2006 studio album by Caroline
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Leo Rizzuto - Senza dire una parolaClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenStephanie Happening - Don't Lookie lookMM't VocalSeed – Sunlit reflectionMidnight Alexandr - Scared of the moonAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursTAYSHA - FearlessJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateGisella Colletti - Good EnoughAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneJackie Meadows - DreamsFazzzad - Beyond the FlameOliver Blessinger - LieblingsmenschZOCO "Restless"Number_i "Numbers Ur Zone"Liam Foody – The OneZOCO - Diamond In The RoughFab Manzini Music - Through the fireMalin Schell - Mother NatureFalcon Junior - When It's OverKornelius Flowers - ControlChang Carry – DollChang Carry - PaperFEMILICIOUS - Heatwave featuring TwistaCris Mantello - I Made A messChang Carry - AbandonedOceanna - KoldunaiGaiga - ArmonikaAlt Blk Era - Okay (Cyber Racing)Eclectic Whiz – White Noise (with Metal Media)Joseph Schwartz – Ready for DoomSvarp the Harp – Hoochie Coochie ManBill Barlow – Thought Goes to Sundays
Close2You - Freiheit zu träumenKornelius Flowers - ControlMM't VocalSeed – Sunlit reflectionMidnight Alexandr - Scared of the moonSvarp The Harp - Hoochie Coochie ManAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Jacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneMaBell - Quando non ci ameremo piu'Ciro Manni – La pecora e il lupoHayden Ryann - No Room for Bitchin'Bleu Spiruline - A contretempsJagger Viox – Perfect Imperfections Carlos Ucedda – DOSE OF LOVE Fatal Switch - ApexIaNi - Our Favorite ThingsExzenya - V.I.P.Soltronique - Summer of LoveFerenc Grez - 30onThe30theOliver Blessinger - LieblingsmenschDon Pasquale Ferone - RicercaRewind - What a woman
Leo Rizzuto - Senza dire una parolaStephanie Happening - Don't Lookie lookAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenMM't VocalSeed – Sunlit reflectionMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours TAYSHA - FearlessJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneMaBell - Quando non ci ameremo piu'Ciro Manni – La pecora e il lupoHayden Ryann - No Room for Bitchin'Bleu Spiruline - A contretempsExzenya - V.I.P.Soltronique - Summer of LoveFerenc Grez - 30onThe30theMicheál Quinn - She Look GoodEnergy Whores - The Second Civil War (Clean)Cam Cole - Rabbit (She's What I Want)Energy Whores - Pretty Sparkly Things (Clean)Noah & The Void - Icarusttwig - I Wanna Be A DogYUNHWAY - BIGGER (Clean)Oliver Blessinger - LieblingsmenschBill Barlow – AdvancesREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry Babezukrassverliebt - Way Too HotSusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – Double messagesSusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – This is good musicMichel Valdes - Te vi LlegarBill Barlow – She's A Lonely Highway (Melancholic Exit)BigMay202xNuk – Pissed off
In this episode, we review the high-yield topic of Heart Murmurs from the Cardiovascular section.Follow Medbullets on social media:Facebook: www.facebook.com/medbulletsInstagram: www.instagram.com/medbulletsofficialTwitter: www.twitter.com/medbullets
Leo Rizzuto - Senza dire una parolaBurniscous - The Stone Has Been RemovedFISH NIGHT - Bleeding WiresThe Arnea Project - Water on the MoonMerlin Swann - Needle In The Haystack On The HillBuddz Beatz - Inner BeautyDivineisll - Now Own WonRichard Standley - Neighbourhood Vibes1239¡ - THE MOREIaNi - Our Favorite ThingsMaBell - Quando non ci ameremo piu'Ciro Manni – La pecora e il lupoHayden Ryann - No Room for Bitchin'Bleu Spiruline - A contretempsExzenya - V.I.P.Soltronique - Summer of LoveFerenc Grez - 30onThe30theMicheál Quinn - She Look GoodEnergy Whores - The Second Civil War (Clean)Cam Cole - Rabbit (She's What I Want)Kornelius Flowers - ControlStephanie Happening - Don't Lookie lookMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours TAYSHA - FearlessAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneNoah & The Void - Icarusttwig - I Wanna Be A DogYUNHWAY - BIGGER (Clean)Oliver Blessinger - LieblingsmenschRITMO QUANTICO - HIDDEN LOVEBill Barlow – Thought Goes to Sundays
Number_i "Numbers Ur Zone" Piuma – 6 di agosto Wally Echo - SkyeScarfell Sun - Let The Sunshine in this ChristmasAndrea Salvatori Brunella Platania - Qualcosa c'è dentro noiJack Cardigan – Io non vadoJack Cardigan – In un clickJack Cardigan – Tutto o nienteR∞AH - 42Tor James Faulkner – Step to Me Catalina Cara - What a FeelingCold Beaches - Up and DownEkolu - Don't Worry Just DanceLAMIA - AngelOut Run - Heart Shaped Glassunder:tones - CrossroadsF.T. – Ciao come vaAngelo Moncada, Dentiunsnarcos808 - AroundMerlin the Wizard - Beekeeper radio versionMyfanwy Gresham - Somewhere In TimeGabriele Saro & Bluombre - The Dot And The CommaGabriele Saro & Bluombre – Your Eyes Are Music Alessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenStephanie Happening - Don't Lookie lookKornelius Flowers - ControlLeo Rizzuto - Senza dire una parolaAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours TAYSHA - FearlessAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – Crazyzukrassverliebt - Way Too HotMichel Valdes - Te vi LlegarMM't VocalSeed – Sunlit reflectionLoti ft Moliy - Move
Number_i "Numbers Ur Zone" Piuma – 6 di agosto Wally Echo - SkyeScarfell Sun - Let The Sunshine in this ChristmasAndrea Salvatori Brunella Platania - Qualcosa c'è dentro noiJack Cardigan – Io non vadoJack Cardigan – In un clickJack Cardigan – Tutto o nienteR∞AH - 42Tor James Faulkner – Step to Me Catalina Cara - What a FeelingCold Beaches - Up and DownEkolu - Don't Worry Just DanceLAMIA - AngelOut Run - Heart Shaped Glassunder:tones - CrossroadsF.T. – Ciao come vaAngelo Moncada, Dentiunsnarcos808 - AroundMerlin the Wizard - Beekeeper radio versionMyfanwy Gresham - Somewhere In TimeGabriele Saro & Bluombre - The Dot And The CommaGabriele Saro & Bluombre – Your Eyes Are Music Alessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenStephanie Happening - Don't Lookie lookKornelius Flowers - ControlLeo Rizzuto - Senza dire una parolaAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours TAYSHA - FearlessAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – Crazyzukrassverliebt - Way Too HotMichel Valdes - Te vi LlegarMM't VocalSeed – Sunlit reflectionLoti ft Moliy - Move
Angelo Moncada, Dentiunsnarcos808 - AroundF.T. – Ciao come vaMerlin the Wizard - Beekeeper radio versionMyfanwy Gresham - Somewhere In TimeGabriele Saro & Bluombre - The Dot And The CommaGabriele Saro & Bluombre – Your Eyes Are Music Alessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenKornelius Flowers - ControlStephanie Happening - Don't Lookie lookMidnight Alexandr - Scared of the moonAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Augusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingRewind - I'm in rewindJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateMichel Valdes - Te vi LlegarLeo Rizzuto - Senza dire una parolaNumber_i "Numbers Ur Zone" Myles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyFall of Passion – Never Gonna let you goZukrassverliebt – Für die Ewigkeit Rachel Sutton - DaytripOsea Codega - Joy
Kornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenStephanie Happening - Don't Lookie lookAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingMidnight Alexandr - Scared of the moonAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Jacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneLeo Rizzuto - Senza dire una parolaSharon Marie Cline - SummertimeDylan Lotus - I Messed UpJ Ligg - Stand By MeRebecca Helen - This PlaceAnthony Mandarano - Together in Electric DreamsFreya Magee - Forget Yourself NotThe Dead Hearts - No Way of HealingRedLight – Hold onNathaniel Earl - shoesThe7thGatekeeper - You Are My SunshinePatti Zlaket - Clock Keeps Tickin'Exzenya - CaptivityTicket To The Universe (Gregor Vagner) - The Most Beautiful Song In The WorldMax Gozo - All I NeedREPYH - NICHT DU SELBSTKimble Funchess - On a clear day
Amara Fe - Come back homeCris Mantello - I Made A MessMidnight Alexandr - Scared of the moonELISABETH GREY - I FOLLOW YOUMarco Moretti - Be real!Plaza De Mundo Project - Feel LovedTHUMPER - BAD MOODApollo Junction - Settle DownSchool Disco - HappenTony Riggi feat. Progetto Genoma - SilenceBm Casso - HosannaJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estatemad/no/mad – People Are Strange Lupretinia – Origami Edgar Allan Pop - Vita stressataEsma - Petali e diamantiMvgentv,Do-Nothings,Jay Lock, Dj Symoz - Dona MaryStephanie Happening - Body ElectricKornelius Flowers - ControlMM't VocalSeed – Sunlit reflectionClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriRewind - Moment in TimeAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Alex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Augusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry BabeFazzzad - Beyond the FlameAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneSusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – Double messagesShelita - BloomJ A Lena - Ana Elli HenaBig Rome - Who I AmBoris Metraux - Nena
School Disco - HappenTony Riggi feat. Progetto Genoma - SilenceBm Casso - HosannaHZPROD - War Within Amara Fe - Come back homemad/no/mad – People Are Strange Lupretinia – Origami Edgar Allan Pop - Vita stressataEsma - Petali e diamantiMvgentv,Do-Nothings,Jay Lock, Dj Symoz - Dona MaryKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenStephanie Happening - BecomingMM't VocalSeed – Sunlit reflectionMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Alessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneTAYSHA - FearlessAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyÖzgür Pamukçu - KeşkelerCosmiq - Cosmic LoveLipsleek - AOJoyce Lopez Jose - EchoesTom Minor - Next Stop BrixtonThe Cumberland River Project - Turquoise BlueRaubtier Kollektiv - Falkenflug für Charlie KirkAdhiLaker x Sh3therookie - AbundanceDivineisll - Game on SkipRusty Halo - The EndFEMILICIOUS - Heatwave featuring TwistaCold Math - What if...?Cold Math - SurrenderQuinton Jamar – My Story
Looking for more game-play.Based on a post by a u guy86, in 3 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time. The entire walk home, Ashley was smiling like a little girl on Christmas morning, holding Michael's arm and walking as close to him as she could. Michael, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. Antonio's advice for him to be his normal dorky self had worked, but had it worked too well? Questions began to race through his mind. What if she invited him in? What if she invited him to bed with her? How would she react when he told her of his lack of experience? If she did want to sleep with him, he didn't dare try to hide the fact that he was a virgin; no way would that end well. Sighing mentally, he decided he'd just have to play it by ear and hope for the best.“I… had such a great time with you,” Michael said as they approached her door.“Me too,” Ashley agreed. “And… well, it's still kinda early.”“Uh… y-yeah?”Throwing caution to the wind, Ashley leaned forward and planted a long and sensuous kiss on Michael's lips. By the end of it, her tongue had found his for the first time, to both of their delights.“Why don't you come in and stay a while?” she asked as they parted.“But… wouldn't Liz mind?”“Liz already told me she'll be gone ‘til tomorrow. We have the place to ourselves.” Sensing his hesitation, she continued, “Michael, believe me when I say that I swore at the start of the night this wouldn't happen. No matter how well tonight went… I had no intention of inviting you in after one date. Yet, here we are, and I don't want the night to end. No pressure, no expectations, I just… I want to spend more time with you. I mean, it is Valentine's Day, after all, and I do consider you my Valentine.”“Now who's the cheesy one?” Michael laughed. “I'd love to spend more time with you tonight, but only if you're sure.”Another peck on the lips, and Ashley said, “Positive.”Taking Michael's hand, Ashley practically dragged him into the apartment and locked the deadbolt behind her. She then took Michael's suit jacket from him, hanging it on the back of a chair at the breakfast nook. Before long, she had kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the sofa.“Come on,” Ashley beckoned, patting the seat next to her. “I don't bite.”Michael smirked at this, discarding his own shoes and loosening his tie a bit. As soon as his ass touched the sofa cushion, Ashley was already hanging on him, running her fingers through his hair and moving her hand to his thigh. Still, he tried to play it cool and have no assumptions about her intentions.“Did… you wanna watch a movie or something?” Michael asked.Smiling, Ashley gave a few playful kisses to Michael's cheek before replying, “Is that really what you want us to do tonight?”“I… I-I um…”Michael was slowly losing control of his mental capabilities, and Ashley damn well knew it. After he had driven her crazy on the dance floor, seducing her without even realizing it, she was determined to do the same. Turning up the heat, she leaned closer to Michael and kissed his lips longingly. He was powerless to stop her as she pushed him to lie back long ways on the sofa. The feeling of her lithe body on top of his was almost too much to bear.“Ashley…” he moaned.Looking deep into his eyes, she said, “Michael, I can't tell you how into you I am. I know this sounds insane, and I don't want you to think I'm slutty or anything, but… I want you to stay the night. Unless you absolutely don't want to, I have no intention of letting you leave until tomorrow.”Michael's face twisted a bit at this. “Of course I want to be here with you! But why would you think I'd think you're slutty?”Snorting a bit, Ashley replied, “Come on, Michael. Here I am, throwing myself at you after one date. How is that not slutty?”Maintaining eye contact, he asked, “Do you respect yourself and your standards?”“Of course! I would never even consider inviting a guy in or certainly sleeping with him under normal circumstances.”“And what makes you consider doing that?”“Basically… he has to be boyfriend material. I mean… look, I'm gonna be honest with you, Michael. I've been pretty stupid around men in the past, sleeping with them while knowing they aren't even close to being boyfriend material. I guess I thought I could change them. Like I said, I was stupid back then. But now, I know I have to fall for a guy because of who and what he is before I'd even think of sleeping with him. I don't just hop into bed with any guy I meet, not anymore.”Michael grinned. “Sounds like the opposite of slutty to me.”Kissing him once more, Ashley replied, “You sure know how to pay a girl a compliment. You sure you're not the one seducing me?”“Hey, you're the one who called me ‘boyfriend material' a moment ago.”“I certainly did not call you boyfriend material!” Ashley said, feigning offense. “I merely stated that any man I'd consider sleeping with had to fall into that category. Nothing more.”“Gotcha. So I'm not boyfriend material,” Michael replied with a smartass grin.“You know damn well you are,” Ashley sighed, running her fingers along his cheek. “Most genuine guy I've ever met.”“After one date?” Michael asked, still a bit in awe of the situation.