Podcasts about white nile

The last days before the Great Hunt.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.“Can the scorpion ever stop being a scorpion? “"Do we get our legally permitted weaponry back?" The bishop still held my hand."Sure. If it makes you feel better.""I would like to meet your people then," he gave my paw one last shake then released me. "Shall we go?""I will have someone take you to your car. I want to briefly meet with the President, of Havenstone, then I'll join you in the garage. We'll drive over to JIKIT and I'll make the introductions. Good enough?""That is acceptable," he nodded."What about you two?" I regarded the nun and the Swiss Super-soldier. The nun remained vigilant, and silent. The Swiss' eyes flickered to his boss before settling back on me."It is what I volunteered for," he stated firmly."Okay. Please never say I didn't give you a chance to take the sane way out. Also, Bishop Nicolö, circumstances have conspired to up my prospective wedding date to January 1st.""That will be more difficult. Why the change?" he remained grim."We are having twins. By March, this will be very visible.""That is, unfortunate," he shook his head."You have no idea," and then a brainstorm. "And I am curious about resurrecting the Order of the Dragon, the Societas Draconistarum." Technically that meant 'Society of the Dragonists' which was more appropriate than the literal Ordo Draconis."Precisely how do you plan to recreate a crusading Christian Order which was the purview of the Hungarian monarchs?" he didn't sound the least skeptical, just curious."I have billions of euros to fund such a thing," I winked. "Of far greater critical importance, I know where I can find the supernatural guidance and spiritual imperative for such an organization.""You are going to produce a dragon?" his eyes grew larger even as he fought down his fear. Good man. He was adaptive. He'd need to be."I never said such a thing. That would make me sound crazy," I smiled broadly. "Besides, when I say 'dragon', you think 'devil' and that's way too pedestrian for where we are going.""I am not a moral relativist.""Neither am I. I'm out to save lives and nurture the drive in the human spirit to reach for freedom, love and liberty. As you might imagine, I'm pretty freaking outnumbered.""I think you are crazy," he re-evaluated things."I just might be. In all honesty, you should back out now. Take your two compadres back to 25 East 39th Street (the Holy See's Permanent Observer Offices to the UN in NYC) and report 'Mission Failure'. You'll most likely live longer," I reasoned."I am not afraid to die," Sister Rafaela Sophia finally voiced an opinion."That's idiotic," I scoffed before the bishop could reprimand her for opening her mouth. "You should be.""My soul is in God's hands," she set her jaw."Does he talk to you?" I countered."His message is clear.""Not what I asked. I asked if he specifically directed you to toss your life fruitlessly away as an object lesson for the reckless, or careless?""This is uncalled for," Nicolö intervened."Nope. I bet you a phone call to my Brother to physically restore your bishopric that there are four people in this room who have murdered in cold blood," I kept eye contact with the nun, "and she's the odd one out. Right Juanita?""Yes, Ishara," Juanita slipped up. Her spycraft, like mine, needed work."You were in the military?" the bishop asked my bodyguard."Was? I am. Right now," she related. "I will be until I die."That earned me looks from the three Catholics."She is loyal," Nicolö nodded slightly toward her, referring to Juanita's declaration."Huh? To me? Nope. She's loyal to my office, which we shan't get into right now. Back to you, Sister Rafaela Sophia. Are you out to be a martyr, or has some saint, or angel, given you a directive the other two seem to be unaware of which causes you to devalue your life?""I am devoted to the One True God, Christ, our Savior," and Juanita snorted, "and the Virgin Mary," the nun stated firmly. "I don't hear voices in my head.""Juanita, that was rude. Apologize to our guest," I kept looking forward."No." Well, fuck you too."Gun," I commanded. I held out my left hand."What? No. I will not give you one of my guns," she resisted."Juanita, give me your primary weapon, or I will ask Pamela to beat you up the moment I depart for the Great Hunt. After yesterday's stunt, you know she will," I threatened. Fair, I was not. She drew a Glock-20 and handed it to me. I went through the routine, dropped the magazine then ejected the round before opening the door.Oh look, there were four SD chicks outside, ready to escort my visitors downstairs. I didn't even need to waste a phone call. It wasn't like the conference room wasn't being monitored."Excuse me," I took a half step out the door then hurled all three items down the hall. Looking back at Juanita. "Go fetch.""Fuck you," she snapped."And insulting her faith was as degrading to both her faith and her as me doing this to you is degrading to you right now," I lectured her. "It is important to her, therefore it is important to me because she is my guest in the same way it is important to me that I let my bodyguard do her job without being a total asshole all the time. Now go get your God-damn weapon," I barked. Off she went. I left the door open."Now Sister Rafaela Sophia, the point of all this is: I don't give a crap if you are willing to die for God. In fact, that makes you less than worthless to me and the team. I want to know if you are willing to put other motherfuckers in the ground so that Bishop Nicolá, or Mathias, might get to keep doing their jobs.""Murder is a sin," she declared."Go home," I sighed while shaking my head."She answers to me, the Church and God, not you, Mr. Nyilas," the bishop stepped forward."Then you can go home too," I shrugged. "I'm not asking for remorseless killers. I'm asking for people willing to kill to get the hard work done and best of all, for people who know the difference.""Everyone on JIKIT is a professional soldier, or killer?" he asked."No, but the ones who aren't don't carry guns and know to get down when things get funky," I bantered."I vouch for her," he insisted. Juanita came running back into the room."Cool beans. I don't know you either.""You apparently know my service history," he volleyed."Yeah. Ten years a foreigner in the service of France, then you went straight into a university which turns out Jesuits," I riposted."What turned your life around?" he evaded. That was okay. I'd gotten what I wanted. I was willing to bet he had read every bit of public information about me and it was rumored the heavy Catholic membership in the FBI had its benefits to the Church as well. Not so much as to give them insight into JIKIT, but,"Someone risked their life for me. It's been pretty much downhill from there," I confessed. It was the truth. After Katrina gave me the life line on Day Two, it had all spiraled to the revelation of my heritage, Dad's death, Summer Camp, the Hamptons, Romania and Aya's kidnapping."A person, a soldier, died saving my life," the bishop empathized. "Her story is similar. She seeks redemption. She is not suicidal. I am staking both our lives on it."Did he mean him and Mathias, or him and me? I wasn't certain. Still, it was good enough for now. I'd gotten a look at their emotional make up, even the relatively quiet Swiss."Very well," I agreed. "I have to go see the President about my new job description. I'll catch up with you at your car." To the SD team leader, "Take them to the garage. I will join the group of you very soon.""Yes Ishara," she nodded. I exited the room, Juanita in tow. Two SD entered. I was gone before the Papal team left. Upstairs we went, with one last chore to discharge. I had to check on Ms. French to be absolutely freaking sure it was Shawnee, because anyone else would spell disaster.{8:30 am, Monday, September 8th. Last day}A Room full of asistants:Well, there it was, the office of the Executive Director to the President, and not 'Executive Assistant', because this was Katrina's final 'fuck you, no, just her final 'fuck you' before the Great Hunt got underway. I shouldn't assume things, dang it!Anyway, according to the gray-haired matron running gatekeeper to the Office of the President, this was where I was supposed to show up. I shot Juanita a worried look. She glanced my way and shrugged, momentarily willing to not give me shit about the past 24 hours because where I was situated would determine how easily she could do her job.In we went. In the suite were three desks, the 'big' desk situated at the far end of the office space and two far more modest ones on either side of the entryway. The room expanded beyond the chokepoint formed by the two closest desks into a cluttered area. The walls were cluttered with inset bookshelves and portraits of women. Facing one another were a loveseat on my left with bookend plush chairs in an 'L' facing and a full sofa on the right. There were end tables at the ends of the sofa and the corners between the loveseat and each chair.As the door opened, I hadn't knock as this was my office, or so it seemed, the occupants, who had all been sitting in quiet conversation in the central section, began reacting. Oh look ~ Constanza! I nearly had a heart attack before I realized there were three other Amazons also in the room. Sadly, none were behind the 'big desk', so I couldn't tell who was in charge. Two of the other three choices weren't too much better. First off,"Ishara," Marilynn Saint John stood to greet me. I'd last seen her when I'd dedicated her grandmother's (Hayden's) spirit to the halls of my ancestors, not hers, after forcing the political crisis leading to Hayden's suicide ~ her taking herself to the cliffs and in doing so, destroying the Amazon Cult of Blood Purity. Marilynne was clearly still bitter with me. Umm, I could still incite passion in women I hadn't slept with, yet, woot?"Cáel," the senior-most and only friendly face in the room spoke next. Thank goodness it was Beyoncé Vincennes, Head of House Hanwasuit and House Ishara ally."Cáel Ishara," the third individual was deferential which I wasn't sure how to take as the last time I'd encountered her, yeah, things hadn't gone well either."Beyoncé," I started off with a smile. From there, I had to figure out, ah, Beyoncé's eyes flickered to Constanza then Sabia. I knew Marilynn, with her young age, had the least seniority, "Constanza, Sabia, Marilynn. How's tricks?"Glum faces by everyone except Beyoncé. I didn't ask about Sabia's particular well-being. It had been months since I'd beaten her into the mats of the Full-blooded gym. She'd attacked Yasmin, the Brazilian Hottie and my Brazilian Jujutsu sparring buddy, and I'd retaliated by ambushed her when she turned her back on us. Besides, she'd been giving me shit before I even could see straight.Constanza was minus her left eye because of her dire insult to me. If she wasn't capable of working, she wouldn't be here. If she appreciated my 'mercy' in sparing her life ~ her insult was worthy of her death ~ Constanza hid it well. I hadn't spared her expecting a change of heart. I hadn't felt words alone warranted anyone's death. I was a big boy and could take a few insults. House Ishara, as represented by me, could care less. These days, my sisters would be less understanding despite them knowing my heart."Constanza Landau of House Jaya and Marilynn Saint John of House Anahit are Assistants to President Shawnee French," Beyoncé eased things along, "so will be working closely with us, at least for the short term. Sabia Noel of House Guabancex, who I now think you know as well, has joined you as the other 'Assistant' to the 'Executive Director to the President', (that would make me an 'adept', but adept at what?), and since two of the three Regents are unfamiliar with the workings