, yet your sexual attitude toward me is one of contempt. Since you don't know me enough to hold me in contempt yet, you were abused by a man in authority over you," I delivered the bad news. Gabrielle did not respond. "This is total conjecture but it patches in with what comes later; you entered some kind of actual combat duty. You learned not only that you were good at killing but you liked it. It substituted for sexual release and that whole risk-pain thing you have kept until today. I count six bullet wounds, a knife wound on the back above the right kidney, and two things I guess are shrapnel wounds but I've never seen any before to compare," I added. "I imagine you got out of the regular service because the level of your medical care diminished for a while, then, Bang!, you got this expensive plastic surgery. You do okay for maybe three years, then you pick up that nick in your left ankle, followed by the shoulder getting done," I said. "No indications of why these two injuries?" she narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to go all James Bond on you. Gabrielle Black fell for somebody hard and I'm betting it was a woman. It is kind of frightening to think of what kind of psycho she was to lure you in and trap you," A light flickered in her eyes when I went down this path. "You guarded her, became very close to her as a parade of lovers passed through her life until she sucked you in." "One day you found yourself killing for her and I doubt you asked why. I doubt there was only one time but in the end, it was never enough. One night you came back and found this year's model on the payroll. Gabrielle Black is way too smart to wait for this to play out. You loved her but you liked living more, so you escaped before you were introduced to your employer's retirement plan," I grimaced. "You came back to the United States, your accent indicates time in France or Italy, and this job fell into your lap. Lancaster, Virginia is out of the way enough for you to hide in while close enough to several major cities for you to move around if you need to, so you edit your work record and hire on at an all-girls university," I finished. "What now?" "I don't kill you and Vivian. Making two deaths look like an accident would be incredibly difficult; murder-suicide would only make your female cohorts dig deeper and there are some serious advantages in staying here for me," she stated. Sensing my confusion, she clarified. "Vivian has been awake for some time observing us but I doubt she can hear what we are saying." Gabrielle finished redressing; she gave me a once-over. "My turn. What makes you hard? Seriously, you have been perpetually aroused since I've met you," she mused. "There is a bit of a list: fear, joy, sunlight, moonlight, sex, the impossibility of sex, I informed her. "I understand," Gabrielle cut me off. "Who are you going to tell?" "Christina Buchanan, Cordelia Dresden, and Dana Gorman." I decided that lying would do me worse than no good; I might get one or two lies past Gabrielle and this wasn't the time to waste one. "Good enough. But if there are repercussions from tonight, I will feel far less tolerant toward you," she made sure I understood. I was happy that this looked like a painless parting of the ways. "Thank you," I spoke to her retreating form. She looked over her shoulder questioningly. "For taking me seriously," I explained. She gave a curt nod, turned, and departed. Vivian pretended to be asleep when I returned to bed and I let her. It seemed like the rare sane thing for me to do. Say 'Lesbian Bikers' at your own peril.             Mankind is poison because we compromise our souls for the companionship of others   "Vivian, I'm going to take a shower," I whispered to Vivian. I was hovering over her from the back of the sofa-sleeper, asking permission to take my shower downstairs. She was laid out beneath me, her jersey bunched up around her breasts and her left thumb hooked into the band of her shorts and pushing them dangerously down. "Umm," she sighed, a little smile tilting her lips. "Honey, I need your permission to use the downstairs shower," I continued. I wisped across her lips with my own. Her smile blossomed into full-blown pleasure. "Okay, I'm getting up, I'm getting up," she moaned. Vivian slowly opened her eyes as she stretched and twisted her body to wakefulness. "Good morning, Zane," she yawned with this adorable little grin on her face. "You look beautiful," I complimented quietly. "Umm, thank you," she purred. "You look, Zane! What are you doing?" she bolted upright, barely missing a head-on-head collision. "I'm asking you permission to go down to the fifth floor and take a shower," I repeated. "Why didn't you simply sneak past me?" she propped herself up on her elbows. "I said I would wait on your decision, so I waited. Can I please, please do something," I pleaded, "before I go nuts?" "Umm, okay," Vivian said cautiously. I reached down to her midsection and she flinched so I held back. No word passed for several seconds so I resumed my journey to her pushed up sleeping jersey and slowly pulled it down until her stomach and crotch were covered. "Zane," Vivian sighed, "could you control your hormones for thirty minutes, when you are awake?" "I have to go now," I stood up, "because covering you up didn't make you any less attractive." "Zane," Vivian came off the sofa and followed me, "you should attempt to look at a woman as a fellow follower of Christ and less in terms of beautiful and ugly and you might be happier. Go take a shower." She's telling me this with an earnest warm face and finely sculpted legs that disappear right below the crotch into that billowing Dallas Cowboys shirt. "Go on and fuck the bitch," Rio growled as she traipsed by with Mercy's hand on her shoulder. Barbie Lynn came slowly limping behind. Barbie flashed me a grin and I raced to catch up. At the bottom of the stairs something occurred to me. "Hon, where is your towel?" I asked Barbie Lynn. She shot me an apologetic smile. I stepped behind Barbie Lynn, ran a hand along her hip to the curve of her stomach and kissed her on the neck. "Take mine; I'll catch up," I chuckled. I draped my towel over her shoulder and bounded up the stairs. At the top of the stairs I stumbled to a stop. Vivian had only then finished taking off her jersey and was holding it in her left hand. The bottom of the shirt scrapped the ground. Vivian looked at me, neither shocked, ashamed, nor outraged. Her breasts were freaking gorgeous, fully round, buoyant, and with a miniscule droop. Her pale blue panties left little to the imagination, her cunt lips clearly camel toed. "I apologize," I quickly spun away and raced to my sleep area. I grabbed a towel and headed straight for the stairs. "Zane, it is okay," Vivian called out. She'd covered her breasts and diaphragm with the jersey. "Huh?" "I don't mind; I know you didn't mean to see me so I'm not offended and I don't feel you went back on your word," she related with a sense of grace. I wasn't truly sure of what word I hadn't gone back on but she appeared happy. "Does that mean you can flash me your ta-ta's guilt free?" I asked hopefully. Vivian regarded me with amusement. "Zane, constantly being distracted by unbridled sexuality will not leave you content," she lectured me patiently. We regarded each other for some time. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" "If you are going to offer, could you come over here, turn around, bend over, grab your ankles and finally look past your thigh at me?" I cringed. She shook her head, regarded me once, then rolled her eyes. "I may not be able to save you but I'm not going to shove you down to damnation either," she stated firmly. "Do it; I won't take advantage of you and I'll tell you a valuable secret," I offered. Lesbian Bikers Normally my chance of success with Vivian and that line was nil, but the convergence of a Gabrielle's midnight visit and her desire to show me that trust and honesty could exist without a sexual context brought her to me. She slowly turned around and assumed my desired position. I rabidly wanted to step up to her, gently slip her panties aside and take her cunt with deep languid strokes. "Please stand up," I groaned. Once she was up I leaned into her ear. "You are not a virgin," I whispered carefully. Vivian tensed slightly. "All it means to me is that you know what you are talking about when you mention sexuality and I have to treat you with more respect. I apologize for prying." She twisted to face me and was about to say something but I put a finger to her lips to silence her. "People are listening," I cautioned her quietly. "Thank you for that," Vivian whispered. "It was one time in high school and we had exchanged Promise Rings. It was a mistake we both regret." "It's all cool," I grinned. "I kind of wish your first time had turned you into a wild sex monkey and you and your beau planned on having five hundred kids, but we're good." "Zane," Vivian sounded exasperated, "I pity the woman you decide to marry." "What?" I acted shocked, "I would never cheat on my wife." "Oh, I believe you, but I fear the poor woman would die from exhaustion," she scolded me. "She'd die happy?" I offered up as my only defense. "Lord, give me strength," Vivian groaned. "Go take a shower." "Gotchya, Boss," I beamed happily. I turned half way to the door, then gave a backward glance. "Vivian, if you ever need anything, just ask." "I, ." she was about to scold me but she stopped and sighed. "Fine, Zane, I know you mean well; now go." I winked and raced away. I could swear Vivian believed she was getting a crash course in Mothering a Teenage Boy. Biker Bar Horror Story It had been a hard day of first-round semester testing plus restructuring the Marksmanship and Orienteering Clubs. I still managed to get in sufficient studying (in my opinion) for Friday's round of activities. At lunch I had a little talk with Cordelia and Christina about Gabrielle Black and their fears concerning her. I really wish both women hadn't looked so concerned. I would have preferred they called me paranoid instead. I was sitting watching some bizarre sitcom rerun with an arm around Iona when Rio came rocketing up the stairs. "Hey, Princess," she screamed at me (in case anyone has missed it, Rio is a freak), "Val found out about a Biker bar called the Dixie Roadhouse and we're heading there. Do you want in?" I looked down to Iona who, despite a look of fearful concern, gave me a nod of consent. "Sure thing, Rio," I said, as I popped over the sofa and pulled Iona along after me. "Zane, you are not going out to a bar," Vivian rose to the challenge. "You are only eighteen." "If I don't go, we may not get Rio back," I cautioned my guardian. "Speaking of which: Rio, where is Mercy?" Vivian rounded on my 'Bro'. "I ambushed her: hit her in the head with the Gutenberg Bible and tied her to the back of Valerie's hog," Rio smiled proudly. Pulling Iona along with me, I pursued Rio down the stairs. "I promise I'll bring them all back," I shouted to Vivian. She was kind enough not to chase me down and make me stay. The Dixie Roadhouse looked like some sort of converted barn with a few cobbled together outbuildings. Mine was probably not the first car to grace this dirt parking lot but it was definitely rare to have a ride with four wheels parked here. I had Rio and Mercy with me. Of course, Mercy had not been beaten and tied up for tonight's outing. Iona had ridden gleefully on the back of Val's bike. "This is going to be epic," Rio exulted. "That's right," I joked tragically. "We are five teenagers in school uniforms going into a place that constantly lays down new sawdust to cover up all the blood." "Hey, Sissy-Boy," Rio punched me, "this is on my Bucket List, so don't wimp out on me now." We quickly paired up, Rio with Mercy and Iona with me. Val, Valkyrie went in alone as she felt that would increase her odds of survival. She also wore her Stormriders' patch and colors. Unfortunately, the rest of her gang was two thousand miles away. "Rio," Valerie coughed as she handed Rio a switchblade. Rio snickered, flipped the blade out several times in quick succession before stealthily stashing it into her waist band. 'Thank God,' I thought, 'she actually knows how to use a knife.' The double doors leading into the bar/club were propped open so we migrated in as a group. People didn't stop and stare but they managed a passable job of telling us to 'get the hell out' with their eyes alone. Valerie led us to the bar where the lone bartender took his time getting to us. The guy was going for the chest hair with a black leather vest look along with copious amounts of facial hair. "We don't serve kids," he growled out when he stopped in front of Valkyrie. "We are not high school kids, we are not cops; we are college kids who need a damn drink, not a lecture. So are you going to give us shit or a beer, because there must be a dozen lame college dumps we can go slumming at." "Who are you?" he grumbled. "Valkyrie, Stormriders," Valerie answered. "What is your name?" he persisted. "Valerie Palmer," she shrugged. "Are you kin of Mad Dog Palmer?" he inquired. "Dude, no one calls him Mad Dog who wants to live, and he's my grandfather," she smiled. "Got it," the bartender gave a sinister grin. "What are you doing here?" "My Dad divorced my Mom and became a born again Christian," she informed the guy. "Harsh; so are these kids yours?" he asked; meaning the rest of us. "They are not members but I consider them my associates," Valkyrie allowed. The bartender shrugged and started handing out beers. Val pulled out a roll of bills and paid for our first round. Val and I took slow steady pulls on our drinks. Rio downed hers in two chugs. Mercy and Iona took tentative sips and made disgusted faces as a result. I paid for Rio's second round. "It tastes awful," Iona whispered to me. "Pretend you are drinking it then. Beer is not for everyone," I assured her, and letting her see my smile dispelled any thought that I felt less of her for being different. "Rio," Mercy tried next. "Drink it," Rio demanded. "Do it, and I'll screw you with the bottle; don't, and I'll pour it over your head and shirt." Mercy choked on her response and took a swig of beer. "You annoy the hell out of me, Mercy," Rio reacted in a warmer tone. I looked at Valerie; she looked to me and nodded. Things could be working out far worse. I noticed six biker babes playing pool off in the darkest corner. I didn't think they were a problem but two of them kept giving me the eye. I hoped my current group of women would provide me shielding. A group of ten bikers came rolling into the place, laughing, punching, and doing other masculine bonding rituals. They noted the five out-of-place newcomers at the bar but didn't seem put out until I saw these two guys in the pack and they saw me. We had a bit of history that went all the way back to a bad night for me on a bench in a communal jail cell. Perhaps I suggested that if they didn't get out of my way, I would shove their heads through the bars of the cell. I was in for two counts of assault and they were in for minor drug possession so they backed down. By the look on their faces, they remembered that night, oh, fuck. "Guys!" I cried out. I came off my stool and quickly walked up to the closer of the two. He actually took a step back into one of his buddies. "It is good to see you, Man," I kept grinning. I stepped up, put my left hand on his right elbow to propel his hand up. I clasped his palm and shook it, chest to chest. "A week ago we were all in lock-up together, I was totally wasted, and this guy and his buddy (I nodded to the second guy) saved my ass. Let me buy all of you guys the first two rounds," I offered. The guy who was clearly the dominant member gave my 'buddy' a look. He figured something wasn't right but he didn't know what it was. The two bikers in the cell hadn't talked about their facedown with some college kid since they'd backed off without a fight. "That's about right, Zane," the guy holding my hand said. "Those two guys get out of the hospital?" he continued as we walked as a group to the bar. "Yeah, I administered a warning more than a lesson," I shrugged. "I wanted them to leave my ladies alone. The point was made. The whole jail thing was the Sheriff getting me back for a fight I was in the previous weekend but no one pressed charges." That earned me some knowing chuckles. Beers were handed out; I paid for this round and the next, my heart finally calming down from the near catastrophe. "Gus, what's with the little girls?" the leader addressed the bartender. He titled his head toward Valkyrie. Her colors gave her the higher status. "The little one is with Zane and those two (Rio and Mercy) are together," Valarie answered deadpan. The big guy put his hand on Iona's shoulder while looking at me. "Mind if I take your girl for a dance," he didn't ask, he told me. "You take your hand off of her and I'll forget you touched my girl," I stated with a quiet calm coming over me. "If I don't?" he taunted me. "I don't play twenty questions," I warned him. "Seriously, dude, you want to get into a fight over a girl barely out of a training bra?" Valerie tried to make light of the situation. "She's his sister." The leader let go of Iona and stepped back. "She's your sister? Why in the hell did you bring you sister to this place?" he was curious. "Are you trying to tell me this place isn't 'family friendly'?" I grinned, finally taking a real breath. "That's a fucked-up way to look at things but yes, I guess it is," he chuckled. He reached past Iona and took his beer. Everyone around us relaxed again. "What were you going to do?" he idly asked me. "Since you had your left hand on Iona and your right was going for that steel rod you use as a sap, I was going crush your trachea then introduce your forehead to the bar," I explained. "That might have killed me," he noted. "Nothing personal, but I had nine more bodies to put down," I reminded him. "I would have given us better than even odds that we would be getting out of here," Valerie joined in. "So you really kicked Dog-Boy and Sticks off their bench?" he changed direction. Apparently, then, some in the gang did know. "They were a bit stoned and I was really pissed off," I exaggerated. "That makes sense; they are idiots," the leader grinned. A group of four more bikers with the same colors as the current crop came in. The guy we'd been talking with and five others broke off and headed to the rear of the establishment to seats around two circular tables. The four guys remaining gathered around Rio and Mercy. One guy put a hand on Mercy's shoulder. "Come on out and see my ride," he grinned at a surprisingly calm Mercy. "Hands off," Rio sneered, "I own the bitch." That caused the four men to look at each other. "Don't worry, I rent her out from time to time," Rio acted nonchalant. Two of the guys closed in, one running a hand down Mercy's shoulder and thigh while the other put a hand on each of her hips. "How much?" he growled. "We can take her into the bathroom right now." "Nope," Rio shrugged. "She's got tests at school tomorrow and I've got her busy all weekend long, but write down your number and I'll call you. Zane, pen." I tossed Rio a pen who handed it to the biggest biker. The guy looked Rio, then to her hand. "No," Rio snickered. "Mercy, off the stool and lean over the bar," she emphasized with a slap to the ass. Mercy scrambled to obey. Rio smiled at the dude then flipped Mercy's skirt up, wedged her already slender lacy underwear into her ass crack. Rio smacked a cheek. "Here you go." "Hell, ya," he laughed, as he scrawled his name and number over Mercy's proffered ass cheek. "Are you sure you are going to remember this?" "Oh, yeah; I'm going to be pounding this ass most of the night when I get her home," Rio told him. "I thought you said she had tests tomorrow," the third guy joked. "So do I, and that means I've got a lot of stress to work through," Rio grinned shark-like. "She's going to have to suck it up." That earned another round of laughs. "You really, truly annoy the hell out of me, Mercy," Rio snorted. Mercy resumed her barstool, turned to face Rio and sipped her beer once more. The warming radiance of Mercy's smile was both tragic and sweet. I stole a look toward Iona who had a wide-eyed curious look about her and ended up at Valarie, who looked relieved enough to finally put her back to the bar and look around. We were into our second beer (still Iona and Mercy's first and Rio's fourth) when our sense of ease began floundering. One of the biker chicks that had been playing pool came over to get a round of beers for her outfit. "Candy-ass whores," the woman taunted Rio as she picked up the six beers and walked away. Rio looked to me, somewhat confused and then outraged, and ended up with a glance to Valarie. "What did you say?" Rio sounded disarmingly curious to the biker chick. "You heard me," the woman scoffed. Rio was off the stool like a shot and brought her beer down on the biker chick's head. "Iona, stay close behind me," I hissed. I motioned to Mercy to get her attention. Before the woman could right herself, Rio kicked her in the thigh. As she stumbled forward, all of her beers crashed to the sawdust on the ground. Since the target of her wrath wasn't face-planting fast enough, Rio linked her fists together and hammer-slammed the chick between the shoulder blades; down she went. "I told you to repeat what you said, Bitch!" Rio screamed as she kicked the fallen woman in the ribs. At that point, three of the biker chick's closest companions descended on Rio and pulled her away. Valarie gestured to me to stay seated and I got Mercy's attention and kept her on her stool as well. "Hold her up," growled the biker girl Rio had decked. "What did you say, Bitch?" Rio snarled right back. "Lose the bull-dykes and I'll make you taste my shoe leather." "She's trying to get killed," Valarie whispered to me. Iona tensed with fear. "No, she's trying to get us all killed," I responded softly. "Let's take her outside," the first biker babe suggested as Rio struggled and kicked, attempting to free herself. "No," a different girl directed. "Let's take her to the john; I have an idea." The other women laughed and began dragging Rio away. "Zane!" Rio called out, "We are about to have a Leather Lesbian Slut orgy. Join in anytime you like." That was my cue to get my ass kicked. I moved to intervene, Val on my left between me and the worst of the crowd, Mercy to my right, and Iona taking up the rear. Sadly, a guy around my height but with a beer gut decided that I wasn't going to have an easy time of it. "No, you don't," he threatened. It was pretty clear four or five other guys were ready to jump in. Rio's cursing form disappeared behind the doors. I didn't have much time before Rio incensed the biker chicks so much they throttled her. "Do you have a gun?" I asked with as much patience as I could muster. He grinned evilly, pulled back his vest, and showed me the automatic he had stuck into his belt. I waited until his hand released the vest and moved toward his hip. I snatched the gun, flipped it around and rammed the barrel into his stomach. The only sound in the place was the four overhead fans and some Chris Rock wannabe belting it out over the stereo system. Rio's screams were becoming shriller. "I don't appreciate you pointing a gun at one of my brothers," a different man said. He was one of the group of four that had arrived earlier but I had the impression he was 'somebody'. "I'm really busy right now but I promise to deal with you when I retrieve my friend; okay?" I didn't wait for his response because I was sure it would suck. "Do you want me to feed you your gun back one bullet at a time?" I prodded the guy I had the gun on? He looked around for the moral support from his gang members. "Do it and you are dead," he countered with what I felt was false bravado. "That will hardly do you any good," I grinned as I cocked the hammer back. "Do you want your gun back?" "Ah, yes?" the biker gulped. "Are you going to let me get my girl and get her out of here?" I asked. "Ah, sure?" he seemed confused. I un-cocked the gun, flipped the handhold around and offered him his piece, grip first. No one appeared to know what to make of that. As if expecting a trick, the guy moved slowly. When he took it, I made to move past him. "You be careful now," I told him. He cocked the gun and pressed it into the side of my ribs. "Fuck you," he managed to get out before the 'click' and the point of Valkyrie's blade dug into his jugular, drawing a line of blood. "You really are too fucking stupid to live," Val seethed. "I'm Valkyrie of the Stormriders," she challenged the room. "We wage war on the Hell's Angels and the Mongols so some two-bit outfit like you Warlords doesn't bother me in the least. I'll bleed every one of you fuckers. Your bitch picked a fight with our bitch and you wouldn't man up and deal with it so now my friends will," she growled. "Zane, go get Rio." I nodded quickly and moved past the guy with the gun. "Iona with me; Mercy, you watch Valkyrie's back," I ordered. Iona clung to my back while Mercy hesitantly moved back to back with Val. She wanted to come with us and save Rio, no doubt. I raced over to the women's bathroom and flung open the door. Four sets of eyes riveted me as I came in. The other two women were busy shoving Rio headfirst into one of the toilets. The rest of us were facing knives and guns and Rio was about to get a swirlie. "Hi," I stammered. The two women holding Rio down backed out of the stall and joined the stand-off. "Zane, what fucking took you so long?" Rio panted. She staggered out and looked Iona and I over. "Where the fuck is Mercy?" Rio sounded concerned. "You stupid cow!" I snapped. "We are about to be murdered because of you, damn it." "You left Mercy out there with those animals?" Rio screeched back. She tried to push past the other biker chicks but thankfully didn't get very far. I'd have decked her myself. "Would you please give us our friend back," I requested after taking a deep breath. I was about to be told 'no' when one of the other bikers stepped into the light and I made her out clearly for the first time. "You're, I started to say. "You are Zane Braxton," she stated. "The guy who fucked your sister for an hour?" the lady closest to the lead girl asked. "Yeah," she leered. "He's the kid from the DVD she sent me and her husband, the bitch." Yes, this was the twin sister of the Sheriff's Deputy I'd had a three-way with. Didn't she work at a college club as a bartender? What a small damn world. The whole atmosphere of the room changed. Rio shrugged off the hands holding on to her but didn't bolt. "Rio, take Iona out to the others and wait for me in the parking lot," I insisted. "No, Zane. I'm not leaving you here to take Rio's beating," Iona resisted. Rio wasn't abandoning me either. I reached out and stroked Iona's hair and put my keys in her hand. "It will be okay. No one is going to kill anyone here tonight. Now I need you to go so I can settle up accounts," I grinned down at her with only a twinge of worry. Rio resolved the matter by taking Iona by the hand and dragging her out. Iona looked to be on the verge of tears. Rio's eyes told me she's suddenly sobered up and was regretting leaving me in harm's way. I looked back at the six women and the one oddity chipped away at my senses but I didn't know what to make of it. "So, how's your husband?" was the only, and rather lame, thing I could think to say. "I think he's turned State's Evidence against the Aryan Nation," she shrugged. "I thought your husband was some sort of hardened criminal," I inquired. "Ha," several of the chicks chuckled. "Zane, my husband is an accountant," she clarified with some amusement at my expense. "But, weapons charges, he was laundering money?" I pieced it together. "Good job, College boy," the 'strange' woman congratulated me. "Let's get you out of here before someone takes offense," the leader said. "Give me your number and we'll walk you out. I'm Belle, by the way." She offered her hand and I foolishly kissed it. I quickly gave up my digits, then we did a series of handshakes, French kisses and introductions. When the 'strange' woman's turn came, she introduced herself as Willa. I wanted to fucking cry because just looking at a woman will tell me a good deal about her person, a handshake even more, and a kiss is freaking El Dorado. Willa was a biker chick but she was also college educated, had a regimented training background, and was the only woman in the room who was looking for a way to not hurt Rio, very service-minded of her. "There may be a problem," I interrupted as we headed for the door. "There is this guy," I described the guy I took the gun from, "who I took his gun and threatened him with it. This other guy," I painted a portrait of the authoritative guy, "told me he was pissed with the whole gun thing." All the women stopped and looked at one another. "Zane, where is the gun?" Belle questioned me. "I gave it back to him once he agreed that I could come in here and retrieve Rio, my friend," I answered. "It is a damn miracle you aren't dead," Willa scowled. "I would have been but my other buddy, Val, put a knife to his throat. I left her with Rio's companion covering her back," I explained. "She's kind of tough." "That the one with Stormrider colors?" Belle asked. "Yeah. She's Valarie Palmer, my classmate as FFU," I told them. "Is she Damien Palmer's little girl?" Willa guessed. "She's his oldest granddaughter; is that important?" I inquired. The women seemed nervously amused by my ignorance. "He's a God-damn legend, Zane," Belle said. "Damien Palmer once took the Stormriders to a Mongol gathering in Las Vegas. Outnumbered three to one, they kicked serious ass, cleared out the place, and he ended the fight by grabbing a Mongol chapter president and some other poor Mongol bastard, jumped out a fifth-story balcony, and used their bodies to cushion his fall. I doubt prison has mellowed him much." "Your problems are a little more immediate. The guy whose gun you took is Big Ted, he's a moron. That 'other guy' is Deacon, Warlord chapter president for Northern Virginia," Willa weighed in. "Is he going to let my girls go?" I fretted. "Let's go and find out," Belle shrugged. We stepped out, Belle in the lead, followed by Willa, then me, then the rest. There were a few guys standing by the doors watching something. No one was jumping around or nursing serious wounds so I hoped the girls had exited. "Belle, the kid and I need to have a word out back," Deacon ordered confidently. "Deacon, my sister is keeping an eye on this guy," Belle suggested. "It may not be a good idea to put him in the hospital." "We can't let him push Big Ted around; it is happening," Deacon declared. "Big Ted," she looked to the guy I'd punked, "you want to kick Zane's ass out front?" Belle left Big Ted in the awkward position of taking his chances with me or looking weak in front of his gang. "I'll hand him his nuts," Big Ted growled. Deacon gave his consent and the club emptied out into the front lot. My girls were huddled around my car and Valarie's bike. Rio looked like she was going to do something stupid like run up to me but Mercy and Val held her back. I was actually relieved to see that Iona was behind the wheel of my car with the engine running. The Warlords spread out in a rough semi-circle with Deacon, Big Ted and Belle in the center. I had backed up about ten feet toward the road, facing the Warlords, when Big Ted came for me. He was about my height but around fifty pounds heavier, thus the name Big Ted. The Warlord flexed his arms and did some kind of primitive gesture meant to intimidate me. "So do we start with 'ready, set, go' or what?" I questioned. That brought a round of laughter from the motorcycle gang and Big Ted looked over his shoulder to share in their mirth. My first kick caught him in the nuts, the second one caught him in the chest and knocked him down, and the third saw me stomping on his nut sack once again. I swept around him and kicked him in the head hard enough, he rolled over twice in the dust. Ted was seriously unconscious. For ten seconds no one said a word. Any hope I had of getting away with my underhanded win began to fade when Deacon came forward. "You come to my roadhouse, beat up one of my people, and expect to get away with it?" he grumbled. "Deacon, I am so very sorry this happened. My friends and I only wanted to come by, have a few beers, and let my buddy Val soak in the kind of establishment she was used to going to, namely a biker bar," I said carefully. "Things were said, my best bud went a little nuts, and the shit got out of hand. How can I make it up to you?" "What the fuck can you do for me?" Deacon sneered. "Five thousand dollars?" I threw out there. He studied me. "You have that kind of money?" he questioned me. "Absolutely; I can have you the money tomorrow at six p.m." I promised. "Don't fuck up," he stated with menace, "or I will hunt you and your friends down. Got it?" "Understood," I pledged. Deacon snorted in disdain and headed back inside. The rest of the Warlords were heading inside with a few dragging Ted in and I finally let my focus expand beyond my immediate environs. The car pulling up was still unexpected. I knew the shape of the person who stepped out of the Sheriff's cruiser. "Zane," Sheriff's Deputy Tara Cavanaugh greeted me happily. "Belle," she said to her sister with far less warmth. "Zane, what brings you here?" "A schoolmate of mine is a motorcyclist; she wanted to see what a biker bar was like so we ended up here." "We couldn't get in because we are only eighteen but another friend of mine got sick and had to go to the bathroom. Belle was good enough to get her out," I lied. "Zane, you have sawdust on your shoes," Tara pointed out. "I had to go part of the way in to get my friend," I grinned feebly. "Zane, are you lying to me?" Tara frowned. "Yes," I admitted. "The truth is only going to cause a whole lot of trouble, though." "Wow, morally flexible where the law is concerned," Belle licked her lips. "Of course we already knew he was all kinds of flexible, didn't we?" "Usually the point where I start being talked about like a piece of meat is my cue to leave," I stated crossly. "Deputy Cavanaugh, may I leave now?" "Beat it, Zane," Tara told me. "Thanks, Deputy; take care, Belle. It was nice to meet you and thanks for all your help," I thanked her before rejoining my companions. Valarie drove alone in the lead. The rest of us followed in my car, sans conversation. Sorting Through One Helluva Mess We kept our silence until we stepped out of the elevator on the fifth floor. Valarie grabbed Rio ferociously, slammed her into the wall with one hand holding Rio's right bicep while her forearm was pressed so it choked Rio's throat. "You stupid, crazy bitch!" Valarie howled. "You could have gotten us all killed!" I looped an arm around Mercy's waist before she could go charging to Rio's rescue, and have Valarie beat her up. "Hang on, Mercy; I'll work this out," I whispered. She nodded but her concern was burning through. It was heart-warming to see Iona put an arm through Mercy's in what would be a futile gesture to keep Mercy still if things went bad. "Get your hands off me, Cum-dumpster," Rio snarled, followed by some choking noises as Valerie applied pressure to her windpipe. Next Rio tried to kick Valerie but the bigger woman deflected it with her thigh. It was time for me to step up. "I've got this, Valerie," I told her calmly. Valerie stepped back because she figured her next option was to beat Rio black and blue. I moved into Valerie's place but put my hands to either side of Rio's shoulders. "Rio, this is done; let's put it aside and go to bed early if you want, but I want to ask you one thing if you'll let me," I asked softly. "Fuck off, Zane," Rio rumbled, "I'm not in the mood for one of your mind games." "Okay," I shrugged. "To the Bitter End," I nodded. "To the Bitter End," she muttered back, her eyes drooping to the ground. "We are done," I told the rest of the crowd. Valerie snorted angrily and I figured she'd either bitch me out or never speak to me again. Rio grabbed me before I got away. "I, damn it, Zane, I screwed up again," she choked back a sob. "I'm fine, Rio. I signed on for the crazy so I have no one to blame but myself," I reassured her. "What did you want to ask me?" she sighed as she put her cheek on my chest. "Bro, I can't keep charging in to save you and keep Iona safe at the same time. What am I going to do?" I inquired. "Sorry, Man. I fucked up big time," she moaned. "I don't know why it happened." "That doesn't matter, Rio. Let's call it a night," I said serenely. We started to break up and I could see Valerie still glaring hate at me and Rio. "Rio, do me a favor?" "What?" Rio sounded dejected. "What was the second and, third thing you asked me in the bathroom?" I inquired. Rio snapped her face up toward me, angry and upset. "Don't," she insisted. "I have a near-eidetic memory so if you don't remember, I do," Iona chimed in. "Shut up, you two," Rio snarled. "Rio, I have had it with you. Jump and I'll kick in your teeth," Val seethed in response. Mercy looked ready to jump in too. "You said 'Where is, I began. "Don't, damn it," Rio growled, but she could see I wasn't going to relent. "Fine," she groaned in defeat. "I asked where Mercy was, then I bitched you out for leaving her with those 'animals'. Happy now?" "Pretty much, yeah," I tried not to sound pleased with myself. What I did accomplish was put a glimmer of understanding in Valerie's mind. A few seconds later Mercy clued in too. "Oh, Rio," Mercy teared up, "you didn't have to worry." "I swear, if you cry I'm going to shove so many ice cubes up your cunt, your eyes will shimmer like a snow globe," Rio swore to Mercy. "Rio," Valerie sighed with exasperation, "Learn how to fight, and more importantly, learn when not to fight." In the pack dynamic, going off and picking your own fight was nuts; fighting for someone in your group was totally different. By the uncomplicated code that nomads lived by, you stuck up for your own, and that made all the difference to Valerie. Rio was still crazy and could have gotten us all killed, but she'd done it for another member of the group; in this, case, Mercy. That demanded a reprimand, not expulsion. "How about we go up to Zane's and have some ice-cream?" Iona suggested. "We have ice-cream?" Rio perked up. "When did this happen?" "Rio," Iona sighed wearily, "we put them in on the first day. They are two 1950's style ice-cream freezers, one opposite the close showers and the other down by the far kitchenette." "Mercy," Rio grinned fiercely, "Bring several wash cloths to bed tonight. I'm going to cover your nipples with mint chocolate chip and lick it off." I wondered if Mercy could actually orgasm to death, she certainly looked ready to. "I thought you were going to, Mercy turned to Rio and patted her own behind. "Pound-cake, what makes you think you are getting any sleep tonight?" Rio chastised Mercy, then spanked her ass. "Rio, are you bi-polar?" Val ground out. "One second you are weeping on Zane's shoulder and the next you are engaging in kinky foreplay with your girlfriend." "She's not my girlfriend, she's my toy," Rio corrected. "Also, this shit ain't over. I know Zane jumped on a grenade meant for me but I can't do anything about it right now. I know I put us all in danger, again, nothing I can do about it at the moment. I do know that when I find that bitch Belle or any of her girl-pals, I'm going upside their heads with a pool cue, though." "Gosh," mused Iona, "I should figure out what I want on my tombstone." "Mine is going to read 'didn't kill Rio Talon soon enough'," griped Valerie. "Hardy-har-har," grumped Rio. "You are acting like they'll ever find our bodies." "You annoy me," Mercy whispered to Rio before licking her ear. "Careful, you," Rio smirked. "Ice cubes-cunt snow globe." I was thankful when I got to the door lock, entered my code, and held the door for them to head up. I tagged Valerie at the top of the stairs. She looked at me with annoyance but softened to curiosity when she saw my concern. "Zane," Vivian called out before I got anywhere. "We need to talk." That was depressing. "Val, I need to ask you something important. Can you please wait?" I asked the biker babe. "Sure," she promised before heading to get a drink. I walked with Vivian into my bedroom area. At the foot of the bed was laid out a skirt, shirt, bra, panties and socks. The shoes were on the floor. The owner was no mystery. Reclining on the pillows was Paige. She was clothed, sort of. She was decked out all in brilliant red: stockings, garter belt, silky panties, and a gauze-like bra that highlighted her pale breasts perfectly. Her flesh radiated like freshly fallen snow and her hair flowed forth from my pillow like a glacier crafted by spiders into a delicate web. "Hey," I sighed hungrily. "Hey," Paige responded in a rich sultry voice. "Paige!" Vivian snapped. "How did you get past me?" "I'm a ghost-panthress stalking my prey," Paige leered. "With the way Zane's heart is pounding, I'm doing a good job of it too." "Get up, put on a robe, and leave the room now," Vivian insisted. "Oh," groaned Paige as she rolled over and shook her delicious shaped bottom at me, "I'm so tired. I need someone's help in getting out of bed." Yes, I wanted to go to the bed right then, but it had nothing to do with helping Paige actually get out of that bed or that position. "I'll take care of her," I told Vivian. I walked to a wardrobe across the room, opened it up, and took a look around inside. Vivian walked behind me and gasped. "What are you doing with all these robes, all these women's robes, Zane?" Vivian muttered. "I got them predicated on the notion that I would have women up here. I thought it would be considerate of me to give them a choice of what to wear," I indicated my selection. "How did you smuggle them all in here?" Vivian wondered. "We have mail service, Vivian. I ordered them online." She seemed confused. The university didn't block clothing sites from their computer network. I pulled out a short red one with a white and black tiger circling on the back and showed it to Paige. "Oh, cool, I'll look like a Bangkok whore," Paige sounded conflicted. "Actually, this one is from China so that would make you a White Russian Shanghai hooker," I corrected. "Oh, I like that," Paige purred as she crawled over to my side of the bed on all fours. &qu

