Podcasts about Xanadu

Laptop "Xanadu" - On This Planet www.laptoptheband.com Neville & Sugary Staple "The Border" - Rude Rebels www.fromthespecials.comHurricane #1 "What Do You Think Of Me" Keeley "Trains & Daydreams" (featuring Sice of The Boo Radleys) - Girl On The Edge Of The World www.keeleysound.com The Dayoffs "A Million Days" - s/t St. Jimi Sebastian Cricket Club "Golden Parachuter" - Into Your Heartbeat www.cricketclub.se Elliot Murphy "Makin' It Real" - Infinity elliottmurphy.com Peter Galperin "As Good As It Gets" - Tomorrow Seems Like Yesterday www.petergalperin.comMeghan Cary "My Life" - Sing Louder www.meghancary.com Jesse Terry "Someone In Repair" - Arcadia www.jesseterrymusic.comScott Sean White "Hope You Never Do" - Even Better On The Bad Days www.scottseanwhite.com ALBUM FOCU Keep Me In Your Heart: The Songs Of Warren Zevon www.paradiddlerecords.com The Lucky Ones "Johnny Strike Up The Band" Kerry Kearney "Rub Me Raw" 'Emily Duff "Excitable Boy" Raivo Jackson "Babes In The Woods" - Tangled Up In Roots www.raivojackson.com Truckfighters "The Bliss" - Masterflow www.truckfighters.com Humanoids "News" - Deal With The NoiseThe Empty Page "Death On Our Side" - www.theemptypageband.com Crimson Riot "Cross The Line" Third Time's A Charmwww.crimsonriot.com Melonball "The Static" - Take Care www.melonballpunkrock.comThese artists will be part of the upcoming Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise www.undergroundgaragecruise.com :Tuk Smith & The Restless Herats "Troubled Paradise" www.tuksmithandtherestlesshearts.com Palmyra Delran "Shut Out" - You Are What You Absorb www.palmyradelran.com The Dollyrots "When We're Sober" - Night Owls www.dollyrots.com Soraia "She's Already Dead" - Bloom www.soraia.com

These days, country and pop acts regularly invade each other's territory. But in Nashville during the 1970s, “crossover” was a dirty word. Then came two rising stars who offered up a new hybrid of Americana-style pop.John Denver infused his folk balladry with homespun lyrics about country roads and wide-open skies. Olivia Newton-John sang over twangy melodies that belied her British-Australian roots. Both faced backlash—especially when they started topping the country and pop charts simultaneously and winning prizes that used to go to Nashville legends.Eventually, both artists outgrew country music. Denver became a ubiquitous entertainer and beloved Muppet wingman. Newton-John dazzled in the film Grease, then reinvented herself as a leather-clad siren unafraid to get physical.Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the parallel rise of two country-pop titans from the Rocky Mountains to Xanadu.Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These days, country and pop acts regularly invade each other's territory. But in Nashville during the 1970s, “crossover” was a dirty word. Then came two rising stars who offered up a new hybrid of Americana-style pop.John Denver infused his folk balladry with homespun lyrics about country roads and wide-open skies. Olivia Newton-John sang over twangy melodies that belied her British-Australian roots. Both faced backlash—especially when they started topping the country and pop charts simultaneously and winning prizes that used to go to Nashville legends.Eventually, both artists outgrew country music. Denver became a ubiquitous entertainer and beloved Muppet wingman. Newton-John dazzled in the film Grease, then reinvented herself as a leather-clad siren unafraid to get physical.Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the parallel rise of two country-pop titans from the Rocky Mountains to Xanadu.Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These days, country and pop acts regularly invade each other's territory. But in Nashville during the 1970s, “crossover” was a dirty word. Then came two rising stars who offered up a new hybrid of Americana-style pop.John Denver infused his folk balladry with homespun lyrics about country roads and wide-open skies. Olivia Newton-John sang over twangy melodies that belied her British-Australian roots. Both faced backlash—especially when they started topping the country and pop charts simultaneously and winning prizes that used to go to Nashville legends.Eventually, both artists outgrew country music. Denver became a ubiquitous entertainer and beloved Muppet wingman. Newton-John dazzled in the film Grease, then reinvented herself as a leather-clad siren unafraid to get physical.Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the parallel rise of two country-pop titans from the Rocky Mountains to Xanadu.Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tank Talks, Matt Cohen sits down with Christian Weedbrook, founder and CEO of Xanadu, and Bill Fradin, CEO of Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp., to explore the historic SPAC merger that is bringing Xanadu to the public markets. With a focus on photonic quantum computing, Xanadu has rapidly advanced in the quantum tech space, positioning itself as a leader in both hardware and software innovation.The merger, which values Xanadu at $3 billion, will not only help accelerate the company's growth but also raise significant capital, enabling it to expand its groundbreaking quantum computing solutions. Christian and Bill dive into why they chose the SPAC route, the strategic value behind their merger, and what sets Xanadu apart in the competitive quantum ecosystem.In addition, the episode takes a deep dive into Xanadu's PennyLane software, which is already making waves in academia and the broader quantum community, and explores how the public market debut will position the company for future commercialization and innovation. Whether you're an investor looking to understand quantum tech's potential or someone interested in cutting-edge science, this episode is a must-listen.Introduction to Xanadu's Quantum Computing Vision (01:23)Christian Weedbrook gives a quick overview of Xanadu's mission to build useful quantum computers with their photonic modality using lidar photons. Learn how they're positioning themselves in both hardware and software through their PennyLane software stack.Xanadu's Decision to Go Public (04:09)Christian explains why going public was always part of Xanadu's strategy and how the company transitioned from private funding rounds to a SPAC merger, raising $275 million in just four weeks.Why Choose a SPAC (10:02)Christian and Bill discuss the advantages of a SPAC over traditional IPOs, particularly for deep-tech companies like Xanadu, where the usual metrics for IPOs aren't always applicable.The Power of PennyLane (14:43)Christian highlights the growing adoption of PennyLane, Xanadu's quantum software, which is already being used across 150 universities worldwide and growing. Learn how going public will further accelerate its adoption.Strategic Partnerships and the Path to Commercialization (16:20)Bill shares insights on how going public will help Xanadu expand its industry partnerships, including major players like Volkswagen and Rolls-Royce, and how these collaborations could lead to breakthroughs in areas like electric vehicle batteries and pharmaceuticals.Energy Efficiency and the Future of Quantum Computing (24:39)Christian explains how quantum computing can drastically reduce energy consumption in computing, using Xanadu's Borealis quantum computer as an example. This new approach promises significant energy savings, especially in industries like AI, drug discovery, and material design.Xanadu's Road Ahead in the Public Market (27:27)Christian reflects on the monumental journey Xanadu has been on, comparing it to the early days of the internet and digital computing. He also discusses how this milestone will change the company's trajectory and impact the quantum computing ecosystem.About Christian WeedbrookChristian Weedbrook is the founder and CEO of Xanadu, a leading quantum computing company based in Toronto. With a passion for quantum technology, Christian has spearheaded the development of Xanadu's groundbreaking photonic-based quantum computers. His leadership has positioned Xanadu as one of the pioneers in quantum computing, not only through its hardware advancements but also with the development of its PennyLane software platform. Christian's vision is to build quantum computers that are both useful and accessible to people around the world, and he is committed to driving forward the next era of quantum technology.Connect with Christian Weedbrook on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianweedbrook/Visit the Xanadu website: https://www.xanadu.ai/About Bill FradinBill Fradin is the CEO of Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp., a SPAC focused on identifying and merging with innovative companies in the tech sector. With over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, Bill has been at the forefront of numerous successful SPAC transactions, specializing in high-growth, disruptive technology companies. His leadership has been integral to bringing Crane Harbor to the public markets, and he has built a strong reputation for identifying companies with significant long-term potential. Bill's experience in both private and public markets has made him a trusted partner for visionary companies like Xanadu, helping them navigate the complexities of the SPAC process and positioning them for success in the public arena.Connect with Bill Fradin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-fradin-83196b3/Visit the Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp website: https://www.craneharboracquisition.com/Connect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

Get ready for a deep dive into the quantum future in this episode of the Qubit Value podcast as the hosts unpack Xanadu's historic move to become the first publicly traded pure-play photonic quantum company. They dissect the high-stakes $3.1 to $3.6 billion SPAC merger with Crane Harbour Acquisition Corporation, exploring what it means for the future of the industry and analyzing strategic alliances with classical computing giant AMD. The episode also uncovers the brilliant mechanics behind scaling quantum hardware through partnerships like the one with Tower Semiconductor, turning custom lab setups into standard foundry productions. Beyond the hardware, the hosts also discuss the real-world implications of Xanadu's groundbreaking software, PennyLane, highlighting how faster simulations are poised to revolutionize drug discovery and aerodynamic design. Fasten your seatbelts as they map the ambitious timeline toward a fully fault-tolerant million-qubit data center by 2029 and examine the complex geopolitical race for quantum supremacy that's unfolding behind the scenes! Want to hear more? Send a message to Qubit Value

Quantum computing is accelerating — and putting today's encryption on a clock. John Stackhouse goes inside Xanadu's Toronto lab with Christian Weedbrook to meet Aurora, a networked quantum computer built to push scale in the right direction and speaks with Photonic's Dr. Stephanie Simmons about “harvest now, decrypt later,” fault-tolerant quantum, and why every organization needs a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) transition plan. It's not all doom and gloom. Simmons also lays out what quantum could unlock as it scales: new possibilities in materials, chemistry, and discovery that are moving from theory toward real-world impact. In this episode: Inside Xanadu: Aurora and what “networked quantum” looks like in the real world What “fault-tolerant” quantum means — and why it matters “Harvest now, decrypt later” and the trust implications for institutions Post-quantum cryptography (PQC): where leaders should start Quantum upside: materials, chemistry, and faster discovery   RBC – Thought Leadership  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After two weeks off, I'm back. This week I'm discussing my Rose and Thorns, and realities of the week which include my opinions on finding projects vs. being lazy, not liking loud venues, unpacking now vs. later, Xanadu and the Olympics. I then jump into reality TV where I discuss the current Bravo shows, RHOP, Southern Charm, Summer House, RHOBH and The Valley: Persian Style. To end the podcast I recap episodes 9 & 10 of Traitors as well as the first 9 episodes of Love is Blind season 10. I've got you entertained with a lot this week!!YouTube link: https://youtu.be/I6kuO8N2PygIntro Music, www.bensound.com "Happy Rock"

Mar-a-Lago has had two owners in its existence: Marjorie Merriweather Post, and Donald Trump. This week, we explore the origins of the infamous home, the city that brought Marjorie to the Sunshine State, and the legacy the building is burdened with a century after its completion. Thank you to our guest this week, Les Standiford, for his help. Read more of Les' work right here. Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!   All of the music was originally composed.

These days, country and pop acts regularly invade each other's territory. But in Nashville during the 1970s, “crossover” was a dirty word. Then came two rising stars who offered up a new hybrid of Americana-style pop.John Denver infused his folk balladry with homespun lyrics about country roads and wide-open skies. Olivia Newton-John sang over twangy melodies that belied her British-Australian roots. Both faced backlash—especially when they started topping the country and pop charts simultaneously and winning prizes that used to go to Nashville legends.Eventually, both artists outgrew country music. Denver became a ubiquitous entertainer and beloved Muppet wingman. Newton-John dazzled in the film Grease, then reinvented herself as a leather-clad siren unafraid to get physical.Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the parallel rise of two country-pop titans from the Rocky Mountains to Xanadu.Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These days, country and pop acts regularly invade each other's territory. But in Nashville during the 1970s, “crossover” was a dirty word. Then came two rising stars who offered up a new hybrid of Americana-style pop.John Denver infused his folk balladry with homespun lyrics about country roads and wide-open skies. Olivia Newton-John sang over twangy melodies that belied her British-Australian roots. Both faced backlash—especially when they started topping the country and pop charts simultaneously and winning prizes that used to go to Nashville legends.Eventually, both artists outgrew country music. Denver became a ubiquitous entertainer and beloved Muppet wingman. Newton-John dazzled in the film Grease, then reinvented herself as a leather-clad siren unafraid to get physical.Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the parallel rise of two country-pop titans from the Rocky Mountains to Xanadu.Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These days, country and pop acts regularly invade each other's territory. But in Nashville during the 1970s, “crossover” was a dirty word. Then came two rising stars who offered up a new hybrid of Americana-style pop.John Denver infused his folk balladry with homespun lyrics about country roads and wide-open skies. Olivia Newton-John sang over twangy melodies that belied her British-Australian roots. Both faced backlash—especially when they started topping the country and pop charts simultaneously and winning prizes that used to go to Nashville legends.Eventually, both artists outgrew country music. Denver became a ubiquitous entertainer and beloved Muppet wingman. Newton-John dazzled in the film Grease, then reinvented herself as a leather-clad siren unafraid to get physical.Join Chris Molanphy as he traces the parallel rise of two country-pop titans from the Rocky Mountains to Xanadu.Get more Hit Parade with Slate Plus! Join for monthly early-access episodes, bonus episodes of "The Bridge," and ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Hit Parade show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/hitparadeplus to get access wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Xanadu — a bay with two horizons, where the sun rises on one side of the water and sets on the other, unhurried, keeping its ancient rhythm. Black sand warms beneath your feet, mountains rise softly in the distance, and the shoreline becomes a mirror at low tide, blurring the boundary between sky and earth. Xanadu. This is a place where nothing asks anything of you. Where loneliness is not emptiness, but a kind of wholeness that wild places can hold. Waves lift and release, light fades layer by layer, and evening settles quietly over the bay. Scarlet macaws pass through like sudden colour, parrots gather in the palms, and the day loosens its final warmth into night.  Xanadu is a gentle reminder that solitude can be complete, that the world can offer solace without naming it, and that sometimes a place itself is enough. If you enjoy immersive sleep stories and nature-based journeys, I would be truly grateful if you would follow the podcast, leave a rating, or share this episode. Those small actions make a real difference in helping an independent creator reach more listeners. For ad-free listening and an expanding library of exclusive guided sleep stories, soundscapes, and bedtime journeys, you can also find everything inside the Your Sleep Guru app. Thank you for being here. Clara Starr Your Sleep Guru Podcast

This week, we speak with Xanadu founder and CEO Dr. Christian Weedbrook and Bill Fradin, CEO of Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ:CHAC). The two announced a $3.1 billion business combination in November. Is it possible to build a business model that combines features of Amazon Web Services, NVIDIA and a biotech drug developer? Well, Xanadu aims to find out, and it is funding that path via a SPAC. Christian explains how Xanadu differentiates itself from other players in the quantum computing space by focusing on specific hardware advantages as well as a software approach that allows its machines to work in conjunction with other quantum or traditional computers. Bill also explains the market has changed since the last wave of SPAC deals in quantum computing and how Xanadu matched the major proving points that Crane Harbor was looking for.  

