Podcasts about viking

In this episode, Rochelle and Leslie stitched together conversations as colorful as their fabric stashes! They shared exciting personal projects, with Rochelle completing a wedding quilt and diving into her label-making obsession, while both exchanged travel wisdom about the Mobile Passport Control app and Viking cruise adjustments. The crafty duo discussed upcoming retreats, Halloween plans with grandchildren, and fitness journeys, before unraveling conversations about shipping costs, quilt-making techniques, and the surprising history of ranch dressing. Their needle-sharp wit shone through discussions of buffalo wings, tomato soup preparations for Thanksgiving retreats, and the practical wisdom that UPS might beat USPS for heavier packages.The conversation took a heartfelt turn as Rochelle shared her involvement with suicide prevention initiatives and her touching experience giving quilts to unhoused individuals, emphasizing the importance of remembering loved ones for their positive qualities. Creative energy flowed through discussions of zipper bag projects, with Rochelle hunting for the perfect colored zippers and planning to bring her creations to an upcoming retreat. These quilting companions wrapped up their chat with sewing projects featuring directional chicken fabric, a Nutcracker-themed quilt class, matching family pajamas, and heartwarming stories of community support—including how Patty helped an unhoused woman named Barbara secure Social Security benefits, leading to Barbara's touching plan to donate underwear and socks for the holidays.This is a jam-packed episode filled with heart. Enjoy!*Please note: We are aware of the audio issues with Rochelle's microphone being too low. We will continue to work to improve this!For your ultimate quilting experience, check out our sponsor, Osage Hills Retreat Center for upcoming retreats, classes and so much more! It is Oklahoma's premier craft destination. Relaxation and Send us a textFollow Leslie on Instagram at @leslie_quilts and Rochelle at @doughnutwarrior

Who were the Vikings' ancient ancestors? In this episode Tristan Hughes explores the fascinating maritime culture, sophisticated trade networks and social hierarchies of the Nordic Bronze Age c. 1800–700 BC. Joined by Professor Johan Ling, they shed light on how proto-Viking societies of ancient Scandinavia imported essential metals, crafted stunning rock art using bronze tools and operated complex trade routes extending to Britain, Iberia and beyond. Enigmatic religious practices and the pivotal role played by elite kinship networks are brought to life through remarkable archaeological finds such as horned helmets and a golden sun chariot to reveal the remarkable complex societies that preceded the Viking Age.MOREThe Bronze Age CollapseMycenae: Cradle of Bronze Age GreecePresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rob Warner is back on The Ride Companion! In this episode, Rob joins Olly and Davi to talk about his first ever trip to Red Bull Rampage, what it was like to finally see the venue in person, the true scale you can't capture on TV and what it feels like watching riders hit massive freeride lines for the very first time. The lads also dig into the harsh realities of athletes pushing big-mountain freeride and action sports to the absolute limit. Rob opens up about living with ADHD and autism, how it feels being so publicly outspoken about it, and how commentary helps him find flow state. He also reflects on his recent ADHD diagnosis film series, shares details about his new projects, a Viking death-road film in the Scottish Highlands, a rap collab in New York, and the long-awaited return of the Egg Cult with The Whole Egg-chilada. This is classic Warner, we hope you enjoy the episode! Adolf Silva's Road2Recovery page: https://www.road2recovery.com/athlete-causes/adolf-silva/  The Ride Companion Christmas Ride at BikePark Wales! Episode Sponsors:-  - Invisiframe → 15% off kits, decals & more with code REFRESHANDRIDE: https://www.invisiframe.co.uk - WORX Tools → 15% off the full range with code THERIDECOMPANION: https://uk.worx.com - Looking for a new car or van and don't want to deal with dodgy dealers? Check out cargurus.co.uk Get early access & ad-free episodes → https://www.patreon.com/theridecompanion You can also support our long term partners: - Marin Bikes: marinbikes.com/gb - Focus Bikes: focus-bikes.com - HUEL: Get 15% OFF with code 'RIDE' at huel.com/ - Hiplok: https://hiplok.com/the-ride-companion  - Get 10% off Troy Lee Designs with code 'theridecompanion' at saddleback.avln.me/c/OzduCWvjtcOr - Athletic Greens: Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs at athleticgreens.com/RIDECOMPANION - Compex: Get 20% off with code 'THERIDECOMPANION' at compex.com/uk/ - Worx: Get 15% off with code 'THERIDECOMPANION' at worx.com - LAKA: Get 30 days of FREE insurance with code 'RIDECOMPANION30' at laka.co - HKT Products: Use code 'PODCAST' for 10% off the entire site. Follow Olly Wilkins Instagram @odub_23 YouTube @owilkins23 The Ride Companion Instagram @theridecompanion YouTube @TheRideCompanion YouTube clips and BTS channel @moreridecompanion Get official Ride Companion merch, find old episodes and more theridecompanion.co.uk

Moment Teater gör lekfull satir om Olof Rudbeck som på 1600-talet övertygades om att Sverige var den första civilisationen. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. -Att det finns nån sorts sjunken storhet nånstans och om vi väcker upp den så blir vi idag bättre på nåt sätt, det är tokigt alltså, säger Andreas Boonstra, manusförfattare och regissör till pjäsen Atlantis Hyperborea på Moment Teater i Gubbängen, Stockholm.Vetenskapsmannen Olof Rudbeck gjorde många riktiga rön och insatser på sin tid, bland annat upptäckte han lymfkärlen och låg bakom den första botaniska trädgården och anatomiska teatern i Uppsala. Men det han brann mest för var att hitta bevis för att det mytomspunna idealsamhället Atlantis som Platon beskrivit helt enkelt var det gamla Uppsala.Moment Teaters folkbildande föreläsningsfars berättar om Olof Rudbecks liv med tydliga blinkningar till vår samtid.

Full show notes and ad-free listening at wickedproblems.earthShipping is one of those things that's just supposed to work. Post-Titanic, we created a set of rules that currently are looked after by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which successfully removed much of the drama from shipping — so successful that Britain's “Shipping Forecast” is now soothing ASMR for bedtime listening. But last month at the IMO in London, what should have been a procedural meeting on decarbonising shipping turned into something far messier. According to a Financial Times investigation, U.S. officials didn't just lobby against a global carbon levy on shipping — they allegedly threatened, intimidated and black-mailed delegates from smaller nations. Developing-country delegates said they were warned their ships would face higher U.S. port fees, their officials denied visas, and their trade punished if they didn't abandon support for the Net Zero Framework the IMO had endorsed only six months earlier. “It was like dealing with the Mob,” one diplomat told the FT. In the end, it worked. The deal — the world's first carbon-pricing mechanism for global shipping — was postponed for a year. The IMO, normally the most technocratic of international bodies, was left “in a state of complete shock.” For the uninitiated this may sound arcane. But shipping matters. Roughly 90 % of global trade moves by sea; the sector accounts for about 3 % of global CO₂ emissions — more than Germany — and until now has been largely outside the reach of meaningful climate regulation. The Net Zero Framework was meant to change that. It had already been provisionally agreed by a majority of countries in April. But by October, something changed. Countries like China, India, Panama, Liberia — and even Greece and Cyprus, who broke with the EU line — suddenly voted to adjourn. news.wickedproblems.ukAnd the shift didn't come from nowhere: it came from pressure. From a U.S. administration that now treats climate policy as an existential threat to American interests.

Bodø/Glimt har tapt to på rad, men vi ser fremover mot kommende kamper og en intens serieinnspurt i både Eliteserien, Toppserien og Champions League. Vi skryter av Viking, snakker om viktigheten av rett fokus og prøver å finne ut hvor det gikk feil mot Vålerenga og Monaco. I studio har vi besøk av Morten Konradsen og Jostein Gundersen

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: Viking Secrets: Unveiling the Past to Forge a New Legacy Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2025-11-05-08-38-20-no Story Transcript:No: Stavanger lå badet i høstfarger.En: Stavanger lay bathed in autumn colors.No: Gule blader kledde gatene, og den skarpe luften var fylt av lyden av fløyter og trommer.En: Yellow leaves dressed the streets, and the crisp air was filled with the sound of flutes and drums.No: Vikingfestivalen bruste med liv.En: The Vikingfestivalen teemed with life.No: Telt sto tett langs kaien, og lukten av stekt kjøtt drev ut i den gamle byen.En: Tents stood close along the quay, and the smell of roasted meat drifted out into the old town.No: Siv beveget seg gjennom mengden.En: Siv moved through the crowd.No: Hun hadde alltid vært lojal mot familien sin.En: She had always been loyal to her family.No: Det var derfor hun var her, midt i festivalen, omgitt av latter og gamle sagn.En: That was why she was here, in the midst of the festival, surrounded by laughter and ancient legends.No: Men det var noe som skurret.En: But something was amiss.No: En hemmelighet ulmet under overflaten, og hun visste at Erik visste noe.En: A secret simmered beneath the surface, and she knew that Erik knew something.No: Erik sto ved et bål med en gruppe venner.En: Erik stood by a fire with a group of friends.No: Han smilte, slik han alltid gjorde, men Siv kunne se bekymringen i blikket.En: He smiled, as he always did, but Siv could see the concern in his eyes.No: Erik var eventyrlysten, alltid på jakt etter noe nytt.En: Erik was adventurous, always seeking something new.No: Han ønsket å bryte vekk fra tradisjonene, men kjente også tyngden av ansvar på skuldrene.En: He wanted to break away from traditions, but he also felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.No: Siv tok et dypt åndedrag, trakk kappen tettere rundt seg, og gikk mot Erik.En: Siv took a deep breath, pulled her cloak tighter around herself, and walked towards Erik.No: «Vi må snakke,» sa hun og trakk ham vekk fra bålet.En: "We need to talk," she said, pulling him away from the fire.No: De beveget seg til kanten av festivalen, der lyset fra faklene kastet lange skygger.En: They moved to the edge of the festival, where the light from the torches cast long shadows.No: «Hva vet du, Erik?En: "What do you know, Erik?"No: » spurte Siv, stemmen hennes sterk.En: Siv asked, her voice strong.No: «Hva er det jeg ikke får vite om familien min?En: "What is it that I'm not being told about my family?"No: »Erik så på henne, det lekne glimtet borte fra øynene hans.En: Erik looked at her, the playful glint gone from his eyes.No: «Siv, jeg vil ikke såre deg.En: "Siv, I don't want to hurt you.No: Men du har rett til å vite.En: But you have a right to know."No: » Han nølte, men fortsatte.En: He hesitated but continued.No: «Familien din har en historie som er skjult.En: "Your family has a hidden history.No: Noen valg de gjorde for lenge siden, valg som ikke var ærefulle.En: Some choices they made long ago, choices that were not honorable."No: »Sivs hjerte sank.En: Siv's heart sank.No: Hun hadde mistenkt noe slikt, men å høre det var en annen sak.En: She had suspected something like this, but hearing it was another matter.No: «Hva slags historie?En: "What kind of history?"No: » spurte hun, stemmen bristet.En: she asked, her voice breaking.No: «De gjorde en avtale, en avtale som brakte dem rikdom, men også skam,» forklarte Erik.En: "They made a deal, a deal that brought them wealth, but also shame," Erik explained.No: «De valgte å gi opp en del av sin ære for å sikre familiens fremtid.En: "They chose to give up a part of their honor to ensure the family's future."No: »Siv stirret ut i natten, hjertet tungt med både svik og lettelse.En: Siv stared out into the night, her heart heavy with both betrayal and relief.No: Hun ønsket familiearven, men ikke på bekostning av sannheten.En: She wanted the family legacy but not at the cost of truth.No: «Takk for at du fortalte meg.En: "Thank you for telling me."No: »Erik tok hånden hennes.En: Erik took her hand.No: «Det er opp til deg nå, Siv.En: "It's up to you now, Siv.No: Hva betyr mest for deg?En: What means the most to you?"No: »Som lyset fra faklene opplyste nattehimmelen, innså Siv at hun sto ved en vei.En: As the light from the torches illuminated the night sky, Siv realized that she stood at a crossroads.No: En vei der hun kunne velge sin egen skjebne, forme sin egen fremtid.En: A path where she could choose her own destiny, shape her own future.No: Hun følte seg både sveket og frigjort, klar til å forene sine ønsker med familiens arv.En: She felt both betrayed and liberated, ready to merge her desires with the family's legacy.No: Med et siste blikk på festivalens virvar av lys og lyd bestemte Siv seg for at hun ville bære arven videre, men på sine egne betingelser.En: With a final glance at the festival's whirl of lights and sounds, Siv decided that she would carry the legacy forward, but on her own terms.No: Hun ville ære sin fortid, men forme sin egen fremtid.En: She would honor her past, but shape her own future.No: Hun gled smilende tilbake til festivalens liv og feiret både fødsel og slutten på et gammelt kapittel.En: She slipped back smiling into the festival's life and celebrated both the birth and the end of an old chapter. Vocabulary Words:bathed: badetcrisp: skarpeteemed: brustesimmered: ulmetadventurous: eventyrlystentraditions: tradisjoneneresponsibility: ansvarcloak: kappentorches: faklenecast: kastethesitated: nøltehidden: skjulthonorable: ærefullebetrayal: sviklegacy: arvenilluminated: opplystecrossroads: veishape: formedestiny: skjebneliberated: frigjortmerge: foreneslipped: gledsurrounded: omgittdeal: avtaleshame: skamensure: sikrerevealed: avdekkesvanish: forsvinnegleam: glimtbreathing: åndedrag

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Motherf*ckers Before the Predator conducts his 2025 theatrical hunt in the Badlands, his animated counterparts are hosting a contest on Hulu where the winner is proclaimed Killer of Killers. How much competition will a Viking mother, an exiled Japanese brother, and an aspiring WWII pilot be for the homicidal aliens once they're ripped away from historical battles and transported to a space arena?  And can the trio overcome their thirst for vengeance and find a way to get back to Earth collaboratively?  If it streams, we can kill it in a podcast review available now!

Joe Sudbay guests hosts while John is on his California cruise trip. Joe discusses Trump's Halloween glitzy Great Gatsby party - flouting lavishness while millions panic over SNAP benefits being constrained. He also talks about the major elections happening in New Jersey, Virginia, California, and New York. Then, he speaks with Jessica Mackler who is the president of EMILYs list. EMILYs List is backing both Democratic governor candidates (Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia), as well as women candidates in every top red-to-blue flip opportunity in Virginia's House of Delegates races. In the last Southern state without an abortion ban, this year, Virginia's House will determine if voters can protect reproductive freedom through a constitutional amendment. And then finally, Joe interviews Alejandro Varela. His debut novel, The Town of Babylon was a finalist for the National Book Award. His latest novel, Middle Spoon, was published by Viking on September 9, 2025. His novels and stories take public health topics — from systemic racism to gentrification to sexuality — and make them accessible and memorable. Varela is an editor-at-large of Apogee Journal, and holds a masters degree in public health from the University of Washington.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kabir is the most alive of all dead poets. He is a fabric without stitches. No centres, no edges. Anand threads his way in. Over the years, as a publisher and editor, Anand immerses himself in the works of Babasaheb Ambedkar and other anticaste thinkers. He gives up his practice of music and poetry, blaming his disenchantment on caste. One day in Delhi, Anand starts looking for Kabir. He finds him here, there, everywhere. He begins to pay attention to the many ways in which Kabir's words are sung, and translates them. Soon, Kabir starts looking out for Anand. The songs of Kabir sung by a range of singers—Prahlad Tipaniya, Fariduddin Ayaz, Mukhtiyar Ali, Kumar Gandharva, Kaluram Bamaniya, Mahesha Ram and other wayfarers—make Anand return to music and poetry. Anand translates songs seldom found in books. Along the way, he witnesses Kabir drawing on the Buddha, often restating ancient suttas in joyous ways. The Notbook of Kabir is the result of this pursuit with no end in sight. This is the story of how Anand loses himself trying to find Kabir. You can check out the YouTube list of relevant Kabir's songs curated by S. Anand here. For readers interested in the paradoxical, downside-up language in Kabiri and its resonances with Daoist language (e.g. this translation of Daodejing), especially the mysthical atheist aspects, check out appendix B to this book by Brook Ziporyn. Feel free to check out Anand's Navayana Publishing, and his insightful blog posts here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

At first glance, the sequel to the zombie movie 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later is not an obvious pick for a podcast about Arthurian movies. However, after watching a few minutes, it's fairly evident that the movie isn't just a commentary on post-Brexit Britain, the weaponization of nostalgia, and the dangers of Little Englanders, it's playing with all of British history, from the end of its place as part of the Roman Empire--an end that leads to the creation of the Arthurian legend--to the Viking incursions, to the Henry V, the rise and fall of the British Empire, World War II, and the decrepit ruling class that protected monsters like Jimmy Savile and Prince Andrew. Beyond that, it's a meditation on death and compassion, one which asks us to, as the Latin phrase goes, memento mori. Starring Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Edvin Rydig, Jack O'Connell, and Chi Lewis-Parry. Written by Alex Garland. Directed by Danny Boyle.   This is a preview of the latest episode of our series Hollywood Avalon. To hear the entire episode, join the Mary Versus the Movies patreon for $3/month to hear this and the entire series Hollywood Avalon: https://www.patreon.com/maryvsmovies. 

Tóm lược kỷ nguyên Viking trong 37 phút| Trần Phan | Thế Giới

Kabir is the most alive of all dead poets. He is a fabric without stitches. No centres, no edges. Anand threads his way in. Over the years, as a publisher and editor, Anand immerses himself in the works of Babasaheb Ambedkar and other anticaste thinkers. He gives up his practice of music and poetry, blaming his disenchantment on caste. One day in Delhi, Anand starts looking for Kabir. He finds him here, there, everywhere. He begins to pay attention to the many ways in which Kabir's words are sung, and translates them. Soon, Kabir starts looking out for Anand. The songs of Kabir sung by a range of singers—Prahlad Tipaniya, Fariduddin Ayaz, Mukhtiyar Ali, Kumar Gandharva, Kaluram Bamaniya, Mahesha Ram and other wayfarers—make Anand return to music and poetry. Anand translates songs seldom found in books. Along the way, he witnesses Kabir drawing on the Buddha, often restating ancient suttas in joyous ways. The Notbook of Kabir is the result of this pursuit with no end in sight. This is the story of how Anand loses himself trying to find Kabir. You can check out the YouTube list of relevant Kabir's songs curated by S. Anand here. For readers interested in the paradoxical, downside-up language in Kabiri and its resonances with Daoist language (e.g. this translation of Daodejing), especially the mysthical atheist aspects, check out appendix B to this book by Brook Ziporyn. Feel free to check out Anand's Navayana Publishing, and his insightful blog posts here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

Kabir is the most alive of all dead poets. He is a fabric without stitches. No centres, no edges. Anand threads his way in. Over the years, as a publisher and editor, Anand immerses himself in the works of Babasaheb Ambedkar and other anticaste thinkers. He gives up his practice of music and poetry, blaming his disenchantment on caste. One day in Delhi, Anand starts looking for Kabir. He finds him here, there, everywhere. He begins to pay attention to the many ways in which Kabir's words are sung, and translates them. Soon, Kabir starts looking out for Anand. The songs of Kabir sung by a range of singers—Prahlad Tipaniya, Fariduddin Ayaz, Mukhtiyar Ali, Kumar Gandharva, Kaluram Bamaniya, Mahesha Ram and other wayfarers—make Anand return to music and poetry. Anand translates songs seldom found in books. Along the way, he witnesses Kabir drawing on the Buddha, often restating ancient suttas in joyous ways. The Notbook of Kabir is the result of this pursuit with no end in sight. This is the story of how Anand loses himself trying to find Kabir. You can check out the YouTube list of relevant Kabir's songs curated by S. Anand here. For readers interested in the paradoxical, downside-up language in Kabiri and its resonances with Daoist language (e.g. this translation of Daodejing), especially the mysthical atheist aspects, check out appendix B to this book by Brook Ziporyn. Feel free to check out Anand's Navayana Publishing, and his insightful blog posts here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Kabir is the most alive of all dead poets. He is a fabric without stitches. No centres, no edges. Anand threads his way in. Over the years, as a publisher and editor, Anand immerses himself in the works of Babasaheb Ambedkar and other anticaste thinkers. He gives up his practice of music and poetry, blaming his disenchantment on caste. One day in Delhi, Anand starts looking for Kabir. He finds him here, there, everywhere. He begins to pay attention to the many ways in which Kabir's words are sung, and translates them. Soon, Kabir starts looking out for Anand. The songs of Kabir sung by a range of singers—Prahlad Tipaniya, Fariduddin Ayaz, Mukhtiyar Ali, Kumar Gandharva, Kaluram Bamaniya, Mahesha Ram and other wayfarers—make Anand return to music and poetry. Anand translates songs seldom found in books. Along the way, he witnesses Kabir drawing on the Buddha, often restating ancient suttas in joyous ways. The Notbook of Kabir is the result of this pursuit with no end in sight. This is the story of how Anand loses himself trying to find Kabir. You can check out the YouTube list of relevant Kabir's songs curated by S. Anand here. For readers interested in the paradoxical, downside-up language in Kabiri and its resonances with Daoist language (e.g. this translation of Daodejing), especially the mysthical atheist aspects, check out appendix B to this book by Brook Ziporyn. Feel free to check out Anand's Navayana Publishing, and his insightful blog posts here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music

Kabir is the most alive of all dead poets. He is a fabric without stitches. No centres, no edges. Anand threads his way in. Over the years, as a publisher and editor, Anand immerses himself in the works of Babasaheb Ambedkar and other anticaste thinkers. He gives up his practice of music and poetry, blaming his disenchantment on caste. One day in Delhi, Anand starts looking for Kabir. He finds him here, there, everywhere. He begins to pay attention to the many ways in which Kabir's words are sung, and translates them. Soon, Kabir starts looking out for Anand. The songs of Kabir sung by a range of singers—Prahlad Tipaniya, Fariduddin Ayaz, Mukhtiyar Ali, Kumar Gandharva, Kaluram Bamaniya, Mahesha Ram and other wayfarers—make Anand return to music and poetry. Anand translates songs seldom found in books. Along the way, he witnesses Kabir drawing on the Buddha, often restating ancient suttas in joyous ways. The Notbook of Kabir is the result of this pursuit with no end in sight. This is the story of how Anand loses himself trying to find Kabir. You can check out the YouTube list of relevant Kabir's songs curated by S. Anand here. For readers interested in the paradoxical, downside-up language in Kabiri and its resonances with Daoist language (e.g. this translation of Daodejing), especially the mysthical atheist aspects, check out appendix B to this book by Brook Ziporyn. Feel free to check out Anand's Navayana Publishing, and his insightful blog posts here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/poetry

Kabir is the most alive of all dead poets. He is a fabric without stitches. No centres, no edges. Anand threads his way in. Over the years, as a publisher and editor, Anand immerses himself in the works of Babasaheb Ambedkar and other anticaste thinkers. He gives up his practice of music and poetry, blaming his disenchantment on caste. One day in Delhi, Anand starts looking for Kabir. He finds him here, there, everywhere. He begins to pay attention to the many ways in which Kabir's words are sung, and translates them. Soon, Kabir starts looking out for Anand. The songs of Kabir sung by a range of singers—Prahlad Tipaniya, Fariduddin Ayaz, Mukhtiyar Ali, Kumar Gandharva, Kaluram Bamaniya, Mahesha Ram and other wayfarers—make Anand return to music and poetry. Anand translates songs seldom found in books. Along the way, he witnesses Kabir drawing on the Buddha, often restating ancient suttas in joyous ways. The Notbook of Kabir is the result of this pursuit with no end in sight. This is the story of how Anand loses himself trying to find Kabir. You can check out the YouTube list of relevant Kabir's songs curated by S. Anand here. For readers interested in the paradoxical, downside-up language in Kabiri and its resonances with Daoist language (e.g. this translation of Daodejing), especially the mysthical atheist aspects, check out appendix B to this book by Brook Ziporyn. Feel free to check out Anand's Navayana Publishing, and his insightful blog posts here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sound-studies

Send us a textWe made this special alongside the two presenters of our favourite Podcast, The Old Man's Podcast. (Link below.) Shonda and Jim are the hosts, and they play themselves in this homage to the first five scenes of what is seen as the most fantastic Werewolf Movie ever made—an American Werewolf in London.We have our characters greeting and interacting with Jim and Shonda. There will, of course, be a horror element. So listen to it and see what you think.The Professor's Pressing Matter: Episode 191: Werewolf The Podcast - A Serial Killer Drama (Short Stories for Halloween by Gregory Alexander Sharp Book 3)Find at the link below.https://amzn.to/47expjwPlease check out Odin Apparel for amazing Viking-themed kits and our T-shirts. Preorder it now at this link.https://odinapparel24.myshopify.com/collections/werewolf-a-serial-killer-podcastThe Old Man's Podcast:The writing duo speak to the Old Man himself. Go check us out on his award-winning Podcast.https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-old-mans-podcast/id1595940192?i=1000708626677Grendel Press, our horror genre partnerhttps://grendelpress.com/Grendel's very own cool Podcast.https://grendelpress.com/sinister-soup. Buy us a coffee at this link right here:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/WerewolfwilBuy a book about werewolves. Here it is, straight from a fang-filled mouth.Il LupoGreg's first Werewolf book. Brilliantly written characters in an incredible story. https://books2read.com/ILLUPOA Werewolf's Storyhttps://amzn.to/3BjXoZuWerewolf the Colouring Book.What should I do this evening? Why not sit and do some Wonderful Werewolf colouring?  Red may be a theme.https://amzn.to/40k93l6Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/werewolfthepodcast/Greg's X profile:@SempaiGregWerewolf the Podcast:@AWerewolfsStoryWilIntro partnership with Grendel Press.https://grendelpress.com/ Outro partnership with Grendel Press.https://grendelpress.com/The Podcast Inside Your HouseWeird Horror. Created by Kevin Schrock and Annie Marie Morgan. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify You've Got to Be Critting MeMagic, mayhem, and moral dilemmas, an actual play with heart and hilarity!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Hva skjer egentlig i Trondheim? Viking har stø kurs mot gullet og dramatikken lever i aller høyeste grad før avslutningen både i Eliteserien og i OBOS-ligaen. Det koker i norsk fotball – og panelet skyter i øst og vest om de viktigste snakkisene ut fra runden.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Simon Moya-Smith and Julie Francella joined John for a spooky-season conversation that blended truth, history, and humor. They talked about Halloween, Día de los Muertos, and how Indigenous traditions honor those who came before us.They also tackled headlines that can't be ignored:Vice President J.D. Vance's harmful claim that Indigenous peoples practiced “widespread child sacrifice”, and why that myth has deep colonial roots.The Blackfeet Nation's buffalo and elk harvests to feed families during the government shutdown: a powerful act of food sovereignty and self-reliance.And the real “scary story” is how rhetoric from leaders continues to erase Indigenous truths while tribal nations keep showing what leadership looks like.Listeners called in with great questions, including Kendall, who got into a heated debate about mascots! Spoiler alert: Viking mascots were mentioned and Simon dropped a few "cabron" and "pendejo" bombs! It was an episode about myth-busting, survival, and remembering that even in spooky season, truth has power.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Back in 2011, I gave a lecture called “The Coming Storm for Dentistry.” I warned that insurance companies would choke reimbursements while corporate dentistry scaled up and swallowed private practices.Fourteen years later… well, here we are.In this week's Practice Autonomy Podcast, we open that time capsule and compare those predictions to the real 2025 data — and it's chillingly accurate:

What does it take to preserve one of the most iconic Viking sites in the world — while also keeping it alive and relevant for new generations?In this episode, we speak with Veronica Björkman, site manager at Birka Vikingastaden, about the balance between archaeology, tourism, and cultural storytelling. We talk about grave finds, the Christian cross at Birka, how modern reconstructions are handled, and how ended up leading one of Sweden's most historically significant destinations.We also dive into her role in co-founding the Birka Historical Tattoo Fest, the challenge of interpreting history without distorting it, and what it really means to “experience the Viking Age” today.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

Sink your fangs into this, costume nerds—it's the Halloween finale of Hot Vampire Month, and we're heading straight to Bon Temps for the steamy, bloody, gloriously unhinged world of True Blood. In this highly anticipated episode of The Art of Costume Podcast, Spencer and Elizabeth explore the iconic HBO series with none other than costume designer Audrey Fisher, the brilliant mind behind the show's unforgettable Southern-goth looks. They explore fangs, fairy telepaths, buckets of blood, Sookie and Bill's star-crossed romance, and yes… working with Alexander Skarsgård in all his Viking-vampire glory.And because Halloween demands one last twist, we close with a special epilogue from costume designer Danny Glicker, who crafted the original looks that set this supernatural world in motion.So pour yourself a glass of O-positive and join us for a wickedly fun celebration of one of the hottest vampire sagas ever to grace our screens.

Why listen: If you're still “spray and pray” on Meta or Google, this is your crash course in fishing where the fish are—down to the car-lot, the competitor's showroom, or the exact conference hall. Concrete tactics, real numbers, zero fluff.Guest links & product:GetGeofencing (location-based ads): getgeofencing.com.Timestamps & key topics00:00 – Navy crypt tech to geofencing pro: meet Chris Seminatore.01:00 – Moustache chat & the “Viking” beard energy.02:00 – Digital nomad life: Puerto Vallarta ↔ Los Angeles and running a seven-figure shop.03:00 – What geofencing really is (digital perimeter → device IDs → programmatic ads).04:00 – Bidding in ~100 ms and why competitor geofencing works.05:00 – Actual pricing: ~$850/100k display impressions; ~$1,600/100k video impressions.06:00 – Use cases: restaurants, real estate, attorneys, car dealers, plasma centres, gov-tech, trade shows.07:00 – From Gulf War tech to modern ads; US legality only ~10 years old.08:00 – Politics: target only the voters in-district and stop wasting spend.09:00 – OTT/CTV explained; addressable TV and granular reporting.10:30 – Why geofencing is still a niche (and a competitive advantage).11:30 – “Seven touches”: adding location to your channel mix.12:00 – Knowing your customer: the car-lot example and real buying intent.13:00 – Privacy, data, and what “relevant ads” actually means.14:00 – Global campaigns and geofencing WEF in Davos.15:00 – Military lessons for agency life: discipline, reverse-engineering goals, radical transparency.17:00 – Patton, problem-solving, and letting teams innovate.18:00 – Connect with Chris: getgeofencing.com. Connect with me on:All my linksBecome a guestSign up for RiversideGet Descript #DigitalMarketing #Branding #PersonalBranding #MarketingInsights #SocialMediaStrategy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode's guest is author, speaker, and "patron saint of crazy ideas" Kyle Scheele. Listen in as he makes the case that creativity at financial institutions isn't confined to marketing teams—it's simply problem-solving, and it belongs to everyone at your organization. He shares why “culture eats strategy,” explains the importance of making space for innovation in a traditional industry, and suggests practical ways leaders can experiment to reduce the big risk that all community FIs face: losing customers to more innovative competitors.We'll explore:The risk of losing customers to fintechs and how creativity helps you win trust.“Commit to the bit”: the surprising power of shared enthusiasm to build culture and collaboration.Two questions leaders should ask to unlock hidden solutions already inside the organization.Lightweight systems to surface employee ideas and how strong cultures act like magnets for attracting new talent.About the guest: Whether he's holding a Viking funeral for the regrets of 21,000 people, hosting the world's first fake marathon, or gaining a million TikTok followers in just 25 hours, Kyle Scheele is always on the lookout for crazy ideas that produce wildly outsized outcomes. Over the last decade, his projects have been featured in prominent outlets Fast Company, WIRED, The Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, UpWorthy, and Goalcast, among others. His videos have been viewed over 250 million times, and he has spoken to hundreds of thousands of audience members across the United States. More than anything, Kyle hopes that his story can inspire others to chase their own crazy ideas and become the people they were meant to be.Helpful links:Read about one of Kyle's projects: Home Run Marathon attracts more participants than Boston Marathon on TikTok - The Washington PostHear more from Kyle at Abrigo's 2026 ThinkBIG Conference.

Sink your fangs into this, costume nerds—it's the Halloween finale of Hot Vampire Month, and we're heading straight to Bon Temps for the steamy, bloody, gloriously unhinged world of True Blood. In this highly anticipated episode of The Art of Costume Podcast, Spencer and Elizabeth explore the iconic HBO series with none other than costume designer Audrey Fisher, the brilliant mind behind the show's unforgettable Southern-goth looks. They explore fangs, fairy telepaths, buckets of blood, Sookie and Bill's star-crossed romance, and yes… working with Alexander Skarsgård in all his Viking-vampire glory.And because Halloween demands one last twist, we close with a special epilogue from costume designer Danny Glicker, who crafted the original looks that set this supernatural world in motion.So pour yourself a glass of O-positive and join us for a wickedly fun celebration of one of the hottest vampire sagas ever to grace our screens.

This week, John explains why Notion is finally working for him, after which he and Federico share new Apple TV series and videogame picks. Plus, two Unwind deal picks. Also available on YouTube here. Links and Show Notes Unplugged Segment Picks Federico's Pick: Pokémon Legends: Z-A Available from: Nintendo Amazon John's Pick: The Last Frontier on Apple TV Unwind Deal The Big Lebowski is just $4.99.

Speaking from his Brown County home, Reverend Peyton of Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band shared his deep passion for music as a universal language, describing how audiences worldwide, even in countries where English isn't spoken, connect with American roots music. He reflected on the rich, multicultural origins of American music—from West African vocal traditions and Celtic rhythms to Hawaiian guitar techniques—and how these influences have shaped blues, country, and rock. Peyton traced his own diverse ancestry, from Norman and Viking roots to West African heritage, and sees a connection between his lineage and his musical inclinations. Discussing his creative process, he explained that he writes daily, letting melody guide lyrics and drawing inspiration from life, nature, and travel. While fame brings challenges, Peyton treasures the global friendships forged through his music and advises young artists to create primarily for themselves, trusting that authenticity will find its audience. He also shared details of his upcoming Bloomington performance and noted that his latest album is under consideration for a Grammy, emphasizing that true artistry comes from passion, heritage, and the joy of making music.Follow host Tom Alvarez on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.Watch Tom every other Thursday on Lifestyle Live on WISH-TV, and listen every week on the All Indiana Podcast Network.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lululemon announces its first-ever licensing deal, partnering with all 32 NFL teams to release officially branded apparel. Anne sees opportunity in solving the women's fan gear problem, while Chris warns it cheapens the brand and signals an identity crisis. Who's right? Plus, debate whether this should have been a college athletics play instead, and whether you'll ever see Viking yoga pants in a Lululemon store near you. Sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 20 Zane s Assembly In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Running into a wall is bad, having it fall on you is worse but not being missed is the worst         Since I had mastered the moment so successfully with conversation I shut the hell up and took the crowd toward my room. Halfway up the stairs I expected Jill to call out but it didn't happen. I counted myself lucky, handed out fresh t-shirts to Paris and Leigh, only to have Paige regale them for fifteen minutes about all the female swag I had in my dorm room, from female silk robes in a variety of lengths and colors to thongs and dog collars. Girls should not look at me and lick their lips; it is scary because I thought that men went to college to chase women, not the other way around. Back at the start of the year, I knew that I was such a Man-Stud that I'd pick up more than my fair share too. I now have multiple women in my life and one day soon I hope to chase one down and call her my own, provided the other women let me. "We will see you later," Leigh gave me a sexy nudge with her hip. I nodded and promptly made sure my windows were locked. They had the annoying habit of being unlocked with glowing neon signs outside that said "Kappa Sigmas enter here". This time I was ready for them. I was also on the ball enough to know that when none of the Kappa Sigmas were upset by my action, that indicated there was something going on that I was clueless about. I was hardly convinced to let my guard down by the limited conversation the three sorority sisters and I had as I escorted them out of the house and kissed them goodnight. I diverged to the dryer to warm up Paris and Leigh's shirts. I kissed Aunt Jill goodnight as well. She gave me a bemused, maternal look as I headed back to my room before my 'bed time'. I must have looked like I felt, pretty exhausted. I joined Iona and Paige in the bathroom where we went through the nightly routine before heading for bed. They stripped slowly; I crawled into bed fully clothed and was feeling rather clever with myself. "No, you don't," Paige insisted. "Zane," Iona gave an angelic smile, "you have to do what you feel comfortable with but this is a matter of trust between us." Was Iona beating me up with a variation on the argument I'd used on Vivian a few hours ago? I was definitely undecided so Iona brushed my lips with hers. "It's okay." The only thing worse than being manipulated is being manipulated with sincerity. I shucked my clothes and shot them to the foot of the bed. I took in the view of Paige and Iona stripped out of their bras, then panties. Paige even made a little game of it, shooting her panties at my head. She missed so I snatched them as they sailed past. Paige flashed me a wicked grin as I did so. "Hey, Zane," she purred. Paige put her knee on the bed, followed by the other, so that she was standing on her knees. "Hey," Iona mimicked from the other side. Together, they sensually flowed toward me and each other. When they were settled against my hip they looked down and smiled. "You both look lovely," I sighed dreamily at my slightly-built beauties. They graced me with a smile once more before looking into one another's eyes. Then they kissed, and after that they really kissed, and several steamy seconds later the girls extended their right hands to their opposite's breast. They rolled their tits beneath their palms. I would have wept at this point but it would have been unmanly. When their left hands joined in the fun I nearly lost it. Did I mention they hadn't stopped kissing yet? It was hard enough that I was intimately familiar with their bodies, head to toe. I was the first man either of them had put lips to lust with (discarding Paige's grade school fiascoes). I had licked, teased, and plucked those nipples they were now so readily fondling. I had placed them naked in bed with other women and beheld their first steps into a far more sexually dynamic life than a strict fundamental Christian life would have deposited them in. I would have continued to wax poetic on the vision above me but the horror of my decision to sleep with both their naked bodies without sex was grinding my happiness into despair. "Oh, wow," Paige giggled, "it's throbbing on his stomach." She was referring to my cock. If it had something larger than a series of nerve clusters, my cock would have been screaming at me, questioning my sanity and demanding a passionate reason I wasn't mounting them both, drilling them hard, and going back for seconds, and thirds. They both leaned down onto one arm before reclining to their sides. "Good night, Zane," Iona whispered. She kissed me on the lips, rather chastely, then rolled over so that her back was to me. She wiggled her ass tight against my thigh because, you know, I have a thing for asses. "Sweet dreams of me," Paige gave a sultry roll of the voice. She rested her head on my shoulder and languidly placed her right arm on my chest and her right leg on my groin. Her hand came to rest on the top of my sternum while her knee covered my balls and the base of my cock. My sexual organ gave her limb a sympathetic throb. Paige sighed pleasurably, enjoying the torture she was putting me through. My right arm cradled Paige and drew her tighter. She kissed my chest with a feather-light touch. My left arm draped around Iona with my wrist being poked by her left nipple (it was still aroused by Paige's attentions) while my fingers coasted along her stomach. I drummed my hand on her abdomen; Iona snuggled in deeper and gave me a delightful little murmuring noise. That was enough to send me off to sleep and I was grateful. If I hadn't been asleep I knew I was going to stick my cock into something, even if it was an electric outlet. I couldn't screw Iona and wouldn't sex up Paige because she would never let me get over having broken down and nailed her in defiance of my own word. What woman doesn't want to think her body can drive a man to forgo his honor? Again, she would never, ever let me forget it. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep when I heard my bedroom door open. I wasn't sure what Jill would want this late but that wasn't a problem. The first one through the door was Leigh but Paris and Ricky Frasier snuck in right behind her. I need to invest in some home defense apparatus, things like pit-traps, trip-wires, and nests of feral Chihuahuas. "Don't worry, Zane," Leigh whispered. "We are here for Paige." "Ah," I grunted. Paige stirred next to me, rolled onto her back, and smiled at the newcomers. "We won't need you tonight," Paige assured me. "This is all-girl." "I see; I need to go back to campus and spank Barbie Lynn, Opal, and Brandi's bottoms until they glow red," I growled. They had turned Paige onto the whole lesbian orgy theme. "Hold on," I begged the girls as they began stripping. I rapidly moved to the closet, pulled down two comforters and two pillows for Iona and I to use as a bed. I set things out and Iona gave me one of those sleepy, sweet, innocent smiles and joined me on the floor, a comforter as a mattress and the other as a cover. I quickly became obvious to me that the object of Leigh, Paris, Ricky's and Paige's fun wasn't to have intercourse with one another but to drive me nuts. It wasn't ego talking here; statistically, an ass, calf, or grinning head pops over the same side of bed you are on only so many times before it becomes enemy action. It was working too; I was rock hard and sleep was escaping me. Sadly, fate intervened, to my detriment. In movies you often see couples roll out of bed, say 'ow,' then go back to passionate love-making. Paris came off the bed with a squeak; me, I felt a stomach-churning pain and a soundless scream escaped my lips. Paris' knee had come straight down on my nuts and impacted them into the hardwood floor with only a thin quilt providing any absorption. Paris' playful grin and giggle turned into fear as she saw my face. "Zane?" she whispered, "Sorry?" "Zane, are you okay?" Iona inquired at my side. Paris backed off me, allowing me to wheeze and roll over in a ball facing Iona. Iona cradled me in her arms. "Zane, what's wrong?" she worried. I wasn't articulate at the moment but Paris was. "Oh, God," she gasped. "I landed on his nuts." Paige and Leigh immediately poked their heads over the bed, appearing in my peripheral vision. I heard Ricky padding around from the other side of the bed. "Damn it," Leigh moaned. "Now what are we going to do?" "How about show a little sympathy?" Iona grumped at the others. I know her heart was in the right place but pulling me tight to her bosom with a nipple resting on my upper lip didn't do my damaged genitalia any good. There was a light, coastal breeze off Madagascar calling for my cock to get hard once again and damn me if it wasn't answering. The resulting pain was describable, similar to having my testicles used by an 800 pound gorilla to sink the cue ball on a Carom billiards table. And damn if that bastard wasn't determined to get it done no matter how many attempts it took. Next time some psychopath stares me dead in the eyes and asks if I've ever prayed for death, I can match his gaze and say 'Hell yes.' "Leigh, get some ice," Paige whispered. "Paris, go to the bathroom down the hall and get some ibuprofen and salve. Iona, help me get him back on the bed." The girls hurried off quietly, for which I was thankful. I was equally thankful that Iona and Paige were so gentle in moving me off the floor and onto the bed, and yes, I hammed it up a bit. Once the rush of taking charge of events passed, Paige began to flash me guilty looks. This was definitely her plan and she'd miscalculated the body motion dynamics of three women playing sex games on a queen-sized bed. "I, I apologize," Paige admitted. "This was my fault." I was somewhat more than stunned. "Okay," I gasped. "Flesh heals but memories are forever." "That means you are going to get me for this," Paige realized. "I'd buy a seat cushion if I were you, Ms. Spanky-bottoms," I tried to joke, but the pain got in the way of my laughter. Paris padded back in with a pill bottle, a foil tube, and a glass of water. She handed the pill bottle to Paige and the water to Iona. When Paris started unscrewing the top to the salve, things became difficult. "Paris," Iona grumbled, "why do you get to put the cream on his balls? It was your knee that caused his pain." "I know," Paris whimpered, "and I want to make it up to him." Paige popped the pill cap and handed me two ibuprofen; Iona propped me up. I took the pills and she put the water to my lips. "I'll take care of it," Iona insisted. "My plan, my fault, I'll take care of it," Paige countered. "Take care of what?" Leigh panted as she slipped into my bedroom with a bowl of ice. "Massaging Zane's poor crushed nuts," Ricky murmured. "If I've hurt him permanently, I'll never forgive myself," Paris moaned piteously. Was she more afraid of my promise to get her back or the other ladies' retaliation for the maiming I'd gone through? "I said I would take care of it," Paige insisted. "No, I think I will take care of it, if no one minds," I ground out. The implication was that if they didn't let me medicate my massive melons of masculine might, I'd come after them all, in thirty or so minutes when I could freely move once again. It took me a second to realize that no one was arguing with me. "Ricky, could you please get a damp hand-towel from the bathroom," Iona requested. Ricky looked confused so Iona added, "We can't put the ice cubes directly on his scrotum unless we really do want to take him to the emergency room." "Oops, sorry," Ricky sounded embarrassed. "That makes sense. I'll be right back." When Ricky left, Paige and Iona reclined on either side of me. "Hold on," I requested. "I'd like to give Paris a hug." Iona scooted first, letting Paris crawl on all fours over my body. I gave her a kiss with as much strength as I could exert. "I," she mumbled. "We were playing a game and it was an accident. I already feel somewhat better," I assured her. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I have yet to fuck you to orgasm and that's not a challenge my cock takes lightly." Paris wept and collapsed onto my chest. I lay back, head on a pillow, so I could stroke Paris' hair. When Ricky returned I struggled around Paris to kiss her and Leigh as well. I also took the opportunity to coat my scrotum with the salve, which instantly cooled my pain, then started heating damaged parts up. Leigh applied the towel holding the ice gently to balance out the sensations. We hugged, confirmed our date for Saturday night, and parted ways. Iona, Paige, and I returned to the bed and tried to get back to sleep. This time we kept our limbs to ourselves, though we remained close. I waited a while before surrendering to my dreams. A decision was reached internally that the next time I took Iona out for a quiet weekend, I would have to make it somewhere off the beaten path, somewhere in Appalachia no doubt. Iona gave me a precious, sleepy smile as I climbed out of bed in the morning. I looked at her heavy eyes, questioning her intent, when she pulled my pillow into her chest and drifted off into slumber once more. Paige was dead to the world, undoubtedly wrapped up in the remorseless rest of the Damned. I was able to dress uninterrupted and glide downstairs to find Jill already up and puttering around. I was about to find out what she had heard last night. "Good morning, Zane. Are you feeling better?" Jill asked. "Feeling better?" I questioned. "Your, you know, down there, are you feeling better?" she clarified somewhat. I imagine my jaw dropped because she looked at me with an obvious amusement. "How did you know?" I finally responded. "Oh, Iona came to my room last night and explained the situation as well as apologizing for the disruption," Aunt Jill explained. "She's a very forthright and honest young lady, and she doesn't currently have a fianc either." "What, whoa, wait a second, Jill," I stammered. Things were going way too fast for me. "How is it you are okay with two girls sleeping in my bedroom and three more coming over when three months ago we couldn't even discuss sex at all and its only place was in the marriage bed? What happened that I missed?" "Zane," Jill sighed patiently, "when God closes one door he opens another. I had to accept that my life with Tim was over and I had to move forward with my life with you. That means I am going to get more mileage out of counseling you as opposed to dictating abstinence." "And you have this epiphany after you burn all the stuff I brought back from Thailand," I groaned. "We both did things we probably regret," she reasoned. "You've been talking to Iona, or more likely, Iona's been calling you," I began piecing it together. "After you told me about what those girls were making you do, like crawl around on your knees, I tried to get some of your classmates to tell me what was really going on," Jill related. "Iona was the only one who would talk to me and she and I have communicated pretty regularly since then," Jill finished. "She's a truly sweet girl and I think you two make a cute couple." In case you are wondering, there is no good response to that statement. "She tells me you are interested in that 'Christina' girl. She's, elegant," which was Jill's way of saying Christina wasn't a 'humble Christian girl' like Iona. Something in that train of thought made me put a few other faces to the descriptor 'elegant'. "Is that why you didn't like Mom, Dad, and, well, was Uncle Tim snobby as well, elegant?" I mused. Jill stopped looking in the fridge were she was figuring out what we'd be having for breakfast. "Yes," Jill said quietly. Tim hadn't wanted to marry Jill; he'd wanted to marry Jill's older sister, Kathryn. Jill matched herself against Mom, the free spirit, and Dad, the joker, who were both sophisticated Devil-May-Care people born of wealth and privilege. In a way, Tim was from the same background, except that he ended up arrogant and emotionally distant. Of course, Tim had to grow up with Granddad, who was a real peach, and my Dad, who was always larger than life, always doing whatever task their father put before him and always going one step beyond. Worse, Dad always had the courage to be himself. Dad was the brilliant rebel, the Prodigal Son who was always welcomed back home; Tim was the plodding workhorse. The best example of this was the first time each of them ran away from home. Tim ran away to the tree house in the backyard at the house in Wyoming. The first time Dad ran away, he ended up in Hawaii. When the FBI caught him, he was working in a Japanese restaurant, stock-piling Australian dollars, and had a map of the Great Barrier Reef. Now that I think of it, I must get my nuttiness from Dad. "Jill, I'm sorry Tim wasn't the husband you deserved," I told her softly. I rested a hand on her shoulder and she backed into me. I wrapped my arms around her from behind. "Thank you, Zane," she told me in a soft voice. She looked out of the window over the sink for a few seconds. "Do you think we should get a pool?" Jill broke the silence. Huh? "Who are you and what have you done with my Aunt Jill?" I teased her. It took a second for Jill to get it but when she did, she laughed. "Wait," she teased back, "would I be a clone, an alien, or, what were those things I heard about, oh, pod-people?" "I think you are the Pink Power Ranger," Paige snickered from my elbow where she had materialized mysteriously from the ether. Jill squeaked and spun around while I was busy putting my heart back in my chest. Jill struggled out of my arms, blushed, and went back to the fridge. "Did I interrupt something?" "Yes; my desire to live a longer life," I coughed. "Now that we have the useless pleasantries out of the way, what I really want to know is if all the equipment is in working order," Paige smirked. I thought of a smarmy reply, an angry reply, and even ignoring her, but another idea won out. "Hey, Babe," I whispered in a husky voice to Paige as I stepped into body contact with her, "it hurts a little right now but thanks for asking. I'm glad you are watching out for me." I drew a line with right hand along her collarbone and shoulder to her neck and finally circling her ear. "Oh," Paige gulped. Her eyes grew wide. "Of course, Zane. I want to watch out for you, I care." I let my arms drape around her and linked them up at the small of her back, pulling her tight to me. Paige slipped her arms beneath me and did likewise, with the added gesture of placing her ear to my chest. Iona slipped into the kitchen as she did so. She gave me a cute wave, side-stepped us, and went to help Jill. I figured from Iona's actions that she was going to keep Jill busy getting the four of us breakfast, so I took Paige's right hand in my left and led her out into the hall. As I headed for the porch in the back, someone came through the front door, attempting to be stealthy. It was Leigh; I'd clearly caught her doing something wrong. "Yes?" I questioned. She looked to Paige then back to me. "I forgot to return your keys," Leigh evaded. "What are you doing with my keys?" I sounded a bit cross. Paige squeezed my hand tightly, expressing her own tension. "Paige gave them to me to use last night," Leigh gulped. "You are hopeless as a conspirator," Paige growled at Leigh. I took a deep breath instead. I was going to have as little stress in my morning as possible. "Please give them to Iona in the kitchen, Leigh," I sighed. A quick look to Paige showed her that I wasn't angry so she didn't resist as I resumed our journey. Out on the porch I took a large, cushioned, low-swung wooden chair and sat down. "It's cold out here," Paige shivered. I responded by pulling her into my lap. It took her a moment to figure out what to do with herself. She settled on sitting sideways with her left arm over my shoulder and her head laying on top of it. It took twenty-five minutes for Iona to come out and get us. "Breakfast," Iona said. I looked at her curiously, trying to judge how she was taking the loss of the time promised to her this weekend. She winked and went back inside so I guessed everything was okay and our weekend postponed. "Do you want to go inside?" I gently inquired of Paige. "Two more minutes," she whispered. I kissed her on the head and listened to the breeze in the leaves, the birds chatting in the trees, and her breath on my neck. Slowly her head rose after the two minutes had passed and she was staring at me, or rather at the side of my head. "Yes?" I asked, as I turned and looked into her eyes. "You are so dumb," she whispered. Paige kissed me with a tenderness that bespoke a depth of passion that I had not fully realized. "I wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world," I breathed back. "I would have been better off if I had turned away that very first day I saw you," she got around to responding. I knew she was saying that she could come up with no quick strategy for getting Christina out of the way and that perplexed her. I had to do something. "Don't forget to get that seat cushion," I joked. She seemed a bit cross, then grinned. "If I let you do something else to my bottom will you forgive me?" she teased me with a sensual ass wiggle. "Really?" I perked up. Paige wouldn't consider anal sex before now, though I was all for it. "No!" she giggled. Paige leapt off my lap and raced inside. I made a grab for Paige with no intent of ensnaring her, she was having too much fun being pursued, and pursue I did. "Help me!" Paige squealed. "Help me; he's trying to get my bottom!" So much for any sense of decorum, I sighed. Paige made it to the dining room and quickly was using Leigh as a shield. Jill looked at me quizzically while Iona gave a weary sigh and looked heavenward for guidance. "So, Leigh, are you joining us for breakfast?" I obfuscated the crisis. "Yes," Leigh hesitated. "Your Aunt Jill is thanking me for finding your keys." "If that is okay with you, Zane?" Jill demurred. Huh, and by that I mean, since when has my opinion in this household been sought or even obeyed? "If it pleases you, Jill, I wouldn't mind eating Leigh", I had a slip of the tongue, "I mean eating with Leigh." Leigh's eyes sparkled and Jill totally missed the implication (I assumed because 'eat' a girl made no sense to her sexually repressed mind.) Iona gave my arm a light slap. "Have a seat, Leigh," Jill smiled in a way I wasn't familiar with; it was almost like she was content. The resulting meal of country ham, grits, and cantaloupe was simple but satisfying. We were all hot, sweaty, and laboring for breath. Had we been in bed and undressed, the situation would have been perfect. Instead, we were in my workout room, working out. I had allowed an hour to digest our meal but now we were finishing my daily physical regimen. Paige and Leigh were on their backs, staring at the ceiling and cursing the fact that I was finishing up my final exercise. Iona was on her stomach on the mat next to me, moaning softly. I seriously considered insisting that Paige and Iona take up a sport. Leigh was another story, but I'm sure I could get Tawny, her sorority president, to get her to do something strenuous, that didn't involve me and sex. "I have given up any hope of ever fucking you to death, Leigh panted as she looked my way. "Thanks," I grinned back. "Without the help of several sisters," Leigh gasped as Paige lazily smacked her on the stomach, "to wear you down first. I don't know how Barbie Lynn can walk after those marathon sessions with you." "It usually involves screaming out to God multiple times and a long nap afterwards," Iona groaned. "So," Leigh sat up, "have either of you," "Hammered me through the sheets, and I swear I blacked out as I came," Paige boasted wearily. "Umm," Leigh purred, "good memories." Have I left the room? Should I hand out customer satisfaction surveys? "That night was fantastic, wasn't it?" Iona sighed. "Three damn orgasms I'll never forget, and then there was Rio and her devilish fingers," Leigh murmured happily. "Wait! Iona, you and Zane, Rio too?" Paige propped herself up. "He was a very gentle gentleman," Iona declared. "Oh," taunted Leigh to Iona, "I recall you doing quite a savage dance on the tip of his tongue." Iona blushed and Paige gawked. "So that three-way with you and Barbie Lynn wasn't your first time, well, what do you know?" Paige mused. "All this physical stress has me thirsty," Leigh stated. "Yes, I think a protein drink is in order," Paige agreed, and winked at me. "Oh, hell no!" I defended myself. "Me, no sex weekend, remember?" "But, Zane," Iona rolled over and batted her eyelashes at me, "it was so sweet and salty." "Iona," I nearly wept. "I apologize, Zane," Iona pouted. "I was only teasing." "I can always hope to soak up some of that sexual energy at 12:01 Sunday night," Paige sighed. "Nope, sorry, going out with Heaven Sunday night," I informed them. "Oh, pooh," Iona grumped. "She'll drain him alright." "Is Heaven really that good?" Leigh seemed curious. "Let's not have this discussion," I stood up. I was ignored of course. "Oh, he goes at her five, six, seven times a night," Iona stated. "She walks funny the next day too." "How come there is never any footage of them together?" Leigh persisted. "You would think with that much sexuality and the howling she made from our towel closet at the party that there would be something on his site." "I am not going to be part of this discussion," I repeated as I made for the door. "Now I'm taking a shower." For a group of girls who couldn't stand a minute ago, they clearly were capable of nearly killing me as they stampeded for the shower, women. Before Iona and I got in, I held her back by the arm. "Five, six, seven times, walks funny the next morning, I'm sure Heaven will like that," I whispered. "I thought a little embellishment couldn't hurt," Iona smiled with an earnestly pure face. She knew Heaven's nature and would help conceal it until Heaven decided it was no longer necessary; Iona was that kind of best friend. "Do you ever get tired picking up after my shipwrecks?" I had to ask. "Come on, Zane," Paige called from inside the shower as the water cascaded down on her and Leigh. I decided that keeping them occupied was my best bet to keep the volume down. As I pulled the curtain aside, I caught a glimpse of Iona behind me, shaking her head 'No'. Undercover  Underage Willa was waiting for Valarie and I when we arrived. She had strategically placed her bike at a break between the groups of hotel units so she could quickly duck out of sight. I had no desire to do anything stupid like get in a fight. She rested on the seat of her ride. I was following Val's advice so I pulled up some distance away and kept to the middle of the parking lot because you never knew what could come popping out a door. I approached alone, again, I didn't want to freak Willa out any more than she already was. "I've got a line on those IDs," she greeted me. I'd asked her for some fake IDs so me and some of the girls could get into clubs. "Yeah," I said deadpan, "I'm sure you did." She keyed on my mood but didn't outwardly react. How should I handle this? "Willa, you are an undercover cop," I sighed. "I don't know who you are with and I don't care. I don't want to cause you trouble, I simply want a favor." Willa rocked off her ride and took a few steps toward me. "Asshole," she growled, "that isn't funny. I ought to fucking slap you like the punk-ass bitch you are." "You won't, you are a cop and that's still assault because I'm not threatening you or threatening to blow your cover so that your life would be at risk," I related. Seeing Willa's consternation, I explained. "Valarie has been through this a time or two." "Zane, I'm not a cop and I'm not kicking your ass because you are a cute guy, but stop screwing with me," Willa changed up her defense. "Fine," I shrugged. "I'm going to have a talk with Belle. I'm sure she will believe me. I felt I owed you a chance because you are a law enforcement officer and you are risking your life for me, the general public." "Don't go to Belle," Willa reached out and put an arm on my bicep. "It doesn't matter that your idea is a load of crap; Belle will tell Deacon and then I'm screwed." "Willa, you can walk away from this situation whenever you want," I told her. "Belle can't. This is her life and I'd prefer she not die living it." "Zane, you hadn't even met her before Thursday night." she groused. "That's pretty much what I said," Valarie finally chimed in. "I'm only here because Zane doesn't know anyone else who could be relied on to keep their mouth shut." "You don't believe this crap about me being a Fed, do you?" Willa joked. "Absolutely," Valarie said without hesitation. "Zane is crazy but he's spot-on when dealing with women. Case in point: Zane took that little fluff with him to the bathroom while peeling off Rio's girlfriend, a black belt in Karate, to guard me. He knew he would get you bitches to give Rio up, though he didn't have a plan going in. If he tells me you are a cop, you are a cop." I clearly had Willa flummoxed. After a minute in silence I shook off Willa's hand and turned for my car. I stopped when I had the door open. "I'm going to see Belle at the Fallout Shelter tonight," I said. "If you do something to stop me, I'll make sure Tara knows, and while she and Belle have problems, they are twins and she won't let her sister do serious time." "I'm not confessing to anything but I think there is something you should know. Deacon Baker served with Belle's husband and brother-in-law. Her brother-in-law ran the Warlords chapter but he and his brother got caught up in an ATF sting. They wrapped up Belle's husband but before they could grab the brother, who could tie up the whole criminal enterprise, he vanished. He was last seen with Deacon," Willa explained. "Deacon didn't wait around to see if the guy would stay loyal; he removed the threat," Willa added. "If he thinks I'm a threat, he'll have me removed too." "Cry me a river," Valarie rolled her eyes. "You are sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." "I'm not a damn cop," Willa snarled. "Where are you from?" I asked Willa. I caught her off-guard but she snapped back soon enough. "Tampa Bay, Florida," she shot off. "Nope. I think you are from Wisconsin or Minnesota, it's your skin complexion and the way you roll some of your consonants off your tongue and lips," I said. Willa's eyes narrowed. Now she was pissed. "Are you going to shoot us with the 9mm at your back or help Zane out'?" Valarie sounded bored. "This is totally wrong," Willa persisted. She tried to stare me down but I could see something inside give way. "I'm not saying I am an undercover cop but if I was, what would you want?" "Give Belle as much shelter as you can. Hopefully she ends up with probation," I offered. "What is in it for me?" Willa sighed. "What can I do for you?" I answered. "Do you know who took out Deacon?" Willa inquired. "Yes," I replied. I could feel Valarie's head snap behind me and her eyes bore into the back of my head. "Who was it?" Willa increased her intensity. "I would tell you but I like living without the benefit of life support," I joked. "I'd cry bullshit, damn you, except I saw the beating they took and that scares the crap out of me," Willa grumbled. "Okay, Zane, if you ever get the chance to tell me, do so." "Deal," I agreed. "Great; we are all friends," Valarie stated sarcastically. "Now fuck his face, suck his cock, and we can get going; I have to eat dinner with my sister, Dad, and the cunt he married." "What?" I glared at Valarie. "No way!" Willa declared. "Listen, bitch, you are going to need to describe what it feels like on your tongue from the ball-sack to the tip of his cock," Valarie lectured. "I've seen a video," Willa countered. "And you are such a bang-up storyteller that the 18-year old boy genius ID'd you in two minutes, or have you missed the last ten minutes of your life?" Valarie mocked her. "He seems to be the exception," Willa noted. "The average girl that attracts Zane's attention can do calculus in her head, and the one who can't is his family," Valarie responded. "Now consider his interest in Belle; she's probably a poor girl raised in a college town. That means she could have gone to college but was already soured on the whole establishment idea by a string of college fuck wads. Her sister went on to become a Law-dog that busts UV assholes all day long; Belle became an ass-kicker who flaunts her body at a bar frequented by the very higher education types that screwed with her in high school," Valarie continued. I wasn't sure how much of this Val was fabricating but it didn't matter. "Now she dangles her forbidden fruit in front of them, yet none ever get a taste, am I wrong?" Valarie queried. "You see an outlaw biker and think they are too lazy or stupid to get a real job. I see someone who wants to do their own damn thing, you don't fuck with us and we don't fuck with you." "Belle is smarter than you think she is, Willa, or whoever you are. If you don't think you are fucked yet, consider this: When was the last time Belle gave a college guy the time of day, much less walked one out of a beat-down dictated by her chapter president?" Valarie smirked. "Zane had me fighting side-by-side with him against half of the FFU faculty and students so I can attest to his peculiar form of magic." "Fuck," Willa growled. "Now, get on your knees and blow him so we can all go about our business," Valarie rumbled back. "I'm still in the midst of a no-sex weekend so I'm going to say 'No'," I intervened. "Can't we just shake and part as friends?" Willa tried. "At least kiss him," Valarie suggested. "Val, stop it. We have some level of understanding and that's good enough for now," I told her. I was checking on Valarie's okay so I only saw Willa's closure at the last moment. One look into her eyes told me she was deceiving herself that this was going to be a quick kiss to get it over with. Our lips met and my hands found their way to her hips. I pulled her to me without trapping her. A few seconds later she broke the kiss. I could read the confusion in her eyes. Her plan was to do it and be done but her impulse was to come back again. She kissed me again but his time, her tongue caressed my lips and I let it slip in. After that, I really couldn't stop myself from kissing her back intensely. Soon my lips wandered to her cheeks, chin, and neck before nibbling on an ear until she moaned and thrust up against my body. "Ugh, ah, fuck," Willa moaned. "It has been too damn long." I rotated us around, pressing Willa's back against my car. I lowered my body down Willa's, nibbling and tickling with my tongue as I did so until I was chewing on the top of her low-cut t-shirt. "You are not happily married, are you?" I inquired between a tongue stroke and some suction. "Umm, ah, no." she replied. "Why do you ask?" "I don't want you to do something you'll regret," I answered before working my way back up her throat. Willa lolled her head back, extending her throat for my attention. "Nope," she gulped with sexual tension, "no one at all." That was my cue to work with both hands to pull her shirt out of her jeans. That done, I let my fingers roam under the shirt and caress the flesh of her stomach. "Oh, stop that, no, wait, don't stop, yessss," Willa moaned. When her shirt was high enough, I began working over her tender flesh. She was clearly getting into it but I wanted more from her. I popped the button on her jeans and unzipped them. Willa's underwear was appropriately lacy. I pulled the panties down as I peeled the jeans open until I could make out her finely trimmed landing strip. I kissed along the line from her cunt fur to her hip bringing forth a hearty moan of pleasurable release. My fingers made small circles back to her ass, squeezing both cheeks and rubbing them together. Willa was stroking the top of my head and lightly yanking on my hair. I took that to be a positive endorsement of my efforts so far. When I started back up her body, Willa spread her legs wide apart and coaxed me along. I got to the base of her bra; I could sense her nervousness so I stopped pushing up her shirt there and went back to her shoulder. I had just made it back to Willa's lips when Valarie cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but I do have somewhere else to be," Valarie teased us. Willa had to reorient herself. The look she gave me was somewhat accusatory but happily, it transformed into some level of understanding. "Damn, you are sexy," she purred. She rested her elbows on my shoulders and looked me over with sensuality on her lips. "I mean, you really are sexy and I want to do this again, and we didn't even have sex yet," Willa grinned. "What makes you think we are going to have sex? Don't we have a professional relationship?" I mused. Willa reacted by putting more pressure on my shoulders, then hopping up so she could put her legs around my waist. "I kinda-sorta owe you," she gave me a wicked look. "Besides, you might like it." I had to dissuade her somehow; my life had far too many complications to get this close to the Warlords right now. "I don't know, Willa. I like lots and lots of anal sex," I cautioned her. I figured that would buy me some space. "Oh," she grunted, "I love it. A big cock like yours would feel fantastic in my ass," she added with a deep pant. Wow, that backfired spectacularly. Maybe I should inform her that I've been called needle cock by women who know me well. To add insult to injury, Valarie broke out in uproarious laughter. "There you go, Tiger," Val chuckled. "That will keep her in her place. It just so happens her place is face down and ass up with you riding roundup." Willa took a deep breath, then dismounted me. She patted me on the chest and gave me one final kiss. "We need to be going," she sighed. "I'll make sure to stay in touch." Valarie and I waited behind as Willa got on her ride and drove away. Only then did Valarie give me one last jibe herself. "Dude, I swear your lips are dusted with cocaine because I've never seen women act so nuts around a normal guy," she teased. "Are you saying I'm abnormal?" I shot back. "Ha," she laughed. "I'm calling it like I see it. I'd caution you about a girl and handcuffs but you have six sets that I know of so all I can advise is dodging when they shoot at you and lawyer up the moment they read you your rights, and I'm gone." Her bike roared to life and she peeled out, leaving me to contemplate what further screw-ups I'd added to my life. Girls, all I can say in any of our defenses is that none of us had been to a college block party except Rio, and we were dumb enough to listen to her advice on what to wear and what it would be like. We didn't even know how screwed we were until we arrived at the party destination and by then, it was too late. My only excuse was that Vivian had sworn Rio and Mercy had behaved themselves last night. Of course, first we had to get the clothes we were going to wear. The salesgirls eyed us with a devilish curiosity when we filed into the chic women's boutique, the only one in town. I was getting away with jeans and a red t-shirt from a local band called "Confetti". According to Rio, girls had to dress 'rough and ready', which translated to tight leather pants, shot boots, and either halter tops or sleeveless shirts. In retrospect, I should have known that when the salesgirls began regarding me as a pimp, I'd fucked up royally. "What do you think?" Barbie Lynn came flouncing over to where I was sitting, showing off her bright yellow halter top (that wasn't much into halting anything) and buckskin pants with the prerequisite frills along the outside of each leg. "Don't those things come with a bra?" I gulped. On the grave of my Viking ancestors, I swear those two orbs were just, right there, free and mouth-wateringly delicious. "What?" Barbie pouted. "Don't you like them?" she leaned forward, pressed her boobs together, and wiggled them in front of me. "Best ever," I panted. Barbie Lynn glowed at that declaration, then turned around and presented her ass mere inches from my face. "Better than this?" she taunted. "Ah!" I cried out; my pledge was in immoral danger. I tried to get out of my chair by brushing by her tush but only managed to flip the chair over on its side with me still in it. Eyes tracked me as I struggled to stand. "It has the Zane seal of approval," Barbie Lynn addressed the room. "I'll take it." "Wait! Zane? The Zane?" One of the salesgirls inquired. Multiple girls nodded. "That would make you the girl in the shower," she directed to Barbie Lynn. "Sure thing," Barbie Lynn boasted. "You've got, stamina," the other girl blushed, "both of you." "That's where I've seen all of you before," the first girl said as she put it all together. "Except you," she pointed at Vivian. "Honestly, I was suspicious it was a porn hoax. I mean, what kind of guy scores that many hot babes?" "Umm," Rio patted Mercy's bottom, "we're hot babes." "Are you two really, actually, the second girl stammered to Rio. "You do those things?" "Do you mean is she my bitch toy? Then yes, she is," Rio answered smugly. "Mercy, lift your top." Mercy paled, gulped, but did as requested. Rio put her arms around Mercy's midsection and pulled her close, latching onto a nipple as they came together. "No!" Vivian shouted. "There will be no public displays of pornography." Rio made a lip-smacking noise as her lips released Mercy's breast. Mercy kept her shirt raised as Rio looked back to the salesgirl. "Satisfied?" Rio gloated. The girl nodded in stunned amazement and Vivian coughed as a reminder. "Mercy, you can lower your shirt now," Rio added without even looking at Mercy. "Wow, this is so weird." The first girl shook her head, then that light came on and she looked at me with amazement and amusement. "You are trying for your 'No Sex' weekend? Well, if we can't get you laid before this weekend, we aren't selling you the right clothes." "I'm counting on it," Paige smirked. Her choice was a slick black bustier and leather pants that laced up on the side. In fact, they were more lacing on the sides and less leather. I'm not saying she looked bad; I merely vowed to get a few pictures of her in the outfit for my spank bank collection, not that I have any realistic hope of spanking the monkey anytime soon. Whoa, are women I don't even know now ganging up on me? What the hell? Adelaide and Ginger, our two salesgirls, went all out to get the ladies the skimpiest outfits allowed by law. I didn't mention the occasion because that would make me feel bad about not inviting them. "So, what are you getting all dressed up, or down for?" Ginger asked innocently enough. "Oh, there is a college-student-only bloc party tonight. Zane got an invite and he's sneaking us in with him," Iona responded with the naivet of a girl who had nil knowledge of social networking or class distinction. "Oh," Ginger muttered, and cast a sideways glance to Adelaide before looking at me. "Well, Addie's husband doesn't like doing that kind of stuff," she said lamely, "and Finn, my boyfriend, has to work late anyway." She was giving me an out and I wanted to take it. Somehow this seemed to be one too many times sticking out my neck foolishly. I'd already bent my invitation by inviting my FFU crowd. I then told myself that I'd double back and invite them, on the sly. I recalled the little discussion Valarie had with Willa only a few hours ago. Yes, I could act like your standard college cock and tell the townies it was okay to come in the back door. If I did that, I could only pray Rio punched me in the face. I'd say 'kick me in the nuts' but I clearly didn't have any. "Ginger and Adelaide, we are gathering by the water tower around 9:45 before we head to the spot," I told her. "You and your guys join us there and we'll go in as a group. It is the warehouse on Hammond Street and the word is 'Comet', in case you show up later." "Oh, I'm not sure we can make it," Adelaide responded. What she was also saying was 'are you sure you know what you are doing?' "There is one condition," I added. Now the two salesgirls were suspicious. "You have to dress like the rest of them do," I motioned to my girls. "You sold these ladies these clothes so it is only fair you dress similarly." Now the two exhaled, then smiled and groaned playfully. They could hardly say no after the money they'd taken from me, my credit card, actually. If I carried that much cash and a cop searched me, I'd mistake me for a drug dealer too. "We'll see what we can do," Ginger evaded. "Oh, that won't be a problem," Opal chimed in. "Go around the store and pick out what you want; Zane will pay for it." "For the love of God, would you stop spending my money? You are as bad as Rio," I griped. "Who is trying to be worse to you than I am?" Rio sounded both offended and up to the challenge of making me even more miserable than I was. "Oh, come on, Zane," Brandi complained. "You are a gazillionaire." "You've been listening to Rio," I shot back and glared Rio's way. "It was Mercy who told me that," Brandi corrected me. I shifted my gaze to Mercy, as did Rio. "We'll talk when we get outside," Rio cautioned Mercy, who seemed decidedly uneasy. I had to hand it to Ginger and Adelaide; for ten minutes they showed constraint, and then they went bonkers. I really don't think a woman can wear a pink gossamer scarf wrapped around her chest and call it clothing but Ginger was giving it a shot. Ginger had a small chest - 32A, but her nipples were works of art. I couldn't keep quiet about them. "Ginger, if your boyfriend lets you walk around in your domicile with a top on, he's committing crimes against the male and female, worship of the female form," I blathered. Ginger blinked, and then blushed before grinning at me wickedly. "Yes?" she prodded me. I took that as an invitation to walk up, bend at the waist until I was at eye level with her chest. Her nipples swelled under my scrutiny. "Zane, if you lick or bite them, I will stomp on your foot and break some toes," Vivian warned me. I was, in my estimation, good. I leaned forward a few more inches until I could blow forcefully upon each nipple. Ginger rolled forward on the tip of her toes, thrusting her chest forward, but I retreated just in time. She fell back and I pursued with long, continuous breaths this time. Her nipples didn't come out and say 'Hi', they launched rescue flares and lit bonfires on the beaches of my desire. Ginger was moaning and whimpering as she kept trying to force physical contact while I kept frustrating her. Her thighs were working back and forth as her cunt began burning her up. "Ginger," Adelaide worried, "what about Finn?" "I know," pleaded Ginger, "but you've seen the cock on this guy and he's driving me crazy-horny, and he hasn't even touched me yet." "Friends," Adelaide insistently reminded Ginger. "All his friends are here and watching." "I'll be her friend," Brandi volunteered, though Opal hooked her waist before she could show everyone how much of a friend she wanted to be. "Oh, we don't mind," Rio remarked. "Most nights with Zane are a learning experience for all of us." "I mind," grumbled Paige. "Paige, honey, he always comes home to us," Barbie Lynn reassured Paige. "Besides, we know where he's sleeping tonight and who will be with him," Iona added. "Fine, okay," Paige decided. "Zane," she beckoned me with a 'come hither' finger curl. "Sorry, Paige," I quickly responded between puffs of air on Ginger's nipples, "I'm busy." "Zane," Paige warned me. "Paige, not now," I grumped. "Zane!" Paige became more insistent. I didn't respond so what she said next was inevitable. "Zane, bouncy, bouncy." My groan was fueled by stymied lust; I stood up and walked over to Paige. Once I was in front of her, I used both hands to brush Paige's hair off her shoulder blades. I brought my hands together at the back of her head, wrapping my left hand in her ponytail while dropping my right down her side before snaking it to the small of her back. I pulled the hair back gently, tilting her head up as I pressed my hand on the small of her back until we were rubbing against one another. I leaned in for a slow, intensive kiss which Paige intercepted by standing on her toes. Our kiss was a see-saw affair that saw our tongues roll together and our lips shifting from lingering touch to gentle caress that lasted over a minute. "What are they doing? Or more like it, what is she doing to him to make him do that?" Adelaide quizzed the ladies. "Oh, that's a game they play," Rio explained. "He pretends she's a witch who has put a spell on him and she pretends she's going to be the first Mrs. Zane Braxton." "Say those words and Zane will perform any sexual act on you that you desire," Barbie Lynn teased. "No, it doesn't work like that," Iona got out right before Ginger interrupted. "Zane, bouncy, bouncy," Ginger demanded. That earned a round of chuckles. "Sorry, I tried that too," Brandi admitted. "Apparently each girl has to find her own command phrase." "Are you okay now?" I whispered to Paige. I really had to deal with these girls going wacky around me; we had things to do before the party started. "You are worth every gold doubloon I've spent on you," she smiled back. "Um, I'm the one spending money on you," I corrected her. Paige turned half-way around, bumped me with her hip, and wiggled her ass. "As I said, you are worth every coin," she winked. Hardy-har-har. "Okay, friends and acquaintances, let's finish with our purchases," I commanded. "We've still got some ground to cover before tonight." "What else do we have to do?" groaned Vivian. "I'm getting Mercy tattooed," Rio grinned with a dire mirth. "I want a design right above the ass, both subtle and understated; I don't know if I'm going with '1-800-HoT-SLuT' or 'Nothing Under 6 inches Allowed." "No, you are not!" growled Vivian. "No way, no how. Zane?" "Vivian, Rio is yanking your chain," I calmed my guardian. "You have to understand that Rio wouldn't put anything on Mercy that she wouldn't wear herself. She definitely wouldn't put something on Mercy that Mercy couldn't live with; trust me on that." "That's right, Viv," Rio chortled. "I can't tell you how many times I've regretted having 'Eat at the Clam Shack' tattooed right below the beltway." "You don't have a tattoo there!" Vivian countered. "Someone's been peeking," Rio skewered Vivian with a shark-like grin. Iona shook her head and walked up to Vivian, presenting her phone. "Here is the design they've chosen," Iona explained. It was an intricate weaving of lines and shadows I'd been shown once before. "See, in this end is Songs of Solomon 2:16 and on the other end is a Chi Rho woven into the greater design. It clearly has Christian imagery," Iona explained. "It's" Vivian sounded surprised, "actually rather, nice looking." "What's Songs of Solomon 2:16?" Ginger inquired. "'My lover is mine and I am', it should say 'his' but I think in this case it is 'hers'," I answered. "That's sweet," Adelaide said. "You can bet it was Mercy's choice, then," Opal smirked. "No, it was Rio's idea,&quo

Marcas Grant, Michael F. Florio, and LaQuan Jones preview the NFL’s week eight slate They start the show with the latest news, including the Saints naming Tyler Shough their starting quarterback (1:19), the Panthers plan for Rico Dowdle (3:03), and an update on Carson Wentz's injury (5:16). Then they preview the Thursday night game between the Ravens and Dolphins (7:11), and debate whether or not to start Mark Andrew and Jaylen Waddle. Next, they preview Chiefs at Bills (10:02), Colts at Steelers (11:47), and Viking at Lions (12:53). After the break the guys play fantasy trick or treat (14:24). Then they finish their game previews with the Panthers at Packers (17:26), Broncos at Texans (18:54), and Falcons at Patriots (19:57). The guys wrap the show with their sleepers of the week (21:2).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode 73, our host, Captain Ricky Wheeler, talks with Paul Hamel Smith, the Owner and Operator of the 43' Viking, Mamzelle, hailing out of Barbados. They catch up with Paul and his crew fresh off a win fishing the St Lucia Billfish Tournament. In this episode, they dive into what to expect, when, and why fishing throughout the Windward Islands, and what makes that area of the world such a special place.To fish with our host, Captain Ricky Wheeler, on his 60' Sportfish EUPHORIA out of Atlantic City, NJ for Tuna, Marlin, Swordfish, Mahi June-November and Black Sea bass and Striped Bass November-December, go to: EuphoriaSportfishing.comIf you would like our host, Ricky Wheeler, to help you sell your boat/yacht or help you with searching for and buying a boat/yacht, please email: RickyWheeler@UnitedYacht.comSaltwater Euphoria Podcast Sponsors:+Saltwater Euphoria - https://www.saltwatereuphoria.com/+Euphoria Sportfishing - https://www.euphoriasportfishing.com/For online fishing courses, go to our website Courses.SaltwaterEuphoria.comFollow the following on Instagram: CaptainRickyWheeler: @CaptainRickyWheeler Saltwater Euphoria: @SaltwaterEuphoria Euphoria Sportfishing: @EuphoriaSportfishingPaul Hamel Smith: @PaulHamelSmithIf you like this podcast, please be sure to click that FOLLOW button and also spread the word by sharing this episode with your friends or whatever social channels you are on and/or leaving a great review.  We appreciate your support.

At long last… Brian Kelly has been fired! After one of the most painful weekends in recent memory (thanks a lot, Texas A&M), there's finally light at the end of the LSU tunnel. Josh & Joe break down what's next for the Tigers—revealing two dream hires, two realistic options, and two coaches they absolutely DO NOT want (no matter what the national media says).Feeling confident after an impressive weekend of college football picks, the boys admit they're starting to get a little cocky. What could possibly go wrong? (Famous last words.)Meanwhile, in the NFL, the Saints continue to test fan loyalty—but in true JMO fashion, the boys somehow manage to find both positives and negatives to rant about. Elsewhere around the league, the Jets finally won (yeah, we said it), the Chargers got the job done, and the Vikings pulled a very Viking move… leading to a heartfelt RIP to Skattebo.0:00 intro/weekend update4:25 LSU recap/ coach talk34:15 College football recap43:00 College football picks48:20 NFL Recap1:07:45 NFL Picks1:12:10 NBA/MLB News

This week, David & Matt sit down to discuss the 3rd Story of series 26 'The Curse Of Fenric'.Doctor Who theme by Ron Grainer, arranged by Alexander Erben. Talk to us! Email: timenorspacepod@gmail.com Twitter: @timenorspacepod

Marcas Grant, Michael F. Florio, and LaQuan Jones preview the NFL’s week eight slate They start the show with the latest news, including the Saints naming Tyler Shough their starting quarterback (1:19), the Panthers plan for Rico Dowdle (3:03), and an update on Carson Wentz's injury (5:16). Then they preview the Thursday night game between the Ravens and Dolphins (7:11), and debate whether or not to start Mark Andrew and Jaylen Waddle. Next, they preview Chiefs at Bills (10:02), Colts at Steelers (11:47), and Viking at Lions (12:53). After the break the guys play fantasy trick or treat (14:24). Then they finish their game previews with the Panthers at Packers (17:26), Broncos at Texans (18:54), and Falcons at Patriots (19:57). The guys wrap the show with their sleepers of the week (21:2).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

⛪ Blood and Papal Gold – Part One Presented by the Evio Creative Podcast Network Before the Vatican was marble and gold… before the Church had armies and crowns… there was Rome — a ruin with a heartbeat. In this first half of The Keys of Blood: The Assassination of Pope John VIII, we enter the smoke and silence of the ninth century — a time when popes ruled by letter instead of sword, when faith was a fragile currency, and when the empire that once conquered the world had been reduced to a city clinging to its own memory. ⚜️ Episode I: The Broken Empire Europe is in fragments. Charlemagne's heirs bicker over borders while Viking and Saracen raiders carve the continent apart. Into this chaos steps Pope John VIII, a scholar forced into kingship. His Rome is a relic surrounded by wolves, and his only weapon is diplomacy — or what's left of it. But when he dares to pay tribute to Saracen pirates to spare the city, his mercy is mistaken for weakness, and whispers of betrayal begin to echo through the marble halls of the Lateran. ⚓ Episode II: The Pope and the Pirates As the raiders tighten their grip, John is forced to choose between faith and survival. His decision to ransom Rome with gold saves lives but shatters his reputation. The Frankish kings mock him; the clergy call him coward; the nobles begin to conspire. When he crowns Charles the Bald as Holy Roman Emperor, hoping for salvation, the emperor dies within months — leaving the papacy more isolated than ever. Rome's enemies circle closer, and John's greatest fear becomes clear: the Church will not fall to pagans, but to its own believers.

Send us a textThe PhD student writing her thesis on the Surgut Werewolves gets her chance to meet one of them. Wil, the psychotic friend of the Professor. She discovers him at the Prof's Manor after a fight with some... angels. She has the dubious job of picking up the wolfy man from the Prof's residence and taking him to a meeting. He does not want to go.The Professor's Pressing Matter: Episode 191: Werewolf The Podcast - A Serial Killer Drama (Short Stories for Halloween by Gregory Alexander Sharp Book 3)Find at the link below.https://amzn.to/47expjwPlease check out Odin Apparel for amazing Viking-themed kits and our T-shirts. Preorder it now at this link.https://odinapparel24.myshopify.com/collections/werewolf-a-serial-killer-podcastThe Old Man's Podcast:The writing duo speak to the Old Man himself. Go check us out on his award-winning Podcast.https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-old-mans-podcast/id1595940192?i=1000708626677Grendel Press, our horror genre partnerhttps://grendelpress.com/Grendel's very own cool Podcast.https://grendelpress.com/sinister-soup. Buy us a coffee at this link right here:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/WerewolfwilBuy a book about werewolves. Here it is, straight from a fang-filled mouth.Il LupoGreg's first Werewolf book. Brilliantly written characters in an incredible story. https://books2read.com/ILLUPOA Werewolf's Storyhttps://amzn.to/3BjXoZuWerewolf the Colouring Book.What should I do this evening? Why not sit and do some Wonderful Werewolf colouring?  Red may be a theme.https://amzn.to/40k93l6Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/werewolfthepodcast/Greg's X profile:@SempaiGregWerewolf the Podcast:@AWerewolfsStoryWilIntro partnership with Grendel Press.https://grendelpress.com/ Outro partnership with Grendel Press.https://grendelpress.com/The Podcast Inside Your HouseWeird Horror. Created by Kevin Schrock and Annie Marie Morgan. Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

In 1656, Croatian stonemason Jure Grando was buried alive after defying powerful monks, only to rise from his grave and terrorize his village for sixteen years—knocking on doors that meant death would soon follow, violating his widow night after night, and when villagers finally opened his coffin in 1672, they found him grinning with tears streaming down his face, immune to wooden stakes, screaming as they sawed through his neck in what became Europe's first documented case of vampirism.Support our Halloween “Overcoming the Darkness” campaign to help people with depression: https://weirddarkness.com/HOPEIN THIS EPISODE: Before Dracula ever set foot in Transylvania, the village of Kringa, Croatia, was haunted by Jure Grando—the first recorded vampire in European history. For sixteen years, his undead reign brought terror to the living and torment to his widow. But when the villagers finally rose against him, they unearthed a horror beyond imagination. (Jure Grando: The First Vampire) *** For nearly a millennium, a monstrous black dog with eyes like burning coals has stalked the foggy coastlines and ancient churches of East Anglia, leaving death and terror in its silent wake. From its first recorded appearance in 1127 where it led a spectral hunting party through Peterborough, to its most infamous attack in 1577 when it allegedly killed four churchgoers, the creature known as Black Shuck has become far more than just another ghost story. Through centuries of sightings and evolving folklore, this massive demon hound has transformed from a Viking guardian spirit into one of Britain's most enduring legends - one that some locals insist still prowls the shadows of Norfolk and Suffolk to this day. (Black Shuck: East Anglia's Demon Hound) *** In 1857 London, the Bacon family's home became the center of supernatural chaos when mysterious sounds and flying objects drew crowds of over a thousand spectators to their modest Bermondsey residence. But when thirteen-year-old Caroline confessed to creating the ghostly disturbances using strands of hair to topple objects, her deception was revealed as an act of rebellion against her father and new stepmother. This tale of a fake haunting offers a poignant glimpse into Victorian family dynamics and the desperate measures one girl took to assert her independence. (The Bermondsey Poltergeist) *** In October 1975, what began as a late-night drive for two young men in rural Maine turned into an encounter that would haunt them forever. David Stephens had no memory of being taken aboard a massive UFO by mushroom-headed beings until months later, when hypnosis sessions revealed the terrifying truth about the hours he lost that night – an experience so profound that it would drive his friend Glen to flee the state and change both their lives forever. (Night of the Mushroom Men) *** Could the Moon's perfect positioning—exactly 400 times smaller than the Sun and precisely placed for total eclipses—be more than cosmic coincidence? Authors Christopher Knight and Alan Butler propose a mind-bending theory: that future humans (or their advanced robots) traveled back in time 4.6 billion years to construct the Moon, creating the exact conditions needed for life on Earth to emerge. Their provocative hypothesis suggests we might be caught in an infinite loop, with humanity traveling to the past to ensure its own creation, much like the ancient symbol of Ouroboros—a snake eternally consuming its own tail. (Did Time Travelers Build The Moon?)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:01:30.774 = Show Intro00:05:48.071 = Jure Grando: The First Vampire00:16:50.110 = ***The Bermondsey Poltergeist00:29:33.917 = Black Shuck: East Anglia's Demon Hound00:45:53.712 = ***Night of the Mushroom Men00:52:53.165 = Did Time Travelers Build The Moon?01:03:18.763 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES:“Jure Grando: The First Vampire” sources: Husain Sumra, Medium: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ykfdupbh; Wu Mingren, Ancient Origins: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8n3k68; Secret Dalmatia: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y69r8e4k; Total Croatia News: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckt77m2“Black Shuck: East Anglia's Demon Hound” sources: William De Long, All That's Interesting:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/cyts9syd; Max Darbyshire, The Shoe Box: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mryw3kr9“The Bermondsey Poltergeist” source: Karen Ellis-Rees, London Overlooked: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3bzvsu52“Did Time Travelers Build The Moon” sources: Marcus Lowth, UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9686wm, Donald B. DeYoung, Institute for Creation Research: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p98w7et“Night of the Mushroom Men” source: TheNightSkyii.org: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ymnmpadc=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: November 18, 2024EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/JureGrandoABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness #JureGrando #FirstVampire #RealVampireStories #CroatianVampire #VampireFolklore #HistoricalVampires #BeforeDracula #TrueParanormalStories #DarkHistory

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: Overcoming Fears: Sigrid's Viking Voyage of Courage Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2025-10-27-22-34-02-no Story Transcript:No: Høstvinden blåste lett gjennom det lille kystsamfunnet.En: The autumn wind blew gently through the small coastal community.No: Fjellene reiste seg majestetisk omkring, og fjordens vann glitret som sølv under den lave sol.En: The mountains rose majestically around, and the fjord's water glistened like silver under the low sun.No: Det var her, nær sjøen, at Sigrid og Eirik bodde.En: It was here, near the sea, that Sigrid and Eirik lived.No: De gikk på skolen sammen, og denne høsten hadde læreren gitt dem en helt spesiell oppgave: bygge en modell av et vikingskip.En: They went to school together, and this autumn the teacher had given them a very special assignment: build a model of a Viking ship.No: Sigrid elsket vikinghistorie.En: Sigrid loved Viking history.No: Fra en tidlig alder hadde hun lest om de modige sjøfolkene som seilte på ukjente hav.En: From an early age, she had read about the brave seafarers who sailed on unknown seas.No: Men selv om hun var fascinert, hadde hun alltid følt en uro for selve sjøen.En: But even though she was fascinated, she had always felt uneasy about the sea itself.No: Vannet var kaldt og uforutsigbart, og Sigrid likte ikke tanken på å være ute på det.En: The water was cold and unpredictable, and Sigrid didn't like the idea of being out on it.No: Heldigvis hadde hun Eirik ved sin side.En: Luckily, she had Eirik by her side.No: Eirik var fryktløs og elsket alt som hadde med eventyr å gjøre.En: Eirik was fearless and loved everything related to adventure.No: Han var Sigrids beste venn, og han hadde foreslått at deres prosjekt skulle stå i sentrum for landsbyens Halloween-feiring.En: He was Sigrid's best friend, and he had suggested that their project should be the centerpiece of the village's Halloween celebration.No: Sigrid og Eirik jobbet hardt.En: Sigrid and Eirik worked hard.No: De brukte helgene på å finne fine trestykker for å bygge skipet.En: They spent weekends finding suitable pieces of wood to build the ship.No: Eirik hadde lært noen triks fra sin far, en dyktig båtbygger, og han delte villig sin kunnskap med Sigrid.En: Eirik had learned some tricks from his father, a skilled boat builder, and he willingly shared his knowledge with Sigrid.No: De skar, pusset og satte sammen plankene på et lite verksted ved bryggen.En: They cut, sanded, and assembled the planks in a small workshop by the dock.No: Modellen begynte å ta form.En: The model began to take shape.No: Den så ut som et stolt lite vikingskip, med svingete dragehode foran.En: It looked like a proud little Viking ship, with a curved dragon head at the front.No: Da dagen kom for å teste skipet, var Sigrid nervøs.En: When the day came to test the ship, Sigrid was nervous.No: Fjorden virket mer truende enn noen gang, og hun kjente hjertet hamre i brystet.En: The fjord seemed more threatening than ever, and she felt her heart pounding in her chest.No: Eirik smilte oppmuntrende til henne.En: Eirik smiled encouragingly at her.No: "Kom igjen," sa han.En: "Come on," he said.No: "Dette klarer vi sammen."En: "We can do this together."No: Sigrid sto stille på bryggen og så på det lille skipet.En: Sigrid stood still on the dock and watched the little ship.No: Tankene raste gjennom hodet hennes.En: Her thoughts raced.No: Hun visste at hun måtte overvinne denne frykten hvis hun ønsket å lykkes med prosjektet.En: She knew she had to overcome this fear if she wanted to succeed with the project.No: Eirik foreslo at de skulle ta en liten båt ut på fjorden sammen, bare for å teste skipet ordentlig.En: Eirik suggested they take a small boat out on the fjord together, just to test the ship properly.No: Med et dypt pust tok Sigrid mot til seg.En: With a deep breath, Sigrid summoned her courage.No: "Ja," sa hun til slutt, og steg forsiktig ned i båten med Eirik.En: "Yes," she finally said, and carefully stepped into the boat with Eirik.No: Vinden strøk kjærlighetsfullt over ansiktet hennes, og hun kjente en merkelig følelse av ro.En: The wind brushed affectionately across her face, and she felt a strange sense of calm.No: Eirik kastet av fortøyningene, og båten beveget seg sakte fra bryggen.En: Eirik cast off the ropes, and the boat moved slowly from the dock.No: De små bølgene klukket rundt båten, og Sigrid fulgte skipmodellen med et øye som en ren kunstner; hun så på hvordan det gled stolt ved siden av dem.En: The small waves gurgled around the boat, and Sigrid followed the model ship with an eye like a true artist; she watched how it glided proudly beside them.No: Hver bølge det møtte, mestret det, som om det var en ekte vikingseiler på ferd.En: Every wave it encountered, it mastered, as if it was a true Viking sailor on a journey.No: Hun merket at hun sakte slapp spenningen som hadde bygd seg opp i henne.En: She noticed that she was slowly releasing the tension that had built up inside her.No: Frykten ble erstattet av stolthet og forventning.En: Fear was replaced by pride and anticipation.No: Plutselig brøt Sigrid ut i latter.En: Suddenly, Sigrid burst out laughing.No: Eirik lo også, og sammen nøt de øyeblikket.En: Eirik laughed too, and together they enjoyed the moment.No: Hun hadde konfrontert sin frykt, og i prosessen oppdaget hun gleden ved det ukjente.En: She had confronted her fear, and in the process, discovered the joy of the unknown.No: Sigrid innså at alle de modige vikingene hun beundret, også hadde følt denne blandingen av frykt og mot.En: Sigrid realized that all the courageous Vikings she admired had also felt this mix of fear and bravery.No: Da de kom tilbake til land, følte Sigrid seg forvandlet.En: When they returned to land, Sigrid felt transformed.No: Hun hadde ikke bare bygget et skip; hun hadde bygget sitt mot.En: She hadn't just built a ship; she had built her courage.No: Halloween-feiringen i landsbyen ble en suksess, både for vennskapet deres og for hennes egne grenser.En: The Halloween celebration in the village was a success, both for their friendship and for her own boundaries.No: Sigrid så nå utover fjorden med et nytt blikk, og drømte om hva mer hun kunne oppnå.En: Sigrid now looked out over the fjord with a new perspective, dreaming of what more she could achieve.No: Sigrid og Eirik hadde ikke bare laget et prosjekt sammen—de hadde skrevet sin egen historie.En: Sigrid and Eirik hadn't just created a project together—they had written their own story. Vocabulary Words:autumn: høstglistened: glitretassignment: oppgavebrave: modigeseafarers: sjøfolkeneunpredictable: uforutsigbartcenterpiece: sentrumssuitable: fineassembled: satte sammenplanks: plankenethreatening: truendeencouragingly: oppmuntrendedock: bryggensuggested: foreslosummoned: tokropes: fortøyningenegurgled: klukketproudly: stoltencountered: møtteanticipation: forventningconfronted: konfronterttransform: forvandletboundaries: grenserperspective: blikkachieve: oppnåmajestically: majestetiskcarved: skarsanded: pussetjourney: ferdadventure: eventyr

I tell a story about becoming a gardening influencer before sharing an animated and long-awaited conversation with David Trood aka. The Weedy Gardener! Weedy, Jord and I discuss:

The Vikings transformed European history, impacted the worlds of both Byzantium and the Abbasid Caliphate, and even, some 500 years before Christopher Columbus, discovered North America. In this episode, I want to look at how and why the Viking diaspora first began, before moving to their initial impact on the world outside Scandinavia, especially on the Carolingians and the establishment of the Viking-Frankish state of Normandy.For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.

In this wild and wide-ranging episode of Quite Frankly, Franky Val welcomes back Will Brown of Incredible History for a deep dive into forbidden archaeology, lost civilizations, and conspiracy meets discovery. From the mysterious 200,000-year-old artifacts of Hueyatlaco to the controversial alien mummies of Peru, Will shares firsthand accounts of government cover-ups, missing relics, and ancient mysteries that defy mainstream explanation. The conversation twists through jungle expeditions, Viking runes in Paraguay, and even a hotel rumored to be built atop Hitler's hidden grave. Along the way, they explore the limits of scientific dogma, the shadowy world of artifact smuggling, and the spiritual side of lost human history. Thought-provoking, hilarious, and a little unsettling, this episode is Quite Frankly a journey through the strange and the sacred.

Alan and Ian are back with a packed episode covering everything from Viking-themed races to global OCR politics, medal redesigns, and the future of fitness racing

Shaq had a message for Deondre Ayton during last night's Inside The NBA broadcast and Sedano points out he said the same thing when the Lakers signed him. The crew swipes left or right in Radio Tinder, including a story about Joe Flacco being an “I eat alone” guy. Kappy talks about how nice San Juan Capistrano is and moves on to talk about tonight's Thursday Night Football game as the Viking face the Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watch the PREVIOUS episode on YouTube!Watch THIS episode on YouTube or click below!TIMELINE00:00 AI Computational Approach13:00 Decoding Voynich19:30 Hoax?21:00 Could women have written it?26:15 What to ask the manuscript's producer27:00 How do we know we've cracked the code?30:00 Reconsidering VoynichEgyptian hieroglyphics confounded Egyptologists for centuries until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.The Voynich Manuscript is another old text that has perplexed experts since its discovery about 600 years ago.Dr. Robert H. Edwards specializes in investigating the biggest mysteries of the 20th century. I interviewed him on the 100th anniversary of George Mallory's death. I interviewed him again after we found Mallory's climbing partner's foot. Spoiler: We still don't know whether they reached Everest's summit.The other mystery Edwards investigated was D. B. Cooper, who stole $200,000 and disappeared after skydiving.Now, Edwards turns his analytical brain to the world's most mysterious manuscript: the Voynich Manuscript.Voynich Reconsidered: The Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World is Dr. Edwards's attempt at decoding this headache-producing document. If you think James Joyce's Finnegans Wake is hard to decipher, try the Voynich Manuscript!Excerpts from Voynich ReconsideredThe parchment for these four folios was most probably produced sometime in the first half of the fourteenth century.Who wrote the Voynich Manuscript?Nobody knows. Edwards debunks the idea that Roger Bacon authored it:D'Imperio devoted considerable effort to the study of the supposed link between the manuscript and Roger Bacon. She could not have known that the Voynich parchment would eventually be submitted to radiocarbon technology and that the samples would be dated, with up to 92 percent probability, to periods ranging between 1308 and 1458. Therefore, she could not have known that Bacon, who lived in the thirteenth century, would be excluded as the author of the manuscript, or at least as its producer or as one of its scribes.Is the Voynich Manuscript a hoax?Before we embark on our own voyage of investigation of the Voynich manuscript, we must consider the alarming possibility that it is a journey to nowhere. That is to say: it may be that the manuscript cannot be translated or deciphered because it has no intrinsic meaning. For want of better words, we must consider that the manuscript could be a hoax or a forgery.What's the Voynich Manuscript about?There is an “herbal” section, consisting of 129 pages and thereby comprising more than half of the book.The astronomical, cosmological, and astrological sections are short. Edwards is “tempted to group them together into a ‘cosmic' theme, occupying thirty-one pages.”The Voynich manuscript invites, for those who are so disposed, the insertion of a preconceived narrative. In this respect, it bears comparison with the notorious proliferation of narratives relating to the man who came to be known as D.B. Cooper, and his hijacking of Northwest Airlines Flight 305 on November 24, 1971.Do we know what the Voynich Manuscript's message is?For many years, the mission controllers at NASA resisted demands for another photographic targeting of the “Face. ” Finally, they relented. In 2001, the Mars Global Surveyor took the first new image of the object, at a much higher resolution than that of the Viking. It was revealed to be an eroded mesa with a pleasing symmetry, and certainly with gulleys and hollows that conveyed elements of a human face. Whether that is the end of the story, the reader may decide. This author is content for the mesa to be the product of erosion, by wind or by water, and not the work of ancient Martians, however much we would like it to be so. Likewise, determined researchers of the Voynich manuscript can find, within its cryptic and inscrutable pages, that which they wish to findConclusionI loved Dr. Edwards's other two books (Mallory & Cooper). Although I liked this one about the Voynich manuscript, it's such an inscrutable and inaccessible document that I found it challenging to stay engaged.Moreover, I don't understand why some people believe that old documents are worth much more than their historical value. Religious texts are helpful because they reveal the values and ideas of the past, but are often utterly wrong, especially when it comes to scientific facts. Even when they're not mistaken, they're often incomplete. A modern botanist knows far more about plants than a 14th-century writer.Some fans of the Voynich manuscript seem to believe that if we can somehow decode it, we'll learn a mind-bending revelation. I doubt it.Other fans, including Dr. Edwards, find the Voynich manuscript fascinating for the same reason people are drawn to Sudoku or a crossword puzzle: it's fun to solve a mystery even if it yields little practical benefit.If you're drawn to puzzles and the Voynich manuscript, you must buy the Voynich Manuscript and then read Voynich Reconsidered: The Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World. You're guaranteed to learn countless remarkable facts about the manuscript in Dr. Edwards's splendid and thorough analysis.For others, I'd first start by reading Dr. Edwards's other two books, which are more accessible than this one.Verdict: 7 out of 10 stars.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at https://wanderlearn.comIf you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. 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In Western Europe, we typically associate Vikings with the storm-tossed waters of the North Sea and the North Atlantic, the deep Scandinavian fjords and the attacks on the monasteries and settlements of north-western Europe. This popular image rarely includes the river systems of Russia and Ukraine, the wide sweep of the Eurasian steppe, the far shores of the Caspian Sea, the incense and rituals of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the high walls and towers of the city of Constantinople. Yet for many Viking raiders, traders and settlers, it was the road to the East that beckoned. These Viking adventurers founded the Norse–Slavic dynasties of the Rus, which are entangled in the bitterly contested origin myths of Russia and Ukraine. The Rus were the first community in the region to convert to Christianity – in its Eastern Orthodox form – and so they are at the heart of the concept of ‘Holy Russia'. Russian rulers have frequently referenced these Norse origins when trying to enhance their power and secure control over the Ukrainian lands, most recently demonstrated by Vladimir Putin as his justification for seizing Crimea and invading Ukraine. In Vikings in the East: From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin – The Origins of a Contested Legacy in Russia and Ukraine (BiteBack Publishing, 2025), historian Martyn Whittock explores the important but often misunderstood and manipulated role played by the Vikings in the origins of Russian power, the deadly consequences of which we are still living with today. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Shipwrecks are scenes of tragedy, but they are also bits of history frozen in time that can provide insights into events and ideas from long ago. That is, if we can find them.  From an 11th century Viking sailing ship to a WW II era British cargo ship with a mailbag of letters onboard amazingly preserved, an underwater archeologist takes us on a deep dive into history. Guest: David Gibbins - underwater archeologist, novelist, and the author of nonfiction, including his latest book, “The History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks”. Descripción en español Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake Originally aired September 9, 2024 Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact sales@advertisecast.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gone Medieval is embarking on an epic journey through Norse Mythology; from the first creation myth to Ragnarok, Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega are joined by our Viking king for immersive storytelling, cinematic sound design, expert interviews, and thrilling discoveries about Odin and his magical offspring, Asgard, Valhalla, and more. So if you think you can outdrink Thor and outwit Loki join us!Today, we ask; where do Vikings go when they die? Eleanor is joined by Carolyne Larrington to explore the role of Valkyries, the armed women who descended from the clouds, the realms of Thor and Freja and medieval stone carvings depicting divine beings and trolls, weaving together historical realities with tales of cosmic creation and epic battles.MOREMedieval BurialsTreasures from Anglo-Saxon GravesGone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega, King Gilfi is played by Eric Nolan. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.