Podcasts about unification war

Can You Segway?Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.So exactly who was going to be sympathetic to their plight, who we cared about?Beyond my fevered dream of making a difference there was a pinch of reality. See, the Cabindans and the people of Zaire were both ethnic Bakongo and the Bakongo of Zaire had also once had their own, independent (until 1914) kingdom which was now part of Angola. The Bakongo were major factions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) -(formerly for a short time known as the nation of Zaire, from here on out to be referred to as the DRC and in the running for the most fucked up place on the planet Earth, more on that later)- and Congo (the nation) yet a minority in Angola. Having an independent nation united along ethnic and linguistic lines made sense and could expect support from their confederates across international boundaries.The Liberation Air ForceThe Earth & Sky operated under one constant dilemma ~ when would Temujin make his return? Since they didn't know and it was their job to be prepared for the eventuality if it happened tomorrow, or a century down the line, they 'stockpiled', and 'stockpiled' and 'stockpiled'.That was why they maintained large horse herds and preserved the ancient arts of Asian bowyers, armoring and weapons-craft. That was why they created secret armories, and sulfur and saltpeter sites when musketry and cannons became the new ways of warfare. They secured sources of phosphates and petroleum when they became the new thing, and so on.All of this boiled over to me being shown yet again I worked with clever, creative and under-handed people. The Khanate came up with a plan for a 'Union' Air Force {Union? More on that later} within 24 hours, and it barely touched any of their existing resources. How did they accomplish this miracle? They had stockpiled and maintained earlier generation aircraft because they didn't know when Temujin would make his re-appearance.They'd also trained pilots and ground crews for those aircraft. As you might imagine, those people grew old just as their equipment did. In time, they went into the Earth & Sky's Inactive Reserves ~ the rank & file over the age of 45. You never were 'too old' to serve in some capacity though most combat-support related work ended at 67.When Temujin made his return and the E&S transformed into the Khanate, those people went to work bringing their lovingly cared for, aging equipment up to combat-alert readiness. If the frontline units were decimated, they would have to serve, despite the grim odds of their survival. It was the terrible acceptance the Chinese would simply possess so much more war-making material than they did.Well, the Khanate kicked the PRC's ass in a titanic ass-whooping no one (else) had seen coming, or would soon forget. Factory production and replacement of worn machines was in stride to have the Khanate's Air Force ready for the next round of warfare when the Cease-fire ended and the Reunification War resumed.Always a lower priority, the Khanate military leadership was considering deactivating dozens of these reserve unit when suddenly the (Mongolian) Ikh khaany khairt akh dáé (me) had this hare-brained scheme about helping rebels in Africa, West Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea coast/Atlantic Ocean, far, far away, and it couldn't look like the Khanate was directly involved.They barely knew where Angola was. They had to look up Cabinda to figure out precisely where that was. They brought in some of their 'reservist' air staff to this briefing and one of them, a woman (roughly a third of the E&S 'fighting'/non-frontline forces were female), knew what was going on. Why?She had studied the combat records and performance of the types of aircraft she'd have to utilize... back in the 1980's and 90's and Angola had been a war zone rife with Soviet (aka Khanate) material back then. Since she was both on the ball, bright and knew the score, the War Council put her in overall command. She knew what was expected of her and off she went, new staff in hand. She was 64 years old, yet as ready and willing to serve as any 20 year old believer in the Cause.Subtlety, scarcity and audacity were the watchwords of the day. The Khanate couldn't afford any of their front-line aircraft for this 'expedition'. They really couldn't afford any of their second-rate stuff either. Fortunately, they had some updated third-rate war-fighting gear still capable of putting up an impressive show in combat ~ providing they weren't going up against a top tier opponents.For the 'volunteers' of the Union Air Force, this could very likely to be a one-way trip. They all needed crash courses (not a word any air force loves, I know) in Portuguese though hastily provided iPhones with 'apps' to act as translators were deemed to be an adequate stop-gap measure. Besides, they were advised to avoid getting captured at all cost. The E&S couldn't afford the exposure. Given the opportunity ~ this assignment really was going above and beyond ~ not one of these forty-six to sixty-seven year olds backed out.No, they rolled out fifty of their antiquated aircraft, designs dating back to the 1950's through the mid-70's, and prepared them for the over 10,000 km journey to where they were 'needed most'. 118 pilots would go (72 active plus 46 replacements) along with 400 ground crew and an equally aged air defense battalion (so their air bases didn't get blown up). Security would be provided by 'outsiders' ~ allies already on the ground and whatever rebels could be scrounged up. After the initial insertion, the Indian Air Force would fly in supplies at night into the Cabinda City and Soyo Airports.The composition,14 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 jet fighters ~ though she entered service in 1959, these planes' electronics were late 20th century and she was a renowned dogfighter. 12 were the Mig-21-97 modernized variant and the other two were Mig-21 UM two-seater trainer variants which could double as reconnaissance fighters if needed.14 Sukhoi Su-22 jet fighter-bombers ~ the original design, called the Su-17, came out in 1970, the first 12 were variants with the 22M4 upgrade were an early-80's package. The other 2 were Su-22U two-seat trainers which, like their Mig-21 comrades, doubled as reconnaissance fighters. The Su-22M4's would be doing the majority of the ground attack missions for the Cabindans, though they could defend themselves in aerial combat if necessary.6 Sukhoi Su-24M2 supersonic attack aircraft ~ the first model rolled off the production lines in the Soviet Union back in 1974. By far the heaviest planes in the Cabindan Air Force, the Su-24M2's would act as their 'bomber force' as well as anti-ship deterrence.8 Mil Mi-24 VM combat helicopters ~ introduced in 1972 was still a lethal combat machine today. Unlike the NATO helicopter force, the Mi-24's did double duty as both attack helicopter and assault transports at the same time.4 Mil Mi-8 utility helicopters, first produced in 1967. Three would act as troop/cargo transports (Mi-8 TP) while the fourth was configured as a mobile hospital (the MI-17 1VA).4 Antonov An-26 turboprop aircraft, two to be used as tactical transports to bring in supplies by day and two specializing in electronic intelligence aka listening to what the enemy was up to. Though it entered production in 1969, many still remained flying today.2 Antonov An-71M AEW&C twin-jet engine aircraft. These were an old, abandoned Soviet design the Earth & Sky had continued working on primarily because the current (1970's) Russian Airborne Early Warning and Control bird had been both huge and rather ineffective ~ it couldn't easily identify low-flying planes in the ground clutter so it was mainly only good at sea. Since the E&S planned to mostly fight over the land,They kept working on the An-71 which was basically 1977's popular An-72 with some pertinent design modifications (placing the engines below the wings instead of above them as on the -72 being a big one). To solve their radar problem, they stole some from the Swedish tech firm Ericsson, which hadn't been foreseen to be a problem before now.See, the Russians in the post-Soviet era created a decent AEW&C craft the E&S gladly stole and copied the shit out of for their front line units and it was working quite nicely ~ the Beriev A-50, and wow, were the boys in the Kremlin pissed off about that these days. Whoops, or was that woot?Now, the Khanate was shipping two An-71's down to Cabinda and somewhere along the line someone just might get a 'feel' for the style of radar and jamming the Cabindans were using aka the Swedish stuff in those An-71's. The Erieye radar system could pick out individual planes at 280 miles. The over-all system could track 60 targets and plot out 10 intercepts simultaneously. NATO, they were not, but in sub-Saharan Africa, there were none better.Anyway, so why was any of this important?Why the old folks with their ancient machines? As revealed, since the Earth & Sky had no idea when Temüjin would return, they were constantly squirreling away equipment. World War 2 gave them unequaled access to Soviet military technology and training.Afterwards, under Josef Stalin's direction, thousands of Russian and German engineers and scientists were exiled to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan who were then snatched up (reportedly died in the gulags/trying to escape) and the E&S began building mirror factories modeled on the 'then current' Soviet production lines.So, by the early 1950's, the E&S was building, flying and maintaining Soviet-style Antonov, Beriev, Ilyushin, Myasishchev, Mikoyan-Gurevich, Sukhoi, Tupolev and Yakovlev airplanes. First in small numbers because their pool of pilots and specialists was so small.The E&S remedied this by creating both their own 'private' flight academies and technical schools. They protected their activities with the judicious use of bribes (they were remarkably successful with their economic endeavors on both side of the Iron Curtain) and murders (including the use of the Ghost Tigers).By 1960, the proto-Khanate had an air force. Through the next two decades they refined and altered their doctrine ~ moving away from the Soviet doctrine to a more pure combined-arms approach (the Soviets divided their air power into four separate arms ~ ADD (Long Range Aviation), FA (Front Aviation), MTA (Military Transport Aviation) and the V-PVO (Soviet Air Defenses ~ which controlled air interceptors).).It wasn't until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the various former SSR's that the E&S program really began to hit its stride. Still, while Russia faltered, China's PLAAF (Peoples' Liberation Army Air Force) began to take off. Since the Chinese could produce so much more, the E&S felt it had to keep those older planes and crews up to combat readiness. The younger field crews and pilots flew the newer models as they rolled off the secret production lines.Then the Unification War appeared suddenly, the E&S-turned Khanate Air Force skunked their PLAAF rivals due to two factors, a surprise attack on a strategic level and the fatal poisoning of their pilots and ground crews before they even got into the fight. For those Chinese craft not destroyed on the ground, the effects of Anthrax eroded their fighting edge. Comparable technology gave the Khanate their critical victory and Air Supremacy over the most important battlefields.What did this meant for those out-of-date air crews and pilots who had been training to a razor's edge for a month now? Their assignment had been to face down the Russians if they invaded. They would take their planes up into the fight even though this most likely would mean their deaths, but they had to try.When Operation Fun House put Russia in a position where she wasn't likely to jump on the Khanate, this mission's importance faded. The Russian Air Force was far more stretched than the Khanate's between her agitations in the Baltic and her commitments in the Manchurian, Ukrainian, Chechen and Georgian theaters.With more new planes rolling off the production lines, these reservist units began dropping down the fuel priority list, which meant lowering their flight times thus readiness. Only my hare-brained scheme had short-circuited their timely retirement. Had I realized I was getting people's grandparents killed, I would have probably made the same call anyway. We needed them.The KanateThe Khanate's #1 air superiority dogfighter was the Mig-35F. The #2 was the Mig-29. No one was openly discussing the Khanate's super-stealthy "Su-50", if that was what it was, because its existence 'might' suggest the Khanate also stole technology from the Indian defense industry, along with their laundry list of thefts from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the PRC, Russia and half of NATO.Her top multi-role fighters were the Su-47, Su-35S and Su-30SM. The Su-30 'Flanker-C/MK2/MKI were their 2nd team with plenty of 3rd team Su-27M's still flying combat missions as well.Strike fighters? There weren't enough Su-34's to go around yet, so the Su-25MS remained the Khanate's dedicated Close Air Assault model.Medium transport aircraft? The An-32RE and An-38. They had small, large and gargantuan transports as well.Bombers? The rather ancient jet-powered Tu-160M2's and Tu-22M2's as well as the even older yet still worthwhile turboprops ~ from 1956's ~ the Tu-95M S16.Helicopters? While they still flew updated variants of the Mil Mi-8/17 as military transports, the more optimized Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28 had replaced them in the assault role.Bizarrely, the Khanate had overrun several Chinese production lines of the aircraft frames and components ~ enough to complete fairly modern PLAAF (Peoples Liberation Army Air Force) FC-1 and J-10 (both are small multi-role fighter remarkably similar to the US F-16 with the FC-1 being the more advanced model, using shared Chinese-Pakistani technology and was designed for export,).They did have nearly two dozen to send, but they didn't have the pilots and ground crews trained to work with them, plus the FC-1 cost roughly $32 million which wasn't fundage any legitimate Cabindan rebels could get their hands on, much less $768 million (and that would just be for the planes, not the weeks' worth of fuel, parts and munitions necessary for what was forthcoming).Meanwhile, except for the An-26, which you could get for under $700,000 and the An-71, which were only rendered valuable via 'black market tech', none of the turboprop and jet aircraft the Khanate was sending were what any sane military would normally want. The helicopters were expensive ~ the 'new' models Mi-24's cost $32 million while the Mi-17's set you back $17 million. The one's heading to Cabinda didn't look 'new'.The Opposition:In contrast, the Angolan Air Force appeared far larger and more modern. Appearances can be deceptive, and they were. Sure, the models of Russian and Soviet-made aircraft they had in their inventory had the higher numbers ~ the Su-25, -27 and -30 ~ plus they had Mig-21bis's, Mig-23's and Su-22's, but things like training and up-keep didn't appear to be priorities for the Angolans.When you took into account the rampant corruption infecting all levels of Angolan government, the conscript nature of their military, the weakness of their technical educational system, the complexity of any modern combat aircraft and the reality that poor sods forced into being Air Force ground crewmen hardly made the most inspired technicians, or most diligent care-takers of their 'valuable' stockpiles (which their officers all too often sold on the black market anyway), things didn't just look bleak for the Angolan Air Force, they were a tsunami of cumulative factors heading them for an epic disaster.It wasn't only their enemies who derided their Air Force's lack of readiness. Their allies constantly scolded them about it too. Instead of trying to fix their current inventory, the Angolans kept shopping around for new stuff. Since 'new'-new aircraft was beyond what they wanted to spend (aka put too much of a dent in the money they were siphoning off to their private off-shore accounts), they bought 'used' gear from former Soviet states ~ Belarus, Russia and Ukraine ~ who sold them stuff they had left abandoned in revetments (open to the elements to slowly rot) on the cheap.To add to the insanity, the Angolans failed to keep up their maintenance agreements so their newly fixed high-tech machines often either couldn't fly, or flew without critical systems, like radar, avionics and even radios. Maybe that wasn't for the worst because after spending millions on these occasionally-mobile paperweights, the Angolans bought the least technologically advanced missile, gun and rocket systems they could get to put on these flying misfortunes.On the spread sheets, Angola had 18 Su-30K's, 18 Su-27, 12 Su-25's, 14 Su-22's, 22 Mig-23's, 23 Mig-21bis's and 6 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano (a turboprop aircraft tailor-made for counter-insurgency operations), 105 helicopters with some combative ability and 21 planes with some airlift capacity. That equated to 81 either air superiority, or multi-role jet fighters versus the 12 Union Air Force (actually the Bakongo Uni o de Cabinda e Zaire, For as Armadas de Liberta  o, For a Area ~ Liberation Armed Forces, Air Force (BUCZ-FAL-FA) Mig-21-97's.It would seem lopsided except for the thousands of hours of flight experience the 'Unionists' enjoyed over their Angolan rivals. You also needed to take into account the long training and fanatic dedication of their ground crews to their pilots and their craft. Then you needed to take into account every Unionist aircraft, while an older airframe design, had updated (usually to the year 2000) technology lovingly cared for, as if the survival of their People demanded it.A second and even more critical factor was the element of surprise. At least the PRC and the PLAAF had contingencies for attacks from their neighbors in the forefront of their strategic planning. The Angolans? The only country with ANY air force in the vicinity was the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and they had ceased being a threat with the end of Apartheid and the rise of majority Black rule in that country nearly two decades earlier.In the pre-dawn hours of 'Union Independence Day', the FAL-FA was going to smash every Angolan Air base and air defense facility within 375 miles of Cabinda (the city). Every three hours after that, they would be hitting another target within their designated 'Exclusion Zone'. Yes, this 'Exclusion Zone' included a 'tiny' bit of DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) territory. The DRC didn't have an air force to challenge them though, so,Inside this 'Exclusion Zone', anything moving by sea, river, road, rail, or air without Unionist governmental approval was subject to attack, which would require neutral parties to acknowledge some semblance of a free and independent B U C Z. Worse for Angola, this 'Zone' included Angola's capital and its largest port, Luanda, plus four more of their ten largest urban centers. This could be an economic, military and humanitarian catastrophe if mishandled.The Angolan Army did not have significant anti-aircraft assets. Why would they? Remember, no one around them had much of an air force to worry about. The FAL-FA in turn could hit military convoys with TV-guided munitions 'beyond line of sight', rendering what they did have useless. It got worse for the Army after dark. The FAL-FA could and would fly at night whereas the average Angolan formation had Zip-Zero-Nadda night fighting capacity.Then geography added its own mountain of woes. As far as Cabinda was concerned, there was no direct land line to their border from Angola. Their coastal road only went as far as the port of Soyo where the Congo River hit the South Atlantic Ocean. Across that massive gap was the DRC where the road was not picked back up. Far up the coast was the DRC town of Muanda (with an airport) and though they did have a road which went north, it did not continue to the Cabindan border.Nope. To get at Cabinda from the south meant a long, torturous travel through northeastern Angola, into the heart of the DRC then entailed hooking west to some point 'close' to the Cabindan frontier before finally hoofing it overland through partially cleared farmland and jungle. Mind you, the DRC didn't have a native air force capable of protecting the Angolans in their territory so,In fact the only 'road' to Cabinda came from the Republic of Congo (Congo) to the north and even that was a twisted route along some really bad, swampy terrain. This had been the pathway of conquest the Angolans took 39 years earlier. The difference being the tiny bands of pro-independence Cabindan guerillas back then couldn't hold a candle to the Amazons fighting to free Cabinda this time around in numbers, zeal, training and up-to-date equipment.Next option ~ to come by sea. They would face a few, stiff problems, such as the FAL-FA having ship-killer missiles, the Angolan Navy not being able to defend them and the Unionists having no compunction to not strike Pointe-Noire in the 'not so neutral' Republic of the Congo if they somehow began unloading Angolan troops. It seemed the Republic of the Congo didn't have much of an Air Force either.Before you think the FAL-FA was biting off more than they could chew, Cabinda, the province, was shaped somewhat like the US State of Delaware, was half the size of Connecticut (Cabinda was 2,810 sq. mi. to Conn.'s 5,543 sq. mi.) and only the western 20% was relatively open countryside where the Angolan Army's only advantage ~ they possessed armed fighting vehicles while the 'Unionists' did not (at this stage of planning) ~ could hopefully come into play.Centered at their capital, Cabinda (City), jets could reach any point along their border within eight minutes. Helicopters could make it in fifteen. To be safe, some of the FAL-FA would base at the town of Belize which was in the northern upcountry and much tougher to get at with the added advantage the Angolans wouldn't be expecting the FAL-FA to be using the abandoned airfield there, at least initially.Where they afraid attacking Angolan troops in the DRC would invite war with the DRC? Sure, but letting the Angolans reach the border unscathed was worse. Besides, the DRC was in such a mess it needed 23,000 UN Peacekeepers within her borders just to keep the country from falling apart. Barring outside, read European, intervention, did "Democratically-elected since 2001" President (for Life) Joseph Kabila want the FAL-FA to start dropping bombs on his capital, Kinshasa, which was well within reach of all their aircraft?Congo (the country), to the north, wasn't being propped up by the UN, or anything else except ill intentions. In reality, it hardly had much of a military at all. Its officer corps was chosen for political reliability, not merit, or capability. Their technology was old Cold War stuff with little effort to update anything and, if you suspected corruption might be a problem across all spectrums of life, you would 'probably' be right about that too.If you suspected the current President had been in charge for a while, you would be correct again (1979-1992 then 2001- and the 'whoops' was when he accidently let his country experiment with democracy which led to two civil wars). If you suspected he was a life-long Communist (along with the Presidents of the DRC and Angola), you'd be right about that as well. Somehow their shared Marxist-Leninist-Communist ideology hadn't quite translated over to alleviating the grinding poverty in any of those countries despite their vast mineral wealth,At this point in the region's history, little Cabinda had everything to gain by striving for independence and the vast majority of 'warriors' who could possibly be sent against her had terribly little to gain fighting and dying trying to stop them from achieving her goal. After all, their lives weren't going to get any better and with the Amazons ability ~ nay willingness ~ to commit battlefield atrocities, those leaders were going to find it hard going to keep sending their men off to die.And then, it got even worse.See, what I had pointed out was there were two oil refineries in Angola, and neither was in Cabinda. Cabinda would need a refinery to start making good on their oil wealth ~ aka economically bribe off the Western economies already shaken over the Khanate's first round of aggressions.But wait! There was an oil refinery just across the Congo River from Cabinda ~ which meant it was attached to mainland Angola. That had to be a passel of impossible news, right?Nope. As I said earlier, it seemed the people of northern Angola were the same racial group as the Cabindans AND majority Catholic while the ruling clique wasn't part of their ethnic confederacy plus the farther south and east into Angola you went, the less Catholic it became.But it got better. This province was historically its own little independent kingdom (called the Kingdom of Kongo) to boot! It had been abolished by Portugal back in 1914.The 'good' news didn't end there. Now, it wasn't as if the leadership of Angola was spreading the wealth around to the People much anyway, but these northerners had been particularly left out of this Marxist version of 'Trickle Down' economics.How bad was this? This northwestern province ~ called Zaire ~ didn't have any railroads, or paved roads, linking it to the rest of the freaking country. The 'coastal road' entered the province, but about a third of the way up ran into this river, which they'd failed to bridge (you had to use a single track bridge farther to the northeast, if you can believe it). It wasn't even a big river. It was still an obstacle though.How did the Angolan government and military planned to get around? Why by air and sea, of course. Well, actually by air. Angola didn't have much of a merchant marine, or Navy, to make sealift a serious consideration. Within hours of the 'Union Declaration of Independence' anything flying anywhere north of the Luanda, the capital of Angola, would essentially be asking to be blown out of the sky.Along the border between Zaire province and the rest of Angola were precisely two chokepoints. By 'chokepoints', I meant places where a squad (10 trained, modernly-equipped troopers) could either see everything for miles & miles over pretty much empty space along a river valley and the only bridge separating Zaire province from the south, or overlook a ravine which the only road had to pass through because of otherwise bad-ass, broken terrain.Two.Zaire Province had roughly the same population as Cabinda ~ 600,000. Unlike Cabinda, which consisted of Cabinda City plus a few tiny towns and rugged jungles, Zaire had two cities ~ Soyo, with her seventy thousand souls plus the refinery at the mouth of the Congo River, and M'banza-Kongo, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, spiritual center of the Bakongo People (who included the Cabindans) and set up in the highlands strategically very reminiscent of Điện Biàn Phủ.Of Zaire's provincial towns, the only other strategic one was N'Zeto with her crappy Atlantic port facility and 2,230 meter grass airport. The town was the northern terminus of the National Road 100 ~ the Coastal Road. It terminated because of the Mebridege River. There wasn't a bridge at N'Zeto though there was a small one several miles upstream. N'Zeto was also where the road from provinces east of Zaire ended up, so you had to have N'Zeto ~ and that tiny bridge ~ to move troops overland anywhere else in Zaire Province.So you would think it would be easy for the Angolan Army to defend then, except of how the Amazons planned to operate. They would infiltrate the area first then 'rise up in rebellion'. Their problem was the scope of the operation had magnified in risk of exposure, duration and forces necessary for success.The serious issue before Saint Marie and the Host in Africa were the first two. They could actually move Amazons from Brazil and North America to bolster their numbers for the upcoming offensive. Even in the short-short term, equipment wouldn't be a serious problem. What the Amazons dreaded was being left in a protracted slugfest with the Angolan Army which the Condottieri could jump in on. The Amazons exceedingly preferred to strike first then vanish.There was reason to believe a tiny number could have stayed behind in Cabinda to help the locals prepare their military until they could defend themselves. They would need more than a hundred Amazons if Cabinda wanted to incorporate Zaire. The answer was to call back their newfound buddy, the Great Khan. While he didn't have much else he could spare (the Khanate was ramping up for their invasion of the Middle East after all, the Kurds needed the help), he had other allies he could call on.India couldn't help initially since they were supposed to supply the 'Peace-keepers' once a cease-fire had been arranged. That left Temujin with his solid ally, Vietnam, and his far shakier allies, the Republic of China and Japan.First off ~ Japan could not help, which meant they couldn't supply troops who might very well end up dead, or far worse, captured.. What they did have was a surplus of older equipment the ROC troops were familiar with, so while the ROC was gearing up for their own invasion of mainland China in February, they were willing to help the Chinese kill Angolans, off the books, of course.The ROC was sending fifteen hundred troops the Khanate's way to help in this West African adventure with the understanding they'd be coming home by year's end. With Vietnam adding over eight hundred of her own Special Forces, the Amazons had the tiny 'allied' army they could leave shielding Cabinda/Zaire once the first round of blood-letting was over.To be 'fair', the Republic of China and Vietnam asked for 'volunteers'. It wasn't like either country was going to declare war on Angola directly. Nearly a thousand members of Vietnam's elite 126th Regiment of the 5th Brigade (Đặc cáng bộ) took early retirement then misplaced their equipment as they went to update their visas and inoculations before heading out for the DRC (some would be slipping over the DRC/Cabindan border).On Taiwan, it was the men and women of the 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade, 871st Special Operations Group and 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion who felt the sudden desire to 'seek enlightenment elsewhere, preferably on another continent'.They too were off to the Democratic Republic of Congo, man that country was a mess and their border security wasn't worth writing home about, that's for damn sure, via multiple Southeast Asian nations. Besides, they were being issued fraudulently visas which showed them to be from the People's Republic of China, not the ROC/Taiwan. If they were captured, they were to pretend to "be working for a Communist Revolution inside Angola and thus to be setting all of Africa on fire!" aka be Mainland Chinese.There, in the DRC, these Chinese stumbled across, some Japanese. These folks hadn't retired. No. They were on an extended assignment for the UN's mission in, the DRC. OH! And look! They'd brought tons of surplus, outdated Japanese Self Defense Forces' equipment with them, and there just so happened to be some Taiwanese who had experience in using such equipment (both used US-style gear).And here was Colonel Yoshihiro Isami of the Chūō Sokuō Shūdan (Japan's Central Readiness Force) wondering why he and his hastily assembled team had just unloaded,18 Fuji/Bell AH-1S Cobra Attack helicopters,6 Kawasaki OH-6D Loach Scout helicopters,12 Fuji-Bell 204-B-2 Hiyodori Utility helicopters,6 Kawasaki/Boeing CH-47JA Chinook Transport helicopters and4 Mitsubishi M U-2L-1 Photo Reconnaissance Aircraft.Yep! 46 more aircraft for the FAL-FA!Oh, and if this wasn't 'bad enough', the Chinese hadn't come alone. They'd brought some old aircraft from their homes to aid in the upcoming struggle. Once more, these things were relics of the Cold War yet both capable fighting machines and, given the sorry state of the opposition, definitely quite deadly. A dozen F-5E Tiger 2000 configured primarily for air superiority plus two RF-5E Tigergazer for reconnaissance, pilots plus ground crews, of course.Thus, on the eve of battle, the FAL-FA had become a true threat. Sure, all of its planes (and half of its pilots) were pretty old, but they were combat-tested and in numbers and experience no other Sub-Saharan African nation could match.The Liberation Ground Forces:But wait, there was still the niggling little problem of what all those fellas were going to fight with once they were on the ground. Assault/Battle rifles, carbines, rifles, pistols, PDW, SMGs as bullets, grenades and RPG's were all terrifyingly easy to obtain. The coast of West Africa was hardly the Port of London as far as customs security went. They were going to need some bigger toys and their host nations were going to need all their native hardware for their upcoming battles at home.And it wasn't like you could advertise for used IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), APCs (armored personnel carriers) and tanks on e-Bay, Amazon.com, or Twitter. If something modern US, or NATO, was captured rolling around the beautiful Angolan countryside, shooting up hostile Angolans, all kinds of head would roll in all kinds of countries, unless the country,A) had an Executive Branch and Judiciary who wouldn't ask (or be answering) too many uncomfortable questions,B) wasn't all that vulnerable to international pressure,C) really needed the money and,D) didn't give a fuck their toys would soon be seen on BBC/CNN/Al Jazeera blowing the ever-living crap out of a ton of Africans aka doing what they were advertised to do and doing it very well in the hands of capable professionals.And politics was kind enough to hand the freedom-loving people of Cabinda & Zaire a winner, and it wasn't even from strangers, or at least people all that strange to their part of the Globe. If you would have no idea who to look for, you wouldn't be alone.That was the magic of the choice. See, the last three decades had seen the entire Globe take a colossal dump on them as a Nation and a People. They were highly unpopular for all sorts of things, such as Crimes Against Humanity and 'no', we were not talking about the Khanate.We would be talking about Република Србија / Republika Srbija aka Serbia aka the former Yugoslavia who had watched all their satellite minions (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia) slip away. Despite being reduced to a tiny fraction of their former selves thus fighting two incredibly brutal and bloody World Wars for nothing, Serbia insisted on maintaining a robust armaments industry.Mind you, they didn't make the very best stuff on the planet. That didn't stop them from trying though. Of equal importance was their geographic location and the above mentioned desire for some hard currency without asking too many questions. The geography was simple, you could move even heavy gear unnoticed from central Serbia to the Montenegrin port of Bar by rail and load them up on freighters and off to the Congo you went.The Serbians produced an APC called the BVP M-80A's which weren't blowing anyone's minds away when they started rolling off the production lines back in 1982, plus some over-eager types on the Serbian Army's payroll sweetened the deal by offering 'the rebels' some BVP M-80 KC's and a KB as well.Then they slathered on the sugary-sweet Maple syrup by upgrading a few of the M-80A's to BVP M-98A's. Why would they be so generous? The KC's and KB were the Command & Control variants, so that made sense (C = company & B = battalion commander). The -98A had never been tested in the field before and they were kind of curious how the new turrets (which was the major difference) would behave. 'Our' procurement agents didn't quibble. We needed the gear.Besides, these Slavic entrepreneurs gave them an inside track on some 'disarmed/mothballed' Czech (introduced in 1963) armored mobile ambulances and Polish BWP-1 (first rolled out in 1966) APC's which were either in, or could be quickly configured into, the support variants those ground-fighters would need. The 'disarmed' part was 'fixable', thanks to both the Serbians and Finland. The 'missing' basic weaponry was something the Serbians could replace with virtually identical equipment.It just kept getting better. Unknown to me at the time, the Finnish firm, Patria Hágglunds, had sold twenty-two of their 'most excellent' AMOS turrets ~ they are a twin 120 mm mortar system ~ then the deal fell through. Whoops! Should have guarded that warehouse better. Those bitches were on a cargo plane bound for Albania inside of six hours.The ammunition for them was rather unique. Thankfully, it was uniquely sold by the Swiss, who had no trouble selling it to Serbia, thank you very much! Twenty-two BWP-1's became mobile artillery for the Unionist freedom fighters, though I understood the ship ride with the Serbian and Chinese technicians was loads of fun as they struggled to figured out how to attach those state-of-the-art death-dealing turrets to those ancient contraptions.To compensate, the Serbians added (aka as long as our money was good) two Nora B-52 155 mm 52-calibre mobile artillery pieces and one battery of Orkan CER MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) for long-range artillery, two batteries of their Oganj 2000 ER MRLS for medium range carnage and six batteries of their M-94 MRLS for 'close support' as well. More field-testing new gear for the "freedom fighters" We also managed to 'purchase' ten M-84AS Main Battle tanks plus an M-84A1 armor recovery vehicle. It should have been twelve tanks, but two had 'loading issues'.Not to be deterred, our busy little procurement-beavers discovered four tanks no one was using, in neighboring Croatia. Why wasn't anyone immediately keen on their placement? They were two sets of prototypes, Croatia's improvements on the M-84; the M-95 Degman which was a 'failed redesign' and the M-84D, which was a vast up-grade for the M-84 line which had been sidelined by the 2008 Global economic collapse, after which the project stagnated.It seemed they were all in working order because late one night 'my people' exited a Croatian Army base with them, never to be seen again, until two weeks later when an intrepid news crew caught the distinctive form of the M-95 sending some sweet 125 mm loving the Angolan Army's way. Whoops yet again! At least they hit what they were aiming at and destroyed what they hit, right?By then, millions of other people would be going 'what the fuck?' right along with them as Cabinda's camouflage- and mask-wearing rebel army was laying the smack-down on the Angolans. That was okay; over a million 'free Cabindan Unionists' were in the same boat. Over a thousand Asians with their mostly-female militant translators were right there to prop up their 'Unionist Allies', but then they were the ones with the tanks, armored vehicles, planes and guns, so they were less worried than most.To pilot these tanks, APC, IFV and man this artillery, they had to go back to the Khanate. Sure enough, they had some old tankers used to crewing the T-72 from which the M-84's and -95 Degman were derived. They'd also need drivers for those BVP M-80A's and Polish BWP-1's and OT-64 SKOT's... who were, again, derived from old Soviet tech (just much better). The Serbian artillery was similar enough to Soviet stuff, but with enough new tech to make it 'more fun' for the reservists to 'figure out' how to use.More volunteers for the Liberation Armed Forces! More Apple sales, great apps and voice modulation software so that the vehicle commanders would be heard communicating in Portuguese if someone was eavesdropping. As a final offering the Turkish Navy spontaneously developed some plans to test their long range capabilities by going to, the South Atlantic.On the final leg they would have six frigates and two submarines, enough to give any navy in the region, which wasn't Brazil, something to think about. This was a show of force, not an actual threat though. If anyone called their bluff, the Khanate-Turkish forces would have to pull back. These were not assets my Brother, the Great Khan, could afford to gamble and lose.If someone didn't call that bluff, he was also sending two smaller, older corvettes and three even smaller, but newer, fast attack boats, a "gift" to the Unionists ASAP. The frigates would then race home, they had 'other' issues to deal with while the submarines would hang around for a bit. The naval gift was necessitated by the reality the Unionists would have to press their claim to their off-shore riches and that required a naval force Angola couldn't hope to counter.As things were developing, it was reckoned since a build-up of such momentous land and air power couldn't be disguised, it had to happen in a matter of days ~ four was decided to be the minimum amount of time. More than that and the government of the Democratic Republic might start asking far too many questions our hefty bribes and dubious paperwork couldn't cover. Less than that would leave the task forces launching operations with too little a chance of success.Our biggest advantage was audacity. The buildup would happen 100 km up the Congo River from Soyo, the primary target of the Southern Invasion, in the DRC's second largest port city, Boma. Though across the river was Angolan territory, there was nothing there. The city of roughly 160,000 would provide adequate cover for the initial stage of the invasion.There they grouped their vehicles & Khanate drivers with Amazon and Vietnamese combat teams. The Japanese were doing the same for their 'Chinese' counterparts for their helicopter-borne forces. Getting all their equipment in working order in the short time left was critical as was creating some level of unit dynamic. Things were chaotic. No one was happy. They were all going in anyway.What had gone wrong?While most children her age were texting their schoolmates, or tackling their homework, Aya Ruger ~ the alias of Nasusara Assiyaiá hamai ~ was getting briefings of her global, secret empire worth hundreds of billions and those of her equally nefarious compatriots. She received a very abbreviated version of what the Regents received, delivered by a member of Shawnee Arinniti's staff.When Aya hopped off her chair unexpectedly, everyone tensed. Her bodyguards' hands went to their sidearms and Lorraine (her sister by blood), also in the room on this occasion, stood and prepared to tackle her 'former' sibling to the ground if the situation escalated into an assassination attempt. No such attack was generated, so the security ratcheted down and the attendant returned her focus to her Queen. Aya paced four steps, turned and retraced her way then repeated the action three more times."How many people live in the combined areas?" she asked."The combined areas? Of Cabinda and Zaire?""Yes.""I," the woman referenced her material, "roughly 1.1 million.""What is the yearly value of the offshore oil and natural gas production?""Forty-nine billion, eighty hundred and sixty-seven million by our best estimates at this time,""How many live in Soyo City proper?""Roughly 70,000.""We take Soyo," she spoke in a small yet deliberate voice. "We take and hold Soyo as an independent city-state within the Cabindan-Zaire Union. From the maps it appears Soyo is a series of islands. It has a port and airport. It has an open border to an ocean with weaker neighbors all around.""What of the, Zairians?""Bakongo. As a people they are called the Bakongo," Aya looked up at the briefer. "We relocate those who need to work in Soyo into a new city, built at our expense, beyond the southernmost water barrier. The rest we pay to relocate elsewhere in Zaire, or Cabinda."By the looks of those around her, Aya realized she needed to further explain her decisions."This is more than some concrete home base for our People," she began patiently. "In the same way it gives our enemies a clearly delineated target to attack us, it is a statement to our allies we won't cut and run if things go truly bad.""In the same way it will provide us with diplomatic recognition beyond what tenuous handouts we are getting from Cáel Wakko Ishara's efforts through JIKIT. Also, it is a reminder we are not like the other Secret Societies in one fundamental way, we are not a business concern, or a religion. We are a People and people deserve some sort of homeland. We have gone for so long without.""But Soyo?" the aide protested. "We have no ties to it, and it backs up to, nothing.""Northern Turkey and southern Slovakia mean nothing to us now as well," Aya debated. "No place on Earth is any more precious than another. As for backing up to nothing, no. You are incorrect. It backs into a promise from our allies in the Earth & Sky that if we need support, they know where to park their planes and ships."Aya was surrounded with unhappy, disbelieving looks."The Great Khan is my mamētu meáeda," she reminded them, "and I have every reason to believe he completely grasps the concept's benefits and obligations."The looks confirmed 'but he's a man' to the tiny Queen."Aya, are you sure about this?" Lorraine was the first to break decorum."Absolutely. Do you know what he sent me when he was informed of my, ascension to the Queendom?""No," Lorraine admitted."We must go horse-riding sometime soon, Daughter of Cáel, Queen of the Amazons."More uncertain and unconvinced looks."He didn't congratulate me, or send any gifts. He could have and you would think he would have, but he didn't. He knew the hearts of me & my Atta and we weren't in the celebratory mood. No. The Great Khan sent one sentence which offered solace and quiet, atop a horse on a windswept bit of steppe."Nothing.Sigh. "I know this sounds Cáel-ish," Aya admitted, "but I strongly believe this is what we should do. We are giving the Cabindans and Bakongo in Zaire independence and the promise of a much better life than what they now face. We will be putting thousands of our sisters' lives on the line to accomplish this feat and well over two hundred million dollars.""What about governance of the city ~ Soyo?" the aide forged ahead."Amazon law," Aya didn't hesitate. "We will make allowances for the security forces of visiting dignitaries and specific allied personnel, but otherwise it will be one massive Amazon urban freehold.""I cannot imagine the Golden Mare, or the Regents, will be pleased," the attendant bowed her head."It is a matter of interconnectivity," Aya walked up and touched the woman's cheek with the back of her small hand. "We could liberate then abandon Cabinda with the hope a small band could help them keep their independence. Except we need the refinery at Soyo so the people of Cabinda can truly support that liberty.""So, we must keep Soyo and to keep Soyo, we must keep Zaire province. There is no other lesser border which makes strategic sense ~ a river, highlands, a massive river, an ocean ~ those are sustainable frontiers. You can't simply keep Soyo and not expect the enemy to strike and destroy that refinery, thus we must take Zaire province.""But the Bakongo of Zaire cannot defend themselves and will not be able to do so for at least a year, if not longer. That means we must do so, and for doing so, they will give us Soyo and we will be honest stewards of their oil wealth. We cannot expect any other power to defend this new Union and if we don't have a land stake we will be portrayed as mercenaries and expelled by hostile international forces.""So, for this project to have any chance of success, we must stay, fight and have an acknowledged presence, and if you can think of an alternative, please let me know," she exhaled."What if the Cabindans and Bakongo resist?""It is 'us', or the Angolans and they know how horrible the Angolans can be. Didn't you say the average person their lives on just $2 a day?""Yes.""We can do better than that," Aya insisted."How?" the aide persisted. "I mean, 'how in a way which will be quickly evident and meaningful?'""Oh," Aya's tiny brow furrowed. Her nose twitched as she rummaged through the vast storehouse of her brain."Get me in touch with William A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. He should be able to help me navigate the pathways toward getting aid and advisors into those two provinces ASAP.""I'll let Katrina know," the attendant made the notation on her pad."No. Contact him directly," Aya intervened. "We established a, rapport when we met. I think he might responded positively to a chance to mentor me in foreign relations.""Really?" Lorraine's brows arched."Yes," Aya chirped."Are you sure, Nasusara?" the attendant stared. She used 'Nasusara' whenever she thought Aya had a 'horrible' idea instead of a merely a 'bad' one."Yes. He owes me. Last time we met I didn't shoot him.""Didn't?" the woman twitched."Yes. I drew down on him with my captured Chinese QSW-06. I didn't want to kill him, but I felt I was about to have to kill Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken and he was the only other person in the room both armed and capable of stopping me.""Why is he still alive?""Cáel Ishara saw through my distraction and then took my gun from me, asked for it actually," she shyly confessed."Would you have shot him?" the aide inquired."What do you think?" Aya smiled.And Then:So, given t

Back Home, One week later.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.There is something worse than waking up and not knowing where you are: you could wake up and not know who you are.Note: World Events Stuff ~ aka Why things are happening in Cáel's lifeThe phone was from Iskender. His boss, Oyuun Tömörbaatar (OT), the former UN ambassador from Kazakhstan and now the informal and unrecognized UN representative and chief diplomat of the Khanate to the same august body, wanted to talk with me, immediately. OT wasn't being diplomatic at the moment, that would come later.{Now this is going to get convoluted}Any inquiries to the Khanate that didn't also include immediate official recognition of the Khanate currently were being steered my (and Hana's) way. For all the behind closed doors crap, he had me, his loyal ass-monkey mutton-head. I held faint hope that this latest meeting would work out to my benefit. For the meeting, I traveled light, only Naomi (the Amazon) and Chaz (British SRR) watched over me.Now fathers who know me, hide their daughters. I'd earned my 'scoundrel' reputation. T. Sarangerel, OT's daughter, was in the room when Iskender ushered me in. She gave me an uncertain look, I shrugged and she smiled. It took me 3 nano seconds to figure that out, OT was scoping me out as a potential son-in-law. I was in Temujin's Inner Circle and a man who he trusted (a rarity). Any union with me would strengthen OT's clan's standing in the new regime.The genetic footprint Temujin, and his immediate family collectively, had put down in the 13th and 14th centuries CE today was vast. He needed that to make his plans for the internal reorganization of the Khanate work. The old republics would go away, to be replaced by a system akin to the Byzantine 'themes, the re-organization of regions based on the recruitment of the Tumens.The Khanate was aiming for an 'Autocratic Republic' ~ a term invented in the 19th century. My use of this terminology was based on my gut instinct, Alal's host of memories involving every form of governance, and my experience with human nature. That clued me in to what Temujin was up to, his Greater Plan. He wasn't going to form a false-front government. He was going to retain the decision-making powers and do so openly, thus 'Autocratic'.He also planned to have a bicameral legislative branch. The Upper House would be based in Tumens and bureaucratic leadership, intellectual standing, religious sects, and tribal entities. This body would be based on merit, not primogeniture. The Lower, main chamber, would be a democratically-elected assembly (aka a democratic republic) that advised him on policy matters, thus 'Republic'.All the power would remain in the Great Khan's hands and would be exercised by his genetic descendants (which some geneticists estimated as being as high as 25% of the Central Asian population.) Marrying into that extended family would be easy, the 'family' itself would have a vested interesting in supporting a state that benefited them.Men and women could exercise power in the government through marriage alliances, identical to the manner Hana was working through me. Being surrounded by very populous countries in various states of belligerence, empowering women wouldn't be an issue since every willing mind and pair of hands mattered. Outsiders who shone through could be offered a spouse and brought into the ruling elite since polygamy was permissible.In the Khanate there would be universal compulsive suffrage (everyone 18+ was legally required to vote) to decide on the representatives in the new legislative body. Everyone was expected to fight, so everyone voted. It would be modeled on the Duma of early 20th century Imperial Russia. Unlike the ill-fated Tsar Nicholas II, Temujin would be much more attentive to the voice of the people, in the Information Age, he had to.Or so I hoped. I spewed forth my ideas to OT who didn't agree, or disagree with my vision. Perhaps Temujin and I did share a bond that went beyond obligation. OT then pulled a 'Pamela'."He told me he knew immediately you were his brother when you and I shared that vision," he commented out of nowhere."His words: You (Earth and Sky) are the old. He (meaning me) is the new. He (me again) will show us the way." My, that was nice, obtuse and not at all helpful. What did OT want? My good buddy, the Great Khan, wanted to cash in on Hana's and my sudden popularity. His most pressing need remained 'time'. He needed to have a cease-fire in the wings when his offensive resumed the next day.The Earth and Sky had moved, well, the Heaven and Earth to get the Tumens and their accompanying national armies up and running after only a two day respite. Thanks to me, Manchuria was a mess. The Russians had carried out my 'Operation: Funhouse' with mixed, mostly positive results.Dozens of smaller Chinese military police units along the border went, 'inactive' was the term most often used in the media. They didn't disarm, yet they didn't fight the Russians either. They sat back and let events unfold. The issue wasn't the Chinese's willingness to fight and die for their country. It was the schizophrenic government in Beijing.The PRC didn't want to wage a war with the Russian Federation at that moment. The Khanate was the priority. There were two fundamentally incompatible courses of action favored for dealing with the Russians:One large group advocated a passive Option A: let the Russians step in and shield the three remaining provinces making up Manchuria that were still in Chinese possession. Later, China would use military, economic and political means to edge the Russians out, once the Khanate was dealt with.A sizable faction favored a more aggressive Option B: play a game of chicken with Vladimir Putin. Tell the Bear not to come across the border while threatening him with a bloody and pointless (for him) guerilla war if he did intervene. Events on the ground were not providing a lot of support for that school of thought,However, this split at the highest levels of leadership left the local and regional commanders to try and muddle through as best they could. To the local commanders defending the Amur River side of the Chinese-Russian border, common sense dictated that they not oppose the Russian crossings, because the Russian 35th Army would kill them.All their military units had gone west to the Nen River line. With no heavy weapons and little air support, the People's Armed Police (PAP) (paramilitary) and the Public Security Bureau (regular police) units would be wiped out for little gain.Russia's GRU (Military Intelligence) sweetened the pot by allowing the police units to remain armed and in formation. It could be argued that they weren't even committing treason. At any time, they could throw themselves into the battle, or form the core of a resistance movement. 'Conserving your strength' had been a hallmark of the Communist Chinese struggle against the Imperial Japanese and Nationalists forces from the 1920's until 1945 and it had served them well.For the party officials, civil authorities and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Army Air Force (PLAAF), and Army Navy (PLAN) who had gone with Option B, things weren't working out. In the north of Heilongjiang province at Morin Dawa/the Nen River line, the regional commander of the ad hoc forces facing the Khanate decided to duke it out with the Russian 36th Army as well. He was boned from the get-go.The PLAAF's overall command and control had been badly disrupted in the first few hours of The Unification War and had never fully recovered. Of the 22 air regiments that the PLAAF had started the war with in the Shenyang Military District (NE China), only 5 remained as effective formations flying, on average, a meager 20% of their original complement of advanced Shenyang J-16's, J-11's, Chengdu J-10's and Xian JH-7's aircraft.Replacing their aircraft losses meant sending up aged Shenyang J-8's (rolled out in 1980) and Nanchang Q-5's (in 1970) to fly and die in droves fighting their technologically superior Khanate foes. To add insult to injury, China's fleet of 97 Su-30MKK/MK2's (built in Russia) had suffered numerous suspicious mechanical and electronic failures, rendering them either flying coffins, or space holders in bomb-proof shelters.Furthermore, of the forces arrayed in the far north, only two of the five air regiments were responding. Two of the other three had begun displacing south into the Beijing Military District and preparing to defend the capital city. The fifth formation had another problem, North Korea (, more on that later.)In opposition to those two Chinese air regiments (roughly 60 aircraft of mixed types) stood seven complete and fresh Russian air regiments (over 400 front-line aircraft) and that didn't include the regiment and elements of the Far East Naval Aviation which was ALSO watching North Korea (, again more on that later.) The latter was of small comfort to the forces trying to hold the already compromised Nen River line.Behind those valiant troops, along the much more defensible Amur River line, the commander of the key city of Heihe sided with the Option A group and let the Russian 35th Army cross the river unopposed. By the time the PLA commanding general of the 'Nen Force' (the 69th Motorized Division and the subordinate 7th Reserve Division) figured that out, he was already in a shooting war with the Russians. So his supply lines weren't in danger, they were lost.The final indignity took place at Zalantun. The commander of the 3rd Reserve Div. had died during the attempt to recapture Zalantun. His replacement died when his helicopter was shot down as he was coming to assume command. In the absence of these officers, the divisional chief of staff told his men, including two hastily hustled forward mechanized brigades, to put down their arms. That meant 'Nen Force' was completely cut-off and surrounded.One battalion of the 36th Russian Motorized Brigade (yes, too many 36's running around) disarmed the Chinese troops while the rest, plus the 74th Independent Motorized Brigade raced for the prize, the city of Qiqihar. The last major mechanized formation of the 36th Rus. Army, the 39th MB was following them. However, instead of manning Qiqihar's defenses, the Chinese garrison in that city was waging war on its own populace.It wasn't only in Qiqihar; chaos reigned throughout Heilongjiang province. The Provincial Head of the Communist Party, Wang Xiankui, supported Option A. The Provincial Governor, Lu Hao, went with Option B. Both figures were rising stars in the PRC. Wang had ordered the still forming Reserve Divisions and the PAP units to disperse, thus avoiding any untimely confrontations with the Russians.Lu, without consulting Wang, ordered the same forces to launch a violent crackdown on all dissident forces, specifically all racial minorities. (It turned out that Lu was also a member of the Seven Pillars and his witch-hunt was aimed at getting the Earth and Sky organization operating in Heilongjiang).For the men and women on the other end of those phone conversations, there was no 'right' answer. Lest we forget, their organizations were already degraded by the Anthrax outbreak. Both men were powerful and represented China's future leadership, so if the person in charge at the ground level obeyed the wrong one, they could be assured of being roasted by the other.Some did try to do both, repress and disband at the same time. That meant that in the process of making mass arrests among an already war-fearful and plague-fearful populace, the law enforcement infrastructure began disintegrating.The problem with Lu's/7P's plan was that there was no 'revolutionary' organization to round up. That wasn't how the Earth and Sky operated in North-East China. They remained in tiny sabotage and reconnaissance cells. While they were scurrying for cover from the police crackdown, an opportunity presented itself.The afflicted minorities were getting furious with their treatment. These minorities saw themselves as loyal Chinese, yet they were being dragged out into the streets, put in detentions centers and (in a few cases) summarily executed. Being less than 10% of the overall population, resistance had never crossed their minds. It seemed all that those defenseless people could do was pray for Russian intervention forces to arrive.Within that mix of fear, betrayal and rage, the E and S discovered a way to start the dominos falling. The small, well-armed and well-trained E and S cells began ambushing police detachments. Weapons from those dead men and women were turned over to the pissed off locals before the cell went off to stalk the next police unit.Wash, rinse and repeat. It became a perverse and bloody case of wish fulfillment. Lu and the 7P's had been looking for an insurrection and they started one. Even though a miniscule portion of the population was involved, from the outside looking in, it reinforced the Putin Public Affairs initiative that portrayed Putin (and his army) as coming in to restore order to a collapsing civil system, which he was helping disrupt.From Moscow, the PRC's indecisiveness looked like Manna from Heaven. For the massive numbers of Russian soldiers riding through the Manchurian countryside, it felt like they were rolling into Arkham Asylum. Unlike the NATO countries' professional armies, Russia remained a largely conscript force whose normal term of service was only one year. These unseasoned troops could never tell if the local military, military police and police would attack until they rolled up on the Chinese units.At the start of that Day One of Operation: Funhouse, the Russian ROE (Rules of Engagement) was 'Ask and Verify'. It was tactically advantageous for the belligerent Chinese forces to lie about their intentions, then begin shooting at the Russians when they got close enough to hurt them. By Day Two, the standard front-line Russian soldier had adjusted that ROE to 'if they look at us wrong, light their asses up'. By Day Three, the officers had stopped trying to enforce Moscow's ROE orders.That was fine for the combat and rear echelon support troops because both the Chinese and Russian governments had another series of problems and they all centered around Pyongyang and Kim Jong-un's declaration that North Korea would intervene as well, without letting anyone know who he was 'intervening' against. To keep everyone guessing, the North Korean' People's Army was massing on all three borders, facing off with the PRC, Russia and South Korea. To prove his diplomatic intentions, Kim pledged to only mobilize half of his reserves, merely 4,250,000 extra men and women to go with his 950,000 strong standing army.It didn't take a military, or economic genius to realize the North Korean's chronically 'near death' economy was stampeding off a cliff. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was in the middle of an oil crisis and Kim was increasing their fuel consumption by 400% while decreasing his workforce by 10%. To put it in perspective, the US unemployment was around 6%. Now imagine that in one week's time it would become 26%. One week, no severance packages. Would the population become unsettled?But wait, it gets better. The Secret War was colliding with the Real World in more places than Manchuria. Setting aside the assassination attempt (Grrr) of Hana Sulkanen, my fiancée, six Nipponese elders (two women and four men) appeared in the personal quarters of the Japanese Prime Minister on the first full night of 'Funhouse' and relayed their urgent requests.Those six were the Head of the Six (formerly Seven) Ninja Families and they were there at, my urging. Cause I'm an idiot and requiring the deaths of Romanians in my personal crusade obviously wasn't enough. Now I was asking the Japanese Defense Forces (JDF) to pony up as well. So take a deep breath and put on the hip-waders.You might be wondering why I would want the JDF, see, there was part of Operation: Funhouse that was hitting a predictable snag, namely the Korea People's Navy Force (KPNF) and the uncertain determination of the PLAN:The KPNF's vessels were rather old, small and crappy. They also had a love affair with anything that could launch a torpedo and they listed over 700 of these floating deathtraps (only 13 of which could be classified as surface warships) and the fanatical crews to take them into battle.The PLAN's numbers were far more realistic and the fleet generally more modern. Only their North (18 surface warships) and East Fleets (22 plus 5 'elsewhere') could play any role in an upcoming FUBAR, and both fleets were heading out to sea, mainly to avoid the sporadic, but increasingly effective Khanate air strikes.The FU to be BAR'ed was the Russian Far East Fleet (RFEF) (6 warships strong, ) that had seized on this crazy idea (per my suggestion) to sail south, around the Korean peninsula so they could land elements of the 55th Guards Red Banner Marine Brigade (the 165th Marine Regiment and the 180th Marine Tank Battalion).Theoretically they were going to be the 'Southern Shielding Force' that would interpose itself between the Khanate and Beijing. It should surprise no one that the RFEF's flotilla was unequal to the task of taking their destination, the port of Qinhuangdao, by amphibious assault. Fortunately for the Gods of War (which did not include me), there were five other navies involved.Meanwhile, South Korea was having kittens because their always crazy northern kin were slathering on the insanity. (In how many Buddhist countries do people flock to the temples and pray that their neighbor attacks someone, anyone else, but them? That wasn't a religious conundrum I wanted to deal with.) N.Korea mobilizing meant S.Korea had to mobilize, which sucked down on their GNP as well.Besides, N.Korean dams and coal-powered plants kept the lights on in Seoul. Erring on the side of caution, the S. Korea (aka Republic of Korea, ROK) Army suggested calling up only one million of their three million person reserve force in order to assure Cousin Kim that this was a purely defensive gesture. It didn't work. Kim Jong-un castigated the ROK for antagonizing him, despite his declaration that he 'might' feel like invading the South in the immediate future.Into the emerging crisis, the ROK Navy could sortie nineteen small surface ships. Japan's Navy wasn't up to its old imperial standards, but could still deploy 45 surface warships. The 800 lb. gorilla in the room was the core of the 7th Fleet stationed at Yokosuka, Japan, the USS carrier George Washington and her 14 escort vessels.If the George Washington was the gorilla, RIMPAC 2014 was King Kong. 22 nations, 50 ships, including the USS carrier Ronald Reagan were engaged in war games in the Central Pacific. With them were 5 vessels of the PLAN, had Kim Jong-un just kept his mouth shut, this wouldn't have been an issue. Hell, if the Khanate had not come into existence and launched its Unification War, but he had and they did,To show the US was taking this escalation seriously (without tipping their hand that they knew about Funhouse, Carrier Strike Group One (CSG 1) (the Carl Vinson +10) was rushing across the Pacific from San Diego. CSG 3 (the John C. Stennis +2) was being assembled hastily so that they could rendezvous with CSG 1 ASAP. So many brave souls running toward the danger, sometimes I hate myself.So now does it make sense that I found myself in a room with a US Senator tasked with riding herd on me?Anyway, there were the other three navies still unaccounted for, Taiwan / the Republic of China (ROC) (22 surface ships), Vietnam (7) and the Philippines (3). Taiwanese involvement was easy to explain, the PRC refused to acknowledge them as an independent country and probably never would.The Vietnam People's Navy was tiny in both numbers and tonnage. Five of the vessels were 1960's Soviet frigates. What Vietnam did have was a huge grudge against the PRC. The PLA invaded Vietnam in 1979 and devastated the northernmost provinces, killing as many as 100,000 civilians.The PLAN had walloped the VPN in 1974 (technically South Vietnam) and again in 1988. Out in the South China Sea were two island archipelagos; the Paracel (occupied by a small PLA garrison and claimed by the PRC, Vietnam and the ROC) and Spratlys Islands (disputed by Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, the PRC, the ROC, and Vietnam).The Philippines had a grand total of three frigates (all between 50 and 70 years old). 99% of the time, they faced a hopeless struggle enforcing Philippines' South China Sea claims, except they were now experiencing that 1% where the PRC found itself in a life and death struggle. Even then, the PLAN's South Sea Fleet was hands-down the biggest player with 26 surface warships centered on the Carrier Liaoning.Except (and there always seems to be an 'except') virtually all the PLAN's naval aviation had gone off to fight the Khanate and it wasn't coming back, ever. In the air, the Philippines was next to useless. What did they have of offer in the struggle for the South China Sea? Bases. The ROC and Vietnam had much more to bring to the table.The Vietnamese People's Liberation Air Force (VPLAR) had about 50 front-line aircraft and 175 nearly obsolete models ~ the same models the PLAAF was now piloting. The ROC Air Force could put up 325 almost-new fighters that were now superior to their opponents on the mainland. Why would I give a shit?Things cascade. The Khanate Air Force took a two-day long deep breath as Putin's 'Policeman that only looks like an invading army' started their intervention. Forty-eight hours later, the Khanate started the fourth stage (the first lunge, defeat the PLA's counter-attack then the second lunge) of the campaign.Their initial air power was still skating on thin ice where maintenance was concerned. They need more time to thoroughly rest their pilots and bring all their top-flight equipment to 100% working condition. Against them, in two days the PLAAF's assets increased by over 250 fighters.In turn, the Khanate had added their constituent state air forces plus nearly 80 new cutting edge air planes and 25 drones. Phase Four saw rolling airstrikes all along the forces massing in front of the northern and central Tumens. For a few hours, the PLA thought they knew what was going on.They were wrong and this was where my meeting with OT came in. Jab with the right, cut them down with the left. The left in my case was Tibet. Yeah, Tibet. Economic value = not nearly enough. From the very start of the war, a small number of seemingly inconsequential air strikes had seriously eroded the PLA and PLAAFs combat power in the Tibetan Plateau while leaving the roads, bridges and towns intact.Common military logic dictated that the Khanate had to punch their way further east into Qinghai (to the south) and Gansu (to the north) provinces. That was where the population and industry where. Farther east were even greater numbers of people and factories and the Khanate forces in the North hadn't been strong enough to threaten to cut off the Qinghai-Gansu front. Then the Russians showed up and the Khanate forces threatening that flank doubled overnight.The PLA hastily reinforced their northern flank, using troops from their strategic reserves. The move resulted in incredible attrition by airpower to the freshly equipped formations. The PLA was about to get flanked, but not from the north. Southwest of Qinghai was Tibet. A third of the Khanate's mobile forces now swept around in a huge left haymaker to the south.My job? I needed the 'Free Tibet' forces in the US and UK to provide public and moral support to the Khanate move. As Khanate Special Forces seized crucial bottlenecks in Tibet, they needed the locals to keep their 'liberators' informed of PLA presences and undermine any attempt to create a guerilla movement.The five Tumens dedicated to being the Schwerpunkt (point of maximum effort) of this flanking maneuver were going to be on a tight timetable if they were going to surround the PLA forces in Central China.My plan was to convince the Tibetans that the PRC's 55 years of occupation was coming to an end and the Great Khan wanted to sign a 'Treaty of Mutual Respect' (my invention). This would require both the Khanate and Tibet to recognize each other's right to exist the moment a cease-fire was reached. That was it. No 'armed presence', or 'mutual defense' agreements.The treaty would be formally signed in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, when the city was safe ~ as determined by the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan Government in Exile, CTA). Riki came up with an additional sweetener and proved she was quickly adjusting to our group's extra-governmental capabilities.

Join the Arizona Browncoats as they take a look at the cultural importance of the Space Western genre, exploring where it came from, how it has affected modern media, and where we see the genre going in the future. Panelists: Zach Hoyt, Megan Hall and ME! (James Springer) as we take Old West and Sci Fi!   The Arizona Browncoats, legally Arizona Browncoats, Inc, are a fan-club and cosplay organization that has grown into a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charity. Brought together by our love of the television show Firefly, we aim to do good works in our local community and throughout the ‘Verse, partnering with charities and local businesses to host fundraisers and other events while making friends along the way. ​Originally the name given to soldiers who fought against the Alliance in the Unification War, the term Browncoat is now used to describe Firefly fans around the world. The Arizona Browncoats host events, often called shindigs, that are typically family-friendly occasions where fans of the show and like-minded folk get together to socialize with one another. We also hold fundraising events, attend conventions, and participate in other shiny gatherings. Come check out one of our shindigs in Phoenix or Tucson or join us at an upcoming event! Need to get in touch with us? Email us at info@azbrowncoats.us and we'll get back to you! ​If you're interested in having us appear at an event, please reach out to our Events Director at events@azbrowncoats.us.   Find the Arizona Browncoats online at Firefly | Arizona Browncoats (azbrowncoats.us) On Facebook at Arizona Browncoats | Facebook And a HUGE Thank You to the fantastic Staff, Volunteers, Panelists, Fam Groups and Vendors who made Tucson Comic Con one of my favorite conventions! Chack out our previous years at Tucson Comic con Here: #Tucsoncomiccon | Creative Play and Podcast Network (podbean.com) Please check out all the awesome stuff over at Tucson Comic Con site and social media: https://tucsoncomic-con.com/ https://www.facebook.com/TucsonComicCon The Awesome list of Vendors at Tucson Comic Con this year: https://conventions.leapevent.tech/exhibitors/Tucson_Comic_Con_2024 Please support our shows at www.patreon.com/cppn and even join us in some games! Also keep an eye at the new things on our now affiliated Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/creativeplayandpodcast Also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CreativePlayandPodcastNetwork Would you be interested if we hosted D&D and Edge of Empire games on Roll20 for you to join? Email us at Creativeplaypodcastnet@Gmail.com Thank you Tucson Comic con and RinCon for an awesome weekend!!!!  

It's time for the Comic Talk Headlines with Generally Nerdy! Deadpool, TMNT, Blade... all the usual charactersAnd so much more...Plus, don't forget to subscribe for more fresh content. MusicFollow-ups/CorrectionsJeffrey Nothing - It seems that the founding vocalist for Mushroomhead's new Mushroomhead project is no more. All mention has been pulled from his social media.New Music/VideoUpon a Burning Body - Sk8 or Die https://youtu.be/xtEaXXApezI the title would imply some skate punk. The band does NWOAH. The song is oddly somewhere in the middle. Not bad though.Def Leppard - Just Like 73 https://youtu.be/rVTonL2xJ34 technically just a lyric video. Stop motion is fun. Solo from Tom Morello is meh. The song was started during the sessions form their last record Diamond Star Halos.Tours/FestivalsFleshgod Apocalypse - support from Shadow of Intent as co-headliners, plus Ingested, The Zenith Passage, and Disembodied Tyrant. Starts Sept 14 in Cleveland OH through Oct 15 in Denver CO.https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917GbAf/fleshgod-apocalypse-events Black Dahlia Murder - Beg To Serve 2024 tour. Dying Fetus, Spite, Angelmaker, and Vomit Forth in support. Starts Oct 3 in Cleveland OH runs through Nov 10 in Chicago IL. General ticket sales start Friday june 28.https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ91750of/the-black-dahlia-murder-events 200 Stab Wounds - Dates with Balmora, Upon Stone, and Burning, then with Alluvial, Torture and Killing Pace. Starts Aug 16 in Houston TX through Sept 28 in Lakewood OH.https://www.200stabwounds.net Reg ‘ol NewsShifty Shellshock - Crazy Town frontman dies at age 49. No cause of death has been given yet.https://blabbermouth.net/news/crazy-town-singer-shifty-shellshock-dead-at-49 RIAA VS Suno/Udio - Recording Industry Association of America has filed landmark copyright infringement cases against AI music generation services Suno and Udio in federal courts in Boston and New York. These services are accused of using copyrighted sound recordings without permission to train their AI models, violating copyright laws. The lawsuits, backed by major music companies like Sony, UMG, and Warner, seek to enforce ethical AI development and ensure artists' control over their work. The RIAA aims to stop the unauthorized use of copyrighted music and secure damages for past infringements.https://www.riaa.com/record-companies-bring-landmark-cases-for-responsible-ai-againstsuno-and-udio-in-boston-and-new-york-federal-courts-respectively/ MTV News - The 20 year standing music news archive has been axed by parent company Paramount for unknown reasons.https://metalinjection.net/news/mtv-news-website-pulled-down-everything-is-gone Slaughter to Prevail - Attempting the world's largest wall of death pit. Their set at this year's Hellfest on June 27. Good luck boys!!SuggestsNecropanther - Oblivion Jones. New EP from these weird Death Thrash dudes. So much fun, and stepping out of their usual sound for a bit. Standouts - The Transported Man, The Denver SchoolGaming/TechFollow-ups/CorrectionsTMNT: Splintered Fate - July 17 release date. Pre-orders open as of 6/25 on the Nintendo E-shop. https://youtu.be/T9U9BP53VVQ hack n slash RPG.Dead by Daylight - Lara Croft is set for the next survivor. Release July 16. https://www.engadget.com/dead-by-daylights-next-survivor-is-lara-croft-184439686.html Reg ‘ol NewsPS1 Remasters - Tomba 2 and Fear Effect both getting remasters on the PS5, PS4, Switch and Steam. The latest from Limited Run Games. https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/playstation-ps1-games-fear-effect-tomba-2-remaster/ https://youtu.be/64rS_YOy9V0 https://youtu.be/9rnHe0UASfc Live Streaming - X is moving live streaming behind its premium paywall. This means only Premium subscribers will be able to create live video streams, a feature that remains free on other major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. X did not provide a reason for this change. Premium subscriptions range from $3 to $16 per month. This move is part of a broader strategy to monetize more features on the platform.https://www.engadget.com/x-is-making-live-streaming-a-premium-feature-185151147.html SuggestsGamer's Nexus - https://www.youtube.com/@GamersNexus Comic Books/BooksReg ‘ol NewsPower Rangers X Usagi Yojimbo - BOOM! Studios is doing a one shot crossover to be written by Ryan Parrott, art by Shawn Daley, colors by James Jenner. The crossover book will coincide with the 40th anniversary for the floppy eared ronin.https://comicbook.com/powerrangers/news/the-mighty-morphin-power-rangers-team-up-with-usagi-yojimbo-in-new-crossover/ Deadpool Dies - Marvel Comics has announced the death of Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, in the upcoming issue of "Deadpool #6," slated for release in September. This event coincides with the new series by writer Cody Ziglar and artist Rogê Antônio, featuring Deadpool's new nemesis, Death Grip. The storyline will see Death Grip, who has a background in mystic arts and martial prowess, ultimately killing Deadpool. This marks a significant shift ahead of the "Deadpool & Wolverine" movie, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/deadpool-wade-wilson-death-marvel-comics-announcement-mcu/ Firefly - BOOM! Studios announced "Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One," a prequel comic series exploring the early adventures of Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Written by Sam Humphries with art by Giovanni Fabiano, the series delves into Mal's journey during the Unification War and his path to becoming the captain of Serenity. This prequel aims to provide fans with an origin story of the beloved character. The first issue will be released on September 4th.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/firefly-malcolm-reynolds-year-one-prequel/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher - a new miniseries exploring the origin of the vigilante Nightwatcher. The series will reveal the identity and backstory of Mutant Town's mysterious protector, first introduced in the 2007 TMNT animated movie. Written by Juni Ba with art by Fero Pe, the series is part of IDW's relaunch of the TMNT franchise. The second issue, featuring three variant covers, is set for release on October 2nd.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-nightwatcher-origin-story-teaser-idw/ Multiversus: Collision Detected - a tie-in comic for the popular game MultiVersus. Written by Bryan Q. Miller with art by Jon Sommariva, the comic features DC heroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman encountering characters from MultiVersus, such as Bugs Bunny. The plot revolves around the heroes investigating mysterious dreams involving "the rabbit," "the star child," and "the witch." The first issue is set to release on September 18th. https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/multiversus-dc-comics-tie-in/#1 SuggestsInjustice: Gods Among Us - an American comic book series that serves as the prequel to the fighting video game of the same name. The series takes place in an alternate reality, where Superman descends into villainy following his family's death at the Joker's hands. The Justice League is split by those who put their trust in Superman, establishing the totalitarian One Earth Regime, while Batman forms an insurgency out of the other half of the League to fight back against the Regime.TV ShowsFollow-ups/CorrectionsTwisted Metal - Season 2 casts Anthony Carrigan (Victor Zasz from Gotham) as Calypso, the host of the tournament from the games. https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/twisted-metal-season-2-casts-barry-star-as-fan-favorite-character/ Kite Man: Hell Yeah - Release date: July 18.Yellowstone - November 10. https://youtu.be/wfgBswBq0WI Green Lantern - WB announced officially the show has been picked up for 8 episodes. https://cosmicbook.news/green-lantern-hbo-first-dcu-series TrailersBatman Caped Crusader - https://x.com/PrimeVideo/status/1803820639419064644 Hamish Linklater voicing Batman.Penguin - https://youtu.be/D2uSwItbBAg Sal Moroni? NICE! Sopranos vibes? With Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, also from the Sporanos.Reg ‘ol NewsThe Librarians - The canceled TNT series is getting a sequel series. The Librarians: The Next Chapter is going to the CW on Oct. 24. The new series will revolve around a librarian  from the past who time travels to the present and gets stuck.SuggestsInterview With the VampireMoviesTrailersNosferatu - https://youtu.be/b59rxDB_JRg stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe. Directed by Robert Eggers.Red One - https://youtu.be/U8XH3W0cMss Black Adam, Captain America, Commissioner Gordon, and Lucy Liu are making a Santa Claus action movie. Seems legit.Heretic - https://youtu.be/O9i2vmFhSSY horror movie about 2 LDS lady missionaries. From A24 starring Hugh Grant.Reg ‘ol NewsSpaceballs 2 - Josh Gad was for real when he teased this a couple weeks ago. Currently in development at Amazon's MGM studios. Mel Brooks producing. Gad to star. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/spaceballs-sequel-josh-gad-mel-brooks-1235926252/ Blumhouse X Atomic Monster - Merged and making horror together James Wan and Jason Blum.Nobody 2 - Bob Odenkirk to return for a sequel. To be released Aug 15, 2025.https://deadline.com/2024/06/bob-odenkirk-returning-nobody-2-timo-tjahjanto-directing-1235980511/ SuggestsSpaceballs - 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It is primarily a parody of the original Star Wars trilogy, but also parodies other sci-fi films and popular franchises including Star Trek, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, and Transformers. Rumor MillConfirmations/RefutationsCONFIRM - Avengers 5 - Doctor Strange to return, as confirmed by Benedict Cumberbatch. https://cosmicbook.news/avengers-5-benedict-cumberbatch-doctor-strange-films-next-year CONFIRM - Spaceballs 2New SourcesMk1 - New source ALSO datamined Sektor, Cyrax, Noob Saibot, Conan, Ghostface, and the T-1000. ~ALSO~ MK Arcade Edition or HD remaster in the rumor mill again. New RumorsBatman: Brave and the Bold - Andy Muschietti now rumored to be out as the director.Jon Hamm - Rumored to be headed to Marvel. ____ Another source says Mr Sinister?Ghost Rider - Ryan Gosling now rumored for Johnny Blaze. Said to be revealed with casting for the Midnight Sons movie.Nightmare on Elm Street - Blumhouse and Atomic Monster's merger lead to an announcement of their first movie as a new company. New Line Cinema is involved, with director Lee Cronin from Evil Dead Rise.Fortnite - Wolverine skin will find its way into the game soon according to newest leak. Specifically the Weapon X version of Logan.X-Men- The movie cast of characters reportedly going to consist of the X-Men 97 roster.Deadpool & Wolverine - Wesley Snipes Blade plays an active “supporting role” in the movie.Spider-Man 4 - Venom symbiote to be in the movie. Miles Morales to be in the movie.You can support this show by visiting our merch store, or by leaving us an Apple Podcasts review.

It's time for the Comic Talk Headlines with Generally Nerdy! Deadpool, TMNT, Blade... all the usual charactersAnd so much more...Plus, don't forget to subscribe for more fresh content. MusicFollow-ups/CorrectionsJeffrey Nothing - It seems that the founding vocalist for Mushroomhead's new Mushroomhead project is no more. All mention has been pulled from his social media.New Music/VideoUpon a Burning Body - Sk8 or Die https://youtu.be/xtEaXXApezI the title would imply some skate punk. The band does NWOAH. The song is oddly somewhere in the middle. Not bad though.Def Leppard - Just Like 73 https://youtu.be/rVTonL2xJ34 technically just a lyric video. Stop motion is fun. Solo from Tom Morello is meh. The song was started during the sessions form their last record Diamond Star Halos.Tours/FestivalsFleshgod Apocalypse - support from Shadow of Intent as co-headliners, plus Ingested, The Zenith Passage, and Disembodied Tyrant. Starts Sept 14 in Cleveland OH through Oct 15 in Denver CO.https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917GbAf/fleshgod-apocalypse-events Black Dahlia Murder - Beg To Serve 2024 tour. Dying Fetus, Spite, Angelmaker, and Vomit Forth in support. Starts Oct 3 in Cleveland OH runs through Nov 10 in Chicago IL. General ticket sales start Friday june 28.https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ91750of/the-black-dahlia-murder-events 200 Stab Wounds - Dates with Balmora, Upon Stone, and Burning, then with Alluvial, Torture and Killing Pace. Starts Aug 16 in Houston TX through Sept 28 in Lakewood OH.https://www.200stabwounds.net Reg ‘ol NewsShifty Shellshock - Crazy Town frontman dies at age 49. No cause of death has been given yet.https://blabbermouth.net/news/crazy-town-singer-shifty-shellshock-dead-at-49 RIAA VS Suno/Udio - Recording Industry Association of America has filed landmark copyright infringement cases against AI music generation services Suno and Udio in federal courts in Boston and New York. These services are accused of using copyrighted sound recordings without permission to train their AI models, violating copyright laws. The lawsuits, backed by major music companies like Sony, UMG, and Warner, seek to enforce ethical AI development and ensure artists' control over their work. The RIAA aims to stop the unauthorized use of copyrighted music and secure damages for past infringements.https://www.riaa.com/record-companies-bring-landmark-cases-for-responsible-ai-againstsuno-and-udio-in-boston-and-new-york-federal-courts-respectively/ MTV News - The 20 year standing music news archive has been axed by parent company Paramount for unknown reasons.https://metalinjection.net/news/mtv-news-website-pulled-down-everything-is-gone Slaughter to Prevail - Attempting the world's largest wall of death pit. Their set at this year's Hellfest on June 27. Good luck boys!!SuggestsNecropanther - Oblivion Jones. New EP from these weird Death Thrash dudes. So much fun, and stepping out of their usual sound for a bit. Standouts - The Transported Man, The Denver SchoolGaming/TechFollow-ups/CorrectionsTMNT: Splintered Fate - July 17 release date. Pre-orders open as of 6/25 on the Nintendo E-shop. https://youtu.be/T9U9BP53VVQ hack n slash RPG.Dead by Daylight - Lara Croft is set for the next survivor. Release July 16. https://www.engadget.com/dead-by-daylights-next-survivor-is-lara-croft-184439686.html Reg ‘ol NewsPS1 Remasters - Tomba 2 and Fear Effect both getting remasters on the PS5, PS4, Switch and Steam. The latest from Limited Run Games. https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/playstation-ps1-games-fear-effect-tomba-2-remaster/ https://youtu.be/64rS_YOy9V0 https://youtu.be/9rnHe0UASfc Live Streaming - X is moving live streaming behind its premium paywall. This means only Premium subscribers will be able to create live video streams, a feature that remains free on other major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. X did not provide a reason for this change. Premium subscriptions range from $3 to $16 per month. This move is part of a broader strategy to monetize more features on the platform.https://www.engadget.com/x-is-making-live-streaming-a-premium-feature-185151147.html SuggestsGamer's Nexus - https://www.youtube.com/@GamersNexus Comic Books/BooksReg ‘ol NewsPower Rangers X Usagi Yojimbo - BOOM! Studios is doing a one shot crossover to be written by Ryan Parrott, art by Shawn Daley, colors by James Jenner. The crossover book will coincide with the 40th anniversary for the floppy eared ronin.https://comicbook.com/powerrangers/news/the-mighty-morphin-power-rangers-team-up-with-usagi-yojimbo-in-new-crossover/ Deadpool Dies - Marvel Comics has announced the death of Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, in the upcoming issue of "Deadpool #6," slated for release in September. This event coincides with the new series by writer Cody Ziglar and artist Rogê Antônio, featuring Deadpool's new nemesis, Death Grip. The storyline will see Death Grip, who has a background in mystic arts and martial prowess, ultimately killing Deadpool. This marks a significant shift ahead of the "Deadpool & Wolverine" movie, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/deadpool-wade-wilson-death-marvel-comics-announcement-mcu/ Firefly - BOOM! Studios announced "Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds Year One," a prequel comic series exploring the early adventures of Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Written by Sam Humphries with art by Giovanni Fabiano, the series delves into Mal's journey during the Unification War and his path to becoming the captain of Serenity. This prequel aims to provide fans with an origin story of the beloved character. The first issue will be released on September 4th.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/firefly-malcolm-reynolds-year-one-prequel/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher - a new miniseries exploring the origin of the vigilante Nightwatcher. The series will reveal the identity and backstory of Mutant Town's mysterious protector, first introduced in the 2007 TMNT animated movie. Written by Juni Ba with art by Fero Pe, the series is part of IDW's relaunch of the TMNT franchise. The second issue, featuring three variant covers, is set for release on October 2nd.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-nightwatcher-origin-story-teaser-idw/ Multiversus: Collision Detected - a tie-in comic for the popular game MultiVersus. Written by Bryan Q. Miller with art by Jon Sommariva, the comic features DC heroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman encountering characters from MultiVersus, such as Bugs Bunny. The plot revolves around the heroes investigating mysterious dreams involving "the rabbit," "the star child," and "the witch." The first issue is set to release on September 18th. https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/multiversus-dc-comics-tie-in/#1 SuggestsInjustice: Gods Among Us - an American comic book series that serves as the prequel to the fighting video game of the same name. The series takes place in an alternate reality, where Superman descends into villainy following his family's death at the Joker's hands. The Justice League is split by those who put their trust in Superman, establishing the totalitarian One Earth Regime, while Batman forms an insurgency out of the other half of the League to fight back against the Regime.TV ShowsFollow-ups/CorrectionsTwisted Metal - Season 2 casts Anthony Carrigan (Victor Zasz from Gotham) as Calypso, the host of the tournament from the games. https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/twisted-metal-season-2-casts-barry-star-as-fan-favorite-character/ Kite Man: Hell Yeah - Release date: July 18.Yellowstone - November 10. https://youtu.be/wfgBswBq0WI Green Lantern - WB announced officially the show has been picked up for 8 episodes. https://cosmicbook.news/green-lantern-hbo-first-dcu-series TrailersBatman Caped Crusader - https://x.com/PrimeVideo/status/1803820639419064644 Hamish Linklater voicing Batman.Penguin - https://youtu.be/D2uSwItbBAg Sal Moroni? NICE! Sopranos vibes? With Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, also from the Sporanos.Reg ‘ol NewsThe Librarians - The canceled TNT series is getting a sequel series. The Librarians: The Next Chapter is going to the CW on Oct. 24. The new series will revolve around a librarian  from the past who time travels to the present and gets stuck.SuggestsInterview With the VampireMoviesTrailersNosferatu - https://youtu.be/b59rxDB_JRg stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe. Directed by Robert Eggers.Red One - https://youtu.be/U8XH3W0cMss Black Adam, Captain America, Commissioner Gordon, and Lucy Liu are making a Santa Claus action movie. Seems legit.Heretic - https://youtu.be/O9i2vmFhSSY horror movie about 2 LDS lady missionaries. From A24 starring Hugh Grant.Reg ‘ol NewsSpaceballs 2 - Josh Gad was for real when he teased this a couple weeks ago. Currently in development at Amazon's MGM studios. Mel Brooks producing. Gad to star. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/spaceballs-sequel-josh-gad-mel-brooks-1235926252/ Blumhouse X Atomic Monster - Merged and making horror together James Wan and Jason Blum.Nobody 2 - Bob Odenkirk to return for a sequel. To be released Aug 15, 2025.https://deadline.com/2024/06/bob-odenkirk-returning-nobody-2-timo-tjahjanto-directing-1235980511/ SuggestsSpaceballs - 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It is primarily a parody of the original Star Wars trilogy, but also parodies other sci-fi films and popular franchises including Star Trek, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, and Transformers. Rumor MillConfirmations/RefutationsCONFIRM - Avengers 5 - Doctor Strange to return, as confirmed by Benedict Cumberbatch. https://cosmicbook.news/avengers-5-benedict-cumberbatch-doctor-strange-films-next-year CONFIRM - Spaceballs 2New SourcesMk1 - New source ALSO datamined Sektor, Cyrax, Noob Saibot, Conan, Ghostface, and the T-1000. ~ALSO~ MK Arcade Edition or HD remaster in the rumor mill again. New RumorsBatman: Brave and the Bold - Andy Muschietti now rumored to be out as the director.Jon Hamm - Rumored to be headed to Marvel. ____ Another source says Mr Sinister?Ghost Rider - Ryan Gosling now rumored for Johnny Blaze. Said to be revealed with casting for the Midnight Sons movie.Nightmare on Elm Street - Blumhouse and Atomic Monster's merger lead to an announcement of their first movie as a new company. New Line Cinema is involved, with director Lee Cronin from Evil Dead Rise.Fortnite - Wolverine skin will find its way into the game soon according to newest leak. Specifically the Weapon X version of Logan.X-Men- The movie cast of characters reportedly going to consist of the X-Men 97 roster.Deadpool & Wolverine - Wesley Snipes Blade plays an active “supporting role” in the movie.Spider-Man 4 - Venom symbiote to be in the movie. Miles Morales to be in the movie.You can support this show by visiting our merch store, or by leaving us an Apple Podcasts review.

In the deep cowboy filled land of space, the boys are joined by Bethany to cover the continuation of the cult classic, Firefly. Greg Pak takes us on an adventure that feels like we just picked up where the show left off with lots of guns, sexual tension, big decisions, and kooky characters. Some giddy up and take off with us on this space western adventure.This episode was made possible with the support of 0-0-8 Studios- Drink of the Night- Book of the Month- Next Time…Make sure to rate this show if you want. Go ahead. We don't mind.Tell us what you been reading & drinking: thecomixologyclub@0-0-8studios.com

In this episode we look at the main players between the Unification War and the end of the Great Crusade. We discuss the origins and actions of the Emperor from his birth to the conquering of Terra and his understandable, but objectionable, culling of the warriors that got him there. We explore the role that Primarchs play, even after their disappearance, and the birth of the Legiones astartes, the iconic Space Marines. Finally we look at the launch of the Great Crusade and the rediscovery of the Primarchs, together with a brief example of how their experiences on their adoptive planets informed their way of making war. Support Us Buy from Element Games. Want more content?  Join our Patreon. Watch us fail on Twitch. Find show notes here. 

Living literally or metaphorically in a war is a terrible way to live. How do you keep going forward when your friends are dying all around you? Come Adventure with me and my new Kickstarter. Find out how you can keep listening to more Pub Stories on Pub Songs & Stories #253. WHO'S PLAYING IN THE PUB TODAY Welcome to Pub Stories. This is the Virtual Public House to share stories and inspiration behind my music. 0:30 - WHAT'S NEW? First, let me tell you that I am getting ready to Kickstart a new album. If you're not yet subscribed to my mailing list, please sign up so you don't miss the Kickstarter. It's for an album called Come Adventure With Me. It has some more amazing songs. I hope to announce the release of the Kickstarter on the next episode. Second, you'll note that this episode is quite a bit shorter than past shows. After much debate, I decided to once again retire the format I've been working on for the past year. There was a LOT that I loved about that format. I've actually been pretty giddy about it. But the pros just didn't outweigh the cons. You can read about my decision in my blog on my website. That said, the Pub Stories are not exactly going away. If you want to keep listening to my Pub Stories, then join my Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. I plan to release two episodes per month in the Spring and Fall season. However, they will be shorter episodes like this and they will focus almost exclusively on my music. You can get that with any pledge on Patreon, for just five buck a month. And I also plan to post at least one episode per month in the PubSong.com feed. At least through the end of the Spring season. So what happens to the stories I still have left to publish? Because I do have a few. Those will move to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I'll add them to every 2-3 episodes. So again, thank you for all of your support. I truly appreciate everyone who became an actual fan of THIS show. A special Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Robert Eby, Mikey Mason, Nowisthewinterofourdiscord, Sue DeSimone, Bill Shields 3:13 - UPCOMING SHOWS APR 22-24: JordanCon, Atlanta, GA APR 24: Three Taverns Brewery, Decatur, GA @ 4-7 PM. APR 29: Pontoon Brewing, Sandy Springs, GA @ 6-9 PM MAY 6: Tucker Brewing Company, Tucker, GA @ 6:30 - 9:30 PM. MAY 20: Ironshield Brewing in Lawrenceville, GA @ 7:00 – 10:00 PM. May 28: The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ I was gonna do a story about Tough Times in this show. But I realized I already highlighted it in show #217. It's even called Tough Times. 3:51 - STORY OF SERENITY VALLEY WALTZ “Serenity Valley Waltz” changed everything for me. I was not confident I could write a song on command. Heck, I'm still not. But I am MORE confident. Mikey Mason and I met at a sports bar in Chicago for FuMPFest a few years back. Mikey asked if I'd be interested in starting a podcast where we wrote a song for each episode of Firefly. I didn't think I could do it. I was nervous as hell, but I wanted to try. I wanted to flex my songwriting muscles and get better. What better way! So the first episode we watched was “Serenity”. It's the two-hour introduction to the characters. I remember when I first watched it, I was left in a kind of daze. I didn't know what to think about the episode. When I rewatched it, one of the things that stuck out to me was the introductory scene. It's a flashback to one of the most-important battles of the Unification War. The Battle of Serenity Valley is when the Alliance finally beat back the Browncoats. ⅔ of the Independents died fighting in that battle. The look of dejection on Malcolm Reynold's face when the Angels retreat is just incredible. It's also very appropriate. And then later in the episode when he talks and the season when he talks about Serenity Valley, you can tell there was trauma. The type that must be SO hard to get over. I mean, imagine fighting in a battle where ⅔ of your family and friends that you're fighting with end up dead. Hm. ⅔ is such a weird number. Imagine you're standing with 9 of your best friends and family. At the end of the battle, six of those people are no longer there. This is the type of stuff that I think about with the War in Ukraine. They're fighting hard. But the Russians are ruthless and evil. It's not just fellow soldiers there. It's family and friends. Imagine that. It makes me want to cry. That's where I was when I was writing “Serenity Valley Waltz”. Music is such a great healer. I wanted to write a song for the survivors. How did they do it? I imagine Mal, Zoe, Tracey and others sitting around the campfire singing this song, raising a glass to the fallen. The second verse is extra important to me too. Because it's a realization of the damage we can cause to one another when we don't believe. It was inspired a bit by the Me Too movement. But also by a couple friends who are very dear to me. It's also a universal truth. Sometimes we hurt those around us. Sometimes we just don't want to believe it. Either from their own ignorance or because they just don't trust you. Maybe because we're a bit dramatic at times or because they're in their own colored-glasses world. What's made a huge difference is my family. When I'm sad or hurting, I turn to them. But I learned the Serenity Prayer from my mom, who was drug and alcohol counselor. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.” That's what that last verse is for me. I'm not sure Mal found that peace in the show. But he definitely built a family around him. That too is his Serenity. You can download the Campfire version of “Serenity Valley Waltz” as an MP3 when join my Gunn Runners on Patreon. 7:43 - “Serenity Valley Waltz” by Marc Gunn from Thanks for listening to Pub Stories. If you want more behind-the-scene Pub Stories, please join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. This is how I make a living and support this show. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen wherever you find podcasts. You will love  subscribing to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll get a free album. Welcome to the pub at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #serenityvalleywaltz #serenityvalley

In this episode, we are talking about the comeback fight for UFC veteran Miesha Tate, Islam Makhchev vs Thiago Moises in a 5 Round Main Event, and Jermell Charlo's unification for all the titles at 154 pounds vs Brian Castano.

Greetings Gunn Runner Two new singles are coming out. Selcouth progress report. Something new and different for my live streaming concerts. New songs written. And would you like to stay with me in a castle in Scotland? Another month down. Another to begin. Let’s talk about it... on show #267. 0:21 - PODCASTS The toughest thing about making podcasts is coming up with a concept. What is the show about? For the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, it's easy. I don't usually do themes. Because they are hard to create. Even the Celtic Running Music show I ran this week. It had to pick out a good running rhythms and tap out the tempos to make sure the show picked up speed as you ran. It's much easier to just create a show and then name it after a song or an organic theme. I can't create that podcast and stress about a theme if I want to put it out every week. That's the problem I'm having with the Pub Songs Podcast. Some days I come up with a theme. Others, I have no idea. Then the show keeps getting pushed back. That's what happened with the Gen Con show. It was a couple days late before I was struck with the thought, DUH! I can just call it the Gen Con show and promote those shows. That makes the second show of August a little easier. I can make that the Dragon Con show. I still don't know what to do for the first episode. So if you have a theme idea, let me know. The other episode I did in July was a replay of Coffee with The Celtfather where I highlighted the songs of Rie Sheridan Rose. It's amazing that we've been writing songs together for probably 18 years. It's just mind-blowing. I'm so fortunate to have her helping me create music. My only sadness is that I hadn't done that episode sooner. That theme issue put Stories from the Road on the back burner this month too. I just didn't think to publish it. And here we are at the end of the month. Mikey and I published the final Firefly episode of the In the ‘Verse podcast. This was for Objects in Space. I'll be honest. I was surprised in this months Celtfather Live that I got a song request for that song. I kinda felt it was a throw away. But guess we shall see. 2:51 - VIDEOS I published two video singles this month: "The Mermaid" and "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits". They were both from Andrew McKee's Life's a Faire webcast in June. "The Mermaid" has done pretty well with 186 views as I type. I was surprised that "Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" didn't do better. But I guess that's the random nature of the beast. Some songs get caught up in the algorithm and do well. Others don't. The best thing about that Life's A Faire broadcast is I learned how to create video singles FROM video concerts that are posted on YouTube. This means if I get a good recording of a song or two during Coffee or Celtfather Live, I can always repost it as a video single. Boo-yah! One of the big projects in July was recording a Firefly Drinking Songs concert for Gen Con and Dragon Con. This was super cool because it was scripted show. I learned how hard it would be to create a TV series. Oy! That's because I recorded each section live. I scripted what I would say. And I tried to tell a story. The story is basically that I hijack the Cortex in order to broadcast a Bob Hope style concert for the Browncoat troops fighting during the Unification War in Firefly. It ends in disaster. It was fun to create. But it also took much of the day. And I'm still uncertain if the video quality is not as good as it should've been. You can get tickets to watch the Firefly Drinking Songs show at Gen Con. I'll tell you more about it later. As for the Dragon Con version, there are a couple parts that are different. And I'm hoping it'll broadcast on Dragon Con TV. Oh! And Mikey Mason is a guest as usual during both shows. My live streaming video concerts ran into some problems this month. Some are still not resolved as I type. Our internet router is on the complete opposite side of where my office is. So when my internet extender died right before the Celtfather Live concert this month, I've been living with crappy infrequent internet access. It's very frustrating. Coffee with the Celtfather is a challenge because of that. That said, I have a 150' chord to plug directly into the router for a special project with Andrew and a new extender is on its way. Here's hoping I can do something in time for my live streaming shows at Gen Con next week. 6:10 - IN THE STUDIO Moments before typing this I finished recording "Together", the Krabbe Connect song I mentioned last month. I got the final tracks from Daniel Briggs. He recorded bass, mandolin and octave mandolin for the song to give it a more Celtic feel. It's hilarious. As I was finishing the mix, I realized I COULD share it on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast because I added this mando reel to the intro to turn this sort of pop song into a Folk Pop song. LOL. I love it. It has a great sound. And again, as I was listening, I realized the song could actually go beyond the Krabbe Connect world. So that's an extra WIN in my book. That is not the only song I'm getting ready to release. Sam Gillogly and I confirmed that we are going to release an album called Dancing With Hobbits. This is an idea that came from the last ALEP. That's the hobbit gathering in Kentucky that I talk about a lot. We talked about recording an instrumental album of original dance music for hobbits. We recorded a track several years ago after the last ALEP, I think. That's when we started talking about this idea. But a week ago, Sam and I finally confirmed that we would make an album together. But we're gonna do it by releasing singles. The goal is to put out one a month until we release the album late next year in time for the next ALEP which is currently delayed until 2021. I am excited about this for several reasons. One of the big ones is that I LOVE traditional style Celtic music. The tunes. But because I play the autoharp, I don't really record many. Yeah. I CAN. But I don't. It just doesn't sound right. But get me a fiddle player... So hopefully, I'll have lots of new tunes to share via the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in the months to come. Now i just have to figure out what tune comes first. And to stay on that schedule. The first one is called "Hobbit Hornpipe". I'm trying to get permission to share it with Patrons. But I'll let you know if that's possible. I made progress on Selcouth too. My parts for "Breathing" are laid. I think I need to re-record one more vocal for "Bright Side of Everything". But it's close to being done. I also laid down a track for "Kilty Pleasure", "Favor of Dance", and "Tough Times". That's pretty good progress. Though I'm already worrying about hitting my October/November deadline for Kickstarter supporters. Finally, I wrote and recorded another new song called "Back in the Ocean". It's a story about a male selkie who goes to land, has some fun, and decides life on land ain't all it's cracked up to be. He's much happier back in the ocean. 13:15 - MERCH I have not touched my Bandcamp store in quite a while. Not since I posted those new Celtic Heartstring necklaces a couple months ago. No doubt this is one reason I'm not selling great over there. But I'm happy just be creating right now. So if you haven't been, check it out. Buy something. 13:36 - TRAVEL I'm jonesing to travel. I love traveling. So I've been back on YouTube watching videos of Scotland and other places in Europe. I can't wait. I am researching the 2021 Celtic Invasion of Scotland. In fact, I booked a castle in Helensburgh, Scotland. The dates for the invasion are June 5-12. Obviously, that's assuming we are able to get out of the country to go there. But I can't hang on that. So I'm gonna plan right now. 14:51 - WEBSITES Not much is new for the Irish Song Lyrics website. Slipped out of my priorities. I still need to do the lyrics for the latest Pub Songs Podcast episodes. 15:07 - SHOWS PLANNED FOR AUGUST I don't know if I have said this before. But booking for the forseeable future will be tentative. I had two physical shows in July in Birmingham. Both were canceled. I'm booked at Pepper Place Farmer's Market in Birmingham in mid-August. I'm assuming that will be canceled too. So if there's a date on my schedule. Check in with me or the venue a few days before to see if it's happening. JUL 30: Comedy Music Cabaret at Gen Con ONLINE at 6:00 - 7:00 PM EDT JUL 30: Sci F'Irish Drinking Songs at Gen Con ONLINE at 8:00 - 9:00 PM EDT JUL 31: Firefly Drinking Songs at Gen Con ONLINE at 8:00 - 9:00 PM EDT AUG 1: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers at Gen Con ONLINE at 6:00 - 7:00 PM EDT AUG 1: Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion at Gen Con ONLINE at 8:00 - 9:00 PM EDT AUG 15: Pepper Place Farmer's Market in Birmingham, AL @ 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM CDT SEP 2-6: Dragon Con in Atlanta, GA (pending) Weds Morning: Coffee with The Celtfather, Facebook (Season 5!) @ 11:00 AM EST   - STATS Mailing list subscribers = 1158 is up from 1130 Celtic Music Magazine = 4003 is down from 4007 YouTube Subscribers = 4675 is up 26 from 4649 Facebook Likes = 3754 is up 19 from 3735 Instagram = 1832 is up from 1825 followers Spotify followers: 1579 is up 35 from 1548 # Number of listens on Spotify: 2090 is up from 2003 Spotify Latest Single Stats: "Molly Malone": 12 is down from 21 Spotify Latest Single Stats: "The Last Jedi Drinking Song": 43 is down from 64 Spotify Latest Album Stats: I Will Not Sing Along: 217 is down from 293 Most-popular songs on Spotify: The Widow and the Devil (1.4K), Doctor of Gallifrey (419), A-Working in the Garden (229), Reavers, Malcolm, Reavers (195), Hero of Canton (180), Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster (164) Most-popular songs on Amazon Music: Doctor of Gallifrey (218), Hero of Canton (151), The Widow and the Devil (89), I'm A Rover, Seldom Sober (40), Come Ye By Atholl (37) - PATREON Patreon Subscribers: 158 is down from 160 Patreon Monthly Income: $1191 is up from $1175 Thanks as always for supporting my music. Streaming music gives you a quick and easy way to sample all of my music. Digital sales keep my business running. Tips and CD sales allow me to tour. Kickstarter funds physical products like CDs, shirts and other merch. And Patreon funds my songwriting! Join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon to support my songwriting. You will step behind-the-scenes with new music, bonus podcasts, videos, and live concerts. Thank you for supporting Sci F'Iirsh music. Slainte! #CFMonthly

This week Tayla is joined by Karen the branch librarian at Auburn and Dave from the Central Branch. They talk audiobooks, what fiction can teach us about real life, virtual concerts, and Morris dancing. We’re excited to announce our first author visit to the podcast! Joe Broadmeadow and Brendan Doherty will drop by to share from their book It’s Just the Way It Was: Inside the War on the New England Mob and Other Stories. You can join the conversation by sending us a question for the authors. Record a voice memo and email it to central@cranstonlibrary.org by Monday, May 25. Our theme music is Day Trips by Ketsa and our ad music is Happy Ukulele by Scott Holmes. Thanks for listening! Books: Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun, and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts by Lucy Dillon Join our discussion of this book on May 12th at 2:00 PM (register online) or May 13 at 7:00 PM (register online). The Broken Earth Series by N. K. Jemisin The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells Join our discussion of this book on May 14th at 7:00 PM (register online). Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear AV: Some Good News hosted by John Krasinski Firefly (2002-2003) Firefly: the Unification War. Vol. 1 by Greg Pak Firefly the Game Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburne --Banjo House Lockdown, Friday evening Rhiannon Giddens and Francisco Turrisi Art Lives On - Connecting Fans to Artists in a Stay-at-home Climate Other: Ladies of the Rolling Pin The Last Post podcast by Alice Fraser Alice Fraser: Savage (2020) Two Noble Kinsmen at Shakespeare’s Globe

Firefly, Volume 1 summary: “From Joss Whedon comes a new era of Firefly, as the definitive story of the Unification War is told at last! Captain Malcolm Reynolds thought he could outrun his past, but when a simple heist goes wrong, he’s forced to confront it. With the fabled Traitor of Serenity Valley in his sights, Mal’s quest for revenge will put him at odds with his own crew, forcing him to make a choice: fix the past or fight for the future. Along with Whedon, writer Greg Pak (Mech Cadet Yu, Totally Awesome Hulk, Weapon X) and artist Dan McDaid (Judge Dredd: Mega City Zero) take you back to the battleground where it all began...and reveal a secret history that might end it all.”This week we are joined again by special guest, John Speas from the Blast From Our Past podcast to talk about Firefly Vol 1 by BOOM! Studios! This episode works as a part 2 of sorts to co-host Tess’ guest spot on John’s podcast where they reviewed the Firefly TV show and Serenity! You should definitely give that a listen too. Oh, and just a heads up: We plan on reviewing the other volumes in this series with John over the course of 2020!We hope you all enjoy the show and make sure you check out The Blast From Our Past Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify and follow them on Facebook & Instagram!Follow us on social media and let us know what you think of the episode!Instagram - @ocdpodcastFacebook - @ocdpodcastCorey’s Instagram - @coreynationTess’ Instagram - @tessllanosIf you would like to support the show, please leave us a 5 Star review on Apple Podcasts and/or you can support us at Patreon.com/OCDPodcastThis podcast is part of the BFOP Network

The Buffy Back Issue Bin is the show that goes through all of the Buffy, Angel, and Firefly comics chronologically! Firefly wraps up it's first full story in Unification War! https://www.editorsnotecomics.com https://www.patreon.com/editorsnotecomics

On this episode the three bros review of Firefly: The Unification War Volume 1. Written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Dan McDaid.

The second arc of Firefly is complete as Mal is kidnapped and a second war is on the horizon!https://www.editorsnotecomics.comhttps://patreon.com/editorsnotecomics

Firefly is back as an ongoing comic and we talk about the first arc!https://www.editorsnotecomics.comhttps://www.patreon.com

In the Firefly episode Out of Gas, Malcolm Reynolds says, “No matter how far the long arm of the Alliance might get, we’ll just get ourselves a little further.”   This is The Celtfather, Marc Gunn. I’m going to share with you the story behind my song “The Long Arm”. It was the first single released for my new Firefly album, As Long As I’m Flyin’. The album came out on March 6, 2018. And the physical CD will no longer be available after March 31. So if you want that album, buy it in my Bandcamp store.   SHOW TIMES   0:30 Celtfather News 2:01 Intro toThe Long Arm  4:15 Verse One, Basic Human Rights 5:50 Verse Two, Environmentalism and Unification 8:22 Verse Three, Fake News, Lies, and Resistance 10:25 Chorus, Fighting Back Thru the Arts 12:05 Creating Change Through Politics 14:44 Congressional Dish Podcast Recommendation   NEWS   Before we get to that, I want to share some news.    My next CeltfatherLive internet concert is scheduled for Sunday, April 15, 2018. If you want to watch that show or future internet shows, please register now at celtfather.com/watch/.    If you love the TV show Firefly, like I do, please follow my Firefly Drinking Songs playlist on Spotify. You can listen to all of my Firefly albums PLUS other Firefly songs by other artists.   You can find all of my upcoming news for April in the Celtfather Monthly. It's a free post on Patreon. You'll also learn a great tip for engaging on social media.   Find all these links in the shownotes.   In general, I prefer to let my music speak for itself. “The Long Arm” has a lot of nuances though. So I want to talk about it.    While it is set in the Firefly verse, it is a very political song. It is inspired by our current administration which I am not fond of. So if you are a fan of what’s happening in the White House, you probably don't want to listen to this episode.    Might I suggest instead that you check out the Canton Radio episode of Geek Pub Songs.    Alright, I'm hoping everyone who doesn't want to listen has logged off now.   ABOUT THE LONG ARM   When that line by Malcolm Reynolds is first spoken, it comes from a man who’s been beaten. Reynolds fought in one of the worst battles in the Unification War. The Battle of Serenity Valley saw some of the biggest loss of life of that war.    You can hear in his voice a man who had lost his faith in God, in justice and in humanity. He just wanted to hide away and avoid the encroaching “civilization” of the Alliance. He wanted to escape.    The Serenity movie turned that all around. He and the crew learned about one of the atrocities committed by the Alliance. He found faith in a cause bigger than himself. And once again he took up arms and won.    This song is about fighting for something bigger than oneself.    It was written at the very beginning of the Trump Administration. Trump was picking people to run various parts of the government with an obvious aim to dismantle the government. Most were corporate flunkies, people who wanted to decrease the size of the government and strengthen their own businesses. Liberals were up in arms and I believe rightfully so.    You see, one of the things Trump ran on was to run the government like a business. I used to be a fan of that idea. I remember watching the movie Dave. One of the lines that stuck with me is “if I ran my business like this, I would be out of business.”   I remember thinking, “right!”   Then I saw it in practice. A government cannot be run as a business. Because either you end up giving one business a monopoly or you stop thinking about what’s best for the people.    The for-profit business does what’s best for the business. That is not always what's best for its customers. The for-profit business focuses on what's best for its shareholders. Sometimes they coincide, but not always.   I am not a fan of big debts and deficits. America's is out of control. And the supposedly fiscally-conservative Congress is not doing anything to stop it. In fact, they're making it bigger, even while they attempt to dismantle the minuscule programs that actually help every day Americans like you and me.   It comes down to another lie by Trump. The Machiavellian idea of "the ends justify the means". He'll lie and support that lie even if he doesn't believe it, as long as he gets support for it.   I'm sort of jumping ahead of myself. So let's break down the lyrics.   The Long Arm is reaching for you Wants to wrest and take control It struck down your family   Now it's aimin' for your soul   The Long Arm is of course the Trump administration fighting to take away the basic human rights of Americans. It is trying to destroy everything that makes America beautiful and beloved by its people.   This might be an over-dramatization. But it makes the point.   It's grasp is filled with hate. It's fingers naught but fear White knuckled, it grips you Till your eyes fill with tears.   One of the things I've noticed most about the election of Trump is the hate. I'm not gonna point fingers at conservatives though. This is a universal thing. Conservatives are arguing that Liberals are hate-filled and Liberals are saying the same about Conservatives.   I think it's safe to say that this administration inspires hate. Trump is very polarizing. He bullies and belittles those who disagree with him. And he riles people up, both his supporters and those who despise him.   That's a narrative that liberals tried to warn about during the election. That's what all the claims of sexual misconduct were all about. Yes, Trump will never sue those women who claimed he abused them because he did, either physically or with emotional abuse. I have no doubt. He's the worst kind of person.   That's why I used the imagery of rape in this verse. I wanted the listener to get the feeling of being forced against your will to submit to Trump's will.   Alright, I'm gonna save the chorus for the last because admittedly, it takes a slightly different twist.   The Long Arm took our planet Down our throats, it done rammed The promise of unification But it left us all damned.   This second verse is mostly about environmentalism. However, it starts with another broken promise of Trump. Much like in Firefly, the Alliance promised unification. But that idea was only if it's under their rule.   Trump was the same. He promised to unite America and to work across the aisle. But he lied about that. Yes, Liberals were not willing to work with him. But he didn't even try. The great "negotiator" once again was not so great. Because all he cares about is himself and maybe his progeny. The rest of us are damned.   Laid waste to our landscape While its pockets grew fat Left us homeless and cold Now it's time we fight back   Now we get to the next prediction, that Trump would make it easier for corporations to destroy our environment for his own profit.   To that end, he removed a lot of bad regulations that Obama setup. And I say bad, because Obama did not get these passed as law. He used executive orders to protect our country because he couldn't get the Republican Congress to pass any laws to protect our country.   So let me talk a moment about regulations. I am not a fan of regulations. Or at least the idea of them. But this goes back to why for-profits should not run non-profit institutions.    Corporations are beholden to their shareholders. The most-important thing for investors is to make money. So if that means cutting costs or not doing stuff, like regulating your own company in the short-term so that your investors are happy, so be it.    Meaning, Corporations will not regulate themselves. And when it comes to convenience, consumers will not regulate corporations. That's one of the big pro-free market lies. The market will not regulate corporations if there's no immediate incentive.    So sure, when Conservatives finally see climate change as a real thing because our air quality, water quality and health diminish, THEN they will be fine with regulating corporations. But by then it's too late.   This goes back to Firefly too. "Earth's resources were all used up."   Why on Earth would any sensible person wait until THEN to protect our resources. It's stupid. Regulations are necessary to prevent profit over health.   Of course, who's making money while our environment goes to hell? Trump and his corporate cronies. Who's not? You and me.   The only way to protect true Americans is to defend the environment and to regulate corporations.   We're done running from the Long Arm Browncoats rise again We'll weaken your grip  And the stories you spin    As we start the final verse, I bring it back to the Independents. The Browncoats rising to fight for freedom and to fight against the "stories we spin" aka Fake News.    In the case of the Browncoats, it's the news spread over the Cortex by the Alliance. In our case, it's pretty much everything that Trump says and tweets. He is the #1 creator of Fake News in our country. Everything is Trump extremism.   I wish that "weaking your grip" was as easy as sharing the "facts". But as Ben Kenobi said in Empire Strikes Back.   Obi-Wan: "So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view." Luke: "A certain point of view?" Obi-Wan: "Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."   Yes. There are many facts that are easy to dispute. That's why Politifact has a scorecard for Trump that lists about 69% of his statements as Mostly False all the way down to Pants on Fire at 15%, higher than any other politician. Follow the link in the shownotes to see specific truths and lies.    Even though Trump is held accountable for every statement, if you're a true believer in him, you will blow off facts. That's a truth for any believer. Whether you're a fan of Trump or Obama or whatever you believe. If you are a believer, you will ignore facts.   This is especially true if he's keeping his big promises. And according to Politifact he's working on those. Even stupid ones like building a wall.   Like you done with all your lies That you packed in your fist But you ain't seen the truth yet Till you seen us resist   Of course, the final line calls for Browncoats and Americans to stand up and fight back, to Resist against tyranny.    We fight for freedom, freedom, For poetry and song We fight for actors and authors Painters and potters, Dancers and dreamers, Laborers and learners, It's them artists who make us strong.   I should point out that despite the resistance and calls for fighting for freedom, I am personally a pacifist. I believe in peaceful resistance. While this hearkens back to the Browncoats fighting for independence, I believe in fighting back through poetry and song, through the arts.   This actually makes a lot of sense, because the arts are often some of the first things attacked by conservative politicians as they rail on about fiscal responsibility while spending even more money elsewhere.   The arts are easy to overlook. But they are the best sign of a prosperous country. They're a sign of culture and humanity. The arts tell a story. Truth is revealed through that story. That's how humans grow. That's why we are no longer living in the dark ages. We live longer. We are more prosperous.    Even a small independent musician like me, I can make a living playing music thanks to the arts and the internet. I am able to tell this story.   And of course, I'm not alone. There's actors and authors, painters and potters, dancers and dreamers. Thank you Patty for coming up with the "dreamers". That line got new meaning because DACA, Differed Action for Child Arrivals, that was up in the air back in February.   And of course laborers and learners.   It's you who make us strong.   But it's not just the artists. It's each and every one of us who tries to make a living in this country. We're all struggling to be heard. We are all the heroes of our own Firefly episode. Each of us can make a difference. But we have to fight for a better world.   We can't just stand by idly and watch the world go to hell. We have to get to the polls and vote for people who stand for something better, people who will make a difference.    And I don't mean egotistical billionaires like Trump. I mean you or one of your friends.   Over the past year, I feel like I have finally learned how our government works. There's so much I didn't understand. But I read and learned.   Last December, Doug Jones won a senate seat here in Alabama. What I learned from that win and from everything last year is that our votes matter. Even a Democrat in Alabama can win a seat in a very Republican state if we vote, and if we find non-extremist people to run for office.   Republicans tried to brand Jones as an extremist liberal. But he's not. He's moderate who is now campaigning for bipartisanship, the very thing our Congress needs right now.   But how many others could step up and make a difference, in Congress or even at the state level. Or heck! How about the city level.   I saw a post on Facebook by a libertarian friend. He went to a school board meeting and was aghast. He ranted why couldn't the board do what was in the best interest of the students instead of trying to put money in their own pockets.   Of course, my friend Jamie and I rolled our eyes after reading that. Because the same could be said about your city hall, your state legislature, and definitely the Congress and Trump.    OpenSecrets.org publishes data on how each politician gets their money. Most are lobbied and owned by corporations. That's why the NRA has such a stranglehold on gun legislation. That's why Wall Street and banks were able to remove many of the regulations that were setup to prevent another recession like we had ten years ago. They own many of our politicians. And that's why the oil companies block the development of renewable energy resources.    But just imagine if you wanted to just do good for your city, state, or federal government. Just imagine if you weren't in it to get rich quick.    Well, the fact is you can do it. Anyone can get elected. Thanks to the internet, anyone can raise funding. All it takes is a passion and a willingness to make good change for our country.   That's ultimately what "The Long Arm" is about. It's about doing what's right for individuals. It's about standing against governments or corporations or anyone who tries to limit your freedoms. I pray to God that we never end up with a Unification War like on Firefly. "The Long Arm" is my small contribution to make sure that never happens.    Plus it’s just a gorgeous song inspired by an amazing tv show.    One final note. The president doesn’t make the laws. That job falls to Congress. But the news doesn’t report much about the laws that congress passes.    That’s why Jennifer Brinely started Congressional Dish. She reads the actual laws to see what’s in them and shares the facts. She also provides references in the shownotes. This is a great podcast if you want to find out what’s happening in our country beyond the headline.    I can’t say the show is unbiased. Brinely has very strong opinions. But I do think she does a good job at staying with the facts. She was very critical of Obama and is just as much of Trump. But more than anything she is critical of congress no matter what side they are on.    It’s an awesome show. You can subscribe for free at congressionaldish.com.    -   Thank you so much for listening. I know politics these days is very divisive. And I'm not gonna make a habit of doing political episodes. But if I'm to be true to myself and my songwriting, I felt I should share my thoughts on this song.    You can support this podcast for as little as $1 per month when you join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. You'll get hours of great content for one low fee and help me create new music for you.    You can also subscribe to the podcast and download free music at celtfather.com.      

Firefly is one of the most beloved projects from the mind of Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It came out in 2002 and was canceled after only 14 episodes. It developed such an incredible cult following that in 2005, a movie was released based on the TV series. http://celtfather.com The show inspired me so much that I released a CD with Bedlam Bards called Firefly Drinking Songs. Now I have a new album out for Browncoats called As Long As I’m Flyin. You can buy it at FireflyDrinkingSongs.com. How did Firefly go from a cancelled TV show to a new album 16 years after it was released? I’ll tell you all about it right now. I was first introduced to Firefly just a few short months before the movie was released. I remember binge watching DVDs. I absolutely loved show. It had a realness to it that appealed to me, despite being a Sci Fi Western. Firefly became my all-time favorite show ever. It hasn’t budged from that standing. I still watch it regularly. I don’t consider myself an ambitious songwriter. I don’t write a lot of songs. I write slowly and I am usually “inspired” by something. I never planned to start a genre of Firefly drinking songs. It just sort of happened. In 2007, I was on the first Brobdingnagian Bards tour of Ireland. I got an email from fan telling me there is a songwriting contest called Sing A Song for Saffron. Saffron was a nefarious woman who was featured twice in the series. She first appears in "Our Mrs Reynolds" where she sneakily marries the captain of the Firefly ship, Serenity. She then attempts to seduce him. When that fails, her true purpose is revealed, leading the crew to their deaths to steal their ship. Saffron appears again later in the episode "Trash." She works with the crew to steal a famous laser gun. She attempts to double cross the crew only to find they are ready for her. Beautiful and seductive, Saffron is a favorite side character. So there I was in Ireland when I get an email from a fan that read, “you should write a song for this contest.” I was immediately struck with a parody idea using the traditional Irish melody “May Morning Dew”. I submitted my song “She Said Her Name Was Saffron” to the contest a week after returning from Ireland. The song won the Best Parody award. A few months later, I sang that song for The Signal Firefly Podcast for a live event at DragonCon. I had no further plans to write more Firefly songs. But a year later, I was driving Back to DragonCon when I was struck with an idea. I had just finished watching the episode "Jaynestown." The crew lands on Higgins Moon, a town that sells mud. The crew is hired to transport contraband off planet. One of the crew, Jayne Cobb, warns about how he had trouble with the local magistrate a few years back. We soon learn that Jayne has become a folk hero of the town with a statue and his own protest song “Hero of Canton”. That song is a favorite among Browncoats. Everyone of us longs to have a mug of mudders milk and sing along. But as I was driving back to DragonCon, I wondered what other songs might’ve been heard in that little pub in Canton. So I wrote one. The song was called "Monahan's Mudder's Milk". I wrote it as a sort of Woody Guthrie-style protest against the challenges faced by the mudders of Higgins' Moon. This song was super important to me. First, because it sort of solidified what would eventually become my most-popular musical niche, Sci Fi Drinking Songs. But it was also the launching point for Firefly Drinking Songs and my newest album, As Long As I'm Flyin'. It was around this time that the idea of recording a CD of Firefly Drinking Songs began. I set up concerts at Gen Con and Dragon Con dedicated to this theme. Each show was packed. The conventions were turning people away at the door. The atmosphere at these shows was amazing. I really wanted to capture that feel. So I decided on recording a live CD. I wanted it to feel like you were in that little pub in Canton. My biggest challenge was I didn't have enough songs to create an album. So I turned to someone who did. The Bedlam Bards were the first to release a full CD of Firefly music. It was called On The Drift: Music Inspired by Firefly and Serenity. The album captured everything that people love about Firefly and the fandom. It's fantastic. Cedric is the primary songwriter for the group. When I called him up to ask if he'd like to make an album with me, he was psyched. We spent next few months performing Firefly Drinking Songs at various venues and conventions trying to capture an amazing live recording. It finally happened at church in Round Rock, Texas that my friend Jan Czenkusch booked for us. It had the energy, the sound. It was fantastic. We released the CD. It quickly became one of my most-popular albums. Once again, I had no plans for a follow up. I was trying to get out of doing themed CDs. Most of my 20+ albums are themed. Some are Irish. Some are about cats. Some are sci fi. While themed CDs are easier to sell, they are much more difficult and costly to produce. So when I wrote "Bring Me Home, Boys", a song based on the episode "The Message" where a body is mailed to the crew with a message to bring his body home to his family, I didn't put on a Firefly CD. Nor did I put the song "Browncoats Keep Flyin'" one one. That's a song I co-wrote with Rie Sheridan Rose. Though I did put it on Sci Fi Drinking Songs. Again, I had no real plans to record another Firefly album, despite its success. But one year at Gen Con, I was singing "Close Your Eyes". This is a song by Daniel Glasser. Many call it the "Demon Lullaby". I have a whole podcast episode about that song. Follow the link in the shownotes. In the middle of the song, I changed the lyrics to the "reavers beneath your bed are gonna eat your face". The crowd erupted in laughter and for the next few years Browncoats asked when I would put that song on a CD. In 2016, I set a milestone on Patreon. If I reached that goal, I would record a 4-song EP of Firefly songs, exclusively for my Patrons. I quickly hit that goal. But as I started recording the EP, more songs came out. So I asked Rie Sheridan Rose, a long-time songwriting collaborator to send me some more lyrics. She did. Next thing I knew, I had a full album of Browncoat drinking songs. I launched a Kickstarter and the rest is history. Now one of the things I sort of glossed over earlier is the Firefly Drinking Songs show. This show took on a life of its own. When I started, I was just singing songs about Firefly. But I wanted something bigger. I wanted something more inclusive. You see, I have long been a part of the reenacting shows. Mostly notably are Renaissance festivals. At faires, you're encouraged to not just play music, they want you to be a part of the atmosphere, to recreate the Renaissance. Early on, I absolutely LOVED faires for that very reason. I could pretend I was in the Renaissance. But the simple fact is I'm not an actor. So keeping that going ALL DAY LONG was a bit exhausting and tedious. So I took on a new character, that is basically me. I think that's why I love the Firefly Drinking Songs show so much. I don't usually write music ABOUT things I love, like Firefly. I prefer to write as if I'm a PART of the world. Firefly is the epitome of this. The music I wrote was as if I was living in the Firefly 'Verse. The show was created as if I was a touring musician singing songs for Browncoats. The show is about an hour long. With any luck, the one at Gen Con this year will be about an hour and a half. But for that period of time, it's easy to get and stay in character. So that's why I do. My family is all from East Texas. So I put on my Texas accent and step into a world where people are on the fringe of civilized society. They're looking for an escape. They want to hear music that celebrates the independents who lost the Unification War. They want to escape the hard life of working in the mud pits. For an hour, they are a part of that. We sing songs about the "Hero of Canton," "Blue Sun," reavers and the Browncoats. It's absolutely incredible. It's been 16 years since Firefly was started and canceled. Yet new Browncoats are made every day as they discover this incredible show. One of my dreams is to take the Firefly Drinking Songs show on the road. I want to unite Browncoats once again for a Shindig among Shindigs and an inspired passion to keep building the 'Verse. Because to quote Mal, "we have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty." If you're interested in my new album, As Long As I'm Flyin' or the Firefly Drinking Songs show, please visit FireflyDrinkingSongs.com. You can buy the album, listen on Spotify, find cool merch, and learn more about the show. I'd love to hear about your favorite episode or character. You can post that in the shownotes. I should point out that the physical CD will only be available in March. So if you like CDs, then you should order it as soon as possible. --- Thank you for listening. Celtfather Music & Travel was produced by Marc Gunn. If you enjoyed this episode, please join the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. For as little as a buck a month, you will help release more music, podcasts, videos and more. Would you like 21 songs for Free? Plus get regular updates of what's new. Subscribe to the podcast and newsletter at www.pubsong.net.

Genre: FireflyBy: http://browncoatsmovie.com/Released: 2010Length: 90 minBROWNCOATS: REDEMPTION takes place three months after the signal is sent out regarding the events on Miranda. Captain Laura Mathews and the crew of Redemption are unintentionally thrown into a situation that some view as the potential catalyst for the second unified rise of the Independents against the Alliance, since Unification Day.The Alliance is looking for a scapegoat for Miranda, while those unhappy with the Alliance are looking for a rallying cry to take action.Through all this, a secret about Laura is exposed that shakes to the very core of the crew, threatening to break it up, challenge the trust that she’s earned with the Browncoats, and undo all the efforts she has put into place to keep a sense of peace in her life since the Unification War.Browncoats-Redemption.mp4

This show will be two-fer special as Dungeon Crawlers Radio welcomes to the show author Margaret Weis and Monica Valentinelli from Margaret Weis Productions  about their new FireFly RPG Core Rulebook. Firefly Roleplaying Game set six years after the Unification War, the game faithfully branches story elements from the popular FOX television series. AND Dungeon Crawlers Radio welcomes to the show author Craig Cormick to talk about his new book "The Shadow Master". In a land riven with plague, in the infamous Walled City, two families vie for control – the Medicis with their genius inventor Leonardo; the Lorraines with Galileo, the most brilliant alchemist of his generation. This episode of Dungeon Crawlers Radio has been brought to you by Audible. Visit http://www.audibletrial.com/DungeonCrawlersRadio for a free trial membership*. Audible® Free Trial Details * Get your first 30 days of the AudibleListener® Gold membership plan free, which includes one credit. In almost all cases, one credit equals one audiobook. After your 30 day trial, your membership will automatically renew each month for just $14.95, billed to the credit card you used when you registered with Audible. With your membership, you will receive one credit per month plus members-only discounts on all audio purchases. If you cancel your membership before your free trial period is up, you will not be charged. Thereafter, cancel anytime, effective the next billing cycle. See the complete terms and policy applicable to Audible memberships.