“Michael, you weren't afraid to be yourself out there, even with the real you being a big dork. To me, there's nothing more attractive than that sort of confidence. It makes me want to make you my big dork, and nobody else's.” Kissing him again, Ashley began to grind her hips along his obvious erection. “Hmm, something's got you going down there, eh?”Panicking a moment at how quickly things were progressing, Michael managed to pull back. “Ashley, wait. There's… there's something you deserve to know before we go any further.”“Aw, is this your first time?” she asked playfully. Though she had been teasing, the look of terror spread across his face told her the truth. “Oh my god… this really is your first time, isn't it?”“Yeah,” he sighed, bracing for the worst.“That's… fantastic!”“Wait, what?”“Michael, you have no idea how nerve-wracking it is for us gals, trying to figure out if a guy is for real or not. So many guys are out to use any trick in the book to get into our panties. But the one trick those guys don't use is the virgin trick; no guy I've ever met would lie about being a virgin. There's plenty that would lie about not being a virgin, but never the other way around. Hearing you say that… it's comforting, in a way. I know you'd never try to trick me or anything like that, if that makes any sense.”“So… you're not gonna kick me out?” Michael asked.“Hell no.” Remembering his religious upbringing, Ashley continued, “Listen, I don't ever want to pressure you into something that you aren't comfortable with or that you'd feel wrong about. If you need to leave, I'm cool with that; I'd still want to see you again. If all you want to do is sleep, that's perfectly fine, too. But if you're interested in turning in your V-card… I'm more than willing.”Michael's mouth dried up at this. He didn't necessarily share his parents' views that sex should only occur within a marriage. Still, he had always known he only wanted to lose his virginity to someone special, someone that he could trust implicitly. Was Ashley that person? A small part of him was still terrified that this might be a setup, but the look in Ashley's eyes was slowly eroding that fear. He wanted to trust her, no matter how much the logical side of his brain told him not to. Taking a deep breath, Michael Goldman decided to take a leap of faith.“I want to.”Without a word, Ashley stood from the sofa and pulled Michael to his feet, leading him to her bedroom. A pair of blue lava lamps in either corner emitted a soft glow, and the décor reflected Ashley's true gamer girl personality. A pair of plush toys, Pikachu and Yoshi, stood guard atop her bed, her computer screensaver depicted Princess Peach and Princess Daisy, and her TV in the corner had both a Super Nintendo and a N64 plugged into it.“Retro. Very nice,” Michael remarked, nodding his approval.“Sometimes, the old ways are best,” Ashley agreed with a smirk. Melting into his arms once more, she turned her back and held her hair aside, beckoning, “Unzip me, please.”Michael's hands trembled as he lowered the zipper down to the small of her back. The mere sight of her exposed skin was enough to bring him dangerously close to blowing his top right then and there, but a few deep breaths managed to calm him down. He fumbled for several seconds with the clasp at the top of the dress, but Ashley showed no signs of impatience; they had all the time they needed, after all. At last, he managed to unhook the clasp, and Ashley allowed the red dress to slide off her body and down to the floor. She turned, now clad only in a white strapless bra and matching panties.“I'll teach you more about how to get one of these off another time,” Ashley cooed. “But for now…”In one swift motion, she reached behind her back with one hand and undid her bra clasp. She was still pressed against Michael's chest, holding the garment in place for the time being, much to his disappointment. Ashley only grinned as she backed up out of his arms, holding the bra in place with her hands for a few moments longer.“Oh, come on…” Michael whimpered.“Poor boy,” Ashley teased. “Remember, anticipation is a huge part of foreplay.”“Anticipation or torture?”“Amazing how often those two coincide,” Ashley shot back with a giggle.Deciding Michael had waited long enough, Ashley lowered her arm and allowed the bra to fall to the floor. Michael stared in awe at her perky tits, high and firm on her chest. He certainly wasn't an expert, but they appeared to be about a B-cup, and her nipples were already rock hard, beckoning him to touch them. The rest of her body was just as amazing. Her milky skin contained not a single speck or blemish, save for the tattoo on her shoulder, and that only served to accentuate her beauty. He moved forward, reaching for her tits, but Ashley slapped his hands away.“Nuh uh,” she said, shaking her finger at him. “You don't get to touch until I see some of what you've got.”Ashley reached for Michael's clothes to try and speed the process along, but was soon stumped by his tie. Michael found this quite amusing, considering the difficulty men notoriously had with bras. He undid the knot and tossed the tie on the floor, beginning to unbutton his white dress shirt. At this point, Ashley just stood back and watched, as Michael had done with her. After he removed his dress shirt and undershirt, Ashley's eyes widened with lust and desire. As much as she wanted to jump his bones then and there, she managed to restrain herself. It was only fair, after her previous denial of his touch. Michael was clearly nervous as he undid his belt and lowered his suit pants. His boxers were tented from his erection and already stained with a bit of his precum, which Ashley took as a massive compliment.“Very nice,” she whispered in a husky voice.“Thanks,” Michael replied with a nervous grin.Hooking her thumbs into the waistband of her panties, she continued, “Time for the big reveal, then?”With a seductive grin on her face, Ashley began to lower the garment down her legs, her tits jiggling as she bent over to kick them off. Michael was frozen in place with sheer amazement at the sight before him. Here he was, in the presence of the most gorgeous girl he had ever imagined, naked as the day she was born. Her shaved cunt looked so warm and inviting; how he ached to feel her wrapped around him. After allowing him a moment to stare, she sauntered up to him and slipped her fingers into his boxers.“May I?” Ashley asked.All Michael could do was nod at that point, and Ashley planted her lips on his as she allowed his boxers to fall to the floor. She smiled as she took his member in her hand, feeling that he was indeed packing substantial weaponry. Ashley soon remembered that this was Michael's first time; it would be all he could manage not to go off too soon. She stopped her teasing for the moment and turned to her double bed. After slipping underneath the covers, she patted the spot next to her, which Michael readily occupied.They spent the next several minutes kissing and exploring each other's bodies with their hands and mouths. Michael was pleased to discover that Ashley's tits were indeed quite firm, fitting perfectly in his hands. As wonderful as feeling them was, he enjoyed tasting them even more, and especially the reactions this brought about from Ashley. All the while, she allowed her own hands to explore Michael's body. She found a particularly strong erogenous zone at the back of his neck where his hairline began. Soon, neither could stand it any longer; they had to make love.“Michael,” Ashley whispered, “I can see in your eyes that you're worried about performance. Don't be. You've already made this night more special than I ever imagined it could be. Just enjoy for as long as it may last.”“But-”“Trust me,” she continued, silencing him with a kiss. “This is only the first of many times we're going to do this.”As Ashley pushed him onto his back and straddled him, Michael had the presence of mind to ask, “Do we need any… protection?”Ashley stopped at this, stunned by his kind consideration. “Michael, you really are the best kind of guy around. You don't have to worry about me getting pregnant; I'm on the pill. I'm also clean per my last doctor's visit, but if you'd feel more comfortable with a condom, I'm happy to oblige. I keep a few spares in my nightstand.”Though the logical part of his brain told him to agree to it, Michael couldn't help but put his faith in this girl. “No, that's all right. I trust you're being honest. Just wanted to be sure.”Ashley sealed her lips around Michael's once more, positioning the head of his cock at her entrance as she did so. After a moment of silent understanding, he placed his hands on her hips and guided himself into her moist cunt. The feelings were exquisite, like liquid velvet squeezing his member. She made sure to keep a slow pace, allowing Michael to savor every new sensation that came along. After arriving at the base of his cock, Ashley sat straight up, displaying her pert tits for her lover.“Holy shit, Ashley…” Michael moaned.“You're mine, now,” she giggled. “And I don't plan on letting go of you anytime soon…”“No complaints from me,” he admitted with a grin.For the next five minutes, Ashley treated Michael to the ride of his life, teasing and tormenting his engorged cock with every inch of her cunt. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he was able to last so long on his first time, long enough even for her to reach a small orgasm of her own. All the while, Michael couldn't help but cup her perfect tits in his hands. As he drew close to climax, Michael pulled Ashley down to lie face-to-face with him and planted a sensuous kiss on her lips. The sensation of her fingers on his cheeks and running through his hair were too much at that point, and he sent his seed into her waiting cunt with a guttural moan of ecstasy.“Mmm… I love that feeling,” Ashley purred, savoring Michael's cock twitching within her folds.Spent and content, Michael couldn't even utter a word in reply, so Ashley slipped off his cock and rolled next to him
Looking for more game-play.Based on a post by a u guy86, in 3 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time. The entire walk home, Ashley was smiling like a little girl on Christmas morning, holding Michael's arm and walking as close to him as she could. Michael, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. Antonio's advice for him to be his normal dorky self had worked, but had it worked too well? Questions began to race through his mind. What if she invited him in? What if she invited him to bed with her? How would she react when he told her of his lack of experience? If she did want to sleep with him, he didn't dare try to hide the fact that he was a virgin; no way would that end well. Sighing mentally, he decided he'd just have to play it by ear and hope for the best.“I… had such a great time with you,” Michael said as they approached her door.“Me too,” Ashley agreed. “And… well, it's still kinda early.”“Uh… y-yeah?”Throwing caution to the wind, Ashley leaned forward and planted a long and sensuous kiss on Michael's lips. By the end of it, her tongue had found his for the first time, to both of their delights.“Why don't you come in and stay a while?” she asked as they parted.“But… wouldn't Liz mind?”“Liz already told me she'll be gone ‘til tomorrow. We have the place to ourselves.” Sensing his hesitation, she continued, “Michael, believe me when I say that I swore at the start of the night this wouldn't happen. No matter how well tonight went… I had no intention of inviting you in after one date. Yet, here we are, and I don't want the night to end. No pressure, no expectations, I just… I want to spend more time with you. I mean, it is Valentine's Day, after all, and I do consider you my Valentine.”“Now who's the cheesy one?” Michael laughed. “I'd love to spend more time with you tonight, but only if you're sure.”Another peck on the lips, and Ashley said, “Positive.”Taking Michael's hand, Ashley practically dragged him into the apartment and locked the deadbolt behind her. She then took Michael's suit jacket from him, hanging it on the back of a chair at the breakfast nook. Before long, she had kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the sofa.“Come on,” Ashley beckoned, patting the seat next to her. “I don't bite.”Michael smirked at this, discarding his own shoes and loosening his tie a bit. As soon as his ass touched the sofa cushion, Ashley was already hanging on him, running her fingers through his hair and moving her hand to his thigh. Still, he tried to play it cool and have no assumptions about her intentions.“Did… you wanna watch a movie or something?” Michael asked.Smiling, Ashley gave a few playful kisses to Michael's cheek before replying, “Is that really what you want us to do tonight?”“I… I-I um…”Michael was slowly losing control of his mental capabilities, and Ashley damn well knew it. After he had driven her crazy on the dance floor, seducing her without even realizing it, she was determined to do the same. Turning up the heat, she leaned closer to Michael and kissed his lips longingly. He was powerless to stop her as she pushed him to lie back long ways on the sofa. The feeling of her lithe body on top of his was almost too much to bear.“Ashley…” he moaned.Looking deep into his eyes, she said, “Michael, I can't tell you how into you I am. I know this sounds insane, and I don't want you to think I'm slutty or anything, but… I want you to stay the night. Unless you absolutely don't want to, I have no intention of letting you leave until tomorrow.”Michael's face twisted a bit at this. “Of course I want to be here with you! But why would you think I'd think you're slutty?”Snorting a bit, Ashley replied, “Come on, Michael. Here I am, throwing myself at you after one date. How is that not slutty?”Maintaining eye contact, he asked, “Do you respect yourself and your standards?”“Of course! I would never even consider inviting a guy in or certainly sleeping with him under normal circumstances.”“And what makes you consider doing that?”“Basically… he has to be boyfriend material. I mean… look, I'm gonna be honest with you, Michael. I've been pretty stupid around men in the past, sleeping with them while knowing they aren't even close to being boyfriend material. I guess I thought I could change them. Like I said, I was stupid back then. But now, I know I have to fall for a guy because of who and what he is before I'd even think of sleeping with him. I don't just hop into bed with any guy I meet, not anymore.”Michael grinned. “Sounds like the opposite of slutty to me.”Kissing him once more, Ashley replied, “You sure know how to pay a girl a compliment. You sure you're not the one seducing me?”“Hey, you're the one who called me ‘boyfriend material' a moment ago.”“I certainly did not call you boyfriend material!” Ashley said, feigning offense. “I merely stated that any man I'd consider sleeping with had to fall into that category. Nothing more.”“Gotcha. So I'm not boyfriend material,” Michael replied with a smartass grin.“You know damn well you are,” Ashley sighed, running her fingers along his cheek. “Most genuine guy I've ever met.”“After one date?” Michael asked, still a bit in awe of the situation.“Michael, you weren't afraid to be yourself out there, even with the real you being a big dork. To me, there's nothing more attractive than that sort of confidence. It makes me want to make you my big dork, and nobody else's.” Kissing him again, Ashley began to grind her hips along his obvious erection. “Hmm, something's got you going down there, eh?”Panicking a moment at how quickly things were progressing, Michael managed to pull back. “Ashley, wait. There's… there's something you deserve to know before we go any further.”“Aw, is this your first time?” she asked playfully. Though she had been teasing, the look of terror spread across his face told her the truth. “Oh my god… this really is your first time, isn't it?”“Yeah,” he sighed, bracing for the worst.“That's… fantastic!”“Wait, what?”“Michael, you have no idea how nerve-wracking it is for us gals, trying to figure out if a guy is for real or not. So many guys are out to use any trick in the book to get into our panties. But the one trick those guys don't use is the virgin trick; no guy I've ever met would lie about being a virgin. There's plenty that would lie about not being a virgin, but never the other way around. Hearing you say that… it's comforting, in a way. I know you'd never try to trick me or anything like that, if that makes any sense.”“So… you're not gonna kick me out?” Michael asked.“Hell no.” Remembering his religious upbringing, Ashley continued, “Listen, I don't ever want to pressure you into something that you aren't comfortable with or that you'd feel wrong about. If you need to leave, I'm cool with that; I'd still want to see you again. If all you want to do is sleep, that's perfectly fine, too. But if you're interested in turning in your V-card… I'm more than willing.”Michael's mouth dried up at this. He didn't necessarily share his parents' views that sex should only occur within a marriage. Still, he had always known he only wanted to lose his virginity to someone special, someone that he could trust implicitly. Was Ashley that person? A small part of him was still terrified that this might be a setup, but the look in Ashley's eyes was slowly eroding that fear. He wanted to trust her, no matter how much the logical side of his brain told him not to. Taking a deep breath, Michael Goldman decided to take a leap of faith.“I want to.”Without a word, Ashley stood from the sofa and pulled Michael to his feet, leading him to her bedroom. A pair of blue lava lamps in either corner emitted a soft glow, and the décor reflected Ashley's true gamer girl personality. A pair of plush toys, Pikachu and Yoshi, stood guard atop her bed, her computer screensaver depicted Princess Peach and Princess Daisy, and her TV in the corner had both a Super Nintendo and a N64 plugged into it.“Retro. Very nice,” Michael remarked, nodding his approval.“Sometimes, the old ways are best,” Ashley agreed with a smirk. Melting into his arms once more, she turned her back and held her hair aside, beckoning, “Unzip me, please.”Michael's hands trembled as he lowered the zipper down to the small of her back. The mere sight of her exposed skin was enough to bring him dangerously close to blowing his top right then and there, but a few deep breaths managed to calm him down. He fumbled for several seconds with the clasp at the top of the dress, but Ashley showed no signs of impatience; they had all the time they needed, after all. At last, he managed to unhook the clasp, and Ashley allowed the red dress to slide off her body and down to the floor. She turned, now clad only in a white strapless bra and matching panties.“I'll teach you more about how to get one of these off another time,” Ashley cooed. “But for now…”In one swift motion, she reached behind her back with one hand and undid her bra clasp. She was still pressed against Michael's chest, holding the garment in place for the time being, much to his disappointment. Ashley only grinned as she backed up out of his arms, holding the bra in place with her hands for a few moments longer.“Oh, come on…” Michael whimpered.“Poor boy,” Ashley teased. “Remember, anticipation is a huge part of foreplay.”“Anticipation or torture?”“Amazing how often those two coincide,” Ashley shot back with a giggle.Deciding Michael had waited long enough, Ashley lowered her arm and allowed the bra to fall to the floor. Michael stared in awe at her perky tits, high and firm on her chest. He certainly wasn't an expert, but they appeared to be about a B-cup, and her nipples were already rock hard, beckoning him to touch them. The rest of her body was just as amazing. Her milky skin contained not a single speck or blemish, save for the tattoo on her shoulder, and that only served to accentuate her beauty. He moved forward, reaching for her tits, but Ashley slapped his hands away.“Nuh uh,” she said, shaking her finger at him. “You don't get to touch until I see some of what you've got.”Ashley reached for Michael's clothes to try and speed the process along, but was soon stumped by his tie. Michael found this quite amusing, considering the difficulty men notoriously had with bras. He undid the knot and tossed the tie on the floor, beginning to unbutton his white dress shirt. At this point, Ashley just stood back and watched, as Michael had done with her. After he removed his dress shirt and undershirt, Ashley's eyes widened with lust and desire. As much as she wanted to jump his bones then and there, she managed to restrain herself. It was only fair, after her previous denial of his touch. Michael was clearly nervous as he undid his belt and lowered his suit pants. His boxers were tented from his erection and already stained with a bit of his precum, which Ashley took as a massive compliment.“Very nice,” she whispered in a husky voice.“Thanks,” Michael replied with a nervous grin.Hooking her thumbs into the waistband of her panties, she continued, “Time for the big reveal, then?”With a seductive grin on her face, Ashley began to lower the garment down her legs, her tits jiggling as she bent over to kick them off. Michael was frozen in place with sheer amazement at the sight before him. Here he was, in the presence of the most gorgeous girl he had ever imagined, naked as the day she was born. Her shaved cunt looked so warm and inviting; how he ached to feel her wrapped around him. After allowing him a moment to stare, she sauntered up to him and slipped her fingers into his boxers.“May I?” Ashley asked.All Michael could do was nod at that point, and Ashley planted her lips on his as she allowed his boxers to fall to the floor. She smiled as she took his member in her hand, feeling that he was indeed packing substantial weaponry. Ashley soon remembered that this was Michael's first time; it would be all he could manage not to go off too soon. She stopped her teasing for the moment and turned to her double bed. After slipping underneath the covers, she patted the spot next to her, which Michael readily occupied.They spent the next several minutes kissing and exploring each other's bodies with their hands and mouths. Michael was pleased to discover that Ashley's tits were indeed quite firm, fitting perfectly in his hands. As wonderful as feeling them was, he enjoyed tasting them even more, and especially the reactions this brought about from Ashley. All the while, she allowed her own hands to explore Michael's body. She found a particularly strong erogenous zone at the back of his neck where his hairline began. Soon, neither could stand it any longer; they had to make love.“Michael,” Ashley whispered, “I can see in your eyes that you're worried about performance. Don't be. You've already made this night more special than I ever imagined it could be. Just enjoy for as long as it may last.”“But-”“Trust me,” she continued, silencing him with a kiss. “This is only the first of many times we're going to do this.”As Ashley pushed him onto his back and straddled him, Michael had the presence of mind to ask, “Do we need any… protection?”Ashley stopped at this, stunned by his kind consideration. “Michael, you really are the best kind of guy around. You don't have to worry about me getting pregnant; I'm on the pill. I'm also clean per my last doctor's visit, but if you'd feel more comfortable with a condom, I'm happy to oblige. I keep a few spares in my nightstand.”Though the logical part of his brain told him to agree to it, Michael couldn't help but put his faith in this girl. “No, that's all right. I trust you're being honest. Just wanted to be sure.”Ashley sealed her lips around Michael's once more, positioning the head of his cock at her entrance as she did so. After a moment of silent understanding, he placed his hands on her hips and guided himself into her moist cunt. The feelings were exquisite, like liquid velvet squeezing his member. She made sure to keep a slow pace, allowing Michael to savor every new sensation that came along. After arriving at the base of his cock, Ashley sat straight up, displaying her pert tits for her lover.“Holy shit, Ashley…” Michael moaned.“You're mine, now,” she giggled. “And I don't plan on letting go of you anytime soon…”“No complaints from me,” he admitted with a grin.For the next five minutes, Ashley treated Michael to the ride of his life, teasing and tormenting his engorged cock with every inch of her cunt. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he was able to last so long on his first time, long enough even for her to reach a small orgasm of her own. All the while, Michael couldn't help but cup her perfect tits in his hands. As he drew close to climax, Michael pulled Ashley down to lie face-to-face with him and planted a sensuous kiss on her lips. The sensation of her fingers on his cheeks and running through his hair were too much at that point, and he sent his seed into her waiting cunt with a guttural moan of ecstasy.“Mmm… I love that feeling,” Ashley purred, savoring Michael's cock twitching within her folds.Spent and content, Michael couldn't even utter a word in reply, so Ashley slipped off his cock and rolled next to him
Alessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneTAYSHA - FearlessAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)FEMILICIOUS - Fire it upAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingKornelius Flowers - ControlAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Big Rome - Who I AmShelita - BloomJ A Lena - Ana Elli HenaDJ Roko – DynamitePressgang Mutiny - Haul Away JoeCyclops - Ride Rhydm ANDREA CECCHI: ONCE UPON A BOY STEFANO SPANTO: IT' TRUE LOVE SOLTRONIQUE: SUMMER OF LOVE Café Noir - Ghost in the CityShy-Anne Hovorka - Fly awayJen Awad & Will Bates - "Doomed to Loving You" Lola Wild - "Girls in Hollywood" Sam Macdonald - "Distant Light" Exzenya - CaptivityDIGNEY Fignus - American Rose Olivia Millin - Soul for the Taking Pam Ross - Crazy Ride Fall of passion - Never gonna let you go Avem Paradisi - The Power of Jesuszukrassverliebt - Way Too HotREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry Babeokafuwa & FR3SH TrX - Made up My MindJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomRewind - I'm in rewindMIGLIO "Musica Elettronica"
Alessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriEsma -GiunglaAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours TAYSHA - FearlessAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenGepetto Trio - Blow the Wind SoutherlyAudren - The Good RoadOoberfuse - Better than goldBruceBAn$hee – WooHoo!DJ Roko - DynamiteTransgalactica - Joyce of the Marketwilliam odell hughes - Loving you was easy (Remix)BABY T - Through The FirePerry Ripley - Gospels Of A Broken Heartdj thommek - FEELINGShelita - BloomJ A Lena - Ana Elli HenaBig Rome - Who I AmDJ Roko – DynamitePressgang Mutiny - Haul Away JoeXDB - Love of My Life Ashes Awaken - A Better Way Dust and Grace - Hallelujah ARGYRO - Glitterati Bob Augustine - The Candy Wrapper Shy-Anne Hovorka - Fly awayAmalia – IM-Perfecta Elvira Kalnik - Water Knows Wohran - Clear (Clean)
Esma -GiunglaMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours TAYSHA - FearlessJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomMidnight Alexandr – Endless SummerKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenRetroBright - HoneylandMicah Madore- Scenic Side of SkepticalGINAxC- Like a Snake - Velvet Club Pop MixNONMALE – DISIMPARARERosie Belvie - Daddy's GirlPowers of the Monk - Bread & CircusesOaken Lee - Reach Out (Cut Wires Remix)Archer Stevens - Turned AroundNathan's Patience – Just for tonightHazelize - Signal LostShelita - BloomJ A Lena - Ana Elli HenaBig Rome - Who I AmDJ Roko – DynamitePressgang Mutiny - Haul Away JoeCyclops - Ride Rhydm Café Noir - Ghost in the CityShy-Anne Hovorka - Fly awayJen Awad & Will Bates - "Doomed to Loving You" Lola Wild - "Girls in Hollywood" Sam Macdonald - "Distant Light" Amalia – IM-Perfecta French Exchange - Medication NationNoble Hops "Kelso Beach"
Alessandra Milieri - Two Plus One Bradley Adam Band – EliseEnergy Whores - Pretty Sparkly ThingsBall in the House – Take a ChanceKevin Driscoll – The Maine ThingShaza - Anche se piove platinum versionEsma -GiunglaDj Symoz e Jay Lock -Noche LibreUmberto Carcione – BrividiGloria Guzzi – Abbraccio di NiveaMerlin the Wizard – Tunnel RushAlex Reese - Mexico (Radio Edit)ISA-AURA, OGHAMYST and RANDY RESNICK - MANOLITABlock - RhinocerosJ Eden - Dancing Through The WavesBen Withers - Hold my BreathOsea Codega - JoyNumber_i "Numbers Ur Zone" ZOCO "Restless" Esma - OndaTAYSHA - FearlessAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Alex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Midnight Alexandr – Endless SummerAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry BabeFazzzad - Beyond the Flameokafuwa & FR3SH TrX - Made up My MindSusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – Double MessagesShankz - Too Late
Marcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneEsma - OndaAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Joshua - Boom, Boom, BoomTAYSHA - FearlessAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)FEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UPAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry BabeFazzzad - Beyond the Flamezukrassverliebt - Way Too Hotokafuwa & FR3SH TrX - Made up My MindHarry Potta Wit Da Stix - Out Da CupboardSheykh Forever - Where is my baby?Coolhandtrew - Shock the WorldColston - HeleneWestingway - Stay on the LineGreg Owens & Harmonic Soul Band - Harmonic Soul MedleyKatie Belle - Bad DreamsLemon - Maybe It's YouHarri Mason – CompareMortez - River RunninFS RUDY - PERC OUTOsea Codega - JoyNumber_i "Numbers Ur Zone" ZOCO "Restless" Lena Lovelace – The Collector Policy/Amelia Martin – Finish Line Jill Baldassari - RewindMats Cage - Just Right For Me
Marcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriEsma - OndaAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomTAYSHA - FearlessAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Midnight Alexandr – Endless SummerAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry Babezukrassverliebt - Way Too Hotokafuwa & FR3SH TrX - Made up My MindSusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – I'm Alright I'm A MessHarry Potta Wit Da Stix - Out Da CupboardParticle X – RepressionAurimas Galvelis - My HeartVictòria Vilalta - Out loud thoughtsTony & The Kiki - B.N.T.Jesse Kinch- Go Home GirlLuna's Dark Secret - I'm AlrightIrian Darkwood - Ride or Die Kinda GirlJ.Mar - Dark DaysYulan & Blaise - QuenchFS RUDY - PERC OUTOsea Codega - JoyNumber_i "Numbers Ur Zone"ZOCO "Restless"Lena Lovelace – The CollectorPolicy/Amelia Martin – Finish LineSundog - All Got Wasted