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Larry Swanson, a knowledge architect, community builder, and host of the Knowledge Graph Insights podcast. They explore the relationship between knowledge graphs and ontologies, why these technologies matter in the age of AI, and how symbolic AI complements the current wave of large language models. The conversation traces the history of neuro-symbolic AI from its origins at Dartmouth in 1956 through the semantic web vision of Tim Berners-Lee, examining why knowledge architecture remains underappreciated despite being deployed at major enterprises like Netflix, Amazon, and LinkedIn. Swanson explains how RDF (Resource Description Framework) enables both machines and humans to work with structured knowledge in ways that relational databases can't, while Alsop shares his journey from knowledge management director to understanding the practical necessity of ontologies for business operations. They discuss the philosophical roots of the field, the separation between knowledge management practitioners and knowledge engineers, and why startups often overlook these approaches until scale demands them. You can find Larry's podcast at KGI.fm or search for Knowledge Graph Insights on Spotify and YouTube.Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Knowledge Graphs and Ontologies01:09 The Importance of Ontologies in AI04:14 Philosophy's Role in Knowledge Management10:20 Debating the Relevance of RDF15:41 The Distinction Between Knowledge Management and Knowledge Engineering21:07 The Human Element in AI and Knowledge Architecture25:07 Startups vs. Enterprises: The Knowledge Gap29:57 Deterministic vs. Probabilistic AI32:18 The Marketing of AI: A Historical Perspective33:57 The Role of Knowledge Architecture in AI39:00 Understanding RDF and Its Importance44:47 The Intersection of AI and Human Intelligence50:50 Future Visions: AI, Ontologies, and Human BehaviorKey Insights1. Knowledge Graphs Combine Structure and Instances Through Ontological Design. A knowledge graph is built using an ontology that describes a specific domain you want to understand or work with. It includes both an ontological description of the terrain—defining what things exist and how they relate to one another—and instances of those things mapped to real-world data. This combination of abstract structure and concrete examples is what makes knowledge graphs powerful for discovery, question-answering, and enabling agentic AI systems. Not everyone agrees on the precise definition, but this understanding represents the practical approach most knowledge architects use when building these systems.2. Ontology Engineering Has Deep Philosophical Roots That Inform Modern Practice. The field draws heavily from classical philosophy, particularly ontology (the nature of what you know), epistemology (how you know what you know), and logic. These thousands-year-old philosophical frameworks provide the rigorous foundation for modern knowledge representation. Living in Heidelberg surrounded by philosophers, Swanson has discovered how much of knowledge graph work connects upstream to these philosophical roots. This philosophical grounding becomes especially important during times when institutional structures are collapsing, as we need to create new epistemological frameworks for civilization—knowledge management and ontology become critical tools for restructuring how we understand and organize information.3. The Semantic Web Vision Aimed to Transform the Internet Into a Distributed Database. Twenty-five years ago, Tim Berners-Lee, Jim Hendler, and Ora Lassila published a landmark article in Scientific American proposing the semantic web. While Berners-Lee had already connected documents across the web through HTML and HTTP, the semantic web aimed to connect all the data—essentially turning the internet into a giant database. This vision led to the development of RDF (Resource Description Framework), which emerged from DARPA research and provides the technical foundation for building knowledge graphs and ontologies. The origin story involved solving simple but important problems, like disambiguating whether "Cook" referred to a verb, noun, or a person's name at an academic conference.4. Symbolic AI and Neural Networks Represent Complementary Approaches Like Fast and Slow Thinking. Drawing on Kahneman's "thinking fast and slow" framework, LLMs represent the "fast brain"—learning monsters that can process enormous amounts of information and recognize patterns through natural language interfaces. Symbolic AI and knowledge graphs represent the "slow brain"—capturing actual knowledge and facts that can counter hallucinations and provide deterministic, explainable reasoning. This complementarity is driving the re-emergence of neuro-symbolic AI, which combines both approaches. The fundamental distinction is that symbolic AI systems are deterministic and can be fully explained, while LLMs are probabilistic and stochastic, making them unsuitable for applications requiring absolute reliability, such as industrial robotics or pharmaceutical research.5. Knowledge Architecture Remains Underappreciated Despite Powering Major Enterprises. While machine learning engineers currently receive most of the attention and budget, knowledge graphs actually power systems at Netflix (the economic graph), Amazon (the product graph), LinkedIn, Meta, and most major enterprises. The technology has been described as "the most astoundingly successful failure in the history of technology"—the semantic web vision seemed to fail, yet more than half of web pages now contain RDF-formatted semantic markup through schema.org, and every major enterprise uses knowledge graph technology in the background. Knowledge architects remain underappreciated partly because the work is cognitively difficult, requires talking to people (which engineers often avoid), and most advanced practitioners have PhDs in computer science, logic, or philosophy.6. RDF's Simple Subject-Predicate-Object Structure Enables Meaning and Data Linking. Unlike relational databases that store data in tables with rows and columns, RDF uses the simplest linguistic structure: subject-predicate-object (like "Larry knows Stuart"). Each element has a unique URI identifier, which permits precise meaning and enables linked data across systems. This graph structure makes it much easier to connect data after the fact compared to navigating tabular structures in relational databases. On top of RDF sits an entire stack of technologies including schema languages, query languages, ontological languages, and constraints languages—everything needed to turn data into actionable knowledge. The goal is inferring or articulating knowledge from RDF-structured data.7. The Future Requires Decoupled Modular Architectures Combining Multiple AI Approaches. The vision for the future involves separation of concerns through microservices-like architectures where different systems handle what they do best. LLMs excel at discovering possibilities and generating lists, while knowledge graphs excel at articulating human-vetted, deterministic versions of that information that systems can reliably use. Every one of Swanson's 300 podcast interviews over ten years ultimately concludes that regardless of technology, success comes down to human beings, their behavior, and the cultural changes needed to implement systems. The assumption that we can simply eliminate people from processes misses that huma...

Hoje é dia de comemorar 40 anos de The Legend of Zelda lá do Famicom! O primeiro jogo dessa franquia absoluta dos videojogos é o assunto do episódio de hoje. Samuca e Leon trazem o Bruce pra falar desse clássico que surpreende porque, muito além de ter um significado histórico gigante, ainda é um jogo muito bom até hoje. E obrigado Ágata do Buraco Atrás do Pôster pela participação especial na narração do texto do manual do jogo!APOIE O GALINHA VIAJANTEAcesse catarse.me/galinhaviajanteLINKS DA GALINHACatarse | Youtube | Instagram | BlueskyContato: cast@galinhaviajante.com.brAcesse nosso SITE: galinhaviajante.com.brOUÇA TAMBÉMGV#220: Metroid PrimeGV#209: Super Mario OdysseyGV#197: Top Dúzia Jogos do SwitchTRILHA SONORATitle Screen, Overworld of Hyrule, Dungeon Theme (The Legend of Zelda OST)Legend of Zelda Main Theme (Super Smash Bros Brawl OST)Legend of Zelda Main Theme (Super Smash Bros Ultimate OST)DLC 2 Medley, Trailer Music (Zelda BOTW OST)Legend of Zelda Main Theme Jazz Cover (Multiplayer Big Band)Battle On The Jazzy Bridge (Quasar)CITADOS NO EPISÓDIOVideogames: Metroid Prime 4, Animal Crossing, Smash Bros., Mario, Castlevania 3, Dragon Quest, Battletoads, Ultima, Zork, Tower of Druaga, Xanadu, Ys, Tunic, Pegglin, Dragon Slayer, Hydlide, Returnal, Dark Souls, Hob, Oceanhorn, Fable, Darksiders, Okami, CrossCode, Castaway, The Binding of Isaac, Moonlighter, Genshin Impact Outras Mídias: The Big Bang Theory, Bolero (Maurice Ravel) CAPÍTULOS00:00:00 - Abertura do Episódio00:06:51 - As Origens da Lenda00:47:40 - Explorando a Primeira Hyrule01:42:36 - 40 Anos de Legado01:52:18 - Top Dúzia Jogos Zelda-Like02:03:44 - Encerramento do EpisódioO Galinha vai ao ar toda semana graças aos Escudeiros da Galinha Viajante! Apoie você também o nosso projeto no Catarse e junte-se à Escudaria!Apresentado e produzido por Leon Cleveland e Samuel R. Auras.Contato: cast@galinhaviajante.com.brSupport the show

Jareth skulks through the castle and out the front gates while listening to their favorite podcast, hair somehow bopping to and fro while also locked into its gravity-defying shape. As he makes his way towards the lillies, a new song idea slams its way into his frontal lobe. It's a riff on another song he sang long ago. He croaks it into existence. Discussed: strange recording arrangements, Persona 4 Golden, the final bosses of Persona, Tokyo Xanadu Ex+, the potential of a sequel, DnD with Brendon, 428: Shibuya Scramble, Code Vein II Demo, dreams of Tomodachi Life, and a handful of Switch gamesVideo essay mentioned about ToseWe encourage those who are able to donate to:Immigrant Law Center of MinnesotaMinnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee"How To Help If You Are Outside Minnesota" from Naomi Kritzer's BlogFind us everywhere: https://intothecast.onlineBuy some merch, if you'd like: https://shop.intothecast.onlineJoin the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/intothecast---Follow Stephen Hilger: https://bsky.app/profile/stephenhilger.bsky.socialFollow Brendon Bigley: https://bsky.app/profile/bb.wavelengths.onlineProduced by AJ Fillari: https://bsky.app/profile/ajfillari.bsky.social---Season 8 cover art by Scout Wilkinson: https://scoutwilkinson.myportfolio.com/Theme song by Will LaPorte: https://ghostdown.online/---Timecodes:(00:00) - Intro (00:19) - Into the recording setups (04:53) - Persona 4 Golden | A well-balanced meal (12:45) - Tokyo Xanadu ex+ | The third pillar of Falcom (40:15) - Break (40:17) - 428: Shibuya Scramble | Video games, but real???? (49:03) - PARANORMASIGHT SPOILERS (49:11) - 428: Shibuya Scramble | Video games, but real???? (54:57) - Code Vein II | Secretly made by our favorite developers (maybe???) (01:02:52) - Many games and the Switch 2 | A salve from the universe (01:15:02) - Wrapping up (01:16:59) - Fuck ICE, stand with your neighbors ---Thanks to all of our amazing patrons, including our Eternal Gratitude members:SuperThisWayNick GStarfallrondoSusan H0nlygh0stsVincent JPatrick KEd AJ-RockSamantha DNorth HeroSam HSnzznJ-RockGregory Mark SCmndr BiscuiticemanChristian HRydan BCaleb HArden FEye of the DuckKaleNathan EJ. H. AjoelchronoMellowMatthew BRobin LPSeekingSeakingJimmerszoey!Vinny MMattKerry KBrian MNoah DZach DChristopher TDHugo WToddChris BLukerfuffleStephen YDaniel GEric FTaran WBrendan OChris ZClayton MZach RDylan NFederico VTigerz RevengeLogan HAlan RJohn AMike LmattjanzzDavid MHeavyPixelsKaleb HTyler JCorey ZSusan HBarry TRobert RChris JBrett Allen HDan SJack SGarrett CjimiiboJohn HDirch FJim EJim WTristan LEvan BAwfulHanzomin2Aaron GJean HTodd Nred_wagonNeilPeter BJohn VvErik MRedmage77Joshua JTony LDanny KGibson GKate Duncan BRichard MDaniel NSeth MJamesAndy HDemoEmmaLyn ECorey TCaleb WJake LJesse WMike TCodesMatt BWesleymebezacAlex LSergio LninjadeathdogRory BA42PoundMooseRobert MMichael WAndrewthis_JUSTINRyan O14.3 billion yearsBrendan KMegan BSecretAgentKoalaNoah OArcturusAndrew WhepaheChase ALoveDiesNick QChris MRBKaren HAdam FScott HAlexander SMatt HMurrayDavid PJason KMicah OKamrin HAndrew DKyle SPhilip N  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Brought to you by the butts of the Town and Country security guards, Chelsea's most baffling experience of the season: Xanadu (1980). This beautifully rendered 80's roller disco fever dream skated its way into Madison's heart and melted Chelsea's brain in the process. What was the plot? What was that Ferngully-styled animated love montage? Why is Gene Kelly on skates? None of this gets answered! You'll love it, we promise. The soundtrack is incredible and the visuals were cutting edge. Were. Connect With UsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveatfirstscreening/Email: loveatfirstscreening@gmail.comProduction Hosts: Chelsea Ciccone and Madison HillMusic: Good StephArtwork: Chelsea CicconeSocial Media: Marissa CicconeAbout the ShowAn examination of classic tropes and iconic characters pits connoisseur against cynic—one romantic comedy at a time. The cinematic world of love and laughter had rom-com enthusiast Madison head over heels from the time Harry met Sally. For genre skeptic Chelsea, however, it's been a grueling enemies-to-lovers plot. In Love at First Screening, Madison introduces Chelsea to all the fan-favorite love stories she's never wanted to watch. One friend's passion might be the other's displeasure, but doesn't love conquer all? Tune in every other Wednesday to find out.

Movies can suck. But movies that suck, are often the best!The Golden Raspebery Awards, aka, "The Razzies" started in the 1980s. This was the perfect time for Hollywood to get called out for its most excessive, over-the-top, and sometimes disastrous output, complete with a smirk and a deliberately tacky trophy made from a spray-painted golf ball.The deliberate anti-Oscars began as a sarcastic living-room gathering in 1981, sparked by a terrible double feature of Can't Stop the Music (fair) and Xanadu (how dare they!). It quickly turned into the annual roast of the decade's biggest cinematic failures. Disco musicals that should never have been made, bloated blockbusters that collapsed under their own weight, vanity projects, and action pictures that swung for the fences and missed badly. The 1980s supplied the Razzies with plenty of targets.It was a modest start - founder John J. B. Wilson passing out ballots in his Hollywood apartment, using a broomstick with a foam ball as a mock microphone. The event grew into something the press actually started covering by the middle of the decade. There were some recurring themes: musicals gone wrong, jungle-set misadventures, big-name stars stepping far outside their comfort zones, and the sheer nerve it took to release some of these films.No look at the Razzies of the 1980s is complete without Sylvester Stallone. He collected Worst Actor awards the way some people collect trophies: Rhinestone, Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV in the same year, Rambo III, and several others. He eventually earned Worst Actor of the Decade at the 1990 ceremony, covering the full 1980s output. His female counterpart for worst of the decade? The one and only, Bo Derek!Maybe the Razzies were right, but those same movies were the ones that played endlessly on VHS, get quoted in conversations, and still have some die hard audiences. This episode is about the laughs, the sheer absurdity of some of those productions, and the reminder that even in its most ridiculous moments, Hollywood in the 1980s was actually pretty awesome.

In this episode, Anna and Derek chat about the effortless charisma of Gene Kelly, the reality of "making it" in Hollywood, and much more during their discussion of the cult classic Xanadu (1980).Connect with '80s Movie Montage on Facebook, Bluesky or Instagram! It's the same handle for all three... @80smontagepod.Anna Keizer and Derek Dehanke are the co-hosts of ‘80s Movie Montage. The idea for the podcast came when they realized just how much they talk – a lot – when watching films from their favorite cinematic era. Their wedding theme was “a light nod to the ‘80s,” so there's that, too. Both hail from the Midwest but have called Los Angeles home for several years now. Anna is a writer who received her B.A. in Film/Video from Columbia College Chicago and M.A. in Film Studies from Chapman University. Her dark comedy short She Had It Coming was an Official Selection of 25 film festivals with several awards won for it among them. Derek is an attorney who also likes movies. It is a point of pride that most of their podcast episodes are longer than the movies they cover.We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message.

Christian Weedbrook's company Xanadu has announced major breakthroughs in quantum computing and just received $23 million in funding from the federal government to advance their technology. As part of The Current's series speaking to Canadian business leaders, he joins us to discuss the significance of quantum technology for Canada's economic future and why he wanted to build his company here in Canada.

It has been one full year since we last reviewed the state of quantum computing and named Google our top pick in the sector. In this episode of Chip Stock Investor, we revisit that thesis to see how Google stacks up against pure play competitors like IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave, and Quantum Computing Inc. While Google shares gained 60% over the last twelve months, we analyze if the dedicated quantum companies offered better returns or simply more volatility.We break down the latest updates on Google's Willow chip and the Quantum Echoes algorithm which mark a significant step toward real world utility. However, we also provide a reality check on the milestones required for commercial viability, specifically quantum error correction and the development of long lived logical qubits. Investors need to understand that despite hype, we remain in a research and development phase.The financial health of these companies is the primary focus of our analysis. We examine the revenue growth against the operating losses for IonQ, Rigetti, and D-Wave to determine how much runway they have left. We also discuss the cash positions of these firms, including IonQ's recent fundraising efforts that diluted shareholders but shored up their balance sheet. Additionally, we look ahead to upcoming SPAC mergers from Infleqtion and Xanadu in 2026.Finally, we review the semiconductor supply chain stocks that enable this technology. We discuss how equipment providers like Applied Materials and software leaders like Synopsys and Nvidia play a vital role in building and simulating quantum systems.Join us on Discord with Semiconductor Insider, sign up on our website: www.chipstockinvestor.com/membershipSupercharge your analysis with AI! Get 15% of your membership with our special link here: https://fiscal.ai/csi/Sign Up For Our Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/b1228c12f284/sign-up-landing-page-short-formIf you found this video useful, please make sure to like and subscribe!Chapters:00:00 Google Quantum AI Performance Review 01:32 Pure Play Stock Charts: IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave, and QCI 02:26 Reality Check: Milestones for Commercial Viability 03:52 Financial Analysis: Revenue Growth vs Operating Losses 05:13 Balance Sheets and Cash Runway Concerns 06:17 Upcoming IPOs: Infleqtion and Xanadu 07:18 The Quantum Supply Chain: Applied Materials and Synopsys 08:26 Our Top Quantum Stock Picks for 2026*********************************************************Affiliate links that are sprinkled in throughout this video. If something catches your eye and you decide to buy it, we might earn a little coffee money. Thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction!Content in this video is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. #semiconductors #chips #investing #stocks #finance #financeeducation #silicon #artificialintelligence #ai #financeeducation #chipstocks #finance #stocks #investing #investor #financeeducation #stockmarket #chipstockinvestor #fablesschipdesign #chipmanufacturing #semiconductormanufacturing #semiconductorstocks Nick and Kasey own shares of Alphabet

We do a lot of goofy movies on this Watchcast, but now, at the behest of our own Vinny Caravella, it's time for us to tackle some Important Cinema! Vinny has chosen the one and only Citizen Kane for his movie this month, and it's time to put our film school pants on to decide once and for all if it's an over-hyped disappointment, or really as great as everyone says. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 162: Citizen Kane (1941) (00:00:14) - Intro. (00:05:09) - Picking apart some of what makes Citizen Kane so dang important. (00:13:27) - The myriad parodies and loving tributes to Kane peppered throughout our childhood media. (00:15:45) - On Welles, and how the film came to be. (00:23:23) - Welles' various collaborators. (00:33:04) - The Hearst campaign to derail the movie. (00:42:06) - Break! (00:44:20) - We're back, and it's time to head on down to Xanadu. (00:52:26) - Love a good newsreel. (00:56:58) - A brief meeting with Kane's second wife, and then we dig into Kane's childhood. (01:05:57) - Yung Kane. (01:12:19) - Bernstein, and the salad days. (01:17:49) - Old Jed, and a marriage in a single breakfast table. (01:22:52) - Susan enters the picture. (01:25:52) - Will Kane's aspirations ever be knocked down? Yes! (01:37:54) - Kane Weds 'Singer', Kane Cans Critic! (01:43:05) - Susan spills the beans. (01:49:54) - A very bad picnic, and Kane turns his wife's room into a rage room. (01:57:11) - What's a Rosebud? Who cares! Take everything! (02:03:07) - Final thoughts. (02:10:05) - Housekeeping for next week's movie: Gremlins! (02:11:38) - Outro.

Podcast for a deep examination into the career and life choices of Eddie Murphy & Jim Carrey. Patrick learns how to ride a bike, but quickly realizes he already knew how to ride a bike. Then he gets hit by a car and forgets that he remembers all over again. Joe uses his long-known bike riding skills to take up a paper route and make some extra cash. Do people still buy newspapers in 2025? Find out on this week's episode of 'What the Hell Happened to Them?' Email the cast at whathappenedtothem@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in December 2025. References may feel confusing and/or dated unusually quickly. 'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues' is available on DVD & Blu-ray (streaming too, I guess): https://www.amazon.com/Anchorman-Legend-Continues-Blu-ray-Digital/dp/B0083XXWRE/ Music from "Xanadu" by Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra   Artwork from BJ West   quixotic, united, skeyhill, vekeman, murphy, carrey, versus, vs, anchorman, sequel, rudd, carrell, wiig, news, broadcast, carey, cotillard,

In this episode of Tank Talks, Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo break down a pivotal week for Canada's innovation economy. Microsoft's $7.5 billion investment in Canadian AI and cloud infrastructure sets the stage for a deeper discussion about whether foreign hyperscalers can genuinely support Canadian data and AI sovereignty under U.S. laws like the Cloud Act.John challenges the assumption that scale equals sovereignty, arguing for a more intentional strategy built through government procurement, layered infrastructure, and selective partnerships. The episode also examines Canada's new Quantum Champions program and the funding directed toward companies Anyon Systems, Xanadu, Photonic, and Nord Quantique, questioning whether current capital levels are enough to prevent Canadian breakthroughs from moving south.Layoffs across the consulting industry surface broader shifts in knowledge work, as information becomes increasingly commoditized in the age of AI. Matt and John discuss how trust, execution, and implementation are replacing traditional advisory models as the real sources of value. The episode closes with a collision of crypto and legacy power, as stablecoin issuer Tether pursues a controlling stake in Juventus, raising new questions about regulation, asset backing, and trust.As foreign capital pours in and domestic funding lags, how much control does Canada actually retain?Microsoft's $7.5B Canadian AI Investment & the Sovereignty Question (01:04)Microsoft announces a massive investment to expand AI and cloud infrastructure in Canada. Matt and John unpack why foreign capital is welcome, but claims of “sovereign AI” raise serious concerns under the U.S. Cloud Act and data jurisdiction realities.Sovereign Compute Strategy: Procurement Over Promises (04:39)John outlines how Canada could realistically build sovereign compute capacity by breaking the stack into layers, using government procurement to back domestic players, and making intentional choices about allies, chips, and infrastructure.Canada's Quantum Champions Program: A Signal or a Solution? (07:49)The federal government commits funding to four Canadian quantum startups, including Xanadu. The discussion explores whether milestone-based funding is enough or if Canada risks losing its quantum leaders to U.S. capital markets again.Why Canadian Capital Isn't Backing Its Winners (09:04)Xanadu's SPAC decision becomes a case study in Canada's capital formation problem. John explains why strong companies still struggle to raise meaningful domestic capital and what that means for long-term value creation.Consulting Firms Face Layoffs as Demand Shifts (11:36)McKinsey and other professional services firms prepare for significant job cuts. Matt and John discuss overhiring during COVID, slowing demand, and how AI is compressing the value of information-based consulting.The End of the Traditional Consulting Pyramid (14:07)AI-driven efficiency challenges the apprenticeship model. The conversation explores why implementation and trust now matter more than slide decks and why junior-heavy consulting structures may no longer work.Forward-Deployed Engineers & New Service Models (16:17)From Palantir's FDE approach to new AI-enabled services firms, Matt highlights how execution-first models are eroding traditional consulting margins and reshaping enterprise problem-solving.Crypto Meets European Dynasties: Tether & Juventus (19:00)Tether's attempted acquisition of Juventus sparks debate around stablecoin backing, asset quality, and trust. John questions whether a treasury-backed stablecoin should ever be tied to assets like football clubs.Trust as the Core Currency of the AI Era (21:03)The episode closes with a clear takeaway: information is cheap, execution is hard, and trust is everything, from sovereign infrastructure to consulting, investing, and crypto.Connect with John Ruffolo on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/joruffoloConnect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

Patsy beams as she shares the big weekend her daughter Audie had performing in Xanadu at the beautiful St Kilda theatre. The team unpacks the joy of stage school productions: kids flying around on roller skates, stunning costumes, nerves, teamwork, and that unmistakable buzz when a child finds their thing. Christian jumps in with his own memories of his daughters’ theatre days.. the pride, the emotional punch, and the brutal modern rules: one photo only, no hugs, no kisses, and absolutely no “making it weird.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

En este episodio abordo por primera vez un tema apasionante que está pasando rápidamente de la fase de investigación a la realidad empresarial: la computación cuántica. Para ello converso con José David Martín-Guerrero, Catedrático en el Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica de la Universitat de València. José posee una formación multidisciplinar única, combinando Física Teórica e Ingeniería Electrónica con un Doctorado en Aprendizaje Automático. Desde 2016, centra su investigación en el Quantum Machine Learning, explorando cómo la física cuántica puede revolucionar la inteligencia artificial.A lo largo de la charla, aterrizamos conceptos importantes y analizamos el estado real del sector, destacando cuestiones relacionadas con la ciberseguridad, aplicaciones prácticas, el ecosistema empresarial existente y la geopolítica en esta nueva carrera tecnológica. Una charla imprescindible para inversores a largo plazo y curiosos de la tecnología.- Nuevo Curso "Fondos de Inversión desde cero" de Rankia: Aprovecha un 30% de descuento por ser oyente del podcast.- Sigue tus inversiones con MYPORTFOLIO: La herramienta gratuita de Rankia para organizar tu cartera.Temas:00:00 - Intro2:00 - La trayectoria de José Martín: De la Física Teórica al Quantum Machine Learning.9:20 - Conceptos básicos: ¿Qué es un Qubit y cómo funciona la superposición?13:00 - Richard Feynman y el origen intelectual de la computación cuántica.15:15 - El algoritmo de Shor: ¿Están en peligro la encriptación bancaria y el Bitcoin?19:22 - La amenaza de “Recopilar ahora, desencriptar mañana”21:34 - El entrelazamiento cuántico: Entendiendo la "acción fantasma a distancia".29:53 - Modelos híbridos: Uniendo la IA clásica con la cuántica39:53 - ¿Qué es la Ventaja Cuántica y cuánto hay de marketing?44:12 - La era NISQ: Ordenadores Ruidosos de escala intermedia y corrección de errores.55:22 - El ecosistema de Hardware vs. Software1:00:55 - Casos de uso reales: Simulaciones químicas, logística y optimización de carteras.1:05:42 - Consumo energético en la computación cuántica1:09:55 - Sensórica cuántica: La gran oportunidad en medicina y automoción.1:16:27 - Empresas destacadas: D-Wave, Xanadu y el modelo de negocio del software.1:27:29 - El papel de NVIDIA y las Big Tech (Google, IBM, Microsoft) en el sector.1:31:07 - Geopolítica tecnológica: La velocidad de China vs. Estados Unidos y Europa.1:41:36 - Conclusiones: La cuántica como oportunidad de inversión a medio plazo.1:45:32 - Lecturas: El carisma de Richard Feynman.Más info, con enlaces a los contenidos y empresas mencionadas en mi blog en Rankia:https://www.rankia.com/blog/such/7086244-110-computacion-cuantica-oportunidad-inversion-jose-martin-guerrero