In this episode, Pastor Matthew Johnson continues our Follow series with a teaching from Matthew 22:15–22 and Acts 1:6–8. Jesus' words, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God,” challenge us to consider how we live as citizens of both heaven and earth. Pastor Matthew unpacks the tension between faith and politics, reminding us that our hope and loyalty rest in God alone. With honesty, humor, and biblical insight, he explains how followers of Jesus can love others boldly, share truth wisely, and stay grounded in the only foundation that never shifts.

In this episode, Pastor Matthew Johnson continues our Follow series with a teaching from Matthew 22:15–22 and Acts 1:6–8. Jesus' words, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God,” challenge us to consider how we live as citizens of both heaven and earth. Pastor Matthew unpacks the tension between faith and politics, reminding us that our hope and loyalty rest in God alone. With honesty, humor, and biblical insight, he explains how followers of Jesus can love others boldly, share truth wisely, and stay grounded in the only foundation that never shifts.

On this episode of Crazy Wisdom, Stewart Alsop sits down with Leo Guinan to talk about the Manhattan Project for Human Potential, his vision of AI as a tool for personal agency, and the Bottega model inspired by the Medici workshops as a way to reimagine networks, mastery, and transformation. The conversation moves through themes of exponential versus linear growth in the economy, the decline of manufacturing in Ohio, China's rise through complexity and control of supply chains, the dangers of time violence and information asymmetry, and the potential of prediction markets to reshape politics and business. Leo also shares his creative project Hitchhiker's Guide to the Future, which he's building as a group art experiment on Substack — you can find it at hitchhikertothefuture.substack.com.Check out this GPT we trained on the conversationTimestamps00:05 Stewart introduces Leo Guinan and they discuss the Manhattan Project for Human Potential, personal agency revolution, and the Bottega model rooted in Medici workshops.00:10 Leo reflects on networks vs. individuals, the genius–insanity line, and how exponential growth clashes with linear wages in Silicon Valley.00:15 They explore economic tension, the decline of wages, mastery in Bottegas, and the vision of decentralized innovation hubs.00:20 Conversation turns to Argentina, decentralization, and Leo's Ohio roots, tying local manufacturing decline, Anchor Hocking, and drug addiction to global shifts.00:25 Leo shares his frustration with student debt, the fakeness of the economy, and neuroses encoded into AI models like Gemini.00:30 They examine China's manufacturing dominance, mercantilism, complexity inflation, and the concept of time violence.00:35 Leo explains infinite predictors, cooperation, and consciousness as network awareness, citing Creator HQ as conscious technology.00:40 Discussion moves to rigorous mysticism, deterministic transformation, probabilistic futures, and the monkey and the pedestal metaphor.00:45 They analyze 1971 as a break between linear and exponential growth, compute access, surveillance states, and the power of human spite.00:50 Leo imagines algorithm manipulation, local AI, and prediction markets, referencing futarchy and political false choices.00:55 They close with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Future, Leo's group art project on Substack, and the rediscovery of ancient wisdom.Key InsightsThe heart of Leo Guinan's work is what he calls the Manhattan Project for Human Potential, a recognition that artificial intelligence isn't just about technology but about a personal agency revolution. He frames AI as a mirror that reveals how networks of people, rather than isolated individuals, drive intelligence and creativity.The Bottega model, inspired by the Medici workshops, is central to Leo's vision. By gathering diverse minds in tight-knit communities where mastery and exploration thrive, Bottegas become nodes of transformation — miniature Silicon Valleys where reality is fluid and imagination creates exponential value.A recurring theme is the structural flaw of modern economies: wages grow linearly while technology and capital compound exponentially. This creates systemic inequality, leaving most people crushed by rising costs while the top flourishes, a dynamic Leo witnessed firsthand in both Silicon Valley and his Ohio hometown.Leo introduces complexity inflation and time violence as hidden forces of the system. Complexity is rewarded over simplicity, making technology harder for everyday people, while time violence lets some actors leverage others' time to their own advantage, turning the economy into an arms race of asymmetries.Consciousness, for Leo, is about networks that are aware of themselves. He praises simple, embodied tools like Creator HQ that respect users' lived reality and contrasts them with AI systems unmoored from the real world. True mastery, he argues, is embodied, consistent, and grounded in human transformation rather than probabilistic shortcuts.Prediction markets emerge as a future-facing tool, offering a way to test decisions, hedge uncertainty, and surface blind spots. Leo envisions organizations running internal prediction markets and even rethinking politics by holding leaders accountable to explicit promises rather than vague partisan change.At the personal level, Leo is experimenting with transformation through his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Future project on Substack, a group art process that forces him out of his engineering comfort zone. He ties this back to ancient wisdom — from Buddha to Renaissance workshops — showing that the process of transformation has always been a deeply human practice we must continually rediscover.

