Podcasts about Middleburg

JOHN MAGEE BIOJohn Magee has been designing and building landscapes in the Washington DC Metro area and beyond for the past 30 years.  After receiving his B.S. degree in Agriculture from the Ohio State University and spending a few years training and showing horses, he settled into the landscaping industry as the General Foreman of Pennsylvania's highest award-winning landscaping firm.  While in Pennsylvania, he became a volunteer at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary where he met his wife Susana and was introduced to habitat gardening and the use of native plants in the landscape.  He now operates his own award-winning design firm Magee Design in the beautiful countryside of Middleburg, VA where he also enjoys kayaking and taking long walks with his wife and dogs Shaq & Dilly.  He created and hosts the award-winning Native Plant Podcast to help inform the public about the benefits of landscaping with native plants.THE PLANTASTIC PODCASTThe Plantastic Podcast is a monthly podcast created by Dr. Jared Barnes.  He's been gardening since he was five years old and now is an award-winning professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.  To say hi and find the show notes, visit theplantasticpodcast.com.You can learn more about how Dr. Jared cultivates plants, minds, and life at meristemhorticulture.com.  He also shares thoughts and cutting-edge plant research each week in his newsletter plant•ed, and you can sign up at meristemhorticulture.com/subscribe.  Until next time, #keepgrowing!

Yack and Ice recap a largely successful joint effort in the Middleburg 5k, complete with curious outfit choices, PBs, and fancy recovery shoes. Speaking of recovery, the guys try their hand at hydrating the Ashton Hall way, as they dissect his viral morning routine. With their bodies in check, the guys plopped down to do some serious watching (some more serious than others). Ice reviews the ‘controversial' live action Snow White before downshifting to comparatively lighter fair, in Netflix's Adolescence. The guys close with all the MCU hub Bub of the day, talking the Avengers Doomsday cast before getting uber-spoilery with the two-episode drop of Daredevil Born Again.

Johannesburg Muslim School vs Middleburg Muslim School: Should Homework Be Banned? by Radio Islam

It's a change of scenery this week, as the guys gather inside the new and improved Batcave. Unfortunately, it's not under the best circumstances, as AJ recaps his nightmarish week as a dog dad. (Editor's note: It's not as bad as it could have been, but we're not out of the woods so good vibes are definitely welcome.) Between moments of worry, AJ finds some time to join his cohosts (in spirit) as they continue their prep for the upcoming Middleburg 5k. And spoiler alert, it's WAY more painful for some than it is for others. The boys also give first reax to eps 1-3 of the new Daredevil series before concluding with a totally calm, totally not-unhinged exchange on Elon Musk and the state of Tesla. Throw on a vintage Affliction tee, rub a lucky penny for good luck, and listen away.

Line of gusty showers and a few storms before afternoon clearing • Tracking temperatures in the 60s this morning • Highs today in the mid to upper 70s • A strong cold front will bring gusty winds, widespread beneficial rain, and a threat for an isolated thunderstorm mid to late morning and midday • A few gusty winds are possible, and an isolated tornado can't be ruled out • Arrival times: o Jacksonville will see this rain arriving between 10 - 11 am. o Fernandina Beach to Middleburg: 10 - 11 am o Waycross to Lake City: 8 - 9 am o Brunswick to Starke: 9 - 10 am o St. Augustine to Palatka: 11 am - Noon • Rain is out of here by 1 - 2 pm. • The afternoon commute will be dry but breezy. • Wind advisory until 7 pm tonight. Gusty winds of 30-40 mph possible this morning and afternoon. • We turn much cooler by Thursday with highs in the mid 60s. TODAY: Mild, humid, breezy, line of showers and an isolated strong t-storm. 60/77 TONIGHT: Mostly clear and breezy. LOW: 47 THURSDAY: Sunny and much cooler. Breezy. 47/64 FRIDAY: Sunny. 40/72 SATURDAY: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy, showers late. 49/79 SUNDAY: Cloudy with showers. 57/72 MONDAY: A few showers early. Turning partly cloudy. 48/68 TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. 47/73

Middleburg M S vs APAX - Should students be allowed to choose their own subjects at an earlier age by Radio Islam

We're excited to welcome Dr. Brad Case, Chief Economist at Middleburg Communities, to the program! Dr. Case shares his extensive experience in real estate economics through his perspectives on market conditions, forecasting recessions, driving investment decisions with data, and the rise of the build-to-rent housing sector. Learn about the advantages Middleburg Communities have cultivated with their data modeling capabilities, better understand the macroeconomic environment, and explore the factors driving demand for residential rental communities. Key Moments:01:31 Dr. Brad Case's background and career journey06:04 Middleburg Communities overview08:16 Role and contributions of a Chief Economist17:01 Build-to-rent community demand22:18 Current market environment and economic concerns33:19 Revenue management and market conditions36:16 Insights on private and public real estate markets39:34 Future of real estate transactions and technologyResources Mentioned:Middleburg Communities - https://www.middleburg.com/Email us - altusresearch@altusgroup.comThanks for listening to the “CRE Exchange” podcast, powered by Altus Group. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss another insightful conversation.#CRE #CommercialRealEstate #Property

Book Review – The Hidden Saints of Middleburg by Radio Islam

Wrapping Up the Case.By kittybeaver, in 5 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. Tina was gone, if she had ever existed in the first place. Now there was only the Tinatron, just one of the many moving parts in the Harmony machine. The parts worked together in perfect balance, creating harmony for the world. There was no machine more important than the Harmony machine. When it failed to work, the world descended into chaos. It was an enormous machine, for an enormous job. The Tinatron was only a small part, but her task was vital.Connected to the rest of the Harmony machine via a piston, the Tinatron's job was to produce the actual harmony. The piston pumped in and out of her receiving pipe, making a high pitched whistle as it moved. Inside the Tinatron, little explosions powered her gears, turning them round and round."Wheeeeeee." The piston pumped into her."Oog chuh, oog chuh." The gears spun inside her. The harmony grew, building on itself, expanding. Only when it was ready, would the Tinatron release it to the world."Wheeeeeee.""Oog chuh, oog chuh."The harmony vibrated, pulsing with each thrust from the piston."Oo gchuh, oog chuh.""Wheeeeee."The dials on the Tinatron spun. Lights flashed. The piston picked up speed."Wheeeee. Wheeeee. Wheeeee.""Oog chuh, oog chuh, oog chuh, oog chuh."The explosions were getting bigger, coming faster. The gears strained to keep up.When the big one hit, it shook the Tinatron, rattling the gears inside her. She felt the harmony rapidly expand, filling her support beams, before condensing. She opened her mouth and coughed it out, a small triangle the size and color of candy corn.Tina watched as the candy corn disappeared in front of her eyes, to be replaced by the dirty, yellow bed spread.Behind her, Dirk fell sideways, his head landing with a thud on a pillow.He looked awful, his skin pale, his hair damp with sweat. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath. Tina didn't feel much better. The poison wasn't only affecting their minds, it was taking a toll on their bodies as well."Almost there," Fact-Tel said. "Stay strong. This will be over soon.""One way or another," Dirk murmured.Tina crawled over to him and carefully lay down, stretching her body out next to his. Her joints ached from the effort. But that didn't stop her from scooching closer to Dirk when he reached for her and laying her head on his shoulders."Don't fall asleep," Fact-Tel said. "Stay awake. Please."She tilted her head up so she could look Dirk in the eyes, his pale green eyes. She loved those eyes. "I'm sorry.""What for?" He brushed an errant strand of hair off of her face."You wouldn't be in this situation," she said, "if I hadn't recruited you for the SWSO.""What else was I going to do?" he said, his voice slow from exhaustion. "My career as a male model had hit a wall, my mother was conducting illegal experiments on me and I'm pretty sure my father was going to force me into an arranged marriage. This is better."She touched his check with the tip of her finger; she wasn't sure why. "Still, ""Shush." He smiled at her. Even sick and dying, his smile was so brilliant it could light up her heart. "This is better."Tina wasn't sure if she was the one to initiate the kiss or if Dirk had. It didn't really matter. They both wanted it. They both needed it. In what looked to be the last moments of their lives, the last moments of their sanity, they comforted each other.This, she thought, as her tongue gently brushed his, this is the moment I'll take to my grave. This is all I want to remember.She rolled onto her back and he followed her lead, moving with her and nestling himself between her thighs. Reaching down between them, she stroked him and guided him in.The moment they became one, everything made sense. The way he moved inside her, how he looked down at her with his pale green eyes. Dirk was everything to her. He was all she needed in her life."I love you," she said. If she was going to die, Tina wanted these to be her last words. "I love you, Dirk."He smiled down at her. "And I love cunt heaven.""Oh." She turned her head to look at all the winged vaginas flying past. "Is that where we are?" One flew particularly close, hovering over the bedspread. "What are you up to, little lady?" Tina asked.It responded by jabbing her in the neck with a hypodermic needle.Tina wrapped her hands around her mug and let the heat from the coffee warm her fingers. Her head still ached with an antidote hangover but that hadn't stopped her from getting to work on time, unlike Dirk.It wasn't that she was mad at him for being late, just worried. His accreditation exam was in an hour. Was he going to make it in time? Had he been able to study the rest of the regulations handbook? Did he know about rule 96 yet?Part of her, the selfish part, hoped he hadn't been able to get through the manual. It meant he'd fail the exam, but he could always take it again next year. They'd have that time together. Dirk would learn to be a better secret agent and Tina could introduce him slowly to Rule 96, explaining why it was necessary. He might not like it at first, but he'd come around eventually.At least that's what she hoped, but her hopes were dashed ten minutes later when Dirk walked into SWSO headquarters and said, "Why didn't you tell me?"Tina took a sip of her coffee and pretended she didn't know what he was talking about. "Tell you what?" She was such a coward."One of the rules. I can't do it. I can't follow it." He walked to her desk and dropped the manual down in front of her."Which one?" She could feel her heart sinking in her chest as she watched Dirk open the book and flip the pages to the back."This one." He pointed to a paragraph.Tina sighed with relief. Dirk didn't have a problem with Rule 96. He was pointing to Rule 94. Everything was going to be alright."Unless given special exemption, agents are required," she read, "to put on clean underwear every morning." She looked up at him. "At your age this should not be an issue.""Wrong page. Sorry." He turned the page and pointed straight at Rule 96. "We're not allowed to feel love?"She swallowed and gripped her mug tightly between her hands. "That's not true," she said. "We're allowed to feel love: love of country, love of duty and love of sacrifice.""And you're ok with that?" His eyes searched hers, as if he was trying to find the answer he wanted in her gaze. "You don't need more?"Tina took a deep breath. Yes, she'd been struggling with her feelings for Dirk the past few weeks, but she had a duty to the SWSO and to the world. She wouldn't let them down. She wouldn't give in to her weakness."It's dangerous to feel more," she explained. "If an enemy discovers you care more for one individual than everyone else is the whole world, they can use that against you.""So, that's it?" he asked. "What you said yesterday was a lie?"Tina felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. The memories of being under the influence of the neural toxin were vague and confusing. Except for one moment. When she closed her eyes, she could see it clearly. Dirk looking down at her while she spilled the secrets of her heart to him."You were hallucinating yesterday," she said. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about.""Oh." He looked away from her. "Ok.""So we're good?""I guess.""Good." She smiled at him. "The exam starts in half an hour. Are you ready?""No." Dirk took the gun out from where he'd tucked it into the waistband of his jeans and laid it on her desk. Next he removed the communicator from behind his ear. "I'm not cut out to be a secret agent. I think what you do, what the SWSO does, is important, but it's not right for me.""Don't jump to anything rash." She stood up and reached for his hand, but he evaded her touch. "Take some time to think about it.""No." He rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth. "This is better, a clean break. I'm sorry."There was nothing to say after that. He turned and walked out of the office."Go after him," Fact-Tel said. Its mechanical voice was tinged with urgency. "Get him back."Tina laughed a sad, lonely laugh. "I thought you'd be happy to see him go.""Normally, yeah, except news just came over the police radio," the A.I. informed her. "Delia Villa-Allen escaped from prison.""Oh no." Tina rushed for the door. "Dirk's in danger."He was gone by the time she made it to the sidewalk. A stiff gust of wind was enough to tell her he'd used his inhuman speed to get away from her as fast as he could.Without thinking, she started to jog after him. She knew his address. If she needed to, she'd go to his apartment.Delia Villa-Allen hadn't been happy her son helped put her in prison. And she probably knew more than anyone else about Dirk's mysterious super powers. She might even know how to incapacitate him.Tina's blood ran cold at the thought. She picked up her speed and turned down an alley for a short cut.What would win out, a mother's love or a maniacal scientist's thirst for revenge?She had to find Dirk and get him back to SWSO headquarters where he'd be safe."Agent Blondell?" a voice called behind her.Tina stopped and reached for her gun, but it wasn't there.She'd been so focused on catching up with Dirk, she'd left her gun in her desk drawer. She cursed under her breath, furious at herself for making such a rookie mistake. It didn't matter. She was well trained in several forms of martial arts. Tina could defend herself."Who's asking?" She spun around to see a nondescript form."Allow me to introduce myself," the person said. "I'm General Zero."The End.Dirk took a step back, wiped the sweat from his forehead and studied the engine again. He'd been working on the car all day, trying to fix the problem with the doohickey that fed into the whatchamacallit. It was clogged or cracked or maybe even clogracked. Whatever the problem was, he wasn't going to give up. He'd fix that damn car if it took the rest of his life."Dirk?" a tentative yet seductive voice called.He looked up to see Tina Blondell in the open doorway. She stood in the shadows, but the sun streamed in behind her, silhouetting her curvy body and turning her blonde hair into a golden halo. She walked forward a couple paces until the light of the overhead lamp illuminated her.Holy Gosh, but she was beautiful with her large, brown eyes and her pert, little nose. She wore cutoff jeans and a white, flimsy halter top. Her shorts were so short, not even a centimeter of thigh was covered. Her halter top was so flimsy, Dirk knew the exact location and size of her nipples."I can't let you leave the SWSO," she said, her scarlet painted lips carefully forming each word. "Come back to me."He wanted to kiss those perfect lips and nip at them with his teeth. He wanted to run his filthy hands over her pristine skin, squeezing her soft flesh and sinking his pinky into her bellybutton. But he stood his ground. He wouldn't fall into Tina's trap."No," he said. "Not on these terms. Not with Rule 96.""Does this help?" She reached behind her neck and pulled the knot of her halter top loose. The garment fell away from her, leaving her large, gorgeous breasts exposed to the world."Yes," Dirk said. "That helps a lot. In any situation. Seriously, I can't think of a single circumstance where this" - He gestured to her breasts. - "doesn't make it better. But I'm not going to change my mind."

If sex is a weapon then love is a double homicide.By kittybeaver, in 5 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. "Start with the bookshelves." She pointed to the wall next to the fireplace. "Remember, we're looking for a bullet hole or an opening a gun could've been fired through."Tina turned her attention to the wall in front of her, moving her scanner methodically over the wood paneling and around the ornately framed oil paintings. It was her educated guess that the murderer had been in the neighboring office and drilled a hole in the wall."These are some fancy books," Dirk said. Tina looked over her shoulder and saw his head tilted sideways as he read the spines. "They're all hardcovers and absolutely no Harry Potter.""Don't worry about the books." She took one of the paintings off the wall and scanned behind it. "We're looking for something abnormal, something that's just slightly off.""There's something off with the bookshelves," Fact-Tel announced."I knew it," Dirk said. "Who doesn't, at the very least, have Sorcerer's Stone?"Tina placed the painting back on its hook and crossed to the other side of the room. "What did you find, Fact-Tel?""Should I have said Philosopher's Stone?" Dirk asked. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, that's the metric title, right?""They're not real books," the A.I. said, ignoring Dirk. "It's a false bookcase. The scans are picking up a hollow space behind them.""That is so cool," Dirk said. "What do you think's back there? Pirate's treasure? Porno magazines?"Tina ran her hand around the edge of the bookcase, searching for hinges or a hidden lever. "City Hall is over a hundred years old. It's rumored there are secret passages all through the building, from the base of the Matthias Middle statue on top of the clock tower to the top of that clock statue containing Matthias Middle's bones in the sub-basement. This could be how the killer gained access to the office." She stretched her arm up as far as she could, but even in her high heel boots she couldn't reach the top shelf. "Dirk, feel along the top with your hand. See if you can find a button or something that will open the bookcase."She watched him carefully as he reached his arm up, noting how his T-shirt rode up to reveal his flat stomach and that wispy line of hair that ran from his belly button down into his snug fitting jeans. It was a surprise to feel her tongue peeking out of her mouth and running along her upper lip, as if it too wanted to catch a glimpse of Dirk Allen's happy trail. It seemed every part of her body was proud of his physique.Tina quickly turned, averting the gaze of both her eyes and tongue. "Fact-Tel, how large is the space behind the bookcase?" 'Proud' wasn't the right word for what she felt and she knew it. She needed to stop lying to herself. Her physical attraction to Dirk was a problem, but not nearly as big a problem as her emotional attraction to him. "Could a person conceal themselves there?""Definitely," the computer responded. "If I can analyze the dust and air particles in the space I might be able to tell if someone's been in there recently.""I found something!" Dirk was so excited he nearly shouted. Both his arms were stretched way above his head, his fingers curling over the top edge of the bookcase."Is it a button?" Tina asked, remembering to keep her voice low. "Press it.""Ok." Dirk's hand pressed down, then he took a quick step back.A rumbling noise emerged from the shelves and they started to slide sideways. A dark space appeared, approximately three feet, or rather, Tina reminded herself, .0914 meters wide."Good job." She looked up into Dirk's pale green eyes and gave him another smile. He had such pretty eyes. They contrasted nicely with his dark hair and full, masculine lips. The better Tina got to know Dirk the more attractive he grew. And he was fucking gorgeous when she first met him. It was disturbing, to say the least. Increased physical attraction toward an individual was one of the first signs of,Tina swallowed. She didn't even want to think the words.Increased physical attraction toward an individual was one of the first signs of falling in love.According to SWSO rule #96, secret agents were only allowed to experience three types of love: love of country, love of duty and love of sacrifice. Any other love could be used as a weapon against an agent. It had taken Tina years of therapy to reduce her familial love to an ambivalent indifference. Now, if some deranged villain made her choose between saving the world or saving her parents, she'd make the right choice without regret. Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Blondell. You died for a good cause.Romantic love was the most dangerous and that was the direction Tina's feelings for Dirk might be heading. The intense romantic bond had to be avoided at all costs. It caused people to lie, steal, or, even worse, wear matching outfits to company picnics. She'd seen it happen too many times before and she had vowed never to let it happen to her.Love, in its essence, was a release of oxytocin in the brain. Every time she engaged in sexual intercourse with Dirk, every time he gave her another mind blowing orgasm, her brain released more oxytocin, conditioning her to feel love and affection for her coworker. As much as she wanted to invite him into her bed and ride him like a wild mustang, she couldn't do it. More sex meant more oxytocin. They couldn't have sex ever again, even if the job required it.Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she pulled her SWSO issued flashlight from her purse and peered into the void. Her beam of light fell on a small, but comfortable looking recliner, a stack of magazines, a box of tissues and a pump bottle of lotion.Dirk reached down and snatched a magazine from the top of the pile. "What do you know, it is porn. The murderer must have planned to wait a long time." He held the magazine sideways so that the centerfold flipped down. "Nice."Tina moved quickly and picked up the next magazine from the pile. While a woman graced the cover Dirk was holding, a man stared back from the one in Tina's hands. There was no mistaking his pretty, green eyes, dark hair and plump, manly lips. Dirk had worked as a model for years before joining the SWSO. It was possible he could have done a risqué photo shoot.It only took a second to open the magazine and look inside. Yep, it was him. She recognized that cock."Get a load of this, Fact-Tel." Dirk was holding his scanner over the magazine. "Tell me that's not DNA.""General Zero." Tina barely breathed the words. Could it be? Might they finally have some evidence that would help them track down their nemesis?"Nope," Fact-Tel said. "That's Appleton's spew.""What?" It almost felt like Tina's heart was breaking."Chesterfield Appleton," the A.I. continued, "Middleburg City Comptroller. The person whose office you're standing in. He's the one who ejaculated onto Miss February's mammary glands.""That makes no sense." Dirk dropped the magazine back onto the pile, while Tina surreptitiously rolled hers up and slipped it into her purse. "Why would Appleton hide for hours just to shoot himself?""I find no evidence of a firearm," Fact-Tel said. "No bullet casings or gunpowder residue.""The murderer was never behind the bookcase." Tina sighed. She knew it when she first saw the magazines, but she didn't want to believe it. Linking Zero to the murders was her top priority. The sooner she did it, the sooner she could put the criminal mastermind behind bars.Her feet felt heavy as she crossed the room to the fireplace, careful to step over the cadaver outlines. She ran her fingers over the intricate wood carvings in the mantelpiece. The winged cherubs holding satchels of money, seemed to mock her with their smiling faces."We're back where we started.""We know some things," Dirk said, his voice a little too perky. It was obvious he was trying to cheer her up. "We know Appleton was a horn dog with a rub cubby at work. We know he was doing the nasty with Snide.""Ugh, biologicals and your need to touch genitals," Fact-Tel muttered. "It's so gross.""It's too bad good old, smut aficionado Chesterfield didn't make his own pornos," Dirk said. "If he'd recorded schtupping Snide, then maybe he'd have recorded the murderer too."Tina looked up at the mirror over the fireplace. The whole room was visible behind her. There was Appletons's massive, wooden desk, the bay windows that looked out over City Hall Plaza, and over by the bookcase stood Dirk looking good in his tight pants and T-shirt. From this vantage point she could see everything."Maybe he did film it." Pointing her scanner at a section of the mirror, she turned it on and counted to 100. "Fact-Tel, what's on the other side of the mirror? Is there a camera or something?""I hate to tell you this," the A.I. responded, "but it's just a wall.""No!" In her frustration, Tina threw the scanner down onto the plush, red carpet, letting her purse drop to the floor with it. "Why does this case have to be so frustrating?" She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "Why can't it just solve itself?""Relax," Dirk said. "You're trying too hard." He walked up behind her and placed his large, strong hands on her shoulders. "When I think too hard, I get a headache and then I can't think at all." His fingers and thumbs started to work the stiff muscles of her neck and back, digging into the knots of tension. "If I stop thinking, if I let it all go, Well, by the time the headache goes away, you've figured it all out and I don't have to think any more."The touch of his fingers felt good. It did relax her. It also made her horny as hell.Her eyes popped open. "That's it. We'll make our own movie.""What?" Dirk's hands dropped to his side and he took a step backwards.Tina spun around to face him. "We're going to reenact the crime."He glanced down at the cadaver outlines taped on the rug and then back at her. "You mean, " He tugged at the collar of his T-shirt. "You mean, we're going to have sex?"Tina was excited. The little shadows her erect nipples cast on her blouse made that obvious. And Tina's excitement was infectious. It made parts of Dirk's body get erect too. But he couldn't have sex with her, not again.Not that he didn't want to, because he did. He couldn't spend a minute in her presence without fantasizing about lifting her skirt and pulling down her panties. He thought about bending her over the desk and taking her from behind. But the truth was, he didn't want to just have sex. He wanted to make love to her.He wanted to undress her slowly, surrounded by the warm glow of candlelight and soft jazz playing in the background. He wanted to lay her down on a bed scattered with rose petals and take his time kissing every inch of her gorgeous body. He wanted to sink into her slowly, moaning her name as she whimpered how much she loved him. They would become one, both body and soul. It would be so beautiful, they'd climax together with tears in their eyes.Dirk wanted to make a baby with Tina. He'd never had a pregnancy kink before, but the other night he'd rubbed one out while thinking about fertilization. It was freaking him the fuck out. If he was going to get past this, past his obsession with his work supervisor, he'd have to go cold turkey and not have sex with her ever again."We're going to have sex?" he asked."No." Tina smiled awkwardly. "Of course not. No."Dirk wasn't sure if he felt relief or disappointment. "But we're reenacting the murder."She nodded. "The moments that led up to the murder, yes.""And in the moments leading up to the murder," he said, his eyes dropping once more to the body outlines taped on the rug, "Appleton and Snide were having sex."Tina laughed nervously and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sure, but there's no need for us to actually, do, you know, that. Not this time.""You're not going to touch genitals?" Fact-Tel asked."No." She laughed louder. "We're just going to go through the motions.""Oh." Dirk definitely felt disappointed. "Like an old married couple.""Exactly." Tina gave him a friendly, little punch on the side of his arm. Then she patted him in the same spot, gently squeezing his biceps. A dreamy look flitted across her eyes and her lips curved into a half smile. "That's nice.""What?" Dirk wasn't sure what was going on."What?" She dropped her hand to her side and took a step back. "I'm sorry. What?""You're reenacting the murder," Fact-Tel reminded them."Of course we are. I'll be Sylvestra Snide." Tina walked to one of the cadaver outlines and carefully placed her feet on top of the outline's feet. "She was standing here with her panties around her ankles." Then she reached up her skirt and wiggled her hips until her underpants slipped down her legs.All Dirk could do for a moment or so was stare at the silky blue with yellow polka dots fabric resting on the tops of her boots. He had recently come to the conclusion that women's panties were like the cover to a really good book. He just wanted to open it and bury his nose in the tight prose inside. Tina's book, of course, he'd red before, but, as with all the classics, it was worth going back to again and again."You're Chesterfield Appleton," Tina said, her voice super cheery, much more cheery than the reenactment of a brutal crime called for. "He was standing there." She pointed to the other cadaver outline. "And he had his pants and underpants around his ankles.""Oh. Ok." Dirk took his place near her and unzipped his fly."You can leave your boxers on." Her eyes drifted down to his underwear. "Boxer briefs. Snug, black, boxer briefs. Those look good on you.""Thanks." He wasn't sure what else to say.She blinked a couple times, then looked up to meet his gaze. "Leave them on. No reason to take them off since we're probably just going to dry hump.""Oh." That didn't sound so bad. "Like Catholic high school students.""Exactly." She turned, so that her back was to Dirk. "This is the general area they were in when they were shot. When they fell, the force of the bullets probably knocked them back a few steps. So we have to figure out where they were at the moment right before they were shot.""The fireplace." Dirk, his jeans still around his ankles, shuffled forward a few paces. "They were probably watching themselves in the mirror.""Oh sure." Tina shuffled forward too and placed her hands on the mantelpiece, one hand resting on a cherub's face, the other on a bag of money. "Snide would have stood here.""And Appleton would have been here." Dirk took his place behind her and grabbed onto her hips, which were way lower than he had expected. "We do not line up. Not at all."He'd known Tina was short, that was obvious from the first time they met. He just hadn't realized how much shorter she was than him. Even with her high heels on, if they were actually going to have sex, he'd be fucking the small of her back.Had they never done it standing up before? He tried to think back to all the times they'd had to have sex for work. They must have done it standing up for at least one of them. When the safety of the general public was at stake, one didn't usually have the luxury of lying down. They had done it bent over a table like surface. Dirk must have been bending his knees more than he was aware of at the time.Oh wait. They had done it standing up, but face to face. He'd lifted Tina and she'd wrapped her legs around him before he nailed her to the wall. That was a good one, ve

Doing it Cold War style.By kittybeaver, in 5 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. It was difficult for Dirk to pretend he wasn't having sex. Tina's cunt felt so good. He wanted to close his eyes, shut out the rest of the universe, and just experience it."Adjust left," Fact-Tel said. "Left, you malfunctioning flesh machine, left."Dirk made the adjustment while Tina whimpered, "I love it, I love it."Behind them the banging grew louder. There was also the sound of an occasional laugh or a "Whoa, cool." Dirk had to bring Tina to orgasm before the Doopherilians broke into the control room."Now you're drifting down," Fact-Tel said. "Pull up on the interfaces just a tiny bit."Dirk tugged on the steering sticks with all the subtle nuance of a man fucking his hot coworker."Too much!" Fact-Tel cried. "You're wildly off course. Push down and try to do it right this time."Tina's breath came in short, shallow pants. Her ass undulated against Dirk at a faster and faster rate. "Oh baby, yes!"This was harder than Dirk ever thought it would be. He dug his teeth into his lower lip and resisted the urge to thrust. Instead he gently pushed on the steering sticks, which wasn't nearly as satisfying."I'm cumming," Tina moaned, "oh God, I'm cumming."At the same moment the Doopherinians broke through the door and the chair jamming it shut. Dirk could imagine what they saw; his arms stretched across the control panel, his bare ass hanging out, and Tina beneath him writhing with an uncontrolled fury."Stop them!" a silly alien voice shouted."Yes, yes, yes, I'm cumming!" Tina screamed. And then she did.Her back arched and her cunt squeezed his cock in a quick staccato rhythm. Dirk moaned. He was so desperate to cum too. He wouldn't be able to hold it much longer."That's the stuff," a Doopherilian said.Dirk glanced over his shoulder to see the little aliens fall like bowling pins when the orgasm hit them."Earth!" Tina said.He looked back at the view screen to see a blue dot growing bigger behind the yellow dot. They were almost home. He just had to hold it,"Fact-Tel, how much longer?""Two minutes before we hit Earth's atmosphere," the AI answered.Two minutes? Dirk couldn't hold it for another two minutes."Agent Blondell," Fact-Tel continued, "press the green button in the center of the console to initiate speed dampening thrusters. We need to slow the ship down.""Don't slow down," Dirk begged. "I need to cum.""You have to slow down," Fact-Tel said, "or this ship won't land as much as crater.""Pull out before you orgasm," Tina said. "I'm serious, do not ejaculate inside me or we'll have a whole other problem.""Must, sober, up." The Doopherilians were starting to stir. "Must, stop, human.""Oh no." Tina pushed her ass against Dirk, working herself up and down the length of his cock. "I have to orgasm again, but you can't," she said. "Got it?""No." Tears gathered in the corner of Dirk's eyes. His balls felt like they were going to explode."Get back on course!" Fact-Tel shouted. "You're going to hit the moon."How Dirk managed to steer around the moon, he couldn't say. All his concentration was now focused on not cumming. His face, he was sure, had to be a deep shade of red, his balls a bright blue. Every muscle in his body was straining to hold back the inevitable."When you enter the Earth's atmosphere, I'm going to count down from five," Fact-Tel explained. "When I say 'Hit it,' you'll have to pull up on the steering interfaces as hard as you can. You'll be fighting against the planet's gravity and it'll be a rough ride.""Mmmm, yeah." Tina rocked back and forth, working her way toward another orgasm. "That's what Mama likes.""Entering the atmosphere in three, two, "Fact-Tel was cut off abruptly and the whole ship jolted."Oh Fuck Yes!!" Tina screamed as another climax consumed her. The lucky bitch."Five," Fact-Tel started counting down, "Four, "There was no way the Doopherilians would recover from Tina's last orgasm, not before they were safely on Earth. There was no reason for Dirk to hold back any longer."Three, ""I'm going to do it," Dirk growled.Two, ""I'm going to cum.""One," Fact-Tel shouted. "Pull up! Pull up!""Pull out! Pull out!" Tina added.Dirk yanked back on the steering sticks, his cock slipping from Tina. When he shot his load it went airborne, over her head and landed in an arc across the view screen. It was a different kind of Milky Way.The ship hit water and bounced, skipping two or three more times before it came to rest with an impressive splash. Fortunately it stayed afloat. They were back home. Somewhat safe and sound."Fact-Tel." Tina rolled out from underneath Dirk, stood and pulled down her skirt. "Do you have our location?""Affirmative," the AI answered. "Sending rescue team now. Are the Doopherilians still a threat?"Dirk lay collapsed on top of the control panel. His heart pounded and he couldn't catch his breath. He didn't have the energy to pleasure Tina one more time. He almost hoped the Doopherilians would shoot him with their ray gun orbs. At least then he'd have an excuse to lie prone on the ground.He turned his head slightly to see Tina bending over one of the purple aliens. It, like the others, lay on the floor and stared up at nothing."They're no threat," he said. "They're still tripping.""No, they aren't." Tina looked grave. "They aren't breathing. I think they all overdosed.""What?" The jolt from the news gave Dirk enough energy to stand up. "They're dead?""Shit," Fact-Tel muttered as the ship gently bobbed up and down with the rolling waves. "That's a lot of forms I'll have to fill out.""Do you think the Doopherilian King will take this to the Universal Council of Supreme Beings?" Tina asked. "Are we in for another biblical flood?""Probably not," Fact-Tel said. "We'll most likely do what we did when something similar happened with the Martians."Dirk tucked his cock back into his jeans and zipped up his fly. "What was that?""We'll pay the Doopherilians off with opium," the AI explained. "I mean, that is what Earth is known for, best snack foods and narcotics in the galaxy."Dirk didn't mean to laugh, but the whole situation was so absurd he couldn't help it. He expected Tina to scold him for laughing at a tragic event, so it was a surprise to hear her light chuckles mix with his low belly laughs. Their eyes met across the room and the laughter grew between them.Tina got Dirk. She understood him in a way no woman had before. She got his sense of humor, his need to improve the world, his outlook on life. She was the human connection he didn't even know he'd been searching for. And he knew this moment of connection, of shared mirth, was a moment he'd remember for the rest of his life.But eventually, they both fell silent, stared at the death surrounding them and waited for the rescue boat to come.The breeze ruffled through Dirk's hair like the fingers of a lover. He smiled, enjoying the playful caresses along his scalp. He picked up his speed and the wind reciprocated. What had been flirting before was now full on foreplay.That was probably taking the metaphor too far. He was running really fast. It was kind of fun.Not long ago he'd been ashamed of his unique talents. That was when he'd made his living as a male model. The fashion industry prized men with tall, muscular bodies and facial features too bold to be feminine yet still very, very pretty. All of which Dirk Allen had. He also had the ability to run at near the speed of sound, pick up a car with one hand and hardly ever get tired. Those were not useful skills for a man whose job it was to stand still and look good, so he'd kept them hidden.That all changed when he changed his career. Now he was a secret agent in training. Tina, his partner as well as his mentor, said speed and strength and stamina were essential. The fact that he could run faster, lift more and stamina longer meant he had the makings of a legendary secret agent.It was possible, she had told him, that one day he'd be the second best agent in the SWSO. Tina Blondell was the best agent and she planned on keeping that position.At that moment, the position she was keeping was more of a fetal position. Dirk held her in his arms and tried his hardest not to grope her ass or her breasts. It would've been easier if he didn't have to think about where he couldn't touch her and just place his hands where they needed to be so that she wouldn't fall out of his arms.Not that Tina wasn't grope worthy, because she was. Her breasts filled a hand perfectly, with soft flesh to cushion one's fingers and pert nipples to poke one's palm. Her ass was round and bouncy and oh so wholesome. Dirk couldn't look at it without thinking about working the land.But it was inappropriate to think of her that way. They were coworkers and nothing more. Yes, he'd seen enough of Tina to know she wasn't a natural blonde, but that was work related. He had pleasured her orally and she'd given him a hand-job to save lives. For secret agents, the ends justified the means. They were prepared to do whatever it took, with whoever was handy, to protect the world. That's why, nowadays, Dirk made sure he had a condom on him. He'd feel awful if the world fell into the clutches of an evil despot simply because he was afraid of catching something.The jury was still out on whether General Zero was a global despot or simply a municipal annoyance. So much about Zero was a mystery, such as background, motive and preferred pronouns. It was impossible to predict what their next move would be. Tina and Dirk with the help of Fact-Tel, SWSO's mastermind computer, had managed to foil one plot, but Zero had escaped. It looked as though the villain had dodged justice, until now.In the wee hours of the morning, long before Dirk woke up (so like, around 9:30), Fact-Tel had intercepted a series of coded tweets. It'd taken the artificial intelligence nearly an hour to break the encryption but once it had, it presented Tina with the coordinates to Zero's hideout. Soon Dirk and Tina would capture Zero. The city of Middleburg would be safe once again.There was no doubt in Dirk's mind that he and Tina would succeed. How could they not? With his strength and speed and her intelligence they were unstoppable."Stop," Fact-Tel chirped in Dirk's ear. "You're going to run right past it."Dirk was still getting used to the earpiece that connected him to the A.I. at regional headquarters, but he did manage to slow down to a jog without stumbling."Fact-Tel," Tina said as she stirred in Dirk's arms. "Where are we exactly?" She was in the habit of shielding her face against his chest when he ran. The wind tended to dry out her contact lenses."This," Fact-Tel said with a touch of dramatic flair, "is the section of Middleburg known as Old Crap Town.""Of course." She slipped out of Dirk's grasp and looked around, taking in their surroundings. "I should've known by all the abandoned manure factories.""And the smell," Dirk added. "It smells like shit.""How close are we to the coordinates?" Tina asked."Turn left," the A.I. instructed, "about 20 degrees."Dirk put a hand on Tina's arm. "Let me do it," he said. "I'm a trained model. I know how to turn."It was perhaps the most perfect turn of his career. He pivoted on his heels in a smooth yet decisive manner. When he stopped he lifted his chin and struck a pose that showed off his body and, by extension, his clothes at a favorable angle. A tight, blue T-shirt and black jeans never looked so good."So the red, abandoned, poop factory?" Tina asked."Yeah," Fact-Tel confirmed. "The red one."Dirk followed his partner across the street to the massive and dilapidated building, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of a sniper in the windows or booby traps in the trash scattered along the sidewalk. He'd trained the past few months for just this sort of situation.When they got to the double doors of the red manure factory, Tina reached behind her and pulled her gun from her holster.She owned a lot of guns and a lot of holsters and she had a knack for coordinating them with her outfits. There was a thigh holster for skirts that fell just above the knee. Or there was the back holster for ensembles like the one she was wearing today, gray slacks and a white spaghetti strap tank top. On rare occasions, when she wore a micro mini, she'd tuck her gun into her thigh high boots. That was Dirk's favorite. There was something about that outfit that made him want to surrender to Tina and then defile her. Of course, those sorts of thoughts fell into the inappropriate category, so he never thought them."Draw your weapon, Agent Allen," Tina whispered.

It takes more than an, R; rating to save the world.By kittybeaver, in 5 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. Of course he was good looking. In fact, 'good looking' was an understatement. 6'4" and 240 lbs. of muscle clad in tight blue jeans and an equally tight red t-shirt, he was intimidatingly gorgeous. Dirk Allen made his living as a male model, so Tina had expected intimidatingly gorgeous. Good thing for her she wasn't easily intimidated.If he hadn't been her assignment, she would've entertained the thought of seducing him. Sometimes, when global safety was at stake, seduction was part of her assignment, so she had that skill set. Tina knew how to accidentally position herself in a man's line of vision and show her figure at the best angle. She could purposefully make the random eye contact that somehow led to the chance connection. She knew how to suggest he come back to her place in such a way that it was obvious she'd "never done this sort of thing before." And she knew how to ride a cock. She would have been more than happy to prove that to male model Dirk Allen.Tina could picture him sprawled naked on her living room floor. In that picture she was straddling him, impaling herself on his engorged manhood, rocking her hips to a rhythm that made him whimper. She could almost feel his silky, raven black hair as she fisted it and pulled him up into a sitting position, encouraging him to suck and bite her breasts. Oh God, her breasts ached for the touch of his full, pouty lips."Keep on mission, Agent Blondell," an authoritative voice chirped from the small communicator tucked behind Tina's ear."Stay out of my bio readings, Fact-Tel," she snapped.Generally it was helpful to have an artificial intelligence with access to every database in the world at Tina's beck and call. Usually it was a good thing Fact-Tel monitored her vital signs, making sure she hadn't been poisoned or wasn't bleeding internally. But at that moment, when Tina's nipples were so stiff they cast shadows on her silk blouse, Fact-Tel's omniscient omnipresence wasn't helpful or a good thing."This is why I don't like working with biologicals," Fact-Tel muttered. "You all get distracted by the mere thought of reproduction.""Target is heading west on Spruce," Tina said as Dirk Allen disappeared from view. "Possible destinations?""I don't know," Fact-Tel groaned. "There's like 80 coffee shops between here and 22nd Street. He's probably going to one of those.""You're a big help. Thanks." Tina casually slid around the corner onto Spruce Street, catching sight of her target almost immediately. With his broad shoulders and tight ass, he stood out in a crowd."He's not good breeding material," Fact-Tel warned her. "Sure he's got perfect DNA, but all my research indicates he's a mama's boy.""Not looking to breed," she said while she slipped through the lunch crowd lining up at a sidewalk hot-dog cart."Do you really want Delia Villa-Allen as your mother-in-law?" the AI asked. "She is kind of evil.""We haven't proved that yet," Tina reminded him. "And I'm not in the market for a mother-in-law, or husband, for that matter."Love wasn't a luxury she could afford. As the number one agent for the SWSO, Tina Blondell didn't have time for date nights or boyfriends. All her time was spent protecting the public from people like Delia Villa-Allen, CEO of Villa Pharmaceuticals. If reports could be trusted, Villa-Allen had developed the formula for Delectiovenenum and was planning to use it to enslave the human race.It was Tina's mission to infiltrate Villa Pharmaceuticals, find out if those reports were true and, if they were, stop the fiendish plot before it could be completed. She hoped hunky Dirk Allen was, in fact, a mama's boy. If he was the sort of son who diligently listened while his mother complained about her workday then perhaps he knew a thing or two about Villa Pharmaceuticals' alleged illegal experiments and maybe, just maybe, Tina could trick him into giving up those secrets and helping her save the world.For the last block and a half, Tina had stealthily followed Dirk. She noted his every move, never taking her eyes off of him. But she did have to blink and it was in that half second of blinking that she lost sight of him. One moment he was there, the next he wasn't."Fact-Tel," Tina gasped. "Where'd he go?""I, um, Ahh, " the AI stammered."Hack into the surveillance cameras on the neighboring buildings," she ordered. "There's got to be something. He was just here.""Maybe that alleyway," Fact-Tel suggested, but Tina could tell from the tone of his mechanical voice he had nothing.Sure enough, the ally was a dead end. There wasn't a single male underwear model hiding behind the dumpster. Tina sighed with frustration. If the human race was enslaved it would all be her fault, hers and her stupid, blinking eyes."Check architectural plans and recent building applications," she said, knowing it was hopeless, but she had to try. "Maybe there's a hidden door somewhere."At that moment a gust of wind stirred the back of Tina's skirt, almost lifting it past her hips. She spun around and found herself not two feet away from the elusive Dirk Allen. By God, he was even better looking up close, what with his pale green eyes and chiseled jaw."Did my mother send you?" he asked.Tina's face stayed deadly serious, but in her mind she smiled. She knew how to get the information she needed. It would be as easy as picking up a one night stand at a sports bar."She's worried about you, Dirk," Tina said, her eyes filling with concern. "We all are."Of course, the cute, little blonde worked for his mother. Dirk couldn't have been more disappointed.When he had noticed her following him three blocks back he'd hoped she was a fashion model groupie. He never actually had a groupie stalk him before, but he had heard stories and they all ended in filthy, unnatural, hate-yourself-in-the-morning sex.There were a few things he didn't particularly like about himself, things that definitely fell under the category of "unnatural." Heck, he was going to hate himself in the morning anyway. For the past few months it had been his constant mindset. If he was going to feel like shit, Dirk might as well get laid first.And the blonde was just his type, petite but with ample tits and ass. Dirk was a big guy and he had large hands. For him to get a satisfying handful there had to be a lot there to grab. This woman had a lot and he wanted to grab it all and squeeze.But, she worked for his mom. Squeezing was inappropriate.If she had been a groupie he would have grabbed her ample ass. He would've lifted her by her ass and let her wrap her legs around his hips. He'd lean her against the filthy alley wall, because that's how she liked it, filthy. Reaching up her skirt, he'd push her panties out of his way and sheath himself in her slick, hot cunt."Oh Dirk, Dirk," she would pant as he'd start to move inside her. "More, harder, "The more he'd give her the more she'd beg until his thrusts made her breasts bounce so hard the buttons would pop off her shiny, purple blouse. She'd scream his name one last time before she came, her inner muscles gripping his cock and forcing him to shoot his load.That's what probably would have happened if the blonde didn't work for his mother, but since she did she was going to do what his mother usually did; look at him like he was a big disappointment." and that's why she's worried about you," the cute, little blonde said. "You don't seem to be able to focus.""What?" Dirk asked. "I'm sorry. I wasn't listening.""She's concerned," she said, her voice taking on a bit of an edge, "that you may have inadvertently told someone about the Delectiovenenum.""Is that an STD?" Dirk shifted uncomfortably. "She knows I'm clean. She gets the blood and urine samples every week."Over the past month or so he'd begun to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with his relationship with his mother. Perhaps all scientists regularly collected and studied their children's blood and urine, or gave them vitamin injections, or made them sit under the "health" lamp so their skin could absorb all the "health" rays. It was possible all the things his mother did were the actions of a normal loving parent, but Dirk was beginning to think there was some connection to the mysterious abilities he had recently developed.Could it be that the health rays were the reason he could move so fast no one could see him? Maybe the vitamin injections were what made him so strong he could lift a car with one hand. Dirk felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach when he pondered whether or not his mother had performed experiments on him. Had she turned him into a monster, albeit an extremely attractive one?"You stopped listening to me again," the petite blonde said, her cute little nose twitching with annoyance. "Didn't you?""No," he said with feigned confidence. "Well, maybe a little. You were talking about detective something.""De-lec-ti-o-ven-en-um," she repeated slowly, enunciating every syllable. "It's the militarized airborne aphrodisiac Villa Pharmaceuticals was ordered not to develop.""Was I supposed to know about that?" Dirk asked. "Sometimes I forget to listen when people talk to me, so occasionally I don't know stuff I'm supposed to know."The woman sighed as if all hope was lost. "Either you're brilliant or unfathomably stupid.""Let's go with brilliant," he said, "because I'm not sure what unfathomably means.""I'll just have to figure something else out," she mumbled while she started to walk past Dirk."Wait a minute." He grabbed her arm as a stray thought rattled around in his head. "What is a militarized airborne aphrodisiac? Is it like a gas that makes people fall in love with the army?""Not exactly," she explained. "It's a chemical that, when inhaled, causes an uncontrollable need for sexual contact, a need that one would be compelled to satisfy immediately. If used as a weapon on a population, it could break the will of the people."Dirk shifted from one foot to the other. "Part of me thinks this Delective thing is wrong." He stopped to adjust the front of his pants. "If we were to get dosed right now, you and me, I'd be okay with it. It'd be awkward later, but I'm used to awkward." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "On the other hand, if it hit while I was home with my dog, well, that would be traumatic for both of us. This sex gas needs to be stopped."The blonde studied him for a moment. "You're not so dumb after all.""That's what brilliant means.""I haven't exactly been honest with you, Dirk," she said, "but I need your help so I'm going to tell you the complete truth." An angry squawking noise suddenly erupted from the woman's ear. "Shut up, Fact-Tel," she spat. "I'm doing this.""That's a little weird," Dirk said to himself.The woman held out her hand to him. "I'm Agent Tina Blondell with the SWSO.""SWSO?" he asked as he shook her hand. "South West Student Organists?""Secret World Security Organization," she corrected. "We're concerned your mother may use Delectiovenenum on the city of Middleburg. Now, I know you don't think your mother could do something--""No," he interrupted. "That's totally something my mom would do. She's very sneaky and controlling in a creepy kind of way."Tina grabbed his hand. "I need your help, Dirk. I have to get into Villa Pharmaceuticals' headquarters. You think you can get me in?"Technically Dirk was no longer allowed at Villa Pharmaceuticals. Growing up he used to go there all the time, but when he was a teenager he'd done something which the family referred to as "The Donkey Incident" and since then he'd been banned. But he wasn't going to let that stop him from helping what's-her-name save the world."Sure can." He scooped the tiny blonde up in his arms. "Let's go right now." And with that he started to run.Tina didn't scream. She would have liked to say it was her training that helped her keep her head, but really there hadn't been time for her brain to process what was going on and even less time for her mouth to scream. One moment she was in the alley, cradled in Dirk's strong and solid arms. There was a blast of wind and then quite suddenly she was still in Dirk's arms, but also halfway across town, in another alley next to the Villa Pharmaceuticals corporate headquarters."What just happened?" she asked as she rapidly blinked, trying to restore moisture to her eyes."Ah, " Dirk set her down on her unsteady feet. "I probably should've mentioned this before. I kind of can run really fast." He pried his fingers between a metal door and effortlessly ripped it off its hinges revealing a cement stairwell. "I'm also kind of strong. I think my mom's been experimenting on me.""Interesting." She stepped into the stairwell and peered up. It was an emergency exit and the stairs disappeared into the dark distance above. They most likely led straight to Delia Villa-Allen's penthouse office."Don't trust him," Fact-Tel whispered in her ear. "He's a mama's boy."Tina reached up her skirt and un-holstered the pistol strapped to her thigh. "If it came down to helping me save the world or helping your mother control it, which side would you pick?" she asked. "And Dirk, I need you to be honest with me.""I'll be completely honest." He held up a finger. "One, I don't remember your name and two," he held up another finger, "my relationship with my mother is complicated. Obviously, I love her. She is my mother. But I'm in my late twenties. I should have a say in whether or not I'm experimented on and given freakish superhuman powers.""That didn't answer my question." She slipped the safety off her gun. "And you can call me Tina.""I don't want her controlling me," he said. "I definitely don't want her controlling the world. I'll help you, Tina." He stopped for a moment to think and then added. "If you're going to kill her I may need to leave the room.""Fair enough." Tina motioned with her head. "Can you use your powers to get me up to her office?""No problem. I can run you up the steps." He swept her into his arms again. "Besides the strength and speed, I also have inhuman stamina." He moved toward the stairwell, but stopped to add, "I'm not trying to brag. I'm just stating a fact.""Duly noted." Tina patted his biceps straining against the soft, red fabric of his t-shirt. She pressed her face against his chest as a way to protect her eyes from the moisture stealing wind of his inhuman speed. There was the added benefit of surrounding her senses with his scent, an intoxicating concoction of musk and Old Spice. If things went according to plan and they were able to save the world, maybe later she'd test his stamina and find out all that Dirk Allen was capable of doing."Dirk, honey, what are you doing?"Tina looked up to see an attractive middle aged woman in an impeccable business suit sitting behind a large mahogany desk. Delia Villa-Allen. Even if Tina hadn't studied her case file, she would have recognized her from all the magazine covers and cable news show appearances.Delia casually, almost too casually, turned off the monitor on her computer and shifted some papers on her desk before standing up. "Is this your way of telling me you have a girlfriend?" she asked. "She's not good enough for you.""No," Dirk blurted out. "This is, this is, ah, " He looked at Tina, his lips curving into an equivalent of a question mark. "I've forgotten your name again.""Tina Blondell," she reminded him as she gracefully slipped from his arms. "Dr. Villa-Allen, I have some questions I'd like to ask you.""Yeah," Dirk said. "like why did you perform experiments on me? Why did you turn me into a freak?""That actually isn't one of my questions," Tina tried to say, but Delia talked right over her."I did no such thing." The older woman m

Piper speaks with Cathleen Driscoll about her rise in show jumping. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Cathleen Driscoll is an American 5* Grand Prix show jumper, who is currently ranked 81st on the FEI Longines ranking list. At 31 years old, she has represented the US as a Nations Cup team rider, and was the winner of the 2018 Emerging Athletes Program. After competing on the local circuit in the hunters and equitation in Maryland and spending years as a working student and groom, Cathleen now rides full time for Katie and Henri Prudent at Plain Bay Farm in Wellington, Florida and Middleburg, Virginia.Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Foxhall Equine, Show Strides Book Series, Good Boy, Eddie and Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation: Develop a Winning Style

Welcome to The Plaidchat- an extension of The Plaidcast where we expand upon conversations in our sport and discuss the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse Magazine. Today, Piper speaks with author and estate planning attorney, Andrea Sinner, who is featured in the February issue of the Plaid Horse Magazine. Online editor of The Plaid Horse, Marley Lien-Gonzalez, also joins to talk about what is new on www.theplaidhorse.com for January. Listen in and share with your friends!Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Andrea Sinner is the author of Newcomer to the Horse World: How to Do Right by Horses…and Not Be Taken for a Ride. She is also an estate planning attorney serving equestrians through her Florida law firm, Stable Legacies PLLC. Andrea began riding at age 30 while working in her previous career as a senior partner at the global consulting firm Accenture. She is based near Wellington, Florida, and Middleburg, Virginia. Guest: Marley Lien-Gonzalez is Blog Editor of The Plaid Horse and passionate equestrian college student studying Journalism. As a junior, she was a working student for a top-level training and sales barn and competed in the equitation and jumper rings. Since then, she's transitioned to freelance grooming but still rides frequently, and she enjoys traveling across the country to work at different horse shows.Read the December/January Issue of The Plaid Horse MagazineSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Taylor, Harris Insurance Services, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, Good Boy, Eddie and Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation: Develop a Winning Style

This week, Scott sat down with his Lawfare colleagues Anna Bower and Natalie Orpett and Lawfare Contributing Editor Michel Paradis to talk about the week's biggest national security news stories, including:“A Justice Delayed Still Has Justice on the Mind.” After weeks of waiting, New York state court judge Justice Juan Merchan has finally become the first judge to apply the Supreme Court's Trump v. United States immunity decision, holding that incoming President Donald Trump's convictions under New York state law may stand and did not unduly rely on conduct for which he is immune. How persuasive is his ruling? And what can it tell us about the future of both Donald Trump's criminal case and the Supreme Court's immunity holding?“A Break in the Case.” Tectonic shifts in Syrian politics over the past few weeks that has led, among other consequences, to the release of thousands of former prisoners, have brought back to the fore the case of Austin Tice, an American journalist who has been missing in Syria for more than a decade. Believed to have been held by the Assad regime before its collapse, some are concerned that he might have been injured or killed during Israeli airstrikes over the past several weeks. What does Tice's case tell us about the challenges of wrongful detention cases like his? And what should we make of allegations that the Biden administration is not doing enough to bring him back?“Gym, Tan, Low-flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.” The state of New Jersey has a new signature activity, as Americans and politicians of all stripes have been voicing concern over reports of mysterious drones of unknown origins operating in the state's skies. What might explain this phenomenon? And what should we make of the reactions around it? For object lessons, Anna recommended “Intermezzo,” by Sally Rooney as a read over the holiday. Natalie Orpett endorsed Washington, D.C.'s Eastern Market as a worthwhile visit for holiday shopping, and Scott doubled down with another local recommendation of Middleburg, VA, as a holiday wonderland not to be missed. And Michel wrapped things up with a final endorsement of Weike Wang's dryly comedic book “Rental House,” for those needing to commiserate over managing family relations over the holiday.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Scott sat down with his Lawfare colleagues Anna Bower and Natalie Orpett and Lawfare Contributing Editor Michel Paradis to talk about the week's biggest national security news stories, including:“A Justice Delayed Still Has Justice on the Mind.” After weeks of waiting, New York state court judge Justice Juan Merchan has finally become the first judge to apply the Supreme Court's Trump v. United States immunity decision, holding that incoming President Donald Trump's convictions under New York state law may stand and did not unduly rely on conduct for which he is immune. How persuasive is his ruling? And what can it tell us about the future of both Donald Trump's criminal case and the Supreme Court's immunity holding?“A Break in the Case.” Tectonic shifts in Syrian politics over the past few weeks that has led, among other consequences, to the release of thousands of former prisoners, have brought back to the fore the case of Austin Tice, an American journalist who has been missing in Syria for more than a decade. Believed to have been held by the Assad regime before its collapse, some are concerned that he might have been injured or killed during Israeli airstrikes over the past several weeks. What does Tice's case tell us about the challenges of wrongful detention cases like his? And what should we make of allegations that the Biden administration is not doing enough to bring him back?“Gym, Tan, Low-flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.” The state of New Jersey has a new signature activity, as Americans and politicians of all stripes have been voicing concern over reports of mysterious drones of unknown origins operating in the state's skies. What might explain this phenomenon? And what should we make of the reactions around it? For object lessons, Anna recommended “Intermezzo,” by Sally Rooney as a read over the holiday. Natalie Orpett endorsed Washington, D.C.'s Eastern Market as a worthwhile visit for holiday shopping, and Scott doubled down with another local recommendation of Middleburg, VA, as a holiday wonderland not to be missed. And Michel wrapped things up with a final endorsement of Weike Wang's dryly comedic book “Rental House,” for those needing to commiserate over managing family relations over the holiday.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me for a heartwarming conversation with watercolor artist Lydia of Lydia Marie Elizabeth as we dive into her artistic journey and explore how she captures the spirit of place, home, and belonging through her vibrant work. Lydia shares how she found her medium in watercolor and developed a style all her own—drawing inspiration from her favorite places and infusing each scene with hope and joy. As we step into November, the month when themes of home, warmth, and gratitude are front and center, Lydia's reflections offer a beautiful reminder of the power of place and art to ground and inpire us. Tune in to this episode to celebrate the beauty of art, memory, and home just in time for the season of thankfulness and gathering!RESOURCES:Follow along with Lydia on Instagram and on Pinterest.Shop her website. If you're specifically trying to peek at the calendars we discussed, you'll find those on this part of the site.Lydia opened up about a piece she painted during a hard season of life—you'll find it here.Heading to Middleburg this season? Be sure to visit Lydia at the November 9 Holiday Market at The Paradise Antiques and/or at the December 7 Middleburg Christmas Parade!

In this impromptu yet riveting episode of Practically Political, hosts Dave Spencer and Carrie Sheffield sit down with conservative legend and nationally syndicated columnist Cal Thomas in Middleburg, Virginia. Thomas offers candid insights into evangelical support for Trump, drawing fascinating parallels between Biblical figures and modern political leadership. The conversation evolves into a spirited debate about the potential risks of a second Trump term, the state of American democracy, and the future of the Republican party.The hosts and their distinguished guest tackle pressing issues including voter priorities, institutional guardrails, and the delicate balance between traditional conservative values and populist movements. Thomas brings his trademark wit and decades of political wisdom to discussions about Biden's presidency, Kamala Harris's leadership potential, and the changing landscape of American conservatism.Don't miss this thoughtful exploration of faith, politics, and the critical choices facing American voters, featuring three distinct conservative perspectives finding common ground while respectfully disagreeing on the path forward for the nation.Connect with Cal Thomas Subscribe to Practically Political on YouTube

Mark Johnson returns to wrap our coverage of the Middleburg Film Festival and to talk about changes to our Oscar predictions following festival screenings. Then, Megan previews her coverage of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we're most anticipating in the upcoming week. […] The post Podcast: Wrapping Middleburg, Previewing SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Impacts on Oscar appeared first on The Contending.

Mark Johnson makes his Contending at the Water Cooler podcast debut in a conversation with Joey and Clarence about the first two days of the Middleburg Film Festival. In conversation are Blitz, The Brutalist, The Piano Lesson, Memoir of a Snail, September 5, and Emilia Pérez. It's always a great time at Middleburg! Join us next […] The post Podcast: Reviewing Big Titles Out of Middleburg Film Festival's First Two Days appeared first on The Contending.

In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by 5* event rider Mia Farley. Mia Farley is a young event rider that has quickly risen to the top of the sport and is currently named to the US Developing Rider list. Mia grew up in San Clemente, California, and started riding at the age of 3 with the help of her mother, hunter/jumper trainer Rebecca Farley. After deciding to pursue eventing, Mia moved to Middleburg, Virginia in 2018 to train and work with event riders David and Karen O'Connor. Mia's career quickly took off, and she has since been very successful with her off-the-track Thoroughbred Phelps. The pair finished on the podium in the 4* at Morven Park in 2022 and finished fifth place at the Maryland 5* in 2023, where they were the only pair to have a double-clear cross-country round. Most recently, Mia and Phelps finished in the top fifteen at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three Day Event 5* and competed at the Defender Burghley 5*. In this episode, Mia discusses topics related to her career as a young event rider, including: • Learning to manage the pressure and emotions that come with high-performance competitions. • Her experience growing up in California and why she decided to move to the East Coast. • Her approach to recovering from a mistake on cross-country. • The challenges of fully committing to the sport at a young age. Join Mia and Sinead in this exciting conversation about competing at the top level.

Piper speaks with two legendary horse women, Laura Kraut and Katie Prudent about the new nonprofit program, Road to the Top. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Laura Kraut is a world-renowned showjumping grand prix rider and trainer. She is an Olympic and World Equestrian Games gold and silver medalist who was most recently went double clear to help Team USA win the Silver Medal at the Olympic Games in Paris, France. Laura's competition record is immense and she also runs a sales, training and coaching business based in England and Florida with her partner Nick Skelton. Guest: Katie Prudent is a Olympic team member, three time American Invitational winner, USET Whitney Stone Cup winner, and a member of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame. A trainer of countless international level horses, Katie has also trained accomplished riders such as Olympic gold medal winner Beezie Madden, Olympian Reed Kessler, Kim Prince, Elise Haas, and Alison Firestone Robitaille.  With husband Henri, she operates Plain Bay Farm in Wellington, Florida and Middleburg, Virginia. Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, LAURACEA, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard. Good Boy, Eddie, HITS Horse Shows and Great American Insurance Group

Wrapping Up the Case.By kittybeaver, in 5 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Tina was gone, if she had ever existed in the first place. Now there was only the Tinatron, just one of the many moving parts in the Harmony machine. The parts worked together in perfect balance, creating harmony for the world. There was no machine more important than the Harmony machine. When it failed to work, the world descended into chaos. It was an enormous machine, for an enormous job. The Tinatron was only a small part, but her task was vital.Connected to the rest of the Harmony machine via a piston, the Tinatron's job was to produce the actual harmony. The piston pumped in and out of her receiving pipe, making a high pitched whistle as it moved. Inside the Tinatron, little explosions powered her gears, turning them round and round.“Wheeeeeee.” The piston pumped into her.“Oog chuh, oog chuh.” The gears spun inside her. The harmony grew, building on itself, expanding. Only when it was ready, would the Tinatron release it to the world.“Wheeeeeee.”“Oog chuh, oog chuh.”The harmony vibrated, pulsing with each thrust from the piston.“Oo gchuh, oog chuh.”“Wheeeeee.”The dials on the Tinatron spun. Lights flashed. The piston picked up speed.“Wheeeee. Wheeeee. Wheeeee.”“Oog chuh, oog chuh, oog chuh, oog chuh.”The explosions were getting bigger, coming faster. The gears strained to keep up.When the big one hit, it shook the Tinatron, rattling the gears inside her. She felt the harmony rapidly expand, filling her support beams, before condensing. She opened her mouth and coughed it out, a small triangle the size and color of candy corn.Tina watched as the candy corn disappeared in front of her eyes, to be replaced by the dirty, yellow bed spread.Behind her, Dirk fell sideways, his head landing with a thud on a pillow.He looked awful, his skin pale, his hair damp with sweat. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath. Tina didn’t feel much better. The poison wasn’t only affecting their minds, it was taking a toll on their bodies as well.“Almost there,” Fact-Tel said. “Stay strong. This will be over soon.”“One way or another,” Dirk murmured.Tina crawled over to him and carefully lay down, stretching her body out next to his. Her joints ached from the effort. But that didn’t stop her from scooching closer to Dirk when he reached for her and laying her head on his shoulders.“Don’t fall asleep,” Fact-Tel said. “Stay awake. Please.”She tilted her head up so she could look Dirk in the eyes, his pale green eyes. She loved those eyes. “I’m sorry.”“What for?” He brushed an errant strand of hair off of her face.“You wouldn’t be in this situation,” she said, “if I hadn’t recruited you for the SWSO.”“What else was I going to do?” he said, his voice slow from exhaustion. “My career as a male model had hit a wall, my mother was conducting illegal experiments on me and I’m pretty sure my father was going to force me into an arranged marriage. This is better.”She touched his check with the tip of her finger; she wasn’t sure why. “Still, ”“Shush.” He smiled at her. Even sick and dying, his smile was so brilliant it could light up her heart. “This is better.”Tina wasn’t sure if she was the one to initiate the kiss or if Dirk had. It didn’t really matter. They both wanted it. They both needed it. In what looked to be the last moments of their lives, the last moments of their sanity, they comforted each other.This, she thought, as her tongue gently brushed his, this is the moment I’ll take to my grave. This is all I want to remember.She rolled onto her back and he followed her lead, moving with her and nestling himself between her thighs. Reaching down between them, she stroked him and guided him in.The moment they became one, everything made sense. The way he moved inside her, how he looked down at her with his pale green eyes. Dirk was everything to her. He was all she needed in her life.“I love you,” she said. If she was going to die, Tina wanted these to be her last words. “I love you, Dirk.”He smiled down at her. “And I love cunt heaven.”“Oh.” She turned her head to look at all the winged vaginas flying past. “Is that where we are?” One flew particularly close, hovering over the bedspread. “What are you up to, little lady?” Tina asked.It responded by jabbing her in the neck with a hypodermic needle.Tina wrapped her hands around her mug and let the heat from the coffee warm her fingers. Her head still ached with an antidote hangover but that hadn’t stopped her from getting to work on time, unlike Dirk.It wasn’t that she was mad at him for being late, just worried. His accreditation exam was in an hour. Was he going to make it in time? Had he been able to study the rest of the regulations handbook? Did he know about rule 96 yet?Part of her, the selfish part, hoped he hadn’t been able to get through the manual. It meant he’d fail the exam, but he could always take it again next year. They’d have that time together. Dirk would learn to be a better secret agent and Tina could introduce him slowly to Rule 96, explaining why it was necessary. He might not like it at first, but he’d come around eventually.At least that’s what she hoped, but her hopes were dashed ten minutes later when Dirk walked into SWSO headquarters and said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”Tina took a sip of her coffee and pretended she didn’t know what he was talking about. “Tell you what?” She was such a coward.“One of the rules. I can’t do it. I can’t follow it.” He walked to her desk and dropped the manual down in front of her.“Which one?” She could feel her heart sinking in her chest as she watched Dirk open the book and flip the pages to the back.“This one.” He pointed to a paragraph.Tina sighed with relief. Dirk didn’t have a problem with Rule 96. He was pointing to Rule 94. Everything was going to be alright.“Unless given special exemption, agents are required,” she read, “to put on clean underwear every morning.” She looked up at him. “At your age this should not be an issue.”“Wrong page. Sorry.” He turned the page and pointed straight at Rule 96. “We’re not allowed to feel love?”She swallowed and gripped her mug tightly between her hands. “That’s not true,” she said. “We’re allowed to feel love: love of country, love of duty and love of sacrifice.”“And you’re ok with that?” His eyes searched hers, as if he was trying to find the answer he wanted in her gaze. “You don’t need more?”Tina took a deep breath. Yes, she’d been struggling with her feelings for Dirk the past few weeks, but she had a duty to the SWSO and to the world. She wouldn’t let them down. She wouldn’t give in to her weakness.“It’s dangerous to feel more,” she explained. “If an enemy discovers you care more for one individual than everyone else is the whole world, they can use that against you.”“So, that’s it?” he asked. “What you said yesterday was a lie?”Tina felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. The memories of being under the influence of the neural toxin were vague and confusing. Except for one moment. When she closed her eyes, she could see it clearly. Dirk looking down at her while she spilled the secrets of her heart to him.“You were hallucinating yesterday,” she said. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”“Oh.” He looked away from her. “Ok.”“So we’re good?”“I guess.”“Good.” She smiled at him. “The exam starts in half an hour. Are you ready?”“No.” Dirk took the gun out from where he’d tucked it into the waistband of his jeans and laid it on her desk. Next he removed the communicator from behind his ear. “I’m not cut out to be a secret agent. I think what you do, what the SWSO does, is important, but it’s not right for me.”“Don’t jump to anything rash.” She stood up and reached for his hand, but he evaded her touch. “Take some time to think about it.”“No.” He rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth. “This is better, a clean break. I’m sorry.”There was nothing to say after that. He turned and walked out of the office.“Go after him,” Fact-Tel said. Its mechanical voice was tinged with urgency. “Get him back.”Tina laughed a sad, lonely laugh. “I thought you’d be happy to see him go.”“Normally, yeah, except news just came over the police radio,” the A.I. informed her. “Delia Villa-Allen escaped from prison.”“Oh no.” Tina rushed for the door. “Dirk’s in danger.”He was gone by the time she made it to the sidewalk. A stiff gust of wind was enough to tell her he’d used his inhuman speed to get away from her as fast as he could.Without thinking, she started to jog after him. She knew his address. If she needed to, she’d go to his apartment.Delia Villa-Allen hadn’t been happy her son helped put her in prison. And she probably knew more than anyone else about Dirk’s mysterious super powers. She might even know how to incapacitate him.Tina’s blood ran cold at the thought. She picked up her speed and turned down an alley for a short cut.What would win out, a mother’s love or a maniacal scientist’s thirst for revenge?She had to find Dirk and get him back to SWSO headquarters where he’d be safe.“Agent Blondell?” a voice called behind her.Tina stopped and reached for her gun, but it wasn’t there.She’d been so focused on catching up with Dirk, she’d left her gun in her desk drawer. She cursed under her breath, furious at herself for making such a rookie mistake. It didn’t matter. She was well trained in several forms of martial arts. Tina could defend herself.“Who’s asking?” She spun around to see a nondescript form.“Allow me to introduce myself,” the person said. “I’m General Zero.”The End.Dirk took a step back, wiped the sweat from his forehead and studied the engine again. He’d been working on the car all day, trying to fix the problem with the doohickey that fed into the whatchamacallit. It was clogged or cracked or maybe even clogracked. Whatever the problem was, he wasn’t going to give up. He’d fix that damn car if it took the rest of his life.“Dirk?” a tentative yet seductive voice called.He looked up to see Tina Blondell in the open doorway. She stood in the shadows, but the sun streamed in behind her, silhouetting her curvy body and turning her blonde hair into a golden halo. She walked forward a couple paces until the light of the overhead lamp illuminated her.Holy Gosh, but she was beautiful with her large, brown eyes and her pert, little nose. She wore cutoff jeans and a white, flimsy halter top. Her shorts were so short, not even a centimeter of thigh was covered. Her halter top was so flimsy, Dirk knew the exact location and size of her nipples.“I can’t let you leave the SWSO,” she said, her scarlet painted lips carefully forming each word. “Come back to me.”He wanted to kiss those perfect lips and nip at them with his teeth. He wanted to run his filthy hands over her pristine skin, squeezing her soft flesh and sinking his pinky into her bellybutton. But he stood his ground. He wouldn’t fall into Tina’s trap.“No,” he said. “Not on these terms. Not with Rule 96.”“Does this help?” She reached behind her neck and pulled the knot of her halter top loose. The garment fell away from her, leaving her large, gorgeous breasts exposed to the world.“Yes,” Dirk said. “That helps a lot. In any situation. Seriously, I can’t think of a single circumstance where this” - He gestured to her breasts. - “doesn’t make it better. But I’m not going to change my mind.”“I’m not above begging.” She moved closer to him, her hips swaying with each step. “I’ll get down on my knees if I have to.” And to prove her point, she dropped to her knees right in front of him.Dirk shook his head. “I’m sorry Tina, but that’s not going to work. You’re too short. You need something to kneel on.” He reached over with his leg and pulled the mechanic creeper out from under the car. “Try this.”“Thank you.” Still on her knees, she stepped onto the wheeled gurney. She placed her hands flat on Dirk’s thighs and slowly slid them up his legs until she reached the button on his jeans.“The Secret World Security Organization needs you,” she said as she pulled down the zipper on his fly. “You’re an asset to the secret agent community.” She pushed his pants down and lovingly stroked his throbbing cock. “The world is in danger without you.” Then she opened her mouth and took him in, inch by inch, sliding him across her velvet tongue and down her throat.Dirk closed his eyes and for a moment let himself experience nothing more than the warm, wet pleasure of Tina’s mouth.“There’s no agent better than you,” she said. “You’re the fastest, the strongest, the smartest. You tell the funniest jokes.”“How can you talk with my cock in your mouth?” Dirk opened his eyes to see Tina still enjoying him, happily sucking on his manhood.“The world will suffer if you aren’t there to protect it.” Tina said while she simultaneously deepthroated him.He ran his fingers through her silky hair. “This isn’t about the safety of the world or the SWSO,” he said. “Tell me the real reason.”She pulled away from him then and sat back on her heels. A string of spittle stretched from her mouth to the head of his cock.“No one fucks me like you do,” she confessed. An ocean breeze gently lifted her hair and brushed it against her shoulders. “There’s nothing in the world that feels as good as your big, hot, throbbing cock pounding inside me. Come back to the SWSO and fuck me all day and all night.”He took Tina by the shoulders and helped her to her feet. “That’s not a reason to go back to the SWSO. We can fuck here.” Then he shoved her down onto the bed.Her naked body was luminous against the red, satin sheets. She lifted her legs and spread them wide, inviting Dirk to ravish her. He accepted the invitation by stretching himself over her and planting his cock in her garden of good and evil.“Yes!” she screamed. Her back arched as she wrapped her legs around his middle. “Yes, Dirk, yes!”The waves crashed around the bed, spraying them with seafoam. Overhead, a gull cawed.Dirk thrust into her, losing himself in the warm sensation of her cunt. “No more lies,” he growled. “Tell me the real, real reason.”“I’ve told you the real, real reason,” she said before sinking her teeth into her lower lip.“No, you haven’t.” He captured both her wrists in one hand and pinned her arms above her head. “I will fuck the truth out of you if I have to.”Her eyes shut and she stretched her neck, writhing her body underneath him. “Do it,” she begged. “Do it.”And he did.He thrust deeper and harder, hitting her G spot again and again until her cunt muscles tightened around him.“Tell me the truth!” he demanded.“I love you!” she cried. “I love you in that romantic, soulmate kind of way, with flowers and unicorns. You’re my everything, Dirk Allen. Come back to me and complete me. I’ll take care of you and you’ll never have to do your own laundry again!”“I knew it.” He lowered his head until their lips met in a deep, soulful kiss. “When you said it to me the other day, that was real. Sure I was hallucinating, but not that part.”Tina, so deep in the throes of passion, was no longer able to form words. Instead, she let loose a shrill, rolling whimper.“You love me” Dirk continued, “and now we can be together, happy for the rest of our lives.”“Dude, you’re dreaming,” a cow said as it roller skated past. “Wake up and answer the phone.”And just like that Tina, the ocean and the silk sheets melted away. Dirk was in his own bed with only a ringing phone, regular cotton sheets, and a raging hard-on to keep him company.“Hello?” he mumbled into the phone. He didn’t really want to answer it, but it was the fastest way to stop the ringing.“Get to the office.” He recognized Fact-Tel’s voice, the supercomputer that worked as technical support on all of Tina and Dirk’s missions. “Get in here now.”“I quit,” Dirk said. He still wasn’t sure where he was or who he wasn’t fucking. “I don’t work for the SWSO anymore.”“And I don’t care,” Fact-Tel responded. “Go jump in the shower, rub out that boner and get to the office.”Dirk looked down at his erect member. “How did you know I have a boner?”“When you joined the SWSO, you were injected with bio monitoring nano devices,” the artificial intelligence explained. “Did you take that stuff out when you turned in your gun and communicator this morning? No, you didn’t. This is why you really need to go through the exit process when leaving a super-secret agency.”“Is that why I have to come into the office?” Dirk swung his feet over the side of the bed. “To have the nano things removed?”“No, numbskull.” For a being incapable of feeling emotions, Fact-Tel sounded really angry. “Your mother escaped from prison and Tina is missing.”Before he was even aware of it, Dirk was on his feet.His mother, Delia Villa-Allen, was an evil genius. It was her unethical experiments that had most likely given Dirk his mysterious, yet typical, super powers. She’d been on the verge of enslaving the city of Middleburg when he and Tina had stopped her and put her behind bars. If she was free then no one was safe, especially not Tina.“I’ll be right t

Doing it Cold War style.By kittybeaver, in 5 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.It was difficult for Dirk to pretend he wasn’t having sex. Tina’s cunt felt so good. He wanted to close his eyes, shut out the rest of the universe, and just experience it.“Adjust left,” Fact-Tel said. “Left, you malfunctioning flesh machine, left.”Dirk made the adjustment while Tina whimpered, “I love it, I love it.”Behind them the banging grew louder. There was also the sound of an occasional laugh or a “Whoa, cool.” Dirk had to bring Tina to orgasm before the Doopherilians broke into the control room.“Now you’re drifting down,” Fact-Tel said. “Pull up on the interfaces just a tiny bit.”Dirk tugged on the steering sticks with all the subtle nuance of a man fucking his hot coworker.“Too much!” Fact-Tel cried. “You’re wildly off course. Push down and try to do it right this time.”Tina’s breath came in short, shallow pants. Her ass undulated against Dirk at a faster and faster rate. “Oh baby, yes!”This was harder than Dirk ever thought it would be. He dug his teeth into his lower lip and resisted the urge to thrust. Instead he gently pushed on the steering sticks, which wasn’t nearly as satisfying.“I’m cumming,” Tina moaned, “oh God, I’m cumming.”At the same moment the Doopherinians broke through the door and the chair jamming it shut. Dirk could imagine what they saw; his arms stretched across the control panel, his bare ass hanging out, and Tina beneath him writhing with an uncontrolled fury.“Stop them!” a silly alien voice shouted.“Yes, yes, yes, I’m cumming!” Tina screamed. And then she did.Her back arched and her cunt squeezed his cock in a quick staccato rhythm. Dirk moaned. He was so desperate to cum too. He wouldn’t be able to hold it much longer.“That’s the stuff,” a Doopherilian said.Dirk glanced over his shoulder to see the little aliens fall like bowling pins when the orgasm hit them.“Earth!” Tina said.He looked back at the view screen to see a blue dot growing bigger behind the yellow dot. They were almost home. He just had to hold it,“Fact-Tel, how much longer?”“Two minutes before we hit Earth’s atmosphere,” the AI answered.Two minutes? Dirk couldn’t hold it for another two minutes.“Agent Blondell,” Fact-Tel continued, “press the green button in the center of the console to initiate speed dampening thrusters. We need to slow the ship down.”“Don’t slow down,” Dirk begged. “I need to cum.”“You have to slow down,” Fact-Tel said, “or this ship won’t land as much as crater.”“Pull out before you orgasm,” Tina said. “I’m serious, do not ejaculate inside me or we’ll have a whole other problem.”“Must, sober, up.” The Doopherilians were starting to stir. “Must, stop, human.”“Oh no.” Tina pushed her ass against Dirk, working herself up and down the length of his cock. “I have to orgasm again, but you can’t,” she said. “Got it?”“No.” Tears gathered in the corner of Dirk’s eyes. His balls felt like they were going to explode.“Get back on course!” Fact-Tel shouted. “You’re going to hit the moon.”How Dirk managed to steer around the moon, he couldn’t say. All his concentration was now focused on not cumming. His face, he was sure, had to be a deep shade of red, his balls a bright blue. Every muscle in his body was straining to hold back the inevitable.“When you enter the Earth’s atmosphere, I’m going to count down from five,” Fact-Tel explained. “When I say ‘Hit it,’ you’ll have to pull up on the steering interfaces as hard as you can. You’ll be fighting against the planet’s gravity and it’ll be a rough ride.”“Mmmm, yeah.” Tina rocked back and forth, working her way toward another orgasm. “That’s what Mama likes.”“Entering the atmosphere in three, two, ”Fact-Tel was cut off abruptly and the whole ship jolted.“Oh Fuck Yes!!” Tina screamed as another climax consumed her. The lucky bitch.“Five,” Fact-Tel started counting down, “Four, ”There was no way the Doopherilians would recover from Tina’s last orgasm, not before they were safely on Earth. There was no reason for Dirk to hold back any longer.“Three, ”“I’m going to do it,” Dirk growled.Two, “"I’m going to cum.”“One,” Fact-Tel shouted. “Pull up! Pull up!”“Pull out! Pull out!” Tina added.Dirk yanked back on the steering sticks, his cock slipping from Tina. When he shot his load it went airborne, over her head and landed in an arc across the view screen. It was a different kind of Milky Way.The ship hit water and bounced, skipping two or three more times before it came to rest with an impressive splash. Fortunately it stayed afloat. They were back home. Somewhat safe and sound.“Fact-Tel.” Tina rolled out from underneath Dirk, stood and pulled down her skirt. “Do you have our location?”“Affirmative,” the AI answered. “Sending rescue team now. Are the Doopherilians still a threat?”Dirk lay collapsed on top of the control panel. His heart pounded and he couldn’t catch his breath. He didn’t have the energy to pleasure Tina one more time. He almost hoped the Doopherilians would shoot him with their ray gun orbs. At least then he’d have an excuse to lie prone on the ground.He turned his head slightly to see Tina bending over one of the purple aliens. It, like the others, lay on the floor and stared up at nothing.“They’re no threat,” he said. “They’re still tripping.”“No, they aren’t.” Tina looked grave. “They aren’t breathing. I think they all overdosed.”“What?” The jolt from the news gave Dirk enough energy to stand up. “They’re dead?”“Shit,” Fact-Tel muttered as the ship gently bobbed up and down with the rolling waves. “That’s a lot of forms I’ll have to fill out.”“Do you think the Doopherilian King will take this to the Universal Council of Supreme Beings?” Tina asked. “Are we in for another biblical flood?”“Probably not,” Fact-Tel said. “We’ll most likely do what we did when something similar happened with the Martians.”Dirk tucked his cock back into his jeans and zipped up his fly. “What was that?”“We’ll pay the Doopherilians off with opium,” the AI explained. “I mean, that is what Earth is known for, best snack foods and narcotics in the galaxy.”Dirk didn’t mean to laugh, but the whole situation was so absurd he couldn’t help it. He expected Tina to scold him for laughing at a tragic event, so it was a surprise to hear her light chuckles mix with his low belly laughs. Their eyes met across the room and the laughter grew between them.Tina got Dirk. She understood him in a way no woman had before. She got his sense of humor, his need to improve the world, his outlook on life. She was the human connection he didn’t even know he’d been searching for. And he knew this moment of connection, of shared mirth, was a moment he’d remember for the rest of his life.But eventually, they both fell silent, stared at the death surrounding them and waited for the rescue boat to come.The breeze ruffled through Dirk’s hair like the fingers of a lover. He smiled, enjoying the playful caresses along his scalp. He picked up his speed and the wind reciprocated. What had been flirting before was now full on foreplay.That was probably taking the metaphor too far. He was running really fast. It was kind of fun.Not long ago he’d been ashamed of his unique talents. That was when he’d made his living as a male model. The fashion industry prized men with tall, muscular bodies and facial features too bold to be feminine yet still very, very pretty. All of which Dirk Allen had. He also had the ability to run at near the speed of sound, pick up a car with one hand and hardly ever get tired. Those were not useful skills for a man whose job it was to stand still and look good, so he’d kept them hidden.That all changed when he changed his career. Now he was a secret agent in training. Tina, his partner as well as his mentor, said speed and strength and stamina were essential. The fact that he could run faster, lift more and stamina longer meant he had the makings of a legendary secret agent.It was possible, she had told him, that one day he’d be the second best agent in the SWSO. Tina Blondell was the best agent and she planned on keeping that position.At that moment, the position she was keeping was more of a fetal position. Dirk held her in his arms and tried his hardest not to grope her ass or her breasts. It would’ve been easier if he didn’t have to think about where he couldn’t touch her and just place his hands where they needed to be so that she wouldn’t fall out of his arms.Not that Tina wasn’t grope worthy, because she was. Her breasts filled a hand perfectly, with soft flesh to cushion one’s fingers and pert nipples to poke one’s palm. Her ass was round and bouncy and oh so wholesome. Dirk couldn’t look at it without thinking about working the land.But it was inappropriate to think of her that way. They were coworkers and nothing more. Yes, he’d seen enough of Tina to know she wasn’t a natural blonde, but that was work related. He had pleasured her orally and she’d given him a hand-job to save lives. For secret agents, the ends justified the means. They were prepared to do whatever it took, with whoever was handy, to protect the world. That’s why, nowadays, Dirk made sure he had a condom on him. He’d feel awful if the world fell into the clutches of an evil despot simply because he was afraid of catching something.The jury was still out on whether General Zero was a global despot or simply a municipal annoyance. So much about Zero was a mystery, such as background, motive and preferred pronouns. It was impossible to predict what their next move would be. Tina and Dirk with the help of Fact-Tel, SWSO's mastermind computer, had managed to foil one plot, but Zero had escaped. It looked as though the villain had dodged justice, until now.In the wee hours of the morning, long before Dirk woke up (so like, around 9:30), Fact-Tel had intercepted a series of coded tweets. It’d taken the artificial intelligence nearly an hour to break the encryption but once it had, it presented Tina with the coordinates to Zero’s hideout. Soon Dirk and Tina would capture Zero. The city of Middleburg would be safe once again.There was no doubt in Dirk’s mind that he and Tina would succeed. How could they not? With his strength and speed and her intelligence they were unstoppable.“Stop,” Fact-Tel chirped in Dirk’s ear. “You’re going to run right past it.”Dirk was still getting used to the earpiece that connected him to the A.I. at regional headquarters, but he did manage to slow down to a jog without stumbling.“Fact-Tel,” Tina said as she stirred in Dirk’s arms. “Where are we exactly?” She was in the habit of shielding her face against his chest when he ran. The wind tended to dry out her contact lenses.“This,” Fact-Tel said with a touch of dramatic flair, “is the section of Middleburg known as Old Crap Town.”“Of course.” She slipped out of Dirk’s grasp and looked around, taking in their surroundings. “I should’ve known by all the abandoned manure factories.”“And the smell,” Dirk added. “It smells like shit.”“How close are we to the coordinates?” Tina asked.“Turn left,” the A.I. instructed, “about 20 degrees.”Dirk put a hand on Tina’s arm. “Let me do it,” he said. “I’m a trained model. I know how to turn.”It was perhaps the most perfect turn of his career. He pivoted on his heels in a smooth yet decisive manner. When he stopped he lifted his chin and struck a pose that showed off his body and, by extension, his clothes at a favorable angle. A tight, blue T-shirt and black jeans never looked so good.“So the red, abandoned, poop factory?” Tina asked.“Yeah,” Fact-Tel confirmed. “The red one.”Dirk followed his partner across the street to the massive and dilapidated building, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of a sniper in the windows or booby traps in the trash scattered along the sidewalk. He’d trained the past few months for just this sort of situation.When they got to the double doors of the red manure factory, Tina reached behind her and pulled her gun from her holster.She owned a lot of guns and a lot of holsters and she had a knack for coordinating them with her outfits. There was a thigh holster for skirts that fell just above the knee. Or there was the back holster for ensembles like the one she was wearing today, gray slacks and a white spaghetti strap tank top. On rare occasions, when she wore a micro mini, she’d tuck her gun into her thigh high boots. That was Dirk’s favorite. There was something about that outfit that made him want to surrender to Tina and then defile her. Of course, those sorts of thoughts fell into the inappropriate category, so he never thought them.“Draw your weapon, Agent Allen,” Tina whispered.“What?” He patted his pockets. “Oh. I forgot it.”“It’s protocol. Our lives could be at stake.”“Sorry,” he said. “I guess I don’t feel the need for a gun.” He shrugged. “I’m comfortable with the size of my cock.”“We follow protocol regardless of the insecurities we may or may not have,” she reminded him. He could tell she struggled to keep her tone gentle and encouraging. “If you were invulnerable or could shoot heat rays out of your eyes then a gun might not be necessary, but you can’t and your big cock isn’t going to save you today.”“You’re right.” Feeling the full weight of Tina’s words, Dirk looked down at his feet, which were partially obscured by the bulge in his jeans. He’d never be the Secret World Security Organization’s second best agent if he kept forgetting protocol. He wouldn’t even be the maverick agent who got put on suspension but was ultimately right. Those guys broke the rules because the rules needed breaking. Dirk broke the rules because he was absent minded.“Everything’s a learning experience,” Tina said, “and it’s about to be a learning experience for General Zero.” She nodded toward the door. “I’ll go in first. You cover me. Shout or something if anyone’s about to attack.”“I can do that.” Dirk took up position next to the door. “I can shout.”He watched as Tina cautiously pushed open the front door to the abandoned factory. Beams of sunlight streamed in through the broken windows, but for the most part it was dark inside. Dirk peered up and around, his eyes in constant motion, on lookout for any sudden movements.Tina moved quickly, ducking inside and finding cover behind a large piece of dusty machinery. She took a moment, cocking her head to listen, then she motioned for Dirk to follow her.Stepping inside what was possibly the enemy’s headquarters, Dirk was acutely aware of his own vulnerabilities. There were so many ways General Zero could take him down. He forgot his weapon. Zero could make wicked fun of that. What if they knew he cried during holiday movies? The ribbing would be ruthless. And if anyone ever found that contraption in the bottom drawer of his dresser,Images of junior high school flashed through Dirk’s mind. He couldn’t live through that again. He just couldn’t.By the time he joined Tina behind the machine, he was sticky with nervous sweat.“You alright, Agent Allen?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Dirk nodded and wiped his brow on his arm. “It’s the mind games that get you. Zero’s a master at them.”“Take a couple deep breaths,” she said. “In through your nose and out through your mouth. It’ll help calm you.”He made a face as though he’d just tasted something bitter. “I don’t want to breathe through my nose. This is an old turd factory.”“Do it,” she ordered. “Overload those olfactory glands. After a couple minutes it won’t stink so bad.”Tina was his mentor. She’d dealt with situations like this for years. It would be dumb not to follow her instructions.He inhaled deeply and grimaced, feeling the stink from the factory brush the back of his tongue as it made its way to his lungs. A career as a secret agent wasn’t nearly as glamorous as he’d been led to believe. All those spy movies were filled with lies.“Fact-Tel.” Tina touched her finger to her ear. “How far are we from the coordinates?”“Approximately 20.03 meters,” the A.I. replied; its mechanical voice was edged with static.“Change frequencies,” she suggested. “There seems to be interference.”“You don’t have to tell me how to do my job,” Fact-Tel muttered, making it even more difficult to understand. “If any of the three of us is an expert on frequencies and signals, it’s me.”Dirk ignored them. For a computer programmed not to have emotions, Fact-Tel could be moody. It was better to let Tina deal with it. In the meantime, Dirk kept watch over the cavernous room. His eyes had grown accustomed to the dim light and he could pick out details he hadn’t noticed before.“What’s that brown stain?” he asked, motioning to something that appeared to have leaked from the machine onto the floor.Tina gave it a quick look over. “It’s rust, probably. Don’t touch it.” She took a half step away from it. “Fact-Tel have you pulled up the blueprints for this building yet?”“Of, I have, ” The super computer’s voice grew more and more garbled. “, a stairwell, left. The coordinates, underground.”Dirk and Tina peered over the filthy, rusted machine. Sure enough there was a stairwell on the left side of the room.“Same procedure as before,” Tina whispered.

In this episode of "This Week in Barbecue," we recap the Family Reunion event in Middleburg, VA, from sunrise cooks to DJ DNice, and the Ilani BBQ Fest, where Rasheed smoked pork butts for curry pulled pork egg-rolls and witnessed Evan sweep the competition. We also share Rasheed's dining experience at the acclaimed Kann Restaurant in Portland and his excitement over buying his first pair of Jordans. In food news, we cover the Boar's Head meat recall due to unsafe factory conditions, the concern over added color in store-bought meats, and the reclassification of Mexican cows as American. Upcoming events like Grill and Chill Fest, Holysmoke, and Smokeslam BBQ Festival are highlighted, along with Rasheed's one-night BBQ takeover in Atlanta. Finally, in BBQ community news, we celebrate Cookingwidkunchi's new book "Wrangling Fire," the progress of King Meats & BBQ Supply Shop, and the top 10 United States of Texas BBQ rankings.

It takes more than an, R; rating to save the world.By kittybeaver, in 5 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Of course he was good looking. In fact, ‘good looking’ was an understatement. 6'4" and 240 lbs. of muscle clad in tight blue jeans and an equally tight red t-shirt, he was intimidatingly gorgeous. Dirk Allen made his living as a male model, so Tina had expected intimidatingly gorgeous. Good thing for her she wasn’t easily intimidated.If he hadn’t been her assignment, she would’ve entertained the thought of seducing him. Sometimes, when global safety was at stake, seduction was part of her assignment, so she had that skill set. Tina knew how to accidentally position herself in a man’s line of vision and show her figure at the best angle. She could purposefully make the random eye contact that somehow led to the chance connection. She knew how to suggest he come back to her place in such a way that it was obvious she’d “never done this sort of thing before.” And she knew how to ride a cock. She would have been more than happy to prove that to male model Dirk Allen.Tina could picture him sprawled naked on her living room floor. In that picture she was straddling him, impaling herself on his engorged manhood, rocking her hips to a rhythm that made him whimper. She could almost feel his silky, raven black hair as she fisted it and pulled him up into a sitting position, encouraging him to suck and bite her breasts. Oh God, her breasts ached for the touch of his full, pouty lips.“Keep on mission, Agent Blondell,” an authoritative voice chirped from the small communicator tucked behind Tina’s ear.“Stay out of my bio readings, Fact-Tel,” she snapped.Generally it was helpful to have an artificial intelligence with access to every database in the world at Tina’s beck and call. Usually it was a good thing Fact-Tel monitored her vital signs, making sure she hadn’t been poisoned or wasn’t bleeding internally. But at that moment, when Tina’s nipples were so stiff they cast shadows on her silk blouse, Fact-Tel’s omniscient omnipresence wasn’t helpful or a good thing.“This is why I don’t like working with biologicals,” Fact-Tel muttered. “You all get distracted by the mere thought of reproduction.”“Target is heading west on Spruce,” Tina said as Dirk Allen disappeared from view. “Possible destinations?”“I don’t know,” Fact-Tel groaned. “There’s like 80 coffee shops between here and 22nd Street. He’s probably going to one of those.”“You’re a big help. Thanks.” Tina casually slid around the corner onto Spruce Street, catching sight of her target almost immediately. With his broad shoulders and tight ass, he stood out in a crowd.“He’s not good breeding material,” Fact-Tel warned her. “Sure he’s got perfect DNA, but all my research indicates he’s a mama’s boy.”“Not looking to breed,” she said while she slipped through the lunch crowd lining up at a sidewalk hot-dog cart.“Do you really want Delia Villa-Allen as your mother-in-law?” the AI asked. “She is kind of evil.”“We haven’t proved that yet,” Tina reminded him. “And I’m not in the market for a mother-in-law, or husband, for that matter.”Love wasn’t a luxury she could afford. As the number one agent for the SWSO, Tina Blondell didn’t have time for date nights or boyfriends. All her time was spent protecting the public from people like Delia Villa-Allen, CEO of Villa Pharmaceuticals. If reports could be trusted, Villa-Allen had developed the formula for Delectiovenenum and was planning to use it to enslave the human race.It was Tina’s mission to infiltrate Villa Pharmaceuticals, find out if those reports were true and, if they were, stop the fiendish plot before it could be completed. She hoped hunky Dirk Allen was, in fact, a mama’s boy. If he was the sort of son who diligently listened while his mother complained about her workday then perhaps he knew a thing or two about Villa Pharmaceuticals’ alleged illegal experiments and maybe, just maybe, Tina could trick him into giving up those secrets and helping her save the world.For the last block and a half, Tina had stealthily followed Dirk. She noted his every move, never taking her eyes off of him. But she did have to blink and it was in that half second of blinking that she lost sight of him. One moment he was there, the next he wasn’t.“Fact-Tel,” Tina gasped. “Where’d he go?”“I, um, Ahh, ” the AI stammered.“Hack into the surveillance cameras on the neighboring buildings,” she ordered. “There’s got to be something. He was just here.”“Maybe that alleyway,” Fact-Tel suggested, but Tina could tell from the tone of his mechanical voice he had nothing.Sure enough, the ally was a dead end. There wasn’t a single male underwear model hiding behind the dumpster. Tina sighed with frustration. If the human race was enslaved it would all be her fault, hers and her stupid, blinking eyes.“Check architectural plans and recent building applications,” she said, knowing it was hopeless, but she had to try. “Maybe there’s a hidden door somewhere.”At that moment a gust of wind stirred the back of Tina’s skirt, almost lifting it past her hips. She spun around and found herself not two feet away from the elusive Dirk Allen. By God, he was even better looking up close, what with his pale green eyes and chiseled jaw.“Did my mother send you?” he asked.Tina’s face stayed deadly serious, but in her mind she smiled. She knew how to get the information she needed. It would be as easy as picking up a one night stand at a sports bar.“She’s worried about you, Dirk,” Tina said, her eyes filling with concern. “We all are.”Of course, the cute, little blonde worked for his mother. Dirk couldn’t have been more disappointed.When he had noticed her following him three blocks back he’d hoped she was a fashion model groupie. He never actually had a groupie stalk him before, but he had heard stories and they all ended in filthy, unnatural, hate-yourself-in-the-morning sex.There were a few things he didn’t particularly like about himself, things that definitely fell under the category of “unnatural.” Heck, he was going to hate himself in the morning anyway. For the past few months it had been his constant mindset. If he was going to feel like shit, Dirk might as well get laid first.And the blonde was just his type, petite but with ample tits and ass. Dirk was a big guy and he had large hands. For him to get a satisfying handful there had to be a lot there to grab. This woman had a lot and he wanted to grab it all and squeeze.But, she worked for his mom. Squeezing was inappropriate.If she had been a groupie he would have grabbed her ample ass. He would’ve lifted her by her ass and let her wrap her legs around his hips. He’d lean her against the filthy alley wall, because that’s how she liked it, filthy. Reaching up her skirt, he’d push her panties out of his way and sheath himself in her slick, hot cunt.“Oh Dirk, Dirk,” she would pant as he’d start to move inside her. “More, harder, ”The more he’d give her the more she’d beg until his thrusts made her breasts bounce so hard the buttons would pop off her shiny, purple blouse. She’d scream his name one last time before she came, her inner muscles gripping his cock and forcing him to shoot his load.That’s what probably would have happened if the blonde didn’t work for his mother, but since she did she was going to do what his mother usually did; look at him like he was a big disappointment.“ and that’s why she’s worried about you,” the cute, little blonde said. “You don’t seem to be able to focus.”“What?” Dirk asked. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t listening.”“She’s concerned,” she said, her voice taking on a bit of an edge, “that you may have inadvertently told someone about the Delectiovenenum.”“Is that an STD?” Dirk shifted uncomfortably. “She knows I’m clean. She gets the blood and urine samples every week.”Over the past month or so he’d begun to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with his relationship with his mother. Perhaps all scientists regularly collected and studied their children’s blood and urine, or gave them vitamin injections, or made them sit under the “health” lamp so their skin could absorb all the “health” rays. It was possible all the things his mother did were the actions of a normal loving parent, but Dirk was beginning to think there was some connection to the mysterious abilities he had recently developed.Could it be that the health rays were the reason he could move so fast no one could see him? Maybe the vitamin injections were what made him so strong he could lift a car with one hand. Dirk felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach when he pondered whether or not his mother had performed experiments on him. Had she turned him into a monster, albeit an extremely attractive one?“You stopped listening to me again,” the petite blonde said, her cute little nose twitching with annoyance. “Didn’t you?”“No,” he said with feigned confidence. “Well, maybe a little. You were talking about detective something.”“De-lec-ti-o-ven-en-um,” she repeated slowly, enunciating every syllable. “It’s the militarized airborne aphrodisiac Villa Pharmaceuticals was ordered not to develop.”“Was I supposed to know about that?” Dirk asked. “Sometimes I forget to listen when people talk to me, so occasionally I don’t know stuff I’m supposed to know.”The woman sighed as if all hope was lost. “Either you’re brilliant or unfathomably stupid.”“Let’s go with brilliant,” he said, “because I’m not sure what unfathomably means.”“I’ll just have to figure something else out,” she mumbled while she started to walk past Dirk.“Wait a minute.” He grabbed her arm as a stray thought rattled around in his head. “What is a militarized airborne aphrodisiac? Is it like a gas that makes people fall in love with the army?”“Not exactly,” she explained. “It’s a chemical that, when inhaled, causes an uncontrollable need for sexual contact, a need that one would be compelled to satisfy immediately. If used as a weapon on a population, it could break the will of the people.”Dirk shifted from one foot to the other. “Part of me thinks this Delective thing is wrong.” He stopped to adjust the front of his pants. “If we were to get dosed right now, you and me, I’d be okay with it. It’d be awkward later, but I’m used to awkward.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “On the other hand, if it hit while I was home with my dog, well, that would be traumatic for both of us. This sex gas needs to be stopped.”The blonde studied him for a moment. “You’re not so dumb after all.”“That’s what brilliant means.”“I haven’t exactly been honest with you, Dirk,” she said, “but I need your help so I’m going to tell you the complete truth.” An angry squawking noise suddenly erupted from the woman’s ear. “Shut up, Fact-Tel,” she spat. “I’m doing this.”“That’s a little weird,” Dirk said to himself.The woman held out her hand to him. “I’m Agent Tina Blondell with the SWSO.”“SWSO?” he asked as he shook her hand. “South West Student Organists?”“Secret World Security Organization,” she corrected. “We’re concerned your mother may use Delectiovenenum on the city of Middleburg. Now, I know you don’t think your mother could do something–”“No,” he interrupted. “That’s totally something my mom would do. She’s very sneaky and controlling in a creepy kind of way.”Tina grabbed his hand. “I need your help, Dirk. I have to get into Villa Pharmaceuticals’ headquarters. You think you can get me in?”Technically Dirk was no longer allowed at Villa Pharmaceuticals. Growing up he used to go there all the time, but when he was a teenager he’d done something which the family referred to as “The Donkey Incident” and since then he’d been banned. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him from helping what’s-her-name save the world.“Sure can.” He scooped the tiny blonde up in his arms. “Let’s go right now.” And with that he started to run.Tina didn’t scream. She would have liked to say it was her training that helped her keep her head, but really there hadn’t been time for her brain to process what was going on and even less time for her mouth to scream. One moment she was in the alley, cradled in Dirk’s strong and solid arms. There was a blast of wind and then quite suddenly she was still in Dirk’s arms, but also halfway across town, in another alley next to the Villa Pharmaceuticals corporate headquarters.“What just happened?” she asked as she rapidly blinked, trying to restore moisture to her eyes.“Ah, ” Dirk set her down on her unsteady feet. “I probably should’ve mentioned this before. I kind of can run really fast.” He pried his fingers between a metal door and effortlessly ripped it off its hinges revealing a cement stairwell. “I’m also kind of strong. I think my mom’s been experimenting on me.”“Interesting.” She stepped into the stairwell and peered up. It was an emergency exit and the stairs disappeared into the dark distance above. They most likely led straight to Delia Villa-Allen’s penthouse office.“Don’t trust him,” Fact-Tel whispered in her ear. “He’s a mama’s boy.”Tina reached up her skirt and un-holstered the pistol strapped to her thigh. “If it came down to helping me save the world or helping your mother control it, which side would you pick?” she asked. “And Dirk, I need you to be honest with me.”“I’ll be completely honest.” He held up a finger. “One, I don’t remember your name and two,” he held up another finger, “my relationship with my mother is complicated. Obviously, I love her. She is my mother. But I’m in my late twenties. I should have a say in whether or not I’m experimented on and given freakish superhuman powers.”“That didn’t answer my question.” She slipped the safety off her gun. “And you can call me Tina.”“I don’t want her controlling me,” he said. “I definitely don’t want her controlling the world. I’ll help you, Tina.” He stopped for a moment to think and then added. “If you’re going to kill her I may need to leave the room.”“Fair enough.” Tina motioned with her head. “Can you use your powers to get me up to her office?”“No problem. I can run you up the steps.” He swept her into his arms again. “Besides the strength and speed, I also have inhuman stamina.” He moved toward the stairwell, but stopped to add, “I’m not trying to brag. I’m just stating a fact.”“Duly noted.” Tina patted his biceps straining against the soft, red fabric of his t-shirt. She pressed her face against his chest as a way to protect her eyes from the moisture stealing wind of his inhuman speed. There was the added benefit of surrounding her senses with his scent, an intoxicating concoction of musk and Old Spice. If things went according to plan and they were able to save the world, maybe later she’d test his stamina and find out all that Dirk Allen was capable of doing.“Dirk, honey, what are you doing?”Tina looked up to see an attractive middle aged woman in an impeccable business suit sitting behind a large mahogany desk. Delia Villa-Allen. Even if Tina hadn’t studied her case file, she would have recognized her from all the magazine covers and cable news show appearances.Delia casually, almost too casually, turned off the monitor on her computer and shifted some papers on her desk before standing up. “Is this your way of telling me you have a girlfriend?” she asked. “She’s not good enough for you.”“No,” Dirk blurted out. “This is, this is, ah, ” He looked at Tina, his lips curving into an equivalent of a question mark. “I’ve forgotten your name again.”“Tina Blondell,” she reminded him as she gracefully slipped from his arms. “Dr. Villa-Allen, I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”“Yeah,” Dirk said. “like why did you perform experiments on me? Why did you turn me into a freak?”“That actually isn’t one of my questions,” Tina tried to say, but Delia talked right over her.“I did no such thing.” The older woman moved around the desk. Her every step was filled with an old world elegance. “I was merely studying you, trying to uncover the origins of these extraordinary abilities you’ve manifested.”“Do you expect me to believe that?” Dirk’s hands curled into fists. “Do you really expect me to understand all the big words you just said? Do you?”“If I could redirect the conversation,” Tina spoke in a purposefully calming tone, “there is the issue of a highly potent gas.”“It’s always the mother’s fault, isn’t it?” Delia’s voice rose in volume to match her son’s. “Of course you suspect me when this is exactly the sort of thing your father would do.”“Don’t bring Dad into this!” Dirk yelled. “He isn’t the one who made me eat Brussels sprouts!”Tina sighed with resigned frustration. This wasn’t going to end anytime soon and she hadn’t worn comfortable shoes. No one noticed as she slipped behind Dr. Villa-Allen’s desk and sunk down into her stylish, ergonomic chair.“I will not apologize for being the responsible parent,” Delia snapped. “Do you truly think your father loved you more simply because he let you stay up late and taught you demonic incantations?”Tina absentmindedly balanced a pen on the back of her finger and yawned.“No,” Dirk said. “I think he loved me more because he didn’t change me into a monster.&rdquo

Last time we spoke about invasion of Guam and Tinian. Japanese forces, led by General Obata on Guam and Colonel Ogata on Tinian, prepared defenses with trenches, pillboxes, and artillery. The Americans bombarded these defenses extensively. Despite resistance, they successfully landed on Guam and Tinian, securing beachheads. Intense fighting ensued, with Marines facing heavy casualties. Despite Japanese counterattacks, American forces gradually expanded their footholds, leading to the eventual containment of the Japanese on Orote Peninsula. The Japanese launched a fierce assault against Marine positions on Guam, engaging in close combat with heavy casualties on both sides. Despite initial success, the Japanese offensive was repelled by intense artillery and machine-gun fire, leaving the remaining enemy forces to defend Orote Peninsula. On Tinian, after extensive naval bombardment, Marines landed successfully, repelling Japanese counterattacks and establishing a beachhead. Despite heavy Japanese casualties, the Marines suffered relatively few losses, ultimately breaking the enemy's resistance. This episode is the Battle of Sansapor Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Following the successful capture of Noemfoor and Biak, the Allies possessed ample air and supply bases to advance to the Vogelkop Peninsula, fulfilling General MacArthur's aim of establishing a vital airbase supporting further operations northwestward, potentially towards Mindanao or via Halmahera. Initially considering Manokwari as a non-critical objective, MacArthur's plan centered on seizing Sorong and Waigeo Island for crucial supply and air bases in New Guinea. However, the rapid pace of Pacific theater operations raised doubts about the feasibility of bringing the Klamono oilfields into production before the war's end, prompting the cancellation of exploitation plans by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  The Joint Chiefs assumed responsibility for the direction and coordination of oil rehabilitation projects in the Dutch East Indies and undertook necessary liaison with British and Dutch agencies. By mid-February 1943 they had decided that military units would at least start all oil rehabilitation and exploitation projects in the Indies, although the final development of the oil resources might be left to civilian agencies. MacArthur was instructed to plan the location and timing details of oil rehabilitation projects in the Indies, and, subject to the Joint Chiefs' approval, execute those plans. At the same time, the Joint Chiefs directed that the organization of special military petroleum production and refining units begin. The requisite troops, most of them US Army engineers and many especially recruited from civilian pursuits, soon began to assemble and train in California. Orders were also placed with manufacturers for the special production and refining equipment, which was sent to California as it was obtained. While these steps were being taken to coordinate oil rehabilitation projects, it had become obvious that in accordance with MacArthur's plans the first significant oil producing region that could be recaptured in the Netherlands East Indies would be the Klamono district on the Vogelkop Peninsula. The Klamono oil was especially valuable in that it could be used as fuel for naval vessels without refining beyond a little "topping" to remove excess naphtha. With limited effort, the wells could be expected to bring in some 16000 barrels of crude oil per day; with additional development, about 25000 barrels. Such production would presumably save the Allies considerable shipping space and time, for, instead of the long haul from United States ports, navy bunker fuel could be produced and topped as necessary much nearer to the scene of combat. With the oilfields no longer a priority and aerial surveys indicating unsuitable conditions for airstrips on Waigeo, MacArthur opted for ground reconnaissance of the Mar-Sansapor area. This exploration revealed promising landing beaches and potential airfield sites, albeit requiring significant effort to develop. Consequently, MacArthur directed Alamo Force to secure the lightly-defended Sansapor-Mar area instead of Sorong-Waigeo, scheduling a landing for July 30. General Krueger tasked General Sibert's 6th Division with Operation Typhoon, designating the 20th Regiment at Wakde-Sarmi as reserve and arranging relief by Major-General John Persons' 31st Division. Admiral Fechteler's Task Force 77 had devised a strategy: to deploy Colonel Forbie Privett's 1st Regiment, consisting of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, onto the Red Beaches northeast of Mar. Concurrently, Sibert's 6th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop was tasked with securing Middleburg Island. Following the landings, airfields were to be constructed at these sites. The subsequent phase involved Privett's 3rd Battalion executing a shore-to-shore movement to establish a PT base on Sansapor's Green Beach, scheduled for the day after the initial landings. To set this plan in motion, the 31st Division commenced unloading operations at Maffin Bay on July 14 and successfully relieved Sibert's units four days later. The two regimental combat teams of the 31st Division, the 155th and the 167th, which operated at Wakde-Sarmi had no previous combat experience but received much valuable training in a series of patrol actions, company-sized scouting missions, and battalion reconnaissances in force. General Persons wanted to mount an offensive to drive the Japanese from a main line of resistance which they had established in the low hills between Metimedan Creek and Sarmi, but the demands for labor at the Maffin Bay staging area and the necessity for committing many troops to the defense of that area made it impossible to assemble sufficient strength for such an attack. Then, by the time the 6th Division's requirements had been met, the 31st Division itself had to begin preparations for another operation. The 31st Division therefore had to confine itself principally to its patrolling missions, both west and east of the perimeter. Patrols east of the perimeter were sent out to hunt down stragglers from the Japanese Hollandia garrison, and most of them, comprising armed natives of the Wakde-Sarmi area, were led by a Dutch officer, 1st Lt. C.J. Sneeuwjagt. Meanwhile, work went on at the Maffin Bay staging area; and during the period July 18-August 31 a daily average of 2,500 tons of various supplies was unloaded at the bay. During the same period the 31st Division lost 39 men killed, 195 wounded, 34 injured, and 3 missing. The division in turn killed 294 Japanese, found 497 dead, and captured 14 others. However, the deployment of the 6th Division faced delays due to heavy congestion in the Wakde-Sarmi area. It wasn't until July 27 that Sibert's combat units began departing from Maffin Bay towards Sansapor. Maintaining the element of surprise was paramount to General Krueger, hence no preliminary naval or air bombardment was conducted in the Sansapor-Mar area. Instead, General Kenney's aircraft targeted Japanese bases at Manokwari, Sorong, and the Halmahera-Ceram-Ambon region. To further deceive the Japanese, Fechteler's convoy took a circuitous route to approach Sansapor, apparently arriving undetected around 05:00 on July 30. As anticipated, no opposition was encountered, and the first wave successfully landed at 07:01. While Privett's troops swiftly unloaded on the mainland, one LST proceeded toward Middleburg Island. By 07:30, it began deploying the amtracs carrying the reinforced 6th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, which safely landed by 08:00. Encountering no resistance, the island was promptly secured, and the troop regrouped before setting sail for nearby Amsterdam Island, which was also secured unopposed by 11:30. Upon returning to the mainland, following the incident where three unarmed Japanese were killed, Privett's 2nd Battalion proceeded inland and eastward. They successfully established defenses along low hills roughly 800 yards from the shore. Meanwhile, the 1st Battalion encountered challenges navigating through dense jungle undergrowth. At 07:40, the 3rd Battalion landed and moved west along the beach to the Wewe River mouth, preparing for the next day's advance to Sansapor. By nightfall, all units were ashore, securing the desired beachhead perimeter. The following day, Privett's 3rd Battalion embarked for Green Beach at Cape Sansapor, meeting no resistance upon landing at 08:44. They then proceeded south along the beach to secure Sansapor Plantation and Village by 10:00. While Cape Sansapor proved unsuitable for the planned PT boat base due to reef-bound shorelines and poor beaches, Amsterdam Island emerged as a promising alternative location. Subsequent operations in the Sansapor-Mar area involved patrolling to eliminate scattered Japanese groups, expanding the beachhead, and safeguarding airfield installations. A significant event occurred on August 3 when 92 sick or wounded Japanese and Formosan troops were captured at a Japanese hospital near Cape Opmarai. Concurrently, General Anami acknowledged the untenable positions on the northeastern Vogelkop and General Ikeda's 35th Division abandoned Manokwari on July 16, embarking on a challenging overland march towards Sorong with limited supplies. Around the same time, General Teshima's headquarters at Manokwari and other small garrisons in the region commenced an overland journey to Windehsi. By August 15, as units of the 35th Division approached the Kor River, the 63rd Regiment moved into the vicinity, engaging in skirmishes with retreating Japanese forces. In these encounters, they eliminated 17 enemy combatants and captured 4. By August 31, the 63rd Regiment had further success, neutralizing 155 Japanese soldiers and capturing an additional 42, with minimal losses on their own side: 3 soldiers killed and 4 wounded. Similarly, patrols from the 1st Regiment on the western flank encountered retreating Japanese forces, resulting in the elimination of 197 enemies and the capture of 154, with only 4 soldiers wounded by the end of August. The total casualties for the Typhoon Task Force amounted to 14 killed, 35 wounded, and 9 injured, while they managed to account for 385 Japanese and Formosans killed and 215 captured. Ikeda's division remnants reached Sorong on August 25 after enduring a grueling 40-day march. Additionally, construction of the Middleburg strip was successfully completed by August 14, and the Mar Drome was slated to be operational by September 3 to accommodate Kenney's fighters and medium bombers. Transitioning to Tinian, following the successful landing on July 24 and the subsequent destruction of the Japanese counterattacking force, General Schmidt's primary objectives for July 25 included landing the 2nd Marine Division and expanding the beachhead. While General Watson's Marines disembarked swiftly, General Cates' 4th Marine Division initiated their advance at 10:00. Colonel Jones' 23rd Marines navigated through dense canefields and underbrush along the coast beyond the O-1 Line. Colonel Batchelder's 25th Marines executed an enveloping maneuver against Mount Maga, securing its summit after intense combat supported by mortars and tanks. Colonel Hart's 24th Marines swiftly moved south and eastward, reaching the O-2 Line. Upon arrival, Colonel Wallace's 8th Marines assumed control of the far left flank and proceeded slowly through the rugged coastal terrain and dense undergrowth toward Ushi Point. Following the successful capture of a Japanese stronghold, the Marines advanced unopposed, advancing 200 yards past O-2 swiftly. However, the day brought hardship for the 14th Marines, facing heavy counter-battery fire resulting in the loss of 13 soldiers killed and 22 wounded. Admiral Mitscher's Task Force 58 conducted a reconnaissance-in-force of the western Carolines and launched a third raid on the Volcano-Bonin Islands to thwart enemy bomber interference, resulting in the destruction of five ships, damage to others, and the loss of 13 enemy planes for only 16 aircraft lost. The next day, Schmidt's undermanned divisions, later reinforced with 1782 replacements to fill Saipan-related gaps, commenced the advance to the O-3 Line. While the 23rd Marines steadily advanced with minimal resistance towards the vicinity of the O-4 Line, the bolstered 25th Marines cleared Mount Maga and, securing the summit of Mount Lasso, advanced into the O-4A Line virtually unchallenged. Meanwhile, the 8th Marines rapidly secured the Ushi Point flats and its airfield, Colonel Stuart's 2nd Marines swiftly advanced eastward, securing Asiga Point upon reaching the east coast by 12:30, and Colonel Riseley's 6th Marines, after landing, pushed southward to establish a line abreast of the 2nd Marines. On July 27 and 28, encountering minimal opposition, the Marines advanced southward in a concerted effort, with riflemen in formation and skirmishers leading the way. The NTLF G-2 Lieutenant Colonel Thomas R. Yancey came to a conservative conclusion on July 27 that summarized not only that day's enemy situation but the entire operation's enemy situation as well: “Without saying so, he seemed to indicate the importance of all units conducting aggressive patrolling far to the front: To date there have been no indications that our front line units have encountered the 50th Infantry Regiment in force [since the first night's counterattacks]. It is believed that this unit is largely intact and it is known that they are well equipped and seasoned troops. They are capable of intervention at any time and may be expected to offer a strong opposition when encountered.” In the same report, Yancey noted that the "most likely enemy capability" was: "To fight a delaying action, withdrawing to, and organizing further defenses in, the high ground in the southeastern end of the island." Faced with this enigmatic enemy situation, General Schmidt formulated his scheme of maneuver and assigned his objectives on July 27 and 28 to facilitate an irregular "elbowing" advance. From the front lines held on the morning of July 27, Objective O-4 was near for the 4th Division, far for the 2nd Division; once Objective O-4 had been reached, the emphasis would shift--Objective O-5 would be near for the 2nd Division, far for the 4th Division. The Corps' attack on these two days, then, would find the 2nd Division carrying the ball on July 27, the 4th Division on the 28th. On the first day the 2nd Division would push forward at 07:30, the 4th Division at 10:00; on the second day the 4th Division would attack at 07:00, the 2nd Division at 10:00. Variations in these attack hours were consistent with plans to punch first with the left, then with the right. Principal advantage of this arrangement was that the bulk of the supporting fires could be allotted first to one division, then to the other. Not only did the 14th Corps Artillery mass its fires to support the main effort, but two 105mm howitzer battalions of the division executing the secondary attack were also made available to support the principal thrust in each case.    Despite the gradual progress made by Cates' Marines as they secured key positions on higher terrain, they successfully reached the O-4 Line by the end of the first day. Simultaneously, Watson's Marines made significant strides on more favorable terrain, aided by tanks, covering a distance of 4000 yards to also reach the O-4 Line. The following day, amidst worsening weather conditions, the 2nd and 6th Marines quickly moved forward to secure the O-5 Line. The weather at Tinian had been unpleasant. Nearly every day featured rain squalls, gusty winds, and ominous clouds. And yet, for Jig-Day and three days following, the seas remained calm enough for reasonably convenient shore activities. The "three days of good weather" that Admiral Hill had considered vital had already expired. On the afternoon of 28 July the weather got worse--much worse. This condition resulted from the effects of a typhoon that built up west of the Marianas and sent its swells and winds against Tinian's west coast. The seas surrounding Tinian changed to a dirty gray-blue as the winds mounted and the waves boiled over one another and grew into larger, uglier masses. Surf roaring against the tiny WHITE Beaches and their rocky flanking shelves forced temporary suspension, at 1800 on 28 July, of all unloading over the beaches. On the left flank, after intense artillery bombardment, Cates' Marines swiftly advanced to the O-5 Line, then, supported by naval forces, resumed their march to secure Gurguan Point and its airfield, advancing to the intermediate O-6A Line, with Jones' 23rd Marines covering a total distance of 7300 yards. On July 29, with half of the island under control, Schmidt directed his forces to push beyond the O-6 Line. Accordingly, the 24th and 25th Marines advanced with minimal resistance and reached the O-6 Line. Although Watson's Marines faced initially light opposition, resistance intensified as they crossed the O-6 Line. The 6th Marines managed to secure advantageous positions just shy of the intermediate O-7A Line, while the 2nd Marines encountered opposition around the Masalog Point hill, halting their progress. The next day, Cates' Marines resumed their southward advance, encountering resistance from Japanese machine-gunners and riflemen entrenched in coastal caves. While tanks engaged the enemy, the 24th and 25th Marines surged forward, effectively securing Tinian Town and its airfield, and eventually reaching the O-7 Line. On the right flank, Watson's Marines also pressed southward, with the 2nd Marines swiftly securing Masalog Hill and advancing along the coast despite heavy machine-gun fire, reaching O-7, while the 6th Marines advanced against sporadic resistance, also reaching O-7. Additionally, the 8th Marines took position at the center of the corps' line. With the capture of four-fifths of the island and over 3000 Japanese either killed or captured, Schmidt's Marines successfully pushed the remaining Japanese forces under Colonel Ogata's command into an unnamed ridge between Lalo and Marpo Points at Tinian's southern end. On July 31, following a massive artillery, air, and naval barrage, the Marines launched another assault to the south. The 24th Marines made significant progress along the coast and on less steep cliffs, securing the road to the ridge top. The 23rd Marines faced stiffer resistance but advanced with remarkable discipline, aided by tanks, gaining high ground. On the right flank, the 2nd and 6th Marines advanced against light machine-gun and mortar fire, reaching the intermediate O-8A Line. In the center, the 8th Marines encountered stronger resistance but managed to establish a foothold on the zigzag road to the top. By nightfall, a 600-yard gap emerged between the 8th and 23rd Marines, which the Japanese could exploit. At 23:00, a banzai charge was repelled; however, at 01:00 on August 1, a 150-man force blocked Wallace's rear road and launched an attack. A counterattack force was quickly organized, driving back the enemy. Ogata's final banzai charge at 05:15 was directed at the left of Company E but failed to breach Marine defenses. Both Colonel Wallace and the enemy commander probably still Colonel Ogata had realized the tactical implications of the cliff-line penetration. Both knew that it provided a route over which thousands of Marines could move into the Japanese rear. The two commanders' reactions were classic. As soon as one of his battalions grasped a toe hold, Wallace exploited the success by committing his reserve there. The enemy commander, as soon as he received word of the penetration, ordered a counterattack to throw the Marines off the cliff and restore the position. Each selected a tactically sound course of action. Only one could be successful. At dawn, as the Japanese began to withdraw, Cates' Marines continued the attack southward, with the 24th Marines reaching the O-8 Line at Lalo Point, and the 23rd Marines, after encountering a sheer cliff, retracing their steps to reach the cliffline in front of O-8. On the right flank, the 8th Marines swiftly advanced to O-8A and moved alongside the 6th Marines toward the cliffs overlooking the water. Finally, the 2nd Marines secured the high ground to prevent enemy escape along the east coast. Despite not reaching Marpo Point, organized resistance crumbled, leading Schmidt to declare Tinian secure at 18:55.  Organized resistance had ceased. But on the early morning of August 2, an enemy force–estimated variously from 100 to 250–struck headlong into the command post of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines. Headquarters personnel, armed for the most part with carbines and pistols (although two automatic rifles were also used), considered the enemy group very well "organized." Initially, personnel of the aid station bore the brunt, but soon everyone in the headquarters group–clerks, communicators, corpsmen, assault engineers, mortarmen, and staff personnel–rallied behind their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Easley, to defend themselves. The Japanese, carrying rifles, grenades, and machine guns, hurled themselves at the Marines with characteristic violence. As soon as one fell, another took his place. In search of substantial assistance, Captain John R. Steinstra, Headquarters Company commander, dashed to the nearby Company F, 6th Marines, acquired a medium tank and a rifle platoon, and led them back to the fight. Here was welcome reinforcement to the 3rd Battalion Headquarters Group, which had fought the enemy at close quarters for over two hours. The machine barged into the battle with guns blazing, and the tide turned. The battalion executive officer later stated that he considered the tank's appearance "vitally important" to the outcome. Those enemy soldiers who remained on their feet hastily departed the area. Daylight made results of the enemy effort visible: 119 Japanese bodies lay almost side by side in and around the 3rd Battalion command post. But the Marines had also taken casualties, one of the dead being Colonel Easley. Nearly 400 Japanese perished in the week following the island's capture. From August 7 onward, the 8th Marines conducted cleanup operations on Tinian until January 1, 1945, eliminating an additional 542 Japanese at the cost of 38 killed and 125 wounded. Throughout the Battle of Tinian, a total of 5,745 Japanese were killed and 404 captured, while American losses amounted to 389 killed and 1,816 wounded. Similar to Saipan, around 4,000 civilians either took their own lives or were killed, but unlike Saipan, the majority—approximately 13,000 civilians—were interned.  On April 15, 1944, there were 16,029 civilians residing on Tinian, out of which 1,658, primarily consisting of women, children, and the elderly, were relocated to Japan prior to the American invasion. Approximately 2,610 civilians lost their lives during the conflict. Journalist Robert Sherrod observed that most casualties occurred due to direct combat, as the Americans heavily utilized artillery, aerial bombardment, and naval attacks, often forcing civilians to seek refuge alongside soldiers. Some perished from diseases, thirst, or hunger. Tragically, some were also victims of atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers, such as being tied together and attacked with grenades. Instances of mass suicide occurred, notably at the "Suicide Cliff," where parents threw their children off the 120-foot precipice, and some civilians were pushed by Japanese soldiers. According to a captured Japanese soldier, a large group willingly perished in caves at the military's behest. By August 1, only 2,468 civilians had been documented, but within three days, this number surged to 8,491. The 2nd Marine Division established a camp for civilians at Ushi Point Airfield, while the 4th Marine Division set up another at the ruins of Churo village, which became a permanent settlement for all displaced civilians. By October 15, Camp Churo housed 10,926 civilians, comprising mainly Japanese and Korean nationals, with nearly half being children under 15 years old. The military administration struggled to provide adequate care due to shortages of relief supplies. Seabees oversaw the construction of temporary shelters initially, which were later replaced by more durable structures using salvaged materials. The internees also supplemented their provisions by salvaging food and cultivating gardens, with Seabees stepping in to provide improvised diesel stoves as firewood became scarce. In late 1945, Admiral Spruance, who succeeded Nimitz as CINCPOA, ordered the repatriation of all Japanese and Korean civilians, a process completed by late 1946. Shifting focus to Guam, by July 25, General Geiger's Marines had secured two beachhead areas, with General Turnage's 3rd Marine Division advancing on the Fonte Plateau and General Shepherd's brigade sealing off the Orote Peninsula. Despite a fierce enemy counterattack on both fronts, Japanese resistance was effectively shattered. On July 26, while mop-up operations continued in General Turnage's sector, General Shepherd's Marines prepared to assault Orote. Following coordinated air, naval, and artillery bombardment, the 4th Marines launched their attack at 07:00, making swift progress. However, the 22nd Marines faced delays due to enemy artillery fire, necessitating the 4th Marines to extend their line to cover the exposed flank. Although the mangrove swamp hindered Colonel Schneider's Marines, they successfully cleared the area by afternoon, establishing contact with Colonel Shapley's forces at RJ 15, albeit with a slight eastern bend in their line. Meanwhile, Shepherd's units encountered mines, pillboxes, and bunkers, halting their advance by nightfall. On the morning of July 27th, the offensive recommenced, yet the 4th Marines encountered difficulties in penetrating the robust enemy defenses without tank support. However, once the mines were cleared, the Shermans neutralized enemy positions, enabling the Marines to take control of the ridge ahead, although they couldn't advance further through the coconut grove. Meanwhile, the 22nd Marines, moving alongside Shapley's 3rd Battalion along the inland road, faced delays due to the swamp. They encountered numerous obstacles including pillboxes, trenches, dugouts, and mines near the old Marine Barracks. Remarkably, the determined enemy abandoned their fortified line around 5:00 PM after a substantial bombardment, allowing Schneider's Marines to swiftly advance ahead of the 4th Marines and seize strategic terrain by nightfall. Following another intense bombardment, Shepherd's forces prepared to attack on July 28th. Despite Japanese resistance, Schneider's tank-supported advance reached the O-4 Line by 10:05 AM, creating a significant gap between Marine regiments. Nonetheless, the 22nd Marines persisted, fighting through the Marine Barracks and halting just 100 yards east of Sumay. Meanwhile, the 4th Marines faced slow progress and fierce opposition, stopping within 150 yards of the airfield. On June 29th, Shepherd launched a final assault after yet another heavy barrage, with both regiments successfully advancing the entire length of the airstrip against minimal resistance, establishing a defensive line 150 yards beyond the strip by 2:00 PM. As the 22nd Marines redirected their efforts to clean up the devastated Sumay area, effectively eliminating the last remaining enemy stronghold the next day, the 4th Marines continued their advance northward, with a combined tank and infantry patrol reaching the tip of the peninsula. With the peninsula now under control, the American flag was once again raised over the ruins of the Marine Barracks.General Shepherd proclaimed “On this hallowed ground, you officers and men of the 1st Marine Brigade have avenged the loss of our comrades who were overcome by the numerically superior enemy three days after Pearl Harbor.” Orote saw over 2500 Japanese casualties, while Marine losses amounted to 115 killed, 721 wounded, and 38 missing. Moving northward, following a failed Japanese counterattack, Takashina's forces were preparing to retreat further into the island's interior, but the Americans were relentless in their pursuit. After regrouping and subjecting the enemy to heavy bombardment, battalions from Turnage's regiments launched an assault towards the Fonte Plateau on July 27, albeit encountering stubborn resistance from the still-active enemy. Meanwhile, Colonel Butler's 3rd Battalion successfully advanced to the D-2 Line on the same day. Following successful defense against several small-scale enemy counterattacks overnight, Turnage initiated the main push towards the objective beachhead line on the morning of July 28. The depleted 3rd Marines, with Colonel Craig's 2nd Battalion attached, launched another assault, encountering minimal resistance and securing the D-3 Line by afternoon, thereby completely controlling the abandoned Fonte area. Further bolstered by the 3rd Battalion, 307th Regiment, the 9th Marines made progress in their attack towards the strategic Chachao-Alutom-Tenjo ridgeline, marking a significant initial victory. Simultaneously, the 2nd Battalion, 307th Regiment, supported by units from the 305th Regiment, advanced towards Mount Tenjo from the south. Under the protective cover of artillery neutralization fire, Craig's 3rd Battalion effectively demolished a concrete emplacement at the center of Mount Chachao's summit and swiftly secured the beachhead line adjacent to Mount Alutom. Simultaneously, General Bruce's infantry units swiftly captured Mount Tenjo, with Craig's 1st Battalion joining them by day's end. The 21st Marines faced minimal resistance, eliminating remaining enemy pockets around the radio towers and reaching the designated beachhead line. Thus, Turnage's attack objectives were achieved, extending the beachhead line across the entire front. Additionally, the 21st Marines overran the 29th Division command post near the Fonte River, resulting in Takashina's demise as he supervised his retreating units. Consequently, General Obata assumed direct command of the remaining forces, adhering to Takashina's plan for a strategic withdrawal to Mount Santa Rosa, with delaying positions established at Finegayan and Mount Barrigada. The Japanese launched eleven localized counterattacks against Turnage's beachhead line on July 29, all of which were successfully repelled, inflicting 800 casualties on the attackers. The 3rd Marine Division then focused on consolidation and reorganization for the remainder of the day while rear areas were cleared of enemy presence. In the meantime, as the 306th Regiment secured the unoccupied Mounts Alifan and Taene, Bruce had also dispatched several patrols to the southern end of the island since July 27, successfully discovering by the end of July that the sector had been completely abandoned.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The allies chose to focus on the Vogelkop Peninsula over the Klamono oilfields, as MacArthur's focus shifted to the Mar-Sansapor region for airfield development. The Marines faced a horror show in Tinian but managed to secure her while progress was made on Guam. The Americans were clawing ever closer to the Japanese home islands.

In today's Practical Horseman podcast, brought to you by Purina, we're speaking with 24-year-old eventing phenom Mia Farley. At her young age, Farley has already established a name for herself in the eventing sphere's upper echelons for helping develop and produce young eventing horses.Farley grew up in San Clemente, California, and started riding at the age of 3 under the tutelage of her mother, hunter/jumper trainer Rebecca Farley. While eventing wasn't as prevalent in Southern California as it is in areas of the East Coast, Farley got a taste for the sport after tagging along to an event with barn friends. One of her first memorable mounts was a black-and-white pony named Oreo Cookie who she rode for her first recognized event at the age of 8.After falling in love with sport of eventing and with her parents' support, Farley moved to Middleburg, Virginia, in 2018 to train and work with legendary eventers David and Karen O'Connor and their O'Connor Event Team. This momentous decision helped launch the horsewoman's eventing career to the next level.After Farely's success with mare BGS Firecracker, a 2010 Irish Sport Horse, at numerous upper-level events including the 2023 Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, a new “project” horse entered her life. Farley, however, never anticipated just how far she and Phelps, a plucky Off-the-Track Thoroughbred, would excel in eventing. The bay gelding was originally purchased off the track by Joanie Morris and was later “sold” to David O'Connor for the grand price of $1 as a sales prospect. For one reason or another, Phelps just didn't sell. So, instead, David put the young Thoroughbred in training with Farley.She started Phelps at the Novice level at Hunt Club Farms in Virginia in the summer of 2018 and brought him out for his first FEI event at the CCI2*-S level at Great Meadow International in Virginia the following summer.In 2022, Farley and Phelps finished on the podium in the CCI 4*-L at Morven Park in Virginia, which put the pair firmly on the radar as potential players to take the next step up. In October of 2023, Farley and Phelps tackled their first five-star event at the Maryland 5 Star, where they finished in fifth-place and took honors as the sole cross-country round to make it clear inside the optimum time.Farley and Phelps' underdog story is one that resonates across disciplines and experience levels. Today we talk to the young eventer about her former racehorse taking on the most difficult challenge eventing has to offer and to learn more about how she trains young horses for intense sport of eventing.This week's Practical Horseman Podcast is sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition. There's more talk than ever about the importance of probiotics in equine health. But not all probiotics are created equal. New Purina Systemiq Supplement remains live & active after the pelleting process and throughout the digestive system making it all the way to the hind gut. Systemiq was designed to support normal recovery after exercise and occasional gastrointestinal stress. Whether you're using a probiotic now or not, it's time to use a live and active supplement from a name you trust. New Purina Systemiq probiotic.

In today's Practical Horseman podcast, brought to you by Purina, we're speaking with 24-year-old eventing phenom Mia Farley. At her young age, Farley has already established a name for herself in the eventing sphere's upper echelons for helping develop and produce young eventing horses.Farley grew up in San Clemente, California, and started riding at the age of 3 under the tutelage of her mother, hunter/jumper trainer Rebecca Farley. While eventing wasn't as prevalent in Southern California as it is in areas of the East Coast, Farley got a taste for the sport after tagging along to an event with barn friends. One of her first memorable mounts was a black-and-white pony named Oreo Cookie who she rode for her first recognized event at the age of 8.After falling in love with sport of eventing and with her parents' support, Farley moved to Middleburg, Virginia, in 2018 to train and work with legendary eventers David and Karen O'Connor and their O'Connor Event Team. This momentous decision helped launch the horsewoman's eventing career to the next level.After Farely's success with mare BGS Firecracker, a 2010 Irish Sport Horse, at numerous upper-level events including the 2023 Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, a new “project” horse entered her life. Farley, however, never anticipated just how far she and Phelps, a plucky Off-the-Track Thoroughbred, would excel in eventing. The bay gelding was originally purchased off the track by Joanie Morris and was later “sold” to David O'Connor for the grand price of $1 as a sales prospect. For one reason or another, Phelps just didn't sell. So, instead, David put the young Thoroughbred in training with Farley.She started Phelps at the Novice level at Hunt Club Farms in Virginia in the summer of 2018 and brought him out for his first FEI event at the CCI2*-S level at Great Meadow International in Virginia the following summer.In 2022, Farley and Phelps finished on the podium in the CCI 4*-L at Morven Park in Virginia, which put the pair firmly on the radar as potential players to take the next step up. In October of 2023, Farley and Phelps tackled their first five-star event at the Maryland 5 Star, where they finished in fifth-place and took honors as the sole cross-country round to make it clear inside the optimum time.Farley and Phelps' underdog story is one that resonates across disciplines and experience levels. Today we talk to the young eventer about her former racehorse taking on the most difficult challenge eventing has to offer and to learn more about how she trains young horses for intense sport of eventing.This week's Practical Horseman Podcast is sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition. There's more talk than ever about the importance of probiotics in equine health. But not all probiotics are created equal. New Purina Systemiq Supplement remains live & active after the pelleting process and throughout the digestive system making it all the way to the hind gut. Systemiq was designed to support normal recovery after exercise and occasional gastrointestinal stress. Whether you're using a probiotic now or not, it's time to use a live and active supplement from a name you trust. New Purina Systemiq probiotic.

Katie and Michele are on the road again! This time from Farmhouse Floral Design in Middleburg, NY, chatting with owner Jess. The house is beautiful but very active. Hear Jess tell Katie and Michele a number of stories about the resident "ghosts". From hiding items, to turning lights on and off. Even one of them getting upset about the school mascot being changed. Sit back and enjoy another great episode of Psychic on The Scene. Thank you for listening and don't forget to like, share, subscribe and rate the show.Be sure to "like" our Facebook page as well! You can find it by CLICKING HERE

Sam Cockburn is a steeplechase trainer and Jockey from Middleburg, VA. Sam grew up surrounded by the steeplechase industry that is father was involved in. Today Sam pursues his goals of making successful steeplechase horse. Join Ben and Joe as they sit down with Sam to learn about the American Steeplechase industry and what it takes to be successful. Topics discussed include the confirmation needed for longevity in racing, the difference between hurdle and timber racing and what it takes to prepare a horse to be accurate to a jump while putting forth such large physical exertion. Tune in for a fun conversation about an industry rich in tradition and excitement.

May 1, 2024 Jacob Tanner, author & Pastor of Christ Keystone Church of Middleburg, Pennsylvania, who will address: “The TINKER's PROGRESS: The LIFE & TIMES of JOHN BUNYAN”   Subscribe: iTunes  TuneIn Android RSS Feed Listen:

Doug Poppa4 hours agoDoug Poppa - of the Doug Poppa Podcast, joins Ed Opperman. Investigative Journalist. US Army Veteran/Former LEO/Criminal Investigator/USDHS/Director of Security, Surveillance. Authored 160+stories on Las Vegas Massacre.He joins Ed to talk about his involvement and the subsequent problems he encountered from law enforcement and the FBI concerning the case of William Douglas Carter.On July 31, 1987, 50-year-old Carole Vandergrift Carter was wounded by a gunshot to the neck while in bed at her home on a rural estate east of Middleburg, Virginia.The shooting occurred at Greenwood Farm, a 210-acre property where Carter and her ex-husband, whom she had divorced in February, kept thoroughbred racehorses. Within hours, Carter's ex-husband, 55-year-old William Douglas Carter was arrested and charged with the shooting.At the time of the shooting, the couple was still feuding over the distribution of their assets, which included Greenwood Farm, valued at $2.3 million. The divorce had been contentious and the divorce court judge had found that William Douglas Carter had committed adultery with his wife's foster daughter from 1977, when the girl was in high school, through 1985. The Carters were living in different houses on the grounds of Greenwood Farm.At William Carter's trial in March 1988, Carole Carter testified that her husband had shot her. She said he was wearing rubber gloves and that after shooting her, he grabbed her hand and forced it to grasp the pistol in an effort to make the shooting appear to be a suicide attempt. She said she wrote her husband's name in blood on the bedroom floor in case she died.YoutubeFacebookPodcastTwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Piper speaks with Katie Monahan Prudent about how she is working to grow the next generation of US Show Jumpers. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.   Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: One of the most successful riders in U.S. Show Jumping history, Katie Monahan-Prudent was a member of the 1986 gold medal winning World Championship show jumping team, took part in six World Cup finals, won almost every major grand prix in the United States and was named AGA U.S. Rider of the Year three times. In addition, Katie was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and named Coach of the Year for developing riders by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Currently, Katie and her husband, Henri Prudent, run an international training program along with their son, Adam, at their three locations: Plain Bay Farm in Middleburg, Virginia; Wellington, Florida, and Rosières-aux-Salines, France.Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: American Stalls, Purina Animal Nutrition, Wordley Martin Premium Equestrian Surfaces, America Cryo, LAURACEA, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard, Good Boy, Eddie and World Equestrian Center

In this insightful session, we're thrilled to welcome Quipli customer Alvin Stoltzfus, the driving force behind Lads Construction and Lads Rentals in Middleburg, Pennsylvania. Alvin's unique story, from a construction foreman to a visionary leader in the equipment rental industry, is nothing short of inspiring. Alvin's approach, focusing on people-first policies and leveraging modern technology, has set a new benchmark in the industry. Along with his wife El and their dedicated team, Alvin has created a thriving business that respects its roots while boldly embracing the future. Making Your First Acquisition: Dive into how Alvin spotted and seized the ideal opportunity to venture into the rental business. Choosing the Right Tech Stack: Uncover the strategies for evaluating tech providers and integrating the best technology for your business. Principles for Operational Success: Discover the core principles that guide strategic decisions and lead to optimal outcomes. Learn more about the Rental Roundtable and listen to other episodes here: therentalroundtable.com

Hi y'all! We hope that you are having a blessed week. We had the most awesome guest today... Susie from Middleburg! We talked all things 'Susie' and Valentine's Day. We hope that you enjoy this episode (and Susie) as much as we did!

Entrepreneur Sheila Johnson–who co-founded BET and went on to become America's first Black female billionaire–sits down with Margaret Hoover to discuss her memoir and the personal and professional obstacles she has overcome to achieve success. Johnson, who recently released “Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph,” reflects on her childhood and what she describes as an abusive first marriage to Bob Johnson, with whom she launched Black Entertainment Television in the early days of cable. She explains the original vision behind BET and the role she believes it could still play in society today. Johnson used her profits from the 2001 sale of BET to open Salamander Resort in Middleburg, Virginia, the first in a chain of luxury hotels. She also purchased a stake in the WNBA's Washington Mystics, as well as the Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards. She reflects on the massive pay gap between the WNBA and the NBA and what can be done about it. Johnson, a supporter of President Joe Biden, assesses the stakes of the 2024 election and details her fears for a second Trump term. The prominent philanthropist also comments on the fallout from the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision and the need to create new opportunities for students of color. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Stephens Inc., Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, Peter and Mary Kalikow, The Asness Family Foundation, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Kathleen and Andrew McKenna through The McKenna Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Charles R. Schwab, Pritzker Military Foundation on behalf of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Roger and Susan Hertog, Cheryl Cohen Effron and Blair Effron, and Al and Kathy Hubbard.

Today, we're running a replay of my 2019 conversation with legendary investor Chuck Akre. Chuck founded Akre Capital Management in 1989, which now manages approximately $14B dollars. We discuss his investing style and his “three-legged stool” for evaluating companies. Please enjoy this great conversation. Listen to Founders Podcast For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by Tegus. Tegus is the modern research platform for leading investors, and provider of Canalyst. Tired of calculating fully diluted shares outstanding? Access every publicly-reported data point and industry-specific KPI through their database of over 4,000 drivable global models hand-built by a team of sector-focused analysts, 35+ industry comp sheets, and Excel add-ins that let you use their industry-leading data in your own spreadsheets. Tegus' models automatically update each quarter, including hard-to-calculate KPIs like stock-based compensation and organic growth rates, empowering investors to bypass the friction of sourcing, building, and updating models. Make efficiency your competitive advantage and take back your time today. As a listener, you can trial Canalyst by Tegus for free by visiting tegus.co/patrick. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Show Notes: [00:00:00] Welcome to Invest Like the Best [00:01:06] First Question – Advantage of being in Middleburg, Virginia [00:02:11] What a day looks like for Chuck [00:03:06] Why imagination is more important than knowledge [00:03:38] Difference between curiosity and imagination [00:04:38] The origins of the Nirvana Three-Legged Stool concept [00:10:14] First leg of the stool, extraordinary business and ROE's with a focus on Bandag [00:14:36] How his evaluations of value have changed over the last 10-15 years [00:16:10] A look at recent businesses that he's bought and why they are interesting [00:19:56] Why they keep things simple [00:21:35] Second leg of the stool, the people involved and characteristics of managers he has invested in [00:23:20] Role of capital allocation in the people he focuses on [00:29:34] Third leg of the stool, reinvestment [00:21:09] How does he think about diversifying across an investment area [00:33:32] Great businesses wrapped in a bad balance sheet [00:37:35] What would cause him to sell [00:38:52] What does he look for in people [00:43:27] How curiosity has impacted his interest in land conservation [00:43:51] Advice for investors, especially younger ones [00:46:14] Kindest thing anyone has done for him

Episode # 2 features Jennifer McCloud the Founder & Owner of Chrysalis Vineyards at the Ag District in Middleburg, Virginia. Along with producing some of the finest Viognier and Albarino in the country she is the proud owner of the largest single vineyard planting of Norton in the world. It makes up over 40 acres of the 70 acres of vineyard land she farms. Chrysalis was founded in 1998. and in addition to producing estate wines, she also has 10 Dairy Cows at the property from which they produce top-quality cheeses to compliment her wines and the food that is available for sale and enjoyment at the Ag District for its visitors and the public at large. Check out the cheeses along with the wines. Jake Blodinger the winemaker at Chrysalis, who joined the operation in 2019 is also part of this interview and brings a unique perspective to the conversation.Because Chrysalis produces several different styles of Norton in both flavor profile and aging ability there is a Norton wine for every occasion whether the wine is to cellar and age or to enjoy today. The Episode is very informative and will give you, the listener, a deeper understanding of what Norton is all about.

Aren’t we supposed to be in a recession? And whatever happened to the apartment rent inflation that was coming in 2023? Hear why Brad Case, an economist with a MS from Berkley and a Phd from Yale, thinks it’s smart to be skeptical, why 0% interest is a bad thing and where he thinks the bad bets will be made in 2024.

On the season finale, we are joined by Ashley Carmen FNP-C (@botoxandbourbon) and Angela Burleson FNP-C (@huntcountryinjector) as they discuss the importance of a comprehensive and thorough aesthetic injector training program. Angela shares her experience as she lived through and successfully graduated from a more than 3 month residency side by side Ashley in the Alexandria location as she prepared to open up the second practice of Aiyana Atelier (@aiyanaatelier) in Middleburg.    Find us:  Apple

Piper speaks speaks with Dr. Betsee Parker about being one of the top horse and pony owners and sponsors in the horse show world, what it's been like supporting so many junior and professional riders over the years and how she is overcoming biases in our sport. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Host: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Dr. Betsee Parker is the 17th Baroness of Lochiel, Scotland, and also a philanthropist, ordained Episcopal minister and one of our country's top horse and pony owners and horse show sponsors from Middleburg, Virginia. While living in Manhattan in 2001, Dr. Parker was among the first responders at the World Trade Center on 9/11, working primarily with the Chief Medical Examiner of New York to help identify victims. Dr. Parker is also a decorated member of the United Nations, serving in multiple capacities with an emphasis toward sustainable development and climate-change issues in Africa. She has also been the keynote speaker on sustainable development at the Vatican. Dr. Parker also the proud owner of a 15th century castle, Ackergill Tower on the rugged northeast coast of Scotland, converting it from a luxury hotel into her private home. In Middleburg, Virginia, Dr. Parker's Huntland Farm is home to many of her retired, top show horses and ponies.Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Purina Animal Nutrition, America Cryo, Alexis Kletjian Jewelry, LAURACEA, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard and Good Boy, Eddie

On this week's podcast, Nicole drives the Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV for this year's Mille Miglia race in Middleburg, Virginia. She also debated whether traditional New York pizza or fancy craft pizza is best.

TSLN EP. 181 | “Identity & Restraint: Art of the Dog Collar” Exhibition Discussion with Claudia Pheiffer of Pebble Hill Plantation Episode Summary Dog collar exhibition at Pebble Hill plantation. 0:00 Claudia describes the experience of installing an exhibition at Pebble Hill Plantation as "kid in a candy store" due to the gallery space's potential for creating unique vignettes and presentations. Durrell expresses excitement about the exhibition being a good fit for Pebble Hill's mission to preserve and promote equestrian and other sports-related literature, art, and culture. Durrell is an artist and former art educator who is passionate about the sporting life and conservation, and they appreciate the connections between Tall Timbers and other organizations in the Thomasville area. Claudia explains that the exhibition was originally scheduled to open five years ago but was postponed due to COVID, and it eventually opened a year later with the help of a generous donation. Art, culture, and history of hunting and sporting dogs. 5:19 Dr. Timothy Grennan collected 187 historic dog collars and donated them to the National Sporting Library Museum in 2015. The exhibition "Hunting and Sporting Dogs: A Cultural History" features artwork and artifacts that showcase the relationship between humans and dogs in hunting and sporting activities, highlighting their historical and cultural significance. Claudia discusses the universal underpinning of identity and restraint in the exhibition, from the domestication of dogs to modern-day uses. Durrell highlights the impact of the physical collars on display, noting their ornate decoration and intimidating spikes. Historical dog collars and their significance. 11:11 Collars symbolize compassion and restraint, reflecting human values. Exhibition features artwork with dog collars to highlight historical and cultural significance of collars in art and hunting. Durrell discusses the cultural significance of dog collars and wagons in quail hunting in the South, highlighting their craftsmanship and unique history. Dog collars and their significance in history. 17:16 Durrell acknowledges the importance of preserving animal populations for sporting purposes, citing the conservation efforts of hunters and naturalists. Claudia discusses the parallel between the preservation of game birds in Virginia and the encroachment of humanity on their natural habitats, highlighting the role of hunters in conservation movements. Claudia discusses their favorite dog collar, describing its size, materials, and decorative elements. Claudia highlights the collar's narrative and visual appeal, using descriptive language to convey its significance. Historical dog collars and their design evolution. 22:31 Speakers discuss the history and symbolism of 18th century Indian dog collars, exploring the intersection of wealth and dog ownership. Claudia explains how the Industrial Revolution and broadening middle class led to an explosion of collar design innovation, particularly in Britain, as pets became more of a status symbol (4:25-4:31). Durrell asks about regional differences in collar design and if there are any points where collar design is particularly advanced (4:33-4:37). Dog collars and their significance in an art exhibition. 28:05 Tiffany & Co. caller from 1884 discovered in NYC exhibition, researched by Alan Fossil. Durrell discusses the symbolism of collars in hunting culture, representing a dog's graduation and trust between the dog and owner. The exhibition will offer an online 360-degree tour for those who cannot visit in person, allowing for virtual engagement with the artwork. Dog collars as symbols of companionship and identity. 32:33 Durrell creates memorial art pieces using collars from deceased dogs, mounting them on trees or kennel stall doors as a reminder of their pets. Claudia appreciates the poetic idea of connecting a dog's name and identity to a specific collar, noting that this practice became more common in the late 1800s. Claudia discusses the evolution of the human-dog connection, noting that in the past, dogs were seen as stealable objects with no legal value, while today people have a stronger emotional connection with their pets and document their special bonds through media. Durrell agrees, highlighting the advancement in human psychology towards recognizing dogs as unique individuals with special connections to their owners, as seen in the sporting dog community and media portrayals. Dog collars and their significance in the sporting world. 38:11 Durrell excitedly shares their experience seeing a dog collar exhibition and discusses its significance. Claudia provides details on the exhibition's dates, location, and virtual access. Claudia invites Durrell to visit the National Sporting Library Museum in Middleburg, Virginia, and offers a tour of the six-acre campus. Durrell expresses gratitude for the opportunity and looks forward to possibly meeting in person.   EXHIBITION: https://www.nationalsporting.org/index.php/nslm/exhibition_details/1172   Our old TSLN Instagram account got Hacked SUBSCRIBE to the NEW TSLN INSTAGRAM account @the_sporting_life_notebook _______ Original Dogman Substack SHOP TSLN ARTWORKS AND GOODS Subscribe to the BACK AT IT Newsletter: COMING BACK SOON MINORITY OUTDOOR ALLIANCE PHEASANTS FOREVER | QUAIL FOREVER Check out Upcoming “Learn to Hunt Workshops” in partnership with Minority Outdoor Alliance for interested adult onset upland hunters looking to take their upland hunting to the next level for folks that look like you!   Check out the latest Episode with Colby Kerber and Ashley Chance as we discuss this year's Learn to Hunt Upland Experience. EADY SMITH WEALTH MANAGEMENT Estate Planning Tax Return Preparation  Tax Planning  Asset Protection Tax Controversy Visit https://www.eadysmithwm.com/ for your free consultation!  ORVIS ADVENTURES https://www.orvis.com/durrell-smith-the-sporting-life-notebook-llc/3GSE.html BERETTA USA  Beretta.com - The Renowned Italian Company Offering Clothing & Accessories! Click the  link below and use the BUSA Promo code: TSLN for 15% off Clothing and Accessories using code TSLN15 https://www.pjatr.com/t/3-291534-282291-147027 Check out Durrell's latest interview on the Beretta Blog https://blog.beretta.com/q-and-a-with-durrell-smith  Stay tuned for the upcoming #BerettaTribe film with featuring Durrell Smith   BENCHMADE KNIFE COMPANY Check out your next CSTM Knife at https://www.benchmade.com/custom-knife-builder  WATCH Durrell Smith | Benchmade Ambassador https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G99qVHUmBiI STUBBEN NORTH AMERICA https://stubbennorthamerica.com/  HUNT & FIELD MAGAZINE  Subscribe HERE: https://www.huntandfieldmag.com/subscribe Dakota283 Kennels D283 Promo Code GDN10 for 10% off your next Crate THE CHARLES JORDAN GROUP https://www.charlesjordangroup.com/   TSLN READING LIST FEATURES AND LINKS: View Durrell's “Upland Hunting Elsewhere Seminar and the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers 2023 Rendezvous at the link below https://youtu.be/LIgIjhmH-Gc Check out Upcoming “Explore Hunting Workshops” in partnership with Minority Outdoor Alliance  Check out the current catalog issue of Dogs Unlimited  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utm7b6DyzcQ&t=13s  

On September 1st of 2013, Kayla Skeen was found hanging by an electrical cord from a tree in her grandparents' back yard in Middleburg, Florida. Her death was quickly ruled a suicide. But there is a strong push from her loved ones for further investigation. Could the complex scene and people in Kayla's life show that she was actually murdered?This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4106013/advertisement

August 17, 2023 Jacob Tanner, author & pastor of Christ Keystone Church of Middleburg, PA, who will address: "WHY SALLY CAN'T PREACH" & announcing the 2023 G3 National Conference!! Subscribe: iTunes  TuneIn Android RSS Feed Listen:

Claudia Pfeiffer is the Deputy Director & Head Curator of the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia. We begin on their recent exhibition about the art of the dog collar: a haunting cast from the eruption of Vesuvius; an ancient "Beware of Dog" mosaic; spiked collars & regal collars. Claudia describes some of the most striking paintings from the exhibition: a theatrical Amsterdam dog market; a mastiff baying a poacher; a lion hunt; & an allegory about the father of cynicism.  From there we switch from dogs to horses and hear about their anatomy & movement as captured by art, including Muybridge's famous horse photographs. To wrap up this dog-lover & art history-lover episode, Claudia tells the lore of Barry the St. Bernard and his iconic barrel flask.  Plan a visit to The National Sporting Library & Museum Music provided by Ars Lyrica Houston"Les Indes Galantes - Entrée les Sauvages"Written by Jean-Philippe Rameau Performed by Ars Lyrica Houston"Fandango from Quintet No. 4, G 448"Written by Luigi BoccheriniPerformed by Ars Lyrica Houston"Propiñán de Melyor and Si habrá en este Baldrés"Written by anonymous Performed by The Crumhorn CollectiveCourtesy of Ars Lyrica HoustonReference Images:Cast of Pompeii watch dog"Beware the Dog" Pompeii mosaic The Amsterdam Dog Market  by Abraham Hondius [c. 1671-1672]Steer & Mastiff Pulling a Cart by Sid Franckett [1910]The Poacher at Bay by Richard Ansdell [1865]The Lion Hunt attributed to Paul de Vos [1590-1678]Alexander and Diogenes by Sir Edwin Landseer [1860's]The Anatomy of the Horse by George Stubbs [1766]The Horse in Motion by Eadweard Muybridge [1878]Example of improper horse gallop by George StubbsSalmon and Trout on a Riverbank by John Bucknell Russell [1874] Alpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveler by Sir Edwin Landseer [1820]Support&a

Professionally, things for 23 year-old Jacey McWilliams couldn't be better -- she's thriving at her new job. But personally, a recent break-up leaves the college student feeling insecure and lonely. After a chance encounter with handsome, 21 year-old David Martin, it looks like love might finally be on the horizon again until a highly anticipated date within the desolate woods of Middleburg, Florida ends in unspeakable horror. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OMFG: We're at a Christian Retreat Center! Live from Middleburg, Virginia (well, live when we recorded it…) the rabbis JG are back together again, and reflecting on themes of rest, renewal and retreat. With gratitude to our friends and teachers, join us for a different kind of episode as we think out loud about where we've been, and where we're going. Happy summer to you!

No Agenda Episode 1505 - "Cat's Paw" "Cat's Paw" Executive Producers: Brian Lillard Paul Littmann Paul Deffes Sir Semicolon Forest Dukes aka Faux Diddley Become a member of the 1506 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Title Changes Sir Vile -> Baron of the Northland. Protector of the greater north. Knights & Dames Daniel Kaufman -> Sir Dank_Steady of Doty Island Anonymous -> Sir SixtyOneTwelve (6112) Mason -> Sir Mason Master of Rags Jeff Costas -> Sir Jeff Costas, Black Knight of Middleburg, Florida Brandon -> Sir Brandon, Black Knight of the Order of TNT Robert Ludwig -> Sir Boober-The Most Sane Man David Miller -> Sir Arizona, (Black) Knight of the Peninsula Nathan Scheuermann -> Sir Sheuey (SHOO-ee) of the land of the ice and snow Anonymous -> Dame Finger Mole Courtney Harris -> Dame Cort, guardian of the Aerodrome Art By: Dirty Jersey Whore End of Show Mixes: Deez Laughs - Prof J Jones - Jesse Coy Nelson Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Aric Mackey Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda No Agenda Social Registration Sign Up for the newsletter No Agenda Peerage ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1505.noagendanotes.com New: Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed Full Summaries in PDF No Agenda Lite in opus format NoAgendaTorrents.com has an RSS feed or show torrents Last Modified 11/20/2022 16:25:35This page created with the FreedomController Last Modified 11/20/2022 16:25:35 by Freedom Controller