Podcasts about Lieutenant colonel

Kenneth Webb has lived several lifetimes in one. He spent 33 years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, with combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. He knows what it means to lead under fire and carry the unseen weight of command—but his toughest battles began long before the military, growing up in a home marked by trauma and chaos.Now retired from both the Army and American Airlines, Ken has chosen a different fight: rebuilding his life on his own terms. Living in Peru, he's writing his first psychological thriller, Trapped in Deception—a raw story shaped by betrayal, manipulation, and emotional warfare.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHR2DxkWSMABecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.

Our guest this time is Kay Thompson. As Kay says in her bio, she is a minister, TV show host, author, Realtor® and business owner. If that isn't enough, she has raised a son and a daughter. Kay grew up, as she says, a military brat. She has lived in a number of places around the world. Like others we have had the pleasure to have as guests, her travels and living in various places and countries has made her curious and given her a broad perspective of life.   After high school she went to college. This life was a bit of a struggle for her, but the day came when she realized that college would be a positive thing for her. She will tell us the story.   After college she and her second husband, her first one died, moved to Atlanta where she has now resided for over 30 years. Kay always has had a strong faith. However, the time came when, as she explains, she actually heard God calling her to go into the ministry. And so, she did.   Kay tells us about how she also has undertaken other endeavors including writing, selling real estate and working as a successful Television host. It goes without saying that Kay Thompson performs daily a number of tasks and has several jobs she accomplishes. I hope you will be inspired by Kays's work. Should you wish to contact Kay, visit her website www.kaythompson.org.     About the Guest:   Kay Thompson is a minister, TV show host, author, Realtor® and business owner. She is the founder of Kay Thompson Ministries International, a kingdom resource for healing, hope and spiritual development. Kay is also the founder of Legacy Venture Group, a consulting and media firm which has helped countless businesses, organizations and individuals to strategically maximize potential. Kay holds a BA in Art History from Rutgers University in Camden, NJ, and an MA in Christian Ministry from Mercer University in Atlanta, GA. She is the former program director of WGUN 1010 in Atlanta and hosted the Kay Thompson TV Show, which aired on WATC-TV 57 in Atlanta. She currently hosts for the Atlanta Live broadcast on TV- 57. Kay is a member of the staff for the Studio Community Fellowship at Trillith Studios in Fayetteville, and is a host for their weekly service. She also serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for the A.D. King Foundation and works with several other non­ profit organizations in the Metro Atlanta area. Kay has lived in Georgia for over thirty years and is a resident of Stockbridge. She has two wonderful children: Anthony (Jasmine) and Chanel; and one grandchild, AJ. Kay enjoys reading, bowling and spending time with her family.   Ways to connect with Kay:   Facebook (Kay Thompson Ministries) https://www.facebook.com/kaythompsonministries Instagram (@kayrthompson) https://www.instagram.com/kayrthompson/     About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:17 Hi, everyone. I would like to say greetings wherever you happen to be today, we have a wonderful guest today. This is a woman, I would say, of many, many talents. I've been looking forward to this for a while. Kay Thompson is a minister, a TV host. She's an author, she's a realtor, and she's a business owner. My gosh, all of those. I want to find out how she does all those. But anyway, Kay, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad that you're here.   Kay Thompson ** 01:54 Well, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate being here, and thank you for contacting me excited.   Michael Hingson ** 02:01 Well, how do you do all those things all at once?   Kay Thompson ** 02:05 Well, you know, definitely can't do them all at once. Oh, okay, well, so have to kind of parse them out each day. And as I get assignments, that's how it goes. And got to prioritize one over the other. You   Michael Hingson ** 02:22 know? Well, we will, we will get to all of those, I am sure, in the course of the next hour or so. But I'm really glad that you're here, and as yet, I've been looking forward to this for a while, and and I'm sure we're going to have a lot of fun. Why don't we start? Maybe you could go back and tell us kind of about the early K growing up. What about you? So people can get to know you?   Kay Thompson ** 02:44 Oh, yeah. So growing up with the daughter of a military father, military officer. As a matter of fact, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. So that was interesting. So it was kind of a privileged military life in that sense that, you know, he just was always, he was a very important figure in his time. So that was interesting, walking on the base with him. And, you know, people would stop and salute him, you know, it was, it was, and I was just a little caught, you know, just running alongside him and just real proud, real proud   Michael Hingson ** 03:28 of my father. Did you have any Did you have any siblings?   Kay Thompson ** 03:31 I do? I have two brothers. Yeah, they both lived in Arizona. I was in the middle, so smashed right in the middle between two very muscular, very had a very demanding, commanding, excuse me, commanding presences. So in between the two brothers there, yeah, and then my mother, she was an English teacher, and very, you know, did excellent in her own right. She did a lot of drama, just a lot of teaching. She ended up in her 60s getting her doctorate degree, and, you know, just really excelled in education. And so she was the one that was really big on education. You know, go to school, go to school. Go to school. I don't want to go to school. Well, you need to go to school anyway. So I went to school anyway. That's how I can say my life was. Now, where did you grow up? All over,   Michael Hingson ** 04:32 okay, you did. I was going to ask if you did a lot of travel, since your dad was in the military.   Kay Thompson ** 04:38 Yeah, we certainly did. I was born in Tacoma, Washington. Oh, I don't remember any portion of it, because we were the only there, basically, so I could be born. I feel like, I know that's not the reason. But we went to Washington so I could be born, and then we lived there about a year, and then we moved to New York City. Then. We moved to. Now, by this my brother was already born, because all of us are three years apart. So my brother was born in Verdun, France, okay, and then they moved to, I can't remember where they were before that. I don't know if they went straight to from there to Washington State, and then we moved to New York, and then we went to Aberdeen, Maryland, and that's where my younger brother was born. And then from there, we went to Germany. We stayed there for about three years. From Germany, we went, I can't believe I remember all this. And from Germany, we went to Ohio. We stayed there for a couple of years. And actually we were there when they had that tornado. Was like in the 70s, there was a tornado Zenith Ohio. Well, we weren't far from zenith at the time. So we were there. Then we moved from there to Virginia, and it was there for three years, then to New Jersey, and then that's where my father retired. So we were all over the place.   Michael Hingson ** 06:10 You were, my gosh, well, did you, did you learn any of the foreign languages when you were in Germany and France, or, yeah,   Kay Thompson ** 06:23 in Germany, we could only, I only remember vaguely, you know, hello, thank you to know what it is now off beat is saying goodbye, Danka and bitter, thank you. You're welcome and good, yeah. But tight. But, no, no, we didn't do that at all   Michael Hingson ** 06:47 so, but you, you certainly did a lot and you had a lot of adventures. How do you think that all of that travel affected you as you grew older? What? What did it do that helped shape you?   Kay Thompson ** 07:03 Well, I know that, you know, of course, traveling. You know, you hear the story about kids all the time they travel, and because if they're if they're moving a lot, it's hard to create lasting, long term friendships, because you're just constantly moving. And you know, never mind moving to another city, but when you go to another state, even from another country. Now, I did happen to have a friendship with a young lady. Her name was Audrey, and I met her in Germany, and I was between the age of about three to five. I met her in Germany, and we stayed friends till I was in Virginia. So you're talking from Germany, wow, to Maryland, to Virginia. We were friends until Virginia, but then once I left Virginia and went to New Jersey, and I was there for my part of my middle school and then the rest of my high school, we fell out of touch. So that was one of the things I would say is difficult, you know, just having lifelong friends, yeah, that was, that was probably one of the more difficult things. But one thing on the other side is it made great being that person that was a world traveler. It was great when you're in school and they, you know, they ask you in your classroom, hey, you know, tell us something unique about you. Oh, well, I've been to Germany because my parents, when we were in Germany, they wasted no time traveling. They were always traveling. We were on the road all the time. I mean literally, and you know, they, they were just great world travelers. We went we went to Italy, we went to Spain, we went to France, we went to Switzerland. We went everywhere in Europe that they could get in that Volvo that they had. We had a nice little Volvo, and we would pitch out at, you know, campsites, you know, just any way they could to get where they needed to get, because they wanted to see these sites, and especially because my mother was an English teacher, she did a lot of plays, she directed a lot of plays, a lot of Shakespeare. And so a lot of these places were in these books, in this literature that she taught, and I'm sure that's probably one of the major reasons they did all this traveling, all these places that she had studied about, and, you know, taught about, she actually got to go see now, I must say, the only place I didn't go to that I wanted to go to that for some reason, she took my older brother. She didn't take any, noone else went, but my mother and my older brother. And I can't understand that trip to this day they those two went to. Greece. We didn't know. No one else in the family went to Greece. And I meant to ask, I'm going to, you know, when I finish this interview, I'm going to call my brother and ask him, What, what? What did you and mom go to Greece? You know, because nobody else got to go. But I would have loved to go there as well, but, but at the time, you know, new kid, it was okay. Mom and mom and Chuck are going away. Okay. But now that I think back and look back, maybe it was, I never, I never asked about that, but I'm going to ask, Did   Michael Hingson ** 10:34 it help you, though, develop a sense of adventure and and not create any kind of fear of of traveling around. Did it make you a more curious person? Because you got to go to so many places? Oh, I asked that in the on the basis of as you grew older and thought about it.   Kay Thompson ** 10:52 Oh, yeah, I'm a very curious person, curious person, and at times that can be a little nosy, right? And so, yeah, so that, to me, was, I think, one of the ways that built expanded my mind in terms of wanting to know about people and about things, because I've worked in public relations for many years, and so just being able to understand the perspective of other people from different cultures and different mindsets, being open to people from different cultures, different races, different religions, wanting to hear their point of view, interested in you know how they feel about things, because you can have a subject, or You can have something come up, and you have so many different perspectives from people. And you can see the very same thing, they can be shown the very same thing, but one person sees it from their lens, you know, from where you know, yeah, whether it's how they grew up or their external influences, and then someone could see the very same thing, and it interpret it totally different. Yeah. So   Michael Hingson ** 12:08 one of the one of the things that I've noticed in talking to a number of people who came from military families and and others as well, who did do a fair amount of travel to various countries and so on. They do tend to be more curious, and I think that's a very positive thing. They they have a broader outlook on so many things, and they tend to be more curious and want to learn more and wish that more people could have the same experiences that they had.   Kay Thompson ** 12:40 Yeah. I mean, not afraid to try new things too, for things that other people would would not like. I remember in Germany being very young, being fed octopus and snail. You know, these delicacies over there in Germany, I remember that at this my where my father was stationed, in Germany. The street, it was in like a court area. It felt like a court area, big apartments set up in a U shape, and then right across in a U shape in the in the middle of a field, like an open space, not a field, but an open space. And then right outside of that open space, we could jump out of that open space right into a busy street called Roma Strasse, and right on the other side of that busy street was Old Town, Germany, literally stepping there were no fences and no bars and no gates. We're stepping straight from our backyard into Germany, because the base was more Americanized. So you really felt Americanized on the base. But once you stepped into Germany, the houses were these. You know, cobble it was cobblestone streets. And I remember me and my brothers used to walk out of our backyard, that big open area, and go across the street into Germany and get the authentic gummy bears. That was our weekly trip. And these gummy bears, I'm telling you now, for gummy bear enthusiasts out there, the gummy bears in Germany looked nothing like these gummy bears that we see here. They were huge. They were the cutest little bears. I almost felt guilty eating them, but we just had a great time. I remember great memories from our exploits, our visits, the life was different. You know, toilet paper was harder. I just remember now that was years ago. I don't know what it's like now, but   Michael Hingson ** 14:49 yeah, but does the gummy bears taste better?   Kay Thompson ** 14:53 Well, now I can't remember, because then, when you're a kid, any candy, you know, if you say candy, I say, yeah. Much, you know. So when I was that young, I couldn't tell, but they probably did, you know. But then again, for those people that like because I don't drink, but the beer there is much darker, too. So some people don't like that. So better to them. You know, could be, you know, we don't like it to us. So   Michael Hingson ** 15:25 I've never been to China, but I've been to Japan twice, and there's a food in China called dim sum. Are you familiar with dim sum? Okay, I'll tell you dim sum in Japan is I and I think better. It's different and tastes better than dim sum in the United States. Now I have to go to China one of these days and try it. Yeah.   Kay Thompson ** 15:48 Well, if you ever go to the buffets, have you ever gone to the Yeah? Yeah. Okay, so if you notice the people that work there, they do not eat the food that the buffet. Yeah, they so one day I'm going to do this too. I'm like, hey, you know, can I have some of which   Michael Hingson ** 16:09 you guys eat? Yeah, yeah, yeah, well, yeah, but it is, it is interesting. It's fun to to investigate and explore. And I haven't traveled around the world much. I have as a speaker, had some opportunities to travel, but I think my curiosity came from being a blind person who was encouraged by my parents to explore, and the result was that I did a lot of exploring, just even in our house around our neighborhood. And of course, when the internet came along, and I still believe this is true, it is a treasure trove of just wonderful places to go visit. And yeah, I know there's the dark web and all that, but I ignore that. Besides that, probably the dark web is inaccessible, and maybe someday somebody will sue all the people who have sites on the dark web because they're not accessible. But nevertheless, the internet is just a treasure trove of interesting places to visit in so many ways. Yeah,   Kay Thompson ** 17:17 and then a virtual reality. So one of the places that I wanted to go to was, I've always wanted to go to Egypt. I haven't had an opportunity yet, and personally, right now, don't know how you know how good an idea that is right now. Yeah, but I went to a recent VR exploration of the pyramids in Egypt. And I'm telling you, if that was how it seemed, it's definitely was a way to help me to, you know, live it out, so to speak. Because there's, like, for instance, there's a place in Florida called the Holy Land, the Holy Land, you know, the whole just like a theme park. And they say it looks, you know, there are areas where it looks just like Israel, parts of Israel. So, you know, in that respect, I've been able to realize some portion of the dream. But yeah, I have been love to get there.   Michael Hingson ** 18:16 I have been to Israel, and I enjoy happy. I was in Israel two years ago. Oh, well, so what did you do after high school?   Kay Thompson ** 18:30 Oh, after high school, interesting. So remember when I was telling you about the school thing? So I was in and out of school. I went to I started college in New Jersey. Where did you I went to Rutgers University. Rutgers, yeah, well, first I started in New Brunswick. Then I came back because we lived closer to Camden. We lived we lived in New Jersey, closer to Philadelphia. Philadelphia was about 20 minutes away.   Michael Hingson ** 18:57 Mm, okay, I lived in, I lived in Westfield, New Jersey. So we were out route 22 from New York, about 15 miles. So we were in the north central part of the state, okay, South North part, or whatever, of the state.   Kay Thompson ** 19:11 Okay, okay, yeah. Well, yeah. First it was in New Brunswick. I was there. And then after I did that, I went for about a semester, and then I transferred over to Hampton University, because both my parents went to Hampton, so I said Hampton didn't stay there, and then I ended up coming back and going to Rutgers in Camden, and there I completed my degree. Took me eight years to complete it. What   Michael Hingson ** 19:42 did you get your degree in?   Kay Thompson ** 19:43 I got my degree in art history and sculpture. So, okay, yeah, and I love what I did. I you know, I had a museum work. Loved working in a museum, and could tell you about all the i. You know, the art, the sculpture, just loved it. But it took me a minute to get that then. And then, after that, I went to, I moved to Atlanta in 92 the end of 92 so after high school, you know, just a lot of challenges, just trying to figure out who I was and what did you do. You know, how I wished I would have, now, looking back on it, I wish I would have, maybe when I got out of high school, just taking some time off first. And because in my heart, I knew I, I knew I, I knew I didn't want to go to school, but I knew I needed to go. I knew there was something in me that said, you you need to go to school. But mentally, I don't think I was mentally prepared for it, for for the you know, because when you get out of high school, and you go into college, it's a unless you take AP courses in high school, you're not prepared for the amount of work you're going to get inundated with. And it was just overwhelming to me. It took all my time. I felt like I was that person. I had to keep reading things over and over again just to get it, I used to have to, not only did I take, you know, what friend of mine calls copious notes, but then I also had to put it over in index cards. And you know, it just took me a long time because my heart wasn't in it at the time. So I ended up meeting a gentleman, my first husband. We were married, we had a son, and then, but he passed away, I think, when my son was about three, and then that's when, okay, okay. Now, you know you now, now, now. I wanted to go. Now I wanted to finish. So it was   Michael Hingson ** 22:00 your it was your husband that passed away. Yes, yeah, okay, yeah, all right, so then you decided you really needed to to do school.   Kay Thompson ** 22:12 Yeah, I needed to complete it. So that's what pushed me to complete it, leaving   Michael Hingson ** 22:17 the major aside of sculpture and art and his art history and so on. If you were to summarize it, what did college teach you?   Kay Thompson ** 22:30 Oh, that's a great question. What did college teach me? Well, you know, it taught me that, you know, I think we just need to, well, you need to know how to focus. It's really was a disciplining moment in my life. I was an Army brat. You know this bottom line, I was an Army brat even though I felt like I didn't get a whole lot of things that I wanted. In reality, I had a, like a kind of a spoiled mentality. And when I got to college, I realized that this stuff is not going to be handed to me, you know, you're not going to be handed an a you know, I'm not going to do your studying for you, you know. And so helping me to kind of detach from things I had just depended on for so long. But in that transition, it became very lonely. College was very lonely. I mean, even when I left, because I got out of when I first went to Rutgers and cam in New Brunswick, right out of high school. I had, I was at the dorm, and I wasn't ready for a dorm. I wasn't ready for that life because, you know, I left almost before the semester was over and I had to go and make up the classes. And, you know, thankfully, they allowed me to make up some of my you know, majority well. As a matter of fact, they let me make them all up, but I still had to put in the work. And that was my thing, putting in the work, putting in the work and doing things that I didn't necessarily like. Because even though I liked art and I like sculpture and all that. There were other classes that I had to take, like humanities and algebra, you know, and history, you know, not not art history, but you know, American history, European history, and all these different other subjects, these other prerequisites or curriculum that you have to take. And I didn't always enjoy those and other I don't want to do that, but no, you actually have to do it. So I'm going to say that college really helped me learn about disciplining myself to do things that I don't necessarily like, but they are required of me,   Michael Hingson ** 24:58 and I. But I would tell you, if you asked me the same question, that would be my answer. It really taught me a lot about discipline. It taught me also to realize that I really did like inappropriately so adventure and exploration and being curious and so on. I also found that my best college courses were the ones, no matter what the subject was or whether I really enjoyed it or not, were the ones where I had good teachers who really could teach and who were concerned about students and interacting with students, rather than just giving you assignments, because they then wanted to go off and do their thing. But I liked good teachers, and I went to the University of California at Irvine, and had, very fortunately, a lot of good teachers who encouraged discipline and being able to function in unexpected ways and and they also pointed out how to recognize like if you're doing something right, like in physics, when my Masters is in physics, one of the First things that one of my professors said is, if you've got to get the right answer, but the right answer isn't just getting the right numbers, like if you are trying to compute acceleration, which we know is 16 feet per second squared, or 9.8 meters per second squared. That's not right. Anyway, 3232 feet per second, or 9.8 meters per second, it isn't enough to get the 32 feet or or the 9.8 meters. You've got to get meters per second squared. Because that never mind why it is, but that is, that is the physics term for acceleration, so it isn't enough to get the numbers, which is another way of saying that they taught me to really pay attention to the details. Yeah, which was cool. And I'm hearing from you sort of the same thing, which is great, but, but then you went to college, and you majored in what you did, and so did you work in the museum part of the time while you were in college?   Kay Thompson ** 27:31 Well, what happened is, I had an art history teacher who just took a, I guess, a liking to me, because I was very enthusiastic about what I did, because I love what I did. And I had a writing background, because I had a mother who was an English teacher. So all my life, I was constantly being edited. So I came in with pretty good grammar and pretty good way to I had a writing I had a talent for writing in a way that the academic were looking for, that art history kind of so I knew how to write that way, and she hired me to help her. She was a professor that did, you know, lectures, and she hired me, paid me out of her own salary, kind of like a work study. And so I worked for her about 20 hours a week, just filing slides and, you know, helping her with whatever she needed, because she was the chair of the department. So that was a great opportunity. I was able to work with her and and maybe feel good to know if somebody thought, you know enough of you know what I did to to hire me, and feel like I I could contribute, and that I was trusted to be able to handle some of these things. I mean, you know, and I don't know how difficult it is to file slides, but you know, when it teacher wants to do a lecture, and back then they were these little, small, little, you know, square slides. Square slides drop into the projector, right? And she's looking for, you know, the temple of Nike. You know, she wants to find it in order. You know, you pull that slide and you put it in your projector, right, carousel, right, yes, yes. So that's what I did, and it was great. I loved it. I learned college. I loved I loved the college atmosphere. I loved being in that vein, and I think I really found my niche when I was when I went to Rutgers in Camden.   Michael Hingson ** 29:48 Well, there's a history lesson sports fans, because now, of course, it's all PowerPoint. But back then, as Kay is describing it, when you wanted to project things you had. Slides. So they were pictures, they were films, and they were all these little squares, maybe two inches square, and you put them in a carousel, and you put them in the projector, and every time you push the button, it would go to the next slide, or you could go back the other way. So PowerPoint is only making it a little bit more electronic, but the same concept is still there. So there, there I dealt with slides. So after college, you, you did time at the university, at the museum, I gather,   Kay Thompson ** 30:31 okay. So what happened with the museum after I graduated from college, immediately I moved to New Jersey, yeah, you know, right? I'm gonna say probably about six months, six months to a year before college, is when my first husband died, and then after I graduated, um, I moved to New Jersey first. Where did you graduate from? Again, Rutgers University in Camden. Okay, so   Michael Hingson ** 30:59 that's New Jersey so you, but after college, you moved,   Kay Thompson ** 31:03 I moved to Georgia, Georgia that   Michael Hingson ** 31:06 that makes more sense. Okay, okay,   Kay Thompson ** 31:08 okay, sorry, yeah, so I moved to Georgia, and immediately, when we came to Georgia, you know my I came with a gentleman who I married shortly after, I moved to Georgia and we opened a art gallery. We were entrepreneurs. We came because, you know, there was, we felt like there was more opportunity in Georgia for small business owners, or would be potential small business owners, or people who wanted to realize their dream. And we know that in Georgia now, I don't know if you know this, but Georgia is a great place for entrepreneurs, so definitely better than where I was at the time. So we packed the U haul and just threw everything in there and came to Atlanta. Now my the gentleman who would be my husband. So I just say my husband now, then he, he had a sister here, so we visited first with her, and that's how we got to really see the scene, check out the scene, and then we came back and moved and found our own place and everything like that. So but when we came, I opened it, I had an art gallery for about a year or so, little bit longer and but that didn't work out. Didn't, you know, just, you know, some things you tried. Just yeah, just didn't work. But then my husband and now just FYI for you, this person, the second person, I married, the second man. He passed away too, but that was in 2008 but so he's my late husband too. So I have two, two husbands that passed away. One was the first one was much younger, and my second husband. We were married for 16 years. This is early on in our relationship. We he he opened a brass outlet, a just all kinds of beautiful black brass vases and animals and just anything brass you wanted. But also, after I shut down the museum I had or the gallery, it was an art gallery, I moved my pieces into his brass outlet, and there I was able to kind of display them and sell them. We had pieces that range from, you know, $25 to $500 so we I found a little space there that I could do my work. So it was a nice little coupling.   Michael Hingson ** 33:43 Yeah, I'm with you. Uh huh. So so you, you have obviously moved on from from doing a lot of that, because now you have other endeavors, as we mentioned at the beginning, being a minister, an entrepreneur, an author and so on. So how did you transition from just doing art to doing some of the things that you do today?   Kay Thompson ** 34:18 Okay, so what happened is when I came to and I guess this is the really, deeply more personal aspect of it all, when, when I came to Atlanta again, my my first husband had passed away. He committed suicide. Yeah, so when I came to Atlanta, my second husband and I were not yet married, and all I knew is that I wanted the relationship not to be the way the first one was, in a sense of. I I didn't want to go through that specific kind of trauma again and and not that the the two gentlemen were similar. They were very different people. My second husband was a very confident, very strong willed, you know, type of a person, but the trauma and my first husband, he had his own strength in, you know, but there's something that happens when you decide, you know, to end your life. Yeah, I wanted to make sure that I had some sort of support, divine support, because the going through something like that, and when I say something like that, not only am I talking about the suicide, but the fact that he was On we were on the phone together when this happened, so and then just dealing with everything that happened around it, you can imagine someone feeling a little bit insecure, unsure. So I really began to seek God for that relationship that I know would sustain me. I had grown up, you know, my parents grew up, they brought us to church. You know, I wouldn't say my parents were they weren't ministers, but they were active in whatever church they went to, and they made sure that we went to church every Sunday, even the Vacation Bible School. I can remember that in New Jersey, I remember, you know, them just being a very, very involved. My my parents. My mother was a singer, so she sang a lot in the choir, lot of solos. My father was a deacon. They both became elders, and elders, meaning they were just senior members of ministry. Because elder in the I'm in a non denominational ministry now, but elder is another way of saying a ordained male Minister their particular denomination, an elder was, you know, almost you might want to say like a trustee, so, but they were root, they they were they were integral to their church, And they were really foundational members. And so I just remember that impact on my life, and so I needed to make sure I had that grounding, and I knew I didn't have it because I was doing any and everything I wanted to do. You know, one of the reasons my my second husband, said, You know, he, I was the one for him, is because we had a drinking competition and I beat him, you know, we were taking shots, and I beat him. And so, you know that that was something that, you know, he said, Oh, you're, you know, girl, you're the one for me. And so that was our life, running, you know, we did a lot of. We entertained. We, you know, we did a lot of partying, as you say, a lot of having a great time. We were living our best life, right? So I knew I wasn't living a life that I could tell, Hey, God, see my life, Aren't you proud? It wasn't that life I was living. I wasn't, you know, doing biblical things. I wasn't living life, right? So I needed to make sure when I came to New Jersey, I mean, when I came to Atlanta from New Jersey with this gentleman that I had not yet married, I said, Lord, you know, help me make the right decision. And I'd say we could be moved to to Georgia in it's something like January, February. Okay, we got married about two months later, and then a month after that, I was pregnant with my daughter. So things being that, it happened very fast. But one thing about it is, of course, when you're pregnant, as a woman, you know, you can't do this. I couldn't do the things that I was doing before, right? The partying, smoking, the drinking, all of that, you know, for the sake of the child. You know, you just can't do it. So I went through a terrible withdrawal. Yeah, it was, it was pretty bad and and the only refuge I had was the church. So that's how I really got into the church. And once I got into the church, I had, I had been in the church before I had made a decision. Decision when I was about, I'm going to say about five, five or six years prior to that, I had given my life to the Lord. I had, you know, come into a relationship with the Lord, but life happened, and I got out of it. You know, I quickly kind of got out of it. And so for many years, I was just doing my own thing. So again, when, when, when we came to Georgia, I got pregnant, got married, going through with the withdrawals. I just, you know, I just went back into the church, uh, rekindled that relationship. Or, or the Bible says that he, he, he's with loving kindness. Has he drawn you? So he really drew me back based on my need. And so I came back to the church and got really, really involved in ministry. And as I got involved, I just kind of threw myself into it, because I could not do the previous things I did. And then even after I had my my second child, it's a daughter, so I have a son and a daughter, I had to live a life that was good for   Michael Hingson ** 41:05 them. And what did your husband think of all that?   Kay Thompson ** 41:09 Oh, yeah. Well, first he thought I had joined a cult. Okay, yeah, that's so that was his first impression. So he came to the church because he wanted to see who these cult members were that were drawing away his wife. And when he came, he got kind of hooked to the church, yeah? But our our faith was never at the same level. You know? He came because of me. I came because of of God, right? And I don't know if he ever really, I don't think he ever really got to that level that I did, where I was just gung ho. Everything was, you know, I was a Jesus girl. I was a holy roller, you know. And he did it for us. He did it for, you know, task sake, because he was a task oriented person. But he came, he came to be a very like my parents. He came to be very important part of the church. He was a deacon. He was faithful. He loved our leaders. He served with faith and integrity. But when it came to that, you know, deep seated personal relationship with God, where you know God, I just give you everything you know that that was mine. That was what I did. So we differed in that respect, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 42:35 well, well, hopefully though, in in the long run, you said he's passed. I assume it was not a suicide.   Kay Thompson ** 42:45 No, no,   Michael Hingson ** 42:46 Ben that he is. He is moving on in that faith. So that's a hopeful   Kay Thompson ** 42:53 thing. Yeah, I believe he is. He had congestive heart failure and he passed away. And, yeah, I believe he he's now at rest, enjoying his rest. Yes, there   Michael Hingson ** 43:06 you go. So when did he pass in 2008 Okay, so that was 17 years ago. Okay, yep, well, so you were very involved in the church. And I suppose in some senses, it's probably a question that is reasonably obvious, but then I'll still ask, how did you get into the ministry from being very heavily involved in church, and when did that happen?   Kay Thompson ** 43:38 Okay, so one day our church. You know, the churches we have depending on, I guess, your faith or leaders do in the beginning of each year, we have a 21 day consecration, which we do in January, throughout the month of January. You know they might say, okay, 21 for 21 days. Read these scriptures, and we're going to fast from, you know, sweets, meats, or, you know, whatever the directive is. And so we was in a 21 day fast, and that was at my home one day. It was in the middle of the night, and I distinctly heard a call to preach. And that's really how the it all began. I mean, I knew, you know, the Bible says that, you know, even with Jeremiah and Jeremiah one, he says, Before the foundation, you know, before your mother and your father, you know, were together, I have already called you. I already ordained you. So I heard this call to preach, very distinct call, and at that point, I told my pastor, and from that point, I was kind of groomed, and as time went on, I was given more responsibility. Uh, you know, praying, or every now and then, preaching, doing Bible study. The next thing I know, I took my licensing exam, I was licensed, and then after that, I went through ordination, and I was ordained, and that's how it really began. And it was something I really took to heart, because I didn't want to disappoint God again. I didn't want to backslide again. Because, you know, I strongly believed in the faith, and I believe in the faith, and I believe in the power of Jesus, and I didn't want to be that person that Okay. Today I'm going to be faithful to the God and to His Word. But then, you know, then on the next day, you know, you're finding me, you know, yeah, in the liquor store, or, you know, this, doing this, or, you know, in the club. I didn't want to be that person. Yeah, I was, I was sincere, and I was very gung ho, and I wanted to live out this life. I wanted to see what the calling was going to be in my life. And I loved ministry. I loved the word, because I was already an art historian. So I loved history. And so the Bible is all you know, it's something history. It's history. Yeah, it's relevant. History to me, it's alive and active, sure. So it was perfect. It was a perfect pairing for me, and that that's really been my pursuit many these years.   Michael Hingson ** 46:37 So when did you become a minister?   Kay Thompson ** 46:41 Actually, when I, when I was telling you about that fast and when I heard the word preach, essentially when I heard that word preach between me and God, that was when I became a minister. Time wise. When was that time wise? Okay, that was probably 94 Okay. I Yeah, all right.   Michael Hingson ** 47:00 So you were, you were clearly a preacher during a lot of the time with your your second husband, and so on, and, and I am so glad that he at least did explore and and and learn so much. So that's a that's a cool thing. But you've also done some other things. You deal with real estate, you're a TV show host, you're an author and well, business owner, yeah, but I want to, I want to learn more about some of those. But what kind of challenges have you faced in the ministry?   Kay Thompson ** 47:42 Yeah. I would say some of the challenges are, you know, when you're in ministry, you have to preach or get yourself prepared for going before the people. It can be a very lonely lifestyle, yeah, yeah, even, even if you're married, even if you have children, it could still be a lonely and and demanding in its own right, because there is a mandate over your life to live and not according to what you see trending now. And, you know, when I, when I first got started in ministry there, the Internet was not the way it is now. No, no, definitely. Because, I mean, it was in 2000 that I got ordained. And I'm going to say the ministry had been, you know, it was just really starting to, I don't know you guess, she said, make waves. That's when all of the big evangelists were coming out, like, you know, the TD Jakes, the Paula white and the Benny Hinn and the Juanita Biden. That is around that time when those generation of preachers were really at the forefront, correct, low dollar and, you know, Bishop, Carlton, Pearson and Rod Parsley and all these, these names. That's when it really began to really pick up steam. And so that was the error that I started off in. And you wanted to be a person. You wanted to be relevant, but at the same token, you just trying to find that balance between family and ministry and and regular life. You know, can sometimes be really challenging, and I had to learn a lot about the order of things. You know, first it's God, then it's family, and then it's ministry. That's the order. But a lot of times we mix up God and ministry. So what we think is, you know, and. Aspect of things that we think that are God, that are actually ministry, and they supersede your family. That's where you know you can really run into some trouble. So that balance between those different aspects of my life, it was difficult, and then as a person who had a a more a prophetic, a revelatory call. On top of that, God is showing you things about people, about, you know, situations that you don't necessarily ask to know about, you know. And the Bible says, you know, with much knowledge can often come sorrow, you know. And that's when you begin to see God really unveiling and revealing things about people and about yourself. Because you have to be able to, you have to be able to look at yourself and not get too self righteous, right? If God is showing you these things. But in the same token, you don't want to, you know, you say, Okay, God, you're showing me this. What do you want me to do with this? And you know, somebody else might say, Okay, you need to go tell that person what God showed you. You know, I saw you doing this. You better stop, you know, doing this. And then, you know, so busy pointing the finger. Yeah, but you have to remember, you know, and it's, it may be cliches, but you've got three pointing back at you. And so there is, you know, you you've gotta be able to stay humble and yet still balance your family and still, you know, uh, not think yourself to be more than what you are, and yet realize that God has called you to do more in ministry than the average person. So yeah, it can be challenging, but I wouldn't change it for anything.   Michael Hingson ** 51:55 It can be a challenge, but at the same time, you clearly were called to do it, and you work at keeping perspective, and I think that's the important thing, which goes back to college, which helped you learn a lot of discipline, and you get to use that discipline in a different way, perhaps, than you right, you figured out in college. But discipline is discipline, yeah. Well, how did you then get into something like the media and start being a TV show host and those kinds of things?   Kay Thompson ** 52:26 Yeah, so I have a wonderful, wonderful pastor who really takes time to work with their their members and find out what your gifts are, what your talents are, and use them. And so I So, let's just say so I was an artist. Okay, bottom line, I was a sculptor, painter, award winning painter, by the way. Let me just tell you now, you know the first or second painting I did, I entered it into a contest at the college, and I won an award, so I had a gift for this design, but in my time we were transitioning to graphic design, graphic design became the big thing, and I never had if I had the aptitude to do computer science, which, bless his soul, my beautiful son is a computer scientist, right, you know, but that gene, this, that gene, skip right on over me. I was not the math person, and when you said physicist, I said, Hmm, that that, you know, that gene just, just totally went around me,   Michael Hingson ** 53:41 yeah, so you don't know anything about 32 feet per second squared anyway, no,   Kay Thompson ** 53:45 I'm about to say, I trust you, whatever you say, you know, and it's the funny thing is, my father was a mathematician, my older brother was a chemical engineer, and Me, you know that I struggle just to pass geometry. Okay, so no, I was the artsy person.   Michael Hingson ** 54:07 Um, that's fine, but I was, yeah. How'd that get you to the media?   Kay Thompson ** 54:12 Yeah, so I was going to say, so, the combination what happened is my pastor knew a pastor who was looking for a part time job, looking for someone to have a part time job, because he had a he had his own publishing company in his house. He at the time he was he published a book that we talked about church growth. And this was at the time when the Purpose Driven Life, The Purpose Driven Life was a purpose driven church came out. It was a huge success. And he the same thing happened with him here in Atlanta, but no publishing company wanted to take. Make his story, because that's the, you know, the whole the society was inundated with this purpose driven church, you know, it was already written about. It was already done. They didn't want his story. So he decided to create his own publishing company, and it was in the basement of his mansion, and he was looking for someone to be the secretary. So I came in that I was, it was a friend of a friend of friend. They hired me, and I started working for him as a as a secretary. And then they would bring these books over, and he would, you know, send them out to be edited, and then bring them back. And then I would have to mail it out to the to the printer and one of the books one day, and I saw it, and I noticed there were still typos in it. I said, Sir, there's still typos in your book. Oh, really, yeah. And he had already paid this person $1,000 so I went back through it, found all these typos, and that's how I got into publishing, publishing my own books and and everything like that. But then one day, my pastor said, Hey, Kay, why don't you do a radio show? I was like, okay, sure, right, because I had met so many people in ministry from doing their books. So I called the radio station, the local am station, and I said, Hey, how much does it cost to do a show, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was sponsored by my pastor and some other people, and I started a 30 minute show every week. It was called personalities, profiles and perspectives, the three teams, and I would interview people, gospel artists, pastors, you know, just politicians, you know, just people. I would reach out to them. Next thing I know, I got hired by a station in another station in Atlanta. It was called wg, I don't know if you remember, well, you, you probably don't, because you're not from Atlanta, right? But it was W G, U N, 10:10am, in Atlanta, the biggest am station aside from WSB radio, which is WSB 750 the major news network, right? WGN, 1010. Was a huge station, and I got hired by them. I was a DJ. It was a gospel station, and I ended up being the program director, and did a lot of, you know, voiceovers. I did shows, I did production. That's how I got into radio. And I loved it. I loved radio. I loved anything to do with media. It was just I knew it. I got bit with the bug when they opened up that hot mic. That was it. I was in my element. So that's how I got into radio. And then you went to TV. And then I went to TV, yeah, went to TV. Well, what happened is, I was writing books, and there is a station here in Atlanta, W ATC TV 57 and they interview people all over, actually, all over the country. You can come from wherever we know, we've had big names, you know, all kinds of people and local people. And that's one thing about it, is that local people in ministry could go there. They could sing, if they were music artists, they could, you know, talk about their books, talk about their ministry. And so I went on and talked about my book, and next thing I know, I got called in to be a host, and so I've been hosting now for about five years. Wow. You know, on and off. You know, the the show has different hosts each, and I do a couple of times a month. Okay, I'll actually be on there shortly, again in a few days. So   Michael Hingson ** 58:57 tell us about your books. You've mentioned books several times. Did you publish your own books? Okay, so tell us about your books.   Kay Thompson ** 59:06 So yeah, the first four books, well, I've done I've had four books which were on prophecy. The the main title is prophecy in the 21st Century. And then I did four different volumes. The first one was the role of prophecy in the new millennium. And basically that one was written in, I'm going to say around 2012 somewhere about 2012 and it talks about the relevance of prophecy with regard to the millennial generation, and how this you can help steer direct and go alongside millennial mindset, millennial and many millennial aspects of this generation. And then the second book was also the set under the same volume, the same name. Prophecy in the 21st Century, the role of and the second the first one is the role of prophecy in the new millennium. The second one was prophetic healing. And prophetic healing talks about prophecy and healing in the Bible and how prophetic people who operate in the prophetic can help bring forth, healing, societal, healing, relational, healing, physical, healing, financial. And then the third one was about prophetic women. And these are women in the Bible that had a prophetic calling, not necessarily called a prophetess, but display those characteristics of women that operate in Revelation and that sort of gift. And then the fourth one was called the leadership mandate, and it talks about leader and how leaders navigate in the prophetic arena and the characteristics that people ought to have, and leaders in the Bible that also operated in that revelation or that. And then the last book I wrote was called the 30 names, or not the but 30 Names of God, because there are so many more names that God is known by. But I chose 30 names that really stood out to me as what God has called. You know Jehovah Gabor. You know the warrior one fights for us. You know Jehovah Jireh, of course, we know that's our provider. Mm, hmm, Jehovah Rapha, our healer. So I found 30 names that really stood out to me, and I spoke about those in that book. So those are the books that I have, and then I've got another book that will be coming out within the next year, and and it is about healing. So those are my books, and I've published those books. And not only do I, I didn't start off publishing my own books. I started off publishing for other people, right? Because the more I worked in that field, the more I found that I could do better financially if I did it myself. Yeah, so and I, and I, one thing about it is that as a result of being an artist, that the graphic design, computer graphics, came really easy to me, I'll bet. So, yeah, so someone could hand me a manuscript. I had the editing skills right for my mother. So I could edit your book. I could create the design. I could format it. I You. Hand me your manuscript, I hand you back your finished product. So for me, you know, the cheapest person that you know, I pay the least amount because so I can publish as many books as I could write, probably, you know, but that's how I really got started doing that, and then I began to do it for other people, other leaders, other pastors, friends, you know, just people that want that service. I provide that service. And so that's how that really got started.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:12 Now we don't have a lot of time, but I just curious. You also do something in real estate.   Kay Thompson ** 1:03:19 I do, yeah, I I got my license in 2005 and maybe one year, maybe one year, and then I got out of it right away. Life happened, and then I came back in 2022, and began to did it full time. And so I love it. I love real estate. Right now I'm in residential, but I do some commercial, and the ultimate goal is to do mostly commercial and to have a space. The goal for commercial is to really help others entrepreneurs who are interested in having businesses offline, giving them an opportunity to have a space that is little to nothing, and that's one of the ways that I really want to give back, is to be able to offer that opportunity for people out there to help others to achieve that same goal. And so I believe in entrepreneur. I've been an entrepreneur for 17 years now. So, yeah, have a heart for that. So I want to see other people get through that challenge and be successful. So, and I know it takes money,   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:37 but in real estate helps.   Kay Thompson ** 1:04:39 It definitely helps. Yeah? Well, real estate is constantly going up, you know, even if the market is down and even if finances are down, real estate is something that is immovable,   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:52 so go back up.   Speaker 1 ** 1:04:54 Yeah, yeah, for sure, and   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:57 you clearly enjoy everything that you're. Doing, which is the important thing, yes, I have that is that is really cool, and I am so glad that we had a chance to talk about all this, needless to say, and I want to thank you for being on unstoppable mindset. Clearly, you have an unstoppable mindset, and you exhibited in so many ways. So I really want to thank you, but I also want to thank all of you for listening out there, wherever you happen to be, if you'd like to reach out to KK, how can people find you?   Kay Thompson ** 1:05:31 They can go to my website. It is my name, K Thompson, dot, O, R, G, all my books are there? Contact information, some of my podcasts. You can watch some of Atlanta live the videos of the shows. It's all on my website,   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:49 all right, and that's in in the notes and so on. So, k, a, y, T, H, O, M, P, S O, n.org, correct. So hope that you'll all go there and and check Kay out and and communicate with her. I'm sure that she would love, and I would love to know what you think and get your thoughts about today. So please feel free to email me at Michael, H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I B, e.com, wherever you're observing our podcast today, please give us a five star rating. We value very highly your reviews, and we, of course, love them most when you give us a five star review. So please do that. And Kay, for you and for everyone who is out there today, if you know anyone else who ought to be on unstoppable mindset, I would really appreciate it if you'd introduce us and we will bring them on the podcast, because we're always looking for people who have stories to tell about their lives and being unstoppable. So please don't hesitate to let us know. You can also go to our podcast page, which is Michael hingson, M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s o n.com/podcast, so we'd love you to do that as well. But again, really appreciate all you being out there and listening to us and and I'm sure you you like, like, I have gotten some wonderful things out of talking with case. Okay, once again, I want to thank you for being here. This has been absolutely wonderful.   Kay Thompson ** 1:07:22 Well, thank you. I really enjoyed it. I appreciate you asking me to be here and just so glad to be able to share with you today your audience. Really appreciate it.   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:37 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Ashley Garner joins us to discuss scaling, challenges, and tips to those just starting out.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on August 22, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Ashley GarnerMr. Garner is an experienced and successful real estate investor with over 3 decades in the multifamily business as an owner, operator and manager. Currently, he owns and operates a portfolio of 132 units (368 beds) in various locations in two states. In addition, Ashley has been a real estate broker since 1996. Real estate is his career; helping others achieve financial freedom through investing in real estate is his passion.Ashley is married and has two children…they say all he talks about is apartments!Learn more about him at: https://www.abgmultifamily.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleybgarner/

Vince Lewis was an officer in the United States Air Force for 24 years, flying multiple combat missions during the Vietnam War. He commanded a B-52 (a nuclear capable bomber) at Griffiss Air Force Base during the Cold War and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with top level security clearance. In this episode, Vince describes how he came to Christ while in the Air Force. He came to believe in enemy love and nonresistance. He then joined the Anabaptists, leaving the military after a career of 40 years. Book about Vince LewisThis is the 281st episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought. Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King JesusSubscribe on your podcast provider of choiceSupport us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 22nd of August 2025, The Government's gone shopping for some new planes and helicopters, at the tune of $2.7 billion, retired Lieutenant Colonel and security expert, Josh Wineera shares his thoughts. New data from Cotality shows people getting on the property ladder are actually at the highest share of purchases in the last two decades, David Cunningham from Squirrel Mortgages tells Ryan Bridge what he's been seeing. The All Blacks take on Argentina again in Buenos Aires, Sports Commentator Sam Ackerman tells Ryan what we can expect. Plus UK/ Europe Correspondent Vincent McAviney has the latest on Israel preparing for a new offensive to take over Gaza City. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us on this episode of Braving Business as we delve into the world of politics, resilience, and leadership with Adam Kinzinger, a former U.S. Congressman and current senior political commentator at CNN. Known for his unwavering stance against the tide of misinformation and his commitment to democratic principles, Adam shares his journey from the halls of Congress to the forefront of a movement aimed at depolarizing American politics.Key Topics Covered:Adam's transition from a rising star in the Republican Party to a vocal critic of the MAGA movement.Insights from his tenure on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack.The founding of Country First and its mission to restore core democratic values.The challenges and strategies of navigating political and personal pivots.Guest Background:Adam Kinzinger served as a U.S. representative from Illinois from 2011 to 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, he continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel. Adam's political career is marked by his courageous stand against voter fraud claims following the 2020 presidential election and his dedication to truth and accountability.Main Insights:The importance of conviction over ambition in leadership roles.How to remain resilient in the face of political and social adversity.The role of integrity and transparency in restoring public trust.Actionable Takeaways:Strategies for maintaining personal and professional integrity amidst external pressures.Approaches to fostering bipartisan dialogue and reducing polarization.Lessons on leading with courage and conviction, even when it means standing alone.Tune in to explore how Adam Kinzinger's experiences can inspire business leaders and entrepreneurs to navigate their own challenges with resilience and integrity.

Brandon Howliet talks about property management, having your team ready, and his journey through multi-family so far.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on August 15, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Brandon HowlietBrandon began his real estate journey in 2002, purchasing his first residential investment property. Over the next two decades, he gained deep experience in fix-and-flip single-family and duplex projects, wholesale real estate deals, and even operated a coin laundromat business. Through these ventures, Brandon discovered his true passion: helping others achieve financial freedom through real estate investing. In 2015, Brandon launched Branstar Capital Inc. and in 2022 the company transitioned into multifamily syndications, partnering with a proven team of operators and asset managers. The company focuses on identifying value-add multifamily assets, delivering strong returns to investors through strategic acquisitions, repositioning, and efficient management. Brandon has cultivated a trusted investor network across Illinois, Texas, Kentucky, and has been instrumental in capital raising and investor relations for several syndications. He currently serves as a GP (General Partner) with 113 units under active asset management and continues to grow Branstar's portfolio through disciplined underwriting, market insight, and long-term relationship building.Learn more about him at: https://branstarcapital.com/, or https://rb.gy/r89dbw

Senate Eskridge talks with us about his journey through real estate, fund to fund investing, and giving back to the community.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on August 8, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Senate EskridgeHey, I'm Senate!I was born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho, where I've built a life centered around family, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. My wife Cari and I have raised five amazing children here in the Magic Valley—or as I like to say, “Nope, we don't have kids; we have adults!” Together, we've tackled life as serial entrepreneurs, founding ventures like The Idaho Summit while balancing our passion for community and business.My Professional JourneyI currently own 847 multifamily units across the country (and counting) and have helped nearly 100 people from all walks of life invest in multifamily real estate. There's nothing more rewarding than helping others take control of their financial futures.I love sharing my knowledge with aspiring investors, guiding them to build wealth through multifamily real estate. Watching my students grow and succeed is one of my greatest joys.Over the years, I've gained experience across multiple industries, including owning my own financial firm. This diverse background has given me the skills and insight needed to excel in real estate investing and beyond.Learn more about him at: https://www.senateeskridge.com/, or https://www.senateeskridge.com/links

Hawkeye sieht rot... oder möchte das gerne. Warum auch immer... Also macht er sich in einem gestohlenen Jeep auf zu den Friedensverhandungen in Panmunjom zu einer kleinen, privaten Anti-Kriegs-Protest-Aktion. In der 2. Episode der 7. Staffel von M*A*S*H "Alles nur Nullen / Peace On Us", die neben viel Rot und einigermaßen fragwürdigem Protest auch das Ende der leidigen Penobscott-Angelegenheit markiert: denn Margaret, die in unserer letzten Folge mit ihrem Lieutenant-Colonel verheiratet wurde, entschließt sich nun leicht-schweren Herzens, sich von ihrem Donald wieder scheiden zu lassen.

Today Jessie Lang joins us today to discuss the BRRRR method, coaching, and her journey through real estate.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on August 1, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Jessie LangJessie Lang started investing in real estate by "house-hacking" over 10 years ago, and has since grown a substantial rental portfolio that she manages with the help of a small, remote team. In the last 36 months, she's grown from 11 doors (bought the wrong way with 20% down), to 70 doors and counting. She's laser focused on the BRRRR method, which allows her to put her money to work over and over to create generational wealth. She partners with private lenders to buy real estate with none of her own money, all while providing them double digit returns on their investment! Jessie has created a free mini-course—how to buy 1-3 rentals per month on autopilot (even if you don't own a property yet, don't have 20% down, and think rates are too high). When she isn't managing rentals or coaching, she is traveling with her wife Laura, spoiling her 5 (yes 5!) pets, and getting her hands dirty in DIY house projects and gardening.Learn more about her at: https://linktr.ee/jessielangrealestate

The Olson Family Farm was recognized as a Century Farm in 1985 after 110 years of continuous family ownership. Ole Herdal Olson (born October 1807) and Dorthea Jensdatter Stennan Riise (born October 1809) were united in marriage in May 1838 in Tolga, Hedemark, Norway. To this union there were six children: Ole Iver born in 1838; Marit born in 1841; Carrie born in 1843; Johanne born in 1846; Anna born in 1849; and Jens born on October 26, 1853. They emigrated from Norway to America and were among the early settlers in the Township of Leon. Ole and Dorthea purchased the present farm in 1875 from John Cannon. Mr. Cannon was a lumberman from the state of New York that came to Wisconsin around 1842 and settled on about 600 acres in the Township of Leon in what is now known as Cannon Valley. Halver and Rebecca Bergerson came to America with their six children including daughter Caroline Bergerson Brangrud who was born in Holand, Norway on born December 7, 1860. They came to America in 1872 when she was 11 ½ years old. Halver was a successful farmer and stock raiser, keeping his farm well stocked with a good grade of horses, cattle and hogs. He was a man of noble Christian character, and he and his wife were honored members of the Lutheran church and had great influence in the community. Jens Olson and Caroline Bergerson were united in marriage in the Township of Leon on March 12, 1878. Jens assumed the role as main farmer of the small dairy operation after the passing of his father Ole in April 1879. Jens was successful in his operations as a farmer, and his farm was highly improved by cultivation and buildings, and the modern residence erected in 1904, with the commodious outbuildings, make theirs one of the up-to-date country homes of the valley. He was kind-hearted and generous and a devoted member of the Lutheran church, having the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. To the marriage of Jens and Caroline there were twelve children: Johanna born 1878 (never married); Dora born 1880 (married Hans Hoitomt); Oscar born 1882 (never married); Harold born 1884 (never married); Ida born 1887 (married Joseph Anderson); Augusta born 1889 (married Angus Morrison); Nora born 1892 (married Earl Anderson); Olga born 1894 (married Irving Thomesen); Josef born 1896 (married Elizabeth Betty); Leonard born 1898 (married Selma Kolbo); and the twins William (married Sarah Kolbo) and Walter (married Alice Erickson) born 1902. Jens passed away in May 1904, leaving Caroline to farm over 250 acres of land and maintain the dairy herd. Her children Johanna, Oscar and Harold lived close by and assisted with raising their brothers and sisters as well as the farming chores. Caroline very ably brought up her family, continuing in the teaching of the Lutheran Church. The youngest son, Walter, married Alice (Breitenfield-Erickson) on October 24, 1932, in Galena, Illinois. To this union there were three children: Jane born April 1933 (married Lavern Chapiewsky); James A. born August 1934 (married Joan Melloh) and Joyce born April 1937 (married Forrest Johnson). Caroline passed away on July 14, 1934, and the farm was left in the hands of her six sons. Johanna, Oscar, and Harold lived on a 100-acre parcel and farmed another 100-acre parcel. Walter and Alice were able to purchase the remaining 154 acres from his brothers on April 21, 1947. Walter passed away July 29, 1968, seventeen years to the day after his twin brother William passed away (in 1951). James A. married Joan Melloh on October 10, 1964. To this union there were two children: James J. born in September 1966 (married Julie Benedict), and Lori A., born in July 1971 (married Marcus Volden). Alice sold the farm of 154 acres to James and Joan on May 15, 1978, and she moved to Sparta. James A. changed the farm operation from dairy to beef cows and honorably served in the Army National Guard, Army reserves, and on active duty. On December 7, 1998, James A. passed half the farm to his son James J. Both children honorably served in the military; James J. enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1984 and retired as a Major in 2007, and Lori enlisted in the Army in 1989 and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2025. James J. then married Julie Benedict on October 27, 2001, and to this marriage there were two children: Caroline (named after her Great-Grandmother), born in April 200,3 and James-Dean (named after both of his Grandfathers), born in February 2006. On July 24, 2006, James A. passed his half of the farm to James-Dean. He worked as a mechanic for the Monroe County Highway Department and farmed the family farm. Even though he had Allis-Chalmers tractors, he enjoyed doing his farm work with his Percheron horses. He was a fixture at many local parades, fairs, and plowing contests. He was invited on numerous occasions to pull the caged lion at the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee. He was a mainstay at the World Percheron Congress, culminating with him being crowned the World Champion Farm Team in 2006 in Lexington, Virginia. On July 7, 2008, James J. and James-Dean purchased an additional 27.9 acres from a neighbor, bringing the total number of acres to 181. James A. passed away on February 19, 2011; Lori received the horses and associated equipment while James J. and James-Dean slowly transitioned the farm from horse-drawn equipment to more modern mechanical ag equipment. James-Dean loved the outdoors, especially hunting and driving all the equipment. Sadly, he was killed in an automobile accident on the day before the start of his junior year of high school in August 2022. James J., Julie, and Caroline established a Foundation to carry on his legacy and as well as farming grain crops (corn, soybeans, and hay). Pictured: Jim - Julie - Caroline - James Dean Olson at the Marine Corps Birthday - November 2009See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Quaranteam-Northwest: Part 6 Lab Results and Quarantines Based on a post by Break The Bar. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.   The Docs signed off, leaving me alone in the little meeting room again. Not knowing when I would be able to leave, I decided to try and fall back on one of my old military instincts; sleep when you can. So I got comfortable in the chair, closed my eyes, and let myself drift into a fitful, not-quite-soothing sleep. "Harri," someone said, and I woke with a start as my shoulder was touched. "Urm," I grunted, and sniffed in a breath as I blinked rapidly and looked around. I was still in the room, and Miriam was smiling at me. She was dressed in fatigues here in the military office complex instead of her service dress blues and her hair was up in a standard military bun hidden beneath the standard issue cap. "Just like a grunt to take any reason for a nap," she grinned at me. "Come on. We can talk in my office." I stood, yawned and stretched, feeling something pop in my back and my shoulder from the uncomfortable position I'd been in. "Lead the way, Lieutenant Colonel," I said. She rolled her eyes at me a little but didn't say anything, just opening the door and walking through. I followed her back into that hallway where Brent had clocked me. He wasn't in the waiting room at the end of the hall. "Is Brent,” I started to ask. "He's waiting on another floor," Miriam said. "Refuses to leave until he sees his daughter is alright. It's making operations slow down over at the construction site, but I can't blame him." "Neither can I," I said, touching the tenderness of my black eye. Miriam led me through several very plain corridors lined with doors. None of them had windows to see in, and most had nameplate mounts but lacked names, and instead were labelled with numbers. It struck me as secretive, and that meant I was probably in the Air Force part of the building and not the Vaccine Test Center part. If they were trying to make people feel at ease joining an experimental program, these plain walls and doors forming a maze were not the way to do it. Confounding an enemy trying to sneak through this part of the building, though? It was perfect. I followed Miriam until she stopped at a seemingly random door and opened it, leading me into a large office. It had a large bank of windows, but extra-heavy curtains had been hung over them and were drawn shut to the point I wondered if they were nailed in place. One wall was entirely covered in a whiteboard with all sorts of coded writing on it. There were two desks in the room; the main desk was scattered with papers and a computer terminal, with a plush office chair tucked in behind it. The second desk had more stuff on it, but in neater piles, and Captain Bloomberg was sitting behind it at work. She glanced up at us as we entered and gave me a slightly judgmental look, before going back to the printout she was reading. The rest of the office space was dominated by file shelving units, a gun safe, and a leather couch that looked uncomfortable but was probably soft as hell. "Captain, could you give us five?" Miriam asked. "Of course, Ma'am," she nodded, set down the papers face-down and stepped around her desk to the door. She shot Miriam a quick look, and Miriam gave her one back, and the Captain left. If I had to guess it was to do with the fact that the office was probably full of classified material and information and the Captain was silently reminding her superior officer not to let me poke around or leave me alone in there. "Sit, please," Miriam sighed once the door was closed and we were alone, gesturing at the couch. I did, instantly sinking into it, and she sat on the other end and turned to me. "So, now that we know it's not life-threatening, you feel ready to get teased yet?" I snorted a little and scratched at my beard. "It's still a little raw," I admitted. "Just like how you fucked her?" Miriam asked with a grin. "Sorry, that's the only one." I shook my head and chuckled. There were few kinds of people who could be as morbidly crude and insulting, and mean it in the best way, as a military friend. "Seriously, Harri," she said. "I got a briefing on it. She's fine, you're fine. No one is in trouble." "Tell that to her father," I said. "And I can't blame him for probably wanting to kill me." "Yeah, well, tough shit for him," Miriam said. "We've expanded his Need to Know status and gave him some more info on the vaccine to calm him down. He's not happy, but he's not worried anymore. Seriously though, did you have to go and fuck my lead civilian contractor's daughter?" "We were friendly with her," I said, and let out a long breath. "Erica said she thought Vanessa might be a little interested. I don't think either of us expected her to show up on our proverbial doorstep and ask for a foursome." "I always did think Erica was a smart woman after we met," Miriam said. "Though I figured you'd lost a few brain cells since you weren't dating her at the time." "There's a whole story behind that," I said, waving her off. "I'm sure there is," Miriam smiled. "Doesn't mean it's a good excuse though." "Well, Vanessa seems to think you have a crush on me after she met you for all of two minutes," I shot back at her. Miriam flushed for a moment but didn't look away from me, still in command in her own office. "Vanessa might have been doing a bit of projecting," she said. "I'm not into hillbillies with bushy beards and big guts." "Ouch," I laughed, holding my stomach. Sure, I wasn't in the peak physical form I'd been in coming out of the military, but I hadn't gone that soft. Miriam and I continued to chat and laugh for a few more minutes until the Captain came back and then Miriam let me borrow some sound-cancelling headphones and hang out on their couch while they were working. They had food ordered in and Miriam and I ate dinner together while Captain Bloomberg ate as she kept working at her desk. It wasn't until I noticed that the faint bit of light leaking around the edges of the curtains was dimming that it had been a long day and I hadn't been able to contact Erica and Ivy. I asked Miriam if I could have my phone back just to update them, and she and the Captain had to discuss it for a long moment before they decided they could probably do the texting for me, but for security protocols I couldn't be given control of the phone. When my phone powered on it took a long moment for it to connect to service, and then it started buzzing like crazy and a bunch of messages came in. Miriam was holding it, and her eyes went a little wide as the message notification scrolled by. "Um," she said. "Well, it looks like you and your partners are... happy together." "Oh no," I groaned. "What did they send?" "Well, you have a whole bunch of messages from Brent Peters chewing you out, so there's that," Miriam said. "But, uh, well, there are photos from your partners." "Sorry," I shrugged, once again finding my face heating up at the exposure of my sex life. "It's fine," Miriam said. "It was my idea to do the texting anyways." She tapped around on the phone for a moment. "Alright, I'll just say 'Harri isn't allowed to use his phone right now. This is Miriam Abarbanel. He is fine, no trouble. Vanessa is also fine and healthy. They will return tomorrow.'" "That's fine," I said with a nod. I would have liked to tell them more, and that I loved them. And that they shouldn't have been trying to send me whatever scandalous photos they had considering I was in military custody at the moment. Miriam hit send and a minute later another text came through and she opened it, immediately rolling her eyes and setting my phone down. "What?" I asked. "Erica sent another photo, and I think it was for me," she said. "What? Really?" I asked. Miriam opened the photo again and turned my phone around to show me. Erica and Ivy were both sunbathing in the chairs, topless. The third Adirondack had a name tag written on a piece of paper and taped to the back of the chair that red 'Vanessa.' Beside it, they had put out another lawn chair and had quickly put another nametag on it that said 'Miriam.' I couldn't help the little snort of laughter that came out of me, and I covered my mouth to try and stop from giggling a bit. "I'm sorry," I said. Miriam laughed once and set my phone down. "You know, Erica is the right kind of trouble for you I think," she said. "You haven't spent enough time with Ivy," I countered. "That girl is mischievous. I bet the Vanessa one was Erica's idea to try and cheer her up, and the other one was Ivy." "If you've got any pictures from that Danielle woman, I wouldn't mind checking those out," Captain Bloomberg said from over at her desk. "Laura," Miriam said, a little shocked. "What? I told you when we first saw her, that woman could turn a bigoted granny gay," Laura said. "That's fair," Miriam said thoughtfully. "Hey, no arguments from me," I said. Miriam and the Captain ended up finishing their work days, though Miriam told me that she was on call 24/7 anyways and they stayed in apartments lower in the building. She offered to try and find me a free one to rest overnight, but I asked her if I could see Vanessa and stay in whatever medical room she was in. I didn't want her to wake up from the process and be alone. This started a silent conversation of sharp looks between Miriam and Laura, until Laura sighed. "She's not alone. Her father hasn't left her side since we let him see her. This is... let's call it a legal grey area at the moment. Technically you're not even extended family, so he would get precedent on deciding who can be there," she said. "But under the circumstances of the Vaccine imprinting, there's been some debate going around the legal circles of what constitutes a civil union. The matter's still up in the air, but there's a case to be made that you and she are now more intimately connected than she and her father. So I guess the question is do you want to push the issue?" "Oh, fuck," I groaned, and had to massage the bridge of my nose. "On the one hand, yes I want to see her. On the other, Brent deserves to be pissed at me and worried about her. Can I just talk to him?" "Honestly, Harri," Miriam said. "I think you should probably leave that whole conversation to Vanessa and how she wants to have it. Doesn't matter how much you defend yourself, you're still the guy that fucked that man's daughter in a pretty... degenerate seems too strong, but pervy is too weak. Anyways, you fucking her like that brought her here, and he's now aware that she's going to be intimately connected to you for a while." I puffed out my cheeks and let the air blow out slowly, unsure of what to do. "I can try talking to him," Laura offered. "But honestly, I don't know if it would do any good." "It's fine," I finally conceded. "He can be there, just find me another room where I can crash, and let me know when she's awake?" "I'll leave a standing order with the nurses," Miriam nodded. So, as Miriam and Laura finished up for the day, they sent for the night sentry who patrolled the floor and let him know I would be in the staff break room and was allowed to eat out of the cupboards and use the washrooms. Once the airman was gone Laura excused herself and left me with Miriam. "It was nice having you around, Harri," she grinned, dropping her command facade again. She put her hand on my upper arm and grinned, giving me a wink. "And I was joking when I called you fat." "Yeah, well, you really hurt my feelings," I fake-cried, making her laugh. "I'll see you tomorrow before you leave, alright? And I still expect that beer next time I'm up at the site," she said and gave me a peck on the cheek. "You got it," I said, and pecked her back. "And thank you for all of this today, by the way." "Happy to help," she said, and then escorted me to the room where I would spend the next seven hours. The sentry woke me up around four in the morning. I had Cheeto dust on my shirt and fingers, the bag I'd found in the staff room cupboard almost empty and crumpled up on my chest. "Sir, I've been asked to bring you down to the medical wing," he said. "Fuck," I said, blinking awake and standing up. "Uh, give me a second." I went into the men's washroom and quickly washed my hands and my face, and tried to get myself straightened out. Looking in the mirror, I could tell that I'd been running on empty for a bit, but I didn't look as bad as I might have if I hadn't been getting in some light napping at least. The airman brought me to the elevator and punched a button for about a dozen floors down, and when we stepped off of it, it was clear that we were in a more public-facing area, though the number of armed airmen on guard was actually higher. The floor was still quiet, this early in the morning, and generally featured a lot more stuff. There were glass panes and windows everywhere and the place looked like what I would picture a medical bay would in a not-too-distant future medical show. There were a few nurses around, but most of the rooms and beds were empty. We passed by one room that was sealed up with a little yellow light near the handle flashing 'Quarantine Active.' That got me gulping and moving. We turned a corner and I saw her. Vanessa was sitting up in a hospital bed, an IV drip hooked in to one arm. She was in a hospital gown and didn't have any of her usual makeup on, so she looked... sick wasn't the right word. She looked different enough that I noticed it, but it was like seeing Erica without her makeup that first time. It was different but I liked seeing the natural her. "Vanessa, I'm,” I started, but then she threw a magazine at my head. "Harri, I swear to God if you try and apologize to me, I'll throw another one," Vanessa said. She had a stack of a few of them on a little rolling bedside stand, where she also had a tray from a shitty cafeteria meal. "You look good, Vee," I said, changing my mind. She blushed and smiled. "No, I don't. Liar." "Okay, you look as good as someone in a hospital bed can," I said. "Come sit, Harri," she said, shifting herself in the bed and patting beside her. I did, and she took my hand in one of hers and lifted the other to brush a finger against my bruised eye. "The night nurse told me what happened when I woke up." I opened my mouth to apologize again but remembered what she'd said and clicked it shut. She smirked and squeezed my fingers. "Good, you're learning." "So you're not pissed off?" I asked. Vanessa leaned her head back on the pillows propping her up, taking a deep breath. "Maybe at the world, a little. But at you? Or Erica and Ivy? No. I went in there knowing what I was asking for, and you told me the risk. I decided getting off with you three was worth it." She broke into a small smile. "And from what I remember, it was pretty fantastic." "It was," I chuckled. "I mean, wild and filthy, but fantastic." She was looking at me, searching my face for something. I couldn't tell if she found it or not. "I spoke to my Dad. He told me he decked you pretty good but I wasn't expecting a full-on shiner." "He definitely got me," I said, touching my eye. "Wasn't as bad as I felt I deserved." "Yeah, well I told him if he does it again I'll deck him," she said. "And that if he tries to take any revenge on you, he's just punishing me." "Does that mean what I think it means?" I asked. She brought my hand up to her chest and put it over her heart. "Harri, I'm stuck with you no matter what at this point, but if you guys will have me I'd like to move into your crammed RV life. I thought you and Erica were cool since we met, and we know we're sexually compatible. The way I see it, I can either fight this thing just for the sake of fighting, or I can get on board the Harrison train and enjoy the ride." "Vanessa, I; God, I wish I had my phone right now," I said. "There's a picture the girls sent that you'll want to see." Vanessa rolled her eyes and her smile grew. "Oh, I got several pictures," Vanessa said. "I've already seen them. Why don't you have your phone?" "I was up on a secure floor," I said. "Lieutenant Colonel Abarbanel was actually the one to see them when she helped me message back that we were Okay." "Then you have some surprises waiting for you I think," Vanessa grinned. "But for now, you're all mine." She pulled me towards her and guided me into a kiss. Then she whispered into my lips as our noses rubbed against each other. "Pull the privacy screen around us." "Here? Really?" I asked. "My nurse actually encouraged it," Vanessa said. "She said we just need to try and keep it down." I stood up and went to the curtain built into the rolling track around Vanessa's bed and pulled it around us, blocking out the rest of the room, and the hallway beyond the glass observation doors. When I turned back to her, Vanessa was shrugging out of her hospital gown, her cute little tits jiggling. I kicked off my shoes and got up on the hospital bed with her, picking her up a bit and sliding her down into a laying position and tucking my head down to suck on one of her nipples. "Oh, Harri," she crooned, her hand running through my hair. Her nipples got hard quickly as I played my tongue over them, feeling the little boob around it tug and pull as I moved around. I popped off and raised my lips to hers again, giving her a kiss. "I didn't get to spend that much time telling you how beautiful and sexy I think you are," I said between kisses. "Harri, you don't need to lie," she said. "My boobs are tiny. I'm used to; Ah, fuck!" I cut her off by grabbing the tit I hadn't sucked on, squeezing it hard enough to make her hiss a little bit. I'd seen she liked a little rough pawing and play during the foursome, so I used it now to make a point. "If you ever tell me these aren't perfect, I'll spank you so hard you'll have my handprint on your ass for a week." "Fuck, Harri; Fuck," she groaned as I let my grip on her tit loosen, and then bent down and took that nipple into my mouth as well. "Fine. You like my tits. I believe you." "Don't just believe me," I said. "Vanessa, you said you thought Erica and I were cool when we first met. Well, I thought you were fascinating. This gorgeous, tough woman who knew how to take charge and make things happen. Beautiful from head to toe even when you were trying to downplay it for work. Now, you're going to lay back so that I can explore every inch of your gorgeous, perfect body." She looked like she was somewhere between beaming happily and crying, but she nodded. I started back up at her lips and kissed around her jaw and down her neck to her collar bone. Then down to her chest, where I teased her nipples some more, rolling one between my fingers while I tongued and lightly nibbled on the other. Once they were both standing proud and weren't about to go down, I helped her pull the hospital gown off until it was hanging from the arm with the IV in it, revealing the rest of her body to me. I kissed down her stomach to her bellybutton and pressed my forehead against her, kissing her fit stomach softly, then moving lower. I got to the point between her belly button and her mound where her scar was, and the Strength tattoo. I took my time there, kissing it, and tracing my finger along the letters of the tattoo. I turned back to look up at her face and she was pensive, staring at me with this worried look like I was going to change my mind about her. "Perfect," I told her again, "And strong as hell." My lips went further, down onto her mound where a smattering of hairs were poking out. She'd obviously shaved herself in the past, but not as recently as I bet she would have liked. But I didn't care, and I kissed along the stubble of her pubic hair, letting it play against my lips as my beard played against her skin. She spread her legs for me, and I slipped around on the bed so I was laying between them on my stomach, looking up at her. "Do you want me to do this here?" I asked her. "Harri, I want your cock inside me like nothing else," she said. "We'll get there," I grinned, and began to explore her cunt with my lips and tongue. I took my time, softly kissing and licking, searching every nook and cranny of her outer and inner labia. Then I did it again, sucking a little harder, nibbling just a touch, finding the sweet spots that made her legs quiver or her breath catch in a hiccup or gasp. Then I went deeper, peeling her open with my fingers to see the soft pink of her hole, and tasted and teased her. She mewled for me, clawing at the bed. I kept needing to move her leg back as it came up and wanted to curl in towards me until I just planted my hand on her thigh and pushed her open, holding her leg wide. Then I did the same to the other leg, pushing them back further, and I slowly licked from her hole up her lips to her clit hood, teasing the tip of my tongue under it before pushing it back with my upper lip and prodding her clit softly. "Making me... ugh!" Vanessa grunted with a girlish tone, gasping for air. I did it again and watched as another little orgasm rolled through her, her cunt flexing as her abdominal muscles clenched. Moving lower I kissed the inner curve of her ass cheek and looked up from between her legs to meet her gaze. She watched me, a little surprised, as I practically buried my nose in her cunt so that I could drive my tongue against her asshole. Her brow furrowed as I did it, and one eye twtiched as I teased the outer ring, then centered on it and nudged the tip of my tongue a little deeper. "Not here," she gasped suddenly, and I stopped. "I; not here," she said again. "Okay," I said, moving up from her ass and kissing the crook of her thigh. "Just like that?" she asked. "What kind of guys have you been seeing that don't stop when you say no?" I asked back. She blinked. "The kind who don't eat ass, and rarely eat cunt," she said. "So the wrong kind." "Then let me ask you; what do you want me to do now?" She closed her eyes and blew out a long breath through pursed lips, before opening them. "Get your pants off and fuck me while we make out. I want to feel you on top of me." I grinned and slipped off the bed, undoing my belt and kicking my pants off. I was already hard, and she was wet from my exploratory oral, so I got back up on the bed and got over her in a standard missionary position. "Like this?" I asked her. She reached down and got my cock in position, and wrapped a leg around my waist and ass to pull me into her. "Like this," she said with a grin as I slowly penetrated deeper into her. Vanessa was hot and clenched my cock in a rippling sensation as I drove in, slowly fucking into her until I was buried to my root. She grabbed my beard in her hand and pulled me into a kiss as we stayed still and connected. "Ow," I muttered into the kiss. "Sorry," she laughed, releasing my beard. "It's fine," I said and kissed her deeply. We made out, our tongues doing more work than my cock for a long moment, until we started grinding against each other. The rhythm built up slowly, less a pounding than a sensuous back and forth that felt more like dancing. Well, the best kind of dancing where my cock was inside of a beautiful woman. Our kiss broke as we panted against each other. "More," she gasped. "More what?" "More weight," she said. "I want to feel you." I lowered myself from my elbows, letting my body press down against hers like a too-heavy weighted blanket. "Umm," she groaned somewhere at the back of her throat. Her body felt tense under mine, but slowly loosened. I kissed the side of her neck, and she ran the heel of her foot down my leg and then back up to my butt. The soft whoosh of the glass door opening outside of the privacy curtain made us both stop moving. "Vanessa, you good in there?" asked a woman. "Yep," she said. "So good. Perfect." There was a long moment of silence, and then, "Oh. Sorry for interrupting. If you and Mr. Black can finish up, your Father was hoping to see you. I can stall him for ten minutes?" "Thanks," Vanessa called back, biting her lips. Two soft footsteps and the door whooshed again, settling closed. "Oh my God," Vanessa groaned. "I can do a lot in ten minutes," I said with a grin. "No, we have less than that," she sighed. "I need to get cleaned up and dressed first, and you need to be out of here before he gets here. But first I need you to fuck me hard and fast and give me your cum." So that's what I did. I raised up higher again to gain the leverage I needed and I started pounding into her with hard, steady strokes. Vanessa gasped, and soon we were back in that rolling rhythm of our hips except it was way more fucking than dancing. Our eyes never left each other, and when I went in for another kiss she bit my lip as she started to come. That pushed me towards my own edge, and I got myself there by reaching down and strumming my thumb against her clit just as she was coming down, pushing her right back into a second wave of orgasm as her body clenched and I released. "Fuck," I growled, thrusting my hips forward and emptying my balls into her. "Fuck, Vanessa!" She arched her back, silently screaming before she exhaled hard and released the tension. We both lay there panting for a long moment. "I really want to fuck you again," I said. "Right now. I'm still hard as a rock for you." "I can feel that, you fucking caveman," Vanessa laughed, cock drunk for the moment. "But I need to clean up and you need to go." "One more thing," I said, and kissed her again. I got my clothes on first and then helped her find and put on her pants. She hadn't worn underwear when she had come to visit us the morning before when this whole thing kicked off, so now she was going to be leaking my cum into her jeans. Her shirt was there as well, but she was still hooked up to the IV, which meant I had to leave the room and send a nurse to help her. I stopped at the edge of the privacy curtain, looking back at her. "Go," she motioned to me. "I'm not leaving. You can see my tits any time you want." Maybe I was cunt drunk, but I wanted to tell her I loved her. I just grinned and blew her a kiss and a wink before slipping out. Once she couldn't see me, I shook my head. I thought orgasms were supposed to give you post-nut clarity, I thought. I almost blurted that out, and no matter how compatible we were sexually I knew that wasn't the right thing to say at the moment. I found the nurse, who went to help Vanessa, while another one brought me back to the elevator where I was met by the night sentry again. He brought me back up to the waiting room I'd been in before, and I flopped onto the couch. "Harri. Harri, we need to stop meeting like this," Miriam said, and I blinked awake again as she was standing over me and smirking. "Fuck," I grunted. "What time is it?" "Just past 0600," she said. "We've got a couple of cars ready to drive you back home." "A couple?" I frowned. "Brent left earlier in his own vehicle," Miriam said. "But we're sending you back with two more partners for your friend Leo. I already spoke with Vanessa and she said she wanted to ride with them to try and help them stay calm through their vaccination." I closed my eyes again as I parsed what she was saying. "Okay, hold on. Leo is getting two new partners?" "From what I red they are a bisexual couple who wanted to stay together," Miriam said. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and sucked in a big breath through my nose. "Well, at least mine isn't the only RV that's going to be packed to the gills." Miriam brought me down to the underground garage for the building and handed my phone back to me. Two black SUV were idling, the windows all tinted to the point that I couldn't see a single thing inside including the drivers. I turned back to Miriam. "Just another day?" I asked her. "Hell no," she smirked. "You, Harrison Black, as the biggest pain in my ass since I took this posting." Then she pulled me into a hug. "But I wouldn't change a God damn thing about it. I'll see you once our on-site office is up and running." "I'm looking forward to it," I said, giving her a squeeze back. "Lieutenant Colonel." "That's Miriam to you, soldier," she said, pulling back with a smirk and kissing me on the cheek. The elevator bingled and I was shocked, or really mildly surprised, to see Agent Sourpuss leading two women bundled up in hooded jumpsuits with masks on. Sourpuss took one look at me and sneered, directing the two women to the front SUV and climbing in with them. "What was that about?" I asked. "Oh, she's pissed off because she keeps getting seconded to us for transportation detail," Miriam said. "I have no idea why, but she isn't happy about it." "No; Technically I'm pretty sure that was my fault, actually. But I meant the whole bundled up get up." "First, why am I not surprised you're a pain in the ass for other people as well? And second, it's new protocols coming up from California and the first testing area. I guess there have been some questions around whether vaccinated but unbonded women could contract or become carriers for the virus. It's the latest back and forth between the scientists." "Speaking of which," I said. "I know why I don't need to be all bundled up, but why don't you? Are you imprinted on someone?" "Me? No," Miriam said. "Not yet, anyway. I'll do it when they push the order out, for now we're still technically in the testing phase for a bit longer. Everyone who leaves the building and re-enters without being vaccinated is getting blood tested and quarantined; it sucks, but it leaves us able to work functionally instead of talking to each other through hazmat suits." The elevator bingled again, and this time it was Vanessa who stepped out as a sentry gestured her towards the front SUV. She saw me immediately and veered off course, coming to me. I wrapped her up in a hug and noticed Miriam giving me a hard-to-read look. "Hey," I said to Vanessa. "I hear you're playing therapy animal for Leo's new partners." "They asked me to," Vanessa said. "From what I understand, the nurses don't think the woman who is supposed to be doing it does a very good job at calming nerves." Miriam snorted a little but covered it with a cough, looking at me. "Well, I feel like I'm missing out on some more alone time with you, but I understand why," I said. "Do me a favor and try and feel them out a bit, see what they're like." "I will," she smirked and went on her tiptoes to give me a peck on the lips. "They're going to be our neighbors, after all." "Yes they are," I grinned and patted her butt. "See you at home?" "Fuck. Home," Vanessa said, backing away from me. "I haven't had one of those in a while. It's gonna be weird." She turned and strode to the SUV and got in the back. "That one might be trouble," Miriam said. "They're all trouble," I laughed. "See you sooner than later?" "Sooner than later," she grinned and winked. I went to the back SUV, which was apparently my personal chauffeur for the sole reason that Agent Sourpuss couldn't find an ounce of empathy in her. Hopefully there's a partition between the front and the back, I thought. I can check those pictures Erica and Ivy were sending me. When I opened the back door of the SUV to get in I had to stop. "Ah," I said. "That explains a lot." I slid in and shut the door. "Agent Grierson." The craggy-faced Agent smirked and nodded. "Harrison. When I heard there was an anomalous vaccination issue, I decided to check it out and lo and behold, it's my favorite redneck." "Did you just come to check-in, or are you looking to offload some more government cash on me?" I asked. The SUVs started moving, pulling out of the garage and into downtown Portland. "Kid, you know I don't need to come to see you to check in," he said. "And I don't have the time to just come shoot the shit, no matter how much I'd enjoy a good fuckin' day off once in a while. I'm here to ask a favor." "Well now you're just being coy," I said. "You know that I know you didn't have to let that lease thing through instead of a flat purchase, so you've got me cornered." "Well, the good news is that I'm not asking you to do anything underhanded," Grierson said. "I noticed you've recently taken on a security consulting contract and your clearance has been restored. I'm going to open it up a little bit more here, if that's alright with you." "Playful, then coy, then asking my permission? Jesus fuck, what are you about to ask me to do?" "Alright, kid. Here's the deal," Grierson sighed. "Sometime in the next few days you're going to get a new partner delivered to you. What I need you to do is keep an eye on her. She's the daughter of the Ambassador from the Philippines, and officially we've run her through the Oracle matching system as a diplomatic courtesy. What no one else knows, including people in that building we just left, is that her Oracle results didn't matter. I'm placing her with you, and scattering a few other Filipino nationals in safe little corners of the country, as a deal with the NICA." "Wait, that's the..." I had to wrack my brain going back to my Military Police training. "Isn't that the CIA of the Philippines?" "A much lesser version, yes," Grierson said. "On the official unofficial paperwork, it's a spy deal. We're going to take care of some of their valuable people who are here, and they're going to take care of some of our valuable people who are over there. The unofficial unofficial deal is that we don't have anyone over there, and the government of the Philippines is going to let us stage our latest espionage attempts into China from their shores. There's a fucking information blackout coming out of China right now, and other than satellite images we've got nothing on what's going on in there." "Okay, hold on," I said. "So am I taking in this Ambassador's daughter as payment for the US Government?" "No, you're taking her in because Kyla Bautista is also secretly a spy who just graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in dance, and while she was there we suspect she turned at least four different Professors and research assistants into assets for NICA for Intellectual Property espionage. I'm scooping her up and putting her with you because you're so far off the radar that no one would think you're keeping an eye on her, and so that the Chinese can't find her if they figure out what's going on and want some revenge. But most of all, I'm putting her with you because, despite your record and stupid career choices after you left the military, you have the mindset to keep an eye on her without her or anyone else knowing that's what's going on." "This is all well and good, Grierson," I said. "But I've got three women imprinted on me already, one of them by mistake. How the hell am I supposed to add a fourth woman into the mix?" Grierson snorted. "Kid, I got news for you. By this time next year, I'd bet all that money I just put into your bank account that you'll look back and think what a naive question that was." I sighed and shook my head slowly. "What does her father think of her getting matched off like that? Does he even know?" "Oh, he was pissed until he got cut in on an early vaccination as well for his wife, along with his long-time second in command who he's been having an affair with, and his additional American mistress who is very black and very formidable, neither of whom the wife knows about. He seems to think it'll be fine." "Jesus," I sighed, shaking my head. "So what, is the OGA offering to pay me for spy sitting?" "No," Grierson said. "But there is an upside." "What's that?" "Like I said, Kyla Bautista graduated with a degree in dance. If I wasn't too fucking busy being ethical, I'd have just put her in my house. The woman is something else." "That's gross," I said, my face twisting in mild disgust. "It's reality, kid. Game it out; people need to fuck to save their lives. Even before this shit show people put a value on beauty over pretty much anything else. What do you think it's going to be like when the entire country is getting matched up?" "I don't know," I sighed. "That's; I don't even want to think about it." "And that's why they pay me and my people the big bucks," Grierson said. He tapped on the glass partition that separated us from the front seat, and the SUV began to pull over. "I'm not asking you to do anything you wouldn't have anyways. Just keep an eye on her for me, alright?" "Fine," I said. "But if she takes one look at me and asks for someone else, I can't do anything about that. I'm not forcing some woman into this." "Won't be a problem," Grierson said. The SUV came to a stop, and he stepped out. "Grierson," I said, and he turned back. "Miriam said someone pulled some strings to get her assigned where she is. Was that you?" "What?" Grierson raised an eyebrow. "You think I like you that much, kid?" "That wasn't an answer," I said. "Well, if it was me, I think maybe you owe me another one still," he said, then shut the door. Another car had pulled up behind us, which he got into, and it pulled a big U-turn in the middle of the empty street and drove back the way we'd come. The driver of my ride pulled back onto the street and sped up to catch the other SUV in our mini convoy, and I was left to my thoughts. I sighed and opened my phone. I didn't want to think about this Grierson thing. If it happened, then it happened and we'd deal with it. I went to my messages and opened the ones from Erica and Ivy. "Fucking hell," I sighed, looking at the lewd pictures and knowing that Miriam had seen them. "What am I going to do with three women?" Or four? Or more? I was going to need a bigger bed, and quickly. I stretched, feeling several somethings in my back and shoulders pop, as I got out of the back of the nondescript black SUV and felt the gravel of the construction site crunch under my boots. The place was bustling since we'd arrived mid-morning, and I saw more than a few of the workers taking looks over at me and starting to talk to each other. The rumor mill must have been burning hard since Vanessa had gotten carted off in a military helicopter and flown away. First things first, however, was to not unload two vaccinated-but-unbonded women into the middle of a construction site. I flashed a quick thumbs up through the passenger side window at whoever my driver had been; I'd never seen a face or heard a voice; and jogged up to the other vehicle and knocked on the passenger window. Agent Sourpuss rolled it down a moment later, scowling at me from the driver's seat. "What?" "I know you haven't been here for a bit," I said. "But if you drive around to the right over there you'll see our RVs and our little compound. Dropping the ladies off there would probably cause less of a, uh, scene." I could tell she wanted to argue with me but knew I was right. Instead of answering she just stabbed her finger down on the window button beside her and closed it in my face, then pulled the SUV around and headed in the direction I'd pointed. I walked along behind, and we rounded the second big bunkhouse building that was looking just about finished now and headed towards our compound. By the time Agent Sourpuss put the vehicle in park Erica and Ivy were already ducking out from behind the sheets hung between the corner of the RV and the storage container that we'd deemed the 'front door.' Leo and Danielle were right behind them. I wanted to go to my women, but I held myself back and instead opened the rear door of the SUV. Inside I saw that Vanessa was sitting in the middle row bucket seat, and I leaned in and kissed her quickly before offering her a hand down. "Don't go getting all chivalrous on me now, Harri," Vanessa grinned as she accepted my hand and swung out onto her feet. She looked back into the vehicle. "Come on, ladies. Leo's out here waiting for you." The two women, practically swimming in their baggy, hooded coveralls and masked up to boot, unbuckled and started climbing between the seats. I, however, was suddenly a little busy as I was hugged from behind by a small form that could only be Ivy. Beside me, Erica was pulling Vanessa into a hug as well. "I'm so sorry, hon," Erica said, squeezing the shorter woman tightly. "If I'd had any reasonable idea that this would happen,” "It's fine, Erica," Vanessa said, squeezing her back and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Seriously. We'll talk about it, but I'm Okay with it if you are." "Hey you," I said in the meanwhile, turning at the waist to wrap my arm around Ivy's shoulder and hug her to me. "Hello, mon amour," Ivy sighed. "I missed you." "I missed you too, I've," I said, and leaned down and gave the short blonde a quick kiss. The first of the women had reached the door of the car, and Ivy let me go so that I could offer her a hand down. All I could see of her were her eyes and the skin around them; she was white but tanned heavily, and had soft grey eyes that were flicking around. "Let me help, miss," I said. She accepted, her gloved hand taking mine for a moment to step down, and I ushered her directly towards Leo and Dani. "This is Leo, and his better half Danielle." "Hey," Leo scolded me playfully, giving me a little punch on the arm as he grinned. "Hey, hon," Dani said, pulling the woman into a hug that seemed to surprise her. I turned back and Erica was helping the next woman down; she was white and paler than the first, and had dark green eyes. Soon she was getting the same hugging welcome as the first from Dani, as Leo looked both a little bashful and a little excited. "How about we head in and talk?" Erica suggested to everyone. "Ladies, Leo is my brother so I might be biased, but you're in good hands. And if he ends up sucking, then Dani's got you." "Hell yeah I do," Dani chuckled, nudging Leo with an elbow. "I wouldn't mind getting handled by either of you," the tan woman said through her mask. "God damn, girl. Your tits don't quit." "Thanks for noticing," Dani grinned and winked. She took both women by the hand and started leading them into the compound. "Come on, let's get you two fucked and settled." "Now that's one hell of a welcome offer," the other woman laughed. I laughed a little too, hearing the two as Leo quickly jogged ahead to hold the fabric door open for them. "Seriously, those two are gonna be something else," Vanessa said, shaking her head. "You got to talk with them?" Erica asked. "The whole ride here," Vanessa said. "Their names are Aria and India. Aria seems a little sweeter and the more rational one, while India is a hippy kid from hippy parents. They said they've been girlfriends for three years, and up until last year they 'worked' as sugar babies while Aria was finishing up her master's of communications." "Jesus," Erica sighed with a rueful smirk. "They're going to eat Leo alive."

Today Justin is joined once more by Tim Spicer. Tim served for 20 years in the British Army where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and saw active service in Northern Ireland, The Falklands Campaign, the Gulf War, and the Balkans, as well as serving in the Far East, Cyprus, and Germany. Today, he's back to discuss his own life and career, which has been full of danger and adventure as well. Tim wrote about it all in his autobiography which covers his service all over the world, as well as his work as the founder of a private military company not long after he left the British Army. Check out Tim's first appearance in ep 200: 'From Biffy to Bond: The Real Spy Who Inspired "From Russia, with Love"' here.Connect with Tim:penguin.co.uk/authors/208198/tim-spicerIG: @timspicerauthorCheck out the book, An Unorthodox Solider, here.https://a.co/d/6wZaj6YConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.History by MailWho knew? Not me! Learn something new every month. Use code JUSTIN10 for 10% off your subscription.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Quaranteam-Northwest: Part 5 Lab work. Based on a post by Break The Bar. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.   Time went quickly, but also seemed to go nowhere at all; only three days after the final demise of the house we'd moved the RVs four times and I decided we needed to figure out something at least semi-permanent. Even a week in the same spot would be preferable to constant movement. The space where my house had stood was now full of stacks and pallets of supplies, and Vanessa had a crew of almost two dozen of her 'gorillas' working to erect what would become the first of a dozen temporary bunkhouses for the incoming construction workers. She still seemed to be the only foreman on site, so I went looking for Vanessa. I found her at the water truck, splashing some water onto the back of her neck as she took a quick break. It had turned even hotter over the week, spring slipping fully into summer, and we were all starting to boil when we were outside. I'd quickly abandoned the feeling of needing to 'dress up' for everyone and I was down to athletic shorts and one of my sleeveless workout shirts; one of the few that were still 'mine' considering both Erica and Ivy had taken to wearing them as well. Vanessa was the boss however and had to set the example for the rest of the crew, so she was still wearing the jeans, long-sleeved t-shirt and her reflective vest of a dutiful construction foreman. "Hey, got a second?" I asked. "Oh, hey Harrison," she said, looking up as she continued splashing water onto the back of her neck. "Sorry I haven't come to check with you and the girls today, we had three more loads this morning of barracks pilings I had to get sorted, and the fucking surveyors are still bitching about not knowing where the sewage lines are going to come onto the property, as if I can fucking answer that question for them or something." "When's your Dad supposed to finally get on site?" I asked. Her father was supposed to be the General Manager of the entire construction project, but so far I had yet to have seen him. "Fuck, a few days still at least," Vanessa sighed. "I'm getting tired as shit of the phone tag." "Well, sorry if this is a big ask and causes you more headaches; any chance we could project ahead a bit and figure out where we can stash the RVs and everything where we're not going to need to move them for a while? Moving everything around is annoying by itself, but I've also noticed some of your guys are spending a lot of time wandering by the RVs whenever the girls are outside." "Fucking gorillas," Vanessa grunted and grimaced. "I mean, on the one hand, I get it; they are either cooped up in the motel or here working. I'm not exactly thrilled with the situation either. But they could keep it in their fucking pants too, ya know?" "Look, if we can find a spot, the way I see it we can use the RVs and Containers to set up a yard for us that's blocked from view. Then we can have some privacy and not feel cooped up in the RVs, and your guys aren't tempted to let their eyes wander," I said. "I figure it's a win-win." Vanessa smiled and patted my arm. "Harri, as long as you keep the fucking indoors, I'll see what I can do about getting you guys some more privacy." "What do you mean?" I asked, suddenly a little worried that Erica and I might have gotten caught at the Willow tree after all, or that maybe a surveyor had wandered up near the Spring without us hearing. "Nothing, nothing," Vanessa said. "I just; you know we can see the RVs rocking a bit, right? And I don't know who it is, but someone over in your camp is a screamer. We can hear her when she really gets going. Once the guys even gave you a standing ovation." "Fuck," I coughed, shaking my head. "I'm sorry. I think it's something to do with the vaccine. I've had more sex in the last four days than I have in the last four years. Honestly, I don't even know how I'm doing it; I ain't old, but I'm not a teenager either." "Well, god bless the vaccine I guess," Vanessa smirked. "And good for you. Just do me a favor and keep it inside the RVs 'till we can get you that privacy. We don't need the entire site shutting down to listen to you fucking your girlfriends." I shook my head again with a self-deprecating smirk. "Um, deal. I hope." That made Vanessa chuckle, and we parted ways for the afternoon. The next day, she came back in the morning and explained the plan she had worked out with the Surveyors and one of the tree-clearing crews. By mid-afternoon, a new swathe of the back end of the hill was bare of trees, and a bulldozer scooped dirt into the holes left by ripped-up stumps. By the time Vanessa left that evening, two of the storage containers had been shifted around by the 'gorillas' and positioned in an L-shape for us in the new location, and Leo and I moved the RVs to form the other two sides of a square. When Vanessa came by the next morning we'd hung up some old, heavy blankets at the corners to maximize our privacy, busted out the lawn chairs and barbecue, and were on our way to turning the space into an outdoor living room. Leo and I even went so far as to rig up an old bell we'd salvaged from the barn on a wooden post with a metal knocker on a string to serve as a doorbell. Erica was the one to answer Vanessa's ring of the bell, and she swept aside the blanket curtain. "Welcome to Casa de Black," she declared. "Jesus," Vanessa said, walking into our new home base. "You guys didn't want to wait, did you?" "Why would we?" Leo asked. "We don't know how long we're going to be living like this, so might as well make the most of it." Leo had decided to make one last addition to our current set-up, and had pulled a loose slab of wood from the container holding all his tools and was carving 'Speak Friend and Enter' into it the makeshift sign with his handheld angle grinder. He'd already been talking about using his torch to burn the wood before giving it a clear lacquer coat. "What can we do for you, Vanessa?" I asked. "Need some breakfast?" "Actually?" Vanessa chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second and peeked back outside the yard. "Breakfast would be fucking great. They're feeding us at the motel, but it's been the same instant oatmeal every fucking morning." "Well, we've yet to have our egg hookup dry out on us," I said. Old Mrs. Branston lived about fifteen minutes down the highway and had been selling eggs to three generations of my family; through the pandemic and quarantine we'd set up a system where I called ahead and she dropped off two dozen eggs at the end of her driveway, and I left a ten dollar bill in her mailbox. "How do you like them? I think I'm getting pretty good at using the grill with a frying pan." We hosted Vanessa for about fifteen minutes as I fried her up some over-easy eggs and some toast to go with it, and she started devouring the first two so quickly that I put another two in the pan for her immediately. While I cooked, she shared the most recent gossip running through the construction crews. "So the latest group to come in said they got tested four times before even leaving the airport," she said around a mouthful. "They were basically flown into Portland, put in little hygienic pods inside the terminals until they'd tested negative all four times, then escorted to military transports. I guess the army is our taxi service or something, and there are members of the national guard currently standing watch at all of the motels. It's kind of fucked up and feels like a prison, honestly. We're not even supposed to mingle outside with each other, despite the fact that we all work together here all day." "Who's feeding you all?" Danielle asked. "Just the people already working out there seems like a lot." "Some catering service is making these prepackaged meals," Vanessa said. "The breakfasts are shit, and the lunches are whatever. The dinners are Okay though; microwavable, and waiting for us when we get off shift." "Have you heard anything else out there about the vaccine?" I asked. "Hmm-Hmm," Vanessa shook her head. "But I mean, I spend my time working." "I'm still not seeing much online," Leo said. "Little whispers on social media, but then it disappears before it gets going." "That's kinda fucked up," Erica said. "We know it's real. The government must be censoring the information or something. "Well, whenever it happens, I don't know what I'll do," Vanessa sighed. "I like working too much, being my own woman. I bring in more cash in a year than almost every other person I graduated high school with, I've been doing it for years, and I don't have any debts. I can't just get tied down to some guy." "You would be surprised, Vanessa," Ivy spoke up. "I am this way too, no? I left home to make my way, and I am happy doing it. But now I am happy here, and am also safe from the sickness. It is not how I saw my life going, but c'est la vie, non?" Vanessa shrugged, and we moved on to some other topics until her radio squawked and she had to run off back to her work. By lunchtime I'd already done another two quick guides into the hills for the surveyors and Leo had gotten his nerd-sign carved out and torched, and he was spray lacquering it outside the yard with a facemask and safety goggles on to cut the strong fumes. He stopped the sprayer when he saw me approaching and stepped away from the sign. "Hey, you able to help me out with hanging this tonight?" he asked me. "Of course," I said. "I gotta help you fly your nerd flag somehow." "Yeah, says the guy with the Lord of the Rings concept art cycling as his desktop screen," Leo rolled his eyes. "It's for my work," I said. "Top-notch inspiration." And then I realized I hadn't opened my laptop in days; not since I'd finished the questionnaire that had led to Erica choosing me. And Ivy for that matter. I hadn't checked emails, I hadn't reached out to contacts. Fuck, I hadn't even sent in my last work-for-hire backgrounds. "Whatever," Leo laughed and punched me in the arm. "Look, when you go in there, just know it wasn't my idea, Okay? I only helped them move the stuff." "What does that mean?" I asked. "You'll see," Leo said cryptically. I ducked through the blanket door and immediately saw what Leo was talking about. Space had been cleared in the center of our sheltered yard for three of the heavy Adirondack deck chairs, and laying in those chairs were Danielle, Erica and Ivy. Each of them was wearing a bikini and were glistening with sunscreen and sweat from the sun as they tanned. They had a Bluetooth speaker playing songs from their phones; I suspected Erica was trying to convince the younger two women of the virtues of mid-2000s pop punk. "Oh, good," Erica said, grinning as she saw me coming into the yard. She lifted her glass. "Um, excuse me, waiter? We could use a top-up, please." I snorted and shook my head, walking over. All three of the women were in two-piece swimsuits, though I suspected Danielle and Ivy's were possibly part of their stripping gear rather than actual bikinis. Both of their suits were more string than fabric and left little to the imagination. Erica's was a bit more conservative, though really not by that much because of her swathe of cleavage. "What are we drinking today, ladies?" I asked. "I made up a pitcher of sangria," Erica said. "It's in the fridge in our place. You would be the absolute love of my life if you were to go get it for us, please?" "I thought I already was the love of your life?" I asked with a smile. "You are," Erica smiled back. "But this will get you to the front of the line for my next life, too. How about that?" "Does that go for all of you?" I asked. "Absolutely," Ivy grinned. "I think I could definitely do worse," Danielle grinned. "But I think Leo might have something to say about that." "Harri can take my brother," Erica chuckled. "Don't worry, Danni. Just sell your future soul to Harri, what's the worst that could happen?" "Fine. My future love life for a refill of sangria," Danielle giggled. I fetched the pitcher and poured for the three women, unable to wipe the grin from my lips as I watched and listened to them bantering back and forth happily. By mid-afternoon, the tanning was over and after a quick fuck in the RV Erica and I were lounging in the Adirondacks, each of us with a sketchbook in hand. "What are you working on?" I asked. "I know you've been as frustrated as I have over the last month." "A tattoo design for Ivy," Erica said, her brow creased as she tapped her pencil against her lips thoughtfully. "Now that I have a future canvas, I feel like I can concentrate again. Plus the sex helps a lot." You laughed and nodded. "Got your creative juices flowing, huh?" "Got all my juices flowing, baby," she grinned at me. "What about you? I've got Ivy, and Danielle wants me to design something for her now, too. What's got you drawing again?" I smiled a little and shrugged. "Just figured out my muse," I said. "And what's that?" she asked. "Come on, don't be shy." I turned my sketchbook around so that Erica could see the portrait I had been sketching of her. She looked at it and blushed, biting her lower lip. "Just the most beautiful thing in the world," I told her. "You know," Erica said. "It kinda looks like you're drawing me naked." "That's cause I'm drawing you from the shoulders up," I said. "Yeah, but would you?" she asked. "Would I what? Draw you naked?" "Or Ivy?" "Are you asking me to draw you like one of my French girls?" I asked. Erica barked out a laugh at the reference and threw her pencil at me. "Yes, maybe I am," she said. "Now give me back my pencil." "You threw it at me," I said, fetching it off the ground. "Come and get it." We ended up in each other's arms and making out, me halfway to taking her back into the RV for round two, when someone rang the doorbell. "Who is it?" I shouted over the wall. "It's me," Vanessa called and ducked through the blanket door without waiting for a response. "Sorry, but we've got a problem," she said. "I think I'm going to need you down at the road again." "Fuck," I said. "Is it Kara?" "It's a lot more than that bitch," Vanessa said. I changed and this time Vanessa drove us both down in her company-branded pickup truck. Erica, having already staked her claim on me in front of Kara in her eyes, decided to hang back and let Ivy finish what I'd started. I was sure sending me away with that picture in my mind was done on purpose. As we were nearing the bottom of the driveway, I could hear the noise of the protest through the closed windows and over the engine of the truck. "Fuck me," I said. "Yeah," Vanessa nodded. The end of the driveway was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, blocking traffic. They were three rows deep and singing a protest chant. Every single one of them was dressed in bright colors, showing their allegiance to the Band and proudly shouting for all they were worth. Opposing them, about ten feet up the drive, was a slim, single row of burly construction workers just watching the protest happen. "Those guys really can't let themselves get baited," I said. "If something happens, it doesn't matter who said what or what can hold up in court. There'll be big, scary motherfuckers showing up wanting to do some damage and I don't think your boys are ready for that." "I know, I already told them," Vanessa said. "But I'll tell them again. You'd be surprised how much threatening someone's big, fat bonus checks can keep them calm and focused." We got out of the truck and I walked down to the line of workers, rubbing at the stubble on my chin as I considered the protestors. There were easily fifty of them blocking the driveway, and there was already a backup of two flatbed trucks on the highway, plus a half dozen cars that looked more like they just wanted to get by rather than come in. Another thirty or so protestors were strung out on either side of the highway in both directions, holding up signs and doing the organizational things to keep the protestors going. "Pretty good turnout," I said offhandedly. "A lot bigger than last time." "When was the last time?" Vanessa asked. "Five years ago," I said. "Kara tried to sue for an injunction on my father's Will, and about a dozen protestors showed up to the courthouse the day she got shot down." "Any chance they'll get tired and go home?" Vanessa asked. I scanned the crowd and the vehicles parked up and down the highway. I already knew there were about thirty military-age males in the protest, and I could see people opening the backs of vans where I spotted supply caches of water and food. I could also see the determination on the faces of the crowd, and hear the declarations of a couple of different women holding loudspeakers. The rhetoric, and emotions, were ramped up more than usual. The anti-government hate was high, and now that they knew they weren't fighting Me but rather the Government it seemed to steel their resolve. "Not a shot," I said. I stepped forward and the shouting got louder. Likely every single person in that crowd knew who I was, while I had no idea who most of them were. But with every step I took, they shouted louder. Finally, halfway between the lines, they seemed to be at a fever pitch and I just stopped and waited. They kept going for a good five minutes before Kara pushed her way through and walked up to me, masked behind those bandanas again. "I told you this would happen," Kara said over the shouting and chanting. "You didn't think I could do it, but look at us. Look at us, Harrison! We will not let this happen to our land." "Kara," I said loudly. "How do you think this ends?" "Only one way," Kara shouted. "The Feds surrender to our rightful claim, and stop their colonization efforts, and we take back what's ours." "This is dangerous, Kara," I said, gesturing at the crowd. "What?" she shouted back. "I said this is dangerous, Kara," I shouted. "Every person here is in danger." "Are you threatening us?" Kara shouted, playing it up for the crowd behind her. "Going to kill us, like your family has done for generations?" "Jesus fuck," I said, shaking my head. "Kara, this doesn't end the way you think it does. I'm going to pray for you, honest to God." Kara just held up her middle finger at me, pointed her other at Vanessa behind me, and turned and walked away to the cheers of her people. I shrugged and went back to Vanessa. "Yeah, they aren't leaving," I said. "I already called my Dad," Vanessa said. "He's coming down and will want to meet with you." "Sure," I nodded. "If they let him through." About thirty minutes later the protesters were still going strong, and another three flatbeds with either supplies or heavy machinery were backed up on the highway, along with dozens of cars. Vanessa was doing as much as she could to keep her workers at least a dozen yards away from the crowd of protestors; the last thing she wanted was for them to need to get quarantined waiting on a half dozen new tests. Or worse, actually catch something. I did my best to help her juggle phones, calling various General Foremen to get incoming trucks rerouted to staging areas and to keep those that were stuck in the traffic in their cabs or else they couldn't enter the site. Eventually she got a call, spoke quickly and then hung up. "Harri, this might be a big ask, but could you do me a favor?" she asked. "The government paid me a lot of money for my land and doing favors," I said. "But you've gone out of your way plenty for me and Leo and the girls. Favors come free to you, Vee." She rolled her eyes. "Who told you my brothers call me that?" "No one, just felt natural," I chuckled. "I call Erica 'E' sometimes, and I'm sure I'll end up calling Ivy 'I've' at some point." "Alright, well, 'H,'" she said. "My dad is parked down at the edge of the property on the highway and doesn't want to get too close to the traffic. Could you hike out to him and bring him back?" "Sure," I said. I looked up at the sun and then out at the woods. "Um, from here... it's probably faster if I grab an ATV. Would he be squeamish about riding double with me?" Vanessa snorted. "He probably wouldn't be, but he's also got a gut the size of your ATVs so it would be a tight fit." "Alright, guess we're hiking. I can rough it and reach him in about twenty minutes," I said. "I'll take a smoother way back for him, so we'll get here in under an hour." "Got it, I'll let him know you're on your way. Thanks," she said, patting my arm. "Try to take it easy on him, he growls like a bear but he's still my Dad." "Hey, he's the big man in charge. Gotta keep him happy or else I'll find myself with the worst workers for my house, right?" "Very true," she laughed. I started hiking back up the driveway a little ways, and then diverted into the woods, hoping that the protestors would miss that I was skirting away from them. I was very glad I had changed from my lounging around clothes; rough jeans and my hiking boots were a lot sturdier in the rocky bush than athletic shorts and sandals. The raucousness of the protestors was quickly muffled by the forest to a dull roar, and it felt good to get away from them. It was weird. After spending months in isolation with Leo and Erica, we'd been getting used to so many people around again with the workers and adding Ivy and Danielle to our weird little family dynamic. But a crowd like that, all packed together? That was exactly what the quarantine orders were warning against. "Harrison!" My name cut through the muffle of the trees and shrubs, and I turned and saw Kara quickly jogging through the woods to catch up with me. "Kara, what the fuck are you doing? You're trespassing," I said. "So throw me off your land," Kara said, coming to a stop about ten feet from me and putting her hands on her hips. "Oh wait, that's right, it's not your land anymore." I rolled my eyes. "You can take off the bandanas if you want. We're fine this far apart." She did so, pulling them down to hang around her neck. Kara was still as beautiful as the day we'd broken up, though she'd grown up a lot. Where I was such a mix that it was hard to tell I had any Native American in my bloodstream, she had that classic warm skin tone and thick black hair. She'd been taking care of herself well, fit and a little thinner than Erica was, but with a similar strong jawline to my girlfriend. Her lips were as full as I remembered though, and I could almost feel her kissing me again like all those years ago behind the corner of the biology classroom in high school, or laying out in the back of my old beater pickup under the stars. "What's going on, Harri?" she asked me. "I thought we'd at least hit a status quo or something." "Oh, the one where you file a lawsuit against me every couple of years, and the judge shuts you down, but I keep having to rack up legal fees?" "No," she said. "Well, sort of. I thought we were keeping things above board. No games, no gimmicks. Not getting historical." I grimaced. "Well, we did," I said. "So what the fuck?" she said, throwing her arms wide. "What the fuck is all of this?" "Kara, think about it for one fucking second without your prejudice. Imagine I'm not just doing this as a 'Fuck You' from my family tree to the Band," I said. "A week ago I wouldn't have thought any of this would be happening. A week ago I was happily living my life and would have stayed that way straight through the end of the world if I had to. Do you seriously think I've done this on some whim?" "Why, then? What are they doing? What are they offering you?" she demanded. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said. "And even if you did, I think you're too far into this already to walk it back with your people." "Try me," she said. "If you ever cared about me,” "Stop," I interrupted her. "You've used that line twice on me before, Kara. You used it when you broke up with me, and you used it again right after my father died. That line didn't work when I was at some of the lowest points in my life; do you seriously think I'll respond well to that here?" She grimaced, and I saw the realization in her eyes that I was right. That she had used that line before, and it had been pretty fucked up for her to do that. "I'm sorry," she said, and only partially through gritted teeth. "I shouldn't have done that." "Thank you," I said. My heart was pounding in my chest and I felt like I was in combat, just having this verbal sparring contest with her. I fucking hated her, but I also still knew she was the first girl I'd ever loved. The one that had broken my heart. The one that 'got away.' "Just explain it to me," Kara said, trying to be more even about it. "Please." I took a moment to breathe deeply. I wasn't barred from telling her anything. I'd tried to warn her when she'd shown up at the driveway before, but the thought of all those protestors at risk for the virus pushed me over the edge of trying to warn her again. "Kara, the government gave me the choice of accepting a huge payout for the land, or them kicking me out and taking it by eminent domain. Either way, they were going to take it and take it fast. I could either ride it, or die fighting it." "So what are they doing with it?" she asked. "Building homes," I said. "A whole gated community, it sounds like. Part of my payout was housing for myself, Leo and Valerie." "What the fuck? Why do they want a gated community way out here?" she asked. "Worst-case scenario shit," I said. "You mean the pandemic?" she asked. "Are you for fucking serious?" "Serious enough that my house got bulldozed a couple days ago," I said. "Gone. Like it was never even there." "This can't be real," Kara said. "This is absurd." "I told you that you wouldn't believe me," I said. "Well, if you were too much of a cunt to stop them, we will," Kara said, steeling herself again. "We'll have the local news down here by tomorrow, and if the Feds show up we'll have national news coverage by the end of the week." I had to try one more time. "Kara, this doesn't end the way you want it to. You're a dreamer, and I loved that about you when we were teens, but you know the real world doesn't just work like that." Kara narrowed her eyes. "Where are you going right now?" "What does that matter?" I asked. "Because I just followed you out into the woods after your little construction girlfriend was talking to you," she said. "She's not my girlfriend," I rolled my eyes. "Tell her that. She's flirting with you hard enough," Kara said. "I can see her doing it." "Even if she was, what does that have to do with you?" I asked. I knew I'd landed a blow because she got angry again. "Nothing," she said. "But I still want to know what you're doing." "I don't have to tell you that, Kara," I said. "I don't answer to you, I don't owe you anything, and I don't worship the ground you walk on. All I've got to say now is that you should go send all those people home, and hope that you haven't organized some super-spreader event here. For all the shit you've given me and my family, I don't want to see them all dead. I don't want to see you dead." Kara raised her bandanas again. "We're fighting the good fight. We're on the right side of this, Harrison. You're not." She turned and started walking back towards the road. "Fuck me," I sighed, shaking my head. That woman could still push my buttons almost fifteen years later. I pressed through the forest, making for the edge of the property and then diverting towards the road. When I reached it, I found a white and brown heavy pickup identical to Vanessa's idling on the gravel shoulder. The big guy in the driver's seat rolled down his window a crack. "What's up?" "I'm Harrison Black," I said. Another guy got out of the passenger seat and came around, slapping the hood. "Head on back to the motel," he said to the man in the truck. "I'll catch a ride back with my daughter." The guy in the truck nodded and waited for us both to back away before pulling a U-Turn and taking off down the highway. "So, you're the land guy, eh?" the man said, turning and offering me his hand. He was exactly as Vanessa had described; portly to the point of obese, with a gruff exterior that spoke of years handling his business in a rough industry and getting shit done. "I am," I said, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. "Your daughter has been fantastic to work with. Helpful and on task, and she keeps her guys in line." "I have no doubt," he said. "She grew up bossing her older brothers around and got the best of her mother and me. I'm Brent Peters, by the way. I'm sure we'll be speaking every once in a while through this project." "Good to meet you, sir," I said. "And I'm sure we will." I led Brent into the brush and got us through the roughest part until I could get us to one of the more used trails. It got a lot easier for him there, and once he had a chance to catch his breath he seemed to actually enjoy the chance to stretch his legs. He didn't know, or at least wasn't forthcoming, with any more information than Vanessa had been able to give about what was going on, but he did enjoy hearing about the sordid history of the land, my family and the Band. It took a little longer than I'd thought it would to get back to the driveway, Brent needing a couple of breaks, but we made it eventually. Vanessa grinned when she saw her father in a way that made me think she was going to run to him and hug him, but she never made the move. I had to assume that was a hard-trained response from her years working with the man; hugging your pops on a job site would probably lead to taking a lot of shit from your coworkers. Brent quickly got updated on the last hour of developments from Vanessa, and I saw his managerial side take over. Soon the line of construction workers were twenty yards back from the protestors, and he was stride-waddling forward with a medical mask stretched over his face. Kara met him halfway, and whatever they said seemed to go about as well as the talks I'd had with her myself. Again, she ended it by showing off for the protestors by giving him the double-birds. "Well, that went well," Brent sighed as he came back. "You were right, Harrison. They're stuck in. Wouldn't even help us get those trucks room to move or get out of the way of traffic." "She feels like she's got leverage," I guessed. "And they haven't had that on us for years now." "Well, I've officially done what I can," Brent said. "Time to do what every good GM does when shit like this happens." He took out his phone and started walking up the driveway away from Vanessa and me. "What's that?" I asked. "Call the client and tell them to un-fuck the situation," Vanessa smirked. The rest of the afternoon and evening was a long fucking day. There was no good way to get the workers on site off of it, and no good way to get new ones on, so Leo and I ended up walking several groups through the trails to get to the road in places out of sight of the protestors. And since the big crew vans were parked on site, Brent ended up getting access to school buses to come and pick up his guys. The second to last bus dropped off a dozen men who would take over watching the driveway and the protestors overnight; we'd already seen them breaking out tents and lanterns to hold their vigil; and the last bus out had Brent and Vanessa on board. "Client will be by in the morning," Brent said, and winked at me. "Don't you worry, bucko. You hold down the home front tonight, and the cavalry will be here in no time." "You got it," I said. "But whoever is coming, I suggest you make sure they know to take this seriously. The Band is riled up, and now they smell blood in the water. This isn't going away easily." "I'll pass that on to the Lieutenant Colonel," Brent nodded. He shook my hand again and stepped onto the bus. "See you tomorrow, H," Vanessa grinned at me. "Not if I see you first, Vee," I chuckled. She stepped up into the bus and I heard her voice raise immediately. "Alright, you Gorillas. Grab your fuckin' seats and stay there. I swear to Christ if one of you pisses me off, I'll confiscate your fuckin' dinner, got it?" I laughed, and could see the construction workers grinning in their seats as the bus did a three-point turn and pulled away. The sun was getting low when I finally hiked out of the bush and back into view of our little compound. Erica was waiting for me with a smile and a plate of stir fry. "What's the word, Harri?" "They're still down there," I said. "There are some workers keeping an eye on the driveway. Could you throw on a big pot of coffee for me and dig one of the thermoses out of storage?" "Harri, if they've got some of their workers down there, it's not your job to supervise. I'm sure Vanessa and her Dad left someone in charge." "They did," I said. "And I'm not going down there. I'm staying up here." I shoveled the stir fry down, relishing in the spicy kick Erica liked to cook with. Inside our little compound I gave Ivy a kiss, apologizing that I wouldn't be seeing her in bed for the night. Then I went to the storage container closest to my RV. The one with my gun safe. "What's the word?" Leo asked me when he found me. I had a lantern flashlight on and was loading rounds into my father's Model 700. "Jesus, Harri. What the fuck?" I doubted he was commenting on me loading the Remington hunting rifle. We'd used it plenty when we were hunting during deer season; it was a solid, reliable tool. No, I knew he was reacting to the other firearms I had out. My M9 was already holstered on my hip, a copy of my service sidearm that had served me so well through my tour and as an MP, and my DDM4V1 was laid out, waiting for me to do a quick check it was still in good order. "Just taking precautions," I said. I was already trying to get into the right mindset. "What does that even mean? What are you doing?" "There's about a hundred protesters down there, last I counted. More keep arriving," I told Leo, loading the last round into the 700 and checking the safety before setting it down. I fished a handful more.308's out of the ammo box in the safe and fed them into the bandolier shoulder strap for the hunting rifle. "Problem is, they're pissed off. Not just about the construction, but at all the other shit going on right now. And pissed-off people do dumb shit." "So what, you're going to go all Alamo on us?" Leo asked. "For real, Harri. Nothing's going to happen. They're down there, we're up here." "Leo," I said. "I'm not asking you to do anything you don't want to. The Bear shotgun is in my RV. Do me a favor and keep it handy tonight. If I miss something, I'd rather you have it than not." "Harri,” "Dude, just stop," I said. I'd finished with the.308s and started taking apart the DDM4V1 and giving it a quick clean. It was a budget purchase that I'd made prioritizing reliability over flashy shit, and the 'scary one' in my collection when it came to civilians. Erica hadn't even liked the idea of me owning it when we gave her the tour of my firearms and taught her the safety protocols for them. Leo had only ever fired it once. Both of the siblings had said the same thing; 'If you have the rifles and shotguns and the handgun, why do you need a machine gun?' This sort of thing was why I needed it. And it wasn't a 'machine gun.' "I'm not planning, or hoping, to kill someone tonight. If I have to use the DDM4 or my sidearm, something has gotten really fucked," I said. "But I'm also not taking any chances. Sometime tonight, there's going to be people sneaking up into the construction yard to cause mischief, and they aren't going to know the difference between the construction yard and where we're living. Maybe they hear us and they stay clear, or maybe they don't. I'm not taking that chance." Leo watched me cleaning my rifle, and glanced out at the darkening sky, and then back to me. "What should I do?" he asked. A wave of relief washed over me; it had been years since I'd served, and every instinct I had was telling me to do what I was doing, but that civilian part of my brain was second-guessing everything. Leo agreeing told me I was being logical, even if he didn't like it or I turned out to be wrong. "Just be with the girls tonight," I said. "I can handle the yard, you stay with them. Think of it like a shitty tower defense game. If I do my job, you'll never have to do anything." He nodded and left me to my work. Surprisingly, it was Danielle who came to see me next. "What can I do to help?" she asked. Her Australian accent was sounding stronger, the California valley girl part of it dropping with her serious demeanor. "Nothing, I've got it," I said. She'd caught me as I was strapping on my ghillie suit; another item that Leo and Erica had found silly to own considering we didn't need it for hunting deer. It had honestly been more of a gag item in my collection than anything until tonight. "Harrison, I'll remind you that my Dad was military, yeah?" she said. "I grew up outside the city. I know how to work a firearm." I took a breath and looked at her. Even at night, by the light of a lantern, she looked like an elven beauty despite the cutoff denim shorts and zippered knit sweater. "Can you handle a handgun?" I asked. "I've shot the head of an Eastern Brown from ten paces away when it was threatening to bite my dog," she said. "I assume that's a snake?" "A fucking poisonous one," Danielle said. "Alright," I nodded. "Under the passenger seat of my truck is a gun case with my pop's old 1911 and a couple of magazines. Hang on to it for tonight. Try not to freak out Erica or Ivy, and if you hear shots tonight don't let Leo come looking for me, let alone Erica and Ivy. If they leave the RVs it'll just make things worse." "Okay," she said with a serious nod, then stepped towards me, hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks." "For what?" I asked as she stepped back. "For being the man I figured you were," she said. "Leo's all mine and I'm happy with that, but like I told you; you remind me of all the good parts of my Dad. I'm glad I have Leo and you around." She left to fetch the pistol, and I finished strapping on the ghillie suit and slung my two rifles over my shoulders and closed the gun safe. When I was finished slamming the storage container closed, I turned around to find Ivy and Erica both looking at me with their arms crossed. "Both of you, huh?" I asked. "Yes, both of us," Erica said. "United front," Ivy said. "Look,” "Shut up, Harrison," Erica said, and then they were both hugging me while being careful around the firearms. "Just be careful." "Extra careful," Ivy said, burying her face into the strings of the ghillie suit in my chest and then immediately pulling back with a wince. "Ugh, this smells terrible." "Yeah, well it's not exactly the sort of thing you clean very often," I shrugged. "Whatever," Erica said and kissed me. Ivy kissed me as well, looking at me with those big eyes of hers with concern. "So you're not going to try and convince me this isn't necessary?" I asked. "Wouldn't do anything except lead to a fight we couldn't win," Erica said. "You're too stubborn not to do it." "And too brave," Ivy added. "That too," Erica smiled sadly. Then she handed me the big thermos of coffee. "Come back to us in one piece." "I will," I said. "Don't worry. But if you two hear anything tonight, if there's any gunfire, don't come looking for me. Just stay in the RVs and hunker down from the windows. If you come looking for me, you'll add more danger and not take it away, alright?" They both agreed, though I could tell Erica didn't like it. I could only imagine her sprinting across the construction yard, bullets flying everywhere, screaming my name as she worried I'd been shot. Hell, she'd probably pick me up and carry me to safety if it were true, but she'd also likely never get to me in the first place if things were that bad. I kissed them both again, then stalked off into the night. I ended up settling into a nook on the side of the hill to the south of the construction yard, with a clear view of about two-thirds of the yard and most importantly the RV compound. I unslung my rifles and carefully positioned myself in a comfortable prone position I was going to be able to manage for a long time. I'd never gone through Sniper training, but I'd picked up enough from my Bootcamp, talking with other soldiers and from movies to know a thing or two; not to mention years of hunting. So I cracked the thermos and took a sip of the hot, strong coffee, and started my watch. I saw them moving through the trees at around 02:30 in the morning down on the east side of the yard near the driveway. They must have skirted around the construction worker picket line and followed the driveway up, but they were still in the shadows so I couldn't tell how many there were, or what they were carrying. The only reason I spotted them early at all was because someone was flicking a flashlight up occasionally. I had the 700 cradled in my arms, and I slowly rolled into position but didn't sight down the scope yet. I didn't have any night vision gear, and while the simple Leopold scope easily gave me the range to tag anything moving down there, I wouldn't know what I was hitting. They stopped at the edge of the tree line, and I could only imagine the nerves they were feeling looking out over the open area. There were seven portables set up holding various offices now, and half a dozen big crew vans that had been left behind for the night along with some of the company pickup trucks. The pilings and supplies to erect the bigger barracks were also looming in the big, open space. "Just take a look and leave," I muttered quietly to myself, willing whoever was down there to not make this worse than it could be. Five minutes went by before a figure began to creep out of the tree line, crossing the rise of the hill and slipping towards the yard. From the distance I was at, I couldn't see them clearly enough other than to tell they were probably wearing a backpack; not a big deal in and of itself, but my training was screaming at me. 'Anything' meant anything. That backpack could hold weapons, or communications equipment, or even an I E D. I sighted in on the figure. It was a man, military age but young. I couldn't see much of his face between the black bandana over his nose and mouth and a ball cap backwards on his head. My finger tightened just a fraction on the trigger when I saw the flash of metal in his hand, but my hesitation saved his life; he was carrying a can of spray paint. He reached what he thought was the shelter of the first building; and it was shelter if he thought a guard was patrolling inside the yard. But I wasn't inside the yard, and instead I was looking at him dead on along the length of the building as he took off his backpack and then turned, motioning back towards the tree line. A half dozen more figures began quickly creeping across the hillside. I had a choice; if that backpack was full of spray-paint and that was all they were there to do, it would be annoying vandalism at worst as long

Monica Kimutis joins us today to discuss playing to your strengths, mitigating risk, and her story with investing. ----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on July 25, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Monica KimutisMonica Kimutis runs Bridges + Buzz, a boutique agency that connects national brands with investor-led communities. She's not just a connector, she's an investor herself, with two passive multifamily deals in Texas, a short-term rental, and multiple house flips under her belt. Monica brings an operator's lens to every sponsorship strategy, helping companies show up with real value and relevance in the investor space.With a degree in International Business and a sharp instinct for deal-making (like the time she convinced a neighbor to sell their house so her parents could move in next door) Monica blends strategy with bold, action-oriented thinking.She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband and their four kids. When she's not crafting sponsorship campaigns or building investor partnerships, you'll find her running mud races with her kids or helping them learn entrepreneurship by selling honey from their backyard beehivesLearn more about her at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-kimutis/

Today J. Scott joins us to talk about finding deals, switching markets, working with your strengths and advice he would give to those just starting out in multifamily.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on July 18, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Jason ScottJ Scott (he goes by "J") is an entrepreneur, investor, advisor, author, and partner at Bar Down Investments, focused on buying and repositioning large multifamily properties. In the past fifteen years, J has bought, built, rehabbed, sold, lent-on and held over $150M in property around the country. J holds strategic advisor roles in several companies and is the author of five BiggerPockets books on real estate investing, including the best-selling, The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs. He is also co-host of the award winning Drunk Real Estate podcast. Find out more about J and connect with him at www.JScott.com. Learn more about him at: Website: www.JScott.com                                                Instagram: jscottinvestor                                                Facebook: jscottinvestor                                                LinkedIn: jscottinvestor

This week on The MisFitNation, we welcome Carroll Harris—a decorated Marine Corps veteran, retired federal law enforcement executive, and leadership expert. With over 35 years of combined military and federal service, Carroll's career has spanned combat deployments, major narcotics investigations, national communications leadership, and oversight of high-stakes field operations in Los Angeles. Carroll retired in 2025 as the Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Los Angeles Division, where he led one of the nation's most complex field offices. Prior to that, he served with the DEA and the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Today, he channels his experience into leadership development, veteran advocacy, and public safety consulting—proving that service doesn't stop when the uniform comes off.

One of the world's largest military exercises is underway in Australia. Operation Talisman Sabre involves 35,000 military personnel from 19 different countries including NZ, the US and the UK. Lieutenant Colonel Tim Tuatini says a large exercise with Australia is an important operation for the NZ military to take part in. He told Heather duPlessis-Allan that this exercise, ‘finishes off our training and allows us to exercise our combat readiness.' LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Avec : Jean-Philippe Doux, journaliste et libraire. Marlène Schiappa, ancienne ministre. Et Frédéric Hermel, journaliste RMC. - Toujours accompagnée de Rémy Barret et sa bande, Estelle Denis s'invite à la table des français pour traiter des sujets qui font leur quotidien. Société, conso, actualité, débats, coup de gueule, coups de cœurs, sexo… En simultané sur RMC Story.

The Declaration of Independence was passed by the Second Continental Congress 249 years ago today. New Jersey is filled with a number of sites connected to the American Revolution, including here in Union County. It's not only historic locations that have a connection with the past, but there are people who can trace their ancestry to that time period. Cranford resident Chris Sands is the president of the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.  The SAR is active with a number of events connecting New Jersey to its revolutionary past. After a career in the US Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel, Chris became involved in the SAR. We talk about the organization, his involvement and his connections to the birth of the United States.

Send us a textThe sacrifice of our hometown heroes often becomes lost in the broader narrative of world-changing events. Today, we resurrect the memory of Sergeant Carl Yarrington, an Ogden native whose brief but impactful life ended on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day.Carl's story embodies the quintessential American journey from small-town promise to battlefield heroism. As senior class president of Ogden High's class of 1938 and Lieutenant Colonel in ROTC, his leadership qualities emerged early. At just 16 years old, he followed family tradition by enlisting in the Utah National Guard, serving in the same unit his father had during World War I. What makes Carl's story particularly poignant is how his pre-war activities—coordinating school dances with military-themed decorations—would foreshadow his ultimate fate.When war came, Carl volunteered for one of the most dangerous assignments possible: becoming a paratrooper with the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. We trace his training across America before his deployment to Northern Ireland, where he prepared for what would become history's largest amphibious invasion. The chaos of D-Day unfolds through vivid accounts of misdropped paratroopers, anti-aircraft fire tearing through parachutes, and the confusion of landing miles from intended targets. Carl's final moments leading his men forward against impossible odds speak to the courage that defined the Greatest Generation.Journey with us to the hallowed grounds of Normandy, where Carl now rests among fellow heroes, and discover how one Weber County son's sacrifice fits into the tapestry of American history. His story reminds us that freedom isn't free—it's purchased with the lives of hometown heroes like Sergeant Carl Yarrington.

Madhavi Jain joins us today to talk about Connected Capital, getting better splits, more access to better deals, and her multifamily journey.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on June 27, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Madhavi JainMadhavi is the President, Wealth strategist and a Podcast Host at Think Outside the Stocks, which is now recognized as Top 3% podcast globally.Madhavi helps her clients with a two-fold approach to Grow, Preserve, Protect and Pass generational wealth. An efficient savings vehicle with Infinite Banking and risk-managed investing in commercial real estate syndications. She is a passive investor coach and brings high quality investments to her clients via historically recession resistant asset classes such as multi family, self storage, industrial, senior assisted living, and more. Prior to her real estate exploration, Madhavi spent 16+ years in the IT industry mostly with one of the top 5 consulting firms and with her exit from the corporate world, she is now on a mission to “Change the financial trajectory of one family at a time and thousands more to go."Learn more about her at:https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavinadejain/,https://thinkoutsidethestocks.com/, or  Podcast: https://rb.gy/kvrn4v

President Trump departed the NATO with massive success! NATO countries are now pledging 5% of GDP towards defense. Fake News CNN is reporting that Airstrikes against Iran were not successful rebuking President Trump. This comes as a leaked Top Secret battle assessment report say that the damage to Iran's nuclear sites wasn't as bad as initially thought to be. But the latest intel from Iran and Israel shows that the U.S. strikes were very successful!Guest: Tony Shaffer - Ret. Lieutenant Colonel & President, Project SentinelSponsor:My PillowWww.MyPillow.com/johnSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CNN has been lying for the last week about the strikes on the nuclear facilities in Iran. They are attributing their reporting to an Intel leak from the pentagon. CNN leaking of top secret documents is treasonous and now the FBI is involved. A peace deal has been reached between Trump and Netanyahu for peace in Gaza. It is expected to conclude in the next 2-weeks. In the Senate, an unelected bureaucrat is trying to dismantle the BBB, will the GOP allow them marxist dems to win once again?Guest: Tony Shaffer - Ret. Lieutenant Colonel & President, Project SentinelSponsor:My PillowWww.MyPillow.com/johnSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're thrilled to welcome Tom Hegna, CLU, ChFC, CASL, to Above the Business. Tom is widely recognized as THE leading expert speaker on optimal retirement solutions and has earned his reputation as the definitive Retirement Income Expert. With an impressive background as a former Senior Executive Officer at New York Life, retired Lieutenant Colonel, and economist, he brings a unique blend of military discipline, corporate leadership, and economic expertise to our conversation with Bradley.Tom has condensed his considerable knowledge into five groundbreaking books:Paychecks and Playchecks: Retirement Solutions for Life - This bestseller ranks in the top 1% of any book ever sold, making retirement planning accessible to millions.Retirement Income Masters: Secrets of the Pros - A compilation of the very best practices from the top retirement experts across the country.Paycheques and Playcheques: Retirement Solutions for Canadians - Bringing his expertise north of the border with solutions tailored for Canadian retirees.Don't Worry, Retire Happy! Seven Steps to Retirement Security - Based on his popular Public Television Special that has reached over 80 million homes in the US and Canada.Don't Worry, Retire Happy! Seven Steps to Retirement Security for Canadians - His most recent work, extending his proven methodology to Canadian audiences.When you listen, you will discover Tom's proven framework for creating optimal retirement income streams, learn why traditional retirement advice often falls short, and understand how to apply military-grade planning principles to civilian retirement challenges. His ability to make the complex simple while maintaining scientific rigor makes this episode essential listening for anyone serious about retirement security.

A former lieutenant colonel with the New Zealand defence force says plans for the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities must have been in motion for months. Josh Wineera spoke to Alexa Cook.

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Arlene is a community psychologist who recently retired from the CDC.  While there she worked as a behavioral scientist focusing on capacity building as it relates to HIV prevention.  She received her BA in Psychology from the University of Tampa, MA in Counseling and Human Development from Clark Atlanta University and PhD in Community Psychology from Georgia State University.  After beginning her public health work, she realized a need to augment her education and completed an MPH from Emory University.  Arlene is also a veteran and retired from the US Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  As a Black lesbian her work and adult life has included finding ways to show up in an authentic manner and make space for others to do the same.  Currently she works as a consultant on an HIV prevention project focused on encouraging Black women to view PrEP usage as an act of self-care, she is also growing a garden and a forest.

Jason Yarusi joins us today to talk about his experience with property management and hard lessons he has learned in his multifamily journey. Previous Episode links:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1115735/episodes/8001532https://www.buzzsprout.com/1115735/episodes/13608011----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on June 13, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Jason YarusiJason is a Private fund manager of over $300 million dollars of Multifamily real estate. Since 2017 his company Yarusi Holdings has amassed over 3000 units of apartments. He is an avid ultra runner and workout enthusiast. Hosts The Multifamily Live Podcast and runs 7 Figure Multifamily Mastermind. Wakes up daily at 4:32 am. And most importantly a father to three amazing kids and a husband.Learn more about him at: https://www.jasonyarusi.com/ or https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-100-podcast-with-jason-yarusi/id1699229023

Why did Israel launch defensive strikes against Iran's nuclear sites — and what does this mean for regional security? AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich joins from IDF reserve duty to explain Operation Rising Lion — Israel's precision military strikes aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities. Find out why Israel saw this defensive action as vital to protect millions of lives and prevent Iran's nuclear breakout. Resources: 5 Key Reasons Behind Israel's Defensive Strike on Iran's Imminent Nuclear Threat Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod:  Latest Episodes:  What Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks' State of the Jewish World Teaches Us Today AJC's CEO Ted Deutch: Messages That Moved Me After the D.C. Tragedy Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman  Late Thursday night, Israel launched a series of preemptive strikes against Iran in a military offensive dubbed Operation Rising Lion. The wave of strikes comes after the International Atomic Energy Agency censured Iran for obstructing its inspections after the revelation of a secretive nuclear site. What is happening on the ground, what's next, and what are the implications for Israel, Iran, and the broader Middle East? AJC Jerusalem director, Avital Leibovich, who also serves as Lieutenant Colonel in the IDF reserves, joins us now from reserve duty as counterattacks from Iran have begun. Avital, thank you for joining us with pleasure. Avital, negotiations for a new nuclear deal with Iran have been underway since April. There have been five rounds, maybe six, and another was going to begin on Sunday. President Trump also asked Israel to hold off on this preemptive operation. So why did Israel choose to launch these strikes? At this particular time, Avital Leibovich  Israel took a decision already to prepare for a preemptive attack on Iran. Since November, what happened in November? In November, Hezbollah lost the majority of its capabilities, of its military capabilities, and also of its leadership. Actually, a lot of his leaders, military leaders, have been eliminated, starting with Nasrallah, Hassan, Nasrallah, and going on to all the major generals of the organization. And basically the Shiite axis, as we call it here in Israel, was broken. Add to this, what happened a month later in December, when Assad's regime crashed, collapsed and was replaced by an anti Iranian man, jihadist, which jihadist background, by the name of Ahmed al Shara. So Iran was actually by on its own, really, because instead of circling Israel from the north, both from Syria and from Lebanon. Now it was circling in a very one dimension way, only from the east. So in order to do that, Iran figured out it needed to really upscale its nuclear capabilities, and for that, they sped up a few processes, for example, uranium enrichment, but not only that, also the weaponization of a potential nuclear bomb. And all of these steps actually brought us to a point that we are today, the point of no return. Iran will not be able to return to 20 years ago, 30 years ago, when it did not have those capabilities as it has today. For us in Israel, this is an issue of existence, either we exist or we don't, and that is the sole reason why the preemptive strike actually began today. This is according to Israeli intelligence, we have all the indications and data showing us this really major leap. And look the IAEA, you know, they issue reports every couple of months. It's their kind of responsibility for us. It's a matter of life and death. We cannot, you know, comply only with reports. And the reports sit on some shelf somewhere and and there's a lot of dust which is piling up on these reports for us, we needed action. So based on this very accurate intelligence, and some of this intelligence that has been accumulated for many, many years, you can see in the attack in Iran, you can see the very accurate attacks, the pinpointed strikes, which actually are directed at specific terrorists and not causing damage to uninvolved civilians, just To the locals. Yeah, Manya Brachear Pashman And how do you evaluate the Trump administration's response so far, given the diplomatic efforts underway? Well, Avital Leibovich I think that he is using the attacks to leverage and put pressure on Iran to resume the negotiation table in a few days. And as you know, there were six rounds of talks, and the best of my knowledge, there were huge gaps between the two sides, the American side and the Iranian side. I'm not sure these gaps can be bridged. We heard over and over again, President Trump say that Iran will never be able to enrich uranium. And then we heard Iranian leaders like Hamina say, this is the basic right of the Iranian people to enrich uranium. So I'm not sure how you can get you can bridge such a deep gap overall, I think that the President. Uh, has been congratulating Israel on its excellent attacks until now. But again, we are in the beginning. We're in the beginning phase of the attacks, although they're spread all over Iran. This is still the first day. We need to keep this in mind. Manya Brachear Pashman  The targets included more than nuclear sites. It included ballistic missile sites as well, and we're receiving word that Iran has fired ballistic missiles toward Israel as we speak, they fired ballistic missiles on Israel in April. If this counterattack continues, do you expect the United States to step in to defend Israel, and do you expect some of your neighbors to step in and help as well as they did in April the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain Avital Leibovich So as for the neighbors, I think that if their aerial space will be violated and breached by Iran, then of course, they have the right, like any other country, they're sovereign, to protect their own airspace. First of all, they will be protecting themselves and their people, not Israel, as for the US. This really depends on what Iran chooses to do next. The retaliation that Iran had practiced until now was launching 100 plus drones, explosive drones, to Israel. Almost all of these drones have been intercepted. This happened in the morning today. Now if Iran will decide that the ballistic missiles or the cruise missiles that it will launch here, will attack not only Israel, but also US bases across the region. Then here, there's a question, how will the US respond? Will the US retaliate as well? If that would happen, we could have even a more significant strike together the US and Israel. Manya Brachear Pashman  These attacks killed two lead scientists, IRGC commanders, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leaders. Is there a long-term goal of prompting a regime change? Avital Leibovich  So first of all, there are few types of targets in Iran, and you mentioned some of them. Physics and nuclear scientists are, of course, a critical human resource to the Iranian regime, as they rely on their long term knowledge and expertise on producing the bomb as soon as possible, as quick as possible, and by eliminating them in a way, you are removing the immediate threat. Other options are economic options. For example, really Iran relies on oil and buys it from China and maybe other countries as well. So obviously, Israel could decide to target its oil reserves, and this will be, of course, a significant economic blow. The third option is to target the government, leadership, politicians. Now, Israel, up to this moment, did not choose an economic target or a political target, but this may change in the future. The military targets, of course, are the most immediate targets that Israel is attacking, and the idea is to eliminate the immediate threat on Israel for the long range? Well, in the Middle East, in this part of the world, unfortunately, long range is something we can only put as a vision which is not bad. I'm happy to dream. I'm dreaming often Iran, which is similar to the Iran we knew before 1979 before the revolution, a moderate country, a human, loving country with values that I can share and adopt just the same. I'm looking at a different Middle East, maybe in a few years, with an expansion of the Abraham Accords, and creating an axis of moderate countries and other Shiite countries. So all of these changes that we're witnessing right now in the region and may still witness in the future, may all have an impact also on the long range outcome of the current war, which is unprecedented. Manya Brachear Pashman   I know Israel calls this a preemptive attack, but what do you say to countries who have already expressed concern about what they call an unprovoked attack? Avital Leibovich Well, I think it's enough for them just to look at the many kind of materials, which Israel and the Israeli. Army released today, showing what they have done, what Iran has done on its own soil. Now, when you follow the targets we just spoke about, you can see that these are not civilian targets. In other words, Israel is not attacking a school or a building just in the middle of Tehran for nothing. It's attacking deliberate military related sites. Actually, I think that, if I'm daring to dream again, I think that the people of Israel and the people of Iran have a lot in common. They're both people with deep heritage, with beautiful cultures. So I do envision one day a different regime in Iran, such a regime that could really bring the two countries together, opening a new page. And I think it will do a better Middle East here for all of us. Manya Brachear Pashman  We have talked about how Hamas embeds itself among the Palestinian civilians in Gaza. So no matter how precise Israel's attacks are, civilians are killed. Does Iran do the same thing? Or, I should say, does the Iranian regime do the same thing in Iran? Avital Leibovich  Obviously, Iran is not a democracy, and there is a similarity here with Hamas. We are talking about almost a fanaticist religious kind of aspect, which is also very similar to Hamas. Actually, Hamas and Iran have been connected for decades, for many, many decades, so they do share a lot of similarities. But unfortunately, the freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of of culture, is not something which is of an ordinary situation in Iran. It's very unfortunate. You know, I'm sometimes following the social media in Iran, and I see how people speak about the regime. I see how they curse the regime. I see how they aspire for better lives. I see them organize parties in basements and so so the regime will not find out. I see them the women wearing jeans underneath hijabs long dresses, trying to conceal them for God forbid, so they would not be considered as not modest. So it's very unfortunate that the public is suffering in Iran, and we see that, not only in the general atmosphere, but also we see it with the standards of life, they have only electricity a couple of days of couple of hours a day. Water is scarce. The the prices of food, they are huge. Take, for example, today, one American dollar, it equals almost 1 million rials. For comparison, $1 equals three point 60 Israeli shekels. So yeah, they're suffering from many, many perspectives. Manya Brachear Pashman  Thank you so much for joining us stay safe.  Avital Leibovich   Thank you, Manya, and I'll just thank everybody for their support. I'm Israel. If Manya Brachear Pashman  you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for a special crossover episode between people of the pod and Books and Beyond, the podcast of the Rabbi Sacks legacy, Dr Tanya white, host of Books and Beyond, and Joanna benaroche, global, Chief Executive of the legacy, sit down with my colleague, Maggie wishegrad Fredman to discuss how the wisdom and perspective of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks still endures today.  

Philippe Vallée, vice-président exécutif des activités Identité et Sécurité Numériques chez Thales, et Nicolas Granier, lieutenant-colonel de Sapeur-Pompier, conseiller technique en interventions d'urgence, étaient les invités de François Sorel dans Tech

Today Justin is joined by Tim Spicer. Tim served for 20 years in the British Army where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and saw active service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands Campaign, the Gulf War, and the Balkans, as well as serving in the Far East, Cyprus, and Germany. After retiring, he founded private security company Aegis in 2001. He's also the author of several books, including his autobiography, titled An Unorthodox Soldier. He's here to discuss the story of Biffy Dunderdale's decades long career with British intelligence, which put him at the center of some of the most significant events in Europe between the Russian Revolution and the heights of the Cold War. Connect with Tim:penguin.co.uk/authors/208198/tim-spicerIG: @timspicerauthorCheck out the book, A Suspicion of Spies, here.https://a.co/d/dloaYL6Connect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.Support the show

Today, Arn Cenedella is back with us to talk about his projects he has been working on, lessons he has learned in real estate and advantages of "boots on the ground" mentality.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on June 6, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Arn CenedellaArn Cenedella is a real estate broker and investor with over four decades in the industry. Starting in 1978, Arn built a thriving Silicon Valley residential brokerage business in Palo Alto and Menlo Park CA while building a sizable portfolio of single family rental properties in the Bay Area and across the US. Over this period, Arn assisted many other investors build their rental portfolios and is well-versed in all aspects of real estate investment including acquisition, market analysis, financing, management, and 1031 exchange. In 2014, Arn moved to Greenville SC to start a new life adventure. Arn continued to invest in small residential income properties in the Carolinas. In 2020, Arn transitioned his SFR rental portfolio to multifamily investments and founded Spark Investment Group to help busy professionals and parents reap the benefits of commercial real estate investment without the hassle of operating the properties. Arn currently manages and operates a multifamily portfolio as general partner and sponsor of over 1,100 units with a total value in excess of $138M.Learn more about him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arncenedella/, or investwithspark.com

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William Burnett: A Vision for Public Safety and Reform in Richmond In this episode of the Randy Wilson Podcast, we sit down with William Burnett, a Gulf War veteran, long-time public servant, and candidate for Sheriff of the City of Richmond. With nearly 30 years of experience in law enforcement — including leadership roles as a Sergeant with the Richmond Police Department and Lieutenant Colonel under former Sheriff C.T. Woody — Burnett brings a depth of insight and a fresh vision for change. As he seeks to lead the Richmond City Sheriff's Office, Burnett discusses the challenges facing the Richmond Justice Center, his focus on rebuilding morale and staffing, and the programs he believes can proactively engage youth and support those impacted by addiction and mental health issues. He also outlines his commitment to transparency, interagency collaboration, and effective, community-centered leadership. This is an in-depth conversation about public safety, leadership, and the future of justice in Richmond.

It is being reported that due to resourcing problems, Irish military flight operations will have their hours reduced to a more part-time basis.What is behind these issues, and what are the ramifications?Joining Seán to discuss is Kevin Byrne, retired Lieutenant Colonel.

Episode Info David Corry joined Argo Group in September 2020. As Head of Casualty, he is responsible for leading Primary Casualty, Excess Casualty, Construction, Environmental, Rockwood, and Bermuda Casualty.  Corry previously served as Senior Vice President, Head of Environmental at Argo Group. He has in-depth experience in all lines of casualty insurance, having served as Senior Director at Markel Specialty and Vice President at Liberty Mutual. He also held senior positions at Chubb and Crum & Forster. Corry is a veteran of the armed forces, having served for 29 years in the Air National Guard, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  Highlights from the Show The video features a discussion with David, who has over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry, focusing on casualty underwriting and management. He currently serves as the Head of Casualty at Argo Group, where he oversees various liability lines, including primary and excess casualty, environmental liabilities, construction liabilities, and workers' compensation. The conversation highlights Argo's niche focus on the U.S. market, with some operations in Bermuda, and its recent acquisition by Brookfield Wealth Solutions. David shares insights into the challenges faced by the Casualty insurance sector, such as social inflation, litigiousness in the U.S., and the economic viability of Casualty lines. He discusses the importance of capacity management and the need for insurance carriers to be nimble in managing their portfolios. The conversation also touches on the impact of distracted driving on auto insurance claims and the necessity for the industry to adapt to changing conditions. The video concludes with a discussion on the future of the insurance industry, emphasizing the need for innovation and the importance of attracting new talent to sustain the industry. David expresses optimism about the industry's ability to adapt and continue providing necessary coverage despite current challenges. Key Points: Challenges in Casualty Insurance: Social inflation and increased litigiousness in the U.S. Economic viability of casualty lines. Importance of capacity management and nimbleness in portfolio management. Impact of Distracted Driving: Significant effect on auto insurance claims. Necessity for the industry to adapt to changing conditions. Future of the Insurance Industry: Need for innovation and attracting new talent. Optimism about the industry's ability to adapt and provide necessary coverage despite challenges. This episode is brought to you by The Future of Insurance book series (future-of-insurance.com) from Bryan Falchuk. Follow the podcast at future-of-insurance.com/podcast for more details and other episodes. Music courtesy of Hyperbeat Music, available to stream or download on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music and more.

Executive Director of the Marion County Commission of Veteran Affairs, American Legion Post 89 member, and retired Lieutenant Colonel with the United States Air Force Rob Bandstra discusses VFW Post 5242 and American Legion Post 89's annual

Returning guest Clive Davis joins us to discuss preparing for the future, challenges he faced, and ways to avoid some challenges altogether.    First Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1115735/episodes/9751971----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on May 23, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Clive DavisAfter graduating from Columbia Law School, Clive's corporate career took him from a Wall Street law firm where he began as a transactional lawyer, to a variety of in-house legal and compliance roles in the pharmaceutical industry, including nine years serving as a Chief Compliance Officer. Throughout the entirety of this twenty-year career, he remained actively invested in real estate with a small portfolio of holdings.In answering this self-posed question, Clive decided 2017 was the time and walked away from corporate life in pursuit of his interests and passion as a full-time real estate investment entrepreneur.Since founding Park Royal Capital in 2017 Clive Davis has personally invested in more than 2,500 multifamily rental units, as well as a portfolio of hotels based in Atlanta where he has resided since 2005. Most recently Park Royal Capital acquired two Atlanta multifamily properties totaling 444 units with a combined value of over $70M.Learn more about him at: https://parkroyalcapital.com/, or https://www.linkedin.com/in/clivedavisesq/

Jim Pfeifer joins today to talk about the importance of interacting with your multifamily community, the Passive Pockets podcast, and what advice he would give to those just starting out.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on May 16, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Jim PfeiferJim Pfeifer has dedicated his career to helping educate and advise people on personal finance and investing. As a full-time passive investor, founder and former President of Left Field Investors, and co-host of the PassivePockets podcast, Jim is passionate about empowering investors with accessible education and community networking opportunities. He holds a degree in Finance & Marketing from the University of Oregon and a Masters in Business Education from The Ohio State University. In his free time, Jim enjoys skiing, playing Ultimate frisbee, and cheering on the Buckeyes. He lives in Columbus, OH with his wife and kids.Learn more about him at: https://passivepockets.com/, or jimpfeifer@Biggerpockets.com

Lieutenant Colonel (ret) Mitchell “Taco” Bell joined the Marine Corps in 1986 and was winged a Naval Aviator in January of 1991. He flew the KC-130 in Cherry Point, NC, Okinawa Japan and Fort Worth TX in the Reserves. His primary duty has been Recruiting for nine of his 29 years in the Marine Corps.In 1998, he left active duty, was hired by American Airlines, and currently flies the Boeing 787 around the world. As a reservist, he ran an old Mig Base in TQ Iraq from 2005 to 2006 and worked with the Afghan Police for 8 months in 2008 and again for a short tour in 2009 with Prison Corrections over in Afghanistan.Taco currently assists with numerous charities and Veterans organizations in the DFW area. He directs the Purple Hearts Reunited Valor Guard, a return team dedicated to delivering lost medals of valor across the country. In addition, Taco has conducted return ceremonies himself, on behalf of Purple Hearts Reunited (PHR). He has been on the show before talking about PHR before and the great things that organization does.

In today's episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, Kevin chats with Ravindra Pandey. Pandey is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the Indian Army and a recent MBA graduate from Hult International Business School. Together, they explore the intersection of military logistics and modern supply chain management. Drawing from two decades of service and leadership within India's vast defense network, Pandey shares insights into military warehousing, transportation logistics, and the emerging logistics landscape in India. The conversation dives into the real-world experiences of moving critical rations to implementing warehouse automation in government research facilities. It ends with a forward-looking perspective on sustainability and innovation in supply chains.Learn more about Zebra Robotics here. Follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Today Dr Kate Gress joins us to talk about overcoming challenges, tips she would give to new syndicators, and her journey into multifamily real-estate.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on May 9, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Kate GressKate Gress is a dynamic professional with over 25 years of experience as a successful business owner, chiropractor, and real estate investor. As the visionary behind multiple thriving chiropractic practices, Kate has led teams of doctors to deliver top-notch care, embodying a commitment to enhancing the well-being of others. With a keen eye for opportunity and a heart for service, Kate ventured into real estate investing 22 years ago, initially focusing on commercial property before expanding into residential single-family homes and small multifamily units. Her focus now is on commercial multifamily apartments complexes. She is also a passive investor in the real estate sector. This diversification reflects her strategic approach to wealth creation and her dedication to empowering others to achieve financial freedom through passive investing.When not nurturing her businesses, Kate loves spending time with her husband and their five children. She is a traveler, drawn to sun-kissed destinations in the winter, and in the summer is drawn to the water, spending her days at her lake home in beautiful Wisconsin. Kate's also an avid reader and fitness enthusiast.Kate is a founding member and serves on the board of the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin, since 2012. She also sits on the executive board for the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce and served as the Chamber President in 2023. Learn more about her at: https://ascendequitygrp.com/, or KateGress@gmail.com

Dave Dubeau joins us today to discuss podcasting, creating dialogue with potential investors, and his journey in multifamily investing.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on May 2, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Dave DubeauDave Dubeau is a real estate capital raising expert, author, and podcast host. Since 2012. He has helped over 200 real estate investor clients raise over $325M in private capital. Now, through his new Capital Convo Podcast Service, Dave is helping syndicators leverage a podcast to consistently book 20+ accredited investor meetings a month.Learn more about him at: 20AccreditedInvestorsBook.com, linkedin.com/in/davedubeau

Dr Yuri Felshtinsky is a prominent author, historian, and journalist, and expert on Russia and the former Soviet Union. He has appeared in hundreds of print, TV, and radio interviews worldwide, and is widely known as co-author of the book “Blowing Up Russia” with Alexander Litvinenko, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the FSB who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London in 2006. His latest book – “Blowing up Ukraine: The Return of Russian Terror and The Threat of World War III”, was researched before the invasion of Ukraine, and is the first comprehensive investigation into the lethal methods Russia has used since 1999 to take over Ukraine – culminating in the full-blown unprovoked war in 2022 and mounting atrocities.----------BOOKS:From Red Terror to Terrorist State: Russia's Secret Intelligence Services and Their Fight for World Domination from Felix Dzerzhinsky to Vladimir Putin Hardcover – 4 Nov. 2023by Yuri Felshtinsky (Author), Vladimir Popov (Author)Publisher: Gibson House ----------LINKS: https://twitter.com/yfelshtinskyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yuri-felshtinsky-55497940/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Felshtinskyhttps://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/yuri-felshtinsky/----------ARTICLES:https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/09/03/yuri-felshtinsky-nothing-will-change-in-russia-until-the-security-services-are-dismantled_6122181_4.html----------Easter Pysanky: Silicon Curtain - https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/easter-pysanky-silicon-curtainCar for Ukraine has joined forces with a group of influencers, creators, and news observers during this special Easter season. In peaceful times, we might gift a basket of pysanky (hand-painted eggs), but now, we aim to deliver a basket of trucks to our warriors.This time, our main focus is on the Seraphims of the 104th Brigade and Chimera of HUR (Main Directorate of Intelligence), highly effective units that: - disrupt enemy logistics - detect and strike command centers - carry out precision operations against high-value enemy targetshttps://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/easter-pysanky-silicon-curtain----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Neal Bawa joins us today to discuss his journey into real estate, the multifamily yield curve, and growing market trends.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on April 25, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Neal BawaNeal Bawa is a technologist who is universally known in real estate circles as the Mad Scientist of Multifamily. Besides being one of the most in-demand speakers in commercial real estate, Neal is a data guru, a process freak, and an outsourcing expert. Neal treats his $660 million-dollar multifamily portfolio as an ongoing experiment in efficiency and optimization.The Mad Scientist lives by two mantras. His first mantra is, “We can only manage what we can measure”. His second mantra is that, “Data beats gut feel by a million miles“. These mantras and a dozen other disruptive beliefs drive profit for his 1000+ investors.Learn more about him at: https://multifamilyu.com/

John Funderburk joins us today to discuss capital raising, marketing, and the importance of being a self starter.----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on April 18, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----John FunderburkAs a principal in multifamily syndication, I help busy professionals achieve financial freedom and diversify their portfolio by passively investing in multifamily real estate. With over 6 years of experience in real estate, I have successfully managed and closed multiple deals, delivering high returns and consistent cash flow to our investors.I am a skilled negotiator, vendor manager, and leader. I have a Bachelor's Degree of Science and Technology, and Business Administration, which enables me to analyze the market trends, identify the best opportunities, and execute the optimal strategies. I am passionate about educating and empowering others to create wealth and passive income through real estate.Learn more about him at:  https://rampantlioncapital.com/

Jay Balekar joins us today to talk about syndication, sponsors, property management, and tips he would give to those just starting out. ----Continue the conversation with Brian on LinkedInJoin our multifamily investing community with like-minded apartment investors at the Tribe of TitansThis episode originally aired on April 11, 2025----Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcsYmSLMxQCA9hgt_PciN3g?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to us on your favorite podcast app:Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/AppleDiaryPodcast Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotDiaryPodcast Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/GoogleDiaryPodcast Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diary_of_an_apartment_investor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiaryAptInv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diary_Apt_Inv ----Your host, Brian Briscoe, has owned over twenty apartment complexes worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is dedicated to helping aspiring apartment investors learn how to do the same. He founded the Tribe of Titans as his platform to educate aspiring apartment investors and is continually creating new content for the subscribers and coaching clients.He is the founder of Streamline Capital based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is probably working on closing another apartment complex in the greater SLC area. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps in 2021 after 20 years of service.Connect with him on LinkedIn----Jay BalekarJay Balekar, Principal at Prosper Capital, a real estate investment firm focused on acquiring and managing high-quality multifamily properties. Jay has helped raise over $15M in private capital and has managed a portfolio of 550+ rental units across multiple states.Beyond real estate, Jay is also the Principal Owner of Spray-Net Cincinnati, a home services company that specializes in exterior refinishing and kitchen cabinet transformations.Jay was trained as a computer engineer and spent 10 years in the cyber security consulting domain at a Big4 consulting firm.Learn more about him at: https://calendly.com/JayBalekar, or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaideepbalekar/

Michael Jones is a native of Phoenix, Arizona, has been happily married to his wife for 32 years and is the proud father of two adult sons. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Creighton University School of Dentistry in May 1993 and has since established and managed his own private dental practice. In addition to his professional career, Michael dedicated 10 years to the Air Force Reserves, where he honorably served as Chief of Dental Services and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Beyond his work in dentistry, he has been actively involved in ministry as an Elder, serving as the men's director at his church for the past eight years. Currently, Michael is furthering his passion for impacting the lives of men through counseling by pursuing a graduate certificate in Christian counseling at Grand Canyon University, equipping himself to better support and guide others in their spiritual and personal growth. To contact Michael, you can email him at mjones936712@gmail.com -------------------------------------------------   If you want to help us transform the lives of even MORE MEN for God's glory, please take a minute to leave us a helpful REVIEW and SHARE this podcast with any man you know who's in need of help and hope and is hurting.”  And to make sure you don't miss a podcast episode, as well as contest give-a-ways, special announcements, and much more, make sure you "Stay Connected" by visiting us at https://station.page/realmen to join our online community of podcast listeners.   Talk with Dr. Joe 1-on-1: Are you tired and stuck? Want to go to get your faith, marriage, family, career and finances back on track?  Then maybe it's time you got a coach. Every CHAMPION has one. Schedule an appointment to chat with Dr. Joe on how we can help you spiritually love and lead your family better and become the hero of your home.   Dr. Joe takes on only a few Breakthrough Calls each week to help you with your faith, marriage, work, and financial challenges.  The call is FREE, but slots are limited to ONE call only.  NO RESCHEDULES.  Just click on the link below and select the BREAKTHROUGH CALL option to set up an appointment: http://TalkwithDrJoe.com  If no slots are available, please check back in a week.   Also join us on: Online Podcast Community (on Station):  https://station.page/realmen Facebook: @realdrjoemartin YouTube: http://www.RealMenTraining.com Instagram: @realdrjoemartin Twitter: @professormartin Website: https://RealMenConnect.com

The sudden disappearance of 4 American soldiers near Lithuania's border with Belarus received worldwide attention for both the urgency of the story and the mystery. The search and rescue, and the subsequent recovery efforts, have been described as an engineering feat of herculean proportions. How did this happen? What should we consider? Mike "Main Gun" Bajema served more than 20 years in the U.S. military, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army.  As a retired Armor Officer, he commanded multiple units from Company to Battalion, which included not only tanks but M88s - the military vehicle at the center of the story. Mike helps explain the importance of the location where this incident took place, what potential dangers to consider, and what questions to ask moving forward to prevent it from happening again.  SUPPORT OUR MISSION   Shop our gear!  If you'd like to help support SmartHER News' mission of a free, independent, nonpartisan press – here's how you can become a SCOOP insider: https://www.scoop.smarthernews.com/get-the-inside-scoop/    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarthernews/  Website: https://smarthernews.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/smarthernews