(00:00:00) State College’s NPR station, WPSU, will continue broadcasting after all, following a new partnership agreement with Philadelphia’s WHYY. The plan, unanimously approved by Penn State trustees, allows WPSU-TV and radio to join WHYY without requiring a $17 million subsidy from the university, which was a sticking point in a previously rejected proposal. WHYY now has 30 days to secure at least $8.4 million in funding to complete the transfer, which also requires Federal Communications Commission approval. the recent firing of Penn State Football Coach James Franklin, which has been a major topic in the community. (00:22:06) For many, losing vision can feel like losing opportunities, but for Clinton Tyler and Maribel Surita, Vision Corps in Lancaster has been a place of empowerment, growth, and professional achievement. Both employees credit the nonprofit organization with giving them tools, training, and support to thrive in the workplace despite visual impairments.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(00:00:00) From the grand architecture of Hershey’s iconic buildings to the elegant homes lining Lancaster’s streets, Cassius Emlen Urban’s legacy is etched into the very landscape of Central Pennsylvania. (00:22:15) Pennsylvania hospitals continue to grapple with staffing shortages, affecting not only nurses and doctors but a wide range of hospital roles, from surgical technologists to plumbers and IT specialists. A recent workforce survey by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) highlights the scope of the challenge.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we talk about how the Airbnb at the Holler Hub became a real revenue stream — what's working, what isn't, and what we've learned along the way. If you've ever thought about turning a space on your property into income, this one's for you. We'll also cover our usual Monday segments. Featured Event Farm to Table Dinner Friday, November 15 Basecamp Lodge, Lancaster, TN Join us for an unforgettable evening featuring a full-course dinner sourced entirely from Tennessee farms. Real, local food, cooked from scratch, and shared in community. Sponsors AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN – Helping entrepreneurs, homesteaders, and freedom-minded folks handle taxes the smart way.   StrongRootsResources.com – Homestead design, consulting, and high-quality plants to help you build resilient systems that last. LFTN Stocking Exchange Time is running out to sign up! We'll assign your Secret Stocking Santa on November 1, so don't miss out on this fun community tradition. Sign Up Here Tales from the Prepper Pantry Lambs came in, lambs went out! Processing and rotation are in full swing. Time to harvest the sweet potatoes. The restackening of the firewood has begun — getting ready for cold weather. Starting to tap into the canned goods, especially green beans. Made powdered sugar from regular sugar after realizing I forgot to buy it. Frugality Tip I like a little lemon juice in my water. Some of those bottles pour out like a waterfall, which is wasteful and makes something I do not want to drink. So this is a hack and a tip in one. The cap from Worcestershire sauce bottles fits on a lot of other things, including every lemon juice bottle I have purchased. So keep the lids that help you regulate the amount of "stuff" coming out of a bottle so you do not end up wasting product. Happy savings y'all ~Margo Operation Independence The Airbnb has been renting well since we got back from SRF! It's great to see the Basecamp space generate steady revenue while serving the broader Holler Hub vision. Main Topic: Airbnb Revenue Stream – Lessons Learned Every property should have a purpose, not just be a payment. Turning Space Into a System The Airbnb wasn't about renting space — it was about keeping the Basecamp Lodge working for the mission.   Formerly a long-term rental ($1,600/month). Now a flexible, short-term system that:   Generates income when not used for training.   Brings new people into the Holler Hub community.   Connects us to potential partners and collaborators.   Tools like Airbnb and VRBO open us to audiences beyond LFTN, expanding both reach and opportunity. What's Working Booked every available weekend in October by opening to tourists during fall travel season.   Earned ~$650 in October while still hosting events — a deliberate tradeoff between revenue and flexibility.   Low cleaning fee + clear expectations → relaxed guests and repeat visitors.   Purposefully low nightly rate to earn initial 5-star reviews and build credibility.   Making meaningful connections with guests — one couple with 10 glampers in California, another moving to Tennessee for homesteading. Where It Got Messy One guest left it a wreck → 8 hours of cleanup.   Result: added language about cleaning expectations.   Next step: keep a vacuum for pet-friendly stays.   “Clean beats new every time.”   Set boundaries early: check-out policies, no parties, pet rules. Pricing & Positioning Set nightly rate (~$100) based on $3,000/month gross goal if fully booked.   Kept pricing low to reflect the space (one usable bedroom, not remodeled).   Using Airbnb's automated pricing to test how it behaves during peak season.   Cleaning service quote revealed current pricing barely covers costs — future plan to add modest cleaning fee.   Focus remains on mission-aligned guests first, not just volume bookings. Systems That Keep It Running Reset takes 45–60 minutes; double linens to avoid bottlenecks.   Pet stays add 1 hour for vacuuming and extra laundry.   Critical practice: always start cleaning immediately after checkout to stay ready for last-minute bookings.   Personal touch: greet guests, tell the Holler Hub story, collect feedback, and build relationships. How to Apply It Don't build the Taj-Ma-Rental — start minimum viable and test.   Clean trumps new every time.   The biggest mindset shift: being comfortable letting strangers on your land.   Most people with bad intentions aren't paying hundreds to sleep in your barn.   Reality Check Short-term rentals aren't easy money there's always time involved:   Responding to messages, building a guidebook, handling maintenance.   Be available when problems arise — or you'll hate the process.   The fast reset is key: handle the “yucky” stuff early so it never piles up. What's Next Goal: book events at Basecamp that aren't led by you — already in the works.   Next expansion: a miner's cabin/tent rental to diversify the property's offerings.   Each step builds toward the broader Holler Hub vision — systems that connect people, sustain the land, and generate reliable income. Every property should have a purpose, not just a payment. Make it a great week.   Make it a great week. GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link  