Energy Whores - Hey Hey Hate!Hollow Zoo - King Of Fools (Clean)Naydu - Smooth OperatorZeXzy - Ain't Tricking feat. Lil Wayne (Clean)Senior Dunce - BESTIALLo Martill - No futuroNoble Hops ft. Miss Freddye "Life By the Numbers" Alpenstock – Little Bird Nico Arn - ChristinaOlena Nosalii – Le Calme New Laconia - Journey to the PastKaty Broder – Could it be you Los Armadillos - Another Monday MorningDaph Veil – Bloodsucker Erotika Dabra - EAT ME/DRINK MEGianluca Zanna - You are my destiny Future RemixJames Bellew - Summers Last EmbraceFickle Hill - Where did you goSvarp The Harp - Hoochie Coochie ManThe Mess:Age - SacrificeAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus Oneokafuwa & FR3SH TrX - Made up My Mindzukrassverliebt - Way Too HotFazzzad - Beyond the FlameREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry BabeAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriEsma - OndaAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Donatello Ciullo - Coccobello
Welcome to Spitting Nonsense—where two self-proclaimed amateurs, Jasmine and Zach, chat about all things nerdy (and plenty that's not). None of this is fact, but it's definitely our brand of nonsense! We're still recording regularly—no promises on hitting exact days anymore—but you can always count on us for plenty of off-the-wall commentary. And now, you can leave comments on Spotify! Tell us what's on your mind; we see every comment and might even respond on the show. Thanks for listening, and enjoy the nonsense!
Chad Shue – Teardrops and Heartache Manuel K - Like a flowerAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneK.I.ST.E - 1984 Jo Gold - La NocheScott Alan Savoy - We both know it didScott Alan Savoy – Right there and thenScott Alan Savoy - A million miles from home Doogie O'Fella – Throw Em Flowers Kublaii - TangerineMouth Water - Rise (warner case Remix)Extra Band – A Thousand Sexes Extra Band - DeathlessErotika Dabra - EAT ME/DRINK MEClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenKornelius Flowers - ControlJess Breame - It Falls On Memravik- I'm on cloud nineAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriEsma - OndaAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Sundog - All Got WastedKaty Broder – Could it be you Takeda - California Honey Motel - T.N.A.K. The Spitfires - I'll Never Angela — Твій салонний огірчик Jacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursSusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – GarbageMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyFazzzad - Beyond the FlameREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry Babe
Ōama, aka Temmu Tennō, ascended the throne in the Kiyomihara Palace--a rennovated version of his mother's Later Okamoto Palace. Here he ruled with a tremendous amount of authority, continuing the leverage the Ritsuryo system to centralize power in the throne. We'll look at the layout of the palace, and also talk a little bit about what life was like for the members of the court who were serving Oama, and the state at large. For photos, diagrams, and more, see our blog at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/episode-134 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is episode 134: An Image of the Court at Kiyomihara Maro sat under the eaves of the hall to which he was assigned. The journey from Mino hadn't been so hard, but he was still far from his family, back home. He knew as much as they did that serving at the court of the Great Lord was a tremendous opportunity. He would be at the heart of the court, in the presence of those running the country, and he could learn a lot from them. After passing his internship, he would have a chance to prove himself. If he worked hard, he could look forward to continued promotion, with the greater stipend and influence that came with it. Maro had no illusions that he would someday be at the top of the court hierarchy, but perhaps he could make some modest improvements in his station. His elder brother was expected to inherit their father's position back in Mino, but the court provided a different opportunity. Maro had always been a quick learner, and had learned to read and write at an early age, devouring whatever knowledge he could get his hands on – and that had helped make him that much more desirable to the court. Now he was learning the ins and outs of how it worked, mostly by doing odd jobs while observing the various interactions, the politics, and the rhythm of it all. Life at the Court really was something. And yet he still felt homesick. And so here Maro sat, looking out at the full moon in the sky, its light so bright that he barely needed any other illumination. Maro wondered at the idea that his family might be looking up at the same moon at the very same time. As that image took hold, he could feel in the experience a poetic verse. He took out one of the wooden slips used for labels and notes, scraped off the previous writing, and began jotting down his composition. He only got through a couple of lines before he heard his name being called, and since he was on night duty he put down the brush and the wooden slip. Poetry would have to wait. With everything put back away, he rushed off to find out what new task awaited him. So here we are, the year is 673 and we are at the start of a new era. Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, had defeated his enemies and was now in the process of taking the reins of power and officially ascending the throne. In so doing he was moving the capital from Ohotsu, on the shores of Lake Biwa, back to Asuka. Arriving back, he took up residence in what is called the Shima palace for a few days, presumably as they prepared the Okamoto Palace for him. At the same time, we are told that a “palace” was erected for Ohoama south of the Okamoto Palace, and this was called the Kiyomihara Palace. I'd like to spend this episode talking about this Kiyomihara Palace, and what life was like there, not just for Ohoama but for his new court. While we talked about some of the other palaces, this is perhaps one of the better known from the archaeological record, and it is the backdrop for so much that happens. Ohoama is even known as the Sovereign from Kiyomihara. So let's talk about what the palace consisted of, and what it was, and a little bit about what life was like there. In addition to that, we've discussed in previous episodes how Ohoama's ascension to the throne kicked off a whole new era in the evolution of the Yamato state, with numerous innovations and new paradigms in the idea of the ruler and the court and their relationship – so it's worth taking a closer look at the setting where all of that was happening, so we can try and put ourselves in the shoes of those doing the work, and understand their daily grind, as it were. There is unfortunately plenty about the Kiyomihara Palace that we don't know - it isn't like there is a detailed account of the palace in the records - but its ruins are probably the most complete of all those found in Asuka. This makes sense, given that it would have been built over the earlier palace sites. In fact, for the most part, the Kiyomihara Palace is just the Later Okamoto Palace, in other words where Takara Hime, aka Saimei Tennou, ruled, but updated and expanded to fit Ohoama's and his court's needs. Archeological work in Asuka has done some tremendous work to help us understand the Asuka Palace Site. By studying the various post holes, ditches, and other evidence, along with occasionally discarded items, we have a general idea of the palace's shape, and when we combine this with what we know from other sites—the Naniwa Palace ruins in Ohosaka, the Fujiwara palace ruins in Kashihara, and the Heijo-kyo ruins in Nara, among others—along with an understanding of how palaces were being built on the continent, we are able to piece together what we think was going on. Of course these interpretations aren't unanimous, and there are parts that scholars will no doubt quibble over—such as the use of the Ebinoko compound, which I'll talk about in a bit—but in general we have a picture of what things probably looked like, at least from a layout perspective, and how the site may have been used. To start, let's go back for a moment to the Toyosaki Palace in Naniwa, the first palace purpose built for the new governmental system being brought over from the continent. This was the palace of Karu Ohokimi, aka Koutoku Tennou, uncle to Naka no Ohoye. It was built in the aftermath of the Isshin Incident of 645, an architectural centerpiece of the Taika reforms. As you may recall, this was a massive undertaking. This palace was largely rectangular, and consisted of three compounds from south to north, ranging from most to least public. Most people would enter from the south gate, later known as the Suzaku-mon, the gate of the crimson bird of the south, a pattern that would generally hold true for other palaces. Entering the compound, you would find yourself in the Choshuden, a space holding two pavilions with several rooms where officials could change into or out of their official robes. The gates to the Choshuden would open at sunrise for the clerks and functionaries would enter. At the northern end of the Choshuden was the Southern gate of the Chodoin, the main working area of the court. There were 14 halls, or Chodo, each one dedicated to a different ministry. The size of these halls varied, likely based on importance or at least the size of their government portfolio. Most of the middle area of the Chodoin was open, but at the northern end was the gate to the Dairi, the inner palace. This gate was flanked by two octagonal buildings, and it led to an area between the Chodoin and the Dairi where there sat the building that would become the Daigokuden. This was the main audience chamber for meetings with the sovereign, who would preside and make pronouncements in the early morning hours, at the start of the day. To the north of the Daigokuden was the rest of the Dairi, where the sovereign's personal quarters lay, including the quarters for his consorts and children, maintained by his personal servants.And there were other gates into and out of the Dairi—after all, the palace was so large you didn't want to have to go through the Choushuden and Choudouin just to get to the sovereign's quarters. Those who lived in the Dairi and those who worked there would be able to have their own entrances and exits. Let's contrast all of this with the Okamoto Palace in Asuka. More precisely the Later Okamoto Palace. This was the successor palace to the Itabuki palace, both of which were built for Takara Hime, aka Kougyouku—and by this point Saimei—Tennou. In fact, Itabuki palace burned down at the end of 654, just as Takara Hime came to the throne a second time. This palace was, in total, maybe the size of the Chodoin of the Toyosaki Palace, if that. For one thing, there wasn't as much flat land easily available in the valley, but for another, the builders maybe didn't think they needed quite that much space and that many buildings. You see, while the Toyosaki palace in Naniwa was likely meant to model the kind of infrastructure necessary for the Tang court, in Chang'an, Yamato was still building up its fledgling bureaucracy. It wasn't like there were a flood of reports and correspondences coming in from all over the archipelago that had to be handled by an army of clerks. At least not yet. The Okamoto palace, from what we can tell, was also a rectangle, once again facing south , on the east side of the Asuka river. This palace did not necessarily have the same kinds of dedicated spaces as the Toyosaki Palace. The main gate that we know of was in the south, leading to a courtyard with another building—possibly the Ohoandono, alternatively the Ohoyasumidono or the Daianden. This may have been an audience hall for meeting with public officials. The ground here was covered in gravel, a fairly common thing for palace compounds. Though we don't know exactly what the buildings looked like, we have some idea based on the size and number of post-holes. We also haven't found any ceramic tiles in or around the ruins so far, which suggests that Okamoto Palace did not have ceramic tile roofs as were common on temple architecture, but instead were likely covered with wooden shingles, like the Itabuki Palace that used to be in relatively the same spot. From an archeological perspective, any tiled building of this size leaves a lot of indications behind: over the years tiles fall off, break, get buried, etc. Even if, as was common, the court meticulously dismantled the buildings down and reused as much as they could, we would still expect to see some tiles or tile fragments in the ground where the pillars are found, and yet we find nothing of the sort. To the east and west of the Ohoandono were long, narrow structures, oriented north to south rather than east to west. These are thought to have been the offices where government officials could do their work. Moving into the northern section of the palace, the ground was paved with river stones. There were two large buildings with small wings, running east to west, lengthwise, and situated on the same line as the Ohoandono. These may have been what have been called the To no Andono, or outer Hall, and the Uchi no Andono, the inner hall, and they would have been used for ceremonies for those of the appropriate rank. The middle hall it seems was modified from its original form. While it was similar in size and footprint to the hall north of it, the western wing of the southern hall at some point was destroyed—whether on purpose or accidentally—and it was replaced with what appears to have been a pond. On each side of this central area we see more space for buildings, but only some of the post holes have so far been uncovered. There were other buildings further in the northernmost third of the compound that were likely for the sovereign's private usage, as well as a well, and what may have been a building for some kind of semi-private religious ceremony. This palace, the Okamoto Palace, was essentially what Ohoama started from when he relocated the capital back to Asuka – but when he ascended to the throne, he did make a few changes. Most notable was the creation of something called the ebinoko-kuruwa, the Ebinoko enclosure. This was to the southeast of the main palace, and had a rectangular wall surrounding one large building and two smaller ones. Interestingly, the buildings would appear to be oriented in a symmetrical shape that would suggest a southern entrance, like the other palace compounds we've been discussing, and yet the gate was to the west, opening to the area between the Ebinoko enclosure and the main palace. And based on postholes and other evidence, there appear to have been at least four other rectangular buildings stretching out to the south, outside of the walls. Some have theorized that the large building in the Ebinoko was an early form of the Daigokuden, a ceremonial hall where Ohoama held court, rather than reusing the facilities of the old Okamoto palace. Alternately, perhaps it was actually more like the buildings of the Chodoin in Naniwa, where the different departments of the court actually did business, but here with all of the officials working in one, single building. A third idea that others have suggested that this was actually Ohoama's private residence—again, somewhat odd given the size and shape and the fact that there were the seemingly larger facilities of the Okamoto palace already right there for the taking. So which is it? We do have a clue in the record of the 15th day of the 9th month of 672, and the lines following it. According to the Aston translation of the Nihon shoki: He removed his residence from the Palace of Shima to the Palace of Okamoto. In this year a Palace was erected south of the Palace of Okamoto, and the Emperor removed his residence thither that same winter. This was called the Palace of Kiyomibara in Asuka. So it does seem like something was built south of Okamoto and that is where Ohoama resided. It is somewhat uncommon for a sovereign to reuse an old palace like this. Traditionally, sovereigns had regularly moved to new palaces, seemingly because of the attempts to avoid ritual pollution associated with death. Of course, it had been a while since Takara hime had passed away, and Naka no Ohoye had moved everything to Ohotsu, but nonetheless, is it possible that the Ebinoko kuruwa was built to, in some way, give Ohoama new quarters? We may never know for sure. There are plenty of inconsistencies. For one, if it was meant as a residence, I would expect more buildings for his consorts and others. There are also some things to note about the account in the Nihon Shoki. For one thing, although the initial account calls this the Kiyomihara Palace, the Chronicles also suggest that it wouldn't actually get that name until the 20th day of the 7th month of 686, about 14 years later. That record describes how a new era name was also announced: the Akamitori, or red bird, era. I don't want to get too much into it right now, but suffice it to say that a red, three legged crow is often depicted as the symbol of the sun; and the important south gate of the palace, the Suzaku-mon, is named for the vermillion bird of the south, one of the four guardian animals. When this era name—more commonly read as “Shucho”, today, since era names are commonly red in on'yomi reading rather than kun'yomi—well, when it was declared, we are told that the palace was titled the Palace of Kiyomihara of Asuka. What are we to make of this? Well, today, it is assumed that the Kiyomihara palace refers to the Okamoto Palace starting from the creation of the Ebinoko-kuruwa and its occupation during what is assumed to be Ohoama's rule. Earlier in the Nihon Shoki we are told that Ohoama was known as the Kiyomihara sovereign, and so even though that name technically wasn't applied to the palace until later, it makes some sense just to assume it applied from the start of Ohoama's renovations. One more thing that I would point out. While we talked about the original Okamoto Palace and the newly built Ebinoko enclosure, they were arranged as though around a large open area, like a courtyard. The original palace stood at the north, where one could enter the south gate of the palace, and then the Ebinoko enclosure sat on the east side of the courtyard, with its western gate between the two. The southern and western sides of the courtyard, on the other hand, followed the snaking flow of the Asuka River. From about 675 to 681, on or about the 17th day of the first month of the year, it's recorded that the court held an annual archery shoot in the court of either the West or South Gate—which would seem to refer to this large area. This makes sense, as the space is large enough to accommodate plenty of room for the range and for others to watch The archery exhibition was held here, in the space between the two compounds, like clockwork until 681, when we are just told that it was held in the “Courtyard”, which feels like it is referring to an area inside the main compound of Kiyomihara. There are no more mentions of the tradition after 681, though there is an archery shoot in front of the South Gate on the 5th day of the 5th month of 685, but that was probably done as part of the regular 5/5 celebrations—a holiday today known as Kodomo no Hi, or Children's Day, but more traditionally known as Tango no Sekku, the Iris festival. Some form of celebration on this date seems to have occurred throughout East Asia up until the modern day. Whether the archery stopped or just became such a standard thing that it was no longer noteworthy in the record, I can't really say. However, one can possibly imagine what it was like, with all of the courtiers out there watching as the arrows shot down the field. The occasional twang of bows and the faint whistle as it sped towards its target, hitting the target with a sharp thwack. Murmurs from the crowd regarding how well—or how poorly—any given person was doing. Beyond the courtyard and what we know of the two compounds—the Kiyomihara palace and the Ebinoko Enclosure—there is plenty still to discover. There were likely other compounds around the palace, possibly as an extension of the palace. And then there were the temples: west, across the river, was Kawaradera, and north of the palace and surrounding compounds was Houkouji, or Asukadera. There is even some evidence on the northwest edge of the compounds, southwest from Asukadera, of an ancient garden surrounding several manmade ponds. And so, the entire valley appears to have been filled with buildings and official spaces , running up against and being constrained by the natural features of the valley itself. As I mentioned above, there just isn't that much buildable space in the Asuka valley, compared to other places like Naniwa. And this contributed to one of the other problems that the court would have experienced: according to tradition, the front of the palace and other buildings were all oriented south, but for this location, this meant that they didn't face the expansive fields of the Nara basin, but instead they faced the mountains themselves. All in all, there was not much room here to grow, and yet the government and the court had grown, at least by all accounts. Though, how much had the court grown? Maybe not as much as we might expect, despite Ohoama's ambitions. First of all there had been the purge of the powerful ministers at the head of the Afumi court, but there are some startling omissions in the records from the beginning of Ohoama's reign. There is no mention of the Daijin, or Great Minister. There is no Minister of the Right or Minister of the Left. There is no Inner Minister, and there is no Great Minister of State. There are mentions of the “kugyou”, or “Ministers of State”, which traditionally includes the Daijin, but there is no mention of the Daijin, suggesting that the “kugyou” of this time may have only referenced the heads of the 8 ministries of the Dajokan, the Council of State. What does this mean? Many scholars interpret this period as a time of extremely centralized power. Coming off of his military victory, Ohoama seems to have ridden a wave of support and control. Combine that with the continued absorption of Tang dynasty propaganda-slash-government theory that saw the sovereign—the emperor—as the central authority, and one can see how Ohoama may have been able to do something that few sovereigns in Japanese history were able to actually do, which is to wield real power. This may seem odd for a position translated into English most commonly as “Emperor,” but as we've seen, in glimpses through the way they are depicted in the Chronicles, or through the archaeological record, which shows different loci of power and authority across the archipelago in ancient times, the Ohokimi, later dubbed the Tennou or Sumera no Mikoto, was not necessarily all powerful. Not only did they have to contend with rivals to the throne, but even various court nobles who made their way into the centers of power. From figures like Takeuchi no Sukune, to the Ohotomo, the Mononobe, and more recently the Soga—in all of these cases various nobles often held considerable power, though often in tension with one another. Sources of authority also varied. There were the individual religious centers through which families exercised some ritual authority, while there was also more secular authority in the various court positions. The Ohokimi certainly were respected, from what we can tell, and had a powerful source of authority going back to at least the holy kami of Mt. Miwa. They even spread that authority through their kannushi, their priests, which they sent out as an extension of the state. But they weren't entirely independent, either. But Ohoama seems to have reached a point where he did hold a tremendous amount of authority. Because there is another telling omission from the chronciles: we don't see any more Soga members. With the death of Soga no Akaye, the Soga family's influence seems to have disappeared this reign. We also don't see that much about other prominent families compared to earlier: we see the Mononobe as ambassadors, and we see the Nakatomi are still conducting rituals. But we don't see any of them rising to the same positions as their forebears. Instead, we see a lot of focus on the Princely class—those members who claim some descent from a previous sovereign, or even the current sovereign, and how they, themselves, are divided up with their own system of ranks that are outside the civil service ranking system. Speaking of civil service, it does always strike me that the ranking systems of various east Asian courts very much resemble the way that, even today, many modern bureaucracies create wage scales for their civil servants. In the US the most common such scale is the GS or “General Schedule” pay system. In that system, positions are associated with a particular grade, between 1 and 15, and federal employees are also referred to in terms of those grades. Grade typically reflects some level of seniority and pay. It isn't a one-for-one analogy, of course: the court ranks in Yamato were handed out by the sovereign, or at least through their authority, as were the various court positions, though I doubt that Ohoama was spending much personal time approving promotions for a low level clerk writing down inventories and suchlike—but who knows. But it does emphasize that this system is built to be a centralized bureaucratic monarchy, based on the continental model, and it now seems to have come into its own. The court seems to have bought into the idea, and now, intentionally or not, much of their own position in society was directly tied to the autocratic whims of the monarch, or Ohoama himself. Indeed, some of the first records from the year 673 are focused on the court and court system. The very first thing this entailed: a banquet on the 7th day of the first month of the new year. We are told that it was a “drinking party” or “shuen”, and boy does that draw some parallels with modern Japanese companies. We aren't exactly given the form of this party, but we do have later examples. There was likely a formal start, with various nobles set out at assigned seats based on their rank. It was an official event, so officials would have been expected to wear the appropriate clothing, including their caps of rank, letting everyone know exactly who's who, and reinforcing the social hierarchy imposed by the rank system in the first place. I suspect that it started with ritual and formality. Later, you would have the after party, where people might more freely mingle and drink and recite poetry. This was both an official and social occasion, because there really wasn't much of a line drawn between the two. As a ritual, it displayed Ohoama's power over the state through his ability to host them all. As a social function it was an important time in the political life of the court, where everyone was together, and you could find your cliques and supporters. Drinking alcohol, while being something that many enjoy for its own sake, was also a kind of religious observance. Sake was made to be offered to the kami, as well as to be used at parties. It was made from rice, the staple on which the agricultural success of the archipelago was based, and which held a particularly sacred place in other rituals and ceremonies. And then there was the poetry. As would be true for much of Japanese history, poetry infused all aspects of life at the court, and being able to compose good poetry was just as important to one's social standing as reading, writing, and other such skills. There were generally two kinds of poetry practiced at the court. There was the traditional Japanese poetry, or waka, with alternating verses of 5 or 7 syllables—more properly morae, but no need to get into that. Then there was poetry composed in the Sinitic style. Known as “Kanshi”, which translates directly as “Han Poetry”, this mimics the poetic forms brought over in literature from the continent. It required a certain amount of education to be able to compose and was based on the characters, or kanji, used. Kanshi can generally be divided into at least two categories. There is the Kotaishi, or the Old Style Poetry, which consists of poetic form used prior to the Tang dynasty. Then there is Kintaishi, or Modern Style Poetry, which is based on the forms from the Tang dynasty and later. Kintaishi is usually recognized for adhering to more rules of structure and composition, usually using lines of 5 or 7 characters, while Kotaishi is more fluid and less concerned with specific rules and rhythms. Poetry was also not necessarily a solo activity. It was common in later eras to arrange poetry competition, where the court would divide itself, much like the bureaucracy, between the Left and the Right. Each group would compose poetry, often on a set theme, and then put up the poems they felt were the best against those of the other side and then the entire court would listen and judge. The only tangible reward, assuming the sovereign was not so moved as to do something extraordinary, was bragging rights. And yet, that social capital was important among the nobles of the court. Image was extremely important to individuals, and embarrassment could be a political death sentence. And so many would work hard at these poems to make sure that they were the best they could be. At this point, though, we are still in the early years of many of these traditions. The poetry that we have appears to be less formulaic than we see in later eras, when there were so many precedents to which one was expected to adhere. Poems could be about feeling and were not required to hearken back to previous poems and poetic allusions. By the way, official events like this are also one of the ways that we get compilations of poems, later on. These events would get transcribed and then later those poems would be referenced, particularly if they were noteworthy or by noteworthy individuals. This kind of event may have been where a lot of the poems from works like the Man'yoshu and the Kaifusou, the earliest compilations of Waka and Kanshi, respectively. At some point I”d love to dig into the poetry more in depth, but for the moment, I think it is best to leave it there. Now besides one's skills at poetry there were other skills that the court was interested in. The court system that they had lifted from the continent was based, at least theoretically, on the idea of a meritocracy. The monarch, of course, was judged to be worthy to rule through the mandate of Heaven, which often demonstrated itself early in the regime through the Emperor's forces defeating their enemies, much as Ohoama had defeated his rivals in the Afumi court. However, for the rest of the government, the sovereign needed to make sure that he had qualified individuals. From an early point in history, people recognized that not everyone born into power and wealth was necessarily the best person to help run things. If you could only find those of the greatest intellect, discernment, and moral compass, then those are the ones you would want to have running things, right? And this is fine in theory. However, determining who has those qualifications can be a bit tricky. We talked about this back in episodes 71 and 72 when we talked about the Han dynasty more generally. In that case, while the civil service exam was open to any person, the reality was that only those with enough wealth and leisure time could afford to study to take the test. And so while it did open up opportunities for some, it did not truly apply equally across all classes of people. And this was likely fine with most of the ruling class at the time, since there were also still theories that there were different classes of people, and it simply reinforced their ideas that those in the lower classes just didn't have the same capabilities that they had. In the Yamato court early in Ohoama's reign it isn't clear to me exactly how individuals were being chosen for service. We know that rank was handed out as a reward for service, varying with the individual. Ohoama handed out rank at the end of 672 to those who had helped him to come to power, and then, on the 29th day of the 2nd month of 673, just two days after he formally ascended the throne, we are told that he conferred cap-rank on those who had performed good service, each according to their situation. Of course, that is about how promotions were rewarded. But what about how people entered into service in the first place? How did you get introduced to a job in the bureaucracy in the first place? Well for that we have Ohoama's pronouncement on the first day of the fifth month. He addressed the court and set it up as follows: First, anyone who would take a government position would begin their career as an “ohotoneri”. These were low level functionaries who supported the various bureaus as guards, messengers, and whatever else was needed. Previously, this all would have fallen under the general term of “toneri”, who were those members of the nobility who had been sent to serve in the royal palace. Aston translates this as a “chamberlain”, and thus equates oho-toneri—literally “great toneri”—as “high chamberlain”, though I'm not sure if that was actually the distinction or not. It looks like the term “toneri” itself may pre-date the Ritsuryo system, but now was being more standardized, with expanded categories of “toneri” within the system itself. Interestingly, there is only one other example I could find of Ohotoneri before the reign of Ohoama and that was in the account of Waketakeru no Ohokimi, aka Yuryaku Tennou, which makes me think that might be an anachronism. We definitely see “toneri” used since just before that reign and continuously onward, and we see them in regards to not just the royal house, but as the functionaries and servants in various places and for other aristocratic families, but the “ohotoneri” seem to have been specifically connected to the royal family… and thus the state. Ohotoneri, despite being quote-unquote “great” toneri, were at the relative bottom of the hierarchy. They were the night shift, the guards, the messengers, and the general go-fers. They were essentially paid interns. As they did their tasks, they were learning about how the various offices and ministries worked, and they were demonstrating their own aptitude. Based on how they did, they would then be assigned to various offices as seemed most suitable. There were also offices that were staffed by women. Though separate and distinct, women also had a role in the palace and thus the maintenance of the court and the state. They were to be selected for service regardless of their age or even whether they were married or not, but they fell under a separate set of rules from the men, because, well, patriarchy. So that's what happened when people were selected to serve, but who was selected? The chronicles don't say explicitly until a decree about three years later in the 4th month of 676, when it was decreed that all those from provinces outside of the Home Provinces could enter the service of the sovereign, no matter their family's rank, whether Omi, Muraji, Tomo no Miyatsuko, or Kuni no Miyatsuko. They would also allow men of quote-unquote “distinguished ability” enter service, even though they were commoners. From that we can surmise that when they are talking about “all” people really they are talking about “all” the nobility—the only people for whom the Nihon Shoki was really intended, if you think about it. Thus, logically it would seem that prior to this only members of the nobility were allowed to enter government service—but there is even more. Because before this pronouncement in 676, only people in the Home Provinces were theoretically allowed to enter government service. The Home Provinces, or Kinai, are traditionally the five provinces of Yamato, Kawachi, Izumi, Yamashiro, and Settsu. At this point, though, Izumi was still a part of Kawachi, so it would have just been the four. These provinces were likely the first lands to really come under Yamato's direct control, and as such they all held a certain pride of place. This is also where we assume that the powerful families of Yamato had their strongholds. Certainly the Soga, the Mononobe, and the Ohotomo all had claim to traditional land in and around this region. When the court had moved to Ohotsu it would have been the first time in many years that the capital was moved out of the Home Provinces, which was probably a large part of the dissent expressed at the time. How would you like it if your job up and moved two states away and forced you to relocate with them, likely at your own expense? In 676, though, the court decreed that it would no longer restrict itself to noble families of the Home Provinces, but instead would open up service, and the lucrative stipends that came with it, to members of the nobility in the rest of the archipelago. This seems particularly intriguing given the two swords we have from the time of Waketakeru no Ohokimi, aka Yuryua Tennou, in the 5th century, where elites had served—or at least claimed to serve—at his court. It is possible that during his day the influence of Yamato was more expansive, and that influence contracted after him. Or it could be that it was a different type of service that they had provided. And then there is the comment in Ohoama's decree that the court would also allow men of “distinguished ability” to also enter service, even if they were commoners. How very progressive. This seems clearly designed to suggest the meritocratic system that was the ideal, even if it was only truly observed in the breach. I can't help but think about how this symbolizes the court's expanded control across the archipelago, and the idea that all of the archipelago was truly under their control. It also meant that they had opened up the candidate pool to a wider audience. Does that mean that they were growing the size of the government, too? I also can't help but wonder how the old guard took this—the traditional families from the Home Provinces who suddenly found themselves competing with people from the periphery. Did they see them as equals, or the equivalent of upstart country bumpkins? And let's not even get started on anyone who joined government service as a Commoner. On the other hand, I suspect these new functionaries would have owed their position even more directly to the sovereign and the court, and they might not have strong familial ties to the local area. This is all just theory, but seems to follow with Ohoama's general efforts at centralization and accretion of power and authority to himself whilst further building out the structure that his brother, Naka no Ohoye, had set up. Along those lines, at the same time that the sovereign opened up membership in the court to those outside of the Kinai region, he also meddled with the incomes of the various Princes and Ministers. He insisted that those Princes and Ministers who were receiving taxes from fiefs in the West—by which I assume is meant western Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—they should instead get their income from fiefs in the East. So he was taking away the western fiefs and instead swapping them with eastern fiefs. Those western taxes could then, presumably, come straight into the government coffers, and the princes and ministers would be connected with land in the east, which I suspect meant they would be expected to invest in those fiefs and encourage them to produce. This feels like it goes along with something from two years earlier, in 675, the third year of Ohoama's reign. In the second month of that year he abolished the serfs granted to the various Uji back in 664, and he abolished any claims by Princes—Royal or otherwise—as well as Ministers and Temples to any mountains, marshes, islands, bays, woods, plains, and artificial ponds. It seems clear that he claimed the right of eminent domain to himself and the state. By extension, all land effectively belonged to Ohoama, and everyone else became, de facto, his tenants. They paid taxes up to him, and he had the right to grant or take away the land as he saw fit. I can't imagine that went over well with those who had lost their rights to those lands, but either he compensated in them in some other way or his power had grown such that they didn't dare to oppose him. Certainly not everyone was happy. In 677, Saita no Fubito no Nagura was banished to the island of Izu for apparently scoffing—or otherwise disrespecting—Ohoama. Well, it says his vehicle, but Aston notes that this is probably just a polite euphemism for the sovereign himself. But that rebuke seems to have been pretty light compared to two years earlier when a man—we aren't even given his name, assuming it was known, hiked up the hill east of the palace, cursed Ohoama, and then cut his own throat. How it was known that he had been cursing anyone isn't explained—though perhaps he had written it down or otherwise communicated his intentions. Either way, it was certainly a rebuke. But if it phased Ohoama, we can't tell. He did give those on duty that night a step in rank, presumably for the trauma they had experienced in dealing with everything. Possibly related—we are told that same month there was a great earthquake. So was that thought to be the curse being fulfilled? There is nothing to connect them except that the one immediately follows the other. And yet, Ohoama would continue to rule as he saw fit. In fact, he would rule roughly 14 years, in total, right up to his death in 686. A rather substantial reign compared to so many other sovereigns. And he would continue to make his mark. Next episode we will continue our journey through the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tenno. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts. If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page. You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com. Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now. Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.
FEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UPMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriTAYSHA - FearlessSusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – GarbageAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estatezukrassverliebt - Way Too HotKornelius Flowers - ControlAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingEsma - OndaFazzzad - Beyond the FlameHerbiarz x Lolo PBB – Bolid Rachel Sutton - DaytripAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus OneIonne – The Big BangNicole Huff - Entice Me BabyKendra Connors - Golden HouseChloe Tsangaris - Elephant in the Room3 Leagues to Rome - Blood in the WaterVaterSon - ShamelessBradley Adam Band -EliseMo'jeezy - Lemme knowRichie Flo - St Thomas Mi BornCasey Louis – The Company of SelfRichard Green - Holding a GunRatfink! - Plastic BitsAaron Watson III - Mind Over MatterFickle Hill - Where did you goSvarp The Harp - Hoochie Coochie ManThe Mess:Age - SacrificeRed Mercury - I Still Remain
Kornelius Flowers - ControlREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry BabeEsma - OndaJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateMidnight Alexandr – Endless SummerMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriFEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UPRewind - Sacred GroundAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursRewind - Moment in TimeSusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – Double MessagesAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Close2You - Freiheit zu träumenShelita - BloomLuke Callahan - Islands in the YearsEnergy Whores - Pretty Sparkly ThingsRed Mercury - I Still RemainDanny Hammons - Shooting StarsLawrence Timoni - Good Enough Still I Try (Acoustic)Zimzalabim - Heart of a lionKARDHO - WhynotCali Tucker - Last NameAladin Music - Love & PlantainsAaron Watson III - Mind Over MatterFickle Hill - Where did you goSvarp The Harp - Hoochie Coochie ManThe Mess:Age - SacrificeRed Mercury - I Still RemainAlessandra Milieri - Two Plus One
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amo Alessandra Milieri - Go to herAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Esma - OndaAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)TAYSHA - FearlessFEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UP Joshua - Boom, Boom, BoomKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateAnupam Shobhakar - AnjaneyaJimmy Scott Free - Turn Back Time feat Kim English Jamie Michael Harris - Bounce Dave Barron - Let It GoAlan Mair - Ghost Of You In MeThe Party After - Blast offMichellar – Never Say Sorry Emma Whybrow – Amnesia Michael Pos – YOU Ball in the House – Take A Chance ÆTHR - Bright DayThe Transference - Circling the SquareKevin Driscoll – The Maine Thing Amy Rowbottom - Dimes to DollarsAmy Rowbottom - If i'm still the oneAmy Rowbottom - Slow DanceAlpenstock – Little Bird Nico Arn - ChristinaOlena Nosalii – Le Calme
Chrystal Schleyer lives in South Carolina with her husband and children. Tucked away in a little black house on an old hay field, she happily lives in the middle of nowhere. When not writing or reading, she can be found outside with her ever growing number of animals or scouring the shelves of the nearest thrift store. A celebration at a turn-of-the-century manor takes a deadly twist, and everyone becomes a suspect. Twin brothers Easton and Weston are both in love with their childhood best friend Eloise. But headstrong Eloise prefers the younger brother, Wes, which is why she is heartbroken when, unexpectedly, Wes proposes to an heiress, and Eloise finds herself engaged to Easton—the twin she cannot stand. Then, during a week of celebration, Wes is poisoned. Murmurs of nightshade slip through the manor, and everyone seems to have a motive. Was it Della Drewitt—the heiress reluctant to marry Wes? Or did Easton decide killing his brother was the only way to secure Eloise's affections? Or was it the housemaid Violet, Wes's previous lover? As guests turn into suspects, attempts to kill Wes become more relentless than the storms churning the estate—who wants him dead, and why?
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amo Alessandra Milieri - Go to herAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours TAYSHA - FearlessEsma - OndaJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Midnight Alexandr – Endless SummerKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenBill Barlow – When He Speaks Erotika Dabra - EAT ME/DRINK ME Joshua – Neon Nights Trevour Amunga – Rollin Phil – Mind at Ease Reeya Banerjee - Picture PerfectSnow N Stuff – Galaxy KING – Next to you KARDHO - (Keep)Groovin marcusCV - Stay overAmy Rowbottom - Dimes to DollarsAmy Rowbottom - If i'm still the oneAmy Rowbottom - Slow DanceAlpenstock – Little Bird Iron Reed – One world one heartGianluca Zanna - You are my destiny Future RemixJames Bellew - Summers Last EmbraceStephanie Happening - BecomingStephanie Happening - Burn BrighterStephanie Happening - Body ElectricmarcusCV - Cold Season
Content warning: Discussion of two suicides. This week: Chaos unfolds around Chicago as Tony tries desperately to save Meg's life after she overdoses, Pratt eventually gets out of jail but is surprised to see who bailed him out, flames engulf the entirety of Sam's apartment building, and Ames kidnaps Kovac and severely injures him while going on a stroll down memory lane.
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amoAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Midnight Alexandr – Endless SummerAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenRosie Byron - TerritoryRosie Byron - Never Did SayRosie Byron - A Little Bit LonelyBill Barlow – When He SpeaksSabrina Nejmah - Deep Endhagneya - Before dawnDJ Roko - DynamiteMonoloq - EmptinessRewind – Can U seeJacopo Bonfanti - Un'altra estateLatin Faculty - LogiDA Sound, O'Neal & FR3SH TrX - Hold me CloserPeter Spacey - All around and everywhereEnergy Whores - Hey Hey Hate!Hollow Zoo - King Of Fools (Clean)Naydu - Smooth OperatorZeXzy - Ain't Tricking feat. Lil Wayne (Clean)Senior Dunce - BESTIALLo Martill - No futuroPam Ross - Crazy RideDust and Grace - HallelujahAshes Awaken - A Better WayAlex Krawczyk - Love Through SoundHarry Kappen - Be Brave if you CanKen Holt - You don't have to Stand
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amoAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursTaysha - Dance Take a ChanceAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Midnight Alexandr – Endless SummerMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenOto.Maat - Deep VibeLuna Rosewood - ConstellationBill Barlow – When He SpeaksChloe Sofia – The Girl Next DoorZukrassverliebt – Way Too HotLiona Jahmara – My kindnessRosie Byron - TerritoryRosie Byron - Never Did SayRosie Byron - A Little Bit LonelyBill Barlow – When He SpeaksSabrina Nejmah - Deep Endhagneya - Before dawnDJ Roko - DynamiteBostich – Walkin' on iceMM't VocalSeed – Beacons in the darkMM't VocalSeed – Invisible WingsGinevra Ramos – EnergyMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyLuca Joker x AWtone - EnigmaFR3SH TrX – Hypnotic BassFALLEN CASTLES - STUCK INSIDE MY HEADBoris Metraux – DreamFall of passion - Never gonna let you goMM't VocalSeed – Beyond the dayMM't VocalSeed – Reeonating HeartMM't VocalSeed – Sunlit reflectionConscious Route & Supermann on da beat – Shadows
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amoAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursTaysha - Dance Take a ChanceEsma - OndaMidnight Alexandr – Endless SummerAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingKornelius Flowers - ControlClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenOto.Maat - Deep VibeLuna Rosewood - ConstellationLuna's Dark Secret – Angel in the darkJeune – AtmosphereDarien Brooks – All In His HandsHazel Ray – AlienJagger Viox – 5 SensesSamantha Sharpe - Fake FriendsFickle Hill - SecretsZarooni – The JokerFALLEN CASTLES - STUCK INSIDE MY HEADMIKE LUCID - BLUESALON SABAN - JUSTICEMELOPHANTS x Spayds - Drive Miles AwayRosie Byron - TerritoryRosie Byron - Never Did SayRosie Byron - A Little Bit LonelyBill Barlow – When He SpeaksSabrina Nejmah - Deep Endhagneya - Before dawnDJ Roko - DynamiteVanGoth - STEEL PILLOWBostich – Walkin' on iceWeTwo - SchattetanzDer Träumer - Purple Clouds
Songbird – Dry LandV.Dhabarry – Move Like ThatSofie Elezaj - FlyAstral Rocks - Father's CryCR Srikanth – Don't Bring Me Down(VS Pop™)Amafella "Good Time"Andrea Zelletta, Luca Testa, Loruare "TAKATIMÌ"Noelia, Jude & Frank "Candela (2025) "Eran Hersh x Kanu "Tropical Rush"JOE T VANNELLI "Sensation"Ka Ma - Secret PlaceFilippo Vian – Right NowMichele Lopardo – BuonaseraOxlay – Zero ZeroYuri M – House SensationMIGLIO "Musica Elettronica"Robert T James - Circle of FireMick J. Clark – Anuther Sunny HullidayAndrew E Pearce – Live Your LifeAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursDarryl Scotti And Big Yard - Weight of the WorldMichellar - Get me there to Churchblock channel - Strictly BusinessMike Melan - Those Were The DaysAlex Nantaya - Steel Me AwayTaysha - Dance Take a ChancePascal Gamboni - Mia BarcaJoside - MoveShankz - Too LateJenna Drey & Joe Bermudez - Halley's Comet (EDM club mix)Blair Sparrow - Someday In Your LifeBackroom Gossip - Love's handQM x Alexi - MalandronaNew Laconia – Stardust Bear Bazaar, Pt. 2
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amoJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomTAYSHA - FearlessTaysha - Dance Take a ChanceFEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UPAlessandra Milieri - Go to herKornelius Flowers - ControlRewind - Moment in TimeRewind – The SeedRewind - Sacred GroundAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Augusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingGinevra Ramos – EnergyMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyLuca Joker x AWtone - EnigmaJireen - SupercoolFR3SH TrX – Hypnotic BassBoris Metraux – DreamFall of passion - Never gonna let you goFR3SH TrX & Rayman Rave - House Anthem (Funky Disco Mix)Esancy - ShineDoris Chiotis – My Summer Is YouMojo Morgan - Mountain SongSkatta - Follow The SunSenior Dunce - Romantic LLM feat. DORAClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenHarlequiin x NYM - I Bet the Dealer Has Deleted MeApollo Junction - DaylightSexyTadhg - Claim My LoveIce Cap Babies - A Scorched Earth (ain't no summer place)OLLIE - Guardian AngelLane Lowder - Good SongGiuliano Di Sanzo - Light in the dark (Radio Edit)
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amoAlessandra Milieri - Go to herEsma - OndaAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursTaysha - Dance Take a ChanceAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Joshua - Boom, Boom, BoomDax – Man I Used To BeTAYSHA - FearlessAugusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingThe Hot Blood Spirit - The night Tom Petty and Another DreamClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriGinevra Ramos – EnergyMyles Lloyd & BUNT. – CrazyLuca Joker x AWtone - EnigmaSexyTadhg - Claim My LoveIce Cap Babies - A Scorched Earth (ain't no summer place)OLLIE - Guardian AngelLane Lowder - Good SongMyselfson – ResistanceJoel Veena - ResistanceSteve Markoff & Patricia Lazzara - ÇalıkuşuFR3SH TrX – Hypnotic BassBoris Metraux – DreamFall of passion - Never gonna let you goLaNyna - Fumando ContigoZukrassverliebt – Wenn du dir weh tustFR3SH TrX & Rayman Rave - House Anthem (Funky Disco Mix)Esancy - ShineZukrassverliebt – Für die EwigkeitMP GREY FEAT. ROMY DYA – WonderlandJesahel - My Beautiful Dream
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amo Taysha - Dance Take a ChanceFEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UP Kornelius Flowers - ControlAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Alessandra Milieri - Go to herJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomThe Hot Blood Spirit - The night Tom Petty and Another DreamMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fioriJamie Alimorad – Like That That Darn Racket – Overwhelmingly Positive Mulahbae – DESTRUCTIVE FREDRYD – The Way To The Good Life New Laconia – Journey to the Past YUME AO – SEA SEX FUN Félixe – Mount Unzen AveragJo – Why Criticize Fiona Amaka – Cowards and Shadows Jireen - SupercoolDoris Chiotis – My Summer Is You Harry Kappen - Be brave if you canDedrick Soul - I'd Be A FortuneArt Police - Embrace (Deja Vu)Neil C. Young Trio - AggenAnonAggen (Acoustic)Goldee Heart - LivinAnjel Entity - Edge of PainBobby And The Crew – ME AND MY FAMILY Stephanie Happening - Don't Lookie lookMojo Morgan - Mountain SongSkatta - Follow The SunSenior Dunce - Romantic LLM feat. DORAClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenHarlequiin x NYM - I Bet the Dealer Has Deleted Me Apollo Junction - Daylight Quinton Jamar – My Story
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amoAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hoursTAYSHA - FearlessAlessandra Milieri - Go to herJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomFEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UPAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Augusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingEsma - OndaTaysha - Dance Take a ChanceKornelius Flowers - ControlCourtney Nord – wildKojo Rigault – Cruisinheavy on the heart. – Pretty PillsDedrick Soul – I'd Be A FortuneSabrina Nejmah – Deep EndMark Masguro - Devil's TrapRosie Byron – TerritoryFerdinand Rennie – Someone to remember me (2025 Version)Jireen - SupercoolLily Galin - What's your storyDoris Chiotis – My Summer Is YouMojo Morgan - Mountain SongSkatta - Follow The SunSenior Dunce - Romantic LLM feat. DORAClose2You - Freiheit zu träumenHarlequiin x NYM - I Bet the Dealer Has Deleted MeApollo Junction - DaylightSexyTadhg - Claim My LoveIce Cap Babies - A Scorched Earth (ain't no summer place)OLLIE - Guardian AngelLane Lowder - Good SongThe Hot Blood Spirit - The night Tom Petty and Another DreamMarcello Romeo & Friends - La fatina dei fiori
Solo Benny - Scusa se non ti amo Alessandra Milieri - Go to herTaysha - Dance Take a ChanceTAYSHA - FearlessAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Midnight Alexandr – Endless SummerEsma - OndaKornelius Flowers - ControlAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Augusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingFEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UP JIMMY SCOTT FREE - TURN BACK TIMEAngelique Oros – Peachy Vendetta Deluxe - City of TreesSarah Wendlandt – Honey Michael Goldberg – Dorian's Dance (Midnight Metal Remix) Shelita – You Will Want My Love Ultra Funkular Sound – Bluebells Caitty – The Pieces That You Left Nathan Crowe – Endless Days MrZnote – Boathouse Row Alessio Piazzolla feat Franco Falco - Notte di passioneDon Pasquale Ferone - Nelle sue maniMichael Armstrong - AllentownAlin Dragu - My heart is freedomFab Manzini Music - Save meJoshua - Boom, Boom, BoomChad Shue - Make it A DoubleCC and the OGs - Don't Judge Me Augusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a Feeling Alon Mylo – wildin' ! Mist2'9 - Murder CapitalAleksandra Picariello - Don't Fly AwaySusanne TruVandi Bjarnason – Garbage
Alessandra Milieri - Go to herSolo Benny - Scusa se non ti amo TAYSHA - FearlessAline J. - The Murmurs of broken hours Midnight Alexandr – Endless SummerTaysha - Dance Take a ChanceEsma - OndaKornelius Flowers - ControlAlex Reese - Arcade Motel (Radio Edit)Augusta Scarlett - Flashdance...What a FeelingFEMILICIOUS – FIRE IT UP Broken Spaceship - Rotten Teeth (feat. Ultra Eko)Neska Rose – Bubbling! Gena Perala – Machete Amy Pinkus – Everything We Never Had Swamp Music Players – Hear It on CN2 Christopher Rodriguez – REMEMBER ME - Schiz MentalMusic ( Prod: elzio ) Nordstahl – Das Geisterschiff St. Tamarin – Linus, Linus GINAxC - My Darkness (Dorian Gray)Means Of Production - A Better TomorrowREX STAX, Irvin Fame - Sorry BabeFazzzad - Beyond the Flamezukrassverliebt - Way Too HotHollow Zoo - King Of Fools (Clean) Naydu - Smooth OperatorJazzy Tha Rapper - Miniskirt feat. ItGirl (Clean)The Earth & All Within - I Never Liked You (Anyway...) (Clean)Team Salut - I'm Busyunder:tones - Dreaming (Wide Awake)GINAxC - My Darkness (Dorian Gray)REVERENDO SECRET: “Occhi negli occhi “ SERJO e LAMA - VOGLIA DI FIESTA Luciano Barone – Io per lei
On Episode 623 of The Core Report, financial journalist Govindraj Ethiraj talks to Moses Harding John, President & CEO at IndusInd International Holdings Limited, Mauritius. SHOW NOTES(00:00) Stories of the Day(01:00) Markets fall in late trade as financials lose for the 4th session(04:51) Oil prices could touch $60 by year end, says S&P Global(07:57) India may give in on imports of GM farm products from the US(09:07) Murmurs of dedollarisation are rising again(19:44) Indian Express launches a new print edition at a time most media houses are expanding digitallyhttps://www.investing-referral.com/aff303For more of our coverage check out thecore.inSubscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin | Youtube
JD goes over the dramatics in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, along with the "what if" of Sam Bennett signing with the Maple Leafs (00:00). JD then shifts focus to the NBA (12:00) as Sportsnet's Michael Grange checks-in from Oklahoma City to chat about the Raptors' chase for a star, if a NBA title will change Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's connection with Canadian fans, how the Indiana Pacers can make the finals competitive, and the NBA's parity era. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.
416. How Their Friendship Became a Revolution | Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig of The L Word Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig, stars of The L Word, discuss their new book, “So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All,” an intimate, hilarious memoir of art, friendship and queerness. How Kate and Leisha met; their first impressions of each other and going in for the same role The impact and legacy of The L Word and Glennon's recent introduction to the show Rainbow capitalism, the pressure to publicly “come out,” and the joys of found family LEISHA HAILEY is an actor, director, executive producer, musician, and podcaster. Hailey is best known for her beloved breakout character Alice Pieszecki in the revolutionary Showtime series The L Word and the reboot, The L Word: Generation Q. Before making her mark on-screen, Hailey cofounded the band The Murmurs in the 1990s, recording three albums for MCA/Universal Records and touring worldwide, including with Lilith Fair. More than a decade later, in 2007, Hailey cofounded the indie pop band Uh Huh Her, which toured internationally and sold albums worldwide. KATE MOENNIG is a critically acclaimed actor and executive producer whose work spans film, television, and theater. She is most known for her iconic role as Shane McCutcheon in the Showtime series The L Word and the reboot, The L Word: Generation Q. Moennig has also starred in Showtime's hit series Ray Donovan and in Freeform's breakout series Grown-ish. Moennig's film credits include the neo-noir legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer, Lane 1974, and Terry Zwigoff's Art School Confidential. Most recently she can be seen in Liz Feldman's series No Good Deed on Netflix. She currently cohosts the podcast PANTS with Kate and Leisha. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Send us a textLive from L.A. Stories, a reading and fire relief fundraiser I presented at Murmurs Gallery on April 27th, 2025. Ticket sales benefited Altadena Girls. Featured readers included Wendy C. Ortiz, Anna Dorn, Jasmine Johnson, Alicia Novella Vasquez, Heather Jewett, Tasbeeh Herwees, Taleen Kali, Clement Goldberg, and Marcel Alcalá (you won't hear Alicia included here though–you'll have to wait for her publication for that!). I read something too! Thank you to Gabby Datau and Morgan Elder at Murmurs for hosting us! Wendy's three books just got reissued! Buy them! Listen to Taleen's music–she's touring the west coast this summer. Read Heather's writing & listen to her podcast on Planet Heather.Make Anna's "Perfume and Pain" your first summer read.Tasbeeh has a fab new LA-centric Substack called NO BAD DAYS. See Marcel's painting "Anima" at Various Small Fires in Orange County through May 31st. Watch what Jasmine makes, always. Make Clement's "New Mistakes" your first summer read. Keep supporting Altadena Girls. Send me proof of your donation of $5 or more by the date specified in the episode to be entered into the raffle!Thanks to Margot Padilla for engineering and editing this episode. Please rate and review the show wherever you listen! My IG. My Substack. Write me: tierneytierneytierneytalks@gmail.com Support the show
#172: Ever had a seemingly small decision spiral into years of unexpected consequences? That's exactly what happened with my under-eye filler journey that began a decade ago. What should have been a simple cosmetic enhancement has turned into a persistent medical saga involving multiple dissolving procedures, surgery, and ongoing complications. The lesson? Some fillers don't dissolve naturally as promised, and under-eye treatments deserve extra caution.But life carries on with its mix of mundane and meaningful moments. My Chihuahua recently needed dental surgery at age 11 (that's 60 in dog years, by the way – forget that "multiply by seven" rule we all learned). While under anesthesia, she provided some comic relief with her tongue hanging out while struggling to stay awake standing up. The procedure also revealed a mild heart murmur, adding another dimension to pet parenthood as she approaches her senior years.Meanwhile, severe weather patterns have me contemplating tornado shelters, and my beauty routine has evolved toward more natural approaches. Face taping has become my go-to alternative to injectables – using specialized Japanese tape designed specifically for delicate facial skin to prevent sleep wrinkles. Combined with a satin bonnet for hair protection, I might look "hella scary" at bedtime, but wake up looking better than ever. As one wise person noted, "It's not about what we look like going to bed, it's what we wake up looking like."This journey has highlighted the double standard in how society views aging – celebrating men who "age like fine wine" while expecting women to somehow stay youthful naturally while also pursuing every beauty enhancement available. Perhaps the real beauty breakthrough isn't found in procedures or products, but in finding comfort with our choices and our authentic selves. If you're navigating similar beauty dilemmas or pet parent adventures, you're not alone – share your experiences with me and join the conversation.You can now send us a text to ask a question or review the show. We would love to hear from you! Follow me on social: https://www.instagram.com/babbles_nonsense/
What happens when the person writing obituaries accidentally publishes his own? Tune in for an inspiring discussion with John Kenney on his new novel I See You've Called in Dead.Moments with Marianne airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio affiliate! John Kenney is the author of three novels and four books of poetry. His first novel, Truth In Advertising, won the Thurber Prize for American humor. He is also the author of Talk To Me, which received a starred Kirkus review. He is a long-time contributor to The New Yorker magazine's Shouts & Murmurs. For more show information visit: www.MariannePestana.com
In this episode of the radio show, the listener is drawn into an ominous narrative that showcases a thrilling tale, steeped in suspense and psychological tension. The setting begins in an evocative atmosphere by a warm fire, creating an inviting environment which sharply contrasts with the unfolding story's dread. The protagonist reminisces about stories from the past while setting the stage for what is about to unfold. The listener is encouraged to prepare for a gripping story titled “On a Country Road,” featuring Howard Duff and Ida Lupino, which serves as the backbone of the episode.As the narrative shifts focus, we meet a couple caught in a harrowing traffic jam, leading them to consider taking a shortcut through a lonely country road. This seemingly innocent decision is quickly complicated when they're warned of an escaped convict, Nellie Goller, described as a dangerous and unstable woman who has escaped from a mental hospital after committing heinous crimes, including a brutal murder. The tensions build as the couple debates their route, with the wife expressing fear over the warnings from the radio about avoiding lonely roads, a sentiment dismissed by her husband who is keenly focused on avoiding the traffic jam.The couple's fears are amplified as they encounter worsening weather conditions and the realization that their car is running out of gas. The descent into darkness, further complicated by the imminent storm, creates a suffocating sense of isolation. The woman's anxiety escalates as they find themselves stranded, forced to confront their worst fears. Murmurs of rain and thunder frame their conversation, setting the tone for growing dread and paranoia.As the couple anxiously waits for help, they begin to hear unsettling noises outside their vehicle, highlighting their isolation. The air grows thick with tension as they both grapple with the idea that the dangerous woman on the loose could be lurking nearby. Suddenly, a stranger appears: a soaked and frantic woman who begs to be let into the car, claiming she's being pursued. Her desperate plea creates chaos. The couple, mired in their own fear, struggles with the choice of whether to help this unknown woman amid the rising paranoia and uncertainty about her true identity.The tension crescendos as accusations and fears spiral out of control. Each character in the car exhibits growing distrust as they grapple with their survival instincts. Suspicion escalates to violence when the couple is pushed to their limits, leading to a tragic confrontation marked by panic and desperation. The couple's struggle reaches a climax when they confront the stranger; the chaotic energy of the moment leads to bloodshed at the hands of the husband in a desperate attempt to protect his wife.As the dust settles, the arrival of the police brings a reprieve, yet the confusion remains. The officer reveals the grim truth that the couple never encountered the real threat—the dangerous woman they feared had already been captured long before their encounter with the stranger. The husband faces the chilling reality of the situation, realizing he has critically misjudged the nature of both the real danger and the stranger begging for help.Toward the episode's conclusion, the atmosphere shifts from malignant to reflective as the narrator draws a poetic conclusion, reminding listeners of the cyclical nature of fear and the warmth of safety in familiar spaces. The show cleverly loops back to the warmth of the fire, contrasting the grim ordeal experienced by the couple. As the sun rises, a sense of hope is imparted that rekindles the listener's awareness of their own safe comforts amid the chills of night. The host's final words remind audiences of the complexities of human nature, the lurking dangers in the shadows, and the intrinsic warmth found in human connection—leaving them with a lingering sense of suspense, reflection, and appreciation for the safety of their own surroundings.
Send us a textIn today's episode, Alex and Tara have a thought-provoking and wisdom-filled discussion with John Kenney, author of three novels and four books of poetry, including LOVE POEMS FOR MARRIED PEOPLE. His first novel, TRUTH IN ADVERTISING, won the Thurber Prize for American humor. He is a long-time contributor to The New Yorker magazine's Shouts & Murmurs column and currently lives in Larchmont, NY. Listen as they discuss what it's like writing a darkly humorous book about death, the beauty and healing in confronting grief, the importance of writing realistic characters and stories, why he wanted to write fiction after being in advertising for years, who inspired the characters of I SEE YOU'VE CALLED IN DEAD, and how short fiction can help our long-form stories. Due to character limitations, please find a full version of the show notes with applicable content warnings and links on our website at: https://www.tarakross.com/podcast-1→ Connect with John on his Instagram or visit his column on The New Yorker's website → Buy I SEE YOU'VE CALLED IN DEAD HEREThe Hope Prose Podcast's InstagramAlex's Instagram Tara's Instagram
Our host, Hilary Knight, interviews Anab Jain, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Superflux, to explore the studio's innovative work of creating visceral experiences that encourage audiences to imagine theoretical futures, and the power of tapping into human emotion.References:Superflux: https://superflux.in/#Anab serves as Professor of Design Investigations at the dieAngewandte, University of Applied Arts in Vienna: https://www.dieangewandte.at/en/institutes/design/industrial_design_2Mitigation of Shock, Singapore: https://superflux.in/index.php/work/mitigation-of-shock-singapore/#The Vault of Life, Museum of the Future, Dubai: https://superflux.in/index.php/work/the-vault-of-life-in-museum-of-the-future/#The Quiet Enchanting, London: https://superflux.in/index.php/work/the-quiet-enchanting/#LinkedIn:Anab Jain: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anabjainSuperflux: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superflux/Guest Bio:Anab is a designer, futurist, filmmaker and educator. As Co-founder and Director of Superflux, she catalyses the Studio's mission to leave a meaningful legacy for our planet and its future custodians. https://superflux.in/index.php/team/anab/#
They guys are back with their takes on the recent news, box office predictions for Brave New World, and more. Spoiler alert for our reviews of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Invincible S4E4.#spiderman #invincible #comics #tv #animation
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