of Havenstone proper, Shawnee has asked me to perform in that role."Beyoncé was, or had been, Havenstone HQ's CFO (Chief Financial Officer). From what I was quickly piecing together, she would essentially be making all the day-to-day decisions concerning the running of Havenstone (how the Host made the majority of its money) until the Regents got up to speed.Only Buffy had actual experience with the New York office and, from what she had told me, solely within Executive Services. While ES knew 'who' did what inside Havenstone, they weren't aware precisely how those Amazons got their jobs done. That would have been an impossible task. Katrina could do it, but she knew it was beyond the ability of most of us 'mere mortals'. Since we were currently at war, the Host needed Katrina completely focused on her duties as Chief Spy-mistress, not baby-sitting the adults.Shawnee indeed had much gravitas among the other House Heads. Not only had she risen up to lead a First House, she had performed heroically during the final days of the last Secret War. Afterwards she had moved into the realm of Amazon jurisprudence and mediation. Until yesterday, she had lived in a House Arinniti freehold in Minnesota's Great Lakes region thus her desire for the 'Training Wheels' period.The Regency would not rule through telecommunication (the upper echelons feared being eavesdropped upon beyond the standard Amazon (read: paranoid) levels) and Havenstone: New York was the center best situated for the current war-fighting operations, so here she lived. I was sure a team from Executive Services was buying, outfitting/spy-proofing and fortifying a dwelling suitable for the President of a Fortune 500 company. Hayden's home would remain the domicile of Sydney thus Marilynn.The same rigmarole would be done for Rhada and Buffy (though I imaged Buffy would bitch endlessly). Publically, they were VP's of a company worth hundreds of billions of dollars and they had to present the public trappings of such leaders.Why did the Amazons do this ~ unmask their leadership to public exposure? Legal-simple: they could request and expect all levels of public and private security for their executives who happened to also be important officials of the Host. Certainly not all executives at Havenstone were officeholders, House Heads, or House Apprentices, but the high level of competence which permitted one often led to the other.Beyonce:As an example: Beyoncé wasn't the most 'bad-ass' lethal chick in House Hanwasuit. As she was preparing to be casted, her intelligence, creativity and diligence at her future craft, finances, was noted by the Host and the members of her House. In due time her name was circulated as Apprentice and the elders approved. When her elder cousin, the prior House Head, took herself to the cliffs, Beyoncé assumed the top spot. Beyoncé wasn't even one of that woman's three daughters.Mirroring her advancement in her House was her advancement in Havenstone's Accounting, Acquisitions and Banking Divisions until she was appointed CFO Havenstone HQ ~ the supreme financial authority inside Havenstone, though the individual regional branches had a greater degree of autonomy than you might normally expect from a 21st century conglomerate, or a Bronze Age autocracy.I had to constantly remind myself, despite the near-constant feuding, Amazons exhibited a phenomenally higher level of trust than I'd ever found in any other society I'd ever witnessed, or read about, before. Though technically Beyoncé could have gone to President Hayden to enforce her decisions ~ or now the Regency ~ she was far more diplomatic in her approach in dealing with the other 'continental' CEO's and CFO's.That meant she had to wrangle the aspirations and resources from:North America (including Latin America, the 'Canadian Arctic' and the North Pacific Ocean),South America (includes both the South Atlantic and South Pacific as far as Samoa),Europe (mostly Central Europe these days plus Antarctica, the 'Russian' Arctic and the North Atlantic),Africa (mostly West-central Africa),India (the subcontinent plus the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean) and,Southeast Asia (which includes Australia)All of which suggested Havenstone hadn't redrawn the Amazons' geographic demarcations since the late 19th century. As an example, an East African venture, say in Tanzania, was as likely to be under the purview of Havenstone: India (due to its control over the Indian Ocean) as Havenstone: Africa (which traditionally had no East Coast holdings due to their constant struggles versus the Arabic slave trade).Returning to Beyoncé: initially she had held the proper 'conservative' (aka man-hating) mindset. My behavior during that first Board Meeting began to change her opinion of me and the New Directive. After the Archery Range incident, Beyoncé became a vocal proponent of the New Directive and faced challenges within her ranks. House Heads do not have to accept challenges and Beyoncé didn't, reasoning with her detractors they had no alternatives save the 'Old Ways' which spelled doom for the Amazon Race.Bing-bang-boom ~ I became the Head of a resurrected House Ishara by the Will of the Ancestors and Beyoncé was vindicated. Not necessarily in the New Directive, but in her support of me thus the rebirth of a sister First House. The purge following High Priestess' Hayden's death was her ultimate absolution. The Ancestors and Destiny had spoken and shown Beyoncé had been piloting House Hanwasuit along the proper course all along.Back to my current circumstances:Oh, why was I Assistant to the Executive Director to the President? It gave me direct access to the finances of Havenstone which was a critical leg of the war-fighting stool ~ people, morale, money and equipment. As Chief Diplomat, I helped with all four of those in varying degrees, allied troops, allied victories, allied bank accounts and allied armaments.The Great Khan, my spiritual 'Blood-Brother', was ramping up his logistic support for my Amazons in Africa, Asia and the Americas. We were 'Allies in the Struggle' and he wasn't going to wait for the Condottieri to begin coordinating with the Seven Pillars to declare them to be his enemies. They were already fighting the Amazons and 9 Clans, his allies, so their fates were sealed.In Japan, my Amazons provided small yet highly effective strike groups which the Ninja families furnished all the support services for. Everything from food to bullets to medical attention as needed. Without reservation, we shared their death-grapple with the Seven Pillars.From the dispatches I was getting back from my family members and envoys in Japan, we were making serious diplomatic inroads with the Ninja. Once again, it was the Amazons shocking capacity for violence as well as their fanaticism, professionalism and proficiency which all impressed our hosts and terrified our enemies, and this from people of a philosophical mindset which had them historically battling samurai.The Black Lotus were running around like rhesus monkeys on crack cocaine unleashed in a China Shop and given RPG's. While the Amazons couldn't help them in China, Indochina & Thailand ~ the Khanate could and was. The Amazons were of more help in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, where the Black Lotus and Amazons were going everywhere on the offensive against the Seven Pillars while the normal tight cohesion and iron-clad confidence, traits which made the 7P's so dangerous ~ were shaken by their horrendous losses in the 'Homeland' aka Mainland China.Less we forget, the 'military intelligence' wing of their organization had been decimated by the Khanate's Anthrax attack due to members of the Earth & Sky sacrificing themselves by being injected with the toxin then allowing themselves to be captured, which always ended in torture and death.Furthermore, the People's Republic of China, while having a scary 18% of the population either captured, imprisoned, dead, or displaced due to the Khanate invasion, that had come with the loss of 63% of their landmass (they had lost all of Nei Mongol, Ningxia & Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regions, Qinghai and Gansu as well as 90% of Yunnan, 80% of Sichuan and 20% of Shaanxi provinces) to the Khanate and the 'abomination' that was a free Tibet.Then came the Russian 'stab in the back' which entailed the loss of another 10% of their people falling under foreign dominion as well as losing 8% of their most industrialized territory, Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces ~ the Nei Mongol portion of 'Manchuria' was in the Khanate's greedy clutches, from the viewpoint of a Seven P's warrior).Don't get me wrong, they weren't about to throw in the towel. If anything, they were becoming more dedicated to trying harder, digging deep into their knowledge of every atrocity, inhumanity and perversion now deemed necessary to re-chart history back onto its 'correct' path. It was this willingness to act in an even greater sociopathic manner which was being used against them. After all, the 7P's had plenty of proxy allies, who were starting to get really nervous about what their paymasters were now asking them to do,We Amazons were getting some extra special help too. The Booth-gan (Do not call them Thuggee ~ the confederate 9 Clan member based out of India though long since ensconced within various Hindi enclaves across the Globe) had created an all-female group of ultra-fanatical Kali-devotees ~ a gift for the upcoming battle fomented by the Will of the Goddess herself.While Aya was our Queen and the Regency would rule until she wished to assume command of the Amazon People, the nuts-and-bolts of the Host's activities were handled by Saint Marie as Golden Mare (our Minister of War) (technically she held the top spot due to our State of War, though no Golden Mare had ever exercised such authority over a Queen (and she definitely believed Aya was our Queen)), Katrina (as Minister of Intelligence and Security), Beyoncé (as Havenstone (the multinational corporation) ~ our Treasurer/Economic Tsarina) and me (our Foreign Minister).Saint Marie had decided to forgo a public face in order to better facilitate her moving around to various battle fronts and holding clandestine meetings with her junior regional commanders. Her Havenstone corporate title was 'Chief of Security Training and Certification'. As an extra level of deception, the head of Security Services wasn't even a Director-level position, instead being folded into the duties of the Office of the President.To my current circumstances ~ I had been given Constanza's house name which could only mean she wasn't currently assigned to the Security Detail; a fact that couldn't have made her bad attitude any better. Marilynn had completely lost her way as an Amazon when I first met her, burying her pain and confusion in endless partying and intoxicants. I believed only her grandmother's status as High Priestess kept her from the severest of reprimands, or death. I didn't even know what Marilynn's caste was. Sabia,"While I'm sure you are both far more qualified than I, precisely how did you two get these jobs?" I had to ask my two non-coworkers. Constanza glowered. Marilynn flinched."I have an in depth knowledge of Havenstone security procedures and resources," Constanza replied."Shawnee requested me," was Marilynn's comeback. "I also have intimate knowledge of the City of New York and its environs.""Actually, Buffy Ishara recommended you both to Shawnee," Beyoncé corrected their misconceptions. I knew the score. I'd be working intimately with the tight community around the President (Shawnee) and Vice Presidents (Buffy & Rhada). Buffy wanted me to be surrounded by women who hated my guts, so I wouldn't end up boinking them. It rarely worked that way. All too often ladies who hated my still-beating heart ended up punishing me with sex. I wasn't sure why that happened, but it did."Beyoncé, didn't the Chief Diplomat of the Host have her own office? I'm pretty sure Troika had one before her unfortunate collision with Saint Marie," I felt entitled to inquire."Do you feel you've earned that office space?" she riposted."Oh, fuck no!" I waved my hands one over the other to accentuate my denial. "I was just wondering where I could stick Juanita while I'm hanging around, here.""She has the desk right outside the door, Cáel," Beyoncé smiled knowingly. "So there is no way you can sneak past her.""Oh," I grunted. "Buffy again?""No. Pamela Pile put in that particular request.""Oh, Sweet Mother of God, now she is conspiring against me too?""Yes. Some of us realize the greatest hazard to your health is yourself, Ishara," Beyoncé chided me. "We'd like to keep you around, so we listen to those charged with that nigh impossible task.""Is she going to be hanging around the office often?" Constanza asked, either myself, Juanita, or Beyoncé; I wasn't sure. She = Pamela."Please, Constanza," I attempted to intervene, "don't make Pamela kill you. It will upset Mona." Constanza's scowl was accentuated by the eyepatch covering her ruined left socket, the one Pamela had carved out when Constanza had insulted me and House Ishara on our first day of rebirth. I didn't tell Juanita this, because Juanita might just shoot Constanza over the insult before Pamela got a chance to finish the job.The tension was palatable."Mona and I have talked, about Romania, and other things," Constanza grudgingly allowed. It took me a second to realize there was a hidden meaning to what she said. Mona was part of my personal Security Detail bodyguard unit. If she felt Constanza, the woman who had raised her after her birth-mother had died, was a threat to me, she'd feel duty-bound to snuff Constanza first. Amazons were hard-ass bitches alright and I think Mona had made that clear."I hope things can improve between us," I offered to Constanza. "Beyoncé, I just stopped in to say 'hey'. I'm off to JIKIT and I've got three of the Pope's people waiting on me in the garage so,""Vice President Varma requested a moment of your time," Beyoncé smirked. "She is in 2604.""Who?""Vice President Rhada Varma, a moment of your time, alone?" she clarified."Sure thing," I backed out of the office. Once I had some space, I turned to Juanita. "Give me three minutes then bust in and say, I don't know, a tsunami is about to overwhelm the city, or something. Otherwise, I won't get out for at least an hour and I think I've put the Bishop and his people through enough delays as it is.""Are you actually asking me to stop you from having an in-office liaison?" she studied me intently as we walked in the direction of Rhada's office."Yes. It's not likely to happen often, believe me.""Oh, I do, in that you won't ask me to do it often," she grumbled. I'd deal with Juanita's morale problem later. Right now, I had to gird my loins so they wouldn't do anything else with Rhada. I had work to do, damn it!Rhada was sitting at her desk, working on something, stylus raised up so she could chew on the end. Her hair was pulled back in a half-ponytail, the type that captured the rear half of the hair in a ponytail while leaving the front and bangs free to flow down. Rhada's blouse was white & billowy and, as I was soon to discover, her pants were ultra-tight and contour hugging."Mr. Nyilas," she greeted me. "I would like a moment of your time," she relayed what I already knew. She was more than a tad nervous to boot."Vice President Varma," I started off."When in private you may call me Rhada," she interrupted."Rhada, you look more ravishing than ever."That got up her and coming around her desk, which revealed her ultra-tight pants with no sign of her wearing underwear. Yikes! My cock was preparing to do what a cock was meant to do and I just didn't have the time, Really!"Do you have any time?" she let her bosom heave."Not today, ugh," I groaned. See, Rhada took the stylus and dragged it down her chin, throat and in between her bountiful mounds.All of which exposed the top of her black bra."Are you sure, Master?" she enticed me by turning around and then leaning over her desk, point that ass in my direction. My mouth began salivating and my groin ached. I found myself quick-stepping to her and giving those buttocks two firm slaps, one on each cheek."No, damn it, though I'm going to make you pay for this when I get back," I rumbled."Master will make me wait?" she taunted me."That will cost you even more," I growled. "I have business which simply won't wait and here is my captive teasing me with the treasures of her flesh. Bad, war captive," I spanked her yet again, hard. "Bad!" and I spanked her a fourth time. With each beating, Rhada gasped in pain and then exhaled in pleasure."If I've been bad, Master must be extra harsh with me when he returns in triumph from the Great Hunt," she gloated. Rhada had gotten what she wanted, which was another affirmation of my lust for her and our 'game'. I could provide her the release she so desperately craved while allowing her the safety of remaining in the Amazon fold. It was a perfect pairing, for her.I had other problems, such as all the other baby mamas in my life plus the extra-marital affairs I was contemplating. I still took the moments we had to snuggle with Rhada, her grinding that tush into my rod while I held both her arms tightly to her side while raining kisses down onto her neck and head."Sir! A giant tsunami is approaching the city!" Juanita exploded through the door."What?" I coughed. I had a face full of hair."Huh?" Rhada pushed up and away from me. I let her go."Right now," Juanita insisted. She really needed to stop taking me so seriously when I gave her such advice."Really?" from Rhada. She shot me a curious look so I shrugged. What else was I supposed to do with such a flimsy lie forcing our separation? At least I got out of there on time?{9:50 am, Monday, September 8th ~ Last day}(JKIT HQ)"Is this a common occurrence?" Sister Rafaela Sophia whispered to the closest woman, who happened to be Wiesława, the Polish Amazon. Since she hadn't arrived with us from Havenstone, the nun might have assumed she was with the 'Americans', or British."What?" Wiesława responded evenly."Weapons combat, they look real," the nun clarified."They are real. We always practice with real weapons.""Really?""Of course," Wiesława smiled at her. "We believe a few cuts and scrapes now will save lives when the true tests come.""Oh, you are with, Havenstone?" Rafaela clued in."Yes. I am Wiesława of House Živa. I am currently assigned to Unit L, Cáel's unit within JIKIT," she offered her hand to shake. Despite being a full-blooded Amazon from a freehold, her 'human' skills were progressing nicely. The nun shook it."I am Sister Rafaela Sophia of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that is a Roman Catholic Religious Order." Pause. "Do you hate Catholics too?""Yes. We have lived beside your people for many centuries and found your clergy to be much more dangerous than your pagan predecessors. Still, Cáel thinks you can be relied on and he's proven we can trust outsider women, which I was raised to believe was unlikely, and outsider men, which was basically anathema, so I'm willing to set aside my prejudices and judge you as an individual," the Pole imparted."Outsider men?" Rafaela mumbled."Well, yes," Wiesława smirked. "You are a nun, right?""Yes.""So you set aside the World of Men to live mostly among women, right?""Not entirely," the nun chose her words carefully. "We still rely on priests for religious rights and of course obey the life teachings of Christ and follow the leadership of his Holiness, the Pope, a man.""No one is perfect," the Amazon bantered back."Do you know the teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ?" Rafaela ventured into dangerous waters."Yes. He was the semi-historical Son of your supposed One True God. We are not monotheists. We are Polytheists. Živa is my House's matron Goddess. It is also the name of the first woman to lead the House, her birth name surrendered to Destiny so all the daughters who came afterwards would be equals.""Oh, is Mr. Nyilas also pagan?" she inquired."I am unsure. From what I have been told, he has commended the spirit of his fallen father to your Jesus in a sacred ceremony then, in the presence of your Trinity and the Goddess Ishara, brought in new members to his House. I suspect he may be both," Wiesława reasoned. "Why don't you ask him?""Because he's fighting for his life?" Rafaela looked my way.See, the entire time their discussion had been going on, I had been sparring in a spare room at JIKIT HQ with Estere Abed, the Hashashin assassin (rather redundant ~ like saying the Sahara Desert). I had two tomahawks while she had a scimitar and curved dagger. While we sparred using the furniture as obstacles, Agent-86 was briefing me on various World events to get my input.Addison Stuart (CIA) and Lady Fathom Worthington-Burke (MI-6) were having a chat with Bishop Nicolé de Santis, verifying for themselves he was worth adding to the team. Juanita was having a similar discussion with Rikki Martin (US State Department) concerning my earlier encounter with the Papal team. Nicolé's buddy, Wachtmeister Mathias Bosshart of the Swiss Guard, was getting acquainted with the other security personnel.In comparison, those two had it easy. Both men were in their elements. Nicolé was a spook who pretended to be a diplomat for the Pope and was well acquainted with terms like 'deniable assets', 'plausible deniability' and your direct superior referring to requests concerning your identity/diplomatic status by saying 'I never heard of him and if I had, I have no idea what he was doing when you caught him doing what I don't know what he was doing', or something like that.Mathias was in the company of military-security specialists, brother professionals who were introducing him to his 'sister' professionals. Our Homeland Security gang were almost entirely former military by now. They got along with our JSOC folks and both had gained a limited acceptance with the Amazon security contingent.They bonded over the fact they were forced to work with really shady characters ~ the 9 Clans menagerie ~ who didn't always appreciate JIKIT operational security. Without going into particulars, the Wachtmeister was given the impression the abnormal was the norm and if you didn't think there was a 'down-side' to being able to carry your personally favorite bang-bang (the SG 552-2P Commando in his case) with some serious attachments (read: grenade launcher) around in downtown Manhattan, you probably didn't belong on this team.Back in the room,"He's not fighting for his life," Estere laughed. "He is fighting for mine.""Right," I responded sarcastically. We went through a flurry of exchanges, ending up with me kicking a chair at her. Estere stepped over it, colliding with me.I blocked her dagger, disarmed her scimitar and,"You are dead," she panted down at me, smiling. I was on my back, her straddling me. She had a belt-knife to my throat. I hadn't see her draw it. The scimitar 'disarm' had been a distraction."Woot!" I exhaled."But you're dead," Sister Rafaela misunderstood my good humor."He survived a minute and thirty-four seconds more today than his previous record," Estere responded. She slithered off of me, doing my arousal no good whatsoever, then offered me a hand up."And that's better?""He's a rank amateur with a few months on the job. I've been training to kill people for nearly two decades," Estere smiled. "Care to have a go?""With him, or you?""Either," Estere offered."I don't have a knife, or any hand weapons," she stated."We'll need to remedy that," Wiesława stated. "You should at least carry a knife.""Really? Why?""It is a nearly universal tool," I verbally stepped up. "Even if you are disarmed, you should be able to find one relatively easily, people are less likely to miss a stolen knife than a purloined gun, and a concealed blade could come in handy.""Do you train in knife-work?" Rafaela eye-balled me."Absolutely. It is part of my culture," I grinned."Okay. Can we spar, hand-to-hand?""Sure," I nodded. I put my tomahawks in their harnesses then put my harnesses aside. Estere gave me a wink before giving us the fighting space."So," Rafaela began to circle, "are you Christian?""By your definition, or mine?""By the definition of the Catholic Church."Oh cool, she went for a Savate stance. This was going to get ugly.My "no," was followed by her kick and my block, lunge and grapple. She wasn't nearly as good as Felix. I had her down and in a choke hold within fifteen seconds.Perhaps she thought I'd take it easy on her. She tapped out. I released her, retreated and flowed back to my boxing stance. It took her a moment to realize this was 'practice', not 'an interview'. She hadn't failed in anyone's eyes. We were both doing this to get better."See, I really, truly believe I have talked to supernatural entities ~ some who are considered divinities," I continued. This time she was more careful, trading jabs and blocks with me. "They don't claim to be the One True God. I believe in such a thing, but I also believe having been given the Message, Humanity has been left to muddle things out for ourselves."Whoops, she popped me one."The Woman-Thing this morning?""Yep," I evaded another flurry. She got cocky and I landed three blows, dropping her to the ground. I didn't help her up. Instead, I withdrew and let her get back up on her own before deciding if she wanted to continue. She did."I believe I've seen dragons and ghosts. I have felt legions of my ancestors give me quiet encouragement when I needed it. I know the dead have been brought back to life," I came at her. This time we both went for body blows, knees, elbows and fists. She was not SD-caliber and she needed to be. I grappled and she was forced to tap out again. After she regained her feet, she held up a hand for a pause."Do you believe any of that?" she addressed Estere."I am an adherent of Ismaili Islam yet nothing Cáel has encountered is contrary to my belief system. The Universe is a complex place and the Divine Light is often seen through a fractured lenses," she counseled the nun."Among the escapees were lawyer Francisco Luemba, Catholic Priest Raul Tati, economist Belchior Lanso Tati and former policeman Benjamin Fuca who are serving jail sentences of between three and six years each for supposed links to the rebel group FLEC (Frente para a Libertaé'o do Enclave de Cabinda), which carried out the attack on the Togolese football team at the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in January, 2010," Agent-86 read off yet another bit of global minutia."We need to get to them," I half turned. Sister Rafaela punched me in the gut and I folded up."Oh!" she gasped. "I'm sorry.""Okay," I mumbled. I had to keep with the plan. "Those men. We need to contact our Coils people in Kinshasa and the Warden of the Mountain Ways ('she' was the Amazon Host's leader of Africa ~ in the ancient times, the mountain ways had been the routes of southern vulnerability for the Amazon tribe thus the name).""Okay," both Agent-86 and Estere answered."Why?" 86 added."The Coils and the Host have had a serious problem with no nation in Africa giving them even back room recognition so we are going to take over our own country, Cabinda. It's been struggling to be free of Angola since 1975 and, by latest estimates, we've got strike elements of over 2,000 Amazons ready and waiting next door in Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of Congo.""So you are going to go to war with Angola?" Estere frowned. "Don't we have enough enemies?""Au contraire," I grinned wickedly. "The resistance movement is genuine," I ticked off my points, "they have tons of offshore oil, and after we set off some spectacular explosions in the two main Angolan ports which are just down the coast, we allow global panic to bully the UN into intervening before the Angolan military launch an effective counter-offensive ~ considering the Angolan Armed Forces (I'd been reading up on a ton of CIA & MI-6 briefings) will most likely involve attrition warfare since they can't beat us in a stand-up fight.""They, the Angolans, have no overland access, they are separated by 60 kilometers of territory belonging to the Democratic Republic of Congo over some sad ass roads Plus the Congo River itself which is freaking huge by the time it gets that close to the Atlantic, Cabinda rests on the Atlantic Ocean by the way. No bridges. The Angolan Navy is anemic. Let me think."I began pacing."Hmm, they have no paratroopers though they have some Special Forces, we will need to hit as many of them in the barracks as we can. Their last invasion was from the north, overland, from the Republic of the Congo, in 1975, not likely to happen this time, though I may have my 'Brother' weasel up a battalion of Indian paratroopers to act as convincing peacekeepers after the initial take over.""Perhaps we can recruit some Vietnamese. I'm sure they'll love fighting in someone else's jungle for a change. We'll need some of 'our' guys to seize the port of Soyo, it is on the wrong side of the river, but has the major refinery the Cabindans will need. Since the entire surrounding province are the same ethnic make-up as the Cabindans, we'll have to take that too.""Man-o-man, I bet by the time this is over they'll really wish they'd given little Cabinda independence back in 1975. As for their other refinery, it is in their capital, Luanda, a few big explosions there too will get the markets jittery. Check that ~ the complete and utter destruction of their major petroleum facility will create a stampede for Peace," I continued. I walked over as our resident computer intelligence genius worked his magic."Blowing things up, you mean killing people," the nun blanched."Yes. This is what I do," I spared her a sympathetic glance. "I've got a madman roaming around in my head who provides me truly epic military advice which normally, but not always, means blowing shit up and killing folks. Welcome to the team," then as the data appeared, "Holy Shit! Did they build their oil refinery in the midst of their ghetto?" I was staggered. The refinery in Soyo was isolated from the town so it could be easily (and safely) seized. It was the one in Luanda which was the 'Holy Shit' site."It looks that way," Agent-86 agreed nonplussed. "Hmm, yeah, here is the port facility then your neighborhood of shoddily constructed one- and two-story dwellings between the refinery and the inland storage tanks, the perimeter barrier appears to be a chain link fence. I'd hate to be their Chief of Security.""Oh yeah," I choked. Estere slipped around to get a look."Whoops," she snorted."What are these people thinking?" I continued. "The whole shebang is exposed to the northern quarter of the city. The storage tanks have residential dwellings on all four sides with numerous side streets. Two teams with RPGs and four rounds apiece, Holy Crap. Sorry Sister.""But I want to save lives," she sputtered."Limiting the collateral damage could be pretty tough," Estere frowned. She toggled throw a series of maps to multiple pictures."Oh, look (dripping sarcasm); they light up the refinery at night. You can sit off the coast in a speed boat under cover of darkness and attack from there," she noted."Damn. Those are a lot of lights," Agent-86 agreed."24-7 operation," I suspected."We will need some experts," the government agent nodded."Or we are going to kill a fuck-load of innocent people. Not just the workers, but can you imagine a fire spreading to those neighborhoods? Shit," I muttered."You can't seriously be contemplating doing something like this," the nun sputtered. "It is inhumane. Think of the families, the children.""Lady, yes I am. Do you have any idea what the Human Rights record of the Angolan Army in Cabinda is? It is truly horrific and in case you missed it, one of the guys in dire need of rescuing by me, due to him being a huge rebel leader who has managed to escape, is also a Catholic priest. He's going to be part of the new government we are going to install once we kill a few hundred Angolans ~ mostly soldiers (more like well over a thousand).""We are going to kill a few hundred so a few hundred thousand can live free, democratic lives without worrying about the local police and political establishment torturing and murdering them. It is all part of the plan.""I think I need to talk with the Bishop.""Hang on. Let me finish," I forestalled her. "He'll get briefed along with everyone else. After all, it is a majority Roman Catholic country as is Angola, so I'm sure your guy can be of immense help.""The people you are putting at risk don't deserve this," she protested."They never do," I nodded in agreement with her. "It rarely stops terrible crap from happening to them though."I felt sorry for the Sister. She thought the Bishop was going to put a stop to this. Poor girl; he was going to do the exact opposite. See, the two competing forces at play here were a communistic kleptocracy (currently ruling Angola) and Catholic liberation theology united with a Cabindan national identity dating back to 1885. At stake was 900,000 barrels a day of petroleum. That was a bunch of funding for somebody. Last I checked, the state run energy conglomerate had misplaced $32 billion, in just three years.Mind you, the Coils of the Serpent and the Amazon Host didn't want to help the People of Cabinda out of the goodness of their hearts either. They wanted cover for the importation of weapons and other war-fighting material so they could kill the Condottieri in Africa. If the rebel leaders-turned-legitimate government didn't play ball well, the Coils were in the 'assassinating people' business and somewhere along the line the survivors would figure out keeping 'us' happy kept them alive. Problem solved.It was Bishop Nicolé de Santis' job to facilitate that understanding. If certain people with Vatican credentials explained the 'facts of life' to the new regime a lot more lives could be saved, Catholic lives. In turn, he could work to make sure the new group in power wasn't nearly as corrupt as the gang we were tossing out. Better education and quality of life, improved infrastructure & security and a nice shiny cathedral, or two.We, as in JIKIT and our component members, didn't want to rule the country and dominate the people's lives. We needed the ports and the airfields with a blind eye turned to our skullduggery. Sure, there would be future considerations. Amazons and Coil members would be fighting and dying for these people's freedom ~ public recognition definitely not required. No; the Amazons wanted to be left alone in their deep jungle homes which was an isolation they basically already had. This was a future chit which said 'don't come looking'.The Coils? Let's just say in the future Cabinda would have embassies around the globe and if occasionally they wanted someone to slip through under diplomatic cover ~ they were good for it. And if the Cabindans ever needed help in the future they knew they had friends in dark places who were now invested in Cabinda's survival. It was a win-win-win, unless you were an Angolan big-wig, or one of their foot-soldier currently serving in Cabinda. Amazons weren't big on taking prisoners, or even giving the opposition the option of giving up.For me, it wasn't lunch yet and here I was plotting to overthrow yet another government in yet another country ~ though in only two, small provinces this time. Thank the Goddess I had the rest of the week

On Daybreak Africa: Sudanese paramilitaries have killed more than 200 people, including women and children, in a three-day assault on villages in the country's south. The Emergency Lawyers group, which documents rights abuses, said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces attacked unarmed civilians in the villages of Al-Kadaris and Al-Khelwat, in White Nile state. The UN says the humanitarian situation in eastern DRC has deteriorated dramatically. Secretary of State Rubio skips South Africa's G20 meeting amid diplomatic tensions. Analysts urge swift action after resolutions on Sudan, DRC at African Union Summit. African bishops called on Christians and all people of goodwill to engage in prayer and fasting for peace in Africa. Liberia says the cancellation of a $17 million USAID-sponsored project will have direct and indirect impact on the country's development. The reality of many children displaced by brutal violence in Darfur. For these and more, tune in to Daybreak Africa!

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of The Blue Nile in (just under) twenty minutes.The Blue Nile were a Scottish band, specifically three Glasgow natives: Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and Paul Joseph 'PJ' Moore, who had graduated from university there. Following support from artists such as Rickie Lee Jones and Peter Gabriel, the group received critical acclaim, particularly for their first two albums A Walk Across the Rooftops and Hats. The group took their name from the title of Alan Moorehead's 1962 book (a sequel to The White Nile), the two books making up a history of the Nile River. In 2019, the band's major label albums were re-issued on vinyl and in 2020, High was released by Confetti Records on vinyl and double CD.Taylor Swift referenced the Blue Nile on her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department, where the band feature in the opening lyrics to the track Guilty As Sin? This track appears to be a break-up song, based around Swift's brief relationship with the 1975's singer Matty Healy. Healy has also spoken of his love for the band.In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber.https://buymeacoffee.com/lownoiseWhy buy me a coffee?Low Noise is proudly ad-free. If you would like to to say thank you for any of the content you have enjoyed (and help support the continuation of creating more), the above link provides a way to make a small donation of your choice (I also function on coffee!).Feel free to leave a note with your donation to let me know what you enjoy about the podcast or any topics you would like me to discuss in the future.Mathew Woodall

Welcome to South Sudan, the world's youngest nation and a land of untapped potential. This East African country, born in 2011, offers intrepid travelers a glimpse into a raw, developing nation. From the banks of the White Nile to vast savannahs teeming with wildlife, South Sudan is a country of contrasts. While its recent history has been tumultuous, the resilient spirit of its people and the promise of its natural beauty make it a destination for the truly adventurous. Join as we venture south to one of the most incredible destinations on the planet. Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to South Sudan for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/TrodPod/shop/trodpod-16-guide-to-south-sudan-580389 Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membershipThanks for all your support!TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world's youngest nation of South Sudan, which emerged after decades of civil war, is home to the world's biggest conservation project twice the size of Portugal. The conflicts have had an unintended consequence: they delayed development, meaning few roads were built, keeping poachers out and allowing wildlife to flourish. Last year, African Parks, a Johannesburg-based conservation organisation, was given a 10-year mandate by the government to try to protect an area of 200,000km2 – an ecosystem stretching from the White Nile in the west to the Ethiopian borderlands in the East. Can this once war-torn nation redefine itself by using its natural riches to become a safe haven for wildlife? FRANCE 24 Correspondent Olivia Bizot reports. 

In 1987, my wife and I shouldered our backpacks and set off from Australia. The plan was to live and work overseas in England for two years, using it as a base for UK and wider world travels. And the widest of these were inspired by reading books like Alan Moorehead's The White Nile and The Blue Nile.The White and Blue Niles is a travel blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.Read the post on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/the-white-and-blue-nilesRead a post about the nine-month overland journey inspired by travel writers and Michael Palin's Pole to Pole:https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/inspired-by-michael-palins-pole-to-polePodcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.comSupport the podcast: https://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-readsBuy Robert's short story collections online:• Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fairhead/e/B086HZ36NM• Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/author/robert-fairhead/id1436773436• Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/author/robert-fairheadPodcast Theme and Sound EffectsRoyalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:• Plane: https://freesound.org/people/bigpickle51/sounds/262753/• Typewriter: https://freesound.org/people/supersupernator/sounds/519622/• Jungle Sounds: https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/438261/• Steam Whistle: https://freesound.org/people/mike_stranks/sounds/407394/• Air Raid Siren/Bombing: https://freesound.org/people/hello_flowers/sounds/31887/Production NotesTall And True Short Reads is produced using Audacity. Podcast episodes are recorded in Sydney, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.Acast Podcast Supporter PageSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*) Blinken calls Israeli officials to discuss Gaza ceasefire deal https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/live-blog-blinken-calls-israeli-officials-to-discuss-gaza-ceasefire-deal-18169087 The US State Department said the Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called top Israeli officials to discuss a proposed deal for a truce in Gaza. According to statements, Blinken spoke with the Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz and the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant. In both calls, he "commended" Israel for the proposal and said the onus was on Hamas to agree. *) Exit polls indicate Sheinbaum wins historic Mexican presidential race https://www.trtworld.com/latin-america/exit-polls-indicate-sheinbaum-wins-historic-mexican-presidential-race-18169100 According to exit polls in Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum is set to be elected the country's first woman president. A polling firm said the ruling party candidate won around 58 percent of the votes, against 29 percent for her main opposition rival. Sheinbaum's win is seen as a milestone in Mexico after a history of gender-based violence. *) South Africa's Ramaphosa urges parties to unite after ANC loses majority https://www.trtworld.com/africa/south-africas-ramaphosa-urges-parties-to-unite-after-anc-loses-majority-18169070 South Africans voted for national and provincial lawmakers in an election in which the governing party fell short of a majority for the first time. South Africa's president urged political parties to find common ground, overcome their differences, and work together for the country's good. President Cyril Ramaphosa said: "Our people expect all parties to work together within the framework of our Constitution and address whatever challenges we encounter peacefully." *) Clashes renew between Sudan's army and RSF paramilitaries https://www.trtworld.com/africa/clashes-renew-between-sudans-army-and-rsf-paramilitaries-18169090 Violent clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Al Jazirah and White Nile states and in the city of El Fasher. Eyewitnesses said the army conducted air strikes on RSF gathering centres near a petroleum refinery north of Khartoum, resulting in thick columns of smoke rising. And finally… *) Turkish amputee team protest Gaza massacres after 6-0 win over Israel https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/turkish-amputee-team-protest-gaza-massacres-after-6-0-win-over-israel-18169067 The Turkish National Amputee Football Team defeated the Israeli team 6-0 in the 2024 European championship match in France. The Turkish team who refused to shake hands with their Israeli opponents, protested Israel's brutal war on Gaza and dedicated the win to the Palestinian people.

In Sudan, more than 10 months of fighting between two military factions has brought health care to a near-collapse. However, the group - Medical Teams International - is still operating in two states: White Nile and Al Qadarif. Birhanu Waka, Medical Teams International Country Director, tells VOA's Carol Van Dam, his organization has dozens of clinics that are functioning in the two states, but barely.

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1079, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Elemental Latin 1: Aurum. gold. 2: Ferrum. iron. 3: Plumbum. lead. 4: Argentum. silver. 5: Kalium. potassium. Round 2. Category: The Real Adams Family 1: Let's drink a beer to the memory of this man who died in Boston Oct. 2, 1803, aged 81. Sam Adams. 2: In 1900 Brooks Adams predicted that in 50 years these countries would be the world's 2 main powers. the United States and Russia. 3: On becoming president, he said he was "less possessed of your confidence... than any of my predecessors". John Quincy Adams. 4: Henry Adams lived in this city, and there's a memorial to his wife Clover in Rock Creek Cemetery there. Washington, D.C.. 5: In 1848 Charles Francis Adams was on the ticket of this 2-word party formed to oppose the extension of slavery. the Free Soil Party. Round 3. Category: Beantown Tv 1: We learned of 3 people who'd never been in Cliff Clavin's kitchen when he played "Jeopardy!" on this sitcom. Cheers. 2: Julie Bowen, Candice Bergen and Rene Auberjonois get lawyered up on this David E. Kelley drama. Boston Legal. 3: Bruce Greenwood, Ed Begley Jr. and Denzel Washington played doctors at St. Eligius on this drama. St. Elsewhere. 4: In the '70s he played Banacek, a suave Beacon Hill P.I.; in the '80s he led "The A-Team" and blew up a lot of stuff. (George) Peppard. 5: Sharon Leal, Jeri Ryan and Chi McBride educated us on this David E. Kelly drama. Boston Public. Round 4. Category: Consciousness Of Stream Writing 1: Mark Twain's memoir "Life on" it tells tales of one of America's great rivers. the Mississippi. 2: Jonathan Schneer's history of this river includes an account of the 1215 negotiation of the Magna Carta on its banks. the Thames. 3: Whistle a happy tune and name this Pierre Boulle World War II P.O.W. novel that was made into an Oscar-winning film. Bridge on the River Kwai. 4: Alan Moorehead published histories of these 2 main branches of the world's longest river. the Blue Nile and the White Nile. 5: 4 men on a canoe trip in this James Dickey novel fight to survive the wild Cahulawassee River and scary locals. Deliverance. Round 5. Category: Call Me Cat. With Cat in quotation marks 1: Something very appealing to people is likened to this "feline" herb of the mint family. catnip. 2: 19th c. consumers liked buying from folks they knew, so Mr. Montgomery Ward might send a personal note if you ordered from this. the catalog. 3: This No. 1 hit has haunted fathers since 1974 as they watch time pass all too quickly as their sons grow up. "Cat's In The Cradle". 4: Someone full of big talk without being able to back it up is said to be "all hat, no" this. cattle. 5: You're sitting in this idiomatic "seat" when you have a position of great advantage. the catbird seat. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

Takriban watu milioni 2 hadi milioni 2.5 wanatarajiwa kutumbukia kwenye janga la njaa nchini Sudan katika miezi michache ijayo kwa sababu ya vita inayoendelea nchini humo limeonya leo shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la mpango wa chakula duniani WFP.Kwa mujibu wa taarifa ya shirika hilo iliyotolewa mjini Roma Italia na Port Sudan , hii itafanya hali mbaya ya kutokuwa na uhakika wa chakula Sudan kufikia rekodi ya juu kabisa huku kukiwa na watu milioni 19 ambao ni theluthi mbili ya watu wote nchini humo wakiwa wameathirika.Majimbo yanayotarajiwa kuathirika zaidi ni Darfur Magharibi, Kordofan Magharibi, Blue Nile, Red Sea na Darfur Kaskazini.Shirika hilo la mpango wa chakula linasema bei ya chakula imeongezeka mara dufu nchi nzima na sasa bei ya kikapu kimoja cha chakula kitatazamiwa kupanda kwa asilimia 25 katika miezi mitatu hadi sita ijayo.Kutokana na mapigano yanayoendelea wakulima wengi inasema WFP hawawezi Kwenda mashambani mwao kupanda katika msimu wa mvua kati ya Mei na Julai hali ambayo itapandisha hata zaidi bei za vyakula.Shirika hilo baada ya kusitisha kwa muda operesheni zake sasa imerejea kugawa msaada wa kuokoa Maisha na wiki iliyopita pekee imewafikia watu 35,000, lengo likiwa kuwafikia watu 384,000 walioathirika na mapigano mapya, wakimbizi wa zamani, wakimbizi wa ndani na jamii zinazowahifadhi katika majimbo ya Gedaref, Gezira, Kassala na White NileKatika miezi ijayo WFP pia itaongeza operesheni zake ili kuwasaidia watu milioni 4.9 katika maeneo ambayo usalama unaruhusu, ikiwa ni Pamoja na kuzuia na kutibu utapiamlo kwa Watoto 600,000 wa chini ya umri wa miaka mitano na wanawake wanaonyonyesha.Pia WFP ikishirikiana na wadau wengine  likiwemo shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la kuhudumia wakimbizi UNHCR na la kuhudumia Watoto UNICEF inasaidia nchi jirani ambako watu wanakimbilia kwa msaada wa chakula na maji ikiwemo Chad, Sudan Kusini, Misri na Jamhuri ya Afrika ya Kati CAR.

Shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la mpango wa chakula duniani WFP leo limesema linarejelea mara moja operesheni zake za msaada wa kibinadamu nchini Sudan baada ya kuzisitisha kwa muda wafanyakazi watatu wa shirika hilo walipouawa Aprili 15 mwaka huu.Katika taarifa yake iliyotolewa mjini Roma Italia hii leo mkurugenzi mtendaji wa WFP Cindy McCain ugawaji wa chakula unatarajiwa kuanza katika siku chache zijazo kwenye majimbo ya Gedaref, Gezira, Kassala na White Nile kwa lengo la kutoa msaada wa kuokoa Maisha kwa maelfu ya watu ambao wanauhitaji msaada huo kwa udi na uvumba.Bi. McCain amesema mgogoro unaoendelea nchini Sudanunawssukuma mamilioni ya watu katika janga la njaa  na hali ya usalama bado ni tete.Mkuu huyop amesema pamoja na kuwa wanaanza tena operesheni zao lakini wanafikiria maeneo ambayo wana fursa ya kuyafikia lakini pia suala la usalama, uwezo wao na masuala mingine ya muhimu ya ufikiaji.“Tutachukua kila tahadhari kuhakikisha usalama wa wafanyakazi wetu na washirika wetu wakati tukikimbizana kukidhi mahitaji yanayoongezeka ya watu walio hatarini zaidi.”Amesisitiza Bi. McCain na kuongeza kuwa “Ili kuwalinda vyema wahudumu wetu wanaohitajika sana na watu wa sudan mapigano lazima yakome.”Zaidi ya watu milioni 15 walikuwa wanakabiliwa na hali mbayá ya kutokuwa na uhakika wa chakula Sudan hata kabla ya kuanza kwa mgogoro wa sasa.Mkuu huyo wa WFP amehitimisha taarifa yake kwa kusema kuwa “Tunatarajia idadi hii kuongezeka kwa kiasi kikubwa n ani wakati kama huu ambapo WFP na washirika wake wa Umoja wa Matifa wanapohitajika sana.”

Shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la kuhudumia wakimbizi, UNHCR nchini Sudan limesema linaendelea kufanya kazi kwa karibu na shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la mpango wa chakula duniani, WFP ili kuona ni kwa vipi chakula kilichomo nchini humo kinawza kusambazwa kwa wahitaji na wakati huo huo misaada mingine inaweza kutolewa kwa ushirikiano na wadau wengine wakati huu ambapo uhasama unashamiri na kuathiri raia wakiwemo wakimbizi, wakimbizi wa ndani na raia nchini kote.Sauti hiyo ya Axel Bisshop, Mwakilishi wa UNHCR nchini Sudan akizungumza na waandishi wa habari mjini Geneva, Uswisi kwa njia ya video kutoka mji wa Port Sudan nchini Sudan akisema changamoto kubwa sasa ni kuhakikisha ni vipi mgao wa chakula utaendelea. Anasema wamewasiliana na WFP na leo asubuhi wamekuwa na  mazungumzo na WFP ambao wamewahakikishia kuwa watasalia na UNHCR ili kuendelea kugawa chakula maeneo ambayo bado yanafikika. Miongoni mwa changamoto wanazokumbana nazo ni kwamba wanashindwa kupata taarifa au kupatia taarifa jamii za wakimbizi katika baadhi ya maeneo. Hata hivyo amesema ofisi za UNHCR zimeendelea kuwa na mawasiliano na viongozi wa jamii za wakimbizi na wajumbe wa kamati za wakimbizi na kwamba wanawapatia ushauri nasaha na usaidizi kwa kadri inavyowezekana. Bwana Bisshop amesema wamepokea ripoti ya kwamba takribani wakimbizi 33,000 wamekimbia mji mkuu Khartoum kusaka hifadhi kwenye kambi za wakimbizi kwenye majimbo ya White Nile, ilhali wakimbizi 2,000 kambi zilizoko Gedaref na wengine 5,000 wamesaka hifadhi huko Kassala tangu mapigano yaanze tarehe 15 mwezi huu wa Aprili. Mwakilishi huyo wa UNHCR Sudan anasema “tuna hofu pia ya kwamba kasi ya mapigano inaweza kuongezeka na tunaweza kuwa na hali ambayo itarudia mazingira ambayo tulikuwa nayo miaka iliyopita.” Hata hivyo amesisitiza kuwa UNHCR itasalia nchini Sudan kulinda wakimbizi kutoka nje ya nchi hiyo, wakimbizi wa ndani na raia wanaohifadhi wakimbizi huku akitoa wito kwa pande kwenye mapigano kusitisha  uhasama ili huduma za usaidizi wa kibinadamu ziweze kufikia wahitaji. 

Why did Sudan and South Sudan break up? Where do the White Nile and Blue Nile converge? And there are pyramids in Sudan?!?! You can find all of Clark's classes on Outschool at his Teacher Profile Page at https://bit.ly/clarkonoutschool or email clark at aroundtheworldwithmrclark@gmail.com or follow him on Instragram https://www.instagram.com/clarkvand/

In 2019 Sarah became the first woman to lead an expedition down the Nile, the world's longest river. The expedition began at the Nile's source in Rwanda and followed the path of the White Nile to its end where it meets the Mediterranean Sea. The trip involved over 1,100km of rafting, 3,000km of kayaking and other forms of transport to make it down this mighty river. On the way she was attacked by a hippo, arrested and detained in Burundi, ran some lethal rapids and travelled through Sudan as the people attempted to overthrow the government. This drama was complimented by experiencing the diverse cultures of the countries she travelled through, seeing the incredible landscapes and being challenged physically and mentally. #diariesofthewildones #adventure #wildstory #storytelling #explore #inspiring #africa #travel #crazystory

Podcast Service During the 1930s, '40s and '50s, Clyde Beatty enjoyed a celebrity status that, today, we only associate with leading athletes and movie stars. In addition to top billing in the circus world, he was the subject of several best-selling books, starred in several hit motion pictures, and was called upon give major product endorsements. The basic premise of The Clyde Beatty Show was best summed up in the announcement that opened each episode: "The world's greatest wild animal trainer Clyde Beatty with an exciting adventure from his brilliant career. The circus means thrills, excitement, and snarling jungle beasts. The circus means fun for young folks and old. But under the Big Top you see only a part of the story. The real drama comes behind the scenes where five hundred people live as one family, where Clyde Beatty constantly risks death in the most dangerous act on earth. This master of the big cats has journeyed to Africa and India, hunting down his beasts in their native jungle. Listen to our radio station Old Time Radio https://link.radioking.com/otradio Listen to other Shows at My Classic Radio https://www.myclassicradio.net/ Podcast Service I Recommend https://redcircleinc.grsm.io/entertainmentradio7148 Remember that times have changed, and some shows might not reflect the standards of today's politically correct society. The shows do not necessarily reflect the views, standards, or beliefs of Entertainment Radio

We take a deep dive into the arduous and disgusting exploration of Richard Burton & John Hanning Speke's quest for the source of the Nile. Along the way we will encounter massive sex organs, ear burrowing beetles and betrayal.

"broke a tooth trying to bite through his cage"

Guest: Filmmaker Akuol de Mabior Her film starts airing on Al Jazeera from tomorrow. It is one of 30 films in the series, titled "Africa Direct", which all depict slices of life in Africa. The documentary is called "On the White Nile".  IT follows Rebecca Lith Chol, a woman who has built up a fishing business in Juba, against the odds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karibu kusikiliza jarida linaloletwa kwako na Flora Nducha ambapo hii leo nisiku ya furaha kwa wazungumzaji wa wa lugha ya Kiswahili kwani Umoja wa Mataifa umetangaza rasmi Julai 7 kila mwaka kuwa siku ya Kiswahili duniani. Kutokea nchini Kenya utakutana na Angela Andia mshindi wa mwaka 2021 wa mradi wa shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la kuhudumia watoto UNICEF uitwao “wisdom project” au mradi wa busara ambao unashirikisha watoto wa umri wa kati ya miaka 9-14 kila mwaka wakishindana katika kuandaa Habari zinazohusua haki za mtoto. Na huko nchini Sudan utasikia madhila yanayowakumba wananchi waishio White Nile baada ya kutokea mafuriko ambayo wanasema hawajawahi kuona.

Tumeishi hapa tangu miaka ya 1950 na katu hatujawahi kushuhudia mafuriko kama haya, amesema mkazi wa jimbo la White Nile nchini Sudan ambako mafuriko makubwa yamesababisha wakimbizi wa ndani kusaka hifadhi kwa wenyeji wao huku shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la kuhudumia wakimbizi UNHCR na wadau wakiendelea kusambaza misaada ya kibinadamu. John Kibego na maelezo zaidi. Nats.. Kukurukakara za wakimbizi wa kambi ya Alganaa jimboni White Nile nchini Sudan za kupokea misaada kama vile mablanketi, vyakula na madumu ya kubebea maji. Wakimbizi hawa wanawake, wanaume na watoto wamejikuta hawana makazi baada ya mafuriko kuzingira makazi yao na kuathiri watu 80,000 wakiwemo wakimbizi 30,000. Sasa wanaishi kwa wenyeji ambao nao hawajui la kufanya kwa kuwa hawajashuhudia mafuriko kama haya yaliyotokana na mvua kubwa katika jimbo la Upper nile nchini Sudan Kusini. Yahia Ahmed, ni mmoja wa wenyeji ambaye anapatia hifadhi wakimbizi wa ndani. “Tumekuwa tunaishi eneo hili tangu miaka ya 1950 na tunachoona hivi sasa si hali ya kawaida. Mara chache tumekuwa tukipata mafuriko ya ghafla lakini si kama hivi. Hii ni mara ya kwanza hii inatokea.” Mafuriko haya yamekumba kambi ya wakimbizi ya Alganaa miezi michache tu tangu ianzishwe na sasa imetwama na kimbilio la wakimbizi ni katika kambi zingine sambamba na kwa wenyeji ambao nao hawana kinyongo. Sunday Rock, naye ni mkimbizi kutoka Sudan Kusini lakini amekubali kuhifadhi wakimbizi wenzake akisema, “Tunajivunia kwamba wakimbizi wa ndani walipofika, tulikubaliana kuwasaidia kwa sababu sote ni ndugu na tumetoka nchi moja. Tunatumia pamoja chochote kile tulichonacho.” UNHCR inasema msaada zaidi unahitajika ili kuweza kusaidia wakimbizi hao waliofurushwa kutoka kambini kutokana na mafuriko.

In Arabic the name of this country means "The Land of the Blacks" This country has more pyramids than Egypt, and Africa's longest river, The Nile starts from here. There are also two tributaries of The Nile, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, which meet at the capital city of Sudan. Listen in to know more. https://chimesradio.com    http://onelink.to/8uzr4g   https://www.facebook.com/chimesradio/   https://www.instagram.com/vrchimesradio/   Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/chimesradio See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Enjoying the show? Please support BFF.FM with a donation. Playlist 0′00″ Tower of Meaning (Part 6) by Arthur Russell on First Thought Best Thought (Audika) 3′01″ Piece Which Is a Time Line of Ideas for a Piece by Angharad Davies, Julia Eckhardt, Dominic Lash, Stefan Thut on Four Quartets And Four Soli (Compost And Height) 13′11″ Seek Refuge by Jaubi on Nafs at Peace (Astigmatic Records) 14′29″ Ocean of Tenderness by Ashra on New Age of Earth (Virgin) 24′54″ Riviera by Sunny Dunes on Village Global (Metaphysical Circuits) 32′12″ Tua Boca by Itamar Assumpção on Bicho de 7 Cabeças - Vol. III (Baratos Afins) 34′20″ Apuna by Clan Caimán on Clan Caimán (EM Records) 43′15″ Govinda Hari by Alice Coltrane on Kirtan: Turiya Sings (Impulse (1982/2021)) 50′17″ White Nile by Kelan Phil Cohran and Legacy on African Skies (Captcha Records) Check out the full archives on the website.

On episode 12 of Lee McKinney's Infinite Mind Podcast, he discusses recent events, Born of Osiris, his solo career, In Motive, Paradise City/The Relentless, and does a Q&A with fan submitted questions. Social Media - www.Instagram.com/LeeOsiris www.Twitter.com/LeeOsiris www.Facebook.com/LeeMcKinneyOfficial/ Merchandise: https://www.indiemerchstore.com/b/lee-mckinney https://www.sumerianmerch.com/collections/lee-mckinney https://www.sumerianmerch.com/collections/bornofosiris https://www.sumerianmerch.com/collections/inmotive https://merchnow.com/catalogs/born-of-osiris KIESEL LMX GUITARS: https://www.kieselguitars.com/catalog/guitars/lm6x https://www.kieselguitars.com/catalog/guitars/lm7x

Shine On

“I consider myself extremely lucky to have found this passion and it has sustained me for many years" Today we are joined with USA National Freestyle Kayak Team member, Dr. Jessie Stone. In this interview we go deep into Jessie's passion for paddling, and how kayaking brought her to the banks of the White Nile, which eventually led her to build a health clinic and a lifelong journey to giving back and helping others. We also discuss how COVID-19 has effected the clinic in Africa, as well as touching on several things to help keep each one of us as healthy as possible. Jessie is has an incredible story, and a wealth on knowledge to share. If you are anything like me, then I'm sure you will get some value from this interview with professional kayaker and philanthropist, Dr. Jessie Stone. Soft Power Health - https://www.softpowerhealth.org/Book- Man's Search for Meaning https://amzn.to/33GsJSA Please share your thoughts on the show with e rating and review or a DM https://www.instagram.com/nicktroutmankayak/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said nearly one million people are now known to have been affected by flooding in South Sudan. OCHA says an estimated 800,000 people who have been affected are in areas along the White Nile. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/newscast-africa/support

Shirika la mpango wa chakula la Umoja wa Mataifa WFP linasema hali ya kibinadamu nchini Sudan Kusini inaendelea kuzorota kwa kasi wakati wimbi la njaa likienea katika nchi ambayo ina mgogoro, mvua kubwa na mafuriko ambayo yanavuruga upatikanaji wa chakula kwa watu. Ahimidiwe Olotu amefuatilia taarifa hiyo na haya ni maelezo yake.  Mvua kubwa zimesababisha mito kujaa maji na hivyo kusababisha mafuriko katika eneo kubwa na makazi ya watu katika maeneo ya White Nile na pia kuua mifugo ambayo ni chanzo kikuu cha maisha ya watu katika jimbo la Jonglei. 

Our guest today is Ingeir Djuivik, a graphic design teacher, and an award-winning hobbyist bookbinder from Norway. We have already talked to Ingeir not once on our website, but this is the first video interview we made with him. During the podcast, Ingeir shows and discusses several of his design bindings, including some of his old works. We also talk about his teaching experience, his tools, and his workspace arrangements (he makes books at his kitchen table!) Watch the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1TOaIs75Sg Our next guest is Luise Blackbird, a graphic designer, letterpress worker, and owner of the Trigger Press, a smart and sarcastic print shop in Scotland. You can post your questions to Luise in the comments below, or send them through our social accounts and email. See the timestamps below if you want to skip to some particular part of our talk. Brought to you by iBookBinding. Bookbinding resources and tutorials: http://www.iBookBinding.com Become a patron (and get more content): https://www.patreon.com/ibookbinding You can ask our future guests questions on: Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/ibookbinding/ Discord — https://discord.gg/TJY5FeS Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/iBookBinding/ Ingeir is happy to answer your questions on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ingeir.djuvik === Table of Contents === 00:00 - Introducing Ingeir 02:00 - Ingeir's experience of being a bookbinding teacher 02:35 - Finding the mood of the book and its design binding 03:19 - Amateur bookbinder as in "not earning money from selling bindings" 04:41 - Ingeir's ambition for the future 05:29 - Polishing the skills vs. trying something new 07:00 - Experimental book structures vs. traditional bookbinding 08:34 - Does the design binding improve the experience of the reader? Ingeir's favorite books to make design bindings for. === Show and Tell === 09:12 - Vinterfugler (Winter Birds) by Lars Jonsson - two versions 11:47 - Leather inlays and onlays 12:19 - Preparing sketches and final designs for the bindings 14:57 - Where Ingeir gets inspiration for his bindings? 16:46 - Ingeir first bookbinding tutorial he's got when he was 12 years old 21:57 - One of the early design bindings Ingeir made - a book with illustration by the Russian painter Ivan Bilibin. This book has panels made with an ancient bog oak embedded in its cover 23:53 - Another of Ingeir's first bindings - The White Nile by Alan Moorehead. A book with papyrus embedded in its cover 25:22 - How Ingeir decorates book edges 26:21 - When and how Ingeir started doing bookbinding as an adult 20:10 - Being a bookbinding teacher 30:27 - Ingeir's favorite bindings 30:54 - Walden – livet i skogene by Henry D. Thoreau - three copies Ingeir made for his children 33:10 - Which parts of the bookbinding process demand the most from Ingeir? 34:24 - Current Ingeir's projects and participation in competitions 35:20 - Ørret by Lars Nilssen - a story of a trout from the egg to a frying pan 36:16 - Making a design binding for a book about flowers 37:25 - Importance of making boxes for design bindings 38:00 - Have any of Ingeir's books ended up in collections? === Tools and Workspace === 39:11 - Plans to teach online 40:08 - Ingeir's tools 41:19 - Ingeir's workshop

Our first episode dives into the life of victorian explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton FRGS. Burton is a curious character almost forgotten by the modern public. He translated the Karma Sutra, Arabian Nights and other noted works. Burton was crucial in helping to find the source of the White Nile and contributed to the exploration of the world. A culturally compassionate man in an age of colonial rule, Burton, it could be argued was one of the few explorers to enjoy learning from other cultures and not just conquering them to claim them for Britain.    Links www.torquaymuseum.org Burton was born in Torquaywww.pom-guitarist.com  Music for the podcastwww.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/burton_sir_richard.shtml BBC history infoSupport the show (http://buymeacoff.ee/CurioCharacters)

Ben Brown is considered a New Zealand whitewater legend. He's completed at least nine first descents of rivers or rapids in nine different countries. He became the first Kiwi to be given a Red Bull helmet, which is akin to being knighted in the world of extreme sports. And now he's started his own TV show, Built to Fish TV, which is gaining a huge online following.In this episode, we talk about how Ben got started with kayaking on the Waikato River in his hometown of Hamilton, the extreme life of a Red Bull athlete, and some of his most incredible adventures, including kayaking through rebel territory and crocodile-infested waters in Uganda.We also get into facing fear, flow states, and bouncing back from a couple of horrific injuries.This is a rare insight into the life of someone who's constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible.Follow Ben on Instagram hereWatch Built to Fish TV on Facebook hereOr visit https://builttofish.tv/ The Wild Podcast is produced by The Content Lab, which provides content marketing, copywriting, and brand storytelling services for New Zealand businesses that want to build audiences and authority online. Visit contentlab.co.nz

Today we’re going to the Mountains of the Moon – but not those on the moon itself. We’re going to central Africa. There isn’t really a mountain range specifically named the Mountains of the Moon. The ancients, from Egyptians to Greeks, imagined or heard rumor of a mountain range in east-central Africa that was the source of the river Nile. In the 18th and 19th centuries, explorations of the upper Nile found the sources of the Blue Nile, White Nile, and Victoria Nile and identified the Mountains of the Moon with peaks in Ethiopia as well as 1500 kilometers away in what is now Uganda. Today, the range most closely identified with the Mountains of the Moon is the Rwenzori Mountains at the common corner of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. This location is within the western branch of the East African Rift system, an 8,000-kilometer-long break in the earth’s crust that’s in the slow process of tearing a long strip of eastern Africa away from the main continent. We talked about it in the episode for December 16, 2014.The long linear rifts in east Africa are grabens, narrow down-faulted troughs that result from the pulling apart and breaking of the continental crust. The rifts are famously filled in places by long, linear rift lakes including Tanganyika, Malawi, Turkana, and many smaller lakes. Virunga Mountains (2007 false-color Landsat image, annotated by Per Andersson : Source)When rifting breaks the continental crust, pressure can be released at depth so that the hot material there can melt and rise to the surface as volcanoes. In the Rwenzori, that’s exactly what has happened. The Virunga volcanoes, a bit redundant since the name Virunga comes from a word meaning volcanoes, dominate the Rwenzori, with at least eight peaks over 10,000 feet high, and two that approach or exceed 4,500 meters, 15,000 feet above sea level. They rise dramatically above the floors of the adjacent valleys and lakes which lie about 1400 meters above sea level. These are active volcanoes, although several would be classified as dormant, since their last dated eruptions were on the order of 100,000 to a half-million years ago. But two, Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, have erupted as recently as 2002, when lava from Nyiragongo covered part of the airport runway at the town of Goma, and in 2011 with continuing lava lake activity. Nyiragongo has erupted at least 34 times since 1882. The volcanic rocks of these and the older volcanoes fill the rift enough that the flow of rivers and positions of lakes have changed over geologic time. Lake Kivu, the rift lake just south of the volcanoes, once drained north to Lake Edward and ultimately to the Nile River, but the volcanism blocked the outlet and now Lake Kivu drains southward into Lake Tanganyika. Local legends, recounted by Dorothy Vitaliano in her book on Geomythology, Legends of the Earth (Indiana University Press, 1973), tell the story of demigods who lived in the various Virunga volcanoes. As demigods do, these guys had frequent arguments and battles, which are probably the folklore equivalent of actual volcanic eruptions. The stories accurately reflect – whether through observation or happenstance – the east to west migration of volcanic activity in the range. The gases associated with the volcanic activity seep into the waters of Lake Kivu, which has high concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide and methane. Generally the gases are contained in the deeper water under pressure – Lake Kivu is the world’s 18th deepest lake, at 475 meters, more than 1,500 feet. But sometimes lakes experience overturns, with the deeper waters flipping to the surface. When gases are dissolved in the water and the pressure reduces, they can abruptly come out of solution like opening a carbonated beverage bottle. This happened catastrophically at Lake Nyos in Cameroon in 1986, asphyxiating 1700 people and thousands of cattle and other livestock. The possibility that Lake Kivu could do the same thing is a real threat to about two million people. The critically endangered mountain gorilla lives in the Virunga Mountains, which also holds the research institute founded by Dian Fossey.—Richard I. Gibson

In this episode our heroes discuss the latest data pack Down the White Nile. Spoiler alert: there are Netrunner cards inside which can be used to play the board game Android: Netrunner The Card Game. Also we totally recorded this before the new MWL announcement. Oh well! Not like it's a big deal or anything.

It seemed like it would just be a slow boat down an ivory river but a surprise MWL update makes this jaunt most exciting. Nels and Jesse break down just exactly how hard CI got kicked and then head Down the White Nile to meet new royalty.

Rwanda is the watershed for the White Nile and Congo river, but until now the rain water ran straight off the hillsides, eroding soil and famine became a possibility. Because the government intervened early, little serious erosion occurred, the hydro-electric dams are filling up and the hillside is revegetated.

Transcript -- Rwanda is the watershed for the White Nile and Congo river, but until now the rain water ran straight off the hillsides, eroding soil and famine became a possibility. Because the government intervened early, little serious erosion occurred, the hydro-electric dams are filling up and the hillside is revegetated.

Rwanda is the watershed for the White Nile and Congo river, but until now the rain water ran straight off the hillsides, eroding soil and famine became a possibility. Because the government intervened early, little serious erosion occurred, the hydro-electric dams are filling up and the hillside is revegetated.

Transcript -- Rwanda is the watershed for the White Nile and Congo river, but until now the rain water ran straight off the hillsides, eroding soil and famine became a possibility. Because the government intervened early, little serious erosion occurred, the hydro-electric dams are filling up and the hillside is revegetated.

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Over the last 23 years, he has navigated the White Nile in a hovercraft, travelled around the world through both poles, discovered a lost city and, most recently, he nearly perished in Antarctica. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his unhappy schooldays at Eton, his thwarted ambition to emulate his father's military career and the problems he has had with his companions on expeditions. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Love Changes Everything by Michael Ball Book: Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake Luxury: Antisan for insect bites

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Over the last 23 years, he has navigated the White Nile in a hovercraft, travelled around the world through both poles, discovered a lost city and, most recently, he nearly perished in Antarctica. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his unhappy schooldays at Eton, his thwarted ambition to emulate his father's military career and the problems he has had with his companions on expeditions. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Love Changes Everything by Michael Ball Book: Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake Luxury: Antisan for insect bites