Welcome to HALO Talks! In today's episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Rick Dennis, Co-Founder of Bakersfield's Body Xchange and a definite "OG" in the HALO sector. With over 30 years of experience—including a storied career at Family Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, and launching successful clubs with longtime partner John Ovanessian—Rick shares insights on evolving gym models, member experience, and responding to changing trends. Rick and Pete chat about how Body Xchange became a place “where everybody trains,” adapting to the post-COVID demand for more strength training, flexible facilities, and self-guided workouts. Rick opens up about the importance of listening to your local community, running a tight operation with zero leverage, and the unique advantages of local ownership in a burgeoning market like Bakersfield, CA.  Pete and Rick also chat about future growth—both for Body Xchange and the Bakersfield area itself—as well as reflections on how today's athletes are changing the game in high school sports and beyond. Listen now for a conversation packed with industry wisdom and practical takeaways for fitness professionals (and enthusiasts!) On the "power" of staying debt-free Dennis states, "We're definitely not a leveraged company. I think that's something that's really important to understand because as you mentioned, with 24 Hour Fitness, once you get leveraged then there's restrictions to that. We've never had those kinds of restrictions because of the foundation and how we built it." Key themes discussed Evolution of Body Xchange and their club model. Shift toward strength training post-COVID. Local market dynamics and growth in Bakersfield. Importance of a debt-free, reinvestment-focused business. Personal touch of local ownership versus national chains. Future expansion opportunities in nearby cities. A Few Key Takeaways:  1. Evolution of Member Experience & Strength Focus: Rick highlighted how their business model has shifted post-COVID, with a significant pivot towards strength training and member-driven use of space. Recognizing the growing interest in free weights and Olympic lifting, they repurposed areas like group fitness rooms to fit more strength equipment, reflecting the changing fitness trends among younger demographics. 2. Deep Local Roots & Smart Growth: The Bakersfield market is robust and expanding, with affordable housing attracting a young population. Rick emphasized how their deep local knowledge allows them to strategically backfill old locations and position themselves in growth corridors, staying ahead of national chains and big box gyms. 3. Debt-Free, Locally-Owned, and Well-Maintained Clubs: Rick and John built Body Xchange with a focus on being debt-free and maintaining strong local ownership. This approach means they can swiftly reinvest in facilities, ensure equipment is always up to par, and maintain a high-touch presence—reasons why members prefer their facilities over less locally involved national chains. 4. Adaptable Operational Strategy: Body Xchange made a post-COVID decision to pause personal training, acknowledging a shift toward self-guided, technology-driven workouts. Rick notes they still onboard members and provide guidance, and could easily reboot personal training if the right talent emerges. 5. Expansion Opportunities & Local Demographics: Looking ahead, Rick sees potential for 2–3 more locations within Bakersfield and more expansion into comparable communities like Palmdale and Lancaster, as well as midsized cities between Bakersfield and Fresno or west along the Central Coast. He stressed their ability to replicate the Body Xchange DNA by maintaining control over real estate and ensuring each new club matches the model's culture and values. Resources:  Rick Dennis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-dennis-795252175/  Body Xchange: https://www.bxfitness.com  Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com Promotion Vault: http://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: http://www.higherdose.com