In this episode, Brian digs in to the recent Kino Lorber 4Ks of XANADU, CONVOY and more. This week's episode is also brought to you by the fine folks at DiabolikDVD - a great place to buy your discs from! https://www.diabolikdvd.com/ Just the Discs Now has a YouTube Channel! Check it out here and subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCffVK8TcUyjCpr0F9SpV53g Follow the Show on Twitter here for Episode previews and new Blu-ray News! https://bsky.app/profile/justthediscs.bsky.social Brian's Directed By shirts can be found here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/filmmakershirts We're also on Instagram! instagram.com/justthediscspod/

In this episode of Tank Talks, host Matt Cohen is joined by John Ruffolo for an in-depth discussion on the latest business innovation news, cutting-edge tech developments, and disruptive market shifts that are shaping the global innovation economy. From game-changing legal tech acquisitions to the next big wave in quantum computing, the two break down the trends transforming Canadian fintech and the rise of stablecoin regulation. They also dive deep into AI advancements, big tech strategies, and the future of payments, offering fresh insights and actionable takeaways.Clio's Billion-Dollar Acquisition & Vertical Expansion in Legal Tech (01:38)In a major legal tech acquisition, Clio secures a $5 billion valuation following its acquisition of vLex, expanding its role as a dominant player in the legal technology sector. Matt and John discuss how this deal positions Clio alongside industry giants like Thomson Reuters and LexisNexis and explore the risks and rewards of a vertical integration strategy.Toronto's Quantum Tech Breakthrough: SPAC Merger with Crane Harbor (05:11)Toronto-based Xanadu Quantum Technologies makes headlines with its SPAC merger with Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp., paving the way for the first-ever Canadian quantum tech debut on the TSX and NASDAQ. John shares exclusive insights into the company's growth trajectory and how the merger will impact the quantum computing industry.Elon Musk's Trillion-Dollar CEO Package: Will He Become the First Trillionaire? (09:05)Matt and John dive into the details of Elon Musk's massive CEO package, designed to potentially turn him into the first trillionaire. They analyze the massive financial goals Musk must achieve and the broader economic impact this deal could have on industries like electric vehicles, space tech, and AI innovation.Google and Apple's AI Partnership: What Does It Mean for Siri? (12:21)A landmark deal between Google and Apple will see Google's Gemini AI powering Siri's next-generation intelligence. Matt and John discuss the implications of this collaboration for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the future of voice assistants in the consumer tech market.Robinhood's New AI Fund: The Risks of Retail Investor FOMO (15:14)In a bold move, Robinhood announces plans to give retail investors access to private AI companies. While this could open up private equity investments to the masses, Matt and John debate the risks of retail investor FOMO and the potential impact of AI investment bubbles on individual portfolios.Visa & Mastercard Lowering Interchange Fees: The Impact on Credit Card Rewards (16:39)In a significant shift, Visa and Mastercard are negotiating a deal to lower interchange fees, a change that could fundamentally alter the credit card rewards system. John explains the long-term effects on merchant relationships, consumer rewards, and the potential disruption of traditional payment systems as blockchain technologies emerge.Connect with John Ruffolo on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/joruffoloConnect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

Quantum computing might be difficult to comprehend (we're still not sure what a qubit is), but one thing about it is easy to understand: it's got a lot of money-making potential. ChatGPT is officially resigning its role as our deeply unqualified (but extremely confident) doctor, lawyer, and financial planner.

Be careful out there kids.https://linktr.ee/FromBehindTheBarcast

Amazingly, this year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In 2005, after an incredibly short development period, opened first off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater, and quickly moved to Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway. It was nominated for six Tony Awards and won two, including “Best Book of a Musical,” and the show would go on to run for 1,136 performances and be produced around the world. In celebration of that anniversary, two new productions will open this fall. Off-Broadway at New World Stages, performances are scheduled to begin on November 27, and next week, on October 21, Spelling Bee will open at Theater Under the Stars in Houston, Texas, where it is directed and choreographed by my guest today, TUTS's Artistic Director, Dan Knechtges. Not coincidentally, Knechtges made his Broadway debut as the choreographer of the original production, and as you will hear, he was actively involved in every stage of that musical's development from its very first incarnation working closely with composer/lyricist William Finn, and director, James Lapine. Knechtges' other Broadway credits includes the choreography of Sondheim On Sondheim, the revival of 110 in the Shade, and Xanadu, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, and the direction and choreography of the musical Lysistrata Jones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 2010's Deadly Premonition. We revisit the Twin Peaks of it all, and then discuss some of the more mechanical aspects of the game, particularly the profiling and the combat. And then there's that open world. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Past/to the Sawmill (Tim/Brett) Issues covered: schedule of the next couple weeks, rewatching the Twin Peaks pilot, homage or theft?, leaning into the uncanny valley, things in video games we don't want to show people, technical limitations, localization issues, copying the diner, pricing items, music choices and tones and creepiness, adaptation and filters, conversations about rain, an artifact, survival horror elements, profiling, going through the clues, York putting together the profile, putting the player in the crime scenario, who is Zach?, hot take from Tim: "serial killers are bad news," having confidence in the story, dipping into the combat, aiming and lock-on, failing QTEs, random QTEs vs not, picture-in-picture, talking to Zach in the car, walking around the town after dark, the horrible map and how it interacts with driving conversations, a mechanic to help you understand the game that you don't understand, learning the space, car/character relativity, peeking into buliding windows, zombies after midnight and the blood moon, similarities to Silent Hill 2, the difficulty of making this at AAA scale, unorthodox mechanics, good moment-to-moment gameplay, publisher cachet, hearing about the games.  Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Welcome Back Kotter, Portal 2, Defeating Games for Charity, Phil Salvador, Video Game History Foundation, KyleAndError, Twin Peaks, Nintendo Switch, Swery, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Waitress, Mark Frost, David Lynch, Naomi Watts, Batman (series), Golden Idol (series), Return of the Obra Dinn, Heavy Rain, Mindhunter, David Fincher, Zodiac, Se7en, Jaws, Miguel Ferrer, Fire Walk With Me, Chris Isaak, Kiefer Sutherland, God of War (2004), Shenmue, Alien: Isolation, Beyond Good and Evil, PhysX, Don't Look Now, Nicolas Roeg, Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Fred Ward, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, Joel Gray, Jennifer Gray, Olivia Newton-John, Xanadu, Audrey Hepburn, GTA 3, Silent Hill 2, Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid (series), Death Stranding, Suda51, No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw, Shadows of the Damned, Remedy Entertainment, Sam Lake, Far Cry, Sony, Spelunky, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.  Next time: More Deadly Premonition! Twitch: timlongojr and twinsunscorp YouTube  Discord  DevGameClub@gmail.com 

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 7 Zane s Kappa Sigma Cock Legend In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Domestication may be our second greatest accomplishment, exceeded only by Fire       Rhaine had clearly heard something and was trying to make up her mind if she could both check it out and keep me contained when I decided to change her train of thought. I gave an exaggerated sigh, took off my towel, threw it over my shoulder, and headed to my room. "Put, put, put, put that towel, back on," Rhaine stammered. "Why? There are not supposed to be any girls out on the fifth floor at this hour. It is all mine, according to the Chancellor herself," I said over my shoulder. "Now, are you coming along or do I get to shut my door in your face?" "We don't care," Rhaine tried to recover the momentum, "we have a key." "I don't believe you," I accused her as I stopped and kept looking over my shoulder. Barbie Lynn must be right, I have a really fine ass, because that was what they were all staring at. "Well, I have one," she taunted me as she brandished it in my face, from ten feet away. I just had to beam a smile her way. Her key was silver; mine, which hung around my neck on a light chain, was bronze, as were all five of the original keys. Someone was giving out copies of my room key; what a bunch of fuck-nuts. I turned and walked right up to her, which entailed backing her into a wall since she was trying to backpedal away, her eyes torn between my fiery gaze and awakening erection. The other two made to grab me but were flummoxed by my lack of clothing. I took the opportunity to press myself into Rhaine, who was giving me the deer-in-the-headlights look, ran a hand along her jaw and curled a lock of hair. I tickled her cheek with that lock, causing Rhaine to blush and her eyes to flutter. "Thanks, Rhaine. You are helping me out more than you know. If there is anything, I mean anything, I can do for you, let me know," I softly growled with a wolfish hunger to her, but still loud enough for her companions to hear. I stepped back and strutted away again, my semi-rigid rod swaggering back and forth. "Let's go to my room," I laughed. "Weren't we supposed to hurt him if he tried anything like that?" one girl whispered. "But he was naked," responded Mercy quietly. "What would happen if, you know, we touched, IT?" "We are not going to your room with you," Rhaine shouted at me. "Fine, suit yourself, because it isn't like I'm going to avail myself of any of the three fire escapes that lead off the roof," I chortled. "Also, touching IT can lead to blindness and sterility in the elderly under twelve and children over 65," I purposely attempted to confuse them. Children over 65, sometimes I need to show the whole world that I'm not getting enough sleep. Double Dating I was still laughing at my screw-up as the door swung shut. At the last second I failed to hear the 'clunk' of the latch hitting home, though I was already to my bed, when I heard the first hesitant footfalls on steps. I was well into my morning meditative trance, lotus style, when Rhaine crested the stairs. My eyes were shut but I could tell by her sharp intake of breath where she was and what she was staring at. "Put on some clothes!" she barked. I remained blind and silent. "I said 'put on some clothes'," she repeated. I hardly had more reason to do so now than I had a second ago. "Put on your clothes," she now sounded petulant; no response. We remained silent for almost a minute, I normally remain still for ten minutes, when she said the magic word. "Would you please put some clothes on?" "Please?" I responded, cracking open one eye. "Come over right now and give me a kiss; then I'll get dressed. Otherwise, you have to wait nine more minutes while I remain in prayer." "Prayer?" whispered Mercy; strangely, I prayed to the Christian God when I meditated, drawing upon Psalms and the Songs of Solomon mostly. "I will not kiss you; you sex, sex, sex fiend!" Rhaine shouted with disgust. I closed my eye and went back into my own little dream demi-plain. "Get dressed," she insisted once more. I could keep this up for another eight and a half minutes. Finally, in frustration, she stalked up to the side of my bed, the other two in tow. "If we need to, I'll escort you straight to the gymnastics facility where Coach Gorman can administer another lesson in humility." Since I hardly felt humiliated by our last encounter, I felt no necessity to slip out of my Center. My carpets were thin cast-offs from an earlier college epoch so they hardly aided any stealth attempt. Rhaine walked up to me, weighed her options, then pushed me lightly. "Get dressed, Zane," she said, neither convincingly angry nor commanding. That didn't work so she repeated the phrase and pushed harder. The third attempt used more strength but got the same results. Rhaine decided that her problem was in the application of force, not her message, so to increase her push, she placed a knee on the bed and pushed harder. "Get dressed, she squealed as I fell over, grabbing her wrist and pulling her with me. I leapt on top of her even as she rolled from her stomach to her back. Rhaine's eyes were wide as I dove in for a kiss. Her lips were locked shut so nothing more happened. She was still struggling for words when Mercy and the other girl grabbed my arms and yanked me up and back. "Get off of me," Rhaine shouted, a little too late to be effective or believable. Experienced leg-breakers usually keep their victim's arms up or to the side; they never stick them between their thighs. As it was, I was being pulled back on my knees, pinning Rhaine's shins to the bed and my hands merely inches away from their pussies. Was it Christmas already? So much of life is about leverage of one kind or another and in this case, the leverage was all in my captor's favor, so I needed to change things up. "Let go of me!" I shouted, struggled, and slipped my hands higher up their thighs. I'm not going to win an Oscar but I did make Rhaine smile at my feigned discomfort, to the point she propped herself up and grinned wickedly at me. "Now you are going to do what I say," she gloated. "Oh, I don't think so," I grinned right back. I rolled my arms in my shoulder joints and launched my upper body toward Rhaine. For those fans of physics, when the shoulder goes down and they've made the elbow a pivot point, then the lower arm goes up, science is my friend. I rolled my fore- and middle finger into one stiff rod and prodded Mercy's and her partner's perineum. They yelped and pulled back, drawing my fingers onto their slits and along them until I flicked their slumbering clits. Their faces flushed crimson as they stumbled back and released my arms. This allowed me to descend on Rhaine unimpeded. Her mouth open in a surprised 'O', our lips met and then our tongues touched inside her mouth. I was quick enough to wrap my arms around her before her back hit the bed. "Umm" she protested inside our oral embrace. "Umm" she mumbled, before, "Umm, she ended up moaning. I was a bit curious why Mercy and the as-of-yet named accomplice weren't all over this, breaking us apart, when I felt Rhaine's legs move from beneath me, to up my sides until they crossed over my ass and locked me in. "Is that, your, I'm not sure what to call it, cock?" she whispered between kisses. How she had become oblivious of her cohorts was beyond me. "I prefer the term cock," I responded with great gentleness but with a hungry stare, "but if cock works for you," I added with a slow, steady, downward pressure with my hips upon hers. Rhaine groaned from deep within, her head lolled back, and her eyes became somewhat unfocussed. "Oh, yes," she mouthed, barely audible. "Rhaine?" Mercy inquired. "Get, get off of Rhaine," the third girl said weakly. "Please?" Since she said please, I obliged. I flipped us over so that Rhaine was on top. I'm not sure how happy the girl was because Rhaine showed no haste in dismounting me, though we did stop kissing once more. "Would you, would you please get dressed now," Rhaine panted. I would have been more impressed, and able, if Rhaine hadn't been humping me at the moment. Clearly, my cock had wedged itself right against her panty-covered love box, her lips divided and her clit rubbing along my shaft. "You really are quite beautiful," I complimented her, as I brushed some loose hairs out of her eyes. Her face softened and she gave me her first compassionate smile. She also ground down on me harder, biting her lip as she did so. The two companions decided something, technically, it could be called a rescue mission, but I never really figured out who was being rescued as they grabbed my arms that encompassed Rhaine. The unnamed girl grabbed my unresisting hand and pulled it to her chest and kept it pinned tightly there. Mercy made even less pretense of actually helping out. She grabbed my other hand and put it in her lap. This would have been minutely more believable if her skirt hadn't 'accidentally' ridden up her thighs so that when I curled in my fingers, my hand slipped between her thighs. Any guess as to what happened when I flexed them again? As best as I could tell (I was still dealing with a face full of Rhaine), she had raised her closest thigh to block her friends from seeing what she was doing and was thrusting my hand into her crotch like it was some sort of fleshy dildo, with the 'finger-tickler' function. Heavy breathing, five seconds grinding my hand in deep, fifteen seconds figuring out that I was working my fingers underneath the elastic bands of her panties, twenty-two seconds. After that, she spread her thighs open slowly and as wide as she hoped she could get away with without being caught. She remained absolutely still as I slipped two fingers underneath her virginal armor and into her cream-covered labia while rubbing my thumb against her clit from the outside. Back to Rhaine: "I hope, ugh, ugh, you have learned, ugh, ugh, ugh, oh, God, your lesson, ugh, ugh, and we won't, Oh, have to force ourselves on, oh, yeah, ugh, ugh, you again." By this time, Rhaine had soaked her panties so thoroughly that she was making squishing noises as she rode me. "If you give me one more kiss," I grinned at her, "I'll do what you want and get dressed." I've rarely seen someone so arrogant and conceited so utterly baffled about what they should do. Obviously, if she kissed me and I stood up, we would stop having 'safe sex,' but she was truly, in her heart, trying to enforce her will on me too. "Fine," I saved her, "if you kiss me until I surrender to you, I'll go quietly and do what you say all day long." At no time was it ever discussed between us what it would take to make me surrender; she never gave me the chance. She grabbed my head with both hands and proceeded to suck the air out of my lungs and use her tongue to wrestle my tongue into submission. No-Name Girl wasn't humping me like a kitten on speed or pretending I was blind and her cunny was Braille, imparting knowledge by touch; she was playing the nervous virgin. I gave the slightest nudge toward her left breast, she stopped me. I repeated the motion and she stopped me again. On the third try, she controlled my gradual migration over her breast and centered my fingertips over her nipple. Mind you, I still had a face full of Rhaine so I couldn't see what I was doing, but I've had sex on moonless nights and I've even had sex blindfolded once (we both were and it was really fun), so I had some experience at sexual navigation by touch alone. I didn't grab, grope, or shake her orb around; I palmed the breast and slowly contracted the hand up, letting the fingers and thumb bring the areolas and nipple into a tantalizing squeeze, then re-extend hand and repeat. Her nipple was pretty average but it soon made an appearance, so on the seventh stroke, I migrated my hand toward the middle of her chest. She groaned in disappointment until I tapped on two of her buttons rapidly before going back to the breast. She understood right off the bat and that shirt got unbuttoned in three seconds flat. Another squeeze and I rolled like a gentle breeze back to the sternum, under the shirt, and to her surprise, under the bra, and started tweaking the nipple and letting her breast roll in my palm. You know, it would be easier to tell my friends from my enemies if they weren't both trying to fuck me to death. I guess all my girl-'friends' do it out of love; my enemies are trying to bring me closer to God, as long as I get there from outside the campus grounds. There are a million worse ways to die and I shouldn't complain; the most important point is that I do have friends after all. Making the Most of Punishment I had barely gotten Nameless to suck two of my fingers and my thumb to slippery goodness and returned them to working her nipple when I heard someone not on the bed speak. "Do you think we have enough footage now, Iona?" Rio purred in a lethally seductive voice. "In the words of the immortal Rio Talon," Iona recited, "these bitches are toast." Dedicated readers will recall how I once claimed that I didn't live in the real world; I lived in Crazy Town. I still do. Rhaine rolled off me, into Nameless, and they clutched each other to avoid tumbling off my bed. (I have a newer, far bigger bed on order for the very reason that I'm tired of lovely ladies nearly taking headers off my favorite sexual encounter spot.) Rhaine was bosom to bosom with a girl whose shirt was wide open with one boob pulled out of her bra. My hand was yanked free in the exchange so I rapidly pushed myself into a semi-reclined position. Why was I not getting all the way up, you ask? Reference: Crazy Town - Mercy decided that being secretly included in a sex video was a huge turn-on. She started riding my two fingers like they were a mini-cock and she was going off like gangbusters. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, ahah." Mercy's whimpers kept rising in volume. "Oh, here it comes," was Barbie Lynn's assessment, based on deep personal experience with me. "Ah," Mercy continued with even more vigor. "Don't you worry, Barbie Lynn," Rio patted her on the shoulder, "she's not nearly as loud as you are." "Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh," Mercy's whimpers became hiccups as I redoubled my efforts on her clitoris. "She's no Leigh either," Opal pointed out. "Ai, ai, ai, ai, ai, ai," Mercy began yelping louder still. "What is he doing to her?" Brandi gasped in wonderment. "Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba," Mercy's diaphragm began building up a terrible tension deep inside. "Ask him to show that to you in the shower tomorrow," Opal sighed, reliving her own tactile experiences under my care. "I'm not fixated on his cock; if I can't have it, I'll settle for his hands and mouth on me whenever I can get it." "Mother Fucker!" Mercy's head rolled back and she howled at the ceiling, killing all conversation in an instant. Silence hung over the room. Mercy started to fall forward but I caught her and let her drop onto my chest. I held her close until I felt her breathing start to come under control. She pushed up enough to look at me with eyes brimming with tears. "I'm ruined," she told me in a tired, raspy voice, then put her face into my shoulder and began wailing uncontrollably. I stroked her back and hair with my free hand. My other hand was covered in Mercy's fluids, and while some chicks might get off on being covered in their love juice, I doubted Mercy was into that kink; and besides, she was in her school uniform. "You are fine," I cooed. "No one is showing that video to anyone so you are safe. You are one of us and we'll protect you." That last bit was pulled 'outta my ass' so to speak. Every one of my friends up here had their own idea what our relationship was about and I could hardly speak for any one of them, much less all of us. "Speak for yourself, Num-nuts; I'm going to sink these skanks," Rio growled. "Rio, please," I requested in a calm and tender voice. She glared back with ill-concealed rage. "Do you have any idea what these bitches have been doing to me and the other freshmen?" Rio spat back. "Only the vaguest. And I am not saying they shouldn't make amends but there are two things we should consider," I began. It is a testament to how close Rio and I had grown that she permitted me to continue talking uninterrupted. "If we turn them in, we are precisely the type of people they think we are, immoral degenerates. This is supposed to be fun and liberating; if we start breaking people because they cut loose, actually express themselves and have fun, we become what they are and what we despise. I'll leave first," I told her. "Also, as strange as it sounds, probably more to you and me than anyone else on campus, we are Christians," I continued. Rio scoffed and clearly thought I'd lost my mind, or sold out. "You don't bend, Rio. You know right and wrong, and while you often choose wrong, you don't make excuses about it, and I've never had a better friend because I know you mean what you say and say what you mean, no matter how cutting," I explained. "You have clearly lived a socially deprived life, Rio taunted me, but her words cracked under her emotional turmoil ", if I'm what you consider to be a good friend, you stupid bitch moron cocksucker." "Let's put it to a vote," Iona volunteered the notion. "I think that's a good idea," Barbie Lynn stated, with Brandi and Opal agreeing. "Fine, whatever," grumbled Rio. "Okay. We are voting on whether or not we use the video as leverage against Rhaine, Mercy and, I looked to the nameless girl. "Joy," she provided. "Joy Jefferson." "Okay, and Joy Jefferson," I finished. "I vote 'no'." "I vote 'No'," Barbie Lynn went first, but Iona was right behind her with the same vote. "I'm actually with Rio on this one," Brandi said. "They are trying to get rid of Zane. I vote 'Yes'." "I vote 'Yes' as well," Opal agreed. "They shouldn't even be in our dorm or in Zane's room." The most surprised person in the room was now Rio. She clearly expected all the girls who had 'fallen under my spell' to do what I said, leaving her to be in the too familiar spot of being the Odd Woman Out. "I vote 'Yes' for both those reasons," she beamed hate at Rhaine, "plus I am Evil and I want your parents' heads to explode when they see you humping a guy in his dorm room while your lesbian buddies hold him down." "It is a tie," Iona pointed out. "What do we do now?" "It isn't a tie," I countered. "Not every FFU student has voted." "Oh, fuck no," Rio snapped. "They don't get a vote. I'll run and get Cappy and she'll sink their asses." "Okay," I told her. "I'm sure you can relate to having your fate boned by forces beyond your control. You go out and get as many people as you think are necessary to get them expelled and possibly tossed out by their parents. Take your time; there is nowhere they can run." Rio got halfway down the stairs before she came storming back up in a fury that would make a tornado proud. "Move, Bitch," she screamed at Mercy. I pushed Mercy out of the way because I knew what was coming while she had no clue. I scooted to the edge of the bed closest to where Rio was charging. Slap! Oh, fuck, that hurt. "You motherfucking, cock-smoking, son of a bitch," she seethed. Slap! resounded from my other cheek. I caught a glimpse of Iona coming to my aid but she was corralled by Barbie Lynn in time. Opal looked concerned and Brandi was totally stunned. "Don't you ever talk to me like that," she screamed, Slap! "I am not the Better Person. People fuck with me and I make them burn! Do you hear me?" "I understand," I responded with quiet, sincere intensity. Rio hauled off to hit me again and stopped. "Give them to me, Zane. Don't fight me on this. You'll be sorry," she threatened. "I'm doing this because I am your friend, Rio. From 6:00 a.m. on Day One, it has been you and me, and in four years when we earn our release, it will still be you and me," I related. "I don't fucking need you or your fucking pity, Shit For Brains," she growled. "Did it ever occur to you that I'm doing this for me, not you?" I explained. "Look around you right now; mostly really special people but none of them have lost their family and been sent off to live in exile." "My family is not dead, Zane," she replied, her anger misting away like fog before the Sun. "They may live and breathe but you lost them some time ago just the same," I prodded her. Rio said nothing for the longest time, then a lone tear escaped down her cheek. "Sorry, Bro," she stroked my tenderized cheek. "I'm seriously awake now, if that's any consolation," I smirked. "Smart ass," she chuckled back. "Are they okay now?" I overheard Brandi asking the other three girls on my side. "Oh, they are fine, Brandi," drawled Barbie Lynn. "They are like feuding twin brother and sister, somewhat incestuous, mind you, but they are about as close to kin, without being kin, as anyone I've ever seen, save Christina and Heaven." "Rio?" I requested once more. "Fine, the dumb bunnies can vote," she snarled, "but I am praying to God they screw it up anyway." "How do you ladies vote?" I looked to Rhaine but addressed them all. "Um, 'No'," Rhaine said quietly. When no one said anything, Joy rapidly agreed. That left everyone looking at Mercy not that her vote mattered to the final outcome; Rhaine and company were safe by at least one vote no matter what. "I," sniff, "okay, yes," gak, "I mean No!" she corrected, then added, "thank you." "The Noes have it; the video will be archived, not to be seen again until my funeral, which might convince Rhaine to let me live in peace," I teased. The three seniors sighed with relief. "Now for the punishment," Barbie Lynn pronounced. "What?" Rhaine blanched. "I thought we covered that. Are you going back on your word?" "No," Barbie Lynn smiled. "The video is out of bounds but there is still the matter of this being my dorm and me finding you in one of my student's rooms sexually molesting him. Re-read the Handbook if you doubt me or my authority, Rhaine." "We were told to be here by Dean Gorman," Rhaine countered. "Coach Gorman told you to go into Zane's room, sit on his lovely piece of male reproductive perfection, and ride it like you were in the Pony Express?" Barbie smirked. Rhaine, Joy, and Mercy realized that they had no plausible defense and too many witnesses. "What about you all being here?" Rhaine reposed desperately. "We heard his cries for help," Rio beamed. "I think Zane's cries went something like, 'Help, help, I'm trying to remain pure but these scantily clad babes are tearing off their clothes and partaking of my muscular, well-toned man-flesh'." "But that's a lie," Rhaine wailed. "Rhaine, we just salvaged your college career, if not your entire life, and you are worried about Rio's colorful recreation of events?" I inquired. "What is the punishment?" I looked to Barbie. "Spanking," she declared. "Three swats from each of us should do it - barehanded." Rhaine, Joy, and Mercy looked unhappy but not horrified. They looked decidedly less happy when Rio perked up. Morphing Intentions "Iona goes first," Rio said gleefully. "And it has to be on the bare, naked bottom, no panties; three spanks from each of us on each of you, no more than three minutes between the first and last." "No way," Rhaine snapped. She moved to the edge of the bed and stood up. "Fine. Let's go to Gorman's office right now," Barbie Lynn declared. "Zane, you come along as soon as you get dressed. "I'll do it," Mercy sniffled. "I'll take my spanking." "Me too," Joy joined in. Rhaine looked around for some lifeline but there was none. "Very well; let's get this over with," Rhaine conceded. The three girls took off their panties, which probably needed replacing anyway, turned around, bent over, and put their hands on the bed. "No, no, no," Rio denounced their efforts. "All three of you, on the bed, hands and knees with your knees at the edge." When Rhaine looked ready to object, "You agreed to this, Ladies. It is this or else!" The Condemned looked at one another, then slowly obeyed, but Rio wasn't satisfied. She pushed their tushes around and forced them to spread their legs farther apart and generally harangued them until she was happy with the arrangements. It didn't take a 'Doctor Ruth' to figure out what Rio was really doing but the three victims, plus Brandi and Iona, had no idea what they were in store for. "Iona, you first; give them something to remember you by. I'm next, followed by Barbie Lynn, Brandi, Opal, and Zane bats clean-up," (snicker) Rio directed. Barbie Lynn walked down the line, lifting up each skirt onto their back while I scrambled off to get dressed. (Okay, I walked six feet to my wardrobe and dresser.) Iona stood somewhat timidly behind Rhaine, took a deep breath, and, did a rather lukewarm smack. As soon as it fell Iona flinched, and she looked over to a glaring Rio. The next smack was hard enough to make Rhaine give a startled jump but not really cruel. The third, on the other cheek, was about as forceful. Iona stepped down the line and administered her share of the punishment. When she shuffled over to Rio, she looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Rio. I'm not sure about all of this. I don't want to hurt them," she explained. "It's cool," Rio soothed her. "You did exactly what I wanted you to do. Now," and whispering followed. Iona shrugged, raided my towel shelf, and headed downstairs quickly. Now it was Rio's turn. She walked up behind Rhaine, knelt between her legs, pressing them apart. "What the, Rhaine began. "Shut up and take it!" Rio growled with such menace that Rhaine turned forward and lowered her head in shame. When Rio placed a hand against Rhaine's rump, it wasn't in anger, though, but to rub it softly. "Very soft," Rio purred sensually. "Did Iona hurt you?" "Ah, not too bad," Rhaine stammered, confused by Rio's sudden affection. "I see a handprint," Rio told her. She was seeing something the rest of us were missing was all I could think. She leaned in and kissed that invisible mark, which caused more of a reaction than any of Iona's slaps. "Hey, what are you doing?" Rhaine squawked. Slap! "Ow!" cried Rhaine. She tried to pull away but Rio grabbed her hips with two hands and pulled back. "You agreed to this," Rio threatened her. Rhaine shuddered but she stopped trying to escape. "Are you going to behave so we can get this over with or do we need to make up an excuse for why we missed breakfast?" "Fine, fine, let's get this over with," Rhaine said dejectedly. "Good girl," Rio cooed. She began massaging Rhaine's right ass cheek with one hand while holding tight with her left hand on Rhaine's left hip. Rio placed a kiss on the cleft between the thigh and ass; Rhaine gave a tiny gasp, twitched, and tried to incrementally pull away. Rio was having none of that. "Bad girl," she murmured, but there was no slap this time. Instead, she slithered between Rhaine and Joy and whispered into Rhaine's ear. "Would you please get on your elbows, Sweet Rhaine?" I'd have bet money that Rhaine would have shot off her mouth if not physically resisted, but Rio was Mistress of the Moment and Rhaine meekly complied. Rio was so dominant, she even kissed Rhaine's ear and nipped the earlobe before resuming her station at Rhaine's posterior. "Is this punishment?" Brandi whispered. "Just you wait and see, Brandi," was my reply. Rio reached out with her hands, separated her ass cheeks, and soaked in the view. Right when Rhaine started to look underneath herself, Rio pushed her face into her cunt and made a loud sucking sound. "Ah!" Rhaine gasped, startled yet aroused. "Umm," Rio slurped, as she rubbed her face deep into Rhaine's Love box. I recognized the tongue technique of darting deep into the cunt, alternating with a vigorous suction of the clitoris. Instead of trying to get away, Rhaine went from resting on her elbows down to her chest touching the bed, her arms crossed, and her head resting on them. Slap! "Ow!" Rhaine whined, "That hurt." Rio was too busy giving Rhaine's cunt a world class swirly so it fell to Barbie Lynn to explain. "That's why it is called punishment, Rhaine," she said, but Rhaine was already moaning in ecstasy. A thin sheen of sweat had just started covering Rhaine's exposed flesh when Iona returned with a wicker basket full of wet cloths. I was buttoning my shirt and enjoying the show when I caught Joy and Mercy studying Rhaine with some concern and exchanging worried glances with one another. Rio seriously worked over Rhaine's cunt for another minute, then launched one more stinging slap. This time Rhaine screamed into her arm instead of out loud and didn't protest. Rio stood up and kissed the small of Rhaine's back. "You have one hot cunt, Bitch. I look forward to tearing another piece of you off later," Rio told her, voice heavy with heated passion. "Iona, towel." Iona tossed her a towel; Rio caught it one handed and used it to wipe off her face. She smiled at Barbie as the blonde came up and knelt behind Rhaine. Barbie Lynn's first spank was hardly brutal but it did get Rhaine's attention. She then began kissing each cheek as her hands parted the Senior Class President's (presumptive) ass cheeks. Her attentions wandered between the twin sets of firm muscle, her tongue flicking along Rhaine's pink, puckered star. "Gak!" Rhaine gasped. She followed it up with a serious tremor throughout her body. Barbie Lynn glanced over to me, gave me a devilish grin, and flexed her eyebrows in sheer delight. Barbie returned to Rhaine's rump and set to work using her extensive skills on her cunt, parting her lips with the fingers of one hand, pinching her clit between the thumb and forefingers of the other hand, and licking along her entire slit with her tongue. Between Joy's thighs, Rio was putting on a performance that would make Jenna Jameson proud, maybe even envious. Apparently her teenage exploration of the Arizona nightlife had not been the waste of time her parents thought it was. I doubt it mattered to Joy, who was already pushing her ass against Rio's face. On this victim, instead of spanking, Rio was biting her ass hard enough to leave marks and make Joy squeal. Two minutes into this round, Rhaine lost it and squirted all over Barbie Lynn's face. This was apparently her first squirter because Barbie tried to back away from the eruption, which only guaranteed that it splashed all over her body from eyebrows to both bodacious breasts. "Rhaine," Barbie Lynn scolded her fellow senior, "you could have warned me." Rhaine didn't respond; her face nestled down on her arms and her whole body wracked with waves of orgasmic bliss and her lungs fighting for air - she was in no state to respond. As Barbie stripped off her shirt, I gave her a washcloth and one of my white shirts. I tossed Rio her second cloth of the morning and motioned Brandi forward. "She's, she's still having her orgasm," Brandi questioned. "That's why this is called punishment," I explained with a knowing smile. Brandi opened her mouth in surprise, followed by understanding, and then a race to get between Rhaine's legs and take her first lick of Rhaine's quivering quim. "Ah, ah, ah,  Barbie Lynn, I've, Rhaine finally articulated ", never done that before, I swear. I am sorry." That was all she could muster; right after that, her fists crumpled up the quilt on my bed and she bit down on the folds in an attempt to stifle the increasingly slutty moans Brandi was bringing forth. Barbie Lynn decided not to put on my shirt, maybe not comprehending that her lacy beige bra had been rendered virtually transparent by Rhaine's ejaculate. Besides myself, Opal was also fixated on the view of her pendulous orbs and gorgeous engorged nipples. The blonde took a different approach with Joy. She lifted up the girl's hips, elevated her to the point Barbie could lick her from pubic mound to ass and back again. I knew Barbie Lynn was strong, but I'd never exploited that quality in that manner. I made a note for experimentation tomorrow night. "No, no, no, no," Joy repeated in a desperate effort to fight off the sensations that were pulsating in an irresistible current surging up from the wellspring of her womanhood. "I can't do this," she sobbed. "Lord, please save me." I hurried around the bed and slid beside Joy's head. I took her by the chin and made eye contact. "Joy, if you really want this to stop, it will end right now," I promised her, though I was sure I was getting a dirty, if unseen, glare from Rio. "You gave your word but if you honestly believe you have been punished enough, take my hand and I'll escort you out of here." I offered my hand to her and she stared at it. "Get me out of here," she panted, tears trickling down her cheeks and gathering at her chin. "No, you get yourself out of here. Give up and agree to leave Mercy and Rhaine to take the punishment you agreed to." "Take my hand, abandon them, and I'll clean you up and escort you back to the fifth floor. That will be the end of it and nothing more will be said," I defined my terms. Barbie Lynn was still going to town on Joy's clit and the poor victim so desperately wanted to escape her nearly impossible battle with her own incendiary sexuality, which was no longer begging for release but tearing its prison down brick by brick. Joy almost reached my hand but fell short at the last moment. "God forgive me," she wept. He breathing began spiraling out of control. "Ugh, ugh, ugh, oh, please, stop, I beg, beg you." Divine intervention or not, Barbie Lynn's session ended and Joy was given breathing room. She even had a moment to look up at me and give a weak smile as if she had gained some small triumph. Her self-deception was made evident to her the moment Brandi exploded onto her scene. What the girl lacked in technique and experience, she more than compensated with raw, hungry enthusiasm. Joy's eyes grew as wide as limpid saucers, "Oh, No!" she wailed. Gurgling came next, and finally, "This can't be happening. God Forgive Me!" and what may have been her first sexual climax. She did grab my hands then and pulled them to her. Her face was slack, her mouth open and panting, and her eyes had this far-off look, so I lowered my lips to her face and licked her lips before settling my lips on hers and basically coaxing her tongue as it struggled to deal with several more waves of orgasm. I kept her kiss going with the occasional rest break so she could continue to breath. "Thank you," she whispered to me as she started to stabilize. "We FFU have to stick together," I both reminded her and boggled her shaken mind at the same time. Half an hour ago she had no doubt I didn't belong here and wasn't really FFU material, male and immoral. In her regard for me, I could see her blind acceptance of traditional FFU dogma weakening. "I've got to go now; it is almost my time to start punishing Rhaine," I softly informed Joy. Her hormone-trampled mind struggled to grasp that she was halfway through her torture. Brandi would finish soon, then it would be Opal, and then it would me, a male; me, face first at the gateway to her sacred womb. Her virginity would be spared from extinction by my will alone and I could tell that scared the hell out of her. She'd been chosen for her belief that Zane was a corrupter and that extraordinary measures were necessary to drive him out, no matter how sinful they may appear, and now she was face down and bare ass up, surrounded in his room by him and his friends. The most terrifying thing of all may well have been that we had made her feel more like a woman than she'd ever felt before. Where Rhaine had divorced her feelings and pleasure from her grasp of reality, and Joy was beating herself up every step of the way, Mercy had completely submerged herself in the transformation her body was going through. Mercy had already experienced one orgasm and come crashing down into doubt and self-loathing, only to be shown that her life wasn't over and no one thought the worst of her for actually enjoying sex. She didn't feel like a tramp or a slut; she felt alive and burning bright, so when Rio gave her that first hard spank, she'd moaned instead of crying out, and when the 'felon' gave her first few licks, Mercy reached under her body with one arm and started rubbing her slit in tandem with Rio's face dance. Even Rio's snicker didn't dampen her ardor, and when Rio took Mercy's hand and pushed two of Mercy's fingers deep in, Mercy thrust back with her hips so that her fingers touched her hymen. When Rio pulled Mercy's hand out of her twat, Mercy whimpered in need, but when she felt her fingers go into a different damp, warm orifice, she stopped, and when Rio's mouth started sucking the juices off of those fingers and twirling her tongue around each individual digit, Mercy couldn't help herself from wiggling her hips like a bitch in heat. With the fingers clean, Rio inserted them, along with two of her own fingers, back into Mercy's cunt, extremely stretching it out. Rio then came around the far side of Mercy, away from the others, and whispered into her ear. Later she related what was said: "You like that don't you?" Rio teased. Mercy nodded vigorously. "Come to Zane's room tonight and I'll fuck you all night long. You'll be my bitch. Do you understand that?" Another vigorous nod. "I've got to leave you soon to these other girls and Zane, but don't you forget you are mine now; my property, my mate. Don't make me hunt you down and put my brand on your ass, clear?" One final, excited nod. I live in Crazy Town. On par with that information was the fact that I had promised the night to Heaven and I had no clue how in the hell that was going to work out. My bed barely held three people, four was asking too much. If you made one of those people Heaven with her secret, the term 'impossible' came to mind. At the start of the line, Opal met Rhaine. She landed two very loud, wet smacks on Rhaine's behind, causing the senior to rock forward. Having gotten most of the 'cover story' (the spanking) out of the way, Opal rolled Rhaine onto her back with only the weakest of protests. She started a few gentle teases and kisses with her lips to Rhaine's cunt while Rhaine's legs dangled off the floor. Once she got Rhaine back into an erotic state, Opal began lifting Rhaine's thighs up and out until she'd pushed Rhaine's knees almost back to her breasts and feeding like a ravenous succubus on every inch of thigh, cunt, ass, and stomach. Opal hadn't been gentle with Brandi, but she'd been absolutely gentle, kind, and caring compared to the treatment Rhaine was getting. Rhaine held it in as long as possible but when she cut loose, she cut loose in a big way. Her fists pounded the bed repeatedly, her head swept back and forth, and her lower torso kept thrusting off the bed and into Opal's mouth, lips, and tongue. "Damn!" she screamed through clenched teeth as her body expended one last spasm. Opal succeeded in catching most of Rhaine's fluid eruption, rolled the heavily panting Rhaine to one side, and administered the proscribed last spank. "You're up, Zane," she winked with a smile, before cleaning her face and moving on to the nearly as devastated Joy. I settled between Rhaine's legs and began administering kisses. "Please, Zane," she begged, "it hurts. I'm so sore. Please just spank me." "Sorry, I can't do that," I told her sternly. Rhaine closed her eyes and muttered some kind of prayer, though she made no attempt to shield her body from me. I doubt she even knew I was lying beside her until my first kiss played upon her eyelids. "You are not going to, to me?" she inquired with a desperate hope. "No. I'm going to spank you so hard you can't sit for a week," I threatened, "unless I forget my three-minute time limit. I can't imagine what would possibly distract me, though." It took Rhaine's sexually fatigued mind a moment to catch on but when she did, she clasped her hands on either side of my face and kissed me with an inspired intensity. I let my fingers play along her breastbone and stroke her breasts through her shirt and bra. About a minute into this little game, I discovered Rio leaning over us, clearing her throat. "This monster made us jump out a second-story window," she stared intently. Fear crept back into Rhaine's eyes as she glanced from Rio to me. "I am biting her tongue, I promise," I grinned. "I'm not joking, Zane," Rio warned me. "Fine," I groaned. "Rhaine, roll toward me," I instructed, as I propped myself up, and she reluctantly rolled toward me. I put a hand on her hip, hiked up her skirt and rolled her farther to me until I got a good look at her rump. "Rio, take a look at this, please," I motioned to Rhaine's ass. Rhaine blushed and lowered her head. I doubt having her ass naked and on display on my bed was what she intended or even imagined possible when she got up this morning. I ran a hand along her spine to the cleft between her cheeks and squeezed the upper one tightly. "This is a thing of beauty," I told Rio, but clearly wanting Rhaine thinking about what was being said. Rio knew me too well to think I'd turn that ass cheek red so she took the other path. Rio reached out and stroked it too. "Okay, Zane; it is damn sexy," Rio acknowledged grudgingly. I took Rhaine's hand in my own and placed it on her side, just below the ribs, and led it in a wandering trip to her lower back, then to the cheek I'd displayed to Rio. "See, Rhaine, you have a fantastic ass. God knew what he was doing when he made you," I told her. "It is a pity we can't see you in shorts or a bikini from time to time." "That is sinful and leads men into the Sin of Lust," Rhaine said with absolute conviction. "This is the work of the Devil, not God." Rio ground her teeth but I grinned. "Did God create the male peacock?" I questioned, while I kept hold of Rhaine's hand and stroking her ass from tailbone to the dip into the bottom of her sopping wet cunt. "Yes," she cautiously replied, her breath coming faster and faster. "Yet we don't run around putting them in garbage bags because they are enticing to the eye," I reasoned. "You make it sound like it isn't a man's fault that he can't control his own impulses, even though he is supposed to lead his household." "God made you beautiful and he made me with will enough to look at you and respect any decision you make about your body," I hammered away. "I'm not going to say I don't want to have sex with you because that would be a lie, but the important thing to me is that you took a Purity Pledge and I have to respect that." Rhaine had nothing to say at that moment. I was clearly a randy bastard who preyed upon good Christian girls and tricked them into surrendering to my dark desires. "You are trying to trick me," she panted, while I leaned in and kissed her neck and ear. "Rhaine, I've been trying to avoid you since we first met. You are the one who cornered me in my dorm," I pointed out. "You came into my room when you knew I was either naked or getting dressed. You chose to crawl onto my bed when I was sitting down, meditating and clearly naked. I was hoping my blatant sexuality would make you leave me alone, not attack me." "Don't blame Rhaine," Rio joked to me. "Rhaine, Zane's like sex candy," she directed to Rhaine. "You won't be the first bunch of Christian bitches we've had to rescue Zane from. It is not his fault; it is ours. He's masculine, kind, and available. You know that he has been in three fights since coming here; right?" "Uh, uh, uh, yes," Rhaine panted. "It makes him dangerous, he's a man." "Really?" Rio chortled. "Two of those fights were to save me from you ladies, and he stopped fighting the moment I was safe. The third fight was caused because two of our girls were being set upon by those University guys and Zane put his body in the way, they hit him first." "I, is this true?" she said with a heavy breath. "Ask Mercy to tell you the truth, not what they've told her to say. Ask Cappadocia about that first fight and the fight off campus. You may not like Iona but she wouldn't lie to you and she knows how that second fight started," Rio sounded so reasonable. I slowly rolled over onto Rhaine while I kissed her neck and shoulders. "Ah, ew, yes," Rhaine cooed passionately. "Tricking me," she sighed but that didn't stop her from slowly moving her arms and legs around me. "Do you want to be on top?" I whispered to Rhaine. "I, uh," she stammered, then nodded. We rolled to the very foot of the bed and started a serious make-out session. I began rubbing down her mid- and lower back for a bit before moving to her ass cheeks and giving them a firm squeeze. "That doesn't hurt too much, does it?" I asked compassionately. "Umm, no, feels good," she managed to get out between kisses. "Okay," Rio smirked as she tapped Rhaine's shoulder. "Tap out; your time is up. Now get off my bitch (meaning me). He's got two more of you to go through before we can leave." "Huh? What?" Rhaine sounded confused, then, "it's over?" Her eyes betrayed how little she wanted this to stop right now. "Good," Rhaine sighed sadly. She began sliding down my body. When she saw that I was rising slower than she was receding, Rhaine waited until our lips met before continuing. We remained lip-locked until we stood up, my hands cupping her ass (now covered by her skirt once more) and her arms wrapped around my neck. "Have you learned your lesson?" I inquired when we finally came up for air. Rhaine looked at me for several seconds, unsure what to say. "Joy's waiting," Barbie Lynn reminded us both. Rhaine let her hands drop to her sides and stepped back. Barbie Lynn pressed something into her hands which turned out to be a fresh pair of panties. "I doubt you want to put on your old pair," Barbie Lynn pointed out, "and these are fresh out of the bag." "Thank you, Barbie Lynn," Rhaine said with embarrassment. "Here is a washcloth," Iona added as she handed one over. "You can go behind my wardrobe to change," I offered. The thought of any of the girls going behind a veil to avoid exposing themselves as they cleaned up and put on underwear might appear pointless, but after everything those three had gone through, handing them back a piece of their dignity was a kindness we could all afford. Rhaine disappeared from sight and I turned to Joy. Opal was still giving her a seriously hard time despite the time limit expiring and gave me a wink as she went to displace Brandi on Mercy. I put a knee on the bed and lifted Joy up. She squealed but didn't squirm and I carefully maneuvered her onto her feet. I held her tight while she reoriented. "Are you okay?" I voiced my concern. Joy gave a brief nod. "Are you ready for your last punishment?" Joy looked me in the eyes, then gave the tiniest acknowledgement. "Now stand on your tiptoes, put one hand around my neck, and use the other to hold up the back of your skirt while you press tightly against me." When she had done as I directed, I looked deep into her eyes. I spanked her cheeks, left-right-left, drawing forth a sharp breath, gritted teeth, and tears brimming in her eyes. I had not been gentle but sometimes a person needs punishment to forgive themselves for feeling good about something they've been told is wrong. That was the pop psychology I was running on at the moment. If I got it wrong, forgive me; I'm only eighteen. No sooner had Barbie Lynn and Iona supplied Joy with her parting gifts did Mercy howl. Her further outbursts were muted by her grabbing my much abused pillow and using it as a muzzle. Her body tensing and recoiling time and again was both frightening and erotic combined, and I was suddenly trying to remember if anyone close by knew CPR. Opal fell back on her ass and looked at the rest of us. "That was wild," she smiled, and licked her lips, "but I think I need to go change." I helped Opal stand and we exchanged a rich yet messy, sticky kiss. "Best intervention ever," Opal joked with me, then skipped off down the stairs. I turned to Mercy and plopped down beside her. A quick examination showed a sweaty, tired young lady with a sensual smile on her lips. "I think she's had enough, but" , I swatted her ass lightly three times and stood up. "Breakfast anyone?" Dorm Life, Heaven, and Mercy too. We were late heading out of the dorm so, under Rhaine's watchful control, the group jogged toward the dining hall. As we made the final approach, Rhaine grabbed my arm. Rhaine, Joy, Mercy and I slowed down while the rest headed in ahead of us. "What are we going to say?" Rhaine hissed in a panicky voice. "I was childish, blocked the door, and you caught me sneaking down a fire escape," I suggested. "You will get in trouble," Rhaine said with utter confusion. "I can take it better than you can," I related. "I don't understand. Why are you, all of you, doing this for us?" Joy asked. "Because," I snorted, "we are the good guys." They clearly thought I was a nut but going inside cut off the conversation. "Besides, I need to do something that's going to be rough on both of us." The Smartest Girl on Campus Looking back on things, that first Monday when it was only Rio and I realizing what I was became the only time I entered the Dining Hall or Assembly without being noticed. First I had been a novelty, now I was the freakish center of the storm. I sort of held my reactions in reverse; the hateful looks my enemies gave me made me laugh while the hopeful looks my allies gave me scared the hell out of me. I was dwelling on that quirk in my nature when I reached the spot my gang was sitting; we had our own location and the majority of the school had given it their blessing. Weird? Only the Class Presidents had their own preordained spots. Speaking of which, "Hey, Jungle Boy," Rio teased in such a dangerous way that I felt my balls crawl up into my body. "Iona nominated you for Freshman Class President." "Ha, ha, ha," I joked dryly, then looked to Iona. She couldn't meet my gaze. "Iona, why? Why didn't you at least ask me first?" "I knew you would say 'no'," she replied softly, then she looked up with more determination, "but I know you would be a great Class President." "Don't sweat it, Zane," Rio chuckled. "You need fifty signatures to be on the ballet." "He has seventy-two," Iona informed us. "Gak! How long have I been out there?" I gasped. "Nine minutes," Iona smirked bashfully. I looked around the room, humbled and disturbed. You have to remember that there weren't 250 freshmen and nearly one-third had decided that I should lead them; the faculty must be having kittens. I was thinking that over when a previous bit of theater came back to bite me in the ass. A girl I vaguely knew, Arielle, a fellow freshman, put her hand on my shoulder and waited. It took me a second to clue in but thankfully she and the others were patient. I put my hand on top of hers. "Thank you," I told her. She smiled and moved away, immediately replaced by another freshman. Over 80 freshmen followed and I could feel the disgust emanating from the head table were Chancellor Bazz sat. Friends like Brandi and Dove came over to congratulate me on my nomination but I realized my more savvy friends stayed away. They knew the struggle I was in for and the very real possibility that even if I was elected, Chancellor Bazz would simply kick me out. I'd be going to them for advice and counsel. I guess I might actually have to ask Iona who the Sophomore and Junior Class Presidents were. In fact, "Iona, who are the other Class Presidents?" I inquired. "They would be those haughty bitches in pleated skirts," Rio interrupted. "Funny like a crutch," I replied snidely. "Besides, that describes about half the girls here." "These would be the ones avoiding you like the plague," Rio snickered. "Here you go," Iona intervened, showing me two pictures on her phone. "Besides, you aren't that alone; the Science Club and Botany Club both support you." "Whoop-de-do," Rio huffed. "What are they going to do? Send nasty e-mails and throw clods of dirt on our opponents?" "Could I meet with them?" I asked Iona, ignoring Rio's snide asides. "They've both agreed to help with your Solarium," Iona shot a 'that will show you' to Rio, "and you already know the head of the Science Club but I can set up a meeting if you like." "Make it so," I commanded loftily. "Zane, if you become Class President Iona will be your Personal Assistant, but what does that make me?" Rio inquired. "My House Assassin," I suggested. Rio seemed to like the idea, it fit with her violent tendencies, but she wanted an explanation. "You are almost always underestimated, and like me, you have nothing to lose." "House Assassin," Rio mulled it over. "Okay, but I prefer the title 'Ninja Reaper Angel'." Rio and I exchanged looks; hers mischievous and mine one of amusement. "N R A"

A real pleasure to chat with Lisa Lambertus from the Rathbone Wine Group at Todo Vino in Puerto Rico. We tasted some delicious wines from Yering Station, Mount Langi and Xanadu. Make sure to taste these delicious wines soon. Thanks for listening and following our podcast.#wine #shiraz #pinotnoir #chardonnay #australia

[This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] 1. The Internet That Would Be In July 1945, Vannevar Bush was riding high. As Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, he'd won World War II. His proximity fuse intercepted hundreds of V-1s and destroyed thousands of tanks, carving a path for Allied forces through the French countryside. Back in 1942, he'd advocated to President Roosevelt the merits of Oppenheimer's atomic bomb. Roosevelt and his congressional allies snuck hundreds of millions in covert funding to the OSRD's planned projects in Oak Ridge and Los Alamos. Writing directly and secretively to Bush, a one-line memo in June expressed Roosevelt's total confidence in his Director: “Do you have the money?” Indeed he did. The warheads it bought would fall on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in mere weeks. The Germans had already given up; Victory in the Pacific was nigh. So Bush was thinking ahead. In The Atlantic, Bush returned to a pre-war obsession with communication and knowledge-exchange. His essay, “As We May Think,” imagined a new metascientifical endeavor (emphasis mine): https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-project-xanadu-the-internet

Send us a textA hard-boiled police detective sets out to capture an aspiring Broadway dancer who has been terrorizing the canals of Amsterdam with his killer moves. On Episode 687 of Trick or Treat Radio we are joined by our boy Joshua Libre for his Patreon Takeover and he has selected the films Amsterdamned from director Dick Maas and Staying Alive from director Sylvester Stallone for us to discuss! We also talk about Dutch horror, the real reason disco died, and what could have been if Joe Spinell was cast as a choreographer in Staying Alive! So grab your scuba gear, strut on down the street in your finest clothes, and strap on for the world's most dangerous podcast!Stuff we talk about: Horror merchandise, Chia Pets, Pennywise, Elvira, Ghostface, Jason Universe, making the pain go away, the prolific pisser, the 13th step, national hispanic heritage, Amityville, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Good Son, Warlock, The Forgotten, Shaun of the Dead, Rare Exports, Wendigo, Bloody Homecoming, Dead Women's Hollow, Woe, The Dunwich Horror, Stitch, Chronicles of the Dead, Trancers 2, Freaked, Alex Winter, Summer School, Mask, Cher, Boone the Bounty Hunter, Journey into Darkness, The Creeping Flesh, King Kong, Victor Wong, James Hong, Pooh-niverse, Anaconda, The Bride, Bonny and Clyde, Tremors, Remo Williams, Walking Dead, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Johnsons, Amsterdamned, Dick Maas, James Bond, boat chases, Police Academy 5, Dark Night of the Scarecrow, The Vanishing, Huub Stapel, The Last Crusade, Lucker the Necrophagous, Staying Alive, Sylvester Stallone, Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta, The Sandlot, Kurtwood Smith, Frank Stallone, That 70s Show, Johnny Vasolino, a bulge the size of a coconut, Pulp Fiction, Norman Wexler, Bee Gees, Flashdance, Cynthia Rhodes, Joe Spinell, Fame, Xanadu, D.C. Cab, My Bodyguard, Showgirls, Waiting for Guffman, The Producers, Disco Demolition, time capsule, Weapons, Until Dawn, Peter Stormare, Sinners, Bring Her Back, Amsterdarned, Hamsterdamned, a small serving of Giallo, War of the Worlds, Mac Sabbath, The Apple, The Last Starfighter, Patreon Takeover, Superman, Toxic Avenger, Peter Dinklage, Springtime for Tony and Amsterdamned II.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trickortreatradioJoin our Discord Community: discord.trickortreatradio.comSend Email/Voicemail: mailto:podcast@trickortreatradio.comVisit our website: http://trickortreatradio.comStart your own podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=386Use our Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2CTdZzKFB Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/trickortreatradioTwitter: http://twitter.com/TrickTreatRadioFacebook: http://facebook.com/TrickOrTreatRadioYouTube: http://youtube.com/TrickOrTreatRadioInstagram: http://instagram.com/TrickorTreatRadioSupport the show

Cheryl Baxter's very first job as a young dancer put her on the set of Xanadu with Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Kenny Ortega. What does it feel like to step into a world like that straight out of a small town in Wisconsin? And how do you carry lessons from legends into a career that lasts for decades?    Joining John Corella in this episode, Cheryl reflects on the magic of Xanadu, the influence of Gene Kelly's ease and Olivia Newton-John's authenticity, and the ways she has kept her career alive through every crossover - from film and television to teaching and even TikTok!   Cheryl's story invites you to think about resilience, reinvention, and the joy that comes from saying yes to new stages of life in dance.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Dance Dad Introduction 03:20 Making Xanadu With Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly 06:00 Gene Kelly's On Set Lesson: Relax and Have Fun 10:30 Meeting Olivia Newton-John and Early Xanadu Memories 16:10 Why Xanadu Became a Cult Classic 28:30 Reinvention and Career Crossover From Stage to TikTok 49:30 Filming Magic on Xanadu: Steadicam, Long Days, Big Finale 57:50 Stay Bold: Resilience and Reinvention in Dance    Connect with Cheryl Baxter: Follow Cheryl on Instagram   Connect with John Corella: Follow Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram Follow John on Instagram Join Dance Dad with John Corella on Patreon John Corella Website Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

In this episode of Tank Talks, host Matt Cohen is joined by Christian Weedbrook, Founder and CEO of Xanadu, a groundbreaking Canadian company leading the charge in photonic quantum computing. With over $250 million raised, Xanadu is on track to revolutionize industries through its cutting-edge quantum technologies.Christian discusses his transition from academia to entrepreneurship, the challenges of building a quantum company, and the potential for quantum computing to reshape industries like AI, drug discovery, and materials science. He shares his insights on Canada's role in the future of quantum tech, how quantum's “ChatGPT moment” will likely change the game, and why error correction is the key to scalable quantum applications.Christian also dives into Xanadu's ambitious plans for a quantum data center in Toronto, aiming to leverage room-temperature photonic computing to create the world's first fault-tolerant quantum computing environment by 2029. From AI-driven innovation to material science breakthroughs, this episode is packed with insights on how the future of computing is being redefined.A Quick Word from our Sponsor, FaskenAt Fasken, our clients don't wait for the future. They build it. As the first and largest dedicated emerging tech practice in Canada, our team is composed of founders, ex in-house counsel, developers and business advisors who have guided clients from startup, to scale-up, to exit. The trust of our clients has enabled us to consistently rank at the top of every major Canadian M&A, Capital Markets and Venture Capital league table. With deep industry knowledge and experience across all areas of emerging and high growth technology including ClimateTech, MedTech, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, and AgTech we're your partners within the innovation ecosystem as you transform the landscape of what's possible.Tomorrow starts here. Own it with us.For more information, visit fasken.com/emergingtech and follow us on LinkedIn.Christian's Journey from Quantum Physics to Entrepreneurial Vision (08:15)* The transition from academia to founding Xanadu.* Early quantum research and turning theory into a business.Quantum's "ChatGPT Moment" (13:10)* How quantum computing's breakthrough will mirror AI's rise.* The promise of quantum in industries like AI and drug discovery.The Challenges of Quantum Capital and Investment (16:20)* The hurdles of fundraising and dealing with investors unfamiliar with quantum technology.Xanadu's Recent Breakthrough in Photonic Error Correction (18:47)* How solving error correction will pave the way for real-world quantum applications.* Quantum advantage in practical settings.Canada's Advantage in Quantum and Xanadu's Global Impact (22:01)* Why Christian chose to build Xanadu in Toronto.* How Canada can lead the quantum revolution and avoid the pitfalls faced by the AI sector.The Future of Quantum Chemistry and Material Science (39:10)* The role of quantum computing in next-gen battery and solar cell development.* Why quantum chemistry is the next big frontier.About Christian WeedbrookChristian Weedbrook is the Founder and CEO of Xanadu, a leading quantum computing company based in Toronto, specializing in photonic quantum technologies. With a PhD in quantum computing, Christian has held postdoctoral positions at MIT and the University of Toronto, contributing to groundbreaking work in the field. He founded Xanadu in 2016, aiming to make quantum computing scalable and commercially viable. Under his leadership, the company has raised over $250 million and is on track to build the world's first fault-tolerant quantum data center by 2029. Christian is dedicated to positioning Canada as a global leader in quantum computing and helping to unlock its potential across industries like AI, drug discovery, and material science.Connect with Christian Weedbrook on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianweedbrook/Visit the Xanadu website: https://www.xanadu.ai/Connect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

Ian and Jeff strap on their skates and venture into the heady neon-glow of Xanadu!Robert Greenwald's 1980 musical fantasy stars Olivia Newton-John as Kira, a muse and daughter of Zeus, who seeks to inspire a struggling L.A. artist named Sonny Malone (Michael Beck). As romance blooms, Sonny meets a former magician-turned-construction-magnate named Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly), who dreams of opening up a nightclub--and who may have crossed paths with Kira during his days as an enlisted entertainer during World War II.This syrupy cult classic was recently brought back to stunning life on 4K, and the guys look back at Xanadu with a reverence that surprised them both. Wade through the cheese and the at times iffy filmmaking, and you'll see a truly moving story about the push-and-pull of independent artists and the end of the Mass Media Artist as Tactile Craftsman era.This episode is part movie review, part continuation of Ian and Jeff's ongoing discussion about the role of Artificial Intelligence in the arts. Whether you love or hate Xanadu (or have no idea it ever existed), there's a veritable buffet of food for thought in this loving look back!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, watch us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Xanadu (1980) trailer.Order the new 4K UHD of Xanadu from Kino Lorber.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.

XANADU 45th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL cont. I'M ALIVE Electric Light Orchestra THE FALL Electric Light Orchestra DON'T WALK AWAY Electric Light Orchestra ALL OVER THE WORLD Electric Light Orchestra DRUM DREAMS... LEARN MORE The post TTBA Replay 29AUG20205 Pt. 1 appeared first on Turn the Beat Around.

Meg Wolitzer presents two stories about neighbors and the unexpected relationships that can develop between people who live adjacent to one another.  In Tess Gallagher's “Mr. Woodriff's Neckties,” a famous novelist lets his neighbor in on a secret.  The reader is Dion Graham.  In “Hoodie in Xanadu,” by Ann Beattie, a  woman discovers that her shy neighbor possesses creative genius.  The story is performed by Kirsten Vangsness.

The second volume TPB of the Defenders of the Earth series by Mad Cave Studios is now out for sale around the world. Scott Wydon joins Stephen East and Jermayn Parker as they review all 8 issues from the series. They do a 5 minutes synopsis of the series and then get down to business talking about what they like, what they do not like and much more.We will be discussing the story in detail, so there will be spoilers. We recommend ensuring you read the series before you listen / watch this podcast. We have warned you! Why does the Phantom carry revolvers instead of his 1911's? Is the Phantom still alive and the Phantom? Or is Jedda now the Phantom?Will Jedda taking on the role of the Phantom see Rick, LJ and K'shin also take over the roles by their fathers? Will this then see a change of the song to become "8 becomes 4..."Is Ming still alive?Will Kurt return?Considering that Barin Atomics was used in the first series, will we see Prince Barin?Was bringing Xanadu in the pocket of Mandrake genius or too convenient?Are we seeing a return to the classic golden oldie characters?What would you like to see in the new Defenders of the Earth series starting in 2026?These plus much more are the questions we have. Have you read the series? What did you think about it? We love your comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. You can either email us, leave your comments at our YouTube Channel, and leave them at our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram. Make sure you stay with us, and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast and/or our YouTube Channel. Support the show

XANADU 45th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL includes interview with John Farrar MAGIC Olivia Newton-John FOOL COUNTRY Olivia Newton-John SUDDENLY Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard DANCIN' Olivia Newton-John and The Tubes SUSPENDED IN... LEARN MORE The post TTBA Replay 22AUG2025 Pt. 2 appeared first on Turn the Beat Around.

This episode we are joined by Tony nominated performer Kerry Butler! Kerry is currently starring as Ms. Fleming in Heathers the Musical playing at New World Stages!  You know Kerry from her roles in Hairspray, Catch Me if You Can, Xanadu, Little Shop of Horrors, Beetlejuice and Mean Girls…just to name a few! She's also returning to the show Bat Boy at City Center this fall where she originated the role of Shelley in it's original off Broadway production. We talk with Kerry about what it's like working on Heathers the Musical, how it came into her life, going back into working on Bat Boy the Musical and much more!To get tickets to Heathers the Musical visit their website!

On the eve of Xanadu's 45th Anniversary, Dennis is joined by six of his fellow Xanadu superfans--the XanaCrew--to preview the events they have organized for this coming weekend in Los Angeles. The events include a sold out screening on Saturday, August 9th featuring a Q & A with Michael Beck and multiple muses...bookended by a tribute concert on Friday, the 8th and a picnic on Sunday, August 10 from noon to 3 at Pan Pacific Park. The six XanaCrew members who appear on the pod do so in pairs: singers Lisa Donahey and Eric Seppala sneak preview their ONJ/Xanadu tribute concert on Friday; husbands Mykel and Jeff Crerie share the amazing story of how Xanadu brought them together as a couple and Bill Morgan and Matt Tunia recall a Xanadu-themed birthday party that started this whole ball rolling and share what the movie and being part of the XanaCrew means to them. www.xanaduexperience.com

There's a new theater company that opened about a mile from Dennis's home in North Hollywood called The Wisteria Theater and it's a magical place. The show that's currently running there is Xanadu: The Musical, based on the iconic Olivia Newton-John movie musical that Dennis has been obsessed with since 1980. In this episode, Dennis welcomes the team behind the show to play a couple rounds of his game You Don't Know My Life! The five guests are Renée Wylder (Producer and Wisteria Theater co-founder), acress Lexi Collins (Kira, Wisteria Theater company co-founder), actors Connor Bullock (Sonny) and Kelby Thwaits (Danny) as well as the show's director Brayden Hade. The two questions posed during the game are 1) "Xanadu is a story about dreams. When was a time in your life when you thought, OMG, this is a dream come true?" And 2) You come across an old diary entry with the headline A Night at the Theater I'll Never Forget. What happens in it?" Their stories involve everything from scoring big career breaks to on stage mishaps to trying to do a show in a tornado to pigging out on chips and tacos at Salsa y Beer down the street from the Wisteria. Xanadu runs at the Wisteria through August 10th www.wisteriatheater.com

Longtime listeners know that The Wolf & Action Jackson hava a special place in their hearts for Rush, the Canadian power trio that went through many phases and sounds over their more than 4 decades together. To wrap up our 2nd year of First Concert Memories, our monthly sidecast about special moments in our lives that revolve around a live rock show, we welcomed our Pantheon Podcasts brother Brad Page. Brad grew up in greater Boston and tried to see Rush on the Permanent Waves Tour. However, after he and his friends trekked over 2 hours to Cape Cod for the show, at the last second it was cancelled. Brad was worried that he'd never get to see one of his very favorite bands live. However, that was actually good fortune in that the boys made up the date during a brief tour between Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures that saw the band debut some of the stuff they were working on. Those songs turned out to be Limelight and Tom Sawyer off the forthcoming Moving Pictures, the album that would change the fortunes of Rush forever. Brad tells us how he and his buddies freaked out when Geddy announced they'd be playing something new. But he also remembers hearing some of his all time favorites like Xanadu and the inimitable La Villa Strangiato. The setlist was phenomenal and the venue was smaller than any of the others from that brief tour between major album tours. So Brad saw the greatest setlist, a killer stage production and heard the debut of a couple of stone cold Rush classics before they went back in the studio to finish them. It's a fun story of a night for which we wish we'd been there. Check out our new website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ugly American Werewolf in London Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LInkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pantheonpodcasts.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've ever roller-skated, then this movie is for you! Michaela Watkins (Hacks) joins Paul, June, and Jason to talk all about the Olivia Newton-John & Gene Kelly musical Xanadu. LIVE from Largo in LA, they cover everything from the opening dance montage where the muses come out of a mural portal, the animation sequence that was basically the sex scene, and Gene Kelly's memory boner. Plus, we discover why Zeus has a British accent during audience Q&A! (Originally Released 01/30/2022) • Go to hdtgm.com for tour dates, merch, FAQs, and more• Have a Last Looks correction or omission? Call 619-PAULASK to leave us a voicemail!• Submit your Last Looks theme song to us here• Join the HDTGM conversation on Discord: discord.gg/hdtgm• Buy merch at howdidthisgetmade.dashery.com/• Order Paul's book about his childhood: Joyful Recollections of Trauma• Shop our new hat collection at podswag.com• Paul's Discord: discord.gg/paulscheer• Paul's YouTube page: youtube.com/paulscheer• Follow Paul on Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/paulscheer• Subscribe to Enter The Dark Web w/ Paul & Rob Huebel: youtube.com/@enterthedarkweb• Listen to Unspooled with Paul & Amy Nicholson: unspooledpodcast.com• Listen to The Deep Dive with June & Jessica St. Clair: thedeepdiveacademy.com/podcast• Instagram: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & @junediane• Twitter: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & msjunediane • Jason is not on social media• Episode transcripts available at how-did-this-get-made.simplecast.com/episodesGet access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using the link: siriusxm.com/hdtgm