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Did you know there's MAGIC in your Meditation Practice? Say Goodbye to Anxiety and Hello to More Peace & More Prosperity! Here Are the 5 Secrets on How to Unleash Your Meditation Magic https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/5secrets Hey, it's Katie and I want to welcome you to this special bonus episode. It'll be here for you completely ad-free for the next week so you can get a feel of what it's like to be a PREMIUM member. If you'd like an easy ad-free experience for all of our podcasts - that's over 200 episodes each month, then JOIN PREMIUM today at https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Begin by finding a comfortable and quiet place where you can sit or lie down, undisturbed.  Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, feeling your body relax with each inhale and exhale. PAUSE… Imagine yourself standing at the entrance of a beautiful garden.  You are here to retrieve your sense of wellness.  PAUSE… In this garden, you will find all the resources you need to feel balanced and rejuvenated. Take a step forward and feel the soft grass beneath your feet.  Look around and notice the vibrant colors of the flowers and the sweet fragrance that fills the air.  The sun is shining and the birds are singing, creating a peaceful and calming atmosphere. Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life.  If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at hello@womensmeditationnetwork.com to make a request. We'd love to create what you want!  Namaste, Beautiful,

00:00:00 – Intro & Roll Call DJz welcomes the servers and sets expectations for Alliance Tournament Day Two. 00:05:00 – Sponsor Round-Up Coca-Cola and Ford updates; Budweiser confirmed for the Cook-Off. 00:08:00 – Ghost Energy & Griffin in LA More influencer cross-talk. 00:11:00 – Reacher vs Tom Cruise Chat dives into pop-culture detour. 00:17:00 – Snowpiercer Game Announcement Leads into Twitch promotions. 00:21:00 – Angry Birds 2 Partnership DJz describes upcoming promo streams and community giveaways. 00:25:00 – Return to STFC Alliance Tournament Day Two officially begins; Battle Pass launch. 00:29:00 – Syndicate XP Economy DJz, Tarpy, and Retrieving unpack value, sourcing, and Scopely's math. 00:44:00 – Old Syndicate Advancement vs New Syndicate Pass Why the change happened and what it fixes. 00:57:00 – Player Perception & Monetization How expectation bias fuels frustration. 01:12:00 – Feedback Loops & PAC Response How creator and player feedback shaped this arc. 01:27:00 – Daily Hostiles & Veil Shards DJz celebrates hitting his G7 daily goal for the first time. 01:33:00 – Alliance Tournament Setup Preview of live coverage and scoring format. 01:50:00 – Alliance Tournament Begins Live updates and bug-fix reports from Day Two 02:00:00 – Reroll & Task Fixes Explanation of G6/G7 task overlap and scoring adjustments 02:15:00 – Choice Tokens & Point Values Optimal use and why G7 tasks remain inefficient 02:20:00 – Material Tasks and Pay-to-Play Balance Planetary Charts, Pioneer's Crest, and pack requirements 02:30:00 – New Tasks Introduced Building tasks and reroll logic refined. 02:45:00 – Meta Strategy Debate Fleet coordination and cross-server performance. 02:59:00 – Syndicate Prime Unlocked in AT Store DJz shows how to earn Prime particles via Alliance Tournaments

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 13 Exiled In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             You can live without freedom the same way you can live without light, happiness, or music       Chastity, Hope, and I were exiled to our rooms for the rest of the day, and I pretty much spent it in isolation. Cordelia had disabled my own private internet hookup in case my domicile was ransacked so I was left with school work to go over. At 12:30 they brought me lunch and at 6:30 a student brought me dinner. As I was eating, there was another knock on my door. This time there was a girl I didn't recognize from the dorm. "Yes?" "Hi, I'm Alice Hendricks, and I'm your new Dorm Mother," this bright-eyed brunette with pigtails and a gymnast's body greeted me. "Good for you," I replied then started to shut the door. "Wait," she said hurriedly. "The code you gave Barbie Lynn Masters doesn't work." I sighed. "Do you see that green pad beside the keypad?" I indicated the object. "Yes," she nodded. "It is the thumb pad scanner. You enter your code and scan your thumb," I told her. She entered the code and scanned her thumb, and nothing happened. "It doesn't work," she noted. I rolled my eyes. "Let's think about this," I groaned. "You used Barbie Lynn's code and scanned your thumb." I watched as the wheels turned behind her eyes. "Oh, my thumb doesn't match the code, how is this going to work now?" she questioned. "I need to access your room." "Fine," I shrugged. I pushed her aside, covered the keypad with my body, and entered the proper code to generate a new number. "4-7-4-4 is your number. Punch it in and scan your thumb and you're set." "Good night," I told her, and headed back upstairs. "Wait. I need to check out your room," she informed me. I grunted, turned, and faced her. "Do you have a phone?" I asked. Alice nodded. "Can I see it?" She hesitated but handed it over. "You are one of the Enemy," I stated. "What do you mean?" Alice asked. I handed her phone back. "The majority of the girls in this dorm don't have phones anymore because of the Chancellor. You only have one because you are in with the Chancellor and you are pretty much going to be hated for it. Don't get caught alone in the showers, you scumbag," I warned her. "That's not fair," she declared. "Oh, we are past being fair, Alice. Now come upstairs and get your tour over with," I shrugged. Once we got there, Alice stumbled and gasped. "How am I going to search through all of this?" she wondered. "That's not my problem," I told her. "I will be in my bedroom." I went in that direction and I noted she was following me. I flopped down on my bed and listened to her low whistle. "This is your room? How did you get all this, stuff?" she inquired. "I bought all of this for the freshman class to use so we could be safe from the Handmaiden's Duty from time to time," I answered. The door opened and a double set of footsteps came running up the stairs. Rio and Iona came bolting into my room, stopping short when they saw Alice. "Hi, I'm Alice, your new Dorm Mother," she stated crisply. "What are you doing in Zane's room?" "Oh, the fuck you say?" snapped Rio. "Where the hell is Barbie Lynn?" "That is quite enough of that, Ms. Talon," Alice demanded. "Can you please give us some space?" I requested. "No, I don't think that would be wise," Alice countered. "Fine, whatever," I shrugged. "What's the news, girls?" "They sent 40 of our people to the infirmary," Rio said while glaring at Alice. "They preferred to shove us down stairs. Barbie Lynn hurt her knee and Pandora Jaspers bust her scalp open." "Alice, you are going to go out and sit on the sofa now," I told her. "No, I am not," she responded. "This is your last chance to keep things civil, Alice," I cautioned her. "You seem to have forgotten why I am here," Alice replied. "I haven't forgotten, Alice, but you clearly don't understand the cost of that decision," I said. "What is that supposed to mean?" she shot back. "Ladies, I'll see you tomorrow, but we clearly aren't going to be given any common courtesy tonight," I told my ladies. Rio came up, kissed me hungrily, and then glared at Alice. "Cordelia needs to see you at the corner of the Clegger Building at 12:15," Iona whispered in my ear as she hugged me. I gave her a wink as we parted. The girls left and I had to put up with Alice for an hour as she tried to make conversation and I did my best to ignore her. "Zane," Dana Gorman called out as I reclined on a sofa and Alice skulked around. "Over here," I motioned. "You have been temporarily reinstated by the Review Board," she informed me. "Don't waste this opportunity." It was 8:00 o'clock at night so I had to wonder what discussions had taken place. "Am I supposed to be grateful?" I scoffed. "I didn't hear an apology for treating us students so shabbily, nor Heaven being re-admitted. All you did is give us something today that you plan to take away tomorrow." "Don't be an idiot," Dana snapped. "You aren't in a position to make demands." "Well, it was nice to see you, Dana," I shrugged. "I am sorry about this morning. You were very impressive, by the way." Dana shook her head in disgust and left. "You shouldn't have been mean to Coach Gorman," Alice scolded me. I shrugged. Alice tried to be nice, insisting she wasn't in the way, but ended up staying with me until my last bathroom break. I pretty much hated her. Retribution, Removals, and Recouping strength. The post-midnight meeting with Cordelia and a rag-tag group of students was probably the most insane stunt I'd pulled for some time. I thought Cordelia was nuts but my opinion was not solicited. I was wanted for my upper body strength and long reach. See, one of the Administration's greatest tools was the school's surveillance network. As Cordelia saw it, there was one point of weakness for the system and that was in the heart of the Security Center, the system servers that coordinated all the incoming data and video feeds. We weren't going to sabotage it; that would be simple. No, we were going to steal it, and that's exactly what we did. I had to admit that was the last thing Gorman would have suspected us of trying to pull off and the best part of it was that all the surveillance devices were rendered impotent because we stole the objects that held the information of our misdeeds. We stole out the back gate of the campus and buried the equipment out in the woods. Lightning Strike I knew there would be hell to pay and I couldn't contact my normal shower-mates so I went to the shower early and was back in bed by the time Dana Gorman stomped into my room. "You weren't in the shower," she growled, "but several other students were." "Why are you angry for me not being in the shower with the girls?" I yawned. "Because it would give me leverage to make you give me back my security system, you Jackass," she snapped. "And you blame me, why?" I slipped out of the covers, naked, and started to get dressed. Dana didn't seem to mind looking me over. "This is no longer a game," Dana pointed out. "You've stolen thousands of dollars of University property. If I can't find things and quickly, I am going to have to bring in the Sheriff's Department and that equals criminal charges." "Should I take it you've made no progress in the assault on the students yesterday, or is their support for Christina good enough reason for you to let them suffer?" I continued. "You are being an idiot again," Gorman accused me. "We can deal with that once you and the others stop treating this like some social experiment and get back to your studies." "I think this is the point where we cease having anything to discuss, Coach," I muttered. Gorman looked down at the ground and clenched her fists in frustration. "A third of the Soccer team walked off yesterday. I lost half the Karate club as well," she ground out. "Archery disbanded, and it looks like Orienteering and Marksmanship will do the same today. I'm telling you, this is nuts. I've worked my ass off making this school athletically competitive and everyone is throwing that away." "I don't know what to tell you except that I doubt any of this would have happened if someone hadn't been gunning for Rio on our first day," I said. "I certainly made mistakes but you made the first one. I do have one thing I want you to think about." "What is it?" she asked warily. "How do you like your war now?" I stated with intensity. She didn't laugh it off this time. "You think this is going to keep going?" she questioned. "You have our backs against the wall; you are beating and expelling us," I explained. "We don't have many options." "I won't let you win," she said evenly. "I'm afraid it is out of our hands, Dana," I warned her. I didn't know for sure things were going to spiral out of control but I couldn't see any way out of it. Dana shook her head and left. Around 6:45 Alice came to escort me to breakfast. She talked; I remained quiet until I picked up Rio, Valerie, and Iona. We were crossing campus to the Dining Hall when Valerie nudged me. I looked in the same direction she was and saw Hope walking across the lawn on a definite mission. It didn't take me a second to see where she was heading; Rhaine and two of her associates were in huddled conversation. Rhaine never saw what hit her. Hope did a spin kick to her head and sent her flying. She punched the other two, followed up with a heel kick to one and two blows to the head to the last one. Hope then swooped down, snatched up their phones, and rapidly walked away. The first attack hadn't lasted ten seconds. "This is your last chance to get out of this," I whispered to Valerie. "I'm sorry, Mother," Valerie sighed. I didn't have time to know what that meant because I figured the open nature of Hope's attack was Christina's way of telling the rest of us it was time to strike back for what Rhaine's people had done to our side yesterday. I turned and clocked Alice hard enough to knock her down. "Rio, get her phone," I hissed to my friend. Rio was surprised for a second, then jumped on Alice's body. People around us began murmuring but most were in shock. I didn't wait around because I had spotted a group of five of Rhaine's people a few feet ahead. The ripples of Hope's attack started to reach them when I kicked the first one in the back. Valerie was right at my side, flipping a second girl over before she had a chance. I saw Iona grabbing up their phones even as we fought on. The remaining three were able to turn and face us but it didn't do them any good. We steamrolled over them, punching and kicking them into the ground. The first girl near us began to scream as I closed on the next group. This turned out to be Joy and Mercy. Valerie was about to pummel them but I held her back. "Joy, Mercy, sit on the ground and give us your phones," I growled. They hesitated and tried to back up. "Mercy, do it," Rio hissed. "I don't want to see you get hurt." That did it for Mercy, and she took to her seat and handed her phone to Rio. Rio showing compassion toward Mercy was unlooked for and something we'd have to talk about when this bout of madness ended. Joy went down beside Mercy, allowing Valerie and I to move on. By the time we closed on the fourth group, the general student body had figured out something bad was happening and parted like the Red Sea as we approached our quarry. The three girls we approached knew we were coming. I could read their disbelief in their eyes; they couldn't imagine that the attacks they'd perpetrated on our people were coming back to haunt them. One got a blow into my stomach before we finished them off, giving their downed forms a few extra kicks before heading for our last targets. There were four of them, with the added complications of a history teacher named Mrs. Cunningham who was a matronly, sixty-something-year-old instructor. They were standing at the four doors that entered into the Dining Hall and if I had been them, I would have run, but I guessed that the teacher standing so close made them assume we'd hold back; we didn't. The first girl stepped up to say something to me when I split her lip and sent her stumbling back. I kicked the one farthest away while Valerie punched another one in the throat. I chased the second girl down and while she was bent over, I pounded her in the cheek and planted her in the ground. I spun back and kicked the first girl in the face, flipping her over, and witnessed Valerie run the fourth girl into a door and knock her out. Mrs. Cunningham finally recovered enough to grab my arm. "What are you doing?" she muttered weakly. "Yesterday, these girls thought it would be fun to kick some of their fellow students down some stairs, landing them to the infirmary," I responded. "Today they reaped what they sowed." I had no idea if any of the girls I'd attacked had actually beaten up any of Christina's people, but that wasn't the point. The Administration had let Rhaine's girls know that they wanted Christina's people intimidated and suppressed. Not being schooled in the application of force, things had escalated when Christina's people had not backed down. The Chancellor had let them think they were entitled and we'd just shown them they were not; they were going to be held accountable for what they did. Mrs. Cunningham released me and bent over the first moaning girl. Iona came up with a handful of phones. "What do we do with these?" she asked. "Give them to me," chuckled Rio. She took the phones, took out the memory cards, and chucked the phones up on the roof. In the end, Christina only used twenty of us to send eighty of Rhaine's people to the infirmary, and we accomplished it all in under five minutes. We brazenly arrived at breakfast, most of us making for the food line but Rio sprinting for the bathrooms to flush the evidence. Up with the teachers, things were in utter chaos. Gorman's walky-talky didn't seem to be working (thank you, Cordelia) so she grabbed the closest student and wrote them a message. She handed it to the girl (a freshman) who promptly read it, then ate it right in front of the coach. Coach sat that girl down, grabbed a second girl. This one took the message and ran straight to the bathroom and flushed it. Around Chancellor Bazz a storm was boiling over. Several teachers had witnessed the violence and wanted something done about it before one of them was drug into the matter by means of a physical confrontation. They were demanding the attacking students to be rounded up immediately. Several teachers, led by Doctor Larson, were begging, pleading, and demanding that the Chancellor call it quits with this whole suppression scheme. Bazz refused to budge, ordering Gorman to round everyone up and hold them in the parking lot. Gorman was trapped. "That's insane," Dana snapped. "What am I going to round them up with, students? We've seen how well that's worked. I don't have enough security guards to peacefully bring them in and my only alternative is to bring in the Sheriff's Department and use force, and I'm not going to do that." "You will if I tell you to," the Chancellor threatened. Dana threw her hands up in the air and backed away. She paced for about a minute, long enough for us to get our food and take our seats, which were all in one section of the Dining Hall due to some 'screw up' (read: Cordelia) in their seating assignment. There appeared to be around three hundred of us now and morale was high. I caught sight of Gorman angling toward Christina and starting to talk. Christina signaled for her to stop but only long enough to summon three people to her, one being me. Temperance, the senior, was one of them, and the third was a girl I'd only known by her photograph. She was Hannah Cartwright, the Sophomore Class President. "I'm asking for a cease-fire," Dana reiterated. "The fighting ends on both sides, strict discipline will be enforced for any and all infractions, and there will be no administrative actions for what has happened over the past forty-eight hours." "We want our phones, tablets, and laptops back, plus the ability to use them," Temperance stated. "All expulsions are to be cancelled and the procedure to bring Heaven back is to begin immediately," I continued. Dana nodded to both addendums. "I want my security system back," Dana countered. "We will start looking for it as soon as this deal goes through," Christina agreed. "That is the best I can hope for," Dana sighed. She stuck out her hand to Christina, who stood and shook it. "Deal?" Christina looked around to get our consensus. "Deal," Christina echoed. I wanted to sit back and savor our partial victory but Christina was tense and nervous and that infected us all. When Dana got back to the Chancellor, she made her case. Doctor Bazz glared at her for a moment but the words that followed, while spoken in a low voice, reverberated throughout the hall. "That's idiotic; we will not negotiate with these children. Your incompetence has led us to this point, Ms. Gorman; you are fired." Several teachers immediately protested but Dana simply put down her walky-talky, turned, and strolled out of the room. Doctor Bazz cancelled classes for the day and confined everyone to their dorm rooms and dorm floors until the situation was resolved. Christina told us to ignore the travel restrictions but to keep in groups and avoid confronting security. When we were ordered from the hall, I noticed everyone was traveling in groups now, even the teachers. Things had become totally crazy. As Valerie, Rio, Iona and I returned to our dorm, we ran across Alice coming back from the nurse's office. When she saw us, she looked hurt and a bit afraid, but she showed enough courage to confront me. "Why did you hit me?" she demanded. "I did nothing to deserve that." "Alice, you were sent to spy on me, or did you search every dorm room as thoroughly as you searched mine?" I shot back. "I was told to do that when I accepted the position of Dorm Mother," she replied. "Did it occur to you that I might resent being singled out for persecution and, if given a chance, I'd strike back?" I explained. "If not, it should have, especially after yesterday." "I had nothing to do with what happened to those other girls," she shook her head. "Listen, you stupid cunt," Rio snapped. "You got orders from the same person who sent those girls to hurt our friends." "When you chose to take Barbie Lynn's place, you placed yourself side by side with those mean girls, Alice," Iona added. "You chose to be a soldier in their army. Soldiers get shot, even if they don't get involved in shooting at the enemy themselves." "It is time for you to go," Valerie told Alice. Alice stayed in the hallway as the rest of us walked away. By the time we made it to my door, Pandora, Paige, Brandi, and Opal had joined us. "Cordelia wants your hook-up activated once more," Pandora informed me. She had a bruised right eye and a bandage above the eyebrow. "She figures any minute now, the Chancellor will shut down our regular internet lines." "Sure thing," I agreed. "I'll get the hot oil and work Valerie over after that tough fight she was in," Rio volunteered. "Boundaries," Valerie cautioned my buddy. "Besides, if anyone works over this body, it will be Zane." Rio chortled and I gave the tall biker-chick a skeptical look. "Just kidding," she laughed, "though we both could probably use some stress relief." That train of thought was interrupted by a fresh group of freshmen entering the area. I went over to one of the glass panels that gave me a view over the campus. Small groups of students were violating the curfew, and here and there a lone campus security guard gave chase but it was an uneven struggle. Students could run inside a dorm and vanish, and Campus Security didn't have the resources to search every dorm room. The pair that came up the stairs thirty minutes later was a real stunner. It was Barbie Lynn with her knee wrapped up, being supported by, Dana Gorman. Dana also had a backpack that clinked very time she moved. "Look what I found sneaking across campus," Gorman snorted. No one said anything; she was the Evil Henchman, after all. "Thanks, Dana," I said, as I took Barbie off her hands, "take a seat and relax for a while. What brings you to my room, anyway?" Barbie looked terribly concerned by this turn of events. "My cable is dead, no internet or TV, and I don't have access to the few remaining security systems, so I figured if anyone had access to the outside world, it would be you," Dana related. "What do you need?" I continued. "I'd like to watch some international soccer," she told me. I looked toward Paige, who shrugged, then nodded. Dana took a spot on the closest sofa to a TV and sat down. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out a beer. Rio homed in on that and jumped over the sofa beside Dana. "What do you think you are doing?" Dana asked Rio as my friend put her hand into the satchel. "Getting a beer; I figure we are all rebels here," Rio smirked. "No, you are a rebel; I'm unemployed, and I don't want to add a criminal conviction for giving alcohol to a minor to my list of accomplishments," Dana explained. "Come with me," Valerie commanded, as she scooped up Rio's arm and headed away. "Let's play some pool." "Oh!" Rio bubbled, "Are you going to use your big hard stick on me?" "Yes; it is called caning," Valerie retorted. Barbie Lynn, Iona, & Zane Iona was looking lost with everyone seemingly going in different directions, so I took her by the hand and, with Barbie Lynn, retired to my bedroom. "I love you two," I sighed as the stress slowly started to recede. Barbie Lynn pulled close to my side and when I looked at her, we kissed. Iona pressed into my front and rested her head on my chest. Our lips parted and I looked to Iona, who was giving me a wide-eyed smile. We kissed for some time until Barbie Lynn began massaging my rod through my pants. I returned to Barbie until Iona hugged me tight, resulting in me going back and forth for a while. "Let's go to bed," Iona suddenly spoke up. Barbie Lynn chuckled at the smaller girl's assertiveness while I marveled at how far she'd come from the scared girl who had grabbed my arm only a few weeks earlier. I sat Barbie Lynn down on the edge of the bed and worked off her skirt first. I stopped Iona from doing the same, preferring to undress her next. I alternated taking off items of clothing until they were finally naked on the bed, side by side before me. "Well, Zane," Barbie Lynn began, sliding one leg up until the heel was touching her thigh. "What are you waiting for," Iona finished, mimicking Barbie's movements. "I would like to express right now how much I've missed the both of you," I swore to them. "Less talk; more action," Barbie Lynn instructed. I began stripping as fast as I could and the girls crawled underneath the covers. Iona was on her back, propped up on her elbows as I finished shedding my clothes. Barbie Lynn surprised her by rolling onto her side and taking a nipple into her mouth, causing Iona to give a startled squeak. Iona had not expected to be the center of our attention, that was normally Barbie Lynn's role, so she couldn't mount an effective defense against our combined affections. We each feasted on a nipple, taking the occasional stop to kiss Iona deeply, or one another, with Iona's breasts rubbing against our cheeks. Both our hands made our way to Iona's honey box, pulled her reluctant legs apart, and began rubbing all over her pubic area. We pushed fingers almost a knuckle deep into her super-tight virgin cunt. Barbie and I spread her juices around, making the whole pubic mound slick and fluid. We even put our fingers on opposite sides of her clit and rolled them back and forth, sending her over the edge. "Jesus," she panted. "Oh, thank you, thank you, oh, thank you," she gasped. "This feels so good, Yes!" she cried out. At this point, I was thinking about letting Iona go but Barbie Lynn kept flicking her clit and probing her cunt while sucking in and twirling her breast. I added a finger to the mix and kissed Iona, who desperately tried to suck my tongue out of my mouth, ouch! At the same time, Iona's back arched off the bed again and again, her thighs trembled, and she clutched at the headboard so hard it shook. At the point I feared Iona's heart would explode, I pushed Barbie Lynn's hand away and she looked up with her lips slick with the saliva generated by sucking on Iona's tits. "She is the best friend I've made all year," Barbie Lynn confided in me. "Better than me?" I questioned. "Honey," she drawled, "I think we can agree you're a tad more than a friend." "What am I, then," I teased; "pen pal, cyber-fan, bosom buddy?" "I think bosom buddy, she grinned as she squeezed her magnificent orbs together, ", is closer to what I'm aiming for." "My cunt is still quivering," Iona mumbled in a tiny voice. "Did I lose my virginity?" "No, Baby," Barbie Lynn cooed to her, "You had a really good one is all. That is what an orgasm is supposed to feel like. That is what Zane does to me every time." Huh? I do? "Oh," Iona sighed dreamily, "I like that. Isn't it your turn now?" "It certainly is, and Zane knows what I want, don't you," she winked. "I'll get it," I feigned annoyance, "but I'm still going to take my time with you. I'm not rushing into anything." "I like the way you think," Barbie Lynn purred. She laid out on the bed, her beautiful breasts spreading out and her hair cascading over the pillows she rested on. It hurt to move away from the sight of her. I got a small tube of lube, crawled over to her, and wedged the tube to the small of her back. Letting her body warm it up would make the sensation more pleasurable. "Whoa, that's cold," she gasped and wiggled. "Let me warm you up, then," I grinned. I moved underneath the sheets and then between her legs. "Hello," she said demurely, my body poised over hers, our faces nose to nose. She rested her elbows on my shoulders with her arms up. "This feels good, Zane, feels right." Her thighs pressed against mine and my cock rested on her pubic mound. I moved my face down and stole a quick kiss. Barbie followed suit and soon we were lip-locked. In time we were trading kisses on the neck and earlobes, our heads playfully moving back and forth. When I reached the top of her breastbone, Barbie Lynn flinched; she'd tried to loop her bum knee over my leg and the pain had been a sharp reminder of her limitations. I lowered myself and took a nipple into my lips and tickled it with my tongue. "Does that make it feel better?" I teased her. "Uh-huh," she purred, "now get back to it." I hardly felt inclined to deny her request and began alternating each nipple and breast. I let my lips and tongue go over every inch of her breast, especially along the base where a slight taste of sweat mixed with the scent of her body soap. "Zane, I want you in me," she pleaded with sultry passion. "But I want this," I responded, running my hand along her puffy cunt lips. "I promise we can do that later, you know how much I love your tongue, but I'm missing something else even more," she expressed her desire. I thought about the body dynamics of the situation and decided the best solution was to roll Barbie Lynn's hips on their side, lifting her left, uninjured leg to my shoulder. Retrieving the warm lube, I rubbed some liberally over her ass hole and two of my fingers, pushing the middle finger gently in first. Barbie Lynn flexed her body and moaned as the finger pressed into her. Soon she was rocking her hips and pushing down on my hand. "That still looks painful," Iona whispered as she moved in for a closer look. "The pleasure far exceeds the pain, Shugah." Barbie Lynn expressed what was about to come. I leaned/crawled over her hips, one hand still working Barbie's tits over while I kissed a nipple and tugged on it with my teeth. Barbie was letting her arm roam around when Iona intercepted it and put the blonde's fingertips to her mouth. Unbidden, Iona began sucking on those fingers and I could see that Barbie was torn between the eroticism of the act and the fact it was innocent little Iona who was doing it. Barbie Lynn used her free hand to push her succulent boob deeper into my mouth, not that there was any way I could get it all into my mouth. Iona went from finger to finger, spending extra time on the thumb. Barbie's chest began heaving from the excitement and took a jolt when I sunk my second finger into her rectum. "Are you okay?" Iona worried. "Yes, yes, yes," Barbie Lynn exulted happily, "and it's going to get better real soon." I decided to move two fingers along her sopping wet slit and let my thumb depress her clit and rub it around. "Aha, ah, oh, yeah," she panted as my hands began working in tandem. I could tell Barbie Lynn was fighting a losing battle against her orgasm and I wasn't in a mood to make things easy. I rammed my two fingers deep into her ass while biting her nipple and strumming her clit as fast as I could. "Lord Jesus loves Me!!!!" she went off. "Gah! Yeah, yeah, oh, ugh, baby, Yes!" Barbie Lynn went on and on with increasing volume. Her cunt dripped all over my fingers, slick and sensual to my touch. I brought those fingers to my lips, going back for a second taste while her body still shook from her climax. "Don't mind us," Rio announced as she strolled into my room, pulling a reluctant Mercy behind her. "My bitch is here and I'm going to bite a chunk off." "Hi, Mercy," Iona waved. Mercy shot her an embarrassed smile. Rio led her to the far side of the bed. I was a bit concerned that too many people were coming into my room but I couldn't look everywhere and pay attention to Barbie Lynn and Iona too. I took up the lube and coated my cock. Before I could spread it out evenly, Iona reached down and did the job for me, even sharing a shy smile with me as she did so. She even helped me lodge it against Barbie Lynn's anus. Iona felt the tension along my cock until Barbie's sphincter gave way and let me in, then she moved her hand away. "Wow," she whispered, even as Barbie Lynn sighed in satisfaction. As a counterpoint, we heard "On your knees, Slut-Bunny," Rio barked to Mercy. She pushed Mercy forward face-first on the bed, flipped up her skirt, and took a bite out of her ass. Mercy yelped and buried her face in the sheets. Sometimes Rio could be sane, but totally nuts was her default setting. I measured the tremors in her body as I gently pressed my body onto Barbie Lynn's hips, deepening the penetration of my cock into her back passage. "Oh, God, Zane," she moaned. "This never gets old, filling me up like you do." I slapped her meaty ass cheek hard enough to leave an angry red handprint. Barbie gave a deep intake of breath that became a squeal of joy. Mercy grunted as Rio yanked her panties off her ass and down her legs. "Crawl over there and give Barbie Lynn a kiss," Rio demanded. Mercy gulped and hesitated to respond so Rio hauled off and smacked her ass hard enough for people outside the room to hear. Mercy's eyes grew wide, her mouth gaped open, and her cheeks flushed, then she smiled. She made her way slowly across the bed, clearly enticing Rio to spank her several more times. Mercy first brought Barbie Lynn's gaze over toward her by tipping her chin with one careful hand. The first kiss was tentative and tender. SMACK! "Kiss her like you want to be kissed, you whore!" Rio taunted Mercy. As she spanked her with one hand, she drove two fingers into Mercy's cunt with the other. I had to assume that Mercy was already pretty wet because instead of pulling away from the penetration, Mercy leaned forward on her elbows while thrusting her hips back against Rio's intrusion. While I was being sensitive to the slow burn Barbie Lynn was going through, Rio drove her hand rapidly like a maniac. It was a good thing that Mercy liked it rough, but then she chose to be with Rio as much as Rio chose to pick on her. At the opposite side of the expression spectrum, Iona curled up against Barbie's other side and let her lips gracefully flit along the shoulder and arm. Mercy returned for another kiss at the same time I reached my full expansion inside of Barbie Lynn. "Oh, my," Barbie gasped. I waited as she adjusted internally while Mercy kissed her with a lot more passion and intensity. That didn't stop Rio from administering a few more sharp smacks to Mercy's bottom, compelling Mercy to rumble with a hunger for more. Iona let her lips migrate from arm to hip, and leading up Barbie Lynn's hip to my stomach. "Reach a hand back here and take over, you slut," Rio told Mercy. When Mercy made the maneuver, Rio began stripping down. Unlike this weekend, she had only her two labia piercings in, though she still had her tattoo along the hip. She gave me both raised eyebrows to go along with her insane grin as the clothes finished coming off. I partially withdrew my member from Barbie Lynn, eliciting a moan. Iona settled up against me, resting her hands on my chest and hip. I kept a grip on Barbie's hip and slipped a hand around Iona's hip and buttocks, rubbed it along her anus, ending at her cunt. "Ugh," Iona grunted, as I stroked her kitty and sunk a finger inside. The group of us got into a rhythm once Rio knelt behind Mercy and began lapping up her cunt and squeezing her ass. By the way Barbie Lynn was pushing and rotating her hips, grabbing the sheets in tight fists and moaning between her kisses with Mercy, she was approaching her second orgasm. "Zane, Jesus Christ, Zane, oh, God, Baby, ah, aha, Yes!" she screamed. Her ass muscles gripped, twisted, and squeezed my cock so hard, it took all my concentration to not shoot off into her rectum. Barbie Lynn kept pulsing and rocking over the sheets as waves of intense pleasure crested and slowly worked its way through her system. Iona and I started seriously kissing as she stood on her knees beside me. "I want to try something," I told her. "He wants to try something?" I heard Valerie's voice talking to an unseen party. "Somehow the current five-way isn't enough for him." There was a snort in agreement of that. I pumped Barbie Lynn four times in quick succession, then leaned back until my cock was at the very edge of leaving her ass. My torso pivoted, I slipped my arms between Iona's legs and pulled her up by her buttocks and to me. "What?" she gasped. As Iona rose up and I twisted back to a face-forward position, I licked and tongue-tickled my way from her chest, to her stomach, and finally to her pubic hair. "Ah, oh, okay," Iona exhaled with pleasure. She put her hands on my shoulders, moved higher, and moved her legs over my arms and rested them on my shoulders. I still had to hold tight to her ass and raise her to the point I could get my mouth fully on her clit and moist lips. "Oh, damn," Rio giggled, "Zane's making me pull out my toys." SMACK! "Mercy, you behave." Rio moved off the bed, stopped, and said, "You had better not remember where I'm getting these from," to another person. "I wouldn't think of it," Dana Gorman allowed. Clearly my surprise showed in my body because she spoke again. "I wanted to see what all my girls were giggling and whispering about in the showers. I put it down to standard virgin girl hysteria. Now, " "I half expect some porn director to say 'Cut, print' at any second," Valerie added. I really didn't need my sex life critiqued at this moment. I was balancing one girl on my face, licking her silly, while pounding Barbie Lynn's ass. Seriously, can't a man have a simple three-way with two college girls in his room in peace? I was soon too overwhelmed by the price of my sexual ambition to worry about that question. I drank deep of Iona's nectar, licking along the folds from top to bottom while letting my upper lip press against her throbbing clit. She took one hand from my shoulder, wrapped it up in my hair, and cautiously pushed my face deeper into her cunt. "Oh, God, Zane, ah, yes, yes, yes," she panted. "That's it, right there, Ah!" Iona began riding my face with greater and greater vigor. Barbie Lynn gyrated against my crotch. I heard a vibrator cut on and Mercy groaned as Rio did something to her. I suspected that was moving her off Barbie because Barbie began using greater force against me. I began to feel a tightness building up in my guts as my blood pounded from the exertions I was putting myself through. "Come here, Mercy," Rio coaxed, "On your back, my little slut, and spread those legs." I wished I could see what she was up to because soon Mercy was moaning and gurgling all over the place. "Please, Rio," Mercy pleaded, "please, " "Do you like that?" Rio teased. "Wiggle that ass for me, then, Baby." "Ah, oh, Rio, I love you," Mercy moaned. Smack! "None of that, you skank," Rio snapped. "You are my toy, nothing more." "Yes," sobbed Mercy. "Good girl," Rio responded. Mercy gave off a hiccup, then a gasp of pleasure. "You know you are my tight-ass whore; right?" Her victim lurched and moaned several more times. "Yes, yes, I understand," Mercy gasped. "I'm yours, whenever, you want." SMACK! "Good girl. Now shake that ass, Bitch," Rio continued. Mercy began making choking, sobbing sounds. "Don't you dare cum until you get me off. Work that tongue like you mean it." I could now visualize Rio and Mercy in a sixty-nine, Rio on top, with a dildo up Mercy's ass. While figuring that out, I almost missed Iona starting to spasm on my face. I could feel her cunt contracting on my tongue. One hand was yanking and releasing my hair while the fingernails on the other dug into my shoulder. I moved my tongue and latched onto her clit with my lips and sucked on it for all I was worth. "Ah, oh, oh, oh, Zane!" Iona screamed. Her fluids dripped over my nose, into my mouth, and down my chin, but that wasn't my problem. My problem was that Iona's body was convulsing, bending her backward toward the head of the bed and me forward into Barbie Lynn. Of course, if I couldn't stop Iona's progress, she'd topple onto Barbie Lynn too. "Oh, God fuck damn!" Barbie exploded as I rammed my full length into her inadvertently. "Jesus, love, which was cut off by her orgasm taking over. Her anal muscles constricted and that was it for me. Hot semen shot down Barbie's gut, causing her to scream even louder. My whole body was trembling from my ejaculation, plus the strain the two women were putting on me. Somehow I hung on long enough for Iona to reach behind her, catching the headboard, while Barbie Lynn extended her arms up to brace Iona from tumbling over. "Fuck, yeah, that's what I'm talking about," Rio laughed. "Mercy, you can come now." "Uh, uh, thank, oh, God," Mercy gasped out. "Rio, umm, ugh," she choked out before she buried her face into Rio's cunt and muffled further expressions of ecstasy. "Gurr," Rio growled, before burying her face into the top of Mercy's thigh. I figured by Mercy's thrashing that Rio took a bit of a nip out of her playmate's flesh. In a shuddering heap of sweaty flesh, Iona, Barbie Lynn, and I flopped onto the bed without anyone being crushed. They lay there while I remained on my knees. "Damn," Valerie chuckled, "I feel like a virgin all over again." "Hell, I need to take a shower and I just sat here," Gorman agreed. I moved between Barbie Lynn and Iona. "Fuck, he's still hard." "Zane's like that," Barbie Lynn laughed between gasps of breath. "He's always hard after the first round, God bless his soul." Iona snuggled into me, kissing my chest between gulps of air. "It's only been thirty minutes," Iona sighed. "We'll let him recharge a little bit before going at him again." "Yes, my ass hurts," Barbie Lynn added. "I won't be ready for, say an hour." Rio dismounted Mercy and rolled next to Barbie Lynn. "Mercy, get up here and kiss me, damn it," Rio breathed huskily. Mercy staggered around on all fours and crawled up Rio's body until she straddled her. A dreamy smile on her face, Mercy went to kiss Rio on the lips but Rio stopped her. "No, you don't, you cunt," Rio chastised her. "Here," she indicated her chin. Mercy kissed it. Rio then led Mercy on a slow quest over her nose, cheeks, earlobe, and finally the lips. Rio grabbed Mercy's hips and pulled the older girl down on top of her. "Okay, I have to ask; how did Rio end up in bed with Mercy? Mercy is one of my better martial artists and Rio is, well, Rio, kind of an annoying little twerp," Gorman wondered. "I won her playing bingo," was Rio's smarmy comeback. "They developed a relationship when you put her in our path," I was a bit more honest. "Mercy discovered something about herself and someone in Rio who could satisfy her needs." To emphasize the point, Rio spanked Mercy's ass hard and the girl humped Rio in response. "So, besides Cappadocia, are there any of my other girls you, have a relationship with?" Dana inquired. She even leaned forward on the chair she was sitting on. "What makes you think Cappy and I have a thing?" I asked. "On Monday," Dana rolled her eyes at my naivet , "she hated you and on Wednesday, she couldn't keep her eyes off of you and couldn't drive the other teammates out of the gym for your, private lesson. Just because I'm over thirty doesn't mean I'm soft in the head." "That's not fair, Coach," Rio smiled past Mercy. "We never thought you were bright." Before I could say or do anything, Barbie Lynn elbowed her. "Ow!" Rio snickered. "Why are you hitting me?" "I owe you. You said a bad thing, and Zane says never fight yesterday's battles. Now that the Coach is no longer the bad girl, we don't pick on her," Barbie Lynn explained. "But I'm always annoying," Rio countered. "Why is this time special?" "Rio, don't you think Zane deserves a break? He's always throwing himself onto the train tracks for you and you give him shit for it," Barbie Lynn sounded a bit cross. "After all, you wouldn't have Mercy if you'd had your way. Zane was right about you being good for the rest of us to know, and he was right about saving Mercy. I trust him about Coach because I trust you too." "Trust, smust, I'll keep my spank-o-matic," Rio grimaced. She clearly got Barbie Lynn's point but admitting it at the moment wasn't in her. "So, does anyone want to give Mercy a hard spanking? If not, I'm going to get my big strap-on and ream her ass until she is so hoarse, she can't scream anymore." "Don't you think you two need to grow together before using the 'OMG' model?" I warned her. That thing would tear Mercy's unprepared ass to shreds. I reached over Barbie Lynn and spanked Mercy four times, two to each ass cheek. She yelped and jolted with each contact, and while tears welled in her eyes, she couldn't have been happier. "I'm getting my favorite strap-on, then," Rio wiggled from under Mercy. "Hold her back," Valerie joked. "She's lost her mind." Mercy buried her face in the bed, shook her head, and raised her ass up in the air. "Fine, if it's the Spas-monkey you want, so be it." "Have some of this," Barbie Lynn fished out the lubricant and handed it to Mercy. "I don't know how patient Rio is going to be when she gets back." Rio, who was only a few feet away getting out and attaching her strap-on, stuck out her tongue at Valerie and Barbie. "Spas-monkey? I prefer Vibrator-Bunny, or didn't you two get my tweet?" "How about Vibrating Spas?" Iona suggested. Rio howled and charged the bed. "That's it," she giggled, "that tight little virgin ass-hole is mine!" Iona squawked and buried herself under my side. "That's my virgin ass to nurture and enjoy, bro, not yours," I taunted Rio as I reached around and put a comforting arm around Iona. I wasn't sure how Iona would take that. Her kisses to my ribs ended those worries. "I'll nipple twist you for her," Rio grinned. Belying her threat, she was lining up behind Mercy while Mercy was rubbing lube all along her ass cleft and anus. "I never considered the benefits of anal sex in a school full of virgin school girls," Valerie mused. "Oral sex, I expected, but not anal." "Somehow, when the Founders created the Purity Pledge, I suspect they were forbidding all kinds of intercourse, but they never counted on Zane," Dana stated. "Rio, I'm not going to take you on in a contest you love and I hate," I smiled. "How about a shoot-off? I'll spot you two orgasms." "Four," Rio hissed. She'd spread the oil over her dildo and was slowly pushing it into the ass of Mercy. Mercy had her face still buried in the sheets, her fists balled up and her hips pushing back. "Uh, uh, uh," Mercy groaned, as Rio penetrated with short jabs. She rested her hands on Mercy's shoulder and neck. "Okay, now I'm grateful I sleep on my back," Valerie commented. "I promised Zane I wouldn't break her, but if I felt that poking my hiney, I'd stick it somewhere she'd not soon forget." "Do the world a favor and stick it in her mouth," Dana smirked. "Hardy, har-har," Rio chuckled. She reached down beside Mercy, retrieved her vibrator, and began rubbing it along that girl's cunt slit and clit. Barbie Lynn reached for my cock and began stroking it, rubbing it along her ass and between her cheeks. "I need another beer," Dana sighed. "All this is doing is reminding me that plastic doesn't really get the job done." "Get me a Coke and I'll get the popcorn," Valerie said. "After all, I have an open invitation to join whenever I want." I had to wonder when that had happened, then I remembered Rio and her big mouth. Iona had settled in on her side, head propped up on her elbow, as she watched me push into Barbie Lynn once more. I had my hands on her hip and thigh, pushing in with more force this time around. "Feels, so, good," Barbie Lynn sighed, as my cock filled up her rectum. "Make me feel good, Daddy." I lifted up her left leg, then gingerly took her wounded leg and raised it to my shoulder as well. As I felt the deep reaches of her bowels envelop me, Barbie Lynn arched her back and let out a sob of joy. "Oh, that's what I need," she moaned, "That's what I've missed." Unlike our first round, this time we were raw with our hunger for one another. I kneaded her breasts, teasing and pulling the nipples from time to time. Her body was folded up so that our faces were close enough for me to lock onto those gorgeous bedroom blue eyes. Barbie licked her lips and blew kisses at me. I was so into Barbie sensually that I almost missed Mercy going off next to us. "Oh God, oh fuck, oh God!" she verbally exploded. "Please!!!" Rio kept up the slap, slap, slap of her thighs against Mercy's ass. "Don't you give up on me, Bitch," Rio taunted her. She grabbed a handful of Mercy's hair and pulled her shoulder up off the bed until she was balancing on her hands and knees. Rio shot a look my way and mouthed 'I love you' as she kept working Mercy over into one cascading orgasm after another. I was pounding deep into Barbie Lynn's tight orifice, Rio was happy, and Iona was giving me a dreamy, contented look. Life could hardly be better. "Zane, we need to, Oh, My God!" Virginia Goodswell cried out in a shocked voice. "Here, have my seat, Virginia," Gorman grinned. "You look like you are about to fall over." I hadn't even heard Dana or Valerie return. "Zane, what are you doing?" Virginia questioned. "I'm a little busy," I ground out. Fucking was hard, attention intensive, and pleasurable work. "Virginia, he's having anal intercourse with Barbie Lynn Masters," Dana chuckled. "I thought that would have been obvious. Rio Talon is using a strap-on and a dildo on Mercy Chaplain, and Iona, having been touched and licked to two orgasms, is sitting this round out." "I can see that and, Dana, what are you doing here?" Virginia, my Spiritual Advisor, asked. "I'm unemployed so they aren't my students anymore," Dana snorted. "Also, Zane's got one of the few illegal internet hook-up plus satellite TV. My apartment is a tomb, comparatively." "This was the farthest thing from my mind when I learned my Dad was sending me to an All-Girl Christian University," Valerie added. "It is the skirts," Rio giggled. "Zane can't keep his hands off the skirts." "In my experience, Zane has the pathological desire to worship the female form," Iona joined in. "Listen, I knew Zane was having, relationships, but coming in and finding him in bed with four women, girls, students is a bit much to wrap my mind around," Virginia related. "My sex life has been a bit vanilla." "I prefer to think of mine as disappointing," Dana confessed. "All my boyfriends have lived under threat of dismemberment, so I've had it pretty safe too," Valerie stated. "Threat of dismemberment?" Virginia stammered. "She's a member of a major criminal biker organization in the Rockies," Dana informed her. "We are a motorcycle club," Valerie defended her family. "I'm having sex here," I growled. "If you don't mind, " "We are good, Zane," Valerie replied. "Don't worry about us, and Barbie needs you." "Gee, thanks," I grumbled, but she was right; Barbie Lynn needed my attention. "Ms. Palmer, every one of your known associates, except your baby sister, has a criminal record," Dana said. "I've never been convicted of anything," Val countered, "and Mom got off on a bad search." Mercy cried out as Rio shifted to sharp powerful jabs with her artificial cock. "I've got a record," Rio crowed proudly. "That only means you were sloppy enough to get caught," Valerie pointed out. "It wasn't my fault; I ran out of road while driving a stolen Porsche," Rio told us. "You stole a Porsche?" Valerie asked. "How do you run out of road in an expensive, high-performance sports car?" Virginia wondered. "Yes, take that, Mercy, you bitch," slap, slap, "I stole a Porsche and I ran out of road when I cruised into another car showroom on the far side of town. Who knew that those dumb sons-of-bitches didn't put a back way out that place?" "Rio, why did you steal something that didn't belong to you in the first place?" Iona begged to know. "Blame drugs, teenage hormones, or the fact that it was a school night, I hadn't studied for a test the next day, and this sounded like the best way of not having to take it," Rio suggested. I would have told them that was Rio-speak for 'I have no idea' except I'd finally stretched Barbie Lynn's hamstrings to the point we had our tongues entwined, mouths pressed, and teeth nibbling on each other's lips like famished lovers. I could feel her anal spasm vibrating up through her body and her lungs fighting for air. She was getting close and I thought it was going to be a big one. "That would be an exhibition of low impulse control," Dana chided Rio. "I think it shows poor life choices," Virginia stated. "I think it shows she's fucking nuts," Valerie declared. "Fine, whatever, but I'm one of the two people fucking a sweet piece of ass while you dykes are sitting on the sidelines," Rio taunted them. "You are my students," Virginia began, "I don't, She was interrupted by Barbie Lynn. "Ugh, Oh, Lord Jesus, Zane," she gasped then, "Ai!" she screamed so loud I was afraid my brain would explode. She kept trying to buck me off and thrash about so violently that I was afraid she'd hurt herself, or me. I rode that wave for almost a minute before Barbie Lynn made one final strenuous effort, then went limp in my arms. I gently shifted her legs down my sides to rest on the bed. I remained propped over her until her eyes focused on me and an ephemeral smile graced her lips. "Umm, sleepy," she purred. "Okay, Babe," I said, then kissed her nose. Her eyes closed and her breathing became low and regular. "Okay,&quo

SummaryIn this episode, Shannon Valenzuela, Dr. Jeff Lehman, and Dr. Andrew Seeley explore the retrieval of the quadrivium and its significance in classical education, particularly in mathematics and science. They discuss their personal journeys in mathematics, the transformative power of the quadrivium, and the importance of integrating imagination and reason in learning. They emphasize the need for a community of educators to foster a deeper understanding of these subjects, and offer suggestions for teaching. The discussion also touches on the moral implications of education and the beauty inherent in mathematics and the arts.Topics Covered:The creative retrieval of the QuadriviumThe Quadrivium and the formation of the intellect and imaginationThe importance of fellowship among teachersBeauty and structure are integral to the arts and sciences.The Quadrivium and its contribution to moral formationToday's Guests:Jeffrey S. Lehman is co-founder and Dean of Fellows at the Boethius Institute and Professor of Philosophy and Theology and Director of the M.A. in Catholic Education program at the Augustine Institute's Graduate School of Theology. He is the founder and President of the Arts of Liberty Project, a Founding Fellow of the Center for Thomas More Studies, and he has taught at Biola University, Thomas Aquinas College, Hillsdale College, and the University of Dallas. He is the author of numerous publications, including Socratic Conversation: Bringing the Dialogues of Plato and the Socratic Tradition into Today's Classroom.Andrew Seeley is co-founder and President of the Boethius Institute. He also serves as the Director of Advanced Formation for Educators at the Augustine Institute. Over his three decades as a Tutor at Thomas Aquinas College in California, Dr. Seeley taught every subject in its integrated Great Books curriculum. Dr. Seeley co-founded the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education in 2005, where he served as Executive Director for 12 years. He became Executive Director of the Arts of Liberty Project in 2021. He was named the 2023 recipient of the Circe Institute's Paideia Prize.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to the Quadrivium and the Boethius Institute03:21 The Creative Retrieval of the Quadrivium07:16 The Importance of the Quadrivium in Classical Education12:09 Transformative Experiences in Teaching the Quadrivium16:27 Understanding the Four Arts of the Quadrivium20:52 The Role of Imagination in the Quadrivium23:23 The Interplay of Reason and Imagination33:46 Mathematics and Moral Formation39:18 Reimagining Mathematics Education43:38 Favorite Resources  48:11 ConclusionUniversity of Dallas Links:Classical Education Master's Program at the University of Dallas: udallas.edu/classical-edSt. Ambrose Center Professional Development for Teachers and Administrators: https://k12classical.udallas.edu/Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode:More on the Quadrivium Retrieval: https://quadriviumretrieval.org/Francis Su, Mathematics for Human FlourishingStratford Caldecott, Beauty for Truth's SakeSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show, please leave a rating and review — it helps others find us!

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Politik und die richtigen Wörter +++ Ursprung Nordsee-Krater gelöst +++ Tagträumen hilft im Job +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Speaking of Debt: Framing, Guilt, and Economic Choices, CESifo Working Paper No. 12060 2025.Multiple lines of evidence for a hypervelocity impact origin for the Silverpit Crater, Nature Communications, 20.09.2025Gaining Career Purpose Through Lightning Bolts: Examining the Strength and Psychological Foundations of Work-Related Epiphanies, Journal of Management, 11.07.2025.Neanderthal coasteering and the first Portuguese hominin tracksites, Scientific Reports, 03.07.2025The JWST weather report: Retrieving temperature variations, auroral heating, and static cloud coverage on SIMP-0136, A&A Volume 702, October 2025.Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player.  Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Begin by finding a comfortable and quiet place where you can sit or lie down, undisturbed.  Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, feeling your body relax with each inhale and exhale. PAUSE… Imagine yourself standing at the entrance of a beautiful garden.  You are here to retrieve your sense of wellness.  PAUSE… In this garden, you will find all the resources you need to feel balanced and rejuvenated. Take a step forward and feel the soft grass beneath your feet.  Look around and notice the vibrant colors of the flowers and the sweet fragrance that fills the air.  The sun is shining and the birds are singing, creating a peaceful and calming atmosphere. Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen  Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life.  If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want!  Namaste, Beautiful,

He sounds like your favorite coach, teacher or Scoutmaster ... understanding where you (or your dog) are, and where you want them to be. Charlie Jurney is a multi-champion dog trainer, hunter, and author. You've seen his byline in many dog magazines, and on his book Finished Dog. We'll roam the field and water, uplands and marshes while we talk about his connections to legends Richard Wolters and Delmar Smith, then explore his own unique "dog theory." We explore ways you can - and should- train during early-season hunts, get down-and-dirty with Charlie's ways of teaching the retrieve, steadiness, and range for flushing dogs. Charlie explains the clues dogs give us when they're "getting it," and makes clear that we're put on this earth to help dogs do well - it's just a matter of how we do it. "Fix It" has reminders on critical items for your hunting vest, and listeners chip in with their views on the hardest birds to hunt. And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

A conversation with former Major League Baseball umpire Tim Tschida to start the second hour of The Chad Hartman Show. Chad asks his thoughts on when we will see robots take over behind the plate, Tim doesn't think it will happen. They chat about how professionals make the difficult look so easy. “There's no such thing as a routine play” says Tim. Chad then asks if Tim thinks Bob Manfred (Commissioner of MLB) is good or bad for their sport. Tim thinks too many suits have infiltrated the brass of the league and that they think they know everything. He also offers some names who he thinks would be a better fit for the Commissioner job. Chad is joined by local restauranter Vincent Francoul to talk about what happened in the mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School's church in South Minneapolis. His daughter Chloe attends the school. We thank Vincent for his bravery and creating space to share his story with us today. Vincent details his experience learning that something was wrong and rushing to the school yesterday to find and retrieve his daughter. He talks about the humanity he's seen on display in his community amidst this trauma.

Read the article here: https://www.academia.edu/143657264/_To_the_saints_which_are_at_Ephesus_Retrieving_the_Classic_Christian_Consensus_on_the_Intended_Audience_of_Ephesians_in_Bible_League_Quarterly_No_502_July_September_2025_24_33

Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah tackle getting to know Amy Vanderbilt, acknowledging mysterious gifts, retrieving lost phones, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.) Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ask.wyrbw.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPISODE CONTENTS AMUSE-BOUCHE: Amy Vanderbilt A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: The power dynamics of scheduling links QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: I received a gift, but I don't know what it is...how should I acknowledge it? What should I do when everyone assumes I'll always be the driver? VENT OR REPENT: Retrieving lost phones, Wrist flicks on the street CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Thanks for the lock box, A nice email THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW "Beginnings" with Amy Vanderbilt ⁠⁠New York Times: Amy Vanderbilt obituary Photo of mystery gift YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support our show through Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call, text, or email us your questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our official website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy some fabulous official merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CREDITS Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nick Leighton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Bonnema⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Producer & Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nick Leighton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rob Paravonian⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ADVERTISE ON OUR SHOW ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for details⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Episode 276See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah tackle getting to know Amy Vanderbilt, acknowledging mysterious gifts, retrieving lost phones, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.) Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ask.wyrbw.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPISODE CONTENTS AMUSE-BOUCHE: Amy Vanderbilt A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: The power dynamics of scheduling links QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: I received a gift, but I don't know what it is...how should I acknowledge it? What should I do when everyone assumes I'll always be the driver? VENT OR REPENT: Retrieving lost phones, Wrist flicks on the street CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Thanks for the lock box, A nice email THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW "Beginnings" with Amy Vanderbilt ⁠⁠New York Times: Amy Vanderbilt obituary Photo of mystery gift YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support our show through Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Call, text, or email us your questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our official website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy some fabulous official merchandise⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CREDITS Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nick Leighton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Bonnema⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Producer & Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nick Leighton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Theme Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rob Paravonian⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ADVERTISE ON OUR SHOW ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for details⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TRANSCRIPT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Episode 276 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pro cocker spaniel trainer Gene Barnhardt joins me to cover all things flushing ... and more! You've seen Gene handling dogs on Wingshooting USA TV, and now we'll hear his insights into spaniels from retrieving to range, quartering to water work. Gene is also a breeder so expect insights on how to find the best pup, too. We'll talk teaching steadiness, how to hunt with flushers, mistakes we make when training a flushing dog, and how a "place board" is the ultimate retrieving tool.  Gene also offers a couple unique observations on what to do - and not do - when your dog brings a bird back to you ... "Fix It" covers a few useful data sources for planning your road trips, and listeners tell us if they're swapping shotguns this season and why. And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

In this episode of our Sikh History Podcast, we continue the remarkable journey of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and Bhai Makhan Shah Lubhana. Following the dramatic confrontation at Bakala, tensions rise as jealousy and greed burn within Dheermal and the masands.This chapter explores one of the most powerful lessons of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's life – that forgiveness is not forgetfulness. Even in the face of betrayal, and attempts to undermine the Guru's mission, Guru Ji responds with calm, divine wisdom and compassion.Missed the earlier episodes? Catch up here:Episode 1 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BZUKDCmJcAEpisode 2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhkIeU-u-ic&t=627sSubscribe and follow the full series as we uncover the life and teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji – leading to his ultimate sacrifice for freedom of faith.Timestamps0:00 – Episode 2 Recap1:00 – Makhan Shah storms the dera of Dheermal5:55 – The masands are tied up9:30 – Returning the stolen goods11:30 – Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's indifference14:50 – Guru Ji drops divine knowledge to Bhai Makhan Shah23:00 – Mata Nanaki Ji's reaction30:00 – Words of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji37:20 – Returning the goods with a message41:00 – Forgiveness isn't forgetfulness44:45 – Dheermal's reaction51:20 – Dheermal returns to Kartarpur59:00 – Bakala reacts1:01:00 – Journey to Sri Amritsar Sahib1:07:30 – Darbar Sahib locked and abandoned1:09:30 – Guru Ji reflects by the sarovar1:15:30 – Makhan Shah's darshan and ishnaan1:16:40 – Makhan Shah addresses the masands1:21:00 – Guru Ji at pind Vulla1:26:45 – Return to Bakala and growing jealousy1:34:00 – Arrival at River Beas1:36:30 – Guru Granth Sahib Ji arrives1:41:00 – Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the Beas river1:46:30 – Retrieving the Saroop from the river1:57:30 – Closing reflections——————————————————

Talking about how to actually have a conversation with your past self in past lives.  That way you can stop guessing and actually know what you knew, what you didn't, and what about any of that is useful for your life now.

Join us for an insightful discussion with Jared Ebert (ThM) as we delve into the retrieval of Reformed Methods in New Testament Textual Criticism. This episode offers an examination of historical approaches and their contemporary relevance to our approach to textual criticism. To read his ThM thesis, click here: https://www.academia.edu/129594686/Retrieving_the_Reformed_Methods_of_New_Testament_Textual_Criticism For more information about CBTS visit: https://cbtseminary.org  

Join us for an insightful discussion with Jared Ebert (ThM) as we delve into the retrieval of Reformed Methods in New Testament Textual Criticism. This episode offers an examination of historical approaches and their contemporary relevance to our approach to textual criticism. To read his ThM thesis, click here: https://www.academia.edu/129594686/Retrieving_the_Reformed_Methods_of_New_Testament_Textual_Criticism For more information about CBTS visit: https://cbtseminary.org  

A conversation between Dewey Dovel, Jared Ebert, and Austin McCormick on how the discipline of textual criticism was modeled by prominent Reformed theologians. This discussion was originally featured on the Covenant Podcast.

Speaker: Dr Casey B. HoughDate: 13/07/2025→ Stay Connected Instagram: https://instagram.com/gracewoodgreenFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/GraceBaptistChurchWoodGreenTwitter: https://twitter.com/gracewoodgreen→ New to Gracehttps://gracebaptistchurch.org.uk/contact-us/→ Give It's the generosity of many that enable Grace Baptist Church Wood Green to fulfil our vision http://paypal.me/gracewoodgreen

An aviation safety firm's CEO says a team from the Indian aviation regulator & those from every regulator where the aircraft is operated are expected to visit the crash site soon.----more----https://theprint.in/india/from-retrieving-black-box-to-setting-up-court-of-inquiry-how-probe-into-air-india-crash-will-unfold/2656314/

The Perfect Planner for ADHD? Let's Talk Time Systems That Actually WorkIf you've ever thought this planner is going to change my life... only to abandon it weeks later, you are not alone! Today, we're diving into the REAL reason planners often don't work for ADHD brains—and what to do instead. In this video, I walk you through: ✔️ The 3 essential parts of an ADHD-friendly time system✔️ Why your brain shouldn't be your to-do list✔️ How to use a dump list without drowning in it✔️ The importance of retrieval (not just collection)✔️ What to do with “boomerang tasks” that come back later✔️ And why it's 100% okay to switch up your planner (really!)I'll also share how I personally use my system—weekly planning, daily focus, and energy management—to stay ahead of chaos, without running myself into the ground.#ADHDplanner #ExecutiveFunctioning #ADHDtimeManagement #OccupationalTherapist #DumpList #ADHDcoaching #CalmSystems #neurodivergentlife 

In this episode of The Butcher Shop, host Marvin Cash sits down with Russ Maddin at the vise for a lively discussion about the iconic Circus Peanut. As Russ ties this innovative pattern, he shares the fascinating backstory behind its creation in the early 2000s, highlighting the guiding challenges that inspired its design. Listeners will learn about the unique two-hook construction that helps keep fish hooked longer, a game-changer for streamer fishing enthusiasts.Russ dives deep into his approach to streamer fishing, emphasizing the importance of adapting techniques based on water conditions and fish behavior. He offers valuable insights into fly selection, including his favorite materials and setups for different scenarios. The conversation also touches on the evolution of fly lines and how advancements in technology have changed the way anglers present their flies.Throughout the episode, Russ shares practical tips for retrieving the Circus Peanut effectively, including the importance of varying cadence and keeping the line straight. He also discusses common mistakes that novice tiers make and how to avoid them, ensuring that listeners walk away with actionable advice to improve their tying game.This episode is a treasure trove of information for fly anglers looking to refine their skills and learn more about one of the most versatile streamer patterns in the sport.Thanks to Schultz Outfitters and TroutRoutes for sponsoring this episode. Use artfly20 to get 20% off of your TroutRoutes Pro membership.All Things Social MediaFollow Russ on Instagram.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.Support the ShowShop on AmazonBecome a Patreon PatronSubscribe to the PodcastSubscribe to the podcast in the podcatcher of your choice.Advertise on the PodcastIs our community a good fit for your brand? Advertise with us.In the Industry and Need Help Getting Unstuck?Check out our consulting options!Helpful Episode Chapters00:00 Introduction01:56 The Circus Peanut's Origin Story05:01 Influences Behind the Design09:45 The Purpose of the Circus Peanut24:00 Modern Materials for Tying28:05 Favorite Hook and Bead Combinations45:05 The Importance of Line Selection48:48 Matching the Biomass57:06 Techniques for Retrieving the Peanut1:11:32 New Developments in Fly Tying

Lords: * Alexei * Evan Topics: * Silt clouds & underwater visibility as a game mechanic * The bass pro shop pyramid and the utility calculations of weird buildings * What happens when your Firefox root certificate expires? * The Ailing Mirror-Smith * https://medium.com/@EvanBalster/the-ailing-mirror-smith-9c4b5a76cd#9520 Microtopics: * Roguelike Celebration. * Virtual conferences. * How to be in a conversation with one person in a room and not the whole room. * Drinking a polymorph potion to put a different animal emoji next to your user name. * Roguelikes and Roguelikers. * Topic munching and topic grazing. * How to design non-violent roguelikes. * Spending your paw prints on the "become water" skill so when a human tries to pick you up, you just flow out of their hands. * Imitone. * Abruptly tooting a horn. * Reading an email and then pointing at it and yelling "sold!" * DSP for game developers. * Video essays about maritime disasters. * Penetration diving. * Huge warning signs in front of every underwater cave. * Silt Warnings. * Guideline Entanglement. * Moving in more directional axes than you normally do. * Fast things that live underwater. * Panicking and forgetting that the game is turn based. * Playing Nethack with a screen reader. * Multi stage dives to deliver oxygen further and further into a cave system. * Retrieving the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald. * Inventing special hells to put yourself through because the existing hells aren't good enough. * Gabe Newell's lack of fear response. * Remembering the time you blacked out and thinking "the brain is really cool." * Borrowing some time from your cat attack to give to the car crash. * Scout the Floof. * Running out of adrenalin and being extremely calm. * Entering and exiting Tennessee in a state of intense unreality. * Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt. * The acoustic properties of a gigantic metal pyramid. * Getting married inside the Bass Pro Shop Pyramid. * Hotel rooms attached up the back of the giant fish. * Why the Egyptians built pyramids rather than other cooler shapes. * A procedurally generated lady in Canada. * Importing the Burning Man from Burning Man. * Stopping at Saskatchewan for gas. * Home of the World's Biggest Dad. * Building Ram Pumps in Dwarf Fortress. * Great Pyramid Ram Pump. * Mummy Tea. * A terrible waste of tax dollars that brings joy to children all around the world. * Firefox telling you "oh shit, you need to update now, dog." * Configuring Windows Firewall to not allow Windows Updates. * Protecting your users from malware by opening the floodgates of Internet ads. * Encino Man. * Handing Firefox a Baby Ruth and it's like "this tastes like plastic." * Picking tiny hills to die on as a way to remain mentally stable. * Escalating lack of politeness from a UK security firm. * Nitric Acid Piano: sounds great but hurts like heck to play. * 3D printing new fingernails right onto your bare cuticles every morning. * Working on a long project in which you see more potency than clarity of purpose. * Valorizing craft for the sake of craft, disconnected from the use of it. * In the worst case scenario, how could your tool be used? * Avoiding doing evil by making morally neutral art. * Sitting on multiple generations of Cold War techno-optimism. * Keita Takahashi's manifesto about being a video game romantic. * Designing things that people can do and enjoy in the world we want to live in. * Striving to bring people some small amount of a positive emotion. * Making curry for your colleagues and going totally overboard on it. * I'm going to go do evil with this curry. * Learning the flavors of new herbs and spices. * Fenugreek leaf. * The worst time in history to get enthusiastic about cooking quiche. * Trying to figure out how to post.

Welcome to Standing Stone Kennels! What happens when top pro dog trainers from the pointing and retrieving worlds come together? Magic. In this episode, we're breaking down the biggest lessons, wildest moments, and top takeaways from the 4th annual LoneStone Seminar—a one-of-a-kind weekend combining NAVHDA, AKC, and hunt test prep for versatile and retriever breeds.

Ruth Weiss is a senior judge in the NAVHDA testing system as well as an active handler with 74 dogs tested including two versatile champions. She's seen it all and will share her insights on everything from steadiness to retrieving (advice for all levels), introducing a pup to water, and how and when to use praise. She's also an avid bird hunter and offers insights on handling a dog in the field as well as a peek into the world of Mearns quail. Her upbeat attitude is contagious and springs from a love of dogs and how they think. "Fix It" suggests one time when praise is the wrong thing to provide, and listeners chip in with the bird species they hunted most last season. You get a chance to win a free day of private land hunting from LandTrust.com, value $150 in our furfeathersfriends.com sweepstakes, but only if you listen and know the Word of the Week. And it's all brought to you by: HiVizSights.com, RuffLand Kennels, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Pointer shotguns, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

Sen (She/He) - Gamemaster; Drevian (They/Them) - Tenebris; William/Shani (Any/All) - Najka (She/Her); Jeremy (He/Him) - Ellafira (She/Her); Craig (He/Him) - Grouper (He/Him); Jackalope (He/They) - The Goodgobbins; Holly (She/Her) - Davina (She/Her) -----Thanks to all of our supporters at patreon.com/fsfilms for making this possible!Especially our $25+ Donors:Drevian AlexanderLPortions of the materials used may contain trademarks and/or copyrighted works of Critical Role. This material is not official, is provided for free, noncommercial entertainment purposes only, and is not endorsed by Critical Role. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

On today's episode we hear a rebroadcast of a 2025 special book talk sponsored by UMBC's Center for Social Science Scholarship and the UMBC Dresher Center. The event featured Dr. Felipe Filomeno, Professor of Political Science and Director of the UMBC Global Studies Program. Dr. Filomeno discusses his recent book, entitled Christian Cosmopolitanism: Faith Communities Talk Immigration (2025, Temple University Press). In the talk, Dr. Filomeno explores how Christian congregations can help expand solidarity across boundaries of identity. Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host: The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ian G. Anson, Ph.D. Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, our director is Dr. Eric Stokan, and our production intern is Jean Kim.   Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland.  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

The first Ishara open  House Challenge .Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Odd Happenings{8:58 am, Wednesday, Sept. 3rd ~ 5 Days to go; the Final Salvo ~ at this time}I had deposited my Mother in the place I felt was safest for her   with OT (Oyuun T m rbaatar) at the Kazakhstan's UN mission. Her being my family was what mattered to them most. I picked her up on my way to work, which made my entrance into the lobby all that much more cataclysmic.I was traveling light with only Wiesława Živa providing me with security. Chaz, Pamela and Juanita were catching up with their sleep, with a promise of taking me out for a late lunch. That was really them telling me to not leave JIKIT until they came for me around 2:00 pm.So anyway, me, Mom and Wiesława walked into the ground floor of the Mil Ma Towers to find eleven people waiting on us. We were in downtown Manhattan in a part of town the NYPD paid particular attention to. What could go wrong, right? Two of the people were Amazons from Havenstone. With them were two fine young men from the US 'don't make me kill you' Department. By this time in my life I was sure they had one   which no one talked about.Five of my expectant visitors were of the same mold as those who protected Hana for me. Not the Ghost Tigers   that would have put me at ease. Sure, they were a gang of assassin and in this circumstance; I would have preferred them. As it was, ten sets of highly-trained Illuminati operative eyes kept me, my party and the four guardians of JIKIT in their overlapping fields of vision.The last two, were doing an impromptu family reunion. They were Aunts 'X' and 'Y', and neither of them smelled like fish, or crab."Aunt Deidre," I tossed out there. "What brings you here today?"It looked like clobbering time! No. Wait. Neither Mom, nor my aunts, were saying anything and they were normally so verbose."Sibeal.""Imogen.""Sibeal, you are looking surprisingly well for a dead woman," the other one said."Deidre, you are looking surprisingly alive for someone who deserves to be dead," Mom bantered back."How long have you known about this?" Imogen's eyes flickered my way."Not long, a while, more than a day, ah, take your pick," I mumbled. I decided to turn that frown aka 'my gut wrenching terror that my Mother was about to die' upside down aka ramped up my sexy, 'glad to see you in a totally incestuous way'."So, what brings you here today and why aren't you waiting upstairs with the rest of my band of cutthroats, malcontents and ne'er do-wells? Oh, and I'm happy to see both of you." Karma was about to bitch-slap the shit out of me and it was so well deserved."I'm pregnant," Imogen studied my reaction. Yeah, I had banged her after Deidre, but before Baibre because I am a fucking reprehensible human being and sometimes, I feel I am utterly irredeemable."Great news," I exhaled. I so wanted to ask 'so, who is the father?' except that was too cruel, even for an O'Shea.No one stopped me from stepping up and hugging her. Everyone in the lobby had heard her loud and clear. Anyone who knew me, or even about me, knew she wasn't passing on the information because Imogen liked sharing good news. I kept my hands on her hips while I leaned my torso back until we could make eye contact."Does Granddad know?" It occurred to me in that second that Pamela was going to kick herself for missing this and the opportunity to kick me as well."I told him over the phone. His reaction was neutral," she responded."Whoa, girl? Boy? How are you doing? When are we going to sit down and figure out a name? Is there anything I can do for you?""Come home with me," she suggested."No," Mom snapped. "Next time he steps into your custody, we all know you won't let him get away." She meant the plane trip to Ireland."No, Mom," I countered. "I'm a grown man now and I make my own decisions. That being said   no, I'm not going home with you.""Not only am I still in love with the concept of my personal freedom, I have important work to do. People are counting on me.""We are counting on you too," Deidre stated. "In fact, that is the other reason we came here. We need you.""Why do I feel that has to do with something besides sex?""Can we talk to you in private?" Imogen requested. There were a thousand and one reasons to say 'no'. Things like 'common sense', bad behavior   they had murdered my homicidal uncle   and the fact they were as morally twisted as their creator. Oh   and they were hot and I hadn't been laid in forever."Sure. Let's go upstairs. You can have your people sweep the room to ensure our privacy then the four of us can sit down and have a family chat," I offered."We don't want her in the room," Deidre indicated Mom."We are a package deal," I denied her. "Like her, or not, she is as much family to me as you both are."They consented far too fast. Either I was falling into their masterful trap, or something horrible had happened. Neither options was palatable to me. The bodyguards departed, Wiesława last of all."What's gone wrong?" Mom preempted me. Her sisters glared."Father's body is not his own," Imogen told us. I was trying to figure out the relevance of that when Mom gasped."Oh fuck," she said in a small voice. "No serum?" Oh yeah, the refinement of those addictive pheromones Grandpa Cáel had gifted me with. Whatever flesh-form he currently inhabited wasn't one containing his genetic make-up meaning,"Oh shit," I mumbled. "What can I do?""Yes," Deidre replied to Mom."Let them die," Mom insisted (to me). Less I forget, she was raised by Grandpa Cáel too. Her being a loving mother to me didn't translate over to her being a humanitarian of any kind."The Hell you say," I jumped up and stared down at Mom. "You hate them. I don't. Letting them die makes me worse than him." Grandpa."So you will help us?" Deidre moved to the edge of her seat."Okay. This is the point where I threaten you into making some concessions, we argue then you eventually cave in because no matter how terrible your futures look, you aren't willing to give up on living. None of that is going to happen. What do you need from me?""Come back with us to Ireland so we can finish our experiments," Imogen joined me in standing. Unwilling to give her sister any physical advantage, Mom stood as well."No. That isn't even a believable lie," I scolded her. "You don't need to blackmail me into helping you. I'll do it gladly. That doesn't mean I'll let you trick me into doing something stupid. I do 'stupid' all the time. I'm accustomed to it and I know it when its ugly head rises up before me. Try again.""We could pick a neutral location," Deidre suggested."How about Havenstone?" They didn't look like that plan was even worthy of their consideration. "Imogen, inside you is growing a possible heir to House Ishara. An attack on you would be an attack on Ishara. Barring you betraying the Amazons, you would be perfectly safe.""Wonderful," Mom's sarcasm dripped off every word. "I'm going to be a grandmother to my nephew while my son is bringing a child into the world that can double as his cousin.""That sound pretty horrible, Mom. It is the truth, but it still sounds pretty terrible."While those words tumbled out of my mouth, I did a little soul back-searching. How in the fuck was   outside of the actual fucking   was Imogen pregnant? My existence was a freaking fluke of nature. A few words were bandied about the room while I was lost in deductive reasoning and turning hunches into assumptions and turning those into reasonable mystic hypotheses.I created the Mojo-Little Engine that thought it could. Specifically, the legacy of Vranus. Legions of little Vranusian sperm had been jumping hurdle after hurdle to keep the faith alive   that Vranus would meet his Ancestors with his mission accomplished. I was already half way there.Still, the legacy of Vranus and the hopes of Dot Ishara hadn't stopped in their struggle just because I had been born. They were still trying to restore the mortal descendants of a Dead House. They were also still spiritually pushing me on to fulfill his last command   to save the Arinniti sons.I was halfway there by returning the offspring of Bolu, Vranus' fellow guardian, back to the fold. It remained for me to round up the purpose of the whole mission in the first place. My semen weren't taking a chance that I could get gakked before that was accomplished. Having knocked up an augur despite the toxic soup she called blood should have been a dire warning to me, I'm an idiot.When the curse of Sarrat Irkalli clashed with the actions of Dot Ishara, Ishara had won. Sarrat Irkalli sought to deny Alal any children of his own. Dot was insisting the male line of Vranus Ishara continue on. The end result was Alal received his long-denied grandson, who just happened to also want him dead because of a feud that stretched back over two millennia.As an added insult, his grandson then knocked up one of Alal's genetically manipulated daughters, again giving him something he couldn't accomplish on his own   heirs   grand-sons and  daughters, most who would also want to kill him, being Amazons and members of the 9 Clans after all. Why? Cause Goddesses are bitches, that's why.That got me to wondering when would be the next time I was going to meet Ishara. I hadn't suffered severe head trauma in while and she was overdue for some snuggle time, witty banter and a fortune cookie. I'd try to be careful. It wouldn't do any good, but I had to try."Why are you crying?" Mom touched my arm."No reason," I lied."Why don't we make plans for tonight?" Deidre insinuated herself next to me. "We'd like to meet Hana. From what I understand, Father likes her.""No can-do," I sniffled. "I've got an orgy with 159 women at 8 o'clock, except there won't be any sex, or fun of any kind. Basically, I have to convince a roomful of women to not beat me up and take my stuff.""You don't have to go," Imogen had finished boxing me in   I had a chair behind me and Momma-clones all around."For the same reason I'm going to take care of our child, Imogen, I have to go to this meeting. People are counting on me to do the right thing without telling me what the right thing to do is.""That's unfair," Deidre empathized by stroking my chest."Not so. This is just another day in the life of a new hire at Havenstone Commercial Investments. Every day is like this and in five more days, the real fun beings." That wasn't entirely accurate. I had one good, stress-free week. It was when Carrig put me in a coma. That week I had done pretty well for myself.{9:28 am, Wednesday, Sept. 3rd ~ 5 Days to go}I trundled my latest 'Assistant-in-Charge of keeping the hopes of future Isharans alive' (I didn't want to call Aunt Imogen, or any other woman, my 'Baby-Mamma'), along with Mom and Deidre, for a meet-and-greet with Buffy. I had spelled out in no uncertain terms that Buffy was the power behind the Ishara Throne and thus making 'her' believe they were playing on the up-and-up was their best hope for easing relations between the O'Shea and the Amazon Host.After they left me (with the assurance we'd be getting back together for lunch, with Hana), I made three calls. I needed to make a formal request to Katrina (any Illuminati member(s) entering any Amazon facility was her purview) and another to Elsa (as a sign of respect) that Aunt Imogen and two unarmed bodyguards, max, needed to see our medicos about a delicate issue.The third call was to Buffy to enlighten her as to both the arrival of another one of my aunts (so we needed to get along peacefully with her) and that Aunt Imogen was carrying yet another potential heir to House Ishara. I suggested it would be a symbolic gesture if a member of House Ishara could hang around for the visit, as it might impress upon Imogen our House had a vested interest in keeping her alive."Another one?" Buffy sizzled. "And this one is your aunt?""It is a date then," I stumped her."You are going to take your pregnant aunt out on a date?" Buffy's sizzle meter was rapidly climbing to Krakatoa proportions."Nope. I'm setting up a date for us. You, me and a quiet location at 12:01 am Tuesday morning, my First. Later in the morning, I'll be heading out to wherever they have stored Felix so we can work on some cooperative strategy.""And if I say 'no'?" She was terribly grumpy."Ugh, I guess I'll go bar-crawling with Odette and Timothy, Gay and Lesbian bars only. That way I know I'll behave.""And if they say 'no'?" she was slightly less hostile."I'll know you threatened their lives, and then you and I will finally find out who is better on the mats. Trust me, it will not be an experience you will enjoy.""I don't know. I think I'd like that.""No. You start threatening the other people I love and you will not be happy; I guarantee that, Buffy."She realized I was both serious and angry. She had stepped out of bounds, the 'bounds' I had set up two hours earlier during our elevator ride."Is the meeting still on for the night?" she evaded my disappointment."Yes. Will you be there?""Of course," she grumped."Buffy, don't bother showing up if you can't separate 'us' as friends, 'us' as Wakko Ishara and my First, and you as my apprentice."Making me miserable in the first relationship doesn't help the latter two one bit. I try not to be an irresponsible asshole as House Head. More than anyone else, you know what I will sacrifice to be Ishara and one with my Isharans. I'll also step out and be plain ole 'Cáel Nyilas' when events permit.""But I am sick and tired of people not taking my desire to be foolish and care-free seriously. Being a dogmatic ass-hat isn't in me, but if you can't work with that, from here on out we are Wakko Ishara and Buffy Ishara and nothing more. I will still trust you as an Isharan, but not as a friend. Your choice.""Don't be such an asshole!" she snapped."Screw you!" I fired back. "I made a fucking effort to plan out some personal time with you, disguised as a joke; you knew it and you still decided to be a ball-buster. Like I need another fucking ball-buster right now, with all the other shit on my plate. You know better!" I was screaming. The people in JIKIT were working overtime at not staring at me."I'm under a ton of stress here too," she snarled. "I have to deal with the Council, keep our House growing and fulfill my obligations with Executive Services.""Do you want to quit? No longer by my 'apprentice'? Go back to working for Katrina full time?""Really?" she whispered."Of course the fuck not!" I shouted. "I didn't pick you for the job because of your sterling personality, or your bedroom excellence. I picked you because I had, and still have, utter faith in your ability to do whatever is necessary to overcome the landfill-sized colossal ill-fortune the Ancestors have dumped in our lap.""I'm just asking you to stop being a whiny, over-sensitive cunt and remember: it was the psychotic bitch who I chose for the top spot," I rumbled."I'm going to kick your ass," she seethed."Nice to know. We on for Monday night?"Pause."Yes," and she hung up. Two seconds later my phone rang again. "Buffy?" I answered. "And don't be late!" she menaced, then hung up again."So," Addison turned my way, "are you praying for World Peace to break out, or Nuclear War?""Hardy-har-har," I griped."Now that your personal drama is temporarily derailed, we have something for you to look at," Mehmet motioned for my attention. "Ever heard of Kōfuku no Kagaku?" I shook my head. "It translates over as 'Happy Science' and it is a cult-like organization in Japan.""Cool beans. Why do I have a sinking impression it is not a front for the Ninja?""That is what we want you to find out," Addison took over. "Of critical importance is the news conference their leader, Ryuho Okawa, gave earlier this afternoon/morning (~ 3:17 pm Tokyo time = 2:17 am East Coast time ~), especially a very relevant part of his interesting public announcement."He claims to be the Earthly manifestation of the Supreme Being. That is old news. Today he claimed that Temujin of the Khanate was the reincarnation of the original Genghis Khan and, with him, Ryuho, as the unifier of theological forces and therefore serving as spiritual advisor to Temujin, they would usher in a new period of Peace throughout Asia.""I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop," I exhaled."He also claims that Japan is in the midst of an epic struggle, both spiritually and in the physical sense. The 'ancient guardians' of Japanese purity, the 6 Ninja Families, are at war with the depth of all Evil, the Chinese Seven Pillars of Heaven by name, who are determined to drag all of Asia away from the Light and into the Darkness of pain, degradation and slavery."In fact I quote: 'Alone among the nations of the Earth, only the Japanese cultural identity can stand firm against this global menace. Only the Japanese can keep the torch of true Enlightenment aloft. Only the Japanese can guide the development of the Khanate into the Supreme Empire it is meant to be'.""I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this guy is pseudo-religious, a Japanese ultra-nationalist as well as anti 'all things Sino'," came out of my mouth."Correct.""None of the Secret Societies would do something so public. Temujin's background is a mystery, but no one in the Khanate is calling him a reincarnated spirit, and they know the truth," I continued."This guy is pretty nutty," Mehmet confirmed. "He also claims to channel Buddha, Mohammed, Christ and Confucius. His followers worship him as the Earthly manifestation of the 'Supreme Being' named El Cantare, which is yet another name for any number of ancient supreme deities. And he claims to consult with the 'spirit guardians' of national leaders and aids in their mystic defense, with the aid of the Five Sacred Sisters' Spirits."Clearly this man was insane. Unfortunately, insane didn't make someone wrong,"Ah Hell," I muttered.Mehmet and Addison perked up; after all, figuring out the bizarre was my position on the team."He probably is insane, and I can't blame him," I sighed. "He isn't El Cantare; he is in touch with the Weave.""I have a feeling this is 'not good'," Addison murmured. "How bad is it?""The Five Sacred Spirit Sisters are most likely the five augurs who died in order to save Temujin, which, in turn, allies the 9 Clans with the E&S and Amazons to 'save' Japan, though it is not 'saved' yet.""Technically, the Weave IS the Supreme Being. It's largely indifferent, yet capable of doing both good and ill in response to outside (aka mortal) stimuli. If you can observe the Weave, you might be able to see the most likely path destiny is taking as well as the key players screwing with that destiny."That would include the Gong Tau sorcerers and the ninjas use of their own brand of magic; and God only knows what other mystic tricks the others have been attempting.""How do we get them to stop?" Captain Delilah Faircloth muttered."Not that easy Delilah. Everyone in this room has intersected because of a magic experiment that happened before any of us were born (Mom).""The fight at Summer Camp was flipped on its head because I saw the ghost the 7 Pillars sent to scout the area. My freeing of one of those trapped and tortured souls led to the calamity at the Barbeque Pit. I didn't use magic. I countered it. Still, my actions were interfering with the Weave."All four people the augurs, those Five Sisters, told me about had been dead at some point in time, some for thousands of years. Ajax didn't kill anyone using magic. Neither has Saku, yet both of them are products of disruptions in the Weave. 'Me' being alive and breathing is yet another disruption, since I shouldn't exist because of another mystic curse from five thousand years ago."Being alive and killing people means I've killed people who shouldn't be dead. Do we need to go into all the millions that have died in the Khanate war? Which was a combination of a resurrected Temujin and the 7 Pillars hunger for World Domination, if we do nothing, the rippled of those other disruption will still carry on."Except for me, no one on this taskforce has used an iota of magic, yet we are all dedicated to combatting mystical forces," I related to the group. I wondered where Rikki (Martin) and Beatrice (Ya Konan) had gotten off to. Lady Yum-Yum being absent only made my 'Scooby' senses tingle more."You use magic?" Agent-86 tilted his head in curiosity."I talk to a Goddess on a semi-regular business. I see ghosts. I've been the conveyer of messages from dead people and I've killed an un-killable man. Do we need to go back over my kidnapping by the 7 Pillars? The memories of my undead Grandfather floating around in my head?""I'm not calling thunderbolts out of the sky and shooting fireballs out my ass, but what I am doing is magical, nonetheless.""So, what do we recommend to our allies and benefactors (i.e., our sovereign governments)?" Mehmet inquired."Hmm, we tell our governments this crackpot is a Prophet of Doom who could be turned into an asset," I rubbed my brow with all four fingers and a thumb. Rikki, Beatrice and Lady Worthington-Burke quietly entered the room. They were all highly pleased in a 'I just won the lottery' kind of way. I was curious, but had to carry on with my train of thought."Quietly start seeking out other mystic societies, preferably low-key, quiet types who avoid the limelight, and start looking into other forms of magical insight and, quite frankly, protection. If the Weave has let this happen, we can expect worse. Lastly, I'll ask my 'Brother' to meet with this guy and get a feel for his personality.""That will only increase the believability of his ramblings," Addison protested."The boat called 'Denial' has already sailed. The World is in crisis. People are going to look for non-conventional answers. It is better to get ahead of this and bring Ryuho Okawa on board as a 'consultant'. Don't give him the whole picture by any means. The guy is definitely a loose cannon. Even worse, he is also a loose cannon the Weave has touched.""Besides, the Seven Pillars are going to figure this out pretty quick, their Weave sensitivity, ya know, and either kidnap him to be their own spiritual seismic sensor, or kill him for being both a loose cannon and yet another person screwing with their 'best laid plans'. Keeping him alive has the added benefit of making the Seven Pillars expend resources trying to get at him. Japan needs every bit diversion they can get."Let's not forget to tell our Secret Society allies of our plans, lest they kill him too. His babblings aren't going to make the 9 Clans or the E&S happy with him. They both have an established habit of making perceived enemies dead. Let's keep him alive and utilize this opportunity.""I like this plan," Addison nodded. Mehmet was clearly on board as well. Agent-86 clearly was playing the best on-line mystic MMORPG ever! (And with the added bonus that his team's action had real-world consequences.) The three 'ladies' new to the room received an abbreviated version of our discussion and my 'suggestions'. They weren't really suggestions. Barring a few insanely criminal endeavors, JIKIT treated me like a true asset."Something else big?" Addison looked to her British counterpart (Yum-Yum)."The Japanese Diet has voted for a public referendum on a Constitutional Amendment to repeal/revise Article 96 of the Japanese Constitution.""Oh fuck," was echoed, either verbally or subliminally, by everyone in the room except for me, Delilah and Agent-86.'Cáel' knew Jack and Shit about the Japanese Constitution. Hell, I barely knew about the US one and I was a native. However, Alal did know it, and knew both what Article 96 was and what its amendment really meant. Good-old 96 was the rolling dark cloud across the political Great Plains that heralded a swarm of tornados. Clouds were clouds and their arrival could mean anything.Article 96 dictated how the Japanese Constitution could be amended. The current process was a 2/3rd vote in both the House of Councilors (the 'Upper House', roughly equivalent to our Senate) and the House of Representatives (the 'Lower' House) followed by a public referendum. The proposed amendment to Article 96 would transform the process to a mere majority vote in both Houses.Imagine the shit-storm which would be unleashed if the US Congress tried to pull that shit. The biggest political issue was that the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held 294 of the 475 seats in the lower house (a clear majority) and 115 of the 242 in the Upper House (7 seats short of a majority). If the amendment passed next month (October 14th to be precise), the LDP could pretty much do as they pleased.And what was the first thing they were going to do? They were going to put to rest another part of the Constitution, namely the far more globally important Article 9. And what was that?Real World Stuff: WarningsArticle 9:(1)Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.(2)To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.If Article 9 was repealed, the Japanese nation could exercise diplomacy by military means, aka declaring an offensive war against a foreign power. Currently Japan had a modest budget military budget of $48 Billion a year (Earth's 10th largest). It was modest when you considered it was a mere 1% of the Japanese GDP. Great Britain, France and South Korea's smaller economies all functioned nicely with double that percentage for their military budget.Regionally, every other nation was increasing their military expenditures, except Japan's protector, the US and (perhaps) North Korea, who's spending on anything was a closely guarded state secret. Right now, China and the Khanate's military expenditures were running roughly even at $180 billion each, but this was an arm's race the PRC would eventually win, they had too great an advantage in the size of their workforce and a far larger industrial base.The truth was, if the PRC couldn't win this race fast, she was facing a long, grinding war reminiscent of the Communists' Long Rise to Power that wrecked their country a century ago. The monetary dynamic was shifting badly against them because the Khanate wasn't alone.India, Taiwan and Vietnam were also ramping up their war spending to a combined tune of $34 billion and now allied with the Khanate, equating to an additional $90 billion the PRC had to overcome. South Korea was already adding $8 billion to their military and Russia was taxing the fuck out of Manchuria to both pay for their 'Peaceful Intervention' and to increase the 'Readiness' of their other forces.All of this military spending was bad for both the regional and global economies (unless you were Israel who was turning out hardware 24/7/365 for the Khanate and Indian war machines). So at this point, Japan doing 'nothing' was possibly more disastrous than doing 'something' else.They were already spending $50 fucking billion on glorified policemen while the future of East Asia was being decided without them. Doubling the military budget would place a huge burden on the largely pacifistic population. It would also put Japan in the position of deciding the Fate of Nations.With the repeal of Article 9, Japan could utilize 'proactive means' to keep the naval supply routes to China open, not even the Indian's had the naval presence to confront the Japanese. Such a policy was a nice, friendly gesture to the Asian Colossus, who wasn't likely to show a shred of appreciation for their efforts.No, China had spent the last 60 years stoking the hatred of the Land of the Rising Sun among their people. (Many Japanese forgot current Chinese hatred was based on the Japanese butchering their way across China for nearly a decade between 1937 to 1945).(The Cornerstone) There was a truism which had guided American, Chinese, Japanese and Russian political thought for 150 years: 'There could only be one supreme power in East Asia and the Eastern Pacific'. Japan had followed the logical expression of that paradigm by invading Taiwan (1895), Korea (1910), beating up on Imperial Russia (1904), taking Manchuria (1931) and going to war with China (1937) while that country was trapped in a bloody civil war.To stop the Empire of Japan's rise, the US had attempted to cripple the Japanese economy before the Empire could harvest their just-acquired Asian natural resources. In response, Japan had thrown its soldiers and sailors into a futile effort against the British Empire, the United States and China and lost.With Imperial Japan crushed and the Soviet Union preoccupied in Europe, China had risen. The irresistible force of China's rapidly increasing population, natural resources exploitation and extensive land mass took hold. Japan couldn't compete in a 'fair' fight. Since 1945, the Japanese government had lived with the fear of aggression from Russia and/or China aimed their way.The US felt the same way, or they had. The fear produced by the broad acceptance of 'Only-One-Shall-Rule-Asia' had led to the Korean War, the half-century cease-fire along the Demilitarized Zone in Korea and the Vietnamese Civil War. The Communists in China and Russia had feuded until the Soviet Union collapsed under its own economic inadequacies.A reborn Russia, even with the ultra-nationalist Putin at the helm, couldn't stop China's growing domination. Asia was China's for the taking, until the Khanate rose up like some desert mirage in the Western Steppe, one that turned into the Mother of All Storms. So now, miraculously, the dominion of Asia was up for grabs once more.Japan could not overcome China; that was a given. The Dragon had more people, more resources and an almost three-fold larger economy. Given a decade, the PRC would grind the Khanate down. Once more it was the tyranny of numbers. Even India, Taiwan and Vietnam could only slow down the inevitable.India's subpar economic output marginalized the power of their citizenry. Taiwan had the proportional economy, but not nearly enough people. Vietnam had neither and had always had a rough time defending themselves, much less been successful confronting powers beyond her homeland. Putin's Mother Russia had a host of other problems, internal and external, so she had already contributed as much as Putin dared.Until Thursday morning, Tokyo Time, the undeniable Destiny of Asia remained in the hands of those men in Beijing. The dominoes were falling in a way those rulers had not foreseen and now fumed over. But on Wednesday night, there was no industrial power (with the population to back it up) which could threaten the People's Republic of China.Europe and the US wouldn't intervene. Much like the leadership in Japan, the Communist Chinese Politburo believed Putin had wagered as much as dared. No other nation on Earth mattered. Japan? That was laughable. Their Constitution bound the hands off their military behind their backs with a pledge of eternal pacifism.The Chinese weren't blind to the 250,000 men and women of the Japanese Self Defense Force. Without the political will, those troops might have well have been in Brazil. A hostile Brazil was actually a greater worry because Brazil was the powerhouse of South America, a G-8 economy and hungered for a Permanent Seat on the UN Security Council. The PRC was dedicated to denying their desire as it would have diluted the PRC's burgeoning diplomatic power.Japan? Ha.Thursday morning, in what was essentially an undetected (by anyone except the Ninja and JIKIT) coup d' tat, pacifism was sacrificed on the Altar of Nationalism. Article 96's demise was pre-ordained. A poll taken on July 1st, 42% of Japanese felt positively about the repeal of Article 96 while 46% opposed it.The same agency took a new poll on August 28th. The economic-political situation of Japan was going through a titanic tidal shift. If Buddhism moved you toward devout pacifist, the Khanate had liberated Tibet and was clearly withdrawing as the UN troops' boots hit the ground.If you were a Nationalist of any kind, you were seeing a whole lot more people at your rallies, accessing your websites and signing up to join your formerly fringe parties. If you were a Socialist, you were scared. Why? The PRC was in the process of nationalizing all of Japan's (and South Korea's and Taiwan's) business interests in China, for the 'Duration of the Emergency', or so they said.That meant plenty of Japanese workers were losing their jobs and looking to blame someone. You couldn't blame the centrist LDP. The LDP had been working alongside the Japanese Communist Party for months. They had done nothing wrong and had worked tirelessly for a peaceful diplomatic solution. It was their 'comrades' in China, their Marxist confederates, who were costing the hard-working Japanese workers their jobs.If you were in the Establishment, all of the above worried the crap out of you. Japan's economy had been limping along at barely-positive growth for a decade. Your aging population needed more and more from their public services and, worst of all, you had nothing in your political and economic tool box to escape the obvious oncoming national catastrophe.The possibility of a Global Recession loomed on the horizon, if they were lucky. Highly respected economists in Japan and elsewhere were examining all the key indicators over the past three months and were suggesting hording as a viable policy for middle class households to consider. If you were in the Developing World, worse was heading your way.The word being bandied about on those esteemed academic internet websites wasn't 'recession', it was depression. Global prosperity thrived on nations investing in both their own economy and the economies of other nations. The governments representing a third of the World's population were not investing in their economies.Unless you were a war profiteer, you could expect fewer consumer goods on the shelves; and what was there would cost more. Your income wasn't going up; your expenses were. If you were an Atheistic homeowner in the Western World with a secured 3.25% fixed rate home loan, you took up religion. The prime interest rate would be racing for the 20% mark and that was only if your economy was stable.If you lived in a country in the Developing World, your trade goods didn't compete with those created in the G-20. Your competition was with other Developing World businesses and the prize was the pocketbooks of those consumers in the G-20, which was a shrinking purse.It wasn't like you were being paid all that much to begin with; and now those once poor-paying, but at least plentiful, jobs were drying up. You needed your government to help you out. It wasn't like those governments could raise money by taxing the unemployed and under-employed. They didn't have money. And the rich in most of those same nations had a long and successful legacy of avoiding paying.Those growing economies had a few tried and tested 'solutions' for getting their countries through these rough stretches.The IMF? 'We are out to make 'positive' capital investments and your economic outlook doesn't look promising. We suggest 'austerity'.'The BRICS? Since India and China were basically in an undeclared state of war: 'we won't be loaning anyone anything for a while.'The BIS? 'As soon as the People' Bank of China, the Reserve Bank of India, the Central Bank of Ireland, the Bank of Israel and the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey get back to us about their sudden, serious lack of transparency, we'll call you back.'World Bank? Holy Shit! 'The world's going down the toilet, we will do what we can.'F Y I, I (as in Cáel) had been wrong. The 6 Elders of the Ninja families didn't talk to Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee. They talked with another, far more immediately important man. So sue me (Cáel) for not knowing the inner workings of various world governments, and creatively interpreting events surrounding all those people I (Cáel) didn't. I'm a freaking Liberal Arts major with a fertile imagination, not a superspy, or even a competent Intelligence Analyst!}The Japanese government had appealed to the U.S., U.N., P.R.C., A.S.E.A.N., India; and (through back channels aka JIKIT) the Khanate for an end to this madness; all with typical results:The U.S.A: We are working on it (without letting them know what precisely they were working on)Japan: Well, do something fast. Our Government Bonds are about to be more useful as wallpaper.The U.N.: We are working on it (with their long-established tradition of not doing anything until the crisis had passed)Japan: You are preparing to pass a Resolution to move this matter from the First Committee to the Fourth Committee, gee, thanks guys. Will they be meeting sometime before Christmas?The PRC: We are too busy right now, so shut up, keep the trade lanes open, and was that your submarine we detected sneaking into our territorial waters?Japan: What? What do you mean you are 'too busy?' You are one of our biggest trading partners, your economy is going down the toilet, and, No! That was not our submarine in your territorial waters. That accusation is absurd.(Note from Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee, to Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, head of the JMSDF {the de facto Japanese Navy}), The PRC has made this outrageous claim that one of our submarines has been sneaking around their territorial waters. There is no truth to that rumor, right?Kawano: Which time?Prime Minister: Oh My God! What have you people been doing and why is this the first time I'm hearing about it?Kawano: Sir, if you are just now getting around to asking us, you don't want to know.Prime Minister: What do you mean 'I don't want to know?' I'm the head of the damn government and, you are right. Fine. There is no way I'm going back to the Chinese Ambassador and apologizing for any this. Is there any way this can come back to screw us over?Kawano: With all these US and British submarines helping us out, not very likely, Prime Minister.Prime Minister: Oh, very good. You are correct, I don't want to know what you 'haven't' been doing. I am ordering you to destroy all transcripts and recordings of this conversation.Kawano: It has been my distinct honor not having this conversation with you, Prime Minister. Sayōnara.ASEAN, What do you expect us to do about this? Have you seen the unimpressive combined sizes of our members' air forces and navies? Did you see the smack-down the Khanate has inflicted on the PLAN's South China Sea Fleet?Besides, the PRC is claiming that the Khanate launched covert attacks against the Parcels and Spratly islands which originated from Indonesian and Filipino waters. We are investigating the issue. If you are asking us for help, you are truly screwed. Don't call us. We will call you.Japan, {muttering} Investigating the attacks that came from your territory, bullshit! You are covering your own asses, damn it!(Note from Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee, to Shotaro Yachi, Japanese National Security Advisor), I've heard an ugly rumor that the Khanate has forces secreted in the Philippines and Indonesia. Do you happen to know anything about it?Yachi: Yes Sir. We had advance notice of the organization, composition and destination of those forces.Awbee (while muttering 'no one tells me anything anymore'): What the! Would you please tell me what is going on.Yachi: We have made critical steps toward future alliances which will guarantee Japanese security for decades to come.Awbee What does that mean, and since when have you been creating and implementing foreign policy? We have a Minister for that, in case you somehow over-looked him at the last cabinet meeting. Wait! Does he know about this too?Yachi: No Sir, Foreign Minister Kishida is currently unaware of the Kinkyū tokushu sakusen tasukufōsu (Emergency Special Operations Task Force). Admiral Katsutoshi knows the basics of our operational policy, since we need to borrow some of his assets from time to time. Director-General Kitada (of the Public Security Intelligence Agency) and key personnel from the Foreign Ministry's Intelligence & Analysis Service and Security Bureau make up the majority of the task force's operatives.Awbee: What have you been doing?Yachi: You don't want to know, Mr. Prime Minister. It would make things, awkward.Awbee: 'You don't want to know', of course, I don't. I'm only the elected head of this government. Why would I possibly want to know what acts of espionage and war my deputies are executing?Yachi: I am glad we are on the same page, Sir. Will there be anything else?Awbee: No, wait. Do you have any intelligence on what the Khanate is up to?Yachi: Yes Sir. Is there anything in particular you want to know?Analysis Services: Can you contact someone in their leadership willing to discuss regional affairs?Yachi: I can put you in touch with the Great Khan himself if necessary.AS: What!Yachi: Sir, I would hardly be acting in our nation's best interests if I couldn't divine the intentions of the key players on the stage. Shall I initiate the necessary communications to facilitate that level of clandestine diplomatic contact?AS: No. Yes. No, I need to think about this. Hmm, have you been conducting any domestic espionage missions?Yachi: You don't want me to answer that, Sir.Awbee: of course I don't, I'm only the damn Prime Minister. Shotaro, I'm still Prime Minister, aren't I?Yachi: Yes Sir. We have been working overtime to ensure that. We've foiled two enemy assassination attempts and one attempted kidnapping so far. We remain vigilant.AS: How come this is the first I'm hearing about it? Is the head of my security in on this conspiracy of yours too?Yachi: No Sir. These particular guardians wish to avoid notoriety at all costs.Awbee: Okay. Good to know. Ah, keep up the good work and destroy any trace of this conversation.Yachi: Way ahead of you, Sir. Have a good night.India, Yes, we are more than willing to work with you toward regional stability. Care to acknowledge the Khanate's legitimacy first? We'd really appreciate it. Sure, get back to us when you've done that. Until then, the South China Sea Awaits! Yes, we plan to keep what we've earned. Later now. We think there is going to be further instability in Southeast Asia.Japan, Ya think? It is your damn warships sailing around the freaking South China Sea enforcing your utterly un-secret alliance with the Khanate. Why are you doing this to us? What have we ever done to you?The Khanate, We are not out to damage your national interests. We apologize, but there is now way we will call off this war with the Communist Chinese. It is them, or us, to the death. We have already received and agreed to your request to allow all Japanese flagged ships safe transit through the South China Sea. We really wish to be your friends this time, to make up for those two invasion attempts seven hundred years ago.(Note from  Prime Minister to Self) Great. The only reasonable people who aren't out to kick me in the nuts are also the ones I can't acknowledge talking to. I've got to do something a

In this episode of Mortification of Spin, Carl and Todd engage in a thought-provoking discussion with Brad Littlejohn, director of Programs and Education at American Compass, about Brad's newly published book, Call to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License.   Christians in the modern West hear a lot about—and talk a lot about—"freedom." The word has taken on so many meanings that Christians often fail to realize how much our contemporary ideals of freedom stray from what freedom has meant in Scripture and the Christian tradition. We need to redeem and recover a properly Christian way of thinking about freedom. – Carl Trueman Today's conversation touches on the Reformation's impact on individual liberty, the tension between authority and conscience, and the contemporary challenges Christians face in understanding freedom.  As Protestants, we have to care about freedom because it's central to our theological heritage. – Brad Littlejohn Tune in for an insightful exploration of these critical themes! Thanks to the generosity of B&H Academic, we are pleased to offer three copies of Brad's book, Call to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License. Enter here for the opportunity to win one.   Show Notes: Call to Freedom: Retrieving Christian Liberty in an Age of License https://bhacademic.bhpublishinggroup.com/product/called-to-freedom-3/#flipbook-sampler/

In this episode, Nelson and Alexandra learn a bit about the business of Titanic from Joe Gold of The Gold Group, the promotional company behind the Titanic Artefact Exhibition in Boston.Joe talks about some of the fascinating artefacts they have on display including a toilet from third class and a perfectly preserved wool suit retrieved from a leather suitcase in the debris field. They discuss the importance of preservation and education. The Boston exhibition is one of more than forty around world. Retrieving dishes, eye glasses and every day objects tells up about the people who used those things and brings their lives a little closer to our understanding of life - if all too briefly - aboard the ship of dreams.Extended by popular demand, the exhibition in Boston continues at the Castle at Park Plaza until June 1st 2025. Be sure to catch Nelson's book signing there on Wednesday May 14th.Go to titanicboston.us for ticketsSHIP OF DREAMS: TITANIC MOVIE DIARIES is on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Microsoft X-Box, Google Play, YouTube Movies DVD available on Amazon LINKS ~shipofdreamsfilm.com FacebookTikTok...

On today's episode we hear a rebroadcast of the 2025 UMBC Mullen Lecture, sponsored by UMBC's Center for Social Science Scholarship and the UMBC Department of Economics. This year's lecture was delivered by Dr. Annamaria Lusardi. Dr. Lusardi is Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Director of the Initiative for Financial Decision-Making, and Professor (by courtesy) at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Dr. Lusardi's remarks take up the question of financial literacy among ordinary people around the world. In the talk, we learn about how much people know about personal finance, who is most vulnerable to economic predations due to their lack of financial literacy, and what we can do about it.  Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host: The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ian G. Anson, Ph.D. Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, our director is Dr. Eric Stokan, and our production intern is Jean Kim.   Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland.  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

On today's episode I speak with Lee Boot, Director of the Imaging Research Center (IRC) at UMBC. Lee is also Affiliate Associate Professor of Visual Arts and Computer Science & Engineering. The topic of our discussion is the recent Full Circle Climate Communication Workshop, held this January at UMBC. Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host: The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ian G. Anson, Ph.D. Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson and our Director is Dr. Eric Stokan. Our production intern is Jean Kim. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland (UMBC '24).  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

In this episode, we sit down with Rhett Riddle of Bay Creek Kennels to talk about his incredible journey training retrievers and his historic achievement—becoming the first known handler to have his dog, Crown, retrieve every recognized species of waterfowl in North America. From his early days training bomb dogs to his deep dive into retriever training, Rhett shares the experiences, challenges, and unforgettable moments that shaped his career. We cover everything from hunting King Eiders in Greenland to overcoming obstacles in dog training and the unique bond between Rhett and Crown. This is a story of dedication, adventure, and passion for waterfowl and retrievers that you won't want to miss!

On today's episode I speak with Dr. Arielle Kuperberg, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health at UMBC. Dr. Kuperberg is also the co-chair of the Council on Contemporary Families. Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host: The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ian G. Anson, Ph.D. Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson and our Director is Dr. Eric Stokan. Our production intern is Jean Kim. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland (UMBC '24).  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

If you have a young dog or are getting one, listen carefully! Jim Van Engen's Right Start Kennel has cranked out almost 200 field trial champions thanks to his unique specialty: the first two years of a dog's life. He'll outline his overall philosophy, as well as practical tips on everything from managing a dog's range to introducing gunfire. We'll cover retrieving and steadiness, verbal commands and e-collar use, too. Jim's specialty is Labradors, but he's owned shorthairs for decades, hunting them primarily for fun but also competing in NSTRA trials, so there's something for everyone in this episode. We'll review listeners' dog breed preferences from the Upland Nation Index survey, and "Fix It" offers a shooting tactic that might add a bird to your bag once in a while. You get a chance to enter to win the Sage & Braker shotgun cleaning mat in our furfeathersfriends.com sweepstakes, too, but only if you listen and know the Word of the Week. And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile,, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, MidwayUSA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com.

‘Tis the season for giving. By TheSleepingKing. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. 7:16 am The door from the bathroom swung open, spilling steam into the dim blue rays of light sneaking in through the blinds. Wrapped in a towel, Shauna strode into her dorm room, feet sinking into the carpet as she padded across the floor. Pausing at the window she pulled the cord to raise the blinds, bathing the room in the soft glow of an overcast Michigan dawn. A dusting of snow covered the glazing. About an inch drifted on the ledge outside. Beyond and several stories down a lone figure rounded onto the back straight of the athletic track. Shauna leaned in, her breath fogging the glass. She poked two dots and underlined them with a curve. Smiled at the new face smiling back at her. It was a beautiful Christmas Eve morning.She unhooked the towel and tossed it over the back of the chair parked under the desk. The cool air plucked at her nipples and sapped the heat from her skin. She skimmed her hands around the bulge of her breasts, across her taut tummy and the arc of her ass. Appraising her profile in the mirror she nodded. Spin class and yoga really paid off this year. From the top drawer of the dresser, she picked out white lace panties and drew them up over toned, creamy thighs. She paired them with red and white argyle knee socks and a soft strapless bra. Sifting through the hangers in the closet she settled on a flirty red A-line dress with wide shoulder straps and a length about mid-thigh. Not practical for the weather. But perfect for the mission. 7:32 am She capped the outfit with a fuzzy Santa hat and white-soled black Keds before returning to the mirror. She turned side to side and took a twirl, the dress flaring out before settling over her legs. Certainly the sexiest elf she'd ever seen. She glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. She would need to get going soon to make her deliveries. The schedule was tight. On any other Christmas Eve she'd still be asleep; tucked in tight and dead to the world in a quiet corner of her parents' six-bedroom McMansion in Traverse City. She'd get up around 10:00, meet her brother for lunch, then spend the afternoon serving food at a shelter across town before heading home for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner with her family. This year, dinner had been moved up to lunch – something about grandma and grandpa's flights. So volunteering was out. She was fine with it at first. But as the season ramped up and the holiday spirit infected her, she felt the need to replace it with something. Some way to give back. To spread a little cheer to those less fortunate this time of year. As 3rd floor RA for the co-ed dorm, she was privy to certain information. The administration realized not every student could make it home for the holidays. So the school remained open in a limited capacity, depending on the holiday and how many students remained behind. This year on her floor there were three. And since they were stuck there maybe she could celebrate with them before she left. She snatched a small white drawstring bag off her bed and slung it over her shoulder, the contents momentarily rustling about inside. Taking her key card from the dresser she slipped it into her bra and reached for the door. She paused, re-thinking, the lever rocking under her palm. Quickly, she picked it out and tucked it neatly into the back of a sock instead, before ducking out into the hall. 7:40 am Shauna stopped at Room 303. She gave her usual rata-tat-tat RA knock and shrugged the bag off her shoulder, holding the strap in the crook of her elbow. The corridor was weirdly quiet. No music or raucous conversation bleeding through the walls. She couldn't imagine having to spend the next week here under these conditions. A latch clicked in front of her, and the door creaked open. “Hey Ty,” she chirped, “Merry Christmas!” Ty seemed surprised by the greeting, then confused by her presence. He smiled. “Um…thanks. Merry Christmas to you too.” His eyes dipped – first to her cleavage, then to her legs – before rebounding to hers. He now seemed nervous too. “Can I come in for a minute?” “Uh…yeah, sure.” Shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweats he stepped aside. She glided past, her blonde curls swishing about her shoulders. Ty gently shut the door behind her. Shauna glanced around the suite. Open textbooks were strewn across the couch. Graph paper filled with notes littered the desk. The three computer monitors that typically flickered video games, now hosted row upon row of complex equations she didn't understand. Ambient techno pulsed softly through a pair of small speakers, and the room smelled faintly of Axe body spray. “I'm sorry,” he offered, “I wasn't expecting anyone today.” He was a freshman, so she'd only known him one semester. But he seemed like a good kid. Sure, he was disheveled, nerdy, and a little immature. But he was charming and considerate, and very bright – dedicated to keeping his name on the Dean's List. Didn't hurt that he was cute either. “That's okay,” she replied. “Santa knows it sucks having to be here over the holidays, so he got you a present.” She lowered the bag and reached inside, pulling out a deep green envelope with a silver star sticker sealing it shut. “Nothing big, just something to give you a break from…” she waved her arm toward the paper and monitors, “…this.” Cautiously he took the envelope, turning it over to find his name written neatly on the front. “Oh,” he said, “…thanks. That's…really nice.” A moment of awkward silence followed. “Go ahead,” Shauna prompted, “open it.” Ty shrugged. He peeled up the star and lifted the flap, extricating a Christmas card with a red-nosed Rudolph gracing the cover. He smiled as he opened it, eyes tracking back and forth across the page. Wedged in the crease was a white 3 by 5 note card. Flipping it right-side-up he discovered a sketch in black marker in the center. He froze, the smile fading, jaw dropped. He looked up at Shauna. Then back at the card. “Wait…,” he stammered, “is this…. Are you…. Is this for real?” Shauna raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “Santa likes to make sure no one on the nice list gets left out.” Her gaze fell to his groin, dialing in on the growing bulge. There was the response she was hoping for. She hung the bag over the doorknob. Closing the distance between them she reached out and pinched the card in her fingers. “Why don't you get comfortable.” She set it on a textbook and slouched against the desk, waiting. Ty looked left, then right, unsure of what to do. Finally, he stepped back and eased himself down to the edge of his bed. Shauna placed her hands on his thighs, pushing them apart before kneeling between them. The tented fleece covering his crotch pointed directly at her. She smiled. Looked up. “You've done this before, right?” He paused a moment, then nodded vigorously. She wasn't convinced. But it didn't really matter. It might even help keep her on schedule. She gave him a shove, forcing him to recline and brace with his arms. Grabbing his sweats by the pockets she jerked at them until they pooled around his ankles. His cock sprang out, slapping his abdomen before swaying back to vertical. She wrapped it in her fingers, the whole head protruding from her fist. He puffed and shivered under her touch. Leaning forward she lowered her head. His body tensed. She raised her eyes to find his narrowed, his mouth rounded and dry. “Relax,” she cooed, “just enjoy it,” and slipped his dick between her lips. A breath rattled his chest. She felt the blanket cinch beneath them as his fingers gripped and pulled. First she teased the glans, undulating her tongue beneath, then around and over the top. His hips shot up to meet her mouth. She lightened her hold, welcoming him in deeper. She bobbed her head to the rhythm of the music – down on one and three, up on two and four. His cock was rock hard, curving into the roof of her mouth with each descent. He sighed, and groaned, and grunted; the tone and timbre of each growing more urgent with each passing minute. Shauna's free hand dove under her dress and between her legs, fingers plucking aside the damp lace and strumming the slick, smooth lips of her pussy. Her partners were usually more experienced. More restrained. It had been some time since one had responded with such virginal enthusiasm. And she found it to be quite the turn-on. She held her neck as steady as she could, relinquishing control of tempo and depth. Ty trembled, huffing air through gritted teeth. Shauna peeked to find his eyes closed, neck strained, deep blue veins pulsing through. Sensing the moment, her fingers left the base of his dick and curled around his balls. She tightened her lips to a gentle squeeze. Ty stalled. A guttural growl forced its way into the air. His eyes popped open wide and fixed on Shauna's. With a batting of lashes, she pushed down on his throbbing cock until the tip of her nose bumped his abdomen. A heartbeat later, torrents of warm, viscid cum spewed into her mouth. The jets struck the back of her palate, sloshing over her tonsils and sliding down her throat. She swallowed hard but couldn't keep up. Each burst seemed richer than the last, filling her cheeks and leaking from the corners of her mouth. Her own juices deluged her fingers in response; the squelching filling the gaps between Ty's staggered gasps. A dozen spurts later his orgasm subsided. Shauna held his cock a little longer, savoring its texture on her lips and the mild, distinct flavor of his seed. She moved with him as his hips sagged back to the mattress, sinking him deeper to the root of his erection. After one final gulp she sucked in her cheeks and lifted her head, teasing the remaining fluids from the head of his dick. He gawked at her, speechless. She pulled her fingers from her pussy and held them up in front of her. They gleamed in the light, strands of grool clinging to her knuckles as she separated them. Fixing on him she sucked each finger into her mouth, swabbing them clean before licking her lips. Ty's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed flat on the bed. Shauna giggled. Pushing off she rocked to her feet. She looked at him spread over the rumpled blanket, his penis twitching on his tummy. She nodded, pleased with herself. Sweeping her hair out of her face she took the gift sack from the doorknob and the note card from the desk, slipping the latter into the former. “Did you enjoy your present?” she asked, slinging the bag over her shoulder. Ty groaned a sigh, his satisfaction evident. A smile lit Shauna's lips. “Good,” she said, “that's great.” She made her way back to the door. “You know, Santa can't offer gifts like this to everyone, so…let's keep this between us, okay?” An arm raised and a hand approximated a wave before tumbling limp to the mattress. She took it as a yes. Catching her reflection in the window she adjusted her hat. “Merry Christmas Ty,” she said softly, before disappearing into the corridor. 8:05 am Snowflakes drifted past the tall narrow windows of the student lounge separating the north and south wings of the third floor. Curled up at the far end of the couch opposite the ping pong table, Shauna twisted the cap off a bottle of diet soda and took a sip. Pulling her phone from the bag she checked the time. Javon would arrive in fifteen minutes. Plenty of time to finish her drink. She stretched out across the cushions and downed another swig. This one excited her more than the others. She and Javon were casually acquainted. Though both juniors they rarely shared classes. But they saw each other often around campus; playing pool in the lounge, grabbing coffee at Starks, or stocking up on dollar tacos Tuesday nights at Frankie's. And always, always flirting. Nothing ever came of it, unfortunately. He was putting himself through school and the scholarships just weren't enough. So he needed to work a lot. Every chance he got he'd bank some overtime or pick up an extra shift. That didn't leave much time for anything else. But today was Christmas Eve. The print shop would be closed tomorrow, so he couldn't go in tonight. Which she hoped would free up just enough time for what she had in store. A door closed in the distance, followed by footsteps in the hallway behind her. She checked her phone. He was early. She chugged another mouthful of soda, then quietly stuffed everything into the bag. The footsteps halted. A latch turned and a door opened, then closed. She counted to thirty, then slid off the couch and left the lounge, rounding the corner toward 317. 8:08 am Shauna waited, impatiently, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Still no response. She knocked again, harder this time. Shuffling noises, then heavy footfalls. The door swung open on a scowling Javon, his uniform shirt crumpled in his fist, muscles chiseled and taut. She smiled up at him, head cocked to the side. He looked her over, his mood softening as he recognized who she was. “Hey,” he said, eyebrows furrowed. “What are you still doing here?” She shrugged, ignoring the twinge in her pussy. “Waiting to see you. Can I come in?” Javon retreated inside, tossing his shirt on the bed and perching on the edge of his dresser. Shauna followed, taking quick stock of the room. Clean and sparse. Suitable for someone who spent very little time there. She turned her attention to him. Tall and dark, with bold, crisp features. His hands splotched with cyan and yellow ink from the press. “Is um…is this a bad time?” “Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “I was just going to take a shower, then go down for a nap.” He waved a hand in her direction. “Soooo, who are you supposed to be?” “I'm a Christmas elf,” she replied. “Santa's Helper.” Javon's eyes widened. “Oh. You're a lot taller than I would have expected of an elf.” “Well, we're not all size challenged artisans baking cookies in the off-season you know. Some of us are taller, and educated, and…really cute.” He laughed, his pecs jumping. “That's fair. Please forgive my ignorance of the elf community. I don't know any – aside from you.” She shrugged the bag off her shoulder and reached inside, crossing the carpet between them. “Listen, she began, “Santa knows how hard you work to be here, and how much that keeps you from having a life. So, he got you a little gift. It won't make up for having to be here over the holidays, but it might help take the edge off?” She pulled out a red envelope and handed it to him. He stared at it, his face cycling through several emotions, settling on confused. “Thanks,” he said, “that's…really sweet. I'm sorry I didn't get you anything.” Shauna smiled to herself, setting the bag on the floor. “Open it.” She wandered past him to the window. Raising the blinds she took a quick peek outside before turning and sliding up onto his desk, swinging her feet freely beneath. Javon zipped a finger under the flap and extracted the card; a red-nosed Rudolph printed on the cover. As he shook it open a white note card fluttered out. He snatched it out of the air and held it up. A sketch in black marker graced the white space. Shauna watched over his shoulder as he stared at the figures suggested by the swooping lines. He fanned the card, then turned and eased off his seat. He walked over to her, holding it up, the image upside down. His mouth curled in one corner. “This is uhhh…you and me?” She squinted at the picture. “Well…right-side up and all, but…sure.” She took it from him and snapped it on the desk. Her arms extended, fingers wedging themselves between the waist of his jeans and the warm, smooth skin of his abdomen. She reeled him in between her legs, squeezing them in hers. “Come on,” she said, thumbs separating the button and peeling the zipper. “Take a break.” Javon reached out, tracing the curl of her ear with his finger. Tilting his head, he leaned in for a kiss. Shauna planted a hand in the center of his chest, stopping his lips a hair's breadth from hers. His heartbeat pulsed through her arm and gut, thumping through her clit like a kick drum. She tapped a finger on the card beside her. He glanced down. Then back at her. She smiled. Pushed him away. She hopped off the desk, lowering her eyes to the height of his fly. Waiting. Javon nodded. In a single swoop he shoved his jeans to the floor and stepped out. The outline of his cock bulged the breathable fabric of his boxer briefs, curving down his right leg. A squeak left Shauna's throat. She reached inside and fished it out, needing both hands to hoist the shaft. It hardened in her grip, rising, reaching for its target. She pulled a few long strokes, its heat warming her hands. She had imagined what he might be hiding. But none of those dreams fell short of reality. Reluctantly she let go. Eyes fixed on her prize she slowly turned round, bending over the desk. She shuffled her feet a shoulder's width apart and casually wiggled her ass. Javon stepped up, his demeanor all business. Stroking his meat with one hand he grabbed the hem of her dress in the other and flipped it up over her butt. Her firm white cheeks glowed in the morning light. He took the waistband of her panties and rolled them down her hips and thighs, abandoning them around her calves and exposing her labia to the chill of the room. She was sopping wet. He swiped his penis along her slit, greasing it with her cream. Current bolted up her spine, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She threw her ass toward him, anxious to be filled. But he took his time, lubing every inch to a slippery shine. Finally satisfied, he set a palm in the small of her back and wedged the tip of his cock between her folds. Slow and steady, he sank into her vagina. Shauna gasped, eyes round. Her knees buckled, fingertips clawing at the laminate as her canal expanded to accommodate the intruder. It was thicker than any dick or dildo she remembered. And she was suddenly grateful he'd been so careful to slicken up. He took shallow, steady thrusts, loosening her vice a touch each time. Short, silent breaths gave way to grunts and groans. She tried to restrain herself in case anyone still left was walking the halls. But it was a losing battle. The pressure coiling inside would soon be too much to contain. Javon curled over her. Reaching into her dress he freed her breasts from their padded sling and cupped one in each hand. He pinched her nipples between strong fingers, yoking her tits to her clit with little bolts of lightning. The heat of the moment telegraphed through her skin, flushing her ears, cheeks, and chest a robust, rosy pink. He pushed on, diving deeper into her velvet pouch. Her arms burning, Shauna lowered her elbows and forehead to the desk. Her hair shrouded her periphery, leaving the only clear view that of her lover's balls swaying back and forth between her thighs. A delightful fog rolled over her brain, occluding everything outside the aura of their bodies. “Do you want it all,” Javon whispered, his voice piercing the veil. Shauna turned her head, mouth agape. “That's not all of it?” A baritone chuckle rumbled from his chest. He straightened up, releasing her boobs for a firm hold of her waist. He eased down the throttle, slowing his rhythm. Measuring the distance. She caught his eyes for a moment, glimpsing the same lechery she felt coursing through her veins. He smiled at her. Then hilted his cock in her pussy. “Uhhh gawd.” A wave of pleasure rippled out from her core, breaking over her entire body. She couldn't gauge how big he was, but he was now twice as deep as he had been seconds ago. He gave her a moment and a few shallow dips before ramping up the pace; drawing his dick out to the barb each time before plunging back in. Shauna's ass rippled, limbs shuddering under each impact. She stretched her arms to brace herself. But her hands squeaked against the desk each time he crashed into her, jolting her forward. She began to lose control. Her pelvic muscles clenched; labia stretching around his shaft. He growled his approval. A stern smack stung her left buttock, forcing a squeal from her larynx and a shock to her sex. Another followed, echoing off the walls into her ears. Her strength failed, drooping her back and turning her legs to jelly. Javon grabbed hold of one and lifted it, bending the knee and setting it securely on the desktop. He continued to hammer away. The cords binding her orgasm began to fray. She imagined his view from behind; her sodden pink snatch vulgarly splayed for the massive dark rod plowing her gut. Words escaped her, leaving only screams and moans to communicate her desire. 8:42 am Shauna's head was swimming, her brain just mush. But she held on, wanting this ecstasy to last forever. Her hat flew off her head, landing silently on the windowsill. Long fingers raked through her hair. They gathered her curls into his fist and pulled. Her head snapped back, jaw dropped, eyelids fluttering. The cords snapped and the coil exploded. She bore down on his dick, silent and stiff, her body racked with orgasm. Her toes dug into the carpet, her raised foot flopping about over the edge of the desk. She slapped the top with her hands, translating her contractions into a frantic rhythm beat out for Javon to hear. Her juices flowed freely, seeping out past his cock and dribbling down her thighs. And through all this, he continued to fuck her. Shauna's orgasm continued in suspended animation, tweaking her muscles and prickling her skin. As snug as he fit there was now no friction. He glided in and out like a piston in a well-oiled machine. He pumped harder, faster, working to create resistance. But her pussy was a flooded mess and that wasn't going to change. He whispered something toward her ear. A question? She couldn't decipher the words. But it didn't matter. As long as he kept filling her, perpetuating this feeling, he could do whatever he wanted. She nodded as best she could. The pounding slowed and the hand holding her waist released. The slapping of skin ceased, and his penis slipped out of her vagina. The emptiness was deflating, like the air had been sucked from her lungs. She turned to look but he stopped her, pushing her head back down to the desk. She opened her mouth to demand he continue and that's when she felt it. The pressure on the dip of her anus. Her insides knotted up. Everything clenched, then released. Her rosebud relaxed, and Javon's cock surged up her ass. She held her breath, expecting pain. But there was none. Only an indescribable fullness she had never experienced before. Each time he retracted her stomach dropped. Each plunge threatened to split her at the seams. Orgasm ripped through her again, rattling her bones and sweating from every pore. The room closed in, swaddling her in a thick black heat. She screamed but heard nothing. Felt only his cock. His fingers curled over her shoulders and around her neck. He pushed and pulled her with new urgency, opposing the swing of his hips. He'd found the resistance he was seeking, and it drove him on toward ferocious climax. In her stupor, Shauna somehow regained control of her limbs. She twisted an arm behind her back and flailed at his. When he looked down, wanton lust blazing in his eyes, she willed words from her lips. “Cum in me,” she cried, breathless, desperate for his load. “Cum in my ass.” He glared at her, neck craned, jaw set. He shifted his weight, pinning her tits to the desk and raising her butt. He tried to hold out a bit longer. But she was too tight and he was too far gone. Nodding his head Javon closed his eyes and buried his throbbing cock balls deep, erupting hot semen deep in her bowels. He roared in release, his balls smashed against her pussy, rocking into the curve of her ass. The pressure lifted her foot from the floor, grinding her hip into the edge of the desktop. But she didn't care. His cum splattered inside her, capping her climax with a warm, gooey buzz. Her buttocks quaked with each spasm. She had his cock. All of it. In the moment, that was everything. 9:04 am Gradually the pumping slowed. The pressure on her back eased and the room drifted back into focus. She glimpsed herself in a mirror near the window; hair disheveled, bare breasts smushed beneath the cockled red fabric; a trembling leg coiled on the desk, panties dangling casually from her ankle. “You are so fuckin' hot,” said the voice in her ear. She cooed, not yet able to formulate words. He rested in her a moment longer, sharing her warmth. When they'd finally caught their breath Javon stood tall. Kneading his hands into the meat of her cheeks he pushed himself back, emerging from her ass with an obscene wet slurp. Empty, Shauna sighed, the void disappointing. Her rosebud gaped, then winked several times before shrinking back into place. Javon slumped against the wall near the window. Fumbling with the latch he cracked it open. December rushed in, swirling round their bodies and raising goosebumps on their skin. Shauna shivered, invigorated, the cold soothing her scalded sex. Watching her lover she smeared her cream over her pussy and along the crack of her ass. His organ flexed toward her, but Javon shook his head. Smiling, she wriggled off the desk. On wobbly legs she gathered the note card and the bag and set them on the edge of the bed. Rummaging around in the neck of her dress she tucked her tits back into her bra and plumped them into position. Javon sauntered over, her hat in one hand, soggy panties in the other. She took the cap and fit it over her head. “Can't put those back on,” she said of her underwear. “You keep them.” He nodded, draping them over the corner of the television. She shouldered the bag and looked up at him. “Did Santa get you what you wanted?” He laughed. She followed his eyes down to his semi-hard, polished rod. “I think he fucking crushed it,” he replied. Closing the gap between them he lowered his voice. “Tell me something though. Is this strictly a Christmas situation, or…are…special occasions not required.” Shauna shrugged, the corners of her mouth curling up. “Why don't you come by sometime and find out,” she offered. “You know where I live.” She gave his penis a playful nip and tug and backed out into the hallway. 9:13 am Shauna stood quietly outside Room 334, gently swaying to a tune in her head. Her fingertips tingled and her pussy hummed along to the beat, still riding the high of the last half-hour. A trickle of semen stained her inner thigh, the remainder of Javon's deposit still trapped inside. She smoothed the front of her dress and flipped the pom of the hat to the side. She was a few minutes behind schedule. But that shouldn't be critical here. Ready for more, she knocked on the door. There was a rustling inside. A few moments later the door opened on a beautiful raven-haired Japanese girl in a tight anime tee shirt and bright blue boyshorts. Seemingly surprised, the girl dropped the pencil she held in her left hand. “Hey Sachiko,” Shauna chirped. Sachiko ripped off her headphones and flashed a nervous smile. Shauna nodded inside. “Can I come in for a minute?” Sachiko glanced over at something Shauna couldn't see, then backed her slender frame away from the door. Shauna strode inside, the latch clicking shut behind her. Unlike her first two stops, this was a bit of a gamble. Their contact had been minimal, generally restricted to her RA duties. And her scouting report was incomplete. She knew Sachiko was a sophomore, and a graphic design major. She spent summers at home in Osaka. But she couldn't afford to fly back and forth for breaks, so she usually spent them on campus. Rumor was she was into women. Of this Shauna had no confirmation. But from their interactions in the dorm and Sachiko's shyness and fluster around particular friends she did have a feeling. It was risky. But that heightened the thrill. The room was warm and cozy, lit by a floor lamp and a cube on the nightstand. Fuzzy orange pillows adorned the loveseat below the window. Incense burned in a jade tray on the corner of the dresser and a thick down comforter covered the bed. Several sketchpads scattered across the desk, a collection of porcelain cats lining the shelf above. It was clearly the space of someone needing a touch of home. “Am I like…in trouble…or something?” Sachiko wondered. “No,” Shauna laughed, amused as much by her apparent discomfort as the absurdity of the question. “I mean, have you ever been in trouble? I just wanted to wish you Happy Holidays.” Sachiko blushed. Her face made several contortions before settling on a half nod and awkward smile. “Th…thank you,” she stammered. Shauna pinched her lips between her teeth. So far so good. “I like your kitties,” Shauna continued, drifting toward the shelf. She scanned for messages, photos, anything that might give her a clue. “My sister sends me a new one for my birthday every year,” Sachiko offered. “They're beautiful.” She spotted a sheet of paper with dark smudges sticking out of the pad on top of the pile. “What's this?” she asked, reaching for it. “What? Oh!” Sachiko leapt toward her, mortified. “It's nothing, I just – ” Before she could swipe the pad Shauna had the page, staring at a gorgeous unfinished graphite sketch of a sleeping woman. She lay on her side, head on a pillow, hands underneath. Bikini panties cloaked her nethers, an arm crossed her bare breasts. And her face. Well…. Her face was very familiar. Shauna smiled to herself. This might work after all. Sachiko slunk back as Shauna turned around. She studied the drawing a moment longer, impressed by the resemblance. Finally, she looked up at Sachiko. The rosy hue of her cheeks crept into her face and neck. Shauna noticed for the first time she wasn't wearing a bra. “Did you draw this?” Sachiko sighed, looking everywhere forward. “I um…. It…it's for a class.” “You did it from memory.” She rubbed her arms with her hands. “Yeah. It just…works that way.” “It's amazing.” Shauna returned the drawing to the desk. Sluffing off the bag she retrieved the final card. “I know you don't really celebrate Christmas,” she said, “but it can't be easy being here by yourself while everyone else is. So, I got you a gift.” The silver envelope rested in her palm while Sachiko hesitated, her name glittering in gold marker. She looked up, embarrassment clouding her eyes. Shauna smiled, extending her hand. Finally, Sachiko accepted. She zipped open the flap and removed the card. A red-nosed Rudolph blinked at her from the cover. Shauna dropped the bag on the loveseat. She clasped her hands behind her back and crossed her legs at the ankles, a flirty little swivel seizing her hips. Sachiko picked the note card from the fold and looked closely. Her fingers began to tremble. Shauna sidled up closer, tucking a lock of Sachiko's hair behind her ear. Sachiko jumped at the light touch. But her gaze remained fixed on the card. Her lips parted. No sound escaped. “If you want me to stop,” Shauna murmured, “just let me know.” She kissed Sachiko's ear lobe, rolling it between her lips before drifting to her cheek and the nape of her neck. Sachiko's tremor spread to her chest. The cards fell from her grasp. Shauna continued down, over her shoulders to the swell of her breasts. She caressed one in each palm, grazing the nipples with the soft cotton of the shirt. Sachiko tangled her fingers in Shauna's hair. They curled and flexed as Shauna descended, raising her shirt and kissing her navel. She lingered there, circling, lips skimming Sachiko's butter-smooth, unblemished skin. She smelled of cherry blossom and jasmine. Shauna filled her head with the scent, priming her for the peach she was about to unwrap. Sachiko's hushed whisper floated down from above. “Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.” Sinking to her haunches Shauna eyed Sachiko's sex. A small wet spot darkened the fabric between her legs. Shauna peeled the underwear down over Sachiko's ass and thighs, pooling them around her feet. Exposed to the low light was a plump, tidy pussy, closely cropped dark pubic hair gracing her mound. Shauna's lips quivered. She bowed, pressing her face between Sachiko's thighs, sopping up the heat. Sachiko moaned, easing her legs apart, welcoming Shauna's tongue between her folds. Her entire body shook, chopping her breaths between chattering teeth. Shauna probed a little deeper. Sachiko doubled over, humping Shauna's mouth. Shauna yipped with delight. She shook her head side to side, slathering Sachiko's light sweet syrup over her cheeks and chin. She dug her nails into the brunette's ass, spreading her cheeks and kneading the meat. Sachiko mauled her own breasts, stretching and twisting the characters on her shirt into impossible shapes. Buffeted by Sachiko's gyrations Shauna wobbled on the balls of her feet. It was all she could do to hold on for the ride and she found herself failing at that. Toppling to her butt she roped an arm around Sachiko's neck and pulled her ear to her dripping lips. “Sit on my face,” she hissed. Sachiko fell to her knees, straddling Shauna's chest and pinning her to the floor. On all fours she scooched forward over the blonde's shoulders until her succulent snatch hovered over her RA's gaping mouth. Shauna's tongue darted out, flicking Sachiko's swollen clit. Stifling a scream Sachiko collapsed on Shauna's kisser, squeezing her ears between her thighs and swirling her pussy over her lips. Shauna lost herself in Sachiko. Inhaling her essence. Drinking her qi. She thrilled at her lover's responses – involuntary, honest and pure. There was no pretention. Only the passion of an inexperienced girl wholly submitting to her desires. She reveled in it, lapping at Sachiko's sex from the hood of her clit to the crease of her ass. Sachiko's back arched, thrusting out her chest. Her head lolled back, eyes strafing the ceiling. She squirmed on Shauna's face, blissfully ignorant of her weight, Shauna's nose, or her need to breathe. She reached back between the Shauna's splayed legs, probing under her dress until her fingers found the blonde's honeypot and slithered inside. Strangling Sachiko's wrist in her thighs Shauna groaned into her pussy. The vibrations spurred Sachiko's building orgasm, winding her body tighter and tighter, pushing her fingers faster, deeper. The circuit closed, the feedback loop complete. Every flip of the tongue, every curl of a digit, amplified the next. Sachiko bucked and thrashed. Shauna swirled and writhed. Again and again they traded blows until suddenly Sachiko fell silent, her body rigid, muscles strained. Clutching fistfuls of Shauna's hair Sachiko spread her knees and bore down, smashing her quaking pussy into Shauna's lips and gushing slippery, viscous cum all over her face. Racked with spasms she hunched over Shauna's head, wave after crashing wave of orgasm pummeling her sex. 9:38 am When the contractions finally slowed, Shauna worked her hands up to Sachiko's buttocks and nudged her. Spent, Sachiko rolled away, settling on her back against the foot of the bed. Shauna's chest heaved, gulping the cool dry air. Her eyes re-adjusted to the light. Reaching up she brushed the hat off her head and raked her fingers through moist matted hair. Arms flopping to the floor she sighed. That went well. She rolled her head and looked at Sachiko. The junior lay knees up, feet flat on the floor, her arms draped between her legs – the odd twitch in her muscles interrupting her stillness. Shauna willed herself up and crawled over. Finding her eyes shut she pressed in close and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. Sachiko smiled. “Merry Christmas,” Shauna whispered. Sachiko nodded, radiant from her orgasm. Shauna stroked her ear. “If you want me to model for you sometime,” she added, “give me a call.” She gathered her things and prepared to leave. As she passed the mirror on the closet door she stopped to look. Her face and neck glistened, glazed with Sachiko's juices. She tossed the hat in her hand, raising it to wipe herself clean. But she didn't. She decided instead she liked the way it looked. And she'd wear it a little longer. Pursing her lips, she slipped out of Sachiko's room. Light as a feather she skipped down the hall toward her room. She slowed passing Javon's door, wondering if he was already asleep. Her phone chimed in the bag, interrupting her curiosity. Retrieving it she scanned the screen and frowned. Two texts and a missed call. All from her brother. “Hey Josh,” she answered. “Yo, where the hell have you been?” There was an urgency in his tone. “I've been calling you. I'm out front, let's go!” She frowned. “Wait, what time is it?” “Quarter to ten. I told you I'd be here at 9:30, remember?” She thought for a minute, then rolled her eyes, realizing what went wrong. “Fuck,” she spat. “I thought you meant 9:30 your time.” “So you're not ready?” “No, I packed last night. I'll be right down.” Hanging up she shook her head. How did she make that mistake? She thought she'd have an hour to shower and clean up, but now they were running late. No time for any of that. Swiping the key card from her sock she popped into her room and tossed the gift bag on the bed. Snagging her backpack and navy peacoat from the closet she dashed back out headed for the lobby. 9:52 am Shauna flung open the passenger door of the coupe and tumbled inside, stuffing the backpack between her feet as she settled in the seat. Her teeth chattered from their brief exposure to the cold. Rubbing her hands together near the warm air vent she looked over at her brother behind the wheel. He stared at her, forehead crinkled, a mix of confusion and amusement scrawled across his lips. “What,” she said, staring back. He glanced down at her bare thighs – the coat just covering her lap – then back at her scowl. “Nice touch,” he replied, pointing to the bright red pileus cap. “Thanks,” she quipped, flashing a smile. “But you know it's snowing, right?” She flipped him the bird. He shrugged. “You're going to get Uncle Leo in trouble today.” Shauna tried to stifle her laugh. “Just drive Josh.” He put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. “Unlike you,” he said, “I got an early start. So I'm going to get some coffee. Did you eat already?” “Yup,” she nodded. “Several times.” Josh's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. At the next light he made a left and turned into the coffee shop drive-thru. Waiting in line behind a pick-up he turned to his sister. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You look a little…weird.” Shauna checked herself in the side mirror. She could taste Ty's spunk on her tongue; feel Javon's cum in her ass and Sachiko's pussy all over her face. A shiver buzzed her clit. She reclined the seat several notches and sighed, beaming at the ceiling. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I'm just…filled with Christmas spirit.” Quietly she shoved her hands beneath her legs to keep from touching herself for the remainder of the trip. By TheSleepingKing for Literotica

In this episode, we explore the idea of fragments, those little nuggets of our energy that we have given away to people, places, and experiences in the past. We will discuss how these fragments affect our present state and the steps we can take to reclaim them and restore our energy.This is a segment from Aleya's coaching sessions. To join her live online coaching sessions click on the link below...https://www.aleyadao.com/catalog/products/Live-Coaching-Sessions/721/Get a free month of the Cups of Consciousness meditations at https://www.7cupsofconsciousness.com/Main Topics1.) Understanding energetic fragments2.) The impact of giving away parts of ourselves3.) The importance of reclaiming our fragments4.) Techniques for retrieving and integrating fragments5.) Benefits of being whole and present

On today's episode I speak with Prof. Michael Wilson, Professor of Drama and Director of the Storytelling Academy at Loughborough University in Leicestershire, UK. Dr. Wilson shares information about his ongoing research agenda into storytelling as a scientific tool. This project's connection to UMBC is through Dr. Sarah Jewett of UMBC's Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health, who is completing a Fulbright semester at Loughborough this year. Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host: The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ian G. Anson, Ph.D. Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson and our Director is Dr. Eric Stokan. Our production intern is Jean Kim. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland (UMBC '24).  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

The Wisconsin State Capitol Christmas tree has been a tradition since the early 1900s - and every year, it requires someone to visit the Northwoods to find the perfect Balsam fir. Darrin Smith, superintendent of the building grounds at the State Capitol, has been in charge of picking the tree since 2017. He says it takes a team of more than 50 people to make it all happen between harvesting, hauling, and decorating. He tells us more about this holiday tradition that has always included a real Wisconsin Christmas tree.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode we hear a rebroadcast of a special event hosted by the UMBC Center for Social Science (CS3). The roundtable, which took place in October 2024 was the second in-person iteration of a series designed to bring together fabulous UMBC alumni from across the social sciences. The roundtable was moderated by CS3's acting director, Dr. Eric Stokan. The panel brought together the following fantastic UMBC alumni: Michele Berry received a master's degree in environmental policy from the school of public policy at UMBC, having completed a bachelor's degree at the New School. Michele now works as a stormwater coordinator for the Chesapeake Stormwater Network. Amanda Cardone currently works as a survey methodologist at RTI International. Amanda received a MA in applied sociology at UMBC, in which she honed her expertise in survey science and programming. Amy Soukoup currently serves as a community data analyst for Live Baltimore, a nonprofit that helps potential homebuyers find the right place to live in Baltimore, among other goals. Amy received a MA in economic policy analysis from UMBC. Manisha Vepa earned a bachelor's degree in global studies and economics at UMBC in 2018 and now works as an economic research analyst and East Asia expert at Ascendant Program Services. LLC which contracts with the federal government. Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host: The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ian G. Anson, Ph.D. Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, our acting director is Dr. Eric Stokan, and our production intern is Jean Kim. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland.  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

In today's episode, based on a question I received, we breakdown why it is very possible to train upland and technical retriever work at the same time in a consistent routine retriever training process.  Done correctly, upland hunting does not "ruin the retriever work", and retriever work should only enhance control in the upland field.  The key is to approach this balance in light of what the dog tells you in training, not how it is 'supposed to go'.

In this thought-provoking episode, Marlo and Tom sit down with Jeremy Beer, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of AmPhil, to explore the life and legacy of Francisco Garcés—a missionary often overlooked in the grand narrative of history. Together, they delve into what set Garcés apart as a “different kind of missionary,” examining his unique approach to faith, culture, and community during a transformative period in the Americas.The discussion broadens to tackle the complex legacies of missionaries like Garcés, whose work represents a fascinating interplay between church and state. Jeremy offers a fresh perspective on retrieving the contributions of Spanish missionaries, framing them not just as agents of their time but as figures of enduring significance.From the challenges and triumphs of mission work to the enduring questions about cultural exchange, this episode will leave you reconsidering what it means to live a life of service and vision. Join us for an engaging conversation that connects history, faith, and the search for truth.

Send us a textAfter completing a PHD on singleness she then went on to write a book called The Meaning of Singleness, Retrieving a Eschatological Vision for the Contemporary Church. I got Dani on to discuss what her book was about, how our eternal perspective shapes our understanding of singleness here and then bombarded her with a long list of questions from our listeners on what it means to live out the single life well! Dani has some incredible insights and helpful wisdom that speaks to all of us, regardless where we find ourselves. Whether your single, married or somewhere inbetween, this episode is a must listen so we can better support and flourish as the family of Christ. Are you a fan of the show? Would you consider financially partnering and supporting HT in 2025 to help cover the costs? Head to https://www.buzzsprout.com/1221872/support to find out more. Dani Substack: https://writing.danielletreweek.com/Dani's website: https://www.danielletreweek.com/You can purchase Danis book at all major Christian book retailers. Single Minded Podcast https://singleminded.community/podcast/Support the showLike what you heard? Be sure to subscribe to whatever platform you listened from and follow @hertheology on Instagram or Facebook for regular updates!

On today's episode we hear a rebroadcast of the 2024 UMBC Constitution Day Lecture, sponsored by UMBC's Center for Social Science Scholarship and the UMBC Department of Political Science. This year's lecture was delivered by Jared DeMarinis, the Maryland State Administrator of Elections. Mr. DeMarinis describes how elections work in Maryland, some of the state's early contributions to the way elections are conducted across the United States, and discusses the challenges of administering elections in a time of deep political polarization. Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host: The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ian G. Anson, Ph.D. Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, our director is Dr. Christine Mallinson, our associate director is Dr. Felipe Filomeno, and our production intern is Jean Kim.   Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland.  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

Support The Becket Cook Show on Patreon! In today's episode, I chat with Dr. Gavin Ortlund about his new book, “What It Means To Be Protestant: The Case For an Always-Reforming Church.” These days many evangelicals are exploring the more sacramental, liturgical, and historically-conscious church traditions, including Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. This hunger for historical rootedness is a welcome phenomenon--but unfortunately, many assume that this need can only be met outside of Protestant contexts. In What it Means to Be Protestant, Gavin Ortlund draws from both his scholarly work in church history and his personal experience in ecumenical engagement to offer a powerful defense of the Protestant tradition. Retrieving classical Protestant texts and arguments, he exposes how many of the contemporary objections leveled against Protestants are rooted in caricature. Ultimately, he shows that historic Protestantism offers the best pathway to catholicity and historical rootedness for Christians today. Dr. Ortlund's Book: https://amzn.to/3N2ZqiU The Becket Cook Show Ep. 175 This Episode of The Becket Cook Show is available on YouTube Join the Patreon! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

On today's episode I speak with Dr. Jun Chu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health at UMBC. Dr. Chu shares information about his ongoing research agenda into aging alone. Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host: The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ian G. Anson, Ph.D. Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, and our Acting director is Dr. Eric Stokan. Our production intern is Jean Kim. Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland (UMBC '24).  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with JOURNAL author Stephen Mitchell about his online article entitled, “The Just Man Justices: A Review of D. C. Schindler's Retrieving Freedom: The Christian Appropriation of the Classical Tradition“. https://www.equip.org/articles/the-just-man-justices-a-review-of-d-c-schindlers-retrieving-freedom-the-christian-appropriation-of-the-classical-tradition/Related Articles and Podcasts by this author:Episode 357 Christian Faithfulness Via the Agrarianism of Wendell Berry“How to Love a Neighbor in the Anthropocene: Christian Faithfulness Via the Unsettling Agrarianism of Wendell Berry”Episode 329: Christ or Lucretius: Nature and Nature's God in the poems of Mary OliverChrist or Lucretius: Nature and Nature's God in the poems of Mary OliverEpisode 301: Moving by Staying Put: Christian Pilgrimage in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead“Moving by Staying Put: Christian Pilgrimage in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead”Episode 248 Myself Am Hell: Rebellion and Gratitude in Milton's Paradise LostMyself Am Hell: Rebellion and Gratitude in Milton's Paradise Lost 

A police officer in Washington, D.C., is dead after a tragic gun accident while retrieving a discarded firearm from a storm drain. A Florida daycare bus driver faces charges after leaving a six-year-old girl alone in a hot vehicle for over an hour. Drew Nelson reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jake Bartells re-joins us to share his hard-won wisdom on training dogs to the highest level. His bonafides include multiple NAVHDA Versatile Champions and a 12-year-old daughter who's learned enough to have her own dog entered in the Invitational Test this year. You want help with your dog's steadiness, well Jake's got a step-by-step tutorial you can take to the bank ... er, podium. We'll get a good start on retrieving too. The ideas, background and rationale may sound a little different from what you're used to, but the methods (instilled by his mentor, master trainer Clyde Vetter of Sharp Shooter's Kennel) work. "Handle It" address listener questions about do-it-yourself check cords: their assembly and why I love a certain kind of material. And listeners tell us what their bucket list bird is for this season ... you may be surprised. And it's all brought to you by: Sage & Braker Mercantile, LandTrust.com, HiVizSights.com, Pointer shotguns, @midwayusa, #midwayusa, Midway USA, Mid Valley Clays and Shooting School, TrulockChokes, HiViz shooting systems, ESPAmerica, Purina Pro Plan Sport and FindBirdHuntingSpots.com. Don't forget to watch Wingshooting USA TV on five networks, local stations and regional sports networks! Find out where it airs in your area, here.

Scott and Wes dive into the world of browser caching for audio files, exploring the File System API and the Cache API. They discuss size restrictions across different browsers, how tools like Riverside.fm leverage IndexedDB, and walk through code examples for creating, retrieving, and managing cached audio data. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:07 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 02:33 The file system API. 03:08 The Cache API. Mozilla Developer Cache API. Airhorner, a good example. 04:24 Size restrictions per browser. 07:04 How tools like Riverside.fm use IndexedDB. 08:47 Data eviction (too much data). 10:16 What we're using it for and how. 12:17 How do we do this in code? 14:37 Creating the cache. 16:18 Retrieving from cache manually. 19:00 Adding metadata. 19:37 A live debugging. 22:39 Persistent storage. web.dev Persistent Storage. Hackernoon Persistent Storage. 26:10 Media score. Chrome Autoplay Policy. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott:X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads