Podcasts about Venturing

Wil Flack returns to the podcast to talk about fly fishing in Belize,...

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Venturing Into Shadows: A Journey of Friendship and Courage Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2026-05-22-07-38-20-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Blommorna dansade i vinden över Ölands gröna fält när Astrid, Lars och Signe klev in genom de rostiga dörrarna.En: The flowers danced in the wind over the green fields of Öland as Astrid, Lars, and Signe stepped through the rusty doors.Sv: Det var en hemlighet många i byn kände till men få vågade utforska – den övergivna militärbunkern.En: It was a secret known by many in the village but explored by few—the abandoned military bunker.Sv: Resan dit hade varit inspirerad av Astrids längtan efter en spännande vlogg, en berättelse olikt någon annan.En: The trip there had been inspired by Astrid's longing for an exciting vlog, a story unlike any other.Sv: Astrid höll upp kameran mot ansiktet.En: Astrid held the camera up to her face.Sv: "Är ni redo?"En: "Are you ready?"Sv: frågade hon, hennes ögon glittrade av äventyrslust.En: she asked, her eyes sparkling with a sense of adventure.Sv: Bredvid henne stod Lars, vars försiktiga drag inte kunde dölja en viss oro.En: Beside her stood Lars, whose cautious demeanor couldn't hide a certain worry.Sv: "Vi måste vara försiktiga," sa han med en allvarlig ton.En: "We need to be careful," he said in a serious tone.Sv: Signe, alltid med huvudet i molnen, log stort.En: Signe, always with her head in the clouds, beamed.Sv: "Kanske hittar vi skatter eller ett hemligt rum!"En: "Maybe we'll find treasures or a secret room!"Sv: utropade hon med glädje.En: she exclaimed with joy.Sv: Bunkern sträckte sig djupare än de först trott.En: The bunker stretched deeper than they had first thought.Sv: Korridorerna slingrade sig som en labyrint, där varje sväng gav upphov till märkliga skuggor och ekon.En: The corridors twisted like a labyrinth, with each turn giving rise to strange shadows and echoes.Sv: Ett kallt drag svepte genom de mörka tunnlarna, fick det att susa i öronen.En: A cold draft swept through the dark tunnels, making a gentle whooshing sound in their ears.Sv: Astrid filmade varje steg, och hoppades innerligt att det skulle ge många tittare.En: Astrid filmed every step, hoping earnestly it would attract many viewers.Sv: "Vad var det?"En: "What was that?"Sv: viskade Lars när ett plötsligt ljud bröt tystnaden.En: whispered Lars when a sudden noise broke the silence.Sv: Något rasade längre in, ett ljud som fick även Signe att tystna.En: Something had collapsed further in, a sound that even subdued Signe.Sv: Astrid förstod vikten i ögonblicket.En: Astrid understood the gravity of the moment.Sv: Risken fanns, men hon kände också en stark dragning att fortsätta.En: There was a risk, but she also felt a strong pull to continue.Sv: De rörde sig tystare nu, försökte lyssna efter minsta tecken på fara.En: They moved more quietly now, trying to listen for the slightest hint of danger.Sv: Men då, utan förvarning, började marken under Astrids fötter skaka.En: But then, without warning, the ground beneath Astrid's feet began to shake.Sv: Taket kollapsade med ett dån, och plötsligt var hon fångad på andra sidan av en vägg av bråte.En: The ceiling collapsed with a roar, and suddenly she was trapped on the other side of a wall of debris.Sv: "Lars!En: "Lars!Sv: Signe!"En: Signe!"Sv: ropade Astrid, hennes röst ekade i den nu instängda rymden.En: shouted Astrid, her voice echoing in the now enclosed space.Sv: Paniken hotade att övervinna henne, men utanför kämpade hennes vänner med allt de hade.En: Panic threatened to overcome her, but outside, her friends fought with all they had.Sv: Lars använde all sin styrka för att flytta stenarna, medan Signe uppmuntrade honom med sina idérika lösningar.En: Lars used all his strength to move the stones, while Signe encouraged him with her inventive solutions.Sv: Efter en vad som kändes som en evighet hade de grävt sig genom tillräckligt för att dra ut Astrid, dammig men oskadd.En: After what felt like an eternity, they had dug through enough to pull Astrid out, dusty but unscathed.Sv: När de hade återförenats ute i det fri vaknade det igen en känsla av gemenskap och lättnad.En: When they were reunited outside in the open, a sense of togetherness and relief awakened once more.Sv: Med vinden i håret och vårblommorna omkring dem insåg Astrid vikten av det de delade.En: With the wind in their hair and spring flowers around them, Astrid realized the importance of what they shared.Sv: "Jag ville ha mitt äventyr, men inte till vilket pris som helst," sa hon, med kameran fortfarande i handen, men nu mer medveten om dess betydelse.En: "I wanted my adventure, but not at any cost," she said, still holding the camera, but now more aware of its significance.Sv: Signe klappade henne på axeln.En: Signe patted her on the shoulder.Sv: "Äventyr är fantastiska, men vänskap är bättre."En: "Adventures are amazing, but friendship is better."Sv: Lars nickade.En: Lars nodded.Sv: "Vi är alla modiga på vårt sätt, men mod är också ansvar," sa han med ett försiktigt leende.En: "We are all brave in our own way, but courage is also responsibility," he said with a cautious smile.Sv: Tillsammans vände de sig bort från bunkerns mörker, beredda att återvända till den blomstrande världen utanför, där våren och midsommarens förberedelser väntade.En: Together, they turned away from the bunker's darkness, ready to return to the blossoming world outside, where spring and preparations for Midsummer awaited.Sv: Astrid hade fortfarande sin vlogg, men hon förstod nu att det var historierna man delade med dem man älskar som betydde mest.En: Astrid still had her vlog, but she now understood that the stories shared with those you love mattered the most.Sv: Under den öppna himlen och bland de dansande blommorna började ett nytt kapitel, ett där vänskap alltid tog första plats.En: Under the open sky and among the dancing flowers, a new chapter began, one where friendship always took precedence. Vocabulary Words:rusty: rostigaabandoned: övergivnavlog: vloggsparkling: glittradecautious: försiktigademeanor: draglabyrinth: labyrintcorridors: korridorernadraft: dragwhooshing: susandecollapsed: rasadegravity: vikthint: teckendebris: bråteunscathed: oskaddtogetherness: gemenskapsignificance: betydelsecourage: modresponsibility: ansvarpreparations: förberedelsertreasures: skatterinventive: idérikaenclosed: instängdaeternity: evighetreunited: återförenatsawakened: vaknadebunker: bunkernswept: svepteblossoming: blomstrandeprecedence: första plats

Brother Matthew was a worldly teenager when his mother decided she and her son needed to go to church. By the end of that first service, both of them had committed their lives to following Christ. As Matthew grew in faith, he was convicted and inspired by the Acts accounts of Paul's missionary travels. Studying Paul's efforts to take the gospel to the Gentiles, Matthew began to ponder who the Gentiles were in his generation, living far from the truth of Christ? As he began to ask that question in prayer, God laid on his heart the nation of Afghanistan. Matthew began taking steps towards service in that war-torn country, and repeatedly God confirmed His calling. Months later, Matthew was in Uzbekistan, serving with a church-planting effort and getting on-the-ground education in Central Asia ministry and culture. Listen as Matthew tells the stories of the people he met who experienced supernatural visions and encounters with Jesus. He'll also talk about the risks of sharing the gospel among Muslims, and the miraculous story of how God helped him get approval for an Afghan visa from the Taliban consulate! Matthew will recount what it looked like when he arrived in Kabul – just a few years after Soviet tanks withdrew – and how the Lord led him to serve in a village as God faithfully guided, one step at a time. Pray this week for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and throughout Central Asia.

Fluent Fiction - Serbian: Venturing Beyond: The Perilous Journey to a New Dawn Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sr/episode/2026-05-01-07-38-19-sr Story Transcript:Sr: У ваздуху подземног бункера владао је тихи ваздух.En: In the air of the underground bunker, there was a silent atmosphere.Sr: Светлост је долазила само од старијег генератора, чији звук је био једини прекид у глувој тишини.En: Light came only from an older generator, whose sound was the only interruption in the deafening silence.Sr: Вук је седео усред просторије пуне полица са конзервама и основним потребама.En: Vuk sat in the middle of a room full of shelves with canned goods and basic necessities.Sr: Ни један зид није украшавао простор – бетон је био хладан и опомињући.En: No wall adorned the space - the concrete was cold and admonishing.Sr: Вука су дуго мучиле мисли о повратку на површину.En: Vuk had long been tormented by thoughts of returning to the surface.Sr: Иако је сада био безбедан под земљом, у њему је тињала жеља за свежином коју је доносило пролеће.En: Although he was now safe underground, within him burned a desire for the freshness that spring brought.Sr: Мила и Јован, његови сапутници, делили су исти страх од онога што је тамо горе.En: Mila and Jovan, his companions, shared the same fear of what was up there.Sr: Једног дана, Вук је одлучио да изврши инвентар.En: One day, Vuk decided to take inventory.Sr: Морао је да зна шта све има, а шта му још треба.En: He had to know what he had and what he still needed.Sr: Забринутост због све мањих залиха била је све јача.En: Concern about the dwindling supplies was growing stronger.Sr: Требало је да купи још, али је био одлучан да узме само неопходне ствари.En: He needed to buy more, but he was determined to take only the essentials.Sr: Његове мисли биле су пуне пролећног мириса и могућности новог почетка.En: His thoughts were filled with the scent of spring and the possibilities of a new beginning.Sr: Док је прегледао један стари сандук у углу, наишао је на стару мапу.En: While examining an old crate in the corner, he came across an old map.Sr: Мапа је наговештавала могућу сигурну локацију на површини.En: The map suggested a possible safe location on the surface.Sr: Овај налаз изазвао је у Вуку конфузију – да ли да настави са својим плановима, или да се усуди и истражи овај нови траг?En: This find caused Vuk confusion – whether to continue with his plans, or to dare and explore this new lead.Sr: Са картом у руци, Вук је пред собом имао избор.En: With the map in hand, Vuk faced a choice.Sr: Мила и Јован су показали управо онакав страх какав је и сам осећао.En: Mila and Jovan showed exactly the kind of fear he himself felt.Sr: Али у души му се рађала нова храброст.En: But a new courage was being born in his soul.Sr: Донео је одлуку.En: He made a decision.Sr: Одлучио је да ризикује, да се ослободи тешке рутине и истражи шта се налази изван познатог бункера.En: He decided to take the risk, to break free from the heavy routine and explore what lay beyond the familiar bunker.Sr: Оставио је своју пажљиво изграђену безбедност да би открио шта све пролеће може да донесе на површини.En: He left behind his carefully built security to discover what spring might bring on the surface.Sr: Док је излазио из бункера са мапом у руци, осетио је како га испуњавају нада и храброст.En: As he exited the bunker with the map in hand, he felt filled with hope and courage.Sr: Више није само преживљавао; постао је истраживач пред новим почетком.En: He was no longer merely surviving; he had become an explorer facing a new beginning.Sr: Иако је страх иза угла, први пут је разумевао колико је важан осећај слободе и свежине коју само пролеће може донети.En: Although fear lurked around the corner, for the first time, he understood how important the feeling of freedom and freshness that only spring can bring was.Sr: Вукова прича наставља се напољу, под благословом отвореног неба и у загрљају ветра који обећава нову будућност.En: Vuk's story continues outside, under the blessing of the open sky and in the embrace of the wind that promises a new future. Vocabulary Words:bunker: бункерsilent: тихиatmosphere: ваздухadmonishing: опомињућиtormented: мучилеfreshness: свежиномcompanions: сапутнициdwindling: све мањихsupplies: залихаessentials: неопходне ствариcrates: сандукinventory: инвентарconfusion: конфузијуexplore: истражиlead: трагroutine: рутинаdetermined: одлучанsecurity: бецбедностexplorer: истраживачlurking: страх иза углаfreedom: слободеpossibilities: могућностиunfamiliar: познатогdecision: одлукуcourage: храбростblessing: благословомembrace: загрљајуnew beginning: нови почетакsurface: површинуunderground: под земљом

Time for a massive Red Pill, as Adrian Smith joins me to explore the use of magic in mind control, in particular the use of misdirection to mesmerize, focusing attention to the exclusion of all else, keeping us locked up inside a prison for the mind. Venturing beyond the prison compound, we can easily see the false narratives that allow the few to rule the many. Adrian will explore the alchemy of finance, the ultimate magic trick, the Philosopher's Stone, which allows those who have nothing to obtain everything. The flip side of that famous prediction, “you will own nothing,” is that some group owns everything. This means a negative alchemy. Assuming the role of Meta Programmer allows us to de-program and re-program. More on Adrian: https://aprisonforthemind.blog/ Get the book: https://amzn.to/4cxYyR6 Get The Occult Elvis: https://amzn.to/4jnTjE4 Virtual Alexandria Academy: https://thegodabovegod.com/virtual-alexandria-academy/ Gnostic Tarot Readings: https://thegodabovegod.com/gnostic-tarot-reading/ The Gnostic Tarot: https://www.makeplayingcards.com/sell/synkrasis Homepage: https://thegodabovegod.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aeonbyte AB Prime: https://thegodabovegod.com/members/subscription-levels/ Voice Over services: https://thegodabovegod.com/voice-talent/ Support with donation: https://buy.stripe.com/00g16Q8RK8D93mw288 Merch store: https://aeonbyte.creator-spring.com/ Equipment Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2WEJ2CCWHALZB?&sort=default Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The flats of Ambergris Caye in Belize are home to bonefish, permit, tarpon,...

Fluent Fiction - Spanish: Venturing into the Amazon: A Botanist's Quest for Healing Secrets Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/es/episode/2026-04-23-07-38-19-es Story Transcript:Es: Mateo se adentró en la espesa selva amazónica, el corazón palpitando de emoción y nerviosismo.En: Mateo ventured into the dense Amazon jungle, his heart pounding with excitement and nervousness.Es: Las hojas crujían bajo sus botas, intentando seguir un sendero invisible que solo existía en su mente.En: The leaves crunched under his boots, as he tried to follow an invisible path that existed only in his mind.Es: Era otoño, y aunque en el Amazonas no se notaban cambios tan drásticos como en otros lugares, el aire tenía un frescor especial que acariciaba la piel.En: It was autumn, and although in the Amazon you didn't notice such drastic changes as in other places, the air had a special freshness that caressed the skin.Es: Mateo era un joven botánico, lleno de sueños y aspiraciones, que durante años había oído hablar de un árbol con propiedades curativas legendarias.En: Mateo was a young botanist full of dreams and aspirations, who for years had heard about a tree with legendary healing properties.Es: Este árbol podía cambiar el curso de su carrera, demostrar su valía a su mentor, Camilo, y finalmente, ganar un lugar en la comunidad botánica.En: This tree could change the course of his career, prove his worth to his mentor, Camilo, and finally earn a place in the botanical community.Es: Pero la selva era densa y confusa, llena de sonidos desconocidos.En: But the jungle was dense and confusing, filled with unfamiliar sounds.Es: Mateo tenía un mapa, pero el sentido de orientación era frágil en este vasto mar verde.En: Mateo had a map, but his sense of direction was fragile in this vast green sea.Es: Caminó durante horas, el sol apenas visible entre el grueso dosel de hojas.En: He walked for hours, the sun barely visible through the thick canopy of leaves.Es: Cada chispa de luz parecía una promesa, pero con cada paso que daba, su confianza se tambaleaba.En: Every spark of light seemed like a promise, but with each step he took, his confidence wavered.Es: "Sigue adelante", se repetía, recordando las palabras de Luz, su amiga y colega, quien siempre le había animado a confiar en sus instintos y conocimientos.En: "Keep going," he repeated to himself, remembering the words of Luz, his friend and colleague, who always encouraged him to trust his instincts and knowledge.Es: La selva vibraba con vida.En: The jungle vibrated with life.Es: Pájaros de brillantes colores volaban de un árbol a otro, e insectos zumbaban en un caos armónico.En: Brightly colored birds flew from one tree to another, and insects buzzed in a harmonious chaos.Es: Pero con el paso de las horas, Mateo comenzó a sentir el peso de la soledad y el miedo.En: But as the hours passed, Mateo began to feel the weight of loneliness and fear.Es: ¿Y si no lograba encontrar el árbol?En: What if he couldn't find the tree?Es: ¿Y si no podía regresar a casa?En: What if he couldn't make it back home?Es: El tiempo pasaba y el cielo comenzaba a teñirse de un suave dorado, augurando el ocaso.En: Time passed and the sky began to take on a soft golden hue, heralding dusk.Es: Mateo se detuvo, agotado y desorientado.En: Mateo stopped, exhausted and disoriented.Es: El miedo le hacía dudar, pero la determinación lo impulsaba a continuar.En: Fear made him doubt, but determination pushed him to continue.Es: Decidió confiar en lo que sabía sobre las plantas y las señales que la naturaleza le daba.En: He decided to trust what he knew about plants and the signals nature gave him.Es: Entonces, justo cuando la esperanza comenzaba a desvanecerse, vio algo que le hizo detenerse: un árbol imponente se alzaba delante de él, sus ramas extendiéndose como brazos en un abrazo acogedor.En: Then, just as hope began to fade, he saw something that made him stop: an imposing tree stood before him, its branches extending like arms in a welcoming embrace.Es: Las hojas brillaban con un verde vibrante, y el aire alrededor parecía más claro.En: The leaves shone with a vibrant green, and the air around seemed clearer.Es: Este era el árbol.En: This was the tree.Es: Mateo cayó de rodillas, tocando suavemente el tronco, sintiendo la energía que emanaba de él.En: Mateo fell to his knees, gently touching the trunk, feeling the energy emanating from it.Es: En ese momento, comprendió que su búsqueda no solo había sido por reconocimiento profesional, sino por una necesidad de probarse a sí mismo, de desafiar sus límites y descubrir su verdadera fortaleza.En: In that moment, he understood that his quest had not only been for professional recognition, but for a need to prove himself, to challenge his limits, and discover his true strength.Es: Con renovada confianza, Mateo recogió muestras, cuidando con respeto cada hoja y corteza.En: With renewed confidence, Mateo collected samples, respectfully caring for each leaf and bark.Es: Sabía que había encontrado más que un árbol; había encontrado una nueva confianza en él mismo.En: He knew he had found more than a tree; he had found a new confidence in himself.Es: De regreso a su campamento, Mateo sintió cómo su corazón se aligeraba.En: Returning to his camp, Mateo felt his heart lighten.Es: La selva ya no le parecía intimidante, sino un vasto tesoro de posibilidades.En: The jungle no longer seemed intimidating, but a vast treasure of possibilities.Es: Al llegar, el rostro de Camilo se iluminó con orgullo, y Luz no paraba de sonreír.En: Upon arriving, Camilo's face lit up with pride, and Luz couldn't stop smiling.Es: Mateo había cambiado; ya no era el joven inseguro, sino un botánico seguro de su camino y capacidades.En: Mateo had changed; he was no longer the insecure young man, but a botanist sure of his path and capabilities.Es: Su viaje en la selva no solo había curado sus dudas, sino que también le había enseñado que el verdadero valor no se encuentra solo en el descubrimiento, sino en el coraje de seguir adentrándose en lo desconocido.En: His journey in the jungle had not only cured his doubts but had also taught him that true value is not only found in discovery, but in the courage to continue venturing into the unknown. Vocabulary Words:the jungle: la selvadense: densanervousness: el nerviosismoto crunch: crujirthe path: el senderothe healing properties: las propiedades curativasthe mentor: el mentorthe botanist: el botánicothe canopy: el doselharmonious: armónicothe dusk: el ocasoto waver: tambalearsethe loneliness: la soledadto herald: augurarexhausted: agotadodisoriented: desorientadoto fade: desvanecerseimposing: imponenteto embrace: abrazarthe energy: la energíato emanate: emanarthe bark: la cortezato collect: recogerthe sample: la muestrato trust: confiarthe fear: el miedothe courage: el corajethe strength: la fortalezato challenge: desafiarthe treasure: el tesoro

Joining Josh and Andrew this week, Washington University PhD Candidate Victor Putinier takes them down to post-Summer-of-Love California for 70s cult horror classic Messiah of Evil. Giddily getting into Gloria Katz and William Huyck's “California gothic”, the trio voice their admiration for a film that refuses to draw a clear line in the sand, from its unfinished production, subversion of zombie horror, and somehow doing its own thing while learning from the seemingly disparate works of Italian masters Mario Bava and Michelango Antonioni. Then, they have One More Thing, recommending the new album The Spiritual Sound from death metal band Agriculture, as well as continuing their talk of California Gothic with the 1970 adaptation of The Dunwich Horror.On the next episode, our hosts decide to give themselves a challenge. Venturing further back in film history, Josh and Andrew will pick out movies from the silent era, starting things off with F.W Murnau's The Last Laugh. Until then, read on at thetake-up.com and follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and Facebook. Special thanks to Social Media Manager Kayla McCulloch and Contributor Ethan Tarantella. Theme music by AMP.

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the first battle of Changsha. From Chongqing, Chiang debated defensive strategies for Hunan, ultimately adopting Plan B after Xue Yue's pleas, focusing on successive resistance north of Changsha to thwart Japanese advances. Japanese forces, under Okamura Yasuji, launched assaults in Jiangxi and Hunan. In Jiangxi, the 106th and 101st Divisions attacked Huibu and Gao'an, where Chinese troops under Luo Zhuoying and Song Kentang fiercely resisted. Gao'an fell briefly but was recaptured by the 32nd Army and the elite 74th Army, with heavy casualties on both sides, as recounted by soldier Liu Qihuai. In Hunan, Japanese units crossed the Xin Qiang River and landed at Yingtian, facing brutal opposition. At Bijia Mountain, Qin Yizhi's 195th Division held for four days; Battalion Commander Shi Enhua's reinforced unit perished entirely, their fragmented remains mourned by locals. Along the Miluo River, Chen Pei's 37th Army fortified positions, repelling waves of Japanese attacks, including suicide squads disguised as civilians. Recruit Yang Peyao's unit endured bombardments, inflicting significant enemy losses before withdrawing at dusk.   #197 The First Battle of Changsha Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Major Luo Wenlang, battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion, 55th Regiment, 19th Division of the 28th Army, harbored a peculiar quirk: he couldn't sleep soundly without unwrapping his leg bindings, a small ritual that anchored him in the chaos of war. Since the war's eruption, such luxuries were rare, and unwrapping his bindings every night became an impossibility, leaving him to endure restless slumbers. Tonight, however, sleep eluded him entirely; he tossed and turned on his makeshift bed, his mind a whirlwind of unrest. Two days after the northern Hunan battle ignited like a powder keg, the 55th Regiment received urgent orders from Division Commander Tang Boyin to race to Wukou in Pingjiang County. Their path wound through Luo Wenlang's hometown of Fulinpu, a twist of fate that stirred conflicting emotions. Entering the village under the cover of night, the entire battalion encamped in the commander's modest family village, with battalion headquarters naturally established in his ancestral home.   Luo yearned to step across that familiar threshold but dreaded it, for his parents remained oblivious to a devastating truth. They slaughtered chickens and prepared meat, hosting the battalion staff with drinks and hospitality, after all, this was their son's unit gracing their home. Luo orchestrated door planks and straw for bedding, posted sentries, and deftly evaded his parents until they retired. Before dawn broke, he mustered the troops, ensured they were fed, and led them onward, slipping away like a shadow. By noon on the 22nd, they reached Wukou, only to receive fresh directives: rush to Yingtian to bolster the 95th Division against the enemy's audacious landings. The 3rd Battalion spearheaded the division's reinforcements, marching relentlessly through day and night, arriving at Dongtang, over 30 kilometers southeast of Yingtian—on the 23rd, hearts sinking upon learning Yingtian had already fallen into enemy clutches.   Luo Wenlang sought out the retreating 95th Division Commander Luo Qi to beg for a mission, his resolve unyielding. Luo Qi, anticipating his arrival, relayed Commander Guan Linzheng's ironclad instructions: The 19th Division's reinforcements would assume Dongtang's defenses. With the main force still en route, Luo Qi tasked Luo's battalion with relieving a segment held by a replacement regiment. He handed over a map, sketching a line with a pencil, a simple stroke that thrust Luo Wenlang and his men onto the front lines of fate. An operations staff was dispatched to guide them to the position and oversee the handover.   As the troops advanced, they encountered scattered soldiers fleeing like startled rabbits; seizing a platoon leader revealed they were indeed from the replacement regiment. Mere minutes from division HQ, the enemy was already closing in, a predator's breath hot on their necks. Luo Wenlang and Deputy Battalion Commander Wu Yacui split the battalion, launching a counterattack on Dongtang from dual routes. Fortune favored them; the Japanese held only an exhausted company, crumbling under a single, ferocious charge. They swiftly deployed two companies to the positions, reserving one as a bulwark. By dusk, the full 55th Regiment arrived, accompanied by the rest of the 19th Division's reinforcements, allowing the battered 95th Division, ravaged at Yingtian, to withdraw for desperate reorganization. The regimental commander positioned Luo's 3rd Battalion on the regiment's vulnerable left wing. In the blink of an eye, it was the 27th, aligning with the 15th of the eighth lunar month. Amid the relentless great battle, few noted the calendar, and the skies hung heavy with clouds. Luo Wenlang twisted on his straw bed, his thoughts a snarled knot of anxiety and memory.   At 11 p.m., gunfire shattered the night; a barrage of machine gun bullets riddled the battalion HQ house, raining thatch and dust upon Luo like fallout from a storm. Catastrophe had struck! Luo surged toward the positions with the bugler—his battalion signal chief—and the reserve force, ascending the hilltop in a frenzy. Halfway up, he spotted 8th Company's Lieutenant Platoon Leader Rong Fayu leading over 20 soldiers in retreat. Bellowing "Why unauthorized retreat?" while brandishing his pistol, he compelled Rong to rally and turn back. The Japanese had launched a nocturnal assault; 8th Company Commander Yi Zuitao lay slain by a fatal shot, over a dozen comrades felled in brutal close combat, the survivors scattered like leaves in the wind; the high ground now belonged to the enemy.   Upon learning of Dongtang's loss, the regimental commander personally led the regimental reserve, his face etched with urgency. Under flickering lantern light, poring over the map with Luo, Division Commander Tang Boyin telephoned, his voice a whipcrack of command: Recapture it before dawn, or both would face the merciless hand of military justice. After seizing the high ground, the enemy hesitated to press further; Luo surmised the darkness concealed paths, and their numbers were not overwhelming. Forgoing the regimental reserve, he led 7th Company's 4 squads and remnants of the routed 8th Company in a stealthy ascent. Near the position, a ravine concealed over 20 8th Company soldiers, rallied by Sergeant Squad Leader Tan Tianrong, who had lurked in wait for reinforcements, dreading exposure at dawn under the enemy's gaze.   Spotting the battalion commander personally spearheading the counterattack, Tan Tianrong's face lit with fierce joy; his men, armed with grenades, surged as the vanguard. Intimate with the terrain even in blindness, they hurled explosives into bunkers, trenches, and works. The commander orchestrated the charge; the Japanese force of 40-50 men crumbled, over half slain or maimed, the remnants fleeing northward to their village stronghold. It was past 4 a.m.; the moon pierced the clouds, bathing the earth in a silvery glow. With positions reclaimed, the night revealed its secret: tonight was Mid-Autumn. Moonlight unraveled the tangled threads of his past; Luo draped his clothes over his shoulders, sat beneath the luminous orb, and wept in solitary anguish.   Before the war, devastating news had arrived: his brother Luo Yinong had been killed in Jiangxi. Luo had three brothers; the eldest shouldered half the family's burdens, their bond unbreakable. The brother had enlisted first in the 50th Army, climbing to battalion commander through sheer valor. He and his younger brother had followed suit, inspired by that call to arms.   Wartime conscription demanded only one per family, but battling the devils was a duty for the nation and its people. His brother had risen to deputy regimental commander before his end. The 50th Army notified him first. Engulfed in battle, there had been no time to console his grieving parents or tend to the funeral; it weighed on his heart like an unyielding stone. His sister-in-law, diligent and unassuming, cared for a young boy and carried another child; the long, arduous days ahead loomed like an endless shadow. The night dew brought a biting chill, the moon an icy sentinel; Luo shivered uncontrollably, his tears mingling with the frost.   The sky hung heavy with overcast gloom, yet the moon lurked beyond the clouds, casting a faint, ethereal light that warded off utter darkness. Along the road, a unit's elongated black shadow snaked southward in hurried silence, a serpent of weary resolve pressing through the night. Qin Yizhi reined in his horse, pausing to gaze back: the queue stretched onward, silent and impeccably orderly, belying the exhaustion of a force scarred by days of ferocious combat, their spirits unbroken amid the shadows. After the Japanese seized the 195th Division's defiant outpost at Bijia Mountain, they surged across the Xin Qiang River in a merciless onslaught. The river, shallow enough to wade knee-deep, offered no true impediment; the real barrier was forged from the defenders' scorching blood, a crimson testament to their unyielding stand. The 195th Division clashed in a maelstrom of cruelty; positions were heaped with corpses time and again, the Xin Qiang's waters churning blood-red in relentless cycles of carnage. From the night of the 23rd to the dawn of the 25th, respite was a forgotten dream; Okamura Yasuji, in a gesture of grim respect, inscribed Qin's name in elegant calligraphy and hung it within his command tent, a haunting trophy of the foe's tenacity.   Following their triumphant landing at Yingtian, the Japanese entangled the Ninth War Zone's left-wing defenders in a protracted snare, their advances grinding slowly like a predator toying with prey, menacing the flanks of the frontal troops with insidious intent. On the evening of the 27th, Xue Yue issued the fateful order for the 15th Army Group to withdraw to the precarious ground between the Miluo River and Shangshan City, ushering this blood-soaked force into an all-night march toward the next defensive crucible. Late into the night, a brief halt was called. Soldiers slumped to the ground, adjusting leg wraps and gear with mechanical precision; logistics teams darted through the ranks, distributing rations like lifelines; cooks, having forged ahead, arrived with steaming pots of rice soup, infusing the air with a rare warmth. Though no clamor broke the hush, a quiet camaraderie enveloped the queue, a fleeting balm against the war's chill.   The division staff claimed a flat expanse beside a farmhouse yard for their respite. Qin settled onto a stone roller used for grinding grain, nibbling at his meager ration and sipping the hot soup that steamed in the cool air. Suddenly, moonlight pierced the clouds, cascading down in silvery streams; the familiar contours of the farmhouse stirred a flood of warmth in his heart, evoking memories of home.   Chongqing, Huangshan Villa. Every window was shrouded in double layers of thick curtains, sealing out any sliver of betraying light, as if the very walls conspired to guard secrets from the encroaching night. Tonight's ethereal protagonist rose languidly from the eastern valley, its orange-red moonlight casting an aura of drowsy reluctance, as though it had not fully shaken off the slumber of the day. The feeble glow dappled the building's roof, balcony, and the surrounding hillsides, intersections, and thickets, where armed shadows lurked, capturing every rustle in the oppressive silence. Only upon close inspection could one discern the faint specks of moonlight glinting off steel helmets. Yet, beyond those fortified walls, another realm pulsed with life, a vibrant contrast to the shadowed vigilance outside. The front hall, living room, and dining room blazed with brilliant light. Vibrant flowers, dominated by chrysanthemums in full, defiant bloom, infused the air with color and fragrance; a phonograph murmured a cheerful Guangdong melody, weaving an atmosphere thick with festive joy, a deliberate illusion amid the storm of war.   Chiang Kai-shek, clad in a flowing black silk gown, strode ahead with poised grace, escorting his guests into the dining room alongside the elegantly attired Soong May-ling, their conversation laced with laughter and warmth. At the table, Soong May-ling's smile was a beacon of diplomacy, as she artfully arranged the seating to suit hierarchies and alliances, while servers in crisp white uniforms moved with nimble precision. This was Chiang Kai-shek's intimate Mid-Autumn family banquet; beyond a handful of pivotal military and political figures, the gathering brimmed with relatives. Guests and kin alike noted Chiang's buoyant spirits tonight; his smiles were wide and genuine, his discourse light and expansive, delving into casual topics with uncharacteristic ease.   In September 1939, China's War of Resistance Against Japan had entered its grueling third year. After the initial cataclysm of turmoil and disarray, the government and military had clawed their way to stability, adapting to this unprecedented historical crucible, with operations finally aligning into a semblance of order. According to figures proclaimed by Minister of Military Affairs He Yingqin to Chinese and foreign reporters on the 13th of this month, Japanese invaders had seized 521 counties across 12 provinces, a vast swath of conquest. Yet, the Japanese imperialists had exacted this toll at a staggering cost. Just prior, on August 30, the Hirannuma Cabinet, installed a mere eight months earlier, had collapsed in mass resignation. Hirannuma Kiichiro's predecessor, Konoe Fumimaro, had similarly bowed out amid governmental failures, chiefly the unmet ambitions in the Sino-Japanese War that he had boldly promised to parliament, exacerbating domestic political and economic woes. Days ago, when Wang Pengsheng briefed Chiang on Japan's turbulent politics, he quipped: "Konoe said three months to destroy China; three months didn't work, nor three years, who knows about 30 or 300. Hirannuma had no solutions, down in eight months. Does Abe have good ideas? How long can he be prime minister?" Indeed, Abe Nobuyuki, Hirannuma's successor, would endure a mere four and a half months before resigning in ignominy. Tonight's feast showcased Chiang's favored cuisines: delicate Jiangsu-Zhejiang dishes mingled with robust Sichuan flavors. Chiang abstained from alcohol, raising his cup in mere symbolic toasts to his guests. During the meal, as if by unspoken accord, no one broached the raging domestic battles or the volatile international landscape; conversations meandered through trivialities, skirting anything heavy or discordant, a fragile bubble of normalcy.   On September 3, Britain and France had declared war on Germany, shattering the global order in a seismic shift. Foreign newspapers already bandied the term "Second World War," a phrase that evoked freshness, exhilaration, and sheer terror in equal measure. China's diplomacy surged with newfound vigor. In April, Ambassador to the US Wang Zhengting had negotiated a $20 million loan with American banks on China's behalf. In May, Stalin responded to Chiang's overtures, agreeing to exchange arms for Chinese tea, wool, raw hides, and more. A month later, the first consignment of light and heavy weapons—including artillery and heavy machine guns—arrived via clandestine routes through Xinjiang and Mongolia, bolstering the central army's frontlines. In August, Hu Shih, Wellington Koo, and Chien Tai represented the Nationalist Government at the 19th League of Nations Assembly, laying bare the Japanese imperialists' atrocities in China before the world and rallying global forces for peace to support China's defiant stand. Soon after, British and American civic groups ignited "China Week" campaigns, pressing their governments to aid the beleaguered nation. Waves of foreign volunteers streamed in from distant shores: doctors, journalists, ordnance engineers, even retired soldiers clamoring to join the fray on the frontlines.   "If we could pull America into this war..." Through Soong May-ling's subtle, persuasive influence, Chiang allowed himself to daydream of that prosperous, dynamic young powerhouse across the vast ocean. Thus, on this Mid-Autumn night, his talk turned to America, to his correspondence with President Roosevelt regarding the "tung oil loan." That saga had unfolded the previous October; T.V. Soong had jetted to America, securing a loan with China's tung oil, a commodity scarce in the US, as collateral. China had boldly requested $400 million; America countered with $25 million, a classic tale of "ask high, settle low." Yet, the funds were secured. One success paved the way for many. Soong May-ling had once confided to Chiang: "In mobilizing US aid for China's resistance, I'll make a difference." When Chiang responded with a smile, "Thank you, Madam," he could scarcely foresee how his beautiful wife's extraordinary prowess in fulfilling this solemn vow would astonish him, etching eternal glory for Chinese women worldwide and elevating Soong May-ling to the zenith of her life's achievements.   The most direct echo of the First Battle of Changsha's thunderous saga resides in the Ninth War Zone's meticulous report on the northern Hunan and southern Hubei operations, submitted to the Chongqing Military Committee and Chiang Kai-shek himself, a faded relic now entombed amid the vast ocean of Nationalist Government military and political archives in Nanjing's Second Historical Archives of China. This document, a painstaking compilation of combat dispatches from divisions, armies, and army groups, stands as a testament to valor and sacrifice. Tragically, time's relentless march and human folly have ravaged this priceless artifact, leaving only shards and whispers to conjure the heart-wrenching inferno of that bloody clash.   "October 24, Year 28. Urgent. To Chongqing. Chairman Chiang. Secret. Submitted by Commander Xue on orders." The rice paper has yellowed to a deep, somber hue, brittle and parched; a careless touch could reduce it to dust. Some pages lie fractured, their remnants affixed to white paper, forever unable to reclaim their original wholeness. Leafing through page by page unleashes a pungent miasma, a scorched, acrid, decayed blend that assaults the senses. Traces of fire and water mar the original rice paper sheets, with countless fragments glued haphazardly to white backings, their sequences lost to eternity.   "...The Xin Qiang River spanning from Lujiao to Leishi Mountain, defending a front of over 110 li..." "Enemy 13th and 33rd Divisions, parts of the Hata Detachment, naval units, and artillery, cavalry, engineers totaling..." "...Began attacking us first with artillery... fortifications completely destroyed, then infantry charged; relying on our officers and men all resolved to coexist with the homeland..." "...And launched balloons to direct artillery... our army braved the cannons... repelled them, corpses filling the river, turning the water red..." "Division casualties also reached over a thousand... failed to inflict greater strikes and annihilate... deep inner guilt, besides vigorously training troops awaiting orders to kill the enemy..." "...Attack casualties heavy, then concentrated large forces... artillery fire so dense like continuous firecrackers for hours... released poison gas, Wang Street garrison all heroically sacrificed, then breached... Zhao Gongwu kowtows, October 15"   Zhao Gongwu commanded the 2nd Division under Zhang Yaoming's 52nd Army. This unit first held the line along the Xin Qiang River, then fell back to northeast of Fengjiang Bridge to staunch the enemy tide once more; after October 6, it hammered southward-marching Japanese from the west in the Yanglin Street and Dajing Street regions. Through these crucibles, the division bled over half its strength. A fragment of an envelope clings to a sheet of white paper, its words faintly visible: "Changsha 126-3 Zhang Yaoming," "Hunan Jinjing Air Mail," "Combat Process by..." and the like. The stamp remains remarkably intact—a philatelic gem now. Measuring 1.5 cm square, it features Sun Yat-sen's portrait at its center, inscribed "Republic of China Post" below, with "5" in the upper right, "fen" to the left, and "5" in each lower corner. I sat at the long table in the spacious, brightly lit reading room, staring vacantly, my thoughts grinding to a halt. These remnants are all that endure for posterity, of that monumental battle, of the scorching blood and vanished lives of countless unnamed Chinese soldiers. With hands that once gripped a rifle, I gently caressed those pages from a bygone era; they were cold, devoid of any lingering breath.   As the full moon of the 15th of the eighth month dissolved into the golden-red blaze of sunrise, Qin Yizhi's 195th Division had already plunged into the rugged mountains and dense forests encircling Fulinpu. Per directives from 15th Army Group Commander Guan Linzheng, the 195th was to forge a new defensive bastion centered on Fulinpu, 40 to 70 kilometers from Changsha. Their mandate: stall the Japanese southward juggernaut, granting precious time for allied forces to muster and fortify around the city. Despite the grueling all-night march, morale soared undimmed. The advance chief of staff doled out positions to each regiment, and the troops dove into fortification labors with fervent zeal. The 195th Division's unyielding stand along the Xin Qiang River had already etched preliminary glory upon this unit in its baptism of fire. "Fame in one battle" echoed as a battle cry throughout the division, where collective honor intertwined with personal valor. Honor and triumph formed the bedrock for soldiers and armies alike. Yet, another fire fueled their resolve.   On September 23, amid the Japanese forcing the Xin Qiang River, Guan Linzheng's voice crackled over the phone to Qin Yizhi: "Facing you is the 6th Division." The 6th Division, a name that ignited fury in Chinese troops and civilians, forever linked to the demonic specter of Tani Hisao. Moments later, the whisper spread like wildfire through every trench: "The Japanese army that perpetrated the Nanjing Massacre is right in front." Agitation rippled through the ranks; some donned fresh uniforms and shoes from their packs, casting aside the worn; others flouted discipline to bid farewells to hometown comrades: "Today we fight to the death here; see you in the next life." "Tell my mother I died fighting the Nanjing Massacre enemies."   Some company commanders commanded their mess sergeants to expend all funds on hearty feasts. All Japanese were foes, but the 6th Division embodied a blood debt, an unforgivable vendetta; the Chinese nation does not lightly forget its tormentors. In the Xin Qiang River maelstrom, the 195th Division battled with heroic ferocity. Some soldiers, in their final breaths, murmured: "Die then; it's worth it." Others lamented slaying too few devils, gritting teeth, eyes refusing to close in eternal regret. Now under Inaba Shiro's command, the 6th Division splintered southward after breaching the Xin Qiang; roughly a thousand hounded the 195th to Fulinpu. On the morning of September 29, the Japanese blundered into the 195th's meticulously laid ambush. Qin Yizhi, pulse racing with excitement and tension, fumbled the binoculars from his guard's hand. His command sliced the air: "Begin." War history chronicles: "The 6th Division advanced south from the Miluo River along the Xinshi-Liqiao road and Xinshi-Fulinpu routes. The over a thousand reaching Fulinpu were ambushed by the Nationalist 195th Division, suffering heavy losses." As Japanese artillery and aircraft unleashed hell upon the 195th's positions, Qin orchestrated a swift southward withdrawal to the environs of Shangshan City. Again, without pause, they erected fortifications and set deadly traps.   On the morning of September 30, the pursuers from Fulinpu closed in on Shangshan, their numbers swollen to over 1,500. Qin Yizhi clenched his jaw, his demeanor icy calm, allowing the Japanese to creep into the kill zone before barking: "Hit them hard!" Combat raged from dawn to dusk, obliterating over 700 foes. Qin ascended a hill, surveying through binoculars, then erupted: "Bad! The enemy is retreating." Upon receiving Qin's telegram, Guan Linzheng scrutinized the map, momentarily stunned, then replied: "Enemy shows no retreat signs yet; proceed per original plan. Your unit to block at Shangshan City line until October 2." Xianning, Okamura Yasuji's 11th Army HQ.   Combat maps bristled with markings, staff officers darting amid ringing phones and clattering telegrams. The colossal red arrow in northern Hunan had fractured into tributaries, surging over 100 km southward from the outset; one tendril pierced to Yong'an City, a mere 30 km from Changsha. Vast swaths of northern Hunan lay conquered, yet Okamura sensed the tide turning, it was time to retreat. The Chinese employed their time-honored gradual resistance, battling while retreating with cunning grace. Some units fell back directly, others amassed on flanks—what portent did that hold? In Okamura's shrewd mind loomed an equally shrewd Xue Yue; he envisioned his adversary methodically weaving a snare.   Post-Yingtian landing, the 15th Army Group's timely evasion had unraveled his "Xiang-Gan Operation Plan" like fragile thread. If encircling and annihilating the Chinese main force proved unattainable, what purpose in pressing onward? Telegrams from 3rd Division's Fujita Susumu, 6th's Inaba Shiro, and 13th's Tanaka Seiichi piled on his desk, pleading to assault Changsha—for headlines and Imperial accolades, perhaps, but blind to their exposed supply lines vulnerable to enemy thrusts? Ground logistics teetered on collapse; the air force resorted to airdrops for isolated regiments. Venturing further south would stretch lines to breaking; a severed artery spelled doom for the vanguard. When would these commanders mature into true stewards of the Imperial Army? Okamura fretted and pitied them in equal measure.   At 4 p.m. on September 30, Okamura decreed a halt to advances at Shangshan and Yong'an. He commenced orchestrating the retreat. Changsha, Yuelu Mountain, Ninth War Zone Command Forward HQ. October 1. Xue Yue stood before the map, Guan's latest telegram clutched in hand. Qin's second missive insisted on Japanese withdrawal, corroborated by 15th Army Group scouts from Yingtian: This morning (October 1), Japanese transports unloaded artillery stowed the previous night, hauling it back to Yueyang; intercepted wires revealed a regiment aborting its southward push, standing idle. Guan assessed the mosaic and commanded counteroffensives: intercept if feasible, pursue relentlessly, deny the Japanese escape; he relayed retreat indicators to Xue. Xue paced the chamber, head bowed in contemplation. Chief of Staff Wu Yizhi, Staff Director Zhao Zili, and their cadre tracked his every step with expectant eyes, awaiting the verdict. Xue's thoughts whirled through military stratagems and beyond.   Pre-war, Xue had segmented the war zone's forces into tripartite blocs: Northern Hunan under Guan Linzheng's 15th, Yang Sen's 27th, and Shang Zhen's 20th Army Groups as "A Cluster"; Northern Jiangxi Nanchang with Yunnan Army Lu Han's 1st Army Group and the 74th Army as "B Cluster"; the Wuning, Xiushui, Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border guarded by Sichuan Army Wang Lingji's 30th Army Corps, Fan Songpu's Border Advance Army, and 8th Army; augmented by 3 armies' 7 divisions in general reserve. Before the storm broke, Xue pored over maps, tracing every mountain, river, road, and bridge, envisioning burial grounds for the invaders.   Now, beneath Changsha, 200,000 troops formed a tightening net. The "decisive battle in Changsha suburbs" blueprint had been wired to Chongqing. Chiang and the nation yearned for a resounding triumph as the resistance pivoted into a new epoch?! A masterful drama, honed over half a month's toil, neared its crescendo; yet that cunning fox appeared to sniff the trap's metallic tang, freezing in place. "Commander, phone from Minister Chen." "Brother Boling, good news." Chen Cheng's voice brimmed with levity, "Your formal appointment published. What? Ninth War Zone Commander! First to congratulate; document tomorrow." Shedding the "acting" prefix was inevitable; Chiang had intimated as much long ago. But for a man and general, true worth lay not in titles, but in forging indelible feats. Splendor was judged not by underlings, colleagues, or superiors, but by peers in the craft of war.   Unmoved by the promotion, Xue exhaled a profound sigh. Though the 15th's intelligence couldn't confirm a wholesale retreat, preparations for dual contingencies were imperative. Victories came hard; a splendid battle, harder still. He summoned Wu Yizhi and Zhao Zili to devise countermeasures for the enemy's potential flight. October 2, Sichuan Army Yang Sen's 27th Army Group, Yang Gancai's 134th Division special service company, under Company Commander Wan Mingyu, slogged through the profound mountains and forests on the northern Mufu Mountains' flanks. The 134th's covert mandate: infiltrate enemy rear via treacherous terrain, sabotage supply arteries in the Chongyang-Xianning sector, and deliver a dagger to the Japanese spine when opportunity struck, bolstering frontal defenses.   Past 3 p.m., a crystalline mountain stream materialized. Wan decreed a respite. Over 100 soldiers, drained from a half-day's ascent, collapsed like puppets with severed strings. Most propped their torsos with rifles in one hand, fanning hats to ward off the relentless forest mosquitoes with the other. Regaining breath, they devoured rations washed down with stream water. Some unfurled towels and ventured downstream, letting the cool flow rinse away layers of sweat. Then, a muted engine drone encroached from the heavens. Wan peered through the foliage: a low-flying plane vectored southward, its wings emblazoned with the Rising Sun.   A transport; Wan recognized the temporary Japanese airfield near Xianning. With lines overextended, airdrops sustained isolated units. Wan was prying open a can with his bayonet, the tip etching a cross on the lid before levering along the edge; paired with a rice ball, it promised a savory repast. His orderly proffered a cup of fresh stream water; 2nd Platoon Leader Hu Yaozong perched nearby on a rock, smirking, poised to pilfer from the opened tin. Wan warded off this Sichuan Pixian compatriot. The plane droned overhead then.   Both glanced skyward; the platoon quipped: "Open quick, damn, I'll repay two cans later." Commander: "Want cans? Sky has; shoot plane down, enough for two lifetimes, bloat your mother-in-law first." The can hailed from a prior supply raid. Platoon: "You want me to shoot the plane?" Commander: "Bastard! You shooting or not?" The platoon snatched the light machine gun from a tree fork, jamming the butt against his belly, one hand on the grip, aiming crudely: "Come down, you turtle son!" The other hand squeezed the trigger. Wan assumed jest, resuming his task. "Da-da-da..." Wan jolted; the half-opened can tumbled to his feet, spilling Japanese fish onto Chinese soil. Recoil floored the platoon; he hurled the gun like a branding iron, face ashen. Inspecting the trigger, he snarled: "Whose damn fault, why no safety?!" The gunner dashed over; tall and even-tempered: "Safety was on; how'd it fire without pulling?" Wan's initial panic: "Damn! Position exposed."   The company spearheaded the division's reinforced regiment to raze a recent Japanese depot, guarded by a mere company—but exposure doomed the regiment deep in hostile territory. The assault had been plotted for days; pre-departure, Yang Gancai had toasted them. Wan had sworn a blood oath: No return to Sichuan without success. Hu had jested then: "No Sichuan return means wanting Hunan girl as concubine." Banter was fine in peace, but in war's grip, this was no trifling errand. Wan unleashed a torrent of curses, rising to survey the environs. The main force lagged 15 km behind; advance or abort post-blunder? Enemy rear was a labyrinth; this isolated band teetered on a razor's edge. As if to compel a choice, the radio operator approached; Wan itched to lash out. In his fury and indecision, a miracle unfolded.   The transport's engines hacked like a consumptive invalid, then a witness spied the plane banking left, plummeting, its nose inexorably toward a colossal rock 3-4 km distant. It rebounded twice on the stone, nose and left wing crumpling; the fuselage, fragile as parchment, tumbled gently, skewing onto the slope amid splintered trees. Wan gaped, then bellowed: "Assemble!" The men snapped from reverie, charging downhill in a frenzied cascade. One hour later, 134th Deputy Commander and Reinforced Regiment Commander Liu decoded Wan's vanguard transmission via radio. Another hour passed before Liu received Yang Gancai's directive: Abort Mountain Leopard operation; return with documents expeditiously. One day hence, October 3, Okamura Yasuji's original retreat order from October 2 dawn, addressed to northern Hunan's 6th, 33rd Divisions, Nara and Uemura Detachments, plus its Chinese translation, landed on Xue Yue's desk.   Fifteen days later, at the Changsha Victory Celebration, unit accolades were proclaimed; for "shooting down enemy plane, obtaining vital enemy documents," meritorious honors went to 134th Commander Yang Gancai and Deputy Liu. Each received 1000 yuan and one 3rd Class Baoding Medal. Okamura's October 2 order original: Chinese forces retreated to Miluo and Xiushui Rivers banks assembling; to avoid disadvantage, this army should quickly withdraw to original positions, restore combat strength.   Withdrawal plan as follows: … Xue's October 3 order original:   "Northern Hunan frontal units with current posture immediately pursue facing enemy fiercely, must capture in Chongyang-Yueyang south area. ... Pursuit units may detach part to monitor and sweep enemy collection troops; main force execute overtaking pursuit... Already deep behind enemy advance units vigorously destroy enemy transport lines, cut escape routes."   From October 3, Chinese forces unleashed ferocious counteroffensives against the Japanese on three fronts: northern Hunan, southern Hubei, and the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border; the invaders receded like a vanishing tide, never to reclaim their ground. The 25th and 195th Divisions hounded the 6th Division and Nara Detachment from Fulinpu back to the Miluo River, then to the Xin Qiang River. On October 8, the Japanese fled across the Xin Qiang; the 195th's 566th Brigade surged in pursuit, launching a nocturnal raid on Xitang-Jianshan. Gains were modest, but the enemy, entrenched in their den, resisted with feral tenacity. Qin commanded the brigade's withdrawal southward; northern Hunan operations concluded.   In southern Hubei, the 79th Army chased remnants of the 33rd Division from Sanyan Bridge to Pingjiang, across Nanjiang Bridge, hounding them back to their Tongcheng lair. On the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border, 30th Army Group Commander Wang Lingji orchestrated a pincer against Japanese at Xiushui. The foes retreated to Sandu, mounting a stubborn defense. Chinese assaults faltered for three days; on the fourth night's blitz, victory crowned their efforts, expelling the invaders to their original Wuning stronghold. With both armies reclaiming pre-war lines, the First Battle of Changsha drew to its resounding close.   Over days, Xue Yue received a deluge of congratulatory telegrams and letters from the Nationalist Government, Military Committee, National Assembly, myriad civic groups, party officials, and social luminaries. As hoped, among them was Chiang Kai-shek's effusive missive, brimming with joy. For Xue Yue, this one sufficed. Chiang Kai-shek's telegram to Xue Yue:   "In this northern Hunan campaign, over half the enemy was annihilated. The triumphant news has invigorated the nation, all due to effective command and soldiers' valor; I commend without reservation. Thoroughly investigate and report meritorious personnel from this battle; also report the dead and wounded for awards and relief. With this initial victory foundation laid, our officers and men's responsibilities grow heavier; urge your subordinates to extra vigilance, redoubled effort, avoiding arrogance or complacency, to amass great achievements, my deepest hopes."   As if countering Chongqing's high-powered broadcasts, Japanese radios in Wuhan, Nanjing, Beiping, and Manchukuo blared at full volume: "In this Xiang-Gan operation, valiant Imperial forces penetrated over 100 km into northern Hunan, sweeping anti-peace elements, routing Chinese central main forces, inflicting over 40,000 enemy casualties, a pivotal triumph advancing the holy war. Having achieved objectives, Imperial troops have victoriously withdrawn..."   In the aftermath of the First Battle of Changsha, the Japanese high command spun a tale of calculated restraint, insisting their assault was merely a spoiling raid, a calculated jab never intended to seize and hold the city indefinitely. With brazen confidence, they downplayed their toll, claiming a mere 850 souls lost to death and 2,700 wounded in the fray, while boastfully asserting they had slain 44,000 Chinese defenders and taken 4,000 captive, painting a picture of overwhelming triumph amid the smoke and ruin. Yet, foreign military observers, peering through the fog of propaganda with detached scrutiny, painted a starkly different canvas. They gauged Chinese losses at a far more tempered 20,000 killed and wounded, a heavy but bearable scar on the nation's resolve, while estimating Japanese casualties soared to around 30,000, a grievous hemorrhage that belied the invaders' claims of minimal sacrifice. Military historian Michael Clodfelter, sifting through the annals of conflict, ventured an even grimmer tally: a staggering 50,000 Japanese casualties endured in the relentless clash, a testament to the ferocity of Chinese resistance and the high price of imperial ambition. In the battle's locale, neither side claimed clear victory, but globally for the resistance, it favored China. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The First Battle of Changsha unfolded in September 1939 during China's War of Resistance Against Japan. Japanese forces under Okamura Yasuji advanced into Hunan and Jiangxi, crossing rivers and capturing key positions like Yingtian amid fierce Chinese defenses led by Xue Yue. 

Performance and Works used with permission from the artist and venue. Venturing onward to New York seems to be a necessary step in the careers of most aspiring jazz artists. Guitarist Tim Picard has been a Northeast Ohio mainstay, equally adept in straight ahead and free jazz. But time marches on and opportunities abound in the Big Apple, so Tim is off to New York, but not before one last performance of originals and favorites. Backed by Theron Brown on Piano, Jordan McBride on Bass and Zaire Darden on Drums, and from a July 24th, 2025 performance it's the Tim Picard Quartet….Live at the Bop Stop.

A brand new update for the Fifth Anniversary of the podcast, exploring all the projects your host Garhdo is working on, as well as their plans to get back to a more organised schedule. There is plenty to get excited by, so settle in for the next year of content!0:00 Intro0:46 A Brand New Project2:22 Venturing into Voiceovers3:54 Featured Episodes9:45 But Wait, There's More!12:57 Reviewing Geek Classics15:32 Garhdo Goes Gaming17:59 My Blog Page23:12 Commissions for Sale25:05 Outrohttps://linktr.ee/garhdoApril 11th, 2026Music CreditsOneEightFour, In The Back Room, Vinyl Couch, and Ultima Thule by Blue Dot Sessions https://www.sessions.blue Host Art Commissioned from Jayd https://www.instagram.com/jazzyjayd_43/

Healing from grief isn't just emotional—it's spiritual. Learn how to nurture your soul while navigating the psychological journey of recovery. https://bit.ly/4md1ENFWhy  Spirituality is ImportantGrief affects every part of our lives — our emotions, our relationships, our bodies, and our sense of meaning. Yet one area is often overlooked in grief care: the spiritual self.Whether or not you identify as religious, spirituality (where we connect with the earth, ourselves, and others) is the place where we ask life's biggest questions. Why did this happen? What does this loss mean? Who am I now?In this episode, we explore how grief often forces us to confront our beliefs about meaning, purpose, faith, doubt, and connection. We Discuss:Why spirituality is often the "missing link" ignored in grief treatment.The concept of spiritual bypassing—using faith to avoid the pain of mourning.How grief can shake—or reshape—your worldview and faith.Finding a holistic balance: How to hold both psychological healing and spiritual exploration at the same time.Why grief requires embracing “both/and” instead of either/or For many people, healing from loss involves more than emotional processing. It involves rebuilding a worldview that has been shaken by death. Grief is messy. Faith questions can be messy too. But exploring them may be one of the most important parts of healing.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro-Learn About the Link Between Sprituality and Healing from Grief01:22 - Happy 6th Anniversary! We're Venturing into Season 702:04 - To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes04:12 - Whanitta Sheetz's Fried Ripe Tomato05:35 - Spirituality: The Missing Link That Can Prevent Grievers from Moving Forward*11:05 - Connecting to Spirituality through Nature: Sunlight and Tomatoes20:24 - Gathas for the Practice of Mindful Living - Thich Nhat Hanh28:48 - Outro-Every Day is a Gift *Content in this episode is shared with permission from WhatsYourGrief.com #GriefSupport #SpiritualGrief #GriefHealing #FaithAndGrief #LossAndMeaning #GriefEducation #BereavementSupport #GriefJourney #EveryoneDiesPodcast #TalkingAboutDeath Support the showConnect with Us: Email our Host: mail@every1dies.org  Website: https://every1dies.org: Find show notes, links and expanded resources Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube  

Fluent Fiction - Dutch: Venturing Beyond Rules: Secrets of Ancient Roman Markets Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/nl/episode/2026-03-30-07-38-19-nl Story Transcript:Nl: De zon scheen fel boven de bruisende markt van het oude Rome.En: The sun shone brightly over the bustling market of ancient Rome.Nl: De lente was in volle bloei en de Paasvakantie bracht een vrolijke sfeer met zich mee.En: Spring was in full bloom, and the Easter holiday brought a cheerful atmosphere with it.Nl: Meike en Thijs stonden op het plein, omringd door hun klasgenoten, met grote ogen en nieuwsgierigheid om wat komen ging.En: Meike and Thijs stood in the square, surrounded by their classmates, with wide eyes and curiosity about what was to come.Nl: Meike, met een vurige passie voor geschiedenis, kon haar opwinding nauwelijks bedwingen.En: Meike, with a fiery passion for history, could barely contain her excitement.Nl: Ze wilde alles leren over de wereld om haar heen.En: She wanted to learn everything about the world around her.Nl: Haar vriend, Thijs, was meer geïnteresseerd in avontuur.En: Her friend, Thijs, was more interested in adventure.Nl: Hij was altijd op zoek naar plezier en misschien een beetje kattenkwaad.En: He was always looking for fun and maybe a little mischief.Nl: De markt was vol leven.En: The market was full of life.Nl: Verkopers schreeuwden om klanten te lokken, de lucht was gevuld met de geur van exotische kruiden, en prachtige stoffen wapperden in de wind.En: Sellers shouted to attract customers, the air was filled with the scent of exotic spices, and beautiful fabrics fluttered in the wind.Nl: Dit was een plek waar verhalen uit de geschiedenis tot leven kwamen.En: This was a place where stories from history came to life.Nl: Hun leraar, een strenge maar rechtvaardige vrouw, waarschuwde hen: "Blijf bij de groep.En: Their teacher, a strict but fair woman, warned them: "Stay with the group.Nl: Dwaal niet af."En: Do not wander off."Nl: Meike knikte braaf, maar Thijs gaf een ondeugende knipoog.En: Meike nodded obediently, but Thijs gave a mischievous wink.Nl: "Kom op, Meike," fluisterde hij, "laten we een beetje avontuur beleven."En: "Come on, Meike," he whispered, "let's have a little adventure."Nl: Meike aarzelde.En: Meike hesitated.Nl: Ze wist dat ze moest luisteren.En: She knew she had to listen.Nl: Maar de gedachte aan verborgen schatten en mysterieuze hoekjes trok aan haar.En: But the thought of hidden treasures and mysterious corners pulled at her.Nl: Uiteindelijk won haar nieuwsgierigheid het.En: In the end, her curiosity won.Nl: Ze keek om zich heen, zag dat de leraar afgeleid was, en samen met Thijs sloop ze een smalle steeg in.En: She looked around, saw that the teacher was distracted, and together with Thijs, she slipped into a narrow alleyway.Nl: In de verborgen hoek van de markt vonden ze iets magisch.En: In the hidden corner of the market, they found something magical.Nl: Oud Romeinse artefacten lagen verstopt tussen oude kisten en stof.En: Old Roman artifacts lay hidden among old crates and dust.Nl: Er waren potten, scherven, en zelfs een oude olielamp.En: There were pots, shards, and even an old oil lamp.Nl: Meike pakte voorzichtig een stuk aardewerk op.En: Meike carefully picked up a piece of pottery.Nl: Het was mooi, met ingewikkelde patronen.En: It was beautiful, with intricate patterns.Nl: Haar hart klopte in haar keel.En: Her heart pounded in her chest.Nl: Dit was geschiedenis in haar handen!En: This was history in her hands!Nl: Ze verloren zichzelf in de wonderen van deze geheime plaats.En: They lost themselves in the wonders of this secret place.Nl: Maar de tijd tikte weg en Meike besefte dat ze terug moesten naar hun groep.En: But time was ticking away, and Meike realized they had to return to their group.Nl: Onopgemerkt slopen ze terug naar het plein.En: Unnoticed, they sneaked back to the square.Nl: Meike hield de scherf stevig vast, haar eigen stukje geschiedenis.En: Meike held the shard tightly, her own piece of history.Nl: Bij terugkomst keek hun leraar hen scherp aan, maar leek niets door te hebben.En: Upon their return, their teacher looked at them sharply but seemed to suspect nothing.Nl: Meike voelde een mix van schuld en trots.En: Meike felt a mix of guilt and pride.Nl: De scherf in haar hand herinnerde haar aan het avontuur dat ze net beleefd had.En: The shard in her hand reminded her of the adventure she had just experienced.Nl: Ze dacht na over wat ze ervan geleerd had.En: She thought about what she had learned from it.Nl: Misschien was af en toe afwijken van de regels niet zo slecht, zolang je maar respectvol bleef.En: Maybe occasionally straying from the rules wasn't so bad, as long as you remained respectful.Nl: Met een glimlach stopte Meike het stukje aardewerk in haar tas.En: With a smile, Meike put the piece of pottery in her bag.Nl: Een geheim, een herinnering.En: A secret, a memory.Nl: Ze wist dat ze het voor zichzelf zou houden, als een stille overeenkomst tussen haar liefde voor avontuur en haar respect voor het verleden.En: She knew she would keep it to herself, as a silent agreement between her love for adventure and her respect for the past.Nl: De zon bleef schijnen boven de markt, terwijl Meike en Thijs zich terug bij hun groep voegden, hun hart vol verhalen en dromen.En: The sun continued to shine over the market as Meike and Thijs rejoined their group, their hearts full of stories and dreams. Vocabulary Words:bustling: bruisendebloom: bloeicuriosity: nieuwsgierigheidfiery: vurigecontain: bedwingenmischief: kattenkwaadfabrics: stoffenwarned: waarschuwdewander: dwaalobediently: braafmischievous: ondeugendehesitated: aarzeldetreasures: schattennarrow alleyway: smalle steegartifacts: artefactencrates: kistenshards: schervenpottery: aardewerkintricate: ingewikkeldepounded: klopteunnoticed: onopgemerktsuspicious: verdachtguilt: schuldpride: trotsadventure: avontuurrespectful: respectvolmemories: herinneringenagreement: overeenkomstsecret: geheimdreams: dromen

Brother Matthew was a worldly teenager when his mother decided she and her son needed to go to church. By the end of that first service, both of them had committed their lives to following Christ. As Matthew grew in faith, he was convicted and inspired by the Acts accounts of Paul's missionary travels. Studying Paul's efforts to take the gospel to the gentiles, Matthew began to ponder who were the gentiles in his generation, living far from the truth of Christ? As he began to ask that question in prayer, God laid on his heart the nation of Afghanistan. Matthew began taking steps towards service in that war-torn country, and repeatedly God confirmed His calling. Months later, Matthew was in Uzbekistan, serving with a church-planting effort and getting on-the-ground education in Central Asia ministry and culture. Listen as Matthew tells the stories of the people he met who experienced supernatural visions and encounters with Jesus. He'll also talk about the risks of sharing the gospel among Muslims, and the miraculous story of how God helped him get approval for an Afghan visa from the Taliban consulate! Matthew will recount what it looked like when he arrived in Kabul—just a few years after Soviet tanks withdrew—and how the Lord led him to serve in a village as God faithfully guided, one step at a time. Pray this week for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and throughout Central Asia. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran, and India, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

The unexpected first experience of a blooming teenager.By JaneDoeStuff03. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Venturing out the chaos of the big city and into the widely different landscape that is the state’s countryside it is easy to acknowledge the existence of the “other” city. A small conglomerate of towns loosely connected by few roads, where a great number of land workers consumed vast amounts of life, seemed to willingly stand in direct opposition to the skyscrapers back at the coast out west.Janet Doe had grown up in this so called “other” city and her opinion of the place had changed more the more she grew up. When she was a kid, it could be called a paradise: she could play in absolute freedom in the vastity of the fields, with her beloved dog and her much older brother watching over them, as happy as a lark. But not anymore. With her brother gone (lost to college) and her dog now too old to even walk, that precious corner of world had transformed from a refuge to an isolating prison, where all she felt was alone. She imagined many times how her life would be in the big city, how many friends she could make and, most importantly, she could spend time with, instead of only having school hours to interact with kids her age, before going home to loneliness.There she was, a once cheerful and creative little girl, now a bored and uninterested teenager at her last year of high school. It didn’t take long for her family to notice the change, but the first to propose something was her brother John as he got back home for the winter holydays. He proposed to their parents something that could, in his opinion, bring back a smile on the face of little Jenny. He had always had a soft spot for his little sister, and he genuinely cared about her well-being, even though he’d never tell her to her face. Never in his life he could have imagined how much this little proposal of his would have changed Jenny. Or the way it’d change her. The parents weren’t hard to convince and with the start of the new year, after a few phone calls from the siblings’ mom, Jenny would have her first piano lesson. She had always been captivated by the piano in the living room, but also had been too scared to try to play it. The piano was first bought by her father as a decorative piece of furniture and never actually used, for none of the family members knew how to play it properly. This is where our story finally begins.In a cold and still mid-January afternoon, Janet and her mom were waiting to meet the new piano teacher. The only thing they knew was that he was a mature man and was one the few who was willing to venture to their isolated home thrice a week for a cheap pay. Mrs. Doe had taken a free afternoon from her job to meet the mysterious man in person and decide if he was trustworthy to be left (eventually alone), with her little girl. At 3.55 p.m., five minutes earlier than agreed, the teacher rang the intercom outside the gate of the house.“He’s here!”Jenny’s mom jumped out of the sofa as she was saying this, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her voice. She opened the gate and the house’s door and started peeking at the man who was walking up to her porch. As he got closer to the door, she showed herself to him and greeted him with an educated smile.“Good afternoon, madame. I’m Thomas, we spoke on the phone.”The two women were a little stunned by the appearance of the man: his voice was deep and controlled, he spoke slowly and surely as only men of a certain age manage, but now that he was in front of them, they could see he was more of a boy than an adult man. Mrs. Doe, always speaking her mind, said to the stranger:“I didn’t expect you to be so young, Thomas. I’m honestly a little surprised. How old are you if I may ask?”To which Thomas replied, without a hint of hesitation:“Twenty-three, madame. Don’t worry, I’m used to people mistaking me for someone a little older.”After the brief exchange, Janet and her mom received the guest and had him sit at the dinner table across them, both curious to ask questions to him.“Feel free to ask any question you’d like madame,” said the young man.Jenny’s mom didn’t need him to tell her that and started a thorough interrogatory.It turned out Thomas wasn’t a musician by trade, but a mathematician with a passion for music that had played the piano since he was a kid. His parents were middle class workers who expected much from him, and he wanted them to be proud: he used his time to study, practice various sports and cultivating his love for music. No unnecessary distractions, pauses or vacations. This brought him to get a master’s degree in mathematics at an Ivy League college on a scholarship (no student debt for him) and having all the necessary pieces of paper to go and make a difference in the world at only 23 years old. Unfortunately, at the end of his journey all the fatigue from his inhumane routine caught up with him and he came to an enlightening and probably even life-saving realization: he was spent, completely and utterly spent. So, he said goodbye to his parents once again as he chose the most God-forgotten destination where to decompress and rest for some time, maybe even a couple of years.As he kept telling them about his life, both women could feel the weight of Thomas’ experience and how it molded him into the person they were speaking. The collectedness that had wondered them at first had now an explanation, since that was the only attitude that would get him through a life of rigid discipline without slowly going depressed. He was pragmatic and stoic, but also kind and gentle, the type of gentleness of someone who knows he is strong and therefore has little need for pretending to be tough. Mrs. Doe could read his character like a book from the words he spoke and was very impressed by what she read in him.The interview proceeded in a semi-formal tone, except a few jokes by Mrs. Doe, like when she asked if for “no unnecessary distractions” he meant he never had a girlfriend, to which Thomas elegantly answered: “I wouldn’t call a woman an unnecessary distraction, madame”, making Mrs. Doe like him even more.At the end of the questioning, after settling the matters of pay and weekly schedule, Mrs. Doe turned to her daughter and asked:“What do you think Jenny, would you like to try giving him a chance?”“I… I guess we can give it a shot.”These words brought her back to reality, from the depths of her thoughts where she was about to drown. During the interview, the whole interview, Jenny’s mind was in a realm of its own, where all she could think about was that she hoped nobody would notice how wet she was getting. Since greeting him at the door she was hypnotized by the looks and ways of the young man.Thomas was tall and well built, so much that his wide shoulders and proud chest stood out even if he was wearing a suit. His hair was a light shade of brown, freshly cut and quite short on the sides, almost looking like a military haircut. His beard was shaved, and his cheeks looked smooth, revealing a firm jawline. Brown eyes, darker than the shade of his hair, a regular, straight nose and a nice white smile. He would surely be considered handsome by the average girl, just for the fact that he was physically fit, but to Jenny he was exactly her type. She found him irresistible in every way: the voice, the face, the body were making her insides lubed as if she was melting.Jenny was a girl at that age. At eighteen years old, her body was now fully craving the sweet forbidden fruit that is the taste of a man. And now she was right in the middle of experiencing her first crush. She was short, around 5'5’’, with C-cup breasts and a slender, athletic body. The face of angel, with delicate round shapes, full lips, piercing brown eyes and dark ginger hair. A rare, tasteful beauty in the middle of blooming, that promised greatly of the woman she’d become.The first lesson, under the supervision of her mother, had her trying harder to contain her hormones than to learn the piano. Nonetheless, Mrs. Doe thought Thomas had done a good job at teaching and trusted him to come on Wednesday, where he and Jenny would be unsupervised.Janet had spent the time waiting for the next lesson in a horny fever. She masturbated more times that she could count and imagined tons of scenarios where Thomas tried to seduce her or to take her by force, never tired of imagining herself in his arms. Finally, the moment came, and she opened the door to him once more. As soon as they exchanged greetings, all she wanted to do was to jump him and French kiss him, but her shame stopped her. The lesson went on as she looked in an almost feverish state, to the point where Thomas asked her if she was feeling ill. She couldn’t live like that, and she knew it. She couldn’t live her life holding herself back.But as the weeks went by something unexpected happened. After spending many afternoons with him the lust became controllable and changed into something else: love. The two had spoken much with each other, often putting aside the piano for a chit chat. Thomas had opened completely with her, for he was a person who didn’t hide anything from the people he really liked, and Janet felt the need to return his honesty and had taken the habit of telling him how she felt without hesitation. This brought them closer than they were to anyone at that moment of their lives and made it a most important relationship beyond physical attraction.As the winter melted away to leave room for spring, things with the not-yet-a-couple started to warm up too. The first notable change was in Thomas: since Jenny had told him the previous month that she never had a boyfriend he couldn’t shake the thought of her being a beautiful young woman from his mind. He had long abandoned viewing her as a child and started noticing the hints he was too blind to see before: how she clung to him whenever she could, the look in her eyes when he made her laugh, the awkward blushing her cheeks did whenever he got closer or took her hand on the piano. At the beginning of spring, he was finally convinced Jenny liked him, which put him in a dilemma: to be or not to be (with her). Thomas felt very attracted by her body and during the previous months had come to know how much of a smart and funny and gentle girl she was. If she was just a little older and he wasn’t her teacher, he would have taken a shot at her without overthinking it. Instead of being consumed by the dilemma of making or not a move towards her, he decided that he’d only accept her feeling if she confessed to him, so that he wouldn’t abuse of the power of being her teacher. A most practical conclusion, as expected of him.If only Jenny could take a decision just as easily.Ironically, to face the dilemma of confessing to Thomas, she asked herself what he would do in her place. Obviously, he would face it head on, with only the practical approach in mind, she thought. She wasn’t quite ready for that level of straightforwardness, so she opted for a compromise: she’d tell him she was dying to kiss him from the first moment she saw him and see his reaction. If it were to go south, she could always play it a joke, as teenage girls tend to do.That is how, in a warm spring afternoon, exactly three months after their first meeting, Thomas and Janet came to stand in front of each other in the living room, their arms holding one another, their tongues intertwined in a warm, moist embrace.When they finally separated, after two full minutes of silence and kissing, Jenny could only say:“Oh my God, Tommy. It was beautiful…”“Yeah…”Janet took him by the hand and guided him to her room upstairs, Thomas following her from behind, not in need of an explanation. Once in her room, the door and the curtains closed, at the dim light of the afternoon sun barely filtering through the window, they started kissing again. Thomas was holding her head with his fingers in her hair and slowly sliding his other hand from her hip to her ass, as they kept tasting each other, never having enough of it. His taste was slightly bitter, hers a little sweet. Jenny, although surprised to be wanted back at first, wanted to show him she was going all the way. She pulled her lips away and looked him in the eyes. Then, without breaking eye contact, she grabbed the hand holding her hair, put it on her breast and whispered:“I want you…”Thomas took the hand she had put on her breast and guided it to the bulge in his pants, letting Jenny feel the effect she had on him, then answered:“I want you too…”He then proceeded to undress her gently and inviting her to undress him, until finally nothing stood between their naked bodies.“You’re beautiful, Jenny. You’re an angel.”She blushed, because she knew he really did think so.They explored each other’s bodies with their hands, then with their lips, kissing every spot from head to toe, needing to know their partner. Then they put their hands in each other’s parts. Jenny felt a rock hard, warm member ready to love her in every way and Thomas felt a drooling slit, soft and tender, begging of that love. They started masturbating each other while still standing and kissing. Thomas was gently massaging her clit, pressing and caressing in an expert way, making Jenny tremble a little, while she was stroking his dick gently, often pausing because of the pleasure he gave her. Being touched felt great, but what was making her lose her mind was being touched while holding his hard dick in her hands, feeling how long it took for her small hand to stroke it all the way and feeling him leaking precum. Thomas felt how moist her pussy was, but he knew she was a virgin. He stopped stroking her clit and was about to tell her to get on the bed so he could lick her, but she had other plans. As soon as he let go of her pussy, in a swift movement, she kneeled before him and put her face under his cock, looking up to him with puppy eyes. She opened her mouth, and she took him inside, trying to go all the way to the base, only to choke and take it out.“Easy, girl…” said Thomas softly, caressing her cheek. She paused for a moment to catch her breath and went back to his cock. This time she focused only on the tip, slowly trying to take a little more every time she could.Thomas was breathing heavily as the feeling of her blowjob was filling his balls with cum. It wasn’t the best technique, but her sheer love for it was arousing him to levels he had never reached before. Arousal was becoming an issue for Jenny too. The feeling of having Thomas in her mouth, so hard and pulsing with pleasure, forcing her jaw open and sliding on her tongue was making her wet pussy ache in desperation. Thomas put his hands on Jenny’s face and with the cock still in her mouth he said to her:“I want to take you. Now. I need to take you.”Jenny felt a throb both in her heart and in her pussy. She quickly got on the bed and spread her legs, revealing how her thighs were covered in wet pussy lube.“Come here…”Thomas got on top of her and in between her legs.“Are you sure?” he said to her, genuinely concerned about how she felt.“I’m sure, Tommy. I want you to make love to me. Am I good enough for you?”Now it was his heart’s turn to throb, as well as his cock’s.“More than good. You’re perfect.”With the hesitation gone he started poking at her pussy’s entrance, before gently putting the tip in. Jenny could feel his girth and was already hurting but wanted him to fill her up and endured it. Thomas was now pushing his dick deeper inside her, slowly and gently. Her pussy was bleeding, so he was a little worried, but she was so tight he couldn’t stop thinking about the pleasure. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he managed to go all the way inside her. Jenny was crying a little, both from the pain and the joy of being one with him.“I’m so glad it’s you, Tommy. Thank God it’s you…”He wiped her tears off her cheeks and decided it was time to confess his feelings to her:“I love you, Jenny. I wish I had realized it sooner, but I know it now. This may not be my first time, but you are my first love.”The tears started pouring back from Jenny’s eyes and Tommy embraced her and kissed her, always staying inside her, but staying still, not moving. After kissing him for a while Jenny told him she felt better and was ready for him to move.What followed was a passionate love making where both were experiencing pleasure beyond anything they thought was possible. Tommy reveled in her tight virgin pussy, so eager and wet from both juices and blood. It was a feeling incomparable to the girls he had before, and he kept plowing her with only his animal instincts guiding him. Jenny was in a whirlwind of emotions and sensations: horny and in love, in pain and in pleasure, crying but with joy. She was thrusting her hips into him ignoring the pain and accepting the pleasure. And she was looking at him. His chiseled body sweating down on hers. She brought his head closer to her shoulder and whispered in his ear:“I’m in love with you Tommy. I’m in love with you and I’m about to cum…”Those words awakened something in Thomas. He pounded her with even more vigor, always careful not to make the pain surpass the pleasure.“I want us to cum together. I’ll come with you,” he said while panting to her ear.“Yes Tommy, give it to me! Make me yours!”.Their breath kept getting shorter and their voices louder, until finally, moaning like animals in heat, they orgasmed in a hectic spasm. Jenny felt Tommy’s semen filling her pussy and abandoned herself to the pleasure, almost passing out on the bed in a state of bliss. All the while Tommy was feeling his cock being milked dry by her pussy and held her by the hips so that the spasm wouldn’t make him pull out.They were both satisfied.He lied down beside her and put her in his arms once again, holding her tight. She kissed him and put her head on his chest. She closed her eyes.They were both in love.Author’s note:Thank you for reading my first submission! I still think I need to work on my storytelling, but I hope to improve in my next works. In the meantime, feel free to comment, any advice and/or critique is welcome. Have a nice day and see you soon!JaneDoeStuff03 for Literotica

The unexpected first experience of a blooming teenager.By JaneDoeStuff03. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Venturing out the chaos of the big city and into the widely different landscape that is the state’s countryside it is easy to acknowledge the existence of the “other” city. A small conglomerate of towns loosely connected by few roads, where a great number of land workers consumed vast amounts of life, seemed to willingly stand in direct opposition to the skyscrapers back at the coast out west.Janet Doe had grown up in this so called “other” city and her opinion of the place had changed more the more she grew up. When she was a kid, it could be called a paradise: she could play in absolute freedom in the vastity of the fields, with her beloved dog and her much older brother watching over them, as happy as a lark. But not anymore. With her brother gone (lost to college) and her dog now too old to even walk, that precious corner of world had transformed from a refuge to an isolating prison, where all she felt was alone. She imagined many times how her life would be in the big city, how many friends she could make and, most importantly, she could spend time with, instead of only having school hours to interact with kids her age, before going home to loneliness.There she was, a once cheerful and creative little girl, now a bored and uninterested teenager at her last year of high school. It didn’t take long for her family to notice the change, but the first to propose something was her brother John as he got back home for the winter holydays. He proposed to their parents something that could, in his opinion, bring back a smile on the face of little Jenny. He had always had a soft spot for his little sister, and he genuinely cared about her well-being, even though he’d never tell her to her face. Never in his life he could have imagined how much this little proposal of his would have changed Jenny. Or the way it’d change her. The parents weren’t hard to convince and with the start of the new year, after a few phone calls from the siblings’ mom, Jenny would have her first piano lesson. She had always been captivated by the piano in the living room, but also had been too scared to try to play it. The piano was first bought by her father as a decorative piece of furniture and never actually used, for none of the family members knew how to play it properly. This is where our story finally begins.In a cold and still mid-January afternoon, Janet and her mom were waiting to meet the new piano teacher. The only thing they knew was that he was a mature man and was one the few who was willing to venture to their isolated home thrice a week for a cheap pay. Mrs. Doe had taken a free afternoon from her job to meet the mysterious man in person and decide if he was trustworthy to be left (eventually alone), with her little girl. At 3.55 p.m., five minutes earlier than agreed, the teacher rang the intercom outside the gate of the house.“He’s here!”Jenny’s mom jumped out of the sofa as she was saying this, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her voice. She opened the gate and the house’s door and started peeking at the man who was walking up to her porch. As he got closer to the door, she showed herself to him and greeted him with an educated smile.“Good afternoon, madame. I’m Thomas, we spoke on the phone.”The two women were a little stunned by the appearance of the man: his voice was deep and controlled, he spoke slowly and surely as only men of a certain age manage, but now that he was in front of them, they could see he was more of a boy than an adult man. Mrs. Doe, always speaking her mind, said to the stranger:“I didn’t expect you to be so young, Thomas. I’m honestly a little surprised. How old are you if I may ask?”To which Thomas replied, without a hint of hesitation:“Twenty-three, madame. Don’t worry, I’m used to people mistaking me for someone a little older.”After the brief exchange, Janet and her mom received the guest and had him sit at the dinner table across them, both curious to ask questions to him.“Feel free to ask any question you’d like madame,” said the young man.Jenny’s mom didn’t need him to tell her that and started a thorough interrogatory.It turned out Thomas wasn’t a musician by trade, but a mathematician with a passion for music that had played the piano since he was a kid. His parents were middle class workers who expected much from him, and he wanted them to be proud: he used his time to study, practice various sports and cultivating his love for music. No unnecessary distractions, pauses or vacations. This brought him to get a master’s degree in mathematics at an Ivy League college on a scholarship (no student debt for him) and having all the necessary pieces of paper to go and make a difference in the world at only 23 years old. Unfortunately, at the end of his journey all the fatigue from his inhumane routine caught up with him and he came to an enlightening and probably even life-saving realization: he was spent, completely and utterly spent. So, he said goodbye to his parents once again as he chose the most God-forgotten destination where to decompress and rest for some time, maybe even a couple of years.As he kept telling them about his life, both women could feel the weight of Thomas’ experience and how it molded him into the person they were speaking. The collectedness that had wondered them at first had now an explanation, since that was the only attitude that would get him through a life of rigid discipline without slowly going depressed. He was pragmatic and stoic, but also kind and gentle, the type of gentleness of someone who knows he is strong and therefore has little need for pretending to be tough. Mrs. Doe could read his character like a book from the words he spoke and was very impressed by what she read in him.The interview proceeded in a semi-formal tone, except a few jokes by Mrs. Doe, like when she asked if for “no unnecessary distractions” he meant he never had a girlfriend, to which Thomas elegantly answered: “I wouldn’t call a woman an unnecessary distraction, madame”, making Mrs. Doe like him even more.At the end of the questioning, after settling the matters of pay and weekly schedule, Mrs. Doe turned to her daughter and asked:“What do you think Jenny, would you like to try giving him a chance?”“I… I guess we can give it a shot.”These words brought her back to reality, from the depths of her thoughts where she was about to drown. During the interview, the whole interview, Jenny’s mind was in a realm of its own, where all she could think about was that she hoped nobody would notice how wet she was getting. Since greeting him at the door she was hypnotized by the looks and ways of the young man.Thomas was tall and well built, so much that his wide shoulders and proud chest stood out even if he was wearing a suit. His hair was a light shade of brown, freshly cut and quite short on the sides, almost looking like a military haircut. His beard was shaved, and his cheeks looked smooth, revealing a firm jawline. Brown eyes, darker than the shade of his hair, a regular, straight nose and a nice white smile. He would surely be considered handsome by the average girl, just for the fact that he was physically fit, but to Jenny he was exactly her type. She found him irresistible in every way: the voice, the face, the body were making her insides lubed as if she was melting.Jenny was a girl at that age. At eighteen years old, her body was now fully craving the sweet forbidden fruit that is the taste of a man. And now she was right in the middle of experiencing her first crush. She was short, around 5'5’’, with C-cup breasts and a slender, athletic body. The face of angel, with delicate round shapes, full lips, piercing brown eyes and dark ginger hair. A rare, tasteful beauty in the middle of blooming, that promised greatly of the woman she’d become.The first lesson, under the supervision of her mother, had her trying harder to contain her hormones than to learn the piano. Nonetheless, Mrs. Doe thought Thomas had done a good job at teaching and trusted him to come on Wednesday, where he and Jenny would be unsupervised.Janet had spent the time waiting for the next lesson in a horny fever. She masturbated more times that she could count and imagined tons of scenarios where Thomas tried to seduce her or to take her by force, never tired of imagining herself in his arms. Finally, the moment came, and she opened the door to him once more. As soon as they exchanged greetings, all she wanted to do was to jump him and French kiss him, but her shame stopped her. The lesson went on as she looked in an almost feverish state, to the point where Thomas asked her if she was feeling ill. She couldn’t live like that, and she knew it. She couldn’t live her life holding herself back.But as the weeks went by something unexpected happened. After spending many afternoons with him the lust became controllable and changed into something else: love. The two had spoken much with each other, often putting aside the piano for a chit chat. Thomas had opened completely with her, for he was a person who didn’t hide anything from the people he really liked, and Janet felt the need to return his honesty and had taken the habit of telling him how she felt without hesitation. This brought them closer than they were to anyone at that moment of their lives and made it a most important relationship beyond physical attraction.As the winter melted away to leave room for spring, things with the not-yet-a-couple started to warm up too. The first notable change was in Thomas: since Jenny had told him the previous month that she never had a boyfriend he couldn’t shake the thought of her being a beautiful young woman from his mind. He had long abandoned viewing her as a child and started noticing the hints he was too blind to see before: how she clung to him whenever she could, the look in her eyes when he made her laugh, the awkward blushing her cheeks did whenever he got closer or took her hand on the piano. At the beginning of spring, he was finally convinced Jenny liked him, which put him in a dilemma: to be or not to be (with her). Thomas felt very attracted by her body and during the previous months had come to know how much of a smart and funny and gentle girl she was. If she was just a little older and he wasn’t her teacher, he would have taken a shot at her without overthinking it. Instead of being consumed by the dilemma of making or not a move towards her, he decided that he’d only accept her feeling if she confessed to him, so that he wouldn’t abuse of the power of being her teacher. A most practical conclusion, as expected of him.If only Jenny could take a decision just as easily.Ironically, to face the dilemma of confessing to Thomas, she asked herself what he would do in her place. Obviously, he would face it head on, with only the practical approach in mind, she thought. She wasn’t quite ready for that level of straightforwardness, so she opted for a compromise: she’d tell him she was dying to kiss him from the first moment she saw him and see his reaction. If it were to go south, she could always play it a joke, as teenage girls tend to do.That is how, in a warm spring afternoon, exactly three months after their first meeting, Thomas and Janet came to stand in front of each other in the living room, their arms holding one another, their tongues intertwined in a warm, moist embrace.When they finally separated, after two full minutes of silence and kissing, Jenny could only say:“Oh my God, Tommy. It was beautiful…”“Yeah…”Janet took him by the hand and guided him to her room upstairs, Thomas following her from behind, not in need of an explanation. Once in her room, the door and the curtains closed, at the dim light of the afternoon sun barely filtering through the window, they started kissing again. Thomas was holding her head with his fingers in her hair and slowly sliding his other hand from her hip to her ass, as they kept tasting each other, never having enough of it. His taste was slightly bitter, hers a little sweet. Jenny, although surprised to be wanted back at first, wanted to show him she was going all the way. She pulled her lips away and looked him in the eyes. Then, without breaking eye contact, she grabbed the hand holding her hair, put it on her breast and whispered:“I want you…”Thomas took the hand she had put on her breast and guided it to the bulge in his pants, letting Jenny feel the effect she had on him, then answered:“I want you too…”He then proceeded to undress her gently and inviting her to undress him, until finally nothing stood between their naked bodies.“You’re beautiful, Jenny. You’re an angel.”She blushed, because she knew he really did think so.They explored each other’s bodies with their hands, then with their lips, kissing every spot from head to toe, needing to know their partner. Then they put their hands in each other’s parts. Jenny felt a rock hard, warm member ready to love her in every way and Thomas felt a drooling slit, soft and tender, begging of that love. They started masturbating each other while still standing and kissing. Thomas was gently massaging her clit, pressing and caressing in an expert way, making Jenny tremble a little, while she was stroking his dick gently, often pausing because of the pleasure he gave her. Being touched felt great, but what was making her lose her mind was being touched while holding his hard dick in her hands, feeling how long it took for her small hand to stroke it all the way and feeling him leaking precum. Thomas felt how moist her pussy was, but he knew she was a virgin. He stopped stroking her clit and was about to tell her to get on the bed so he could lick her, but she had other plans. As soon as he let go of her pussy, in a swift movement, she kneeled before him and put her face under his cock, looking up to him with puppy eyes. She opened her mouth, and she took him inside, trying to go all the way to the base, only to choke and take it out.“Easy, girl…” said Thomas softly, caressing her cheek. She paused for a moment to catch her breath and went back to his cock. This time she focused only on the tip, slowly trying to take a little more every time she could.Thomas was breathing heavily as the feeling of her blowjob was filling his balls with cum. It wasn’t the best technique, but her sheer love for it was arousing him to levels he had never reached before. Arousal was becoming an issue for Jenny too. The feeling of having Thomas in her mouth, so hard and pulsing with pleasure, forcing her jaw open and sliding on her tongue was making her wet pussy ache in desperation. Thomas put his hands on Jenny’s face and with the cock still in her mouth he said to her:“I want to take you. Now. I need to take you.”Jenny felt a throb both in her heart and in her pussy. She quickly got on the bed and spread her legs, revealing how her thighs were covered in wet pussy lube.“Come here…”Thomas got on top of her and in between her legs.“Are you sure?” he said to her, genuinely concerned about how she felt.“I’m sure, Tommy. I want you to make love to me. Am I good enough for you?”Now it was his heart’s turn to throb, as well as his cock’s.“More than good. You’re perfect.”With the hesitation gone he started poking at her pussy’s entrance, before gently putting the tip in. Jenny could feel his girth and was already hurting but wanted him to fill her up and endured it. Thomas was now pushing his dick deeper inside her, slowly and gently. Her pussy was bleeding, so he was a little worried, but she was so tight he couldn’t stop thinking about the pleasure. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he managed to go all the way inside her. Jenny was crying a little, both from the pain and the joy of being one with him.“I’m so glad it’s you, Tommy. Thank God it’s you…”He wiped her tears off her cheeks and decided it was time to confess his feelings to her:“I love you, Jenny. I wish I had realized it sooner, but I know it now. This may not be my first time, but you are my first love.”The tears started pouring back from Jenny’s eyes and Tommy embraced her and kissed her, always staying inside her, but staying still, not moving. After kissing him for a while Jenny told him she felt better and was ready for him to move.What followed was a passionate love making where both were experiencing pleasure beyond anything they thought was possible. Tommy reveled in her tight virgin pussy, so eager and wet from both juices and blood. It was a feeling incomparable to the girls he had before, and he kept plowing her with only his animal instincts guiding him. Jenny was in a whirlwind of emotions and sensations: horny and in love, in pain and in pleasure, crying but with joy. She was thrusting her hips into him ignoring the pain and accepting the pleasure. And she was looking at him. His chiseled body sweating down on hers. She brought his head closer to her shoulder and whispered in his ear:“I’m in love with you Tommy. I’m in love with you and I’m about to cum…”Those words awakened something in Thomas. He pounded her with even more vigor, always careful not to make the pain surpass the pleasure.“I want us to cum together. I’ll come with you,” he said while panting to her ear.“Yes Tommy, give it to me! Make me yours!”.Their breath kept getting shorter and their voices louder, until finally, moaning like animals in heat, they orgasmed in a hectic spasm. Jenny felt Tommy’s semen filling her pussy and abandoned herself to the pleasure, almost passing out on the bed in a state of bliss. All the while Tommy was feeling his cock being milked dry by her pussy and held her by the hips so that the spasm wouldn’t make him pull out.They were both satisfied.He lied down beside her and put her in his arms once again, holding her tight. She kissed him and put her head on his chest. She closed her eyes.They were both in love.Author’s note:Thank you for reading my first submission! I still think I need to work on my storytelling, but I hope to improve in my next works. In the meantime, feel free to comment, any advice and/or critique is welcome. Have a nice day and see you soon!JaneDoeStuff03 for Literotica

The unexpected first experience of a blooming teenager.By JaneDoeStuff03. Listen to the ►Podcast at Steamy Stories.Venturing out the chaos of the big city and into the widely different landscape that is the state’s countryside it is easy to acknowledge the existence of the “other” city. A small conglomerate of towns loosely connected by few roads, where a great number of land workers consumed vast amounts of life, seemed to willingly stand in direct opposition to the skyscrapers back at the coast out west.Janet Doe had grown up in this so called “other” city and her opinion of the place had changed more the more she grew up. When she was a kid, it could be called a paradise: she could play in absolute freedom in the vastity of the fields, with her beloved dog and her much older brother watching over them, as happy as a lark. But not anymore. With her brother gone (lost to college) and her dog now too old to even walk, that precious corner of world had transformed from a refuge to an isolating prison, where all she felt was alone. She imagined many times how her life would be in the big city, how many friends she could make and, most importantly, she could spend time with, instead of only having school hours to interact with kids her age, before going home to loneliness.There she was, a once cheerful and creative little girl, now a bored and uninterested teenager at her last year of high school. It didn’t take long for her family to notice the change, but the first to propose something was her brother John as he got back home for the winter holydays. He proposed to their parents something that could, in his opinion, bring back a smile on the face of little Jenny. He had always had a soft spot for his little sister, and he genuinely cared about her well-being, even though he’d never tell her to her face. Never in his life he could have imagined how much this little proposal of his would have changed Jenny. Or the way it’d change her. The parents weren’t hard to convince and with the start of the new year, after a few phone calls from the siblings’ mom, Jenny would have her first piano lesson. She had always been captivated by the piano in the living room, but also had been too scared to try to play it. The piano was first bought by her father as a decorative piece of furniture and never actually used, for none of the family members knew how to play it properly. This is where our story finally begins.In a cold and still mid-January afternoon, Janet and her mom were waiting to meet the new piano teacher. The only thing they knew was that he was a mature man and was one the few who was willing to venture to their isolated home thrice a week for a cheap pay. Mrs. Doe had taken a free afternoon from her job to meet the mysterious man in person and decide if he was trustworthy to be left (eventually alone), with her little girl. At 3.55 p.m., five minutes earlier than agreed, the teacher rang the intercom outside the gate of the house.“He’s here!”Jenny’s mom jumped out of the sofa as she was saying this, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness in her voice. She opened the gate and the house’s door and started peeking at the man who was walking up to her porch. As he got closer to the door, she showed herself to him and greeted him with an educated smile.“Good afternoon, madame. I’m Thomas, we spoke on the phone.”The two women were a little stunned by the appearance of the man: his voice was deep and controlled, he spoke slowly and surely as only men of a certain age manage, but now that he was in front of them, they could see he was more of a boy than an adult man. Mrs. Doe, always speaking her mind, said to the stranger:“I didn’t expect you to be so young, Thomas. I’m honestly a little surprised. How old are you if I may ask?”To which Thomas replied, without a hint of hesitation:“Twenty-three, madame. Don’t worry, I’m used to people mistaking me for someone a little older.”After the brief exchange, Janet and her mom received the guest and had him sit at the dinner table across them, both curious to ask questions to him.“Feel free to ask any question you’d like madame,” said the young man.Jenny’s mom didn’t need him to tell her that and started a thorough interrogatory.It turned out Thomas wasn’t a musician by trade, but a mathematician with a passion for music that had played the piano since he was a kid. His parents were middle class workers who expected much from him, and he wanted them to be proud: he used his time to study, practice various sports and cultivating his love for music. No unnecessary distractions, pauses or vacations. This brought him to get a master’s degree in mathematics at an Ivy League college on a scholarship (no student debt for him) and having all the necessary pieces of paper to go and make a difference in the world at only 23 years old. Unfortunately, at the end of his journey all the fatigue from his inhumane routine caught up with him and he came to an enlightening and probably even life-saving realization: he was spent, completely and utterly spent. So, he said goodbye to his parents once again as he chose the most God-forgotten destination where to decompress and rest for some time, maybe even a couple of years.As he kept telling them about his life, both women could feel the weight of Thomas’ experience and how it molded him into the person they were speaking. The collectedness that had wondered them at first had now an explanation, since that was the only attitude that would get him through a life of rigid discipline without slowly going depressed. He was pragmatic and stoic, but also kind and gentle, the type of gentleness of someone who knows he is strong and therefore has little need for pretending to be tough. Mrs. Doe could read his character like a book from the words he spoke and was very impressed by what she read in him.The interview proceeded in a semi-formal tone, except a few jokes by Mrs. Doe, like when she asked if for “no unnecessary distractions” he meant he never had a girlfriend, to which Thomas elegantly answered: “I wouldn’t call a woman an unnecessary distraction, madame”, making Mrs. Doe like him even more.At the end of the questioning, after settling the matters of pay and weekly schedule, Mrs. Doe turned to her daughter and asked:“What do you think Jenny, would you like to try giving him a chance?”“I… I guess we can give it a shot.”These words brought her back to reality, from the depths of her thoughts where she was about to drown. During the interview, the whole interview, Jenny’s mind was in a realm of its own, where all she could think about was that she hoped nobody would notice how wet she was getting. Since greeting him at the door she was hypnotized by the looks and ways of the young man.Thomas was tall and well built, so much that his wide shoulders and proud chest stood out even if he was wearing a suit. His hair was a light shade of brown, freshly cut and quite short on the sides, almost looking like a military haircut. His beard was shaved, and his cheeks looked smooth, revealing a firm jawline. Brown eyes, darker than the shade of his hair, a regular, straight nose and a nice white smile. He would surely be considered handsome by the average girl, just for the fact that he was physically fit, but to Jenny he was exactly her type. She found him irresistible in every way: the voice, the face, the body were making her insides lubed as if she was melting.Jenny was a girl at that age. At eighteen years old, her body was now fully craving the sweet forbidden fruit that is the taste of a man. And now she was right in the middle of experiencing her first crush. She was short, around 5'5’’, with C-cup breasts and a slender, athletic body. The face of angel, with delicate round shapes, full lips, piercing brown eyes and dark ginger hair. A rare, tasteful beauty in the middle of blooming, that promised greatly of the woman she’d become.The first lesson, under the supervision of her mother, had her trying harder to contain her hormones than to learn the piano. Nonetheless, Mrs. Doe thought Thomas had done a good job at teaching and trusted him to come on Wednesday, where he and Jenny would be unsupervised.Janet had spent the time waiting for the next lesson in a horny fever. She masturbated more times that she could count and imagined tons of scenarios where Thomas tried to seduce her or to take her by force, never tired of imagining herself in his arms. Finally, the moment came, and she opened the door to him once more. As soon as they exchanged greetings, all she wanted to do was to jump him and French kiss him, but her shame stopped her. The lesson went on as she looked in an almost feverish state, to the point where Thomas asked her if she was feeling ill. She couldn’t live like that, and she knew it. She couldn’t live her life holding herself back.But as the weeks went by something unexpected happened. After spending many afternoons with him the lust became controllable and changed into something else: love. The two had spoken much with each other, often putting aside the piano for a chit chat. Thomas had opened completely with her, for he was a person who didn’t hide anything from the people he really liked, and Janet felt the need to return his honesty and had taken the habit of telling him how she felt without hesitation. This brought them closer than they were to anyone at that moment of their lives and made it a most important relationship beyond physical attraction.As the winter melted away to leave room for spring, things with the not-yet-a-couple started to warm up too. The first notable change was in Thomas: since Jenny had told him the previous month that she never had a boyfriend he couldn’t shake the thought of her being a beautiful young woman from his mind. He had long abandoned viewing her as a child and started noticing the hints he was too blind to see before: how she clung to him whenever she could, the look in her eyes when he made her laugh, the awkward blushing her cheeks did whenever he got closer or took her hand on the piano. At the beginning of spring, he was finally convinced Jenny liked him, which put him in a dilemma: to be or not to be (with her). Thomas felt very attracted by her body and during the previous months had come to know how much of a smart and funny and gentle girl she was. If she was just a little older and he wasn’t her teacher, he would have taken a shot at her without overthinking it. Instead of being consumed by the dilemma of making or not a move towards her, he decided that he’d only accept her feeling if she confessed to him, so that he wouldn’t abuse of the power of being her teacher. A most practical conclusion, as expected of him.If only Jenny could take a decision just as easily.Ironically, to face the dilemma of confessing to Thomas, she asked herself what he would do in her place. Obviously, he would face it head on, with only the practical approach in mind, she thought. She wasn’t quite ready for that level of straightforwardness, so she opted for a compromise: she’d tell him she was dying to kiss him from the first moment she saw him and see his reaction. If it were to go south, she could always play it a joke, as teenage girls tend to do.That is how, in a warm spring afternoon, exactly three months after their first meeting, Thomas and Janet came to stand in front of each other in the living room, their arms holding one another, their tongues intertwined in a warm, moist embrace.When they finally separated, after two full minutes of silence and kissing, Jenny could only say:“Oh my God, Tommy. It was beautiful…”“Yeah…”Janet took him by the hand and guided him to her room upstairs, Thomas following her from behind, not in need of an explanation. Once in her room, the door and the curtains closed, at the dim light of the afternoon sun barely filtering through the window, they started kissing again. Thomas was holding her head with his fingers in her hair and slowly sliding his other hand from her hip to her ass, as they kept tasting each other, never having enough of it. His taste was slightly bitter, hers a little sweet. Jenny, although surprised to be wanted back at first, wanted to show him she was going all the way. She pulled her lips away and looked him in the eyes. Then, without breaking eye contact, she grabbed the hand holding her hair, put it on her breast and whispered:“I want you…”Thomas took the hand she had put on her breast and guided it to the bulge in his pants, letting Jenny feel the effect she had on him, then answered:“I want you too…”He then proceeded to undress her gently and inviting her to undress him, until finally nothing stood between their naked bodies.“You’re beautiful, Jenny. You’re an angel.”She blushed, because she knew he really did think so.They explored each other’s bodies with their hands, then with their lips, kissing every spot from head to toe, needing to know their partner. Then they put their hands in each other’s parts. Jenny felt a rock hard, warm member ready to love her in every way and Thomas felt a drooling slit, soft and tender, begging of that love. They started masturbating each other while still standing and kissing. Thomas was gently massaging her clit, pressing and caressing in an expert way, making Jenny tremble a little, while she was stroking his dick gently, often pausing because of the pleasure he gave her. Being touched felt great, but what was making her lose her mind was being touched while holding his hard dick in her hands, feeling how long it took for her small hand to stroke it all the way and feeling him leaking precum. Thomas felt how moist her pussy was, but he knew she was a virgin. He stopped stroking her clit and was about to tell her to get on the bed so he could lick her, but she had other plans. As soon as he let go of her pussy, in a swift movement, she kneeled before him and put her face under his cock, looking up to him with puppy eyes. She opened her mouth, and she took him inside, trying to go all the way to the base, only to choke and take it out.“Easy, girl…” said Thomas softly, caressing her cheek. She paused for a moment to catch her breath and went back to his cock. This time she focused only on the tip, slowly trying to take a little more every time she could.Thomas was breathing heavily as the feeling of her blowjob was filling his balls with cum. It wasn’t the best technique, but her sheer love for it was arousing him to levels he had never reached before. Arousal was becoming an issue for Jenny too. The feeling of having Thomas in her mouth, so hard and pulsing with pleasure, forcing her jaw open and sliding on her tongue was making her wet pussy ache in desperation. Thomas put his hands on Jenny’s face and with the cock still in her mouth he said to her:“I want to take you. Now. I need to take you.”Jenny felt a throb both in her heart and in her pussy. She quickly got on the bed and spread her legs, revealing how her thighs were covered in wet pussy lube.“Come here…”Thomas got on top of her and in between her legs.“Are you sure?” he said to her, genuinely concerned about how she felt.“I’m sure, Tommy. I want you to make love to me. Am I good enough for you?”Now it was his heart’s turn to throb, as well as his cock’s.“More than good. You’re perfect.”With the hesitation gone he started poking at her pussy’s entrance, before gently putting the tip in. Jenny could feel his girth and was already hurting but wanted him to fill her up and endured it. Thomas was now pushing his dick deeper inside her, slowly and gently. Her pussy was bleeding, so he was a little worried, but she was so tight he couldn’t stop thinking about the pleasure. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he managed to go all the way inside her. Jenny was crying a little, both from the pain and the joy of being one with him.“I’m so glad it’s you, Tommy. Thank God it’s you…”He wiped her tears off her cheeks and decided it was time to confess his feelings to her:“I love you, Jenny. I wish I had realized it sooner, but I know it now. This may not be my first time, but you are my first love.”The tears started pouring back from Jenny’s eyes and Tommy embraced her and kissed her, always staying inside her, but staying still, not moving. After kissing him for a while Jenny told him she felt better and was ready for him to move.What followed was a passionate love making where both were experiencing pleasure beyond anything they thought was possible. Tommy reveled in her tight virgin pussy, so eager and wet from both juices and blood. It was a feeling incomparable to the girls he had before, and he kept plowing her with only his animal instincts guiding him. Jenny was in a whirlwind of emotions and sensations: horny and in love, in pain and in pleasure, crying but with joy. She was thrusting her hips into him ignoring the pain and accepting the pleasure. And she was looking at him. His chiseled body sweating down on hers. She brought his head closer to her shoulder and whispered in his ear:“I’m in love with you Tommy. I’m in love with you and I’m about to cum…”Those words awakened something in Thomas. He pounded her with even more vigor, always careful not to make the pain surpass the pleasure.“I want us to cum together. I’ll come with you,” he said while panting to her ear.“Yes Tommy, give it to me! Make me yours!”.Their breath kept getting shorter and their voices louder, until finally, moaning like animals in heat, they orgasmed in a hectic spasm. Jenny felt Tommy’s semen filling her pussy and abandoned herself to the pleasure, almost passing out on the bed in a state of bliss. All the while Tommy was feeling his cock being milked dry by her pussy and held her by the hips so that the spasm wouldn’t make him pull out.They were both satisfied.He lied down beside her and put her in his arms once again, holding her tight. She kissed him and put her head on his chest. She closed her eyes.They were both in love.Author’s note:Thank you for reading my first submission! I still think I need to work on my storytelling, but I hope to improve in my next works. In the meantime, feel free to comment, any advice and/or critique is welcome. Have a nice day and see you soon!JaneDoeStuff03 for Literotica

Michael Stack has been guiding in Montana for more than 30 years and...

In this episode of Mining Minds, we sit down with Kevin Neville at the Utah Mining Association Convention to unpack a raw, honest journey through underground hard rock mining, international contract work, and the realities of chasing success without losing yourself along the way. From his first awe-filled moments descending a shaft at Resolution Copper to managing the mental, physical, and emotional toll of long rotations in Mexico, Kevin shares what it truly means to grow up in the mining industry. Kevin talks about the value of hard work learned early in life, the power of mentors who shape careers underground, and the importance of recognizing burnout before it costs you more than a paycheck. We dive into mining culture, leadership lessons, work-life balance, and why underground mining still holds a special place in his heart—even after stepping into a new chapter outside the mine. Please help us welcome Kevin Neville to the Face! Thank you to the Utah Mining Association for welcoming us as part of your incredible event and for your continued support in amplifying the voices inside our industry.   Episode Sponsors: Safety First Training and Consulting JSR Fleet Performance Motor Mission Machine & Radiator    Episode Chapters:  02:56 High School and Early Adulthood 07:00 Mission Experience in Argentina 29:13 Learning from History and Leadership 29:43 Gratitude and Mentorship in Mining 31:16 Challenges and Misconceptions in Mining 49:56 Venturing into International Mining 01:00:57 Balancing Family and Work Life 01:01:09 Reconnecting with Old Friends 01:02:40 Career Transitions and Challenges 01:05:55 Finding Fulfillment in a New Role

SummaryThe podcast episode covers a range of topics including real estate market trends, entrepreneurship and business development, and the impact of community involvement. The hosts engage in a conversation with the guest, Roy Milner, discussing his background, career journey, and the influence of his work on the local community. Roy Milner discusses his journey in the hospitality and business development industry, highlighting the expansion of his hospitality business and the impact on Blount County. He also shares insights into his ventures in the spirits industry and his passion for supporting local businesses and community development. Roy's dedication to his work and community involvement shines through in this engaging conversation.TakeawaysReal estate market trendsEntrepreneurship and business developmentCommunity involvement and impact Hospitality and Business DevelopmentCollaboration and Community BuildingChapters12:59 Expansion and Launch of Hospitality Business23:06 Venturing into the Spirits Industry29:02 Supporting Local Businesses and Community Development35:36 Passion for Work and Community Involvement

Glee McAnanly, president and CEO of FirstLight Home Care, is no stranger to franchise businesses. Prior to coming to FIrstLight five years ago, she worked her way up at ServiceMaster, a home service business. Working for a home care franchise is not so different, she said, as instead of taking care of the home, she is helping take care of the person inside the home. She also is not a stranger personally to taking care of older adults. Her first brush with care was when she was in college; her grandmother came to live with her family. To help set FirstLight apart, she is looking for franchise owners who have the capacity to be successful. This entails having both business sense and an emotional connection to home care. Innovation is also important to the company, and the company is piloting a number of technology programs including in the area of remote patient monitoring. In the next five to 10 years, the company will be more involved in skilled care. It also is putting an emphasis on disease-specific care, including dementia care. It is rolling out a pilot in Florida pertaining to the (Guiding and Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model in the next few months. Notes: Follow us on social media: X: @McKHomeCare Facebook: McKnight's Home Care LinkedIn: McKnight's Home Care Instagram: mcknights_homecare Follow FirstLight Home Care on social media: LinkedIn: FirstLight Home Care X: @FirstLightCare Facebook: FirstLight Home Care Instagram: firstlighthomecarenationalShow contributors:McKnight's Home Care Editor Liza Berger; Glee McAnanly, president and CEO of FirstLight Home Care Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it look like when classroom learning moves beyond campus—and into real communities with real needs and major impact?In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, we're joined by Tanya Ratnani, an undergraduate senior in International Business and Business Analytics at McCombs School of Business (Class of 2026). Tanya reflects on her journey to University of Texas at Austin, her academic interests, and how experiential learning reshaped her understanding of business, service, and global responsibility.Tanya discusses her involvement with the Bridging Disciplines certificate program at UT, an interdisciplinary opportunity for students across campus to break out of their respective silos. Through this program, Tanya found Project Advance Austin, where students collaborate with community and global partners to apply their coursework to public-good initiatives. She shares insights from her work with Caring for Cambodia, highlighting what she learned through cross-cultural collaboration and what it means to learn with—not just about—communities.This episode is part of our ongoing exploration of how teaching, research, and service at UT Austin intersect to address pressing issues of the day—locally and globally.Check out more at the links below: Project Advance Austin: https://global.utexas.edu/engagement/project-advanceCaring for Cambodia: https://www.caringforcambodia.orgMcCombs School of Business: https://www.mccombs.utexas.eduAs always, thanks for listening!CreditsHosts: Stephanie Seidel Holmsten & Jen MoonMusic by various artists: Denys Brodovskyi, Alex ProductionsTheme track: "Soul Sync" by KetsaExecutive Producer: Michelle Daniel

On this episode of the Kaya Cast, host Tommy Truong sits down with Darrin Potter, co-owner of Cultivation Structures & Equipment for a practical, no-nonsense look at building scalable cannabis production. Darrin shares his 20-year journey—from indoor grows to full-service greenhouse builds and retrofit projects—pulling back the curtain on the real costs, tradeoffs, and operational realities of growing indoor, in greenhouses, or outdoors. The conversation digs into how to design and operate environments that actually work, including airflow, humidity, lighting, and energy use, plus why a flexible, multi-format strategy can future-proof a cultivation business as markets shift. Darrin also talks about his Florida license and growth plans with Grow Healthy, and how CSE Grow builds and retrofits facilities to serve emerging dispensaries. If you're looking for actionable insights on cost, margins, troubleshooting, and sustainable scale, this episode is for you. Learn more at https://csegrow.com/ and connect with Darrin to explore practical partnerships for your grow.Find out more about Cultivation Structures & Equipment at:https://csegrow.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrin-potter-57baa97/https://www.linkedin.com/company/cultivation-structures-equipment/ 00:00 Introduction to Kaya Cast00:39 Guest's Background in the Cannabis Industry01:11 Challenges in Large Cannabis Companies01:51 Venturing into Terra Vera02:18 Helping Growers with Pathogen and Pest Control05:06 Starting a Cannabis Company in Florida06:38 Greenhouse vs. Indoor Growing14:42 Cost and Revenue Comparison: Indoor vs. Greenhouse22:34 Terra Vera's Origin and Mission25:31 Skepticism and Initial Trials26:42 Successful Implementation and Expansion27:30 Helping Growers Nationwide28:58 Innovative Applications in Agriculture32:37 Bee Population Crisis and Solutions36:44 Challenges and Future Prospects44:06 Contact Information and Future Plans #kayacast #cannabis #tips #dispensaries #business #podcast cannabis podcast, cannabis business podcast, Kaya Cast, cannabis industry insights, cannabis cultivation podcast, cannabis operations podcast, cannabis growth strategies, cannabis scaling strategies, cannabis production planning, cannabis infrastructure, cannabis facility design, cannabis grow operations, cannabis cultivation education, cannabis entrepreneurship, cannabis executives, cannabis operators, cannabis investors, cannabis founders, cannabis professionals, indoor cannabis cultivation, greenhouse cannabis cultivation, outdoor cannabis cultivation, indoor grow vs greenhouse, greenhouse vs indoor cannabis, cannabis grow cost analysis, cannabis margins, cannabis profitability, cannabis cost per pound, cannabis energy costs, cannabis HVAC systems, cannabis airflow design, cannabis humidity control, cannabis dehumidification, cannabis lighting systems, LED grow lights cannabis, cannabis environmental controls, cannabis climate control, cannabis facility retrofits, cannabis greenhouse retrofits, cannabis buildouts, cannabis construction, cannabis engineering, cannabis design build, cannabis compliance facilities, cannabis regulated markets, cannabis licensing, Florida cannabis license, Florida cannabis cultivation, Florida medical cannabis, Florida cannabis operators, Florida dispensary expansion, Florida cannabis growth, US cannabis cultivation, national cannabis operators, emerging cannabis markets, mature cannabis markets, cannabis market saturation, cannabis wholesale pricing, cannabis operational efficiency, cannabis troubleshooting, cannabis pest management, cannabis pathogen control, powdery mildew cannabis, cannabis IPM, sustainable cannabis cultivation, energy efficient cannabis grows

Chris Livezey, author of the best-selling book The Shortcut to Magnificence, is a living testament to the power of personal transformation. Despite facing significant challenges during his adolescence, Chris defied the odds and emerged as a remarkable success story. His life took a pivotal turn at the age of 16 when his father gifted him the book "See You at the Top" by Zig Ziglar, igniting a fire within him to achieve greatness. Motivated by the belief that he could conquer any challenge and prove his doubters wrong, Chris set ambitious goals for himself. Dedicated to personal development, Chris embarked on a self-education journey, prioritizing his own learning over traditional academia. Venturing into real estate investing, he pursued his entrepreneurial dreams while honing his skills as a public speaker. www.chrislivezey.com

The Outer Realm Welcomes welcomes the return of Maxim Furek Date: January 22nd, 2026 Episode: 671 Discussion: Maxim returns to talk about his book " The Smurl Haunting" - When Ed and Lorraine Came to Town. The Book: AMAZON https://a.co/d/4hvlbrW - Called Pennsylvania's “Amityville Horror,” the Smurl family's nightmare of demonic possession is the subject of both the current motion picture, Conjuring: Last Rites, and this book. Venturing far beyond the West Pittston coal region, author Maxim W. Furek's narrative explores the dark crawlspaces of High Hopes, the Hindsdale House, the damned Welles House, and good and evil, as seen through the eyes of history's foremost exorcists and psychics, such as the mysterious Fr. Alphonsus Trabold O.F.M and Alexander Tanous. There was something of the supernatural channeling through Furek that inspired him to write this book. The 92-year-old West Pittston Smurl duplex was a half-hour drive from his home, and, during their 15-city book tour promoting The Haunted, the author befriended Ed and Lorraine Warren. And sadly, Furek met Annabelle handler Dan Rivera, the day before he died during the 2025 “Devils on the Run” Tour in Gettysburg. Furek: “It wasn't a coincidence. It was destiny. I believe that psychic energies were being channeled through me to allow this thing to take shape and manifest. I only know that it flowed and had energy and a life of its own and that I was placed at the right place at the right time.” Contact for the show - theouterrealmcontact@gmail.com Michelle Desrochers and The Outer Realm :https://linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ Please support us by Liking, Subscribing, Sharing and Commenting. Thank you all !! About Maxim: Maxim Furek's rich background includes aspects of psychology, addictions, music journalism, and the paranormal. He has a master's degree in communications from Bloomsburg University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Aquinas College. Maxim has interviewed celebrity demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren and white witch Dr. Frederick Lamonte Santee. He was featured on Coast to Coast with George Noory, Exploring the Bizarre with the legendary Timothy Green Beckley and Tim R. Swartz, and Art Bell's Midnight in the Desert with Heather Wade. Maxim has written numerous rock biographies and paranormal-themes books He is a respected contributor to Fate Magazine, and Paranormal Underground, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in the field. WEBITE: www.maximfurek.com If you enjoy the content on the channel, please support us by subscribing: Thank you All A formal disclosure: The opinions and information presented or expressed by guests on The Outer Realm Radio and Beyond The Outer Realm are not necessarily those of the TOR, BTOR Hosts, Sponsors, or the United Public Radio Network and its producers. Although the content may be interesting, it is deemed "For Entertainment Purposes" . We are always be respectful and courteous to all involved. Thank you, we appreciate you all!

Join us on an exciting episode of The Hospitality Mentor Podcast as host Steve Turk dives into the incredible journey of Francesco Balli, co-CEO of Grove Bay Hospitality Group. Discover the unique paths that led Francesco and his partner from being CPAs to successful restaurateurs, the challenges they overcame, and the wisdom they've gathered along the way. This episode is a must listen for anyone interested in the hospitality industry, as Francesco shares insights on building a business, the impact of AI, and the exciting future of their ventures. Special thanks to our sponsor Lodgify for making this episode possible. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation!00:00 Introduction to the Hospitality Mentor Podcast00:44 Sponsor Spotlight: Lodgify01:38 Guest Introduction: Francesco Bali02:08 Francesco's Early Career and First Job in Hospitality02:28 The Journey from CPA to Hospitality02:51 Family Influence and Entrepreneurial Spirit04:34 The Leap from Ernst and Young to Areas USA15:36 Navigating the Concession World18:40 The Birth of Grove Bay Hospitality Group24:27 Acquiring the Airport Restaurant26:06 Winning the Coconut Grove Contract28:01 Launching Glass and Vine30:37 Partnering with Top Chef Jeremy Ford33:11 Expanding with Stubborn Seed and Stiltsville Fish Bar35:01 Venturing into Airport Concessions41:10 Future Prospects and AI in Hospitality42:57 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

Learn more at TheCityLife.org

Previously on LMG Presents: Marvel Multiverse RPG… The Riftguards breach Doom's vault and secure the time machine, escaping Latveria with Doom in tow. Their next stop: the Baxter Building, where the Fantastic Four agree to help them locate the Ultimate Nullifier. There's only one problem: the knowledge is locked away in the mind of the Silver Surfer. After a tense encounter with Galactus, the Surfer's memories are restored, revealing the truth. With Reed Richards joining the mission, the team learns the Ultimate Nullifier's location: the home world of the Brood. Venturing deep into an alien cave system, the Riftguards make one fatal mistake: they disturb the hive… and the Brood attack.   Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1628612284256101/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmgpodnetwork?igsh=YTBtMm1kd3k3a3N3   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLMGPodcast   Hosts: Jordan Mitchell

The Racers Roundtable, is a series sponsored by the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing - where history meets horsepower and legends live on! Each episode brings together voices from across the motorsports world, from grassroots heroes to seasoned veterans, as they share stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes tales that shaped their racing journeys. Whether you're a die-hard fan of dirt tracks, drag strips, or open-wheel icons, The Racers Roundtable is your seat at the table for candid conversations and timeless memories from those who lived it. Strap in tight, because it's time to talk racing history, one lap at a time. This episode delves into Sammy Swindell's illustrious career spanning over 50 years in motorsports. Highlights include his initiation into racing inspired by his father, his rise through various car classes, and landmark achievements such as multiple World of Outlaws titles and success at the Knoxville Nationals. The discussion also covers his experience with NASCAR, IndyCar, and contributions to racing innovations. It's an in-depth look at Swindell's technical insights, his strategic mindset towards racing, and memorable anecdotes from his storied career, making it a valuable listen for motor racing enthusiasts. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== 00:00:00 Introducing Sammy Swindell 00:03:59 Sammy's Early Racing Years 00:07:06 Rising Through the Ranks 00:19:03 The World of Outlaws and Beyond 00:25:43 Partnerships and Innovations 00:32:37 Success at Syracuse and Racing Strategies 00:36:18 TMC, Independent Front Suspensions & Turbocharged V6s 00:45:26 Dominating the '90s and Winning Big Races 00:48:34 High-Speed Events and Racing on Pavement 00:58:42 Williams Grove National Open and Racing the Posse 01:00:45 Analyzing Competitors in the Pits 01:01:55 Achievements and Retirement 01:02:59 Rivalry with Steve Kinzer 01:06:07 Success at the Chili Bowl 01:09:19 Venturing into IndyCar and NASCAR 01:25:55 Memories and Tributes ==================== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: Visit Our Website Become a VIP at: Patreon Online Magazine: Gran Touring Follow us on Social: Instagram This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing. The EMMR is a premiere destination for motor racing enthusiasts, showcasing a vast collection of historic racing cars, artifacts and memorabilia. To learn more about the EMMR, or to take part of the next in-person Racers Roundtable - you can plan your visit or support the museum's mission to preserve and celebrate the legacy of racing by heading to www.EMMR.org. Follow them on social media for the latest news, upcoming events, and exclusive content.  This content in this episode has been remastered and published with the EMMRs consent. Theme music "Country Rough" by Everet Almond.

In this inaugural episode of "The Dirty with Clay Edwards," host Clay Edwards kicks off his new nighttime live show with unfiltered takes on culture rot and Democrat death culture across the Dirty South. Broadcasting from Central Mississippi, Clay dives into regional headlines, starting with chaos in Jackson: a massive teen brawl spilling from North Park Mall to Sky Zone, a New Year's mass shooting at Pops Saloon, the city's first homicide of 2026, and a heartwarming story of free back-to-school haircuts for kids. He spotlights a "FAFO" champion in a flipped stolen Kia chase and laments another business closure on County Line Road.   Venturing north to Memphis, Clay covers a fake DoorDash robbery, the city's first murder (an 88-year-old suspect in a domestic dispute), and a wild skating rink takeover turned brawl. He also unpacks Mississippi's $77 million welfare fraud scandal involving WWE stars Ted DiBiase Jr. and family, drawing parallels to underreported national stories like Minnesota's massive fraud.   Wrapping up, Clay congratulates Ole Miss on their Sugar Bowl thriller, predicts their Fiesta Bowl matchup against Miami, and discusses coaching shake-ups. Raw, real, and regionally focused, this episode exposes the good, bad, and ugly of Southeastern life—no holds barred.   Tune in Sunday through Thursday at 7 PM CST for more live streams on YouTube, X, and Rumble. Subscribe for exclusive merch and join the FAFO Army!

The Outer Realm welcomes Special First time Guest Poly Rottermann Host: Michelle Desrochers Date: December 11th, 2025 Episode: 653 Discussion : An Experiencer's Journey - Poly will be sharing her journey which will include her experiences with The Mantis, The Tent People, The Hybridization Program and more! Contact for the show - theouterrealmcontact@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ Please support us by Liking, Subscribing, Sharing and Commenting. Thank you all !!! About Our Guest: Paola, also known as "Poly" Rottermann, was born in Bogota, Colombia. She is the eldest of four sisters. Growing up, she immersed herself in a French school where she fluently learned French and English. At the young age of 7, an "awakening" moment occurred for Poly when she experienced what she felt like a "download" in her brain, after encountering for her first time an image of an extraterrestrial craft in a book. Feeling isolated with her experience, and a sudden very strong feeling of needing to understand what happened, this 'download' marked the beginning of Poly's connection with the E.T phenomenon. Venturing into adulthood, Poly pursued a B.A in Journalism and Social Communication after graduating from school. Her life journey took her to Israel in 1999, where she resides to this day. Her Experiences Intensified after moving, with astral travelings and sightings. In the last 20 years Poly has been actively sharing UFO News and information in FB around the world, she is a member of the UFO MAN Podcast Team on YouTube, and she's been sharing her own story, hoping to be a support for other experiencers. Please support Poly as she supports so many of us! Poly's got a new FB page: Alien Fifty- Human: Ufo/Uap News. Her youtube ch: https://youtube.com/@polyrottermann?feature=shared Twitter: https://x.com/PRottermann?t=39RF7g6CNz_AcpmHYb1l-g&s=09 Her main F.B groups: Area Fifty Human: Ufo/Uap News. -Bob Lazar and Beyond. -UAP/UFO Disclosure Australia. -X-traterrisrael -UFO Man Nation -Disclosure Portugal --S.T.A.R -The Beehive If you enjoy the content on the channel, please support us by subscribing: Thank you All A formal disclosure: The opinions and information presented or expressed by guests on The Outer Realm Radio and Beyond The Outer Realm are not necessarily those of the TOR, BTOR Hosts, Sponsors, or the United Public Radio Network and its producers. Although the content may be interesting, it is deemed "For Entertainment Purposes" . We are always respectful and courteous to all involved. Thank you, we appreciate you all!!!!

Darkness Radio Presents:  The Smurl Haunting: When Ed and Lorraine Came To Town w/ Researcher/Journalist/Author, Maxim W. Furek! Called Pennsylvania's “Amityville Horror,” the Smurl family's nightmare of demonic possession is the subject of both the current motion picture, Conjuring: Last Rites, and this book. Venturing far beyond the West Pittston coal region, author Maxim W. Furek's narrative explores the dark crawlspaces of High Hopes, the Hinsdale House, the damned Welles House, and good and evil, as seen through the eyes of history's foremost exorcists and psychics, such as the mysterious Fr. Alphonsus Trabold O.F.M and Alexander Tanous. There was something of the supernatural channeling through Furek that inspired him to write this book. The 92-year-old West Pittston Smurl duplex was a half-hour drive from his home, and, during their 15-city book tour promoting The Haunted, the author befriended Ed and Lorraine Warren. And sadly, Furek met Annabelle handler Dan Rivera, the day before he died during the 2025 “Devils on the Run” Tour in Gettysburg. Get your copy of "The Smurl Haunting..." here: https://bit.ly/4aIK4x2  Learn more about Maxim and get autographed copies of the book here:  https://www.maximfurek.com/ Check out Jessica Freeburg's website and get tickets to her events here:  https://jessicafreeburg.com/upcoming-events/ There are new and different (and really cool) items all the time in the Darkness Radio Online store at our website! . check out the Darkness Radio Store!   https://www.darknessradioshow.com/store/ Make sure you update your Darkness Radio Apple Apps! and subscribe to the Darkness Radio You Tube page:  https://www.youtube.com/@DRTimDennis #paranormal  #supernatural  #metaphysical  #paranormalpodcasts  #darknessradio  #timdennis #maximwfurek #thesmurlhaunting #whenedandlorrainecametotown #lorrainewarren #edwarren #warrens #paranormalinvestigators #ghosthunters  #ghosts  #spirits #hauntings #hauntedhouses #haunteddolls #annabelle #danrivera #nespr #demons #deliverances #exorcisms #angels  #spiritguides #Psychics #mediums #tarot  #ouija #amityville #theconjuring #hinsdalehouse #damnedwelleshouse #fatherrobertmckenna #fatheralphonsustrabold #annelisemichele

Friendships with the opposite sex, plus what we can learn from the elderly, and the difference between the Holy Spirit and your conscience. Featured musical artist: Phil Wickham Roundtable: Platonic Guy-Girl Friendships Is it possible for men and women to be “just friends”? There’s an ongoing debate on the topic, with some arguing it’s possible while others maintain that it inevitably leads to something awkward (or worse, inappropriate). Our guests break down the pros and cons and give tips for doing friendship with the opposite sex in a God-honoring way. Send Us Your Show Ideas Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Practical Love for the Elderly Whether it’s your parents, grandparents, neighbor or fellow church member, God’s call to love our elders is clear. But it isn’t always easy. Senior citizens may be slower than us, have different perspectives, and can even be critical or aloof. But if you have the patience and intention to dig deep, there’s potential for rich relationship and even the opportunity to learn. Isabel Tom lived her entire childhood and young adult years with her aging grandparents. She now works with the elderly and shares her thoughts on what you stand to gain by prioritizing time with the seniors around you. The Value of Wrinkles: A Young Perspective on How Loving the Old Will Change Your Life Watch This Segment on YouTube Inbox: Conscience or the Holy Spirit? Venturing into a dangerous situation. Asking someone out. Knowing God’s will on a job offer. We all look for direction in various circumstances, but how do you know whether that prompting is your conscience or the Holy Spirit? Pastor Mark Bates weighs in. Link to Counseling Services Find us on YouTube

Welcome to the DMF! I'm Justin Younts, and today I had the pleasure of speaking with Kris Keppeler, an audiobook narrator, voice actress, and writer. Kris shared her fascinating journey from growing up in the snowy Midwest to exploring the arts and finding her passion in acting and voiceover work. She opened up about her experiences moving from Ohio to Michigan and then to Washington State, where she discovered a love for the arts that would shape her career. Kris's story is one of resilience and determination, as she faced discouragement in her singing journey but persevered to find her voice. We discussed her transition from stage acting to film and voiceover, and how her background in opera has influenced her work. Kris also shared insights into her creative process, her love for storytelling, and her passion for helping others through her podcast and YouTube channel. If you're curious about the world of voice acting or looking for inspiration to pursue your dreams, this episode is for you! Tune in to hear Kris's incredible story and learn how you can transform your life through the arts.00:00:00 - Introduction and Greetings00:00:21 - Early Life and Moving Experiences00:03:45 - Interest in Arts and Initial Challenges00:05:28 - Journey into Acting and Training00:10:00 - Experience with Improv and Challenges00:12:57 - Education and Career Shift00:14:21 - Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking and Love for Acting00:16:22 - Transition into Film Acting00:17:00 - Challenges of Transitioning from Stage to Film00:20:16 - Transition into Voice Acting00:20:57 - Challenges and Techniques in Voice Acting00:22:33 - Role Preparation and Character Building00:27:08 - Incorporating Singing Skills into Voice Acting00:27:33 - Experience with Opera00:29:40 - Transition into Chris Keppler's Company and Narration00:31:35 - Transition into Audiobooks00:31:46 - Creating a Home Studio00:32:29 - Working with Voice Fatigue and Studio Preferences00:34:18 - Creation and Evolution of Podcast00:37:05 - Challenges and Learning Experience in Audio Editing00:40:53 - Exploring Different Genres and Creating Children's Shorts00:44:14 - Exploring the Potential of AI in Content Creation00:46:50 - YouTube Channel and Future Plans00:47:57 - Venturing into Writing a Book00:48:28 - Writing Process and Memoir Creation00:49:31 - Affection for Animals and Childhood Experiences00:50:52 - Future Plans and Monetization00:53:32 - Daily Routines and Meditation00:59:09 - Reading, Listening and Watching Preferences01:03:41 - Contact Information and ConclusionHere is her website:https://www.kriskeppeler.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaf34F6oBy2VEGbLYXHlot2sPgvaGIaIf8qAKbqbVtqHzK1-eIMwAwDRng0KEw_aem_ITCHIEhwWKr_memIv26Zbwhttps://www.instagram.com/kriskeppelerCheck out her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBpQqs-cpq3z7FLcVTrf0Tw

Darkness Radio Presents:  The Smurl Haunting: When Ed and Lorraine Came To Town w/ Researcher/Journalist/Author, Maxim W. Furek! Called Pennsylvania's “Amityville Horror,” the Smurl family's nightmare of demonic possession is the subject of both the current motion picture, Conjuring: Last Rites, and this book. Venturing far beyond the West Pittston coal region, author Maxim W. Furek's narrative explores the dark crawlspaces of High Hopes, the Hinsdale House, the damned Welles House, and good and evil, as seen through the eyes of history's foremost exorcists and psychics, such as the mysterious Fr. Alphonsus Trabold O.F.M and Alexander Tanous. There was something of the supernatural channeling through Furek that inspired him to write this book. The 92-year-old West Pittston Smurl duplex was a half-hour drive from his home, and, during their 15-city book tour promoting The Haunted, the author befriended Ed and Lorraine Warren. And sadly, Furek met Annabelle handler Dan Rivera, the day before he died during the 2025 “Devils on the Run” Tour in Gettysburg. Get your copy of "The Smurl Haunting..." here: https://bit.ly/4aIK4x2  Learn more about Maxim and get autographed copies of the book here:  https://www.maximfurek.com/ Check out Jessica Freeburg's website and get tickets to her events here:  https://jessicafreeburg.com/upcoming-events/ There are new and different (and really cool) items all the time in the Darkness Radio Online store at our website! . check out the Darkness Radio Store!   https://www.darknessradioshow.com/store/ Make sure you update your Darkness Radio Apple Apps! and subscribe to the Darkness Radio You Tube page:  https://www.youtube.com/@DRTimDennis #paranormal  #supernatural  #metaphysical  #paranormalpodcasts  #darknessradio  #timdennis #maximwfurek #thesmurlhaunting #whenedandlorrainecametotown #lorrainewarren #edwarren #warrens #paranormalinvestigators #ghosthunters  #ghosts  #spirits #hauntings #hauntedhouses #haunteddolls #annabelle #danrivera #nespr #demons #deliverances #exorcisms #angels  #spiritguides #Psychics #mediums #tarot  #ouija #amityville #theconjuring #hinsdalehouse #damnedwelleshouse #fatherrobertmckenna #fatheralphonsustrabold #annelisemichele

BuffStampede.com publisher Adam Munsterteiger and football analyst William Gardner react to Colorado's returning roster, late additions to its 2026 class, and field questions from Buffaloes fans that join the live show.

Jake Smith, Alex Fletcher and Tash Everitt look ahead to the weekend's Championship meeting between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley. Kirsty Roxanne's latest opposition feature and David Howes' pre-match interview with Blues head coach John Mousinho are also included and there's talk regarding Pompey Women's next WSL 2 match at Westleigh Park.

Part 2 of our VentureTech coverage features Glen's interviews with founders of all three finalists from the main stage event: Matt Dicou of Reset, Cary Fortin of Goodbuy and Jordan Mackler of ScribeUp. Also- Chase pushes forward with its "pay for data" model.   Links related to this episode: Reset: https://www.getreset.co/  Goodbuy: https://www.trygoodbuy.com/  ScribeUp: https://www.scribeup.io  Last week's episode featuring Aries Fraud Solutions, KeySavvy and Remynt: https://www.big-fintech.com/launching-from-obscurity-venturing-into-the-mainstream/  VentureTech: https://myventuretech.com/  CNBC's take on JPMorgan Chase's traction in charging for open banking data: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/14/jpmorgan-chase-fintech-fees.html  William Mills' annual Financial Trade Show/Conference Directory: https://info.williammills.com/financial-trade-show-conference-directory-2026    Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday November 19 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required:  https://www.cutownhall.com/    Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

She was homeschooling her kids, charging less than $300 a session, and running her photography business on pure hustle—until she realized that passion alone wasn't enough to build the life she wanted. Erin Vestal is one of my former students from the CRM Blueprint, and her journey is one that so many creatives will relate to.Erin shares her story—from pricing family sessions under $300, to more than doubling her rates, to surpassing her teaching salary (yes, really!). We dig into how she balances homeschooling, launching weddings, outsourcing, refining her offers, and creating work rhythms that actually support her family life—not pull her apart.Find It Quickly00:27 - Meet Erin01:36 - Erin's Journey: From Chaos to Structured Success04:47 - The Importance of Pricing and Value in Business08:42 - Balancing Homeschooling and Business15:05 - Seasonal Photography and Expanding Horizons21:12 - Venturing into Wedding Photography22:02 - Discovering the World of Wedding Photography22:36 - First Wedding Experiences and Realizations23:22 - Building Systems for Success23:37 - Marketing and Overcoming Doubts25:09 - Balancing Family and Business26:08 - Integrating Different Photography Niches27:30 - Rebranding and Streamlining28:10 - Setting Goals and Finding Balance39:45 - The Importance of SystemsMentioned in this EpisodeCRM BlueprintEpisode 015: Dubsado Case Study with Alison BrettMarketing Mondays Will Transform Your Business Strategy with Melissa Arlena and Alison BellConnect with ErinWebsite: erinvestalphotography.comInstagram: instagram.com/erinvestalphotography

In our first wave of VentureTech coverage Glen speaks with a trio of co-founders, from Launch Party winners Aries Fraud Solutions (unveiling its Obscurity Card) and main stage standouts KeySavvy and Remynt. Also- skepticism meets déjà vu on the proposed Visa/Mastercard settlement.   Links related to this episode:   Aries Fraud Solutions: https://www.ariesfraudsolutions.com/    KeySavvy: https://www.keysavvy.com/    Remynt: https://getremynt.com/    VentureTech: https://myventuretech.com/    Reuters' take on the proposed Visa/Mastercard merchant settlement: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/visa-mastercard-reach-revised-swipe-fee-settlement-with-merchants-2025-11-10/       Join us for our next CU Town Hall- Wednesday November 19 at 3pm ET/Noon PT- for a live and lively interactive conversation tackling the major issues facing credit unions today. The Town Hall is free to attend, but advance registration is required:  https://www.cutownhall.com/   Follow us on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/best-innovation-group/   https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbfintech/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/glensarvady/

In this explosive episode of "No Way, Jose!" titled "NWJ685- Going Hard on the J's w/Jared," host Jose Galison sits down with Jared, a bold anonymous online researcher who's unafraid to dive into the most controversial and taboo subjects surrounding Jewish history and influence. Together, they tackle the infamous "109 countries" narrative, exploring historical expulsions and the patterns that have fueled endless debate. No stone is left unturned as they dissect claims of blood libel, examining ancient accusations and their modern echoes, while challenging mainstream perspectives with unflinching analysis.Venturing deeper into forbidden territory, Jose and Jared unpack the age-old discussions on usury, scrutinizing its role in economic systems and cultural stereotypes throughout the centuries. With Jared's expertise drawn from years of independent research, the conversation uncovers layers of hidden history, suppressed narratives, and provocative theories that rarely see the light of day. Tune in for a raw, unfiltered dialogue that's sure to spark thought and controversy on "No Way, Jose!"Please consider supporting my work-Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/nowayjose2020Only costs $2/month and will get you access to episodes earlier than the publicNo Way, Jose! Rumble Channel- https://rumble.com/c/c-3379274No Way, Jose! YouTube Channel- https://youtube.com/channel/UCzyrpy3eo37eiRTq0cXff0gMy Podcast Host- https://redcircle.com/shows/no-way-joseApple podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-way-jose/id1546040443Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/0xUIH4pZ0tM1UxARxPe6ThStitcher- https://www.stitcher.com/show/no-way-jose-2Amazon Music- https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/41237e28-c365-491c-9a31-2c6ef874d89d/No-Way-JoseGoogle Podcasts- https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5yZWRjaXJjbGUuY29tL2ZkM2JkYTE3LTg2OTEtNDc5Ny05Mzc2LTc1M2ExZTE4NGQ5Yw%3D%3DRadioPublic- https://radiopublic.com/no-way-jose-6p1BAOVurbl- https://vurbl.com/station/4qHi6pyWP9B/Feel free to contact me at thelibertymovementglobal@gmail.com#NoWayJose #NWJ685 #GoingHardOnTheJs #JaredResearcher #TabooTopics #JewishHistory #109Countries #BloodLibel #UsuryDebate #HiddenNarratives #SuppressedHistory #ControversialConversations #JoseGalison #AnonymousResearch #ForbiddenDiscussions #CulturalStereotypes #HistoricalExpulsions #ProvocativeTheories #UnfilteredDialogue #RawAnalysis

Lucas De Zan is an accomplished angler who has guided and fished some...

In this episode, we head back to high summer and the North Cornwall coast. Plodcast host Fergus takes a beach walk with artist Sarah Adams. Venturing into murmuring caves, Sarah shares valuable insight into the inspiration she takes from the rock formations, the light and the shadows – and how she goes about her work. And she's brought art materials for Fergus to have a go himself. To see Sarah's work, visit www.sarahadams.studio/Also, the Plodcast is very proud to announce that it is media partner for the Speakies – the British Audio Awards from The Bookseller Magazine. These new awards celebrate the very best in audiobooks. The Plodcast is partnering in the non-fiction category. Find the shortlists here: www.thebookseller.com/the-british-audio-awardsAnd now you can get in touch with the Plodcast team via: The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast group on Facebook & BBC Countryfile Magazine's Instagram page.The BBC Countryfile Magazine Plodcast is the Publishers Podcast Awards Special Interest Podcast of the Year 2024 & 2025 and the PPA Podcast of the Year 2022. If you've enjoyed the plodcast, don't forget to leave likes and positive reviews. Contact the Plodcast team and send your sound recordings of the countryside to: theplodcast@countryfile.com. If your letter, email or message is read out on the show, you could WIN a Plodcast Postbag prize of a wildlife- or countryside-themed book chosen by the team. The Plodcast is produced by Jack Bateman and Lewis Dobbs. The theme tune was written and performed by Blair Dunlop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Roguelites are our own personal hell.Venturing to the underworld ought to be met with a sense of dread, but for Chris, the dread he's feeling is centered on the roguelite nature of this isometric action RPG developed and published by Supergiant Games. Tom is a bit more optimistic, buoyed by the game's strong reception from both critics and players alike. Which of these two attitudes will rise up to the surface after an hour of escape attempts through a gauntlet of undead enemies? It's frankly impressive that they haven't given this game a try in the years since it launched... heck, there's already a sequel! Either way, the Xbox Game Pass "Surprise Me" button has spoken and, at least around here, its word is law. Join our hosts and see if they'll be returning to hell after the mandated hour is up!What do you think? Let us know!Hit us up on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tc1h1dOr on Threads at https://www.threads.net/@tc1h1dDrop us an email at tc.1h1d(at)outlook[dot]comFollow us on Goodpods @1h1dCheck out our fancy site: https://quitthebuild.com/1h1dWatch the video: https://bit.ly/1H1DYTThanks for taking this ride with us :-)

Prepare to unravel the mysteries of the Aries Super Full Moon with Vanessa Codorniu in this transformative episode.Venturing through themes of release and renewal, Vanessa invites listeners to explore the impacts of eclipse season, address underlying emotions, and harness the abundant energy of the full moon to foster personal growth and self-discovery. During the episode, Vanessa delves into the astrological significance of the Aries Super Full Moon following a powerful eclipse season. She emphasizes the importance of releasing burdens and reassessing one's path, especially in the context of personal and professional life changes. Vanessa shares her personal experiences with the recent eclipse season, highlighting the transformational opportunities it presented through her one-woman show and collaborative endeavors with her improv team. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own journeys and consider which aspects of their lives are ripe for transformation. Moving deeper into the spiritual opportunities of this celestial event, Vanessa discusses Aries' themes of authenticity and courage, offering practical advice on balancing these qualities with the harmonious energies of Libra. She suggests reflective practices and rituals to release what no longer serves one's growth, urging listeners to embrace clarity over chaos. By tapping into Aries' fiery energy, Vanessa guides listeners through a process of identifying genuine desires and letting go of societal and self-imposed limitations. This episode is a compelling guide to utilizing the potent energies of the Aries Super Full Moon for personal enlightenment and transformation.    If you would like a 1 on 1 Astro-Potentials Natal Chart session book a time here: https://booksy.com/en-us/682973_vanessa-codorniu-cht_other_33594_harrisburg#ba_s=seo   #fullmooninaries #astrologytips #latinacreator #eclipseseason

On a cold December evening in Surrey, England, two separate callers reported the same terrifying sight: headlights swerving off the busy A3 road and disappearing into the trees. Convinced they'd just witnessed a crash, police raced to the scene — but the road was empty, the barriers intact, and no fresh tire marks scarred the embankment. Still, the officers pressed on. Venturing deep into the undergrowth, they uncovered a nightmare: a badly wrecked car, hidden from view and overgrown by brush. The vehicle's battery was long dead, its headlights impossible to ignite. And nearby, they made a darker discovery — the decomposed skeletal remains of a man. The car belonged to a Londoner reported missing nearly a year earlier, in July of 2002. Dental records confirmed the bones were his. Pathologists estimated he'd been dead for months, killed in what looked like a crash no one had ever seen… until that December night. But how could members of the public report headlights veering off the road that very evening, when the man and his vehicle had been lost for almost a year? Did they witness a ghostly replay — a spectral “residual haunting” of the fatal crash, replaying itself to demand discovery? Or was it a strange twist of fate, coincidence aligning the living with the dead? #TrueGhostStory #Paranormal #HauntedUK #GhostlyReplay #PhantomCrash #PoliceMystery #CreepyStories #UnsolvedMystery #GhostStoriesOnline #RealHaunting Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Called Pennsylvania's “Amityville Horror,” the Smurl family's nightmare of demonic possession is the subject of both the current motion picture, Conjuring: Last Rites, and this book. Venturing far beyond the West Pittston coal region, author Maxim W. Furek's narrative explores the dark crawlspaces of High Hopes, the Hindsdale House, the damned Welles House, and good and evil, as seen through the eyes of history's foremost exorcists and psychics, such as the mysterious Fr. Alphonsus Trabold O.F.M and Alexander Tanous.There was something of the supernatural channeling through Furek that inspired him to write this book. The 92-year-old West Pittston Smurl duplex was a half-hour drive from his home, and, during their 15-city book tour promoting The Haunted, the author befriended Ed and Lorraine Warren. And sadly, Furek met Annabelle handler Dan Rivera, the day before he died during the 2025 “Devils on the Run” Tour in Gettysburg.Furek: “It wasn't a coincidence. It was destiny. I believe that psychic energies were being channeled through me to allow this thing to take shape and manifest. I only know that it flowed and had energy and a life of its own and that I was placed at the right place at the right time.”BioMaxim W. Furek is an avid student of the paranormal. His eclectic background includes aspects of psychology, recovery from addictions, and rock journalism. He has a master's degree in communications from Bloomsburg University, and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Aquinas College. He has been called “The John Keel of the 21st century,” due, in part, to his diverse background and varied interests. The author has been featured on countless American, Canadian, and European podcasts including George Noory's Coast to Coast, Exploring the Bizarre with the legendary Timothy Green Beckley (Mr. UFO) and Tim R. Swartz (Commander X), and Midnight in the Desert with Heather Wade. He is a contributor to Fate Magazine, Paranormal Underground, and Strange Knocks, and a frequent guest speaker at paranormal conferences.https://www.maximfurek.com/https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FMK9L9HM https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeMy book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Called Pennsylvania's “Amityville Horror,” the Smurl family's nightmare of demonic possession is the subject of both the current motion picture, Conjuring: Last Rites, and this book. Venturing far beyond the West Pittston coal region, author Maxim W. Furek's narrative explores the dark crawlspaces of High Hopes, the Hindsdale House, the damned Welles House, and good and evil, as seen through the eyes of history's foremost exorcists and psychics, such as the mysterious Fr. Alphonsus Trabold O.F.M and Alexander Tanous.There was something of the supernatural channeling through Furek that inspired him to write this book. The 92-year-old West Pittston Smurl duplex was a half-hour drive from his home, and, during their 15-city book tour promoting The Haunted, the author befriended Ed and Lorraine Warren. And sadly, Furek met Annabelle handler Dan Rivera, the day before he died during the 2025 “Devils on the Run” Tour in Gettysburg.Furek: “It wasn't a coincidence. It was destiny. I believe that psychic energies were being channeled through me to allow this thing to take shape and manifest. I only know that it flowed and had energy and a life of its own and that I was placed at the right place at the right time.”BioMaxim W. Furek is an avid student of the paranormal. His eclectic background includes aspects of psychology, recovery from addictions, and rock journalism. He has a master's degree in communications from Bloomsburg University, and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Aquinas College. He has been called “The John Keel of the 21st century,” due, in part, to his diverse background and varied interests. The author has been featured on countless American, Canadian, and European podcasts including George Noory's Coast to Coast, Exploring the Bizarre with the legendary Timothy Green Beckley (Mr. UFO) and Tim R. Swartz (Commander X), and Midnight in the Desert with Heather Wade. He is a contributor to Fate Magazine, Paranormal Underground, and Strange Knocks, and a frequent guest speaker at paranormal conferences.https://www.maximfurek.com/https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FMK9L9HM https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeMy book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Denise Woodard is the founder and CEO of Partake, an allergy-friendly food company. Woodard started her career in pound-the-pavement sales roles at Philip Morris and FedEx, gaining robust experience in winning business by providing genuine solutions to her clients. She then spent the majority of her early career at the Coca-Cola Company, starting in sales and then finding her niche working on the emerging brands that were better aligned with her values, like Honest Tea and Health-Ade. After rising through the ranks and becoming the director of national sales for Coca-Cola's Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB), Woodard was proud of the career she had built for herself and didn't envision she'd ever leave her job. But after having her daughter, Vivienne, and finding out her child suffered from food allergies, she started to realize just how stark the allergy-friendly food landscape was. She couldn't find any options that were nutritious and delicious, and after some nudging from her nanny, Woodard decided to do something about it. She promptly put together a new business pitch for an allergy-friendly snack brand, entered a pitch competition, and won. She spent the next year building Partake while working her day job before leaping into it full-time. Since then, Woodard has become the first Black woman to raise over $1 million for a packaged food company, and Partake Foods can now be found in over 18,000 retailers, including Target and Whole Foods.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My guests today are Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, who you might know as The Chainsmokers. We explore their fascinating evolution from scrappy DJs to global superstars to serious venture capitalists with their fund Mantis. Drew and Alex share how the same high-touch, relationship-driven approach that built their music empire now defines their investment philosophy. Their framework for backing founders mirrors their artistic process: they invest in obsessive individuals who will pursue their vision regardless of external validation, much like how they've remained authentic to their sound despite industry pressures. We discuss parallels between creative iteration in music and venture investing, particularly around managing failure, maintaining intentionality in an age of abundance, and the importance of taste as a differentiating factor. Please enjoy this fascinating discussion with The Chainsmokers, Alex Pall and Drew Taggart.  For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. –  This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Arcana⁠. Arcana is the world's most advanced portfolio intelligence platform, trusted by institutional investors managing trillions in AUM — including market neutral, long-short, long-only, and capital allocators. Arcana enables portfolio managers, risk teams, analysts, and CIOs to drill into exposures and idio, construct optimal portfolios, and decompose performance at incredible granularity. Visit ⁠arcana.io⁠ to request a demo and learn more. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:06:16) The Creative Process Behind Songwriting (00:07:33) Exploring the Emotional Depths of Music (00:11:50) Navigating the Music Industry and AI (00:17:45) The Importance of World Building in Music (00:21:27) Finding Your Creative Itch (00:35:04) The Chainsmokers' Journey and Work Ethic (00:40:37) The Business Side of the Chainsmokers (00:45:43) Venturing into Tech and Investments (00:51:39) The Evolution of Mantis (00:53:11) Overcoming Celebrity Investor Stereotypes (00:55:20) Supporting Founders Like Record Labels (00:57:26) The Art of Collaboration (01:04:02) The Grind to Success (01:13:49) Investing Insights and Evolution (01:26:39) The Kindest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done for Drew and Alex