Graham Dennis, Dean of Students, and Adam Timmons, Director of Houses and secondary teacher at Veritas Academy, talk with Ty Fischer about the significance of relationships among students, and what parents can do to help their child foster relationships that honor God and honor each other. This season of Cultivate is sponsored by Hershey Financial Advisers, a wealth management firm located at North Pointe Blvd in Lancaster,  leading people to make better financial decisions and empowering them to fulfill a vision beyond themselves.Key takeaways include the importance of shared experiences, commitment, mutual challenge, and bearing each other's burdens in relationships. The conversation delves into the struggles faced by students in forming and maintaining relationships, the role of parents, the impact of technology, and how to navigate romantic interests responsibly. The discussion highlights how Veritas encourages intentional, godly friendships and handles romantic relationships among students, and emphasizes a balance of guidance, grace, and community involvement in fostering healthy friendships and relationships.

Welcome to Monday's Rugby Daily, with David Wilson.Coming up, Mack Hansen to miss out whilst doubts remain over Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw.Stuart Lancaster on the Munster game.And are England about to unveil a new generational talent?Rugby on Off The Ball with Bank of Ireland | #NeverStopCompeting

In this episode, we sit down with Jaime Santiago, Executive Director and founder of Restart Training Center Ministry (RTCM), to explore how a life rooted in faith and purpose can transform individuals and communities. Jaime launched RTCM in 2015 after more than two decades of serving in addiction recovery ministries like Teen Challenge and Revelations of Freedom.With a master's degree in counseling from Liberty University and as an ordained Assemblies of God pastor, Jaime shares how RTCM equips men to break free from addiction through Christ-centered discipleship. He opens up about his own journey, the challenges of leadership, and the deep role family plays in his life and ministry.Join us for an inspiring conversation about second chances, spiritual transformation, and the power of restarting with purpose.???? Connect with Jaime Santiago: ✅ Website:https://restartministry.org/ ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restart.ministry/ ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restartministryinc ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@restartministry Thank you for watching Lancaster Connects! This is the show about small business and small charity success in Lancaster county - we showcase the battle on Main Street, big vs. small David vs Goliath, and bring you the best of what makes Lancaster so great. ???? Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://StreamYard.CastAhead.net ➡️ Get your FREE copy of Ben McClure and Jeff Giagnocavo's book - "Sleep Better" https://gardnersmattressandmore.com/sleep-betterLIVE SHOW PODCAST & REPLAYS: ???? Connect with Lancaster Connects:✅ Official: https://lancasterconnects.com/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LancasterConnects ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lancaster-connects✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LancasterConnectsLancaster Connects is produced by Chris Stone at Cast Ahead:  https://CastAhead.net 

In this powerful exploration of Matthew 22, we dive deep into the parable of the wedding feast, uncovering profound truths about God's invitation to relationship. The story illustrates God's persistent love and desire for us, even when we reject Him. We're challenged to consider: have we truly accepted God's invitation, or are we indifferent? The parable reminds us that God's grace is available to all, but we must choose to accept it. A key insight is the exchange of our 'dirty garments' for God's righteousness - a beautiful metaphor for salvation. This message speaks to those feeling unworthy or struggling with imposter syndrome, assuring us that God's love isn't based on our performance, but on His grace. It's a call to embrace our new identity in Christ and to stay committed to our relationship with Him.

In this powerful exploration of Matthew 22, we dive deep into the parable of the wedding feast, uncovering profound truths about God's invitation to relationship. The story illustrates God's persistent love and desire for us, even when we reject Him. We're challenged to consider: have we truly accepted God's invitation, or are we indifferent? The parable reminds us that God's grace is available to all, but we must choose to accept it. A key insight is the exchange of our 'dirty garments' for God's righteousness - a beautiful metaphor for salvation. This message speaks to those feeling unworthy or struggling with imposter syndrome, assuring us that God's love isn't based on our performance, but on His grace. It's a call to embrace our new identity in Christ and to stay committed to our relationship with Him.

On today's broadcast of Hope Talks we are joined by Dwayne Martin. Dwayne was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Dwayne grew up in the Mennonite church and has served in different ministry capacities over the last 30 years. Dwayne currently works for Harman construction and joins us today to share part one of his testimony and about his involvement in the build of the Isaiah 117 house. We pray that today's broadcast will be a half hour of hope for your life! We would love to hear your feedback on HOPE Talks! Below is the link to a short survey! https://forms.office.com/Pages/DesignPageV2.aspx?prevorigin=shell&origin=NeoPortalPage&subpage=design&id=rMtAr_aDl02Dki0XlUrGIhYk-WuZPbRHkFKyO4BJJKdURTIyS1JBNU1TSjRYQjA3VVo5RlNPT0dSWS4u

Today, we talk about what it takes to organize a real Farm to Table Dinner, as well as cover our usual Monday segments. Featured Event Chainsaw Milling Demo and PotluckSunday at 1 PMBasecamp Lodge, Lancaster, TN Join us for a hands-on chainsaw milling demonstration and community potluck! Bring a dish to share and see how we turn logs into lumber right here at the Holler. Event Details Sponsors AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN – Helping entrepreneurs, homesteaders, and freedom-minded folks handle taxes the smart way.  HollerRoast.com – Fresh-roasted coffee for doers. Start your day with luxury and get to work. Farm To Table Dinner Tickets, Nov 15 | $125 Community Highlight LFTN Stocking Exchange Time is running out to sign up! We'll assign your Secret Stocking Santa on November 1, so don't miss out on this fun community tradition. Sign Up Here Tales from the Prepper Pantry Convenience meals this week: crockpot lamb ribs.  Drying the last round of fall herbs — mint, oregano, and holy basil.  Getting ready to fill the freezers with meat now that it's almost cold enough to butcher.  Hoping for a venison this year.  Ground meat base for winter meals: beef, pork, and more pork. Weekly Shopping Report No shopping trip this week. Frugality Tip Did you know that if you put something in your online cart at Amazon (and some other online stores), when the price changes they notify you via email. So if you are looking to buy something but it is a little out of your budget, throw it in the cart and you just might be notified when it goes on sale. Also, when looking around on eBay, go ahead and click that heart, a lot of sellers will send you a discounted offer just for liking an item. So have a little patience and wait and see if you can save a few dollars on your next online purchase. Happy savings y'all ~Margo Operation Independence We opened up the Basecamp Airbnb — and one hour later it rented for four days! That single booking covered baseline expenses for the property (though not the mortgage). Still, a solid win toward independence. Main Topic: Organizing a Real Farm to Table Dinner Why We're Doing One We wanted to show what real farm-to-table actually means — not marketing, not a photo op. A community meal built from what local farmers are actually harvesting right now, cooked by people who understand those ingredients. Why It's Harder Than a Typical Event This isn't catered convenience food. The chef has to process everything from raw ingredients, not pre-trimmed or par-cooked product.  Every ingredient is sourced directly from farms, not distributors.  Timing is critical — you plan the menu around what's in season, not what's available year-round from a big box store. This is NOT your typical farm-to-table experience. We're not highlighting one or two local dishes and then filling the rest from Costco. Every ingredient — except the pepper and the coffee (which I roast) — comes from right here in Tennessee. No shortcuts. What Other Farm to Table Events Get Wrong Most are “farm to table” in name only — a token nod to local producers while relying heavily on imported or processed foods. They miss the deeper connection between local abundance, timing, and community. Steps to Organizing One Source the food: Build relationships with local growers and producers.  Find a venue: Needs to be accessible, scenic, and functional for cooking and serving.  Create a semi-flexible menu: Base it on what farmers actually have that week.  Explore legalities: Health codes, insurance, and any required permits.  Add extras: Things like a wild edible walk turn the dinner into an experience.  Sell the tickets: Clear messaging — you're selling an authentic experience, not a restaurant meal.  Handle logistics the day of: Setup, cooking flow, seating, lighting, cleanup. Customer Experience How do you keep the night flowing smoothly and still make it feel personal?  How do you balance talking about the farms with letting guests simply enjoy the meal?  Scaling the Concept Could this become a recurring or seasonal event?  What lessons are you already learning for next time?  Make It A Great Week.  

In this episode of 4 Freedom Podcast, we sit down and discuss the Future of fundamentalism. We trace the Steps of Paul Chappell.To Purchase our cigar line go to: https://1689cigars.com/collections/4-freedom-cigars Our Experience Box: https://1689cigars.com/collections/4-freedom-cigars/products/the-4-freedom-experience-boxTo purchase James New Book "From Brokenness to Freedom" https://a.co/d/c7UX3xT For more info visit our website: https://4freedompodcast.comFor Merch visit this site: https://www.teepublic.com/user/freedom-ministries?utm_source=designer&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Gq_E0abDp_8Link to content cited:Chappell's call to Lancaster, biography, and college founding:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Chappell?utm_source=chatgpt.comRadio ministry and public involvement:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Chappell?utm_source=chatgpt.comWest Coast Baptist College history and accreditation timeline:  https://wcbc.edu/academics/accreditation?utm_source=chatgpt.comCritiques on worship and broader IFB issues:  https://ministry127.com/pastoral-leadership/humility-in-baptist-churches?utm_source=chatgpt.comIFB abuse reports and Chappell's response:  https://paulchappell.com/2018/12/12/covering-abuse-and-sin-is-a-tragedy-for-the-work-of-christ/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.christianitytoday.com/2018/12/independent-fundamentalist-baptist-church-abuse-scandal/?utm_source=chatgpt.com“Dirty dishrag” critique:  https://www.stufffundieslike.com/2014/11/dirty-dishrags/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Welcome to a brand new episode of White Wine Question Time. Penny Lancaster takes a break from her Special Constable policing duties to join us for three glasses of wine and answer three thought provoking questions.Some of the topics in this episode might be difficult for some listeners - Penny talks honestly about a childhood assault, and a sexual assault that took place during her modelling days. There is also discussion of miscarriage and difficulties conceiving. It is a really honest chat which also touches on menopause, blending families and Rod's (eventual) decision to father more children. If you would like more from Penny - we can highly recommend her new book Someone Like MeThanks for listening - if you enjoy this podcast here are some things you can do to help spread the word:1 Tell your friends - we love a personal recomendation2 Hit the 'Follow' button in your podcast app - you'll get new episodes sent to you for free every week3 Leave us a star rating and a review. Cheers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The man accused of an arson attack on the Pennsylvania governor's residence in April pleaded guilty Tuesday at attempted murder and other charges. Today’s program is also a deep dive into how one local government is establishing an ordinance for future data centers. Chris Reber of our sister newsroom at LNP | Lancaster Online is in conversation with WITF’s Karen Hendricks to explain how Lancaster City officials are developing the rules – which will be submitted to the Lancaster County Planning Commission today. The entire process could serve as a model for communities across Central Pa. Public media's federal funding has been revoked. Your support is now more vital than ever. Help power the independent journalism and trusted programming you find on WITF by making a gift of support now at www.witf.org/givenow.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode was a long time coming. But ladies and gentlemen, we finally got Big Al on the podcast. For those of you who do not know who Big Al 360 is, this is the perfect episode for you. From his early days in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, being a rapper to later getting an intern in Philadelphia at RUFFHOUSE records to getting recognized by Greg Street for his work ethic and producing one of the biggest hits you hear on major commercials every day and don't even notice, this guy has done it all. Great stories. IF you've ever heard Nappy Roots “Good Day” , then you've heard Big Al 360s production. ENJOY!!!

Welcome to Tuesday's Rugby Daily, with Cameron Hill.Coming up, we'll take a pause from the Leinster-Munster buildup to talk about Connacht and Ulster,Gerry Thornley's surprising shout for a replacement at full-back for Ireland, with Hugo Keenan unavailable,And some interesting selection calls by Australia in their squad for the November internationals.Rugby on Off The Ball with Bank of Ireland | #NeverStopCompeting

Hello, True Drews!I just got back from the Nancy Drew Sleuths 25th anniversary convention in Lancaster, Pennsylvania earlier this month and it was so fun! I share my experiences there, from hanging out with friends and making new ones, to solving puzzles, being in a skit AS Nancy Drew! *AHHHH!*, exploring Amish country, getting to meet some of the Nancy Drew cover artists and so much more! It was an experience I will truly never forget! I hope you all will enjoy the episode!

Across the world, belief in God continues to be widespread and, among philosophers, has long been considered one solution to the problems of the world's origin, fine-tuned nature, and purpose. However, in the West, very few people have considered alternative concepts of God credible. That, though, may be beginning to change. One such alternative – pantheism – tells us that the universe and God are one and the same thing. It challenges conventional ideas about divine agency and the coherence of traditional theism, and invites us to reconsider what we mean when we speak of ‘God'. To explore God's nature, in this special episode, I'll be joined by two guests: Tim Mawson and Asha Lancaster-Thomas. Dr Mawson is Edgar Jones Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St Peter's College, University of Oxford. He has published five books and over fifty papers in the philosophy of religion. Dr Lancaster-Thomas is Teacher of Philosophy at Atlanta Classical Academy, USA, and has published widely on the philosophy of religion – most recently exploring alternative concepts of God, including the one we'll be debating today. Tim Mawson will be arguing in favour of traditional theism – the view that God and the world are not identical. Asha Lancaster-Thomas will be defending pantheism – the view that they are. What are the implications of identifying God with the universe? Can such a view still provide the kind of moral and metaphysical grounding traditionally associated with belief in a transcendent creator? Or – by dragging God down from the heaven's – do we diminish the divine and its explanatory power? This episode is generously supported by The John Templeton Foundation, through The Panpsychism and Pan(en)theism Project (62683). Links Asha Lancaster-Thomas (PhilPapers, website) Tim Mawson (Oxford University, website) The Panpsychism and Pan(en)theism Project (website)

PREVIEW HEADLINE: Tourist Crowds in Jim Thorpe Suggest Americans Haven't Stopped Spending GUEST NAME: Jim McTague SUMMARY: John Bachelor spoke with Jim McTague about measuring the American economy, noting possible slowdowns in Asian manufacturing imports. McTague reported on crowds in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, a tiny town named after the famous athlete. Despite unchanged leaves, the town was packed midweek with tourists taking train rides, leading McTague to conclude Americans continue spending on vacations. 1942 LANCASTER

What happens when a razor-sharp elected official and a relentlessly curious host sit down to discuss what it takes to make lasting change? This week, JVN is joined by the unstoppable Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett — U.S. Representative from Texas, lawyer, lay it on the line truth-teller, and rising voice in the Democratic Party. Together, they unpack how to maximize our impact by understanding our political systems, tackle the messy reality of party politics, and hypothesize where Democrats are headed next. They also dive into Rep. Crockett's background as a public defender and evaluate the difference between committing a crime and having a criminal mindset, how racism shows up in redistricting battles from Texas to California, and yes — Rep. Crockett breaks down her now-iconic “bleach blonde bad built butch body” clapback.  Full Getting Better Video Episodes now available on YouTube.  Follow Congresswoman Crockett on Instagram @repjasmine  Follow us on Instagram @gettingbetterwithjvn  Follow Jonathan on Instagram @jvn BIO: Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett represents portions of Dallas and Tarrant Counties, with the cities of Dallas, Grand Prairie, DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Duncanville, Glenn Heights, Hutchins, Wilmer, Arlington, Ovilla, and Seagoville. Senior Producer, Chris McClure Producer, Editor & Engineer is Nathanael McClure Production support from Anne Currie and Chad Hall Our theme music is also composed by Nathanael McClure. Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn  Curious about bringing your brand to life on the show? Email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices