Podcasts about Time

For nearly two decades, the Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions (U Hawaii Press, 2024) has served as a valuable resource for students and scholars of religion in Japan. This exciting update expands the audience to include non-specialists of Japan while also complicating the notions of "Japan" and "religion." Asking the provocative question "why study Japanese religions?" the editors argue that studying Japan is vital for the academic study of religion writ large and make a case for the continued importance of religious topics in Japan studies, broadly conceived. The volume addresses the question of why--and how--to study Japanese religions in seven sections, each overseen by a leading expert in that subfield. The section on "Knowledge Production" investigates medicine, sacred objects, and the politico-economic structures undergirding academia. "Cosmology and Time" reveals how religion shaped worldviews in both premodern and modern Japan by taking up topics such as the afterlife, divination, and relationships between science and religion. "Space and Environment" considers geography, relationships between the human and nonhuman denizens of the Japanese archipelago, and religion in Japan's overseas colonies and among diasporic outmigrants. "Feelings and Belonging" focuses on affective relationships generated through confraternities, homiletics, and caring professions. "Politics and Governance" describes longstanding relationships between religion and the state, covering everything from sacred kingship to contemporary electoral politics. The final two sections include practical advice for conducting fieldwork and helpful introductions to several relevant archives. Overall, the volume reflects the impact of recent scholarly trends in the study of Japanese religions, including material religion studies, affect theory, environmental humanities, and critical secularism studies. The breadth of topics as well as the accessibility of the individual chapters makes The New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions an indispensable resource for the classroom. It will be useful not only for scholars of Japan, but also for anyone interested in the academic study of religion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Previous guest Jacob Bricca (Documentary Editing: Principles and Practice) is a professional film editor and director, specializing in documentaries. In his new book, he breaks down the hidden conventions of the documentary film in accessible language for film students and documentary enthusiasts alike. Chapters on Narrative and Meaning show how documentaries use story constructions borrowed from fiction filmmaking and combine elements from disparate sources in order to prosecute their stories, while chapters on Flow and Time illuminate the precise mechanics of how the flow of information in a documentary is regulated to produce a specific result in the mind of the viewer. Other chapters like Titles, Music, and Sound break the documentary down into its component parts that can be analyzed independently.  Throughout How Documentaries Work (Oxford University Press, 2023), excerpts from interviews with documentary producers, directors and craftspersons help to illuminate the concepts and deliver behind-the-scenes insights. It contains examples from over 100 contemporary documentaries and covers a wide variety of contemporary non-fiction work, including docu-series, television documentaries, unscripted series, and contemporary avant-garde documentaries. Joel Tscherne is an Adjunct History Professor at Southern New Hampshire University and an Associate Faculty member at University of Arizona Global Campus. His Twitter handle is @JoelTscherne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Yes. I said it. And I stand by it.In this Fantasy for the Ages episode, Jim goes solo to tackle one of the most divisive topics in SFFH fandom:

Dali does a lone show this week, chugs back on some 5-hour Energy, opens his Secret Santa gift and gets ready for chaos! Ayyyy! Time for the HOLIDAYS! Subscribe and rate us via iTunes Subscribe on: Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora DISCORD LINK Watch us on TWITCH! RSS feed: http://sidequesting.podbean.com/feed Hosts: Dali, J.J., Zach, Taylor, Sam, Tom, Jonny, Tyler With Special Guest: Stefan Swandlund from the community SIDEQUESTING PATREON EXECUTIVES: Punkdefied SIDEQUESTING PATREON PRODUCERS: Stefan Swandlund, Zero the Prototype, Exageneus, Jeff Grubb Topics: THE HOLIDAYS What We're Enjoying: 5-hour Energy Holiday Flavors (review) Secret Santa Gifts Review & Preview products supplied by publishers SnackQuesting: 5-hour Energy Music Intro: Zero The Prototype – Powerr Music Outro: N.I.M. – Choice Comments? Questions? Email us at: sidequesting @ gmail.com Image courtesy: Andrea Piacquadio

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Prayer During the Day for Sunday during Christmas. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/prayer-during-day-contemporary-sunday-28-december-2025

For nearly two decades, the Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions (U Hawaii Press, 2024) has served as a valuable resource for students and scholars of religion in Japan. This exciting update expands the audience to include non-specialists of Japan while also complicating the notions of "Japan" and "religion." Asking the provocative question "why study Japanese religions?" the editors argue that studying Japan is vital for the academic study of religion writ large and make a case for the continued importance of religious topics in Japan studies, broadly conceived. The volume addresses the question of why--and how--to study Japanese religions in seven sections, each overseen by a leading expert in that subfield. The section on "Knowledge Production" investigates medicine, sacred objects, and the politico-economic structures undergirding academia. "Cosmology and Time" reveals how religion shaped worldviews in both premodern and modern Japan by taking up topics such as the afterlife, divination, and relationships between science and religion. "Space and Environment" considers geography, relationships between the human and nonhuman denizens of the Japanese archipelago, and religion in Japan's overseas colonies and among diasporic outmigrants. "Feelings and Belonging" focuses on affective relationships generated through confraternities, homiletics, and caring professions. "Politics and Governance" describes longstanding relationships between religion and the state, covering everything from sacred kingship to contemporary electoral politics. The final two sections include practical advice for conducting fieldwork and helpful introductions to several relevant archives. Overall, the volume reflects the impact of recent scholarly trends in the study of Japanese religions, including material religion studies, affect theory, environmental humanities, and critical secularism studies. The breadth of topics as well as the accessibility of the individual chapters makes The New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions an indispensable resource for the classroom. It will be useful not only for scholars of Japan, but also for anyone interested in the academic study of religion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

Previous guest Jacob Bricca (Documentary Editing: Principles and Practice) is a professional film editor and director, specializing in documentaries. In his new book, he breaks down the hidden conventions of the documentary film in accessible language for film students and documentary enthusiasts alike. Chapters on Narrative and Meaning show how documentaries use story constructions borrowed from fiction filmmaking and combine elements from disparate sources in order to prosecute their stories, while chapters on Flow and Time illuminate the precise mechanics of how the flow of information in a documentary is regulated to produce a specific result in the mind of the viewer. Other chapters like Titles, Music, and Sound break the documentary down into its component parts that can be analyzed independently.  Throughout How Documentaries Work (Oxford University Press, 2023), excerpts from interviews with documentary producers, directors and craftspersons help to illuminate the concepts and deliver behind-the-scenes insights. It contains examples from over 100 contemporary documentaries and covers a wide variety of contemporary non-fiction work, including docu-series, television documentaries, unscripted series, and contemporary avant-garde documentaries. Joel Tscherne is an Adjunct History Professor at Southern New Hampshire University and an Associate Faculty member at University of Arizona Global Campus. His Twitter handle is @JoelTscherne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

For nearly two decades, the Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions (U Hawaii Press, 2024) has served as a valuable resource for students and scholars of religion in Japan. This exciting update expands the audience to include non-specialists of Japan while also complicating the notions of "Japan" and "religion." Asking the provocative question "why study Japanese religions?" the editors argue that studying Japan is vital for the academic study of religion writ large and make a case for the continued importance of religious topics in Japan studies, broadly conceived. The volume addresses the question of why--and how--to study Japanese religions in seven sections, each overseen by a leading expert in that subfield. The section on "Knowledge Production" investigates medicine, sacred objects, and the politico-economic structures undergirding academia. "Cosmology and Time" reveals how religion shaped worldviews in both premodern and modern Japan by taking up topics such as the afterlife, divination, and relationships between science and religion. "Space and Environment" considers geography, relationships between the human and nonhuman denizens of the Japanese archipelago, and religion in Japan's overseas colonies and among diasporic outmigrants. "Feelings and Belonging" focuses on affective relationships generated through confraternities, homiletics, and caring professions. "Politics and Governance" describes longstanding relationships between religion and the state, covering everything from sacred kingship to contemporary electoral politics. The final two sections include practical advice for conducting fieldwork and helpful introductions to several relevant archives. Overall, the volume reflects the impact of recent scholarly trends in the study of Japanese religions, including material religion studies, affect theory, environmental humanities, and critical secularism studies. The breadth of topics as well as the accessibility of the individual chapters makes The New Nanzan Guide to Japanese Religions an indispensable resource for the classroom. It will be useful not only for scholars of Japan, but also for anyone interested in the academic study of religion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/japanese-studies

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Billy Strings has one foot in traditional bluegrass and another in improvisational jam music. He has a new album, ‘Live at the Legion,' and he brought his guitar to our studio. He spoke with Sam Briger about healing himself through songwriting.Also, Icelandic jazz-pop star Laufey spoke with Terry Gross about her classical training in cello, breaking out online during COVID, and her first arena tour. Her recent album is ‘A Matter of Time.' Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This week on The Horror, The CBS Radio Mystery Theater brings us A Horror Story, their episode from December 11, 1978. More from The CBS Radio Mystery Theater https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/e55e1c7a-e213-4a20-8701-21862bdf1f8a/TheHorror1260.mp3 Download TheHorror1260 | Subscribe | Spotify | Support The Horror Support your weekly hauntings by visiting donate.relicradio.com! Thanks!

In today's episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros expose the real reason most people struggle with consistency, productivity, and follow-through. This conversation cuts past surface-level time management advice and into priorities, self-discipline, and long-term identity. Drawing from years of coaching and thousands of conversations, they explain why time is allocated, not found, and why high performers build their lives around non-negotiable standards. If you are focused on personal growth, habit formation, and sustainable success, this episode will challenge how you think about effort, sacrifice, and results. Stop protecting comfort and start building a future you do not have to explain.Learn more about:Join our Next Level University Monthly Masterclass, "How to Set and Achieve Your Most Important Goals in 2026." One hour. Real principles. Lasting breakthroughs: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-ShY-iGKTEKPlsx3oCJUWw#/registrationIf you want to start, grow, scale, or monetize your podcast? Join our “Next Level Podcast Accelerator” – Round 21 – Starting January 6, 2026. Use promocode: NLULISTENER, for 30% off - https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/group-coaching/_______________________NLU is not just a podcast; it's a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.For more information, check out our website and socials using the links below.

Free newsleter + gift - https://www.clarkkegley.com/free-ques... Free shadow work Qs - https://www.clarkkegley.com/shadow-work My Best Journal Program - https://www.mybestjournal.com Limited time: (use code "YOUTUBE50" at checkout) Time for the ultimate guide to keeping a journal! This has been our end-of-year tradition for over 8 years now, and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you again. In this video, I'll show you why journaling is hands-down the BEST thing you can do to change your life in 2026. We'll break it down into these parts: 00:00 The one habit 01:01 Why 03:12 What 04:05 How 04:21 Front cover 08:28 Back cover 12:12 Middle Hope you dig it, and happy new year! The Best of Series | 10-years In The Making:    • THE BEST OF - Clark Kegley | Top Videos on... 2025:    • The Ultimate Guide to Journaling: Change Y...   2024:    • The ULTIMATE guide to keeping a Journal   2023:    • the ultimate guide to keeping a journal   2022:    • the ultimate guide to keeping a journal   2021:    • The Ultimate Guide to Keeping A Journal   MY FAVORITE TOOLS

Britt James Carpenter is a five-time overdose survivor. After being incarcerated, he found his way to recovery and decided to turn his negative experiences into a source for good. He joins Racquel Williams to talk about his non-profit, Philly Unknown Project, which provides resources to the formerly incarcerated, people experiencing homelessness, and those with substance abuse disorder. Then, on Shara in the City, the founder of The Colored Girls Museum, Vashti Dubois, takes us through one of the most talked about art exhibitions for Black History Month for one last look before its closing. Shara Dae Howard explores “The Time is Always Now” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

https://www.instagram.com/p/DSOvOClDC... 如是我聞–Thus have I heard 日期 Date：Jan04, 2026（日） 時間 Time：1930 open 地點 Venue：MOM LIVEHOUSE (B39 7 Seas Shopping Centre, 113-121 King's Rd, North Point) 網上購票 Online Ticket：https://tickcats.com/event/phantom 票價Ticket Price：HKD$360 演出單位 Line up： Gwenji、小試關刀、浮森 演出單位介紹 Gwenji（@gwenjibillie） Gwenji是來自香港的獨立民謠唱作歌手，擅長以真摯的旋律與流麗的結他演奏，描繪細膩的情感風景。首張EP《The Mole in My Eye》完整展現她將生活感悟轉化為動人歌曲的獨特視角。 這次演出，她將與完整樂隊合作，在原有的民謠基底上，加入更豐富的層次，為作品帶來全新的聆聽維度。 小試關刀（@gwaan1jyu5knife） 小試關刀成立於2022年仲夏，受歷史迷因啓發，以三國演義每位人物為題撰寫歌曲，探索人性奧妙。 從酷於青龍偃月刀的樂器Chapman Stick為契機，匯合前衞搖滾、雷鬼、鼓打貝斯、廣播劇元素，以三人陣容展現充塞特攝、邪典味道的專屬世界觀。 於2024年多場演出後推出同名EP、單曲《關公大戰外星人》、《備長嘆》，計劃於2026年推出首張專輯。 浮森（@fusenofficial） 純器樂(instrumental) , 後搖滾(Post-rock) 我們一直追求用聲音製造畫面，觀眾用想像力替我們譜寫故事，聆聽與被聆聽之間，舞台到底 在哪? “人與人之間難以完全理解，即使我們注定是孤獨的，但當音符與節奏響起的一刻，我想我們 會短暫的連結在一起。”

This weeks episode; the guys preview the Seahawks Week 17 matchup in Carolina, Dustins Juke Box and the Smooth Report returns, and the lads share their brief Christmas cheer   This podcast is supported by Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Media Like, Follow and Subscribe to the Show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok Subscribe to our page for new Episodes of Time to BS Podcast, Seahawks Sessions, Isle of BS, and BS Sessions New episodes of Time to BS released on Wednesdays New episodes of Seahawks Sessions released on Saturdays, Postgame shows released the day after Seahawks Games New Episodes of Isle of BS released on Mondays     Tags:   #Seahawks #SeahawksPodcast #NFL #BellyUpSports #BellyUpMedia #ComedyPodast #RealTalkPodcast #Podcast   Social Pages:   Twitter/X: https://x.com/timetobspodcast?s=11   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timetobspodcast?igsh=MXNka3FwMzA4dWFucw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/17y5JMLn5T/?mibextid=wwXIfr   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stanielsmooth?_r=1&_t=ZP-921r1sKCcZi   Discord: https://discord.gg/FxDfwkMcs   YouTube Page: https://youtube.com/@timetobspodcast?si=kHR3-tVEHU-9RoWW   Linktree: https://linktr.ee/TimetoBSPodcast?utm_source=linktree_admin_share   Dustin's Twitter/X & Instagram: @eldusto67   Kevin's Twitter/X: KEVIN62WILSEA   Subscribe to No Credentials Required: https://youtube.com/@nocredsreq?si=s-wnJygfqqrg_z7A   Linktree: https://linktr.ee/TimetoBSPodcast?utm_source=linktree_admin_share

İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı, "futbolda bahis" soruşturması kapsamında 29 kişi hakkında daha gözaltı kararı verildiğini duyurdu. AİHM, Ekrem İmamoğlu'nun tutukluluğuna ilişkin "öncelik" kararı verdi.Bu bölüm Tissot hakkında reklam içermektedir. Tissot, "The Gift of Time" kampanyasıyla 170 yılı aşkın mirasını ve dünyanın ilk anti-manyetik saati gibi teknik devrimlerini sinematik bir yolculukla kutluyor. Geleneği teknolojiyle buluşturan modelleri keşfetmek ve ayrıntılı bilgi almak için burayı ziyaret edebilirsiniz.

Before you lean in and read, take a moment to settle into your body. Take a few slow, deep breaths, extending your exhale a few extra seconds. Let your shoulders drop. Give yourself a moment to arrive in your space. ✨ Ponder…… “What am I ready to release and anoint as this year comes to a close?”The idea of being “hand-picked” or “destined for greatness” has a certain allure. We want to believe our purpose will be revealed to us, that we'll be graced with a special calling. However, this passive mindset can keep us stuck, forever hoping to be discovered.Authentic anointing, on the other hand, demands that we step forward and declare our own worth. It's about taking responsibility for our gifts, claiming our unique voice, and consecrating ourselves to our highest vision. No one can do this work for us - we must anoint ourselves.This may feel daunting, even arrogant. But it's the only way to catalyze the transformation we seek. When we courageously choose ourselves, we unlock an inner authority that transcends external validation. We become the vessels of our own sacred purpose.Being Anointed Isn't Passive – You Choose YourselfThe World of Scent: Holy Lessons from NatureAnimals live in a world defined by scent. Their survival depends on their ability to pick up the aroma of life, danger, food, and other creatures. This innate ability guides them through the world.Humans, on the other hand, often rely on sight, sound, and belief—tools that are powerful, but limited compared to the sensory richness of scent.The Spiritual Scent: The Fragrance of DominionAnointing is more than a symbolic act; it represents a “fragrance of dominion”—a spiritual frequency that all creation recognizes. Where animals sense the world through scent, the spiritually anointed carry an invisible signature: a powerful presence, a vibration of authority, life, and divine energy.This “spiritual scent” opens doors, commands respect, and grants protection in ways that words and appearances can't.But emotions like fear can mask this fragrance, distorting your spiritual signal and pulling you out of alignment with creation. That's why the process of anointing is also about recalibrating your internal state, aligning your frequency with the divine, and carrying that vibration into the world.Anointing: Ritual and Meaning through the AgesHistorically, anointing has meant the application of oil—signifying consecration or elevation into a new role or status. Spiritually, it's about being covered with the “oil of the Divine”—a frequency that conveys dominion and a status equal to the gods.This anointing shifts you at a cellular level, acting as a kind of spiritual “hazmat suit” that allows you to interact safely with higher realms and energies, protecting you from spiritual harm.This tradition has deep roots in Ancient Egyptian (Kemetic) spirituality. The ankh is the symbol for “life” or “breath of life.”The ancient had spiritual gatekeepers, ushering initiates through a process of purification called the Baptism of Fire. This baptism isn't about punishment—it's a refiner's crucible, burning away the ego and anything that keeps you from growth.Growth: The Balance of Challenge and NurtureTo grow, you need both challenge and rest. Opposition strengthens you; safety gives you space to heal. Walking the path of the anointed means balancing these two forces—embracing spiritual awareness (what the tradition calls “Heru's Sunship”) while remaining engaged in the world.Prophecy in a Modern AgeIn today's world, especially on platforms like YouTube, prophecy can sometimes lose its depth and integrity. The true intention of prophetic work is deep intimacy with the Divine, and its purpose is alignment, not entertainment.Authentic prophecy isn't about showing off or reinforcing personal agendas. It's about humbly sharing the heart and mind of God, and creating realignment—not manipulation. When prophecy is rooted in ego rather than Spirit, it loses authenticity and becomes a form of control.Discernment is vital.True prophetic leadership creates a mirror of the heavenly government structure on earth—what Christ called the “Eklesia,” and what we call positions like Apostle, Prophet, Teacher, Pastor, or Evangelist. These are functions for the purpose of collective guidance, not religious rank.A Time for Self-InquiryAsk yourself:What distracts me?What am I trying to prove?What am I afraid to lose or let go?What stands in the way of my spiritual vision?Bring these questions to the Divine and listen for the answers.If nothing comes through at first, that's okay. These questions work on you over time.In Closing Anointing, Dominion, and Living as an ImmortalAnointing isn't just a ritual; it's the receipt of a divine frequency—a kind of “OIL of Dominion” that aligns you with the divine. The anointed state is a state of spiritual immortality, carrying a fragrance that commands respect from creation itself.Ancient Kemetic symbols remind us that with Life (the ankh) and Dominion (the was scepter), the anointed one finds the power to break limits. Growth comes by balancing the opposing forces of challenge and nurture. This is the path to stewardship in the Golden Era: spiritual awareness united with effective, purposeful action in the world.All my love, Kassandra This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelightbetween.substack.com/subscribe

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Prayer During the Day for Saturday during Christmas. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/prayer-during-day-contemporary-saturday-27-december-2025

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Night Prayer for Saturday during Christmas. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-saturday-27-december-2025

Encountering a boy on the range, who seems to be a run away at first, Hopalong Cassidy takes him home. Hoppy and his sidekick, California, learn about the poor homesteading…

Mrs. Caitlyn Hoskins sings "There Was Never a Time" during a worship service at Immanuel Baptist Church, Florence, Ky. Please visit us at 7183 Pleasant Valley Road Florence KY 41042, or call us at (859) 586-6829. Church links: Website: https://www.ibcflorence.com Daily Devotions: https://www.ibcflorence.com/devotions Free App: http://www.ibcflorence.com/ibc-app Our entire list of recent sermons: https://www.ibcflorence.com/recent-sermons Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ibcflorence Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ibcflorenceky Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ibcflorence/ Podcasts: https://soundcloud.com/user-658781358 Live Stream: https://www.youtube.com/ibcflorence/live We would love to know how to pray for you! Romans 10:9

In this episode of Time to Care Like Caregivers, Isabel Melgarejo sits down with psychologist, author, and podcast host Dr. Mara Karpel to explore the hidden impact of ageism in healthcare and caregiving. From her personal journey advocating for her mother to her upcoming book on navigating an ageist system, Dr. Karpel shares insights, tools, and hope for caregivers who often feel unheard. A powerful conversation about dignity, advocacy, and finding passion at any age

Children's Time, Solos, Communion (6:00 Service).To view a video version of the Christmas Eve Service please click on the following link:    https://youtu.be/ctZdhdNN-sc(The audio version of the Christmas Eve Service will most likely have to be stopped from playing or else it will be heard as well as the audio track of the video version.)

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 6 Planning a Future. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. October 17, 2020. All of Dave's partners were at the park, setting up the folding table and portable gazebo. None of his partners were wilting flowers, so he couldn't exactly muscle his way in to doing the set up. But, they had taken off with the intent that three would return to clean the dishes while the rest hung out in the park for Shawna to get off in barely an hour. Roscoe and Esme, of course, were among those getting to run around in the grass and fresh air. So, Dave was at the sink, scrubbing dishes with some of his favorite songs playing out of his Echo Show in the kitchen. The volume was cranked, and so was Dave's voice as he sang along, rather skillfully, but a bit out of practice. Currently, he was belting through a Kenny Loggins song. One that got him energized and moving. Isabella's eyes, Oh, shine your light and make your momma smile "Who, yeah, shake it baby!" Dave spun around, caught in the act. Doing dishes, and singing. And dancing. Sort of. Mel and Becca stood at the entrance to the kitchen, clapping and whistling. Lupie was beside them, with a smile and a raised eyebrow. "I claim dibs on naming my first daughter Isabella!" Rebecca called out. Melanie pursed her lips and looked defeated. "I'd fight you for that privilege, but with a daughter named Esmeralda, that'd be too close. Besides," Lupie added with a wry smile, "some would say it's the same name, so I guess I got there first." Then, she playfully stuck out her tongue. Now, Lupie is often fun loving, but this was a level of silly unheard of for her. Everyone was too busy laughing with her to show much in the way of shock though. Dave moved in to hug her and delivered a soft kiss. Lupie hummed into the kiss and smiled before pulling back with a playful scowl. "Don't think I forgot you were doing basic chores, David." "They needed doing, and I didn't have much on my plate at the moment, corazon ." Lupie just narrowed her eyes at Dave's reply, but the smile below gave away her jest. For added measure, Dave slapped her ass and then squeezed. That and Lupie's 'Eep!' got Mel and Becca laughing again. Then they took up position behind Dave's shoulders, so he was surrounded by his partners. Their hands slid along his sides in ways that were chaste, for now, but hinted at an interest in something more. "No, horny girls, remember this is Shawna's celebration. Picnic party in the park, the gift from Becca and Reena, and then she gets Dave all to herself until after breakfast." The younger women groaned, but acquiesced. "Shawna's heading straight there from work, and she texted me a few minutes ago she was on her way out the door. We need to wrap up here in short order and get to the park." Lupie sent Dave to wash up and change for the party while the ladies finished the remaining dishes and picked up the last needed items for the party. They got to the park about ten minutes before Shawna, or just enough time for Roscoe to finish saying hello to each of them. The other ladies greeted Shawna warmly, then she advanced on Dave, who had been waiting his turn. "Congratulations, babe. I'm proud of you and happy for you." Shawna wrapped him in a tight hug and a long, lingering kiss that was smoky rather than fiery. "I've been looking forward to that all day." Dave smiled and dropped a quick peck on her lips. "So, just the two of us until tomorrow morning huh?" Shawna grinned. "Umm-hmm. Very accommodating crew you've drawn to you, darling." "And pretty good cooks too. You should get something to eat. I made that cucumber tomato salad you like." "Ooo, with the fresh veggies you just harvested?" Dave nodded. Shawna skipped happily to the table, Dave beside her, holding her hand. Dave ate a double helping of everything. Each dish was tasty, and he was hungry. He sidled up to Shawna. "So how's Skippy the Wonder Boy doing?" Shawna's department now consisted of her, a young and fresh out of college guy with his master's in meteorology, and a young lady that was on her internship last spring when lockdowns hit. Each had different levels of skills, and each had shortages that Shawna, as the boss, had to train them up from. At least 'Skippy' had finished all the classes. He seemed like a pleasant guy on air. Unfortunately, he looked perpetually 14, wearing one of daddy's suits. The scruffy attempt at a beard was not helping. Shawna's scowled. Hard. "Mitchell is coming along just fine. Especially for a young man thrust into a position with far more responsibility than he should have to carry this soon out of school." "I'm sorry, hun. He always comes off as very pleasant, but he also looks way too young." "He is too young. He's handling his professional duties quite well, though. It's his personal life I worry about occasionally." "How so?" "Well, his first partner was a former Cowboys cheerleader, and looks it. She's been off the squad for two years, so she didn't get snapped up by some rich guy wanting a trophy." Shawna paused to a rough exhale. "But yeah, this earnest, and rather naïve, nerd boy has the devastatingly hot, bubbly woman three years older than him dumped in his lap. His first day back after she'd joined him, I thought the top of his head was going to fall off, he was smiling so big." Dave snorted at the image. He could understand the boy's predicament. That made him think. "That was just the start. His second partner was his sister's best friend; she was homecoming queen and prom queen. The sad side is, his sister didn't make it." Shawna's voice caught. "So sometimes he's having sex with this beauty that he never thought would come near him, and sometimes they're crying together over his dead sister and her dead friend." "Damn this fucking virus," Dave said huskily. He blew out a breath. "He really is one of us isn't he?" Shawna nodded. "How many partners does he have?" "Mindy, his fourth partner joined him last week. He's probably getting a fifth soon." She thought for a moment. "Guess that means you'll be getting another lady soon as well." Dave shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. I'm at seven now, so maybe that's it. That would be fine by me. Any one of you alone are incredible." He paused for the appreciative kiss. "I was thinking, if both families are plused up enough to be safe, then maybe we should invite him and his partners over. For games, or just talk and some background music." Shawna brightened. "Now that's the man I fell for." She kissed him firmly on the cheek. "I don't know if he has any friends or family left, and his girls are nice ladies, but not nerds. Well, Ginger, his third partner is an anime fan, but I think that's the extent of her nerd creds. Mindy's an athlete. Now, all of them love him to death, and they may share some of his other interests, but not the nerdy stuff." Dave frowned. "Sounds like Oracle isn't working out for him." "Oh, no. He has interests that aren't strictly speaking nerdy. And I know there's some sharing going on there. Kelly, the former cheerleader, shares his love of gardening." "And that's something Liv and I can share with the both of them." "Yup." "Okay, let's talk it over with the others and plan something." Dave looked chagrined. "So, uh, what's his real name?" Shawna gave him a pursed-lip grin with narrow eyes. "Mitch. Mitchell Westfield" "I'll work on that." Shawna gave him some side-eye, but with a grin, as they walked back to the others. Becca and Reena were waving them over excitedly and everyone had gathered around the box with the cake Lupie'd made. Shawna opened the package Reena held up for her. In the small box was a black t-shirt with the station logo over the heart on the front and "Weather Boss" across the back. The girls had carefully made sure it was just the right fit, not too snug or too loose for Shawna to wear to work. She laughed and hugged each teen. "You two are pretty awesome you know?" Both young ladies beamed. Shawna draped the t-shirt over her shoulder as Lupie opened the box to reveal the cake. It was three layers, with milk chocolate icing. On the top was the station logo, with the words 'Chief Meteorologist'. Around the sides, as one walked around, there was a sun breaking through clouds, a cloud with rain falling from it, and the third tableau depicted a tornado, with a bit of dust obscuring the bottom. "Oh, it's perfect Lupie! Thank you so much!" The ladies embraced before Lupie set about slicing the well-crafted dessert. Naturally, Shawna got the first slice. Between the layers was a thin puree of strawberries; Shawna's favorite. That was good for a small happy dance, which in turn, made Lupie happy. With everyone chatting happily, Dave slipped away from the others. He just had a small side trip he needed to make. About fifteen minutes later, Shawna came around the bend in the sidewalk as it exited the trees near the base of the bridge. She moved, unhurried, to Dave's side as he stood at the peak of the bridge, looking down at the stream passing below. In flood stage, it took a wider path, and might legitimately be called a river. Most of the time, it remained within the narrow channel with broad margins that were pleasant to walk along if you wore the right footwear. "You know, we all saw you leave. We just thought you needed some space. Or some time." She looked into his face, seeing the evidence of tears, but not a full-on bawling episode. "This is Eddie's bridge isn't it?" Eyes watering again, Dave didn't trust himself to speak and merely nodded. Shawna stepped closer and hugged him. They stood like that for a few minutes before she slowly released him. "Thanks. I needed that. I just; I'm such a damn wimp. I know I need to be stronger for all of you, but I; I can't move past this." "You keep focusing on the times you fall down. I see the man that gets back up, shoulders the burden, and keeps going." "I don't want to though, I only do it because I have to." "That's what makes you the man I've fallen in love with. No one wants to take the burden, and some people refuse to do it. You do it, knowing how much pain you'll go through again." "This world sucks ya know." "It always has, we just papered over it and let ourselves forget. Now is one of the times the ugliness rips through the paper walls and makes us look it in the face." Shawna paused to stroke the side of Dave's face soothingly. "Do you remember the Kurlan Naiskos, in TNG?" "Yeah." "One of your voices is an ox. Carry any burden, push through any problem, get the job done no matter the cost to yourself. A low-key hero. Maybe not the only hero within you. All I'm saying is, I am very glad to have you in my life, and to be a part of your life." They stood there at the railing, looking at the water for a minute or so. Then Shawna spoke again. "Honestly David, we're talking about your son's death here. I'd be worried if you weren't having bouts of sorrow. Hell, that would scare the shit out of me. I'd much rather come home to find you curled into a fetal position bawling your eyes out, than you just blithely going about your life as if nothing happened." Dave looked up at her and smiled weakly. "Okay. Sorry, I just feel like such a pussy when I get like this." "Don't make me tell Becca on you," Shawna said with a grin. With a sly smile, Dave rejoined, "So, how may I convince you to keep my dirty secret?" "Hmm, kitty's hungry, Davey." Shawna said in a low tone. Then she nibbled her finger and switched to a higher pitched schoolgirl pleading tone. "Kitty needs cream. Please Davey, pump your cream into my hungry, wet kitty." "Kitty hell, I'm looking at a strong, capable panther that could eat me alive and make me smile the whole time." Shawna grinned, excited. The skirt she wore that day was long and loose, without being flowy. Dave knelt briefly to reach his hands up and pull off her thong panties. He stuffed them in his pocket as she gathered the lower part of her skirt in her hands and leaned back against the railing. Fortunately, Dave was wearing jeans instead of cargo shorts today. Cargos would have dropped to his ankles the moment he unbuckled, leaving his bare ass out for anyone to walk by and see. Though no one seemed to be on the trail today. Instead, he unbuckled and unzipped, lowering his jeans and boxers just enough to bring his already half-erect cock out. When he stepped closer to Shawna, she wrapped her left leg around his waist and draped the skirt to cover the both of them. A few minutes of hungry kisses and energetic groping had Dave at full mast. He slipped himself inside Shawna's drenched pussy while she groaned. They fucked hard. Shawna focused mostly on staying upright and close, but put some effort into fucking back at him. Dave drove himself into her, his hunger matching hers, one hand behind her torso, the other fondling her tit through her shirt and bra roughly, the way she liked when they were going fast. His thumb and forefinger grasped at her nipple, and Shawna hit her first orgasm. She shook in Dave's arms, her rippling inner muscles running riot on his intruding organ. As she calmed, he approached his peak. She could see it in his eyes and urged him onward with soft, lusty whispers. As Dave erupted, she clutched him tight, her body overcome with spasms as the serum renewed her attachment to him, giving her pleasure when he attained climax. When her shuddering subsided, she kissed him warmly. Dave slipped himself out of her and quickly fixed his boxers and jeans. He handed her panties back, so she had something to stem the fluids flowing out of her. There were knowing smiles when they rejoined the others, but no commentary. In the mid-evening, with dusk sufficiently fallen outside, Dave and Shawna lay cozily tangled in the bath. With darkness outside and only the smallest, dimmest light on the vanity, the lighting gave a warm, inviting ambience. Peach bubble bath scented the air more than the water. It was just a little late in the year for a fresh peach; Dave checked that early in his planning. Shawna took another deep breath, a big, lazy grin on her face. "My favorite scent ever." "So can I call you my Georgia peach, even if you're not from Georgia?" "Well, I sort of am. My mother's from Georgia. Mom and Dad met at UGA. He was majoring in Civil Engineering and she was majoring in Music Education. When they graduated, they moved to St Louis to start their new life together. Dad grew up in Creve Coeur, a town near St Louis." "That's a sweet story." "Umm hmm. I'm hoping to have the same happily ever after here. They're both alive and quarantining hard. Hopefully, the vaccine will get there soon. I haven't said anything to them directly, but they are being careful." Dave gave a slight extra squeeze to the hug. They sat there in silence again for a while. Then Dave's hands slipped downward a bit, cupping her tits lightly as he hummed '; really love your peaches wanna shake your tree ;” Shawna recognized the tune and chuckled. It was a long, slow, comfortable night, with more cuddling and light touching than sex. Ditto for the wake up. Chapter 8; Planning a Future. October 19, 2020. Shawna's early shift meant she was home for dinner with enough time to change and sit with the family talking while Lupie and Reena prepared the meal. "Mom was a pretty good painter. She actually sold a few at small auctions. The one she was proudest of, she gave to Dave though. He's a fan of seascapes, so she made this beautiful painting with a cliff in the upper left and a roiling, storm-tossed ocean filling most the canvas. Lots of white caps and ocean spray, dark stormy waters, the whole works. You could almost feel like you were on the deck of a ship struggling to stay afloat in the storm." Liv looked wistful as she spoke of her mom's talents. "Oh! I've seen that one!" Jan exclaimed. The others looked between Livy, Dave, and Jan. With a neutral face that they had become accustomed to at certain times Dave said, "I put it away in a closet to keep it safe. I; went through a dark time there for a while. I didn't want to damage it." "And I found it when I was looking for the book boxes you mentioned. I'm sorry I brought it up, Dave." Olivia nodded her agreement with Jan. "Don't be ladies. Janelle's gift is a bright point. Honestly, I'm at a place now that I would feel safe bringing it back out. And the photos." A small relief settle over the gathering. There were a few spots that obviously held a picture or painting for some years, but had been bare when the ladies arrived. The general state of the world, and the events of Olivia and Melanie's arrival made each reluctant to broach the subject. "It would be good to see pictures of Eddie, Janelle, and; Carter?" Shawna said softly. "I don't think I ever saw Livy's parents, but I met Eddie a few times." Becca chimed in. "He was a nice guy. Kinda handsome too. But, I know where he got that from." She blew an air kiss to Dave. The others grinned or chuckled, with a few nods. "Well, she made the painting in Eddie's senior year, and he was between girlfriends when Mom finished. She had me bring it over on a weekend she knew Eddie was staying with Dave. Dave hadn't moved to this house yet." Dave chuckled, in memory, as he realized where Olivia was going with this story. "Keep in mind, Eddie is almost three years older than me. At the time, I was a few months past fifteen, and Eddie was shy of his eighteenth birthday by a few months. Mom drives me, but hangs back a bit, having me talk to Dave and Eddie. I get to Dave's front door, all flustered, 'cuz here's my crush, that I fantasize about spending my life with," Olivia is beaming a big smile at this point, with Dave replying with a shame-faced smile, "being all happy for this gift I'm giving him and showing me all this affection, but like I'm a well-loved daughter, not a woman he'd go out with. And all these little-girl-in-love feelings are just going haywire." The older ladies all showed some level of sympathy for Olivia. For her part, Becca slipped off her spot, nestled in beside Dave and said, "I don't know what you're talking about." The play-act was good for a chuckle. "That's when Eddie pipes up and offers to take me out that evening. He looked uncertain, but somewhat interested. We were friends, but there'd been no romance, no attraction. I was torn, because Eddie is a; " Olivia swallowed "--was a great guy, but he wasn't the guy I was after. I agreed, though. A week later he admitted that Dave put him up to it, and Mom was almost certainly involved. The three of them made multiple attempts at throwing us together. Hell, Eddie was the only boy Daddy didn't try to scare off." "Wait, so you dated Eddie?" "Not really. It was just two friends hanging out. It happened a few times as Mom, Dad, and Dave kept trying to get us together, but it never stuck. We both thought the other was an incredible person," she paused for a second again, "but there was no; no spark of desire. I mean, yeah, he thought I was pretty, I thought he was handsome, but it just wasn't there." "OK, 'cuz that would have been really weird. Especially if you two had; " "Nope." Olivia said it awfully quick, with a bit of extra color rising in her face. That caused everyone else to lean in. "Girl," was all Shawna said. Olivia rolled her eyes and exhaled hard. "They were trying so hard, and we really liked each other, and we thought maybe if we just tried; but we couldn't kiss without giggling. Like we couldn't bring our lips together we'd bust out laughing first. On the cheek was fine, but lips touching was just too goofy." Olivia stared off into space for a moment. "Okay, there was one time we tried to go all the way. I was over eighteen by then. We each undressed ourselves, but by the time we were both naked, we both had the nervous giggles. On paper, we should have been a great match, but something big was missing." "Oh, I've felt it," Becca said, waving her hand in the air, "I know what the big missing thing was." The whole house cracked up laughing. "Hey, we are talking about my friend here. And he's Dave son, so he was no slouch there. It just wasn't hard. That was a little demoralizing. I'm standing there, naked, tits out, not trying to hide anything, and I was already keeping it trimmed, so it's all out there where he can see it, and he's limp. Full length, but limp. That was a blow to my ego." "Coulda been worse. If you had slept with Eddie ;” A collective shiver ran through the room. "Yeah, yeah that would be weird. I may or may not have gone out the next weekend and found a guy to assuage my hurt ego, though." A few sympathy nods occurred in response. "About two months later, I found another boyfriend, but by then, I knew in my heart I was just biding time 'til I was old enough to pursue Dave. I was over eighteen, of course, but I knew I needed to be a bit older to really get his attention. That relationship eventually petered out, and every guy since has been a month or two fling about twice a year so I don't go crazy." "And now you have your dream guy." Jan supplied. Just then, Reena came out to the arch separating the dining room and living room. "We're starting to bring dishes out to the table. You can start taking seats." Looking at Becca, she added, somewhat resignedly, "Did you tell him yet?" Becca squealed. "I almost forgot! Thank you for reminding me! We were watching MTV earlier, and they're going through a leadership change. Like all the bigwigs got fired, and now they have a new CEO." Dave looked askance. "I haven't been interested in MTV for a few decades, back before they should have stopped using the 'M' if they were being honest." "That's just it though! The new guy has announced they will refocus on music." "But I liked The Real World!" Kareena grumped. Becca stuck her tongue out at Reena, before turning back to Dave. "And you'll never guess who the new head of MTV is!" "I don't follow music industry executives, so no, I really have no idea, who it could be." "But you know this guy," she said with a wide grin. "He's a little white, a little nerdy. He likes polka; " "No. Way." Dave said with a grin on his face. "Weird Al?" Shawna started chuckling. "Seriously?" "Yep! Weird Al Yankovich is the new head of MTV! They're having a grand re-opening Wednesday, noon, Pacific Time. They said there will be themed hours, so certain times will be 80's music, or 90's, or girl-pop, or hard rock, etc." "Wonder if they'll borrow VH1 'Pop-up Video' with the little factoids. That could be a good hour-block too." That's when Lupie appeared to summon them all to the table for dinner. Firmly this time. As dinner wound down, Lupie turned to Becca. "Have you asked him yet?" The little blonde shrunk into herself. "No," she said softly. "Ask me what?" Dave inquired. Reena looked at Becca like she was waiting for her to take the lead, but wouldn't for much longer. Rebecca swallowed hard, inhaled like she was steeling herself, and looked at Dave. "We didn't get a prom. Reena pointed that out last week. And, back then, it wasn't an issue for me. I mean, even without; everything that's going on. But now, it'd be kinda cool. So, um, the others are putting a prom on for us; me and Reena, I mean; so, uh, Dave, would you take me to prom?" Dave was surprised, and a little stunned. "I, uh," he sputtered, until Lupie, Jan, and Shawna fixed him with very determined looks. "Of course. Yes, Rebecca Sampson, I will escort you to prom." The cheers around the table settled after a moment, and attention turned to Reena. She beamed. "Dave, would you take me to prom also?" With a big grin, Dave replied, "Well, I dunno, I already have one prom date ;” his tone was playfully enough to keep most of the panic flutters out of Reena's stomach. "I would happily share a prom date with Reena." Becca interjected. "Then yes, Kareena Agrawal, I will escort you to prom along with Becca." Another round of cheers as both girls laughed. "So, you get a second prom Dave, this time with two hot dates!" Jan teased. Dave looked at her side eyed. "First actually. I wasn't in any kind of social demand in high school." "Wait, you didn't go to prom?" half the ladies exclaimed. Dave scoffed. "It was a social thing. I was a nerd. Okay, I'm still a nerd, don't give me that look. Anyway, I didn't belong at social events. Dances, football games, I didn't go and nobody missed me." "I'm a nerd, and I went to prom, David." Shawna replied. "You're a pretty girl. Boys like to go to dances with pretty girls. Girl nerds still get asked out, especially when they're attractive." No one wanted to ruin the mood by pursuing that line of discussion further, but they all noted an undertone in Dave's comments. October 21, 2020. Dave planted soft kisses on Lupie's shoulder as he drove himself in and out of her hot, wet tunnel. He held her hip with one hand and traced lazy patterns on her abdomen with the other. Lupie's hands rested on the wall as she bent over, pushing her ass out so Dave could pump himself into her sex. They were ten minutes into what was supposed to be a quickie, but both enjoyed the union so much they were subtly stretching out the encounter. Of course, the fact that Esme's room was right next to Dave's office added some need for quiet. And quiet fucks were generally slower. Still, they couldn't take forever. With this many people in the house, no matter how quiet they were, if they kept going, someone would walk in on them. Dave slipped his hand from Lupie's belly up to her tit. He took a firm, possessive grip and rubbed her nipple with his palm and massaging the bulk of her tit with his fingers. Lupie's right hand left the wall and flew to her mouth. Her shoulder braced against the wall, Lupie's eyes rolled back as her torso convulsed. Her low moan of ecstasy was largely stifled by her hand. The undulation of her inner muscles set Dave off, and he fired several ropes of hot cum into her waiting passage. Both stood there for a minute, steadying themselves and luxuriating in the primal satisfaction of the completed act. As Dave softened and slipped out of her, Lupie reached to the side table and grabbed some tissues to catch any leakage. She turned, resting her back against the wall and staring into her lover's eyes. "You know David, tomorrow is the day. Hopefully." Dave looked at her quizzically. "I ovulate tomorrow. I've been tracking it. This time could be the one that gets me pregnant." Dave leaned into Lupie and took her in his arms. A shudder passed through him as he realized he might soon be a father again. A dark, demented voice rose up to remind him just how well that worked out the last time. "Still," Lupie purred with a grin, "I wouldn't mind a second dose tomorrow, just to increase our chances." Dave kissed her slowly on the lips, with no tongue. "Purely for reproductive purposes of course." He added a wink. Lupie hugged him tightly after barking out a short laugh. Then they dressed and she headed back downstairs. Dave opened the new microfridge and pulled out a bottle of water and a pouch of tuna in sunflower oil. Livy and Mel picked up the fridge last week, during the grocery run. The same trip they'd gotten the palmprint secured gunsafe for Livy's headboard. Mel and Reena put it in place while Dave and Liv installed the safe. He guzzled about half the water bottle before setting it down. Then he took his time with the tuna and the other half the bottle. Time enough to mull over his problem. His game might be dead in the water, for good this time. As with so many others, he hadn't heard back from the artists that made the images for him in too damn long. The background artist, Harrison Black, had been incommunicado for months. That may not be an insurmountable problem. There was only one background missing from the scenes he had planned out. Those scenes might be movable to one of the existing settings. Or maybe he could find an artist to make that last image and match Harri's style; but that would be a dicey prospect. As long as he didn't add any new locations, he was good there. But; his character artist was also not responding. His last email two months ago mentioned he was sick. He had finished all of the characters through the last update, but the game had three more characters to complete the cast, and one played a pivotal role in the last two scenes of the pending update. He needed to find a new artist. And negotiate a new contract. For a game whose market may have shrunk drastically. Who the hell would pay money for a game about a guy surviving an apocalypse and fucking hot babes when they're in the middle of an actual apocalypse and every surviving guy had several women addicted to his cum? It was still worth a shot though. After mulling over the wording, Dave opened Discord and navigated to UnVale, the site he'd used before. He found an appropriate thread and started typing. budget: $800 plus 10% of revenue work: headshot and 3d poly-rigged female character, character description (rough physical and detailed personality) provided in further communications. three characters needed. possibly three artists, one per character. Upfront and percentage applied per character. timeline: 6-8weeks Commercial use, erotic game respond by DM please With that done, Dave left the server. There were other things to do. He logged into the email server for Eastfield and checked for messages. His dean emailed with a list of classes for spring semester. Technically, she was offering the list for his approval. Yeah right. She's the dean. Yeah, He'd made full professor rank five years ago, but getting in a pissing match with the dean over class assignments was never a good idea. And she'd never given him reason to anyway. The 'check these to make sure they are right' note always elicited that rebel reaction in him. Interesting. Math department must be shorthanded. Dave had one section of college algebra in addition to two sections of physics. One of those was calc-based, the other algebra & trig based. And then a section of gen ed physical science. That had been awhile, but something he'd done before. He emailed back the list looked fine, but he'd need a copy of the texts for the math and physical science classes, and quickly, so he could start planning. Hard copies if possible. At least a looseleaf version. He tagged in a suggestion they offer an astronomy class or earth science or oceans class. Something more focused that could get the kids attention. Student interest tends to improve student scores, after all. He pointed out with a little review time, he could teach the astronomy or earth science class. If they went with an oceans class, he'd need one of the biology folks to cover the portions of the class on sea life. Ugh. College algebra had some interesting and useful tools but teaching it to a class of mostly 'why do I have to take this'? whiners could make for a demoralizing semester. Well, maybe that would be the plus side of an apocalypse. The survivors might be all that much more desirous to grow and achieve. Okay, plan with positive thoughts. Expect hungry, eager young minds. Or even hungry, eager older minds. And a little bit scared. Some more than others. Lastly, he suggested that whichever of the three they offered should have a field trip component. Now more than ever, it was important to break students out of their doldrums and really see the stuff they talked about in class. "Dave! Dave! Dave!" Becca burst through his office door. "It's on! It's coming on next! Come down!" She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and raced back out. Dave was chuckling by the time she turned around, and rising as she passed the doorframe. He joined her in the living room in short order, without running. Lupie, Liv and Mel were waiting as well. Jan and Esme came out of the library just as Dave hit the bottom of the stairs. "All of you are music video fans?" Dave asked. "Or Weird Al?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm a you fan, David," Lupie replied, "and a Becca fan. You two are so excited by this, I had to be here to watch." "You exposed me to Weird Al when I was young and impressionable. My interest in him is all your fault." Olivia observed with a smirk. "Hey, I'm just band wagoning here," Melanie chortled. Then Jan chimed in. "This is a cultural event. It would be educational for Esme," she said with a sly grin. The commercial cut away and an aural cascade of celebration sounds issued from the TV. "Hello, all you beautiful people, I'm Martha Quinn, your Video Jockey for this inaugural segment of the renewed Music Television channel. Yes, we are concentrating on music again, and, in honor of the impending Halloween holiday, we have an oldie but a goldie; Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'." The screen cut to the iconic video by the king of pop. The full version. When it ended, Quinn was back. "I get chills from that every time." Martha shook her head, smiling. "Now, with the Thanksgiving holiday not far away, our new CEO has whipped up something to make the meal; just a little extra special." Guitar chords from Eric Clapton's 'Cocaine' start playing. When you eat leftovers, And you're feeling averse, ptomaine Half the room cracked up laughing. Dave didn't hear most the rest of the lyrics, but hell, his family was laughing. And surely the song would play again. It was good to laugh. By the time they settled down, the video was over and Martha Quinn's face stared back at them. "I hope you all enjoined that as much as I did. I'll be back to host 'The '80's Hump Day Show' this evening, but until then my younger colleagues will host shows featuring current, or at least more recent, styles. Our new formatting is geared to exemplify and introduce the unique and wonderful flavors of different eras and genres. We here at MTV would like to foster greater understanding and appreciation between peoples of different generations, so please, at some point during the week, take the time to sit in with us as we cover an era or style you are unfamiliar with and get to know some of the things that make other people in your life tick." Dave couldn't shake the sense that Quinn knew about the Quaranteam serum and was trying to foster connections between partners of well separated age groups, without talking about the serum in even the slightest. Then again, the sentiment had its own value, without the serum issues. October 22, 2020. The doorbell was still an unusual sound to hear these days, even though the house no longer felt like his own pyramid. It definitely wasn't quiet at the moment. House Belsus was in the midst of a round robin Mario Cart championship. Although, this one was a warmup. Shawna wasn't here, so they'd have another contest when the whole house was present. At the moment, Mel and Olivia were frustrated with each other and Esme's otherworldly ability both in the game and playing the two off each other. As the two of them attacked the other, Esme got ahead of them both. Becca was laughing, and well ahead of all three, sailing free and clear of any competitor or trap. Until Esme got a blue shell. Just as it detonated, the doorbell sounded. "I got it!" Reena shouted, leaping to her feet and rushing for the door. Dave rose to follow, but was tackled by Becca, Liv, and Mel. Lupie began to object, since Esme was in the room, but the girls were mostly just hugging, with some kissing. Lips only, no tongue. "Hey, come on! I need to go answer the door," he protested. "Nope," Becca retorted. "Reena hasn't gotten to welcome a new lady to the house yet. And you need to make a proper first impression when she walks in; smothered in adoring women!" Dave rolled his eyes but stopped trying to wiggle free. Lupie and Jan chuckled off to the side. "I heard that from outside." said a voice carrying a tinkle of amusement. All three young ladies scrambled up so Dave could stand and face their newest sister. She stepped forward, offering her hand. "Hi, I'm Vanessa Worton. You must be Dave. You have quite the entourage here." Dave reached his hand out to accept her greeting. Champagne blonde hair; with dark roots; fell from a middle part down the sides of her face to drape a few inches down her shoulders. Round, olive green eyes stared back at Dave from a face balanced between oval and rectangular. The wide smile, with plenty of teeth showing, appeared a mix of forced and natural while her cheeks gathered into pleasant apples above and beside her mouth. Vanessa wore a tight-knit thin teal sweater under a medium beige cardigan. Light tan slacks and slip-on comfortable walking shoes in dappled white and dark grey finished her business casual look. At 5'5" she wasn't exactly short for a woman, but neither was she tall by any stretch. She appeared to be a well-kept late thirties. The skin of her face was supple, but showed signs of experience in life; not all of it positive. Vanessa chuckled. "Well, it's always ego boosting for a man to be speechless upon seeing me. Especially one surrounded by such lovely ladies already." Dave collected himself. "Would you like a seat?" When he saw her noticing the paused game, he added, "We were having a playoff. Although this is really just practice, since Shawna's at work. She'll be home in another hour and a half. That's her usual time, though depending on her shift some days could be earlier or later." "So all of you are into video games?" Vanessa said as she stepped around her large pink rolling suitcase to find a seat. "No, some of us are into video games, and some of us join in for family unity." Lupie rejoined. "I can appreciate that." Vanessa smiled back. "Family sticks together." Her smile looked slightly artificial for a moment. "I like that you all refer to each other as family, rather than a team. It sounds; cozier, comforting. And the whole dogpile thing? Very Norman Rockwell. If Rockwell painted polygamous families," she added with a wide grin. "You must be Lupie," she said approaching the Latina. "I think your letter was the most convincing, and intimidating. I almost passed over Dave so I wasn't getting in the way of, or being overshadowed by, two long term loves." Everyone but Jan, Lupie, and Becca bore puzzled looks. That's when Jan cleared her throat and spoke up. "I was contacted the end of last week to type up a short mention of my time here, my thoughts, and such. I sent that in Sunday night." "I got mine in yesterday." Lupie said. "Me too," said Becca. "It was interesting getting three uniquely different people saying slightly different things that all painted the same picture." Vanessa walked back to Dave. "You're an interesting guy David Belsus." Dave looked slightly uncomfortable by instinct, but quickly applied some of the confidence he'd been gaining or faking. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Ms. Worton." "Vanessa. Or preferably, Nessa. Given how; close we are going to be." She flashed him a playfully wicked smile. Dave was getting enough practice now to see beneath the surface. Under the playfully strong woman exterior was a deep current of uncertainty, even nervousness. "I have professional reasons to be here as well. I'm a realtor, so I'm involved in the re-housing project going on. If I hadn't matched to you, I would have been by to visit sometime next week, but as it is, I'd like to start that conversation now, lay out the parameters for all of you and after I wake up from imprinting we can talk about what you; well, what we want," she ended with a grin. "Sounds good," Dave replied. "Re-housing, huh? Are we really supposed to wind up with many more ladies in the house?" "I don't know any more than you've been told, really, but I've seen some families much bigger. Most seem to be heading that direction though. The metroplex - all of North Texas - got hit hard, David." She paused. "Harder than some other areas because of all the deniers. I don't know the numbers, since I'm not involved in that work, but we have a lot fewer men here. We also had a higher loss of women, but not nearly to the same degree as the increased loss of men. Only a few of the women are interested in re-locating, so families here will likely be bigger than families in California or New England; on average anyway." "That's how it's been before all this though too." "Well, yeah," she said with a chuckle. Then she cleared her throat and seemed to settle into a 'professional' facial set. "To ease the logistical load for utilities and other services, the government is encouraging folks to gather into consolidated neighborhoods or downtown living areas. They mostly want people to live in multi-use towers. Basically, skyscrapers with stores and service shops on the bottom floor or two, and residential spaces above. Each family would have one entire floor. A large family might get two floors." "I would rather not live in a high-rise." Dave kept his tone neutral and even, in a way that suggested much more passion behind the sentiment than that actually expressed. "Well that brings us to the communities being formed. Some are on cul-de-sacs with enlarged houses. And the cul-de-sacs are clustered. There are some that have semi-circle roads with houses on the outer edge and a park or shops in the middle. The smaller ones of those are also clustered." "Of course, the Las Colinas and South Lake folks already have their gated communities. They may bring a few others in to occupy a house that was already empty, or vacated by a; casualty, but mostly, they are 'keeping to their own'. I wouldn't expect you; us; to get in there." "Not sure I'd want to." That earned a few nods. "There are a variety of sizes in the midrange communities. Those also vary by amenities in the house. Some houses in the same community have different amenities, inside or outside. In fact some of the nicer communities in the midrange are; choosy, so, again, they could be hard to get into." Dave, Lupie and Liv just shrugged. "Now, generally speaking, the communities will be mixed so there is, as best as possible, a cross section of races, political views, and interests in each community. The intent is to hopefully negate the polarization we've all seen increasing over the past twenty years." All of the older members of the family nodded. Everyone old enough to watch the news knew exactly what she was talking about. "But, there will be some; themed communities. In the Mesquite area, there will be a community of multiple cul-de-sacs near a stables." "And a country bar?" asked Reena, teasingly. "Please," Dave rejoined, "Mesquite is for ropers. They wear bright colored boots and never rode a horse. They drive lift kit pickups without a single scratch in the bed. A whole community of truck balls, rattails and mullets." He paused for a second. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. I could do with never seeing another mullet or rattail." "Or a lift kit." "Or truck balls." "I'll scratch Mesquite off the list of possible destinations for this team. Um, family," Vanessa corrected. "What about Park Cities area?" Dave looked at her balefully. He started ticking off on his fingers, "I make less than six figures, I do not own a tux; and only one suit; and I have no idea what to do with my pinkie finger when drinking tea or coffee." All of the ladies giggled. "Worse," he made quote fingers in the air, "Lupie is Hispanic, Jan is Korean, and Shawna, who's at work at the moment, is black. Not exactly a picture of Park Cities demographics." Vanessa looked like she was about to object, but held off. He wasn't wrong. Changing the topic, she said, "So, all we really need right now is to think about what spaces you will want, and what spaces you will need. Do you need an office? Do any of the women need one as well? Can those be combined?" "That could wind up as an excuse to visit with you more often during the day," Mel asserted. Reena and Becca giggled. Esme hadn't left the room, so she slightly veiled her meaning. "I will need a separate office. Sometimes I just need to focus. Besides, having my own office hasn't stopped y'all from making 'visits' during the day." Lupie blushed at the implication. She wasn't the only one though, just the most recent. "But Dave, I might need some math help," Becca pleaded. Vanessa looked slightly amused while the others laughed. The tale had been shared around. "I should never have told you that story," Dave said with narrow eyes and pursed lips. Though there was a twinkle in his eye and his lips curled up at the corners. "So, something for you ladies to share with me later, I take it?" Dave threw his hands in the air theatrically. "I'm surrounded." "Well, Dave, that's how; " Liv cut herself off as she remembered Esme was still in the room. Esme rolled her eyes. "Do I need to leave?" "No, you do not." Dave replied. "We will watch ourselves. This conversation is one you should have some input on. You might not get what you ask for, but at least I'd like to hear your preferences as much as anyone else's." Vanessa nodded, looking at Lupie. "Yup, just like you said." Lupie blushed. At Dave's reaction, Nessa looked to him and added, "All good things, all good things." "Olaf!" Esme cried. "You should be Olaf for Halloween. That's next week right?! We're doing something for it, right Da- uh, Dave?" Dave did not miss what Esme almost said. If she finished the original word, he might have lost it altogether. As it was, he managed to maintain his composure. He wasn't the only one. Lupie looked ready to bust with joy. Nessa bore a knowing grin that matched the others around the room. The shaky breath he took to steady himself was all they needed to confirm the impact the verbal slip had on him. In their eyes, he could see that for some, it was the reaction they needed him to have. Well, one more proof they all matched well. His natural reactions were what they wanted. Sometimes, anyway. "I think I just ovulated." Livy muttered. "What was that?" Dave asked. "Nothing darling, nothing at all," the busty brunette replied with a mild blush. The cackling of half the room did not help deter attention. "Maybe we should just get back to the discussion topic," Dave said with a wry grin. "Esme, any thoughts?" "Adults are crazy." Vanessa and a few others laughed. Dave just stared at Esme, a slight grin on his face and one raised eyebrow. Esme giggled. "Okay, I'd like a big backyard, a pool and an indoor play space that can also be an art room." Then, with an impish smile she added, "And a pony." "Ponies do not come with a house." Dave observed wryly. "The pool idea is a good one. If there's no community pool close by, that is. I mean, having one in the backyard would be great, but so long as it's easy to get to, a shared pool will do nicely. Is that doable, Nessa?" "Absolutely. Most of the communities either have a pool space already built, or have one planned. Some of the houses have backyard pools." She cleared her throat. "Though, none of the houses have enough yard space for a horse." She winked at Esme. "But two communities are reasonably close to riding stables with lots of pastureland." Dave chuckled and shook his head. "And let's list the art, craft and play space as a want, not a need, but a really want. An indoor space like that could be very handy when the weather sucks. It could also work as a classroom. After all, you can do a lot of science with craft supplies." Esme groaned and slapped her forehead. " That's my signal to leave. Besides, I still have a geography assignment to work on. Let me know when you're ready to finish the game." She slipped out to the library. Vanessa looked at Lupie. "She's adorable." "Thank you. She's also a handful." "I can see that." Vanessa replied. "Doesn't stop me from wanting one. Not right away, I mean, but, sometime in this coming year, I want to start trying." She turned to Dave as she said this. "Is that a problem?" "No. Not at all. We haven't talked about timing or anything, but I'd like to have kids with each of you. At least, I think you all want kids. If I'm wrong, let me know." All the ladies nodded, some adding a few words to express their interest. "Timing is the issue, though. We don't want the whole house pregnant at once. And some have college to complete and careers to establish." "Anyone trying now? If it's not too personal." Lupie raised her hand. "You're family now, or soon will be. It's not too personal. We hadn't said anything yet, but we are trying." The others squealed happily and rushed to hug her. "I think the conversation just came to an end," Dave observed. "That's ok, the main need for tonight was to get you all thinking about what you want. By early next week we should get together and nail down a specific list of needs and wants." She shifted in her seat. "Speaking of which, I'd like to wait until after dinner, maybe an hour after. I'd prefer to have dinner first and give it time to settle." "That's perfectly understandable. We can talk again just before. I'll; " "I am sure of my decision. But that's ok, feel free to ask again later for your peace of mind." At Dave's puzzled look, she explained, "Lupie and Jan mentioned you would be concerned about my comfort level with this decision." Her eyes twinkled. "Your ladies know you, David. I'm looking forward to being here." Dinner was a simple, quick affair of burgers, mac n' cheese from scratch and steamed green beans. Lupie and Mel offered to make something a bit more exciting, but Vanessa insisted quicker was preferred. They smiled and got busy in the kitchen. Nessa recognized Shawna as soon as she entered the living room. She didn't fawn over the local celebrity, exactly, but it took her a minute to adjust. After dinner was a slow time of conversations in pairs and triples. Nessa spent a lot of time listening but shared a few things about herself with the family. Eventually, she gave Dave a look that he was becoming accustomed to. He rose, approached her, and offered his hand. She took his hand and rose to stand beside him. The two ascended the stairs together. Everyone watched but said nothing. There were a few grins exchanged. When they entered the bedroom and shut the door, Vanessa turned to him, pulling herself close and burying her face in his chest. Then she looked up, meeting his questioning eyes. "I want this David. I want to be a part of the family you have here. I want to be with you. I talked with the others downstairs. I know you like to take your time. This isn't your first imprinting though, so you know I won't; get there except at the priming and imprinting; surges. I'll enjoy the efforts, but don't spend too much time on it, it will just be frustrating for me. So, show me your kind, attentive side, but don't overexert yourself on it, ok? Save it for one of the others this evening." Dave stroked her back gently and kissed her forehead. Nessa raised up on her toes and kissed him full on the lips. She hummed when he responded. They took their time, reveling in the closeness. She could feel in his body the desire to give her an emotional bond before the physical one, but the serum did not permit that. Still, that he wanted to do that for her bode well for a future together. The kiss grew more intense. Hands roamed from the 'safe' areas towards the more stimulating parts of the partner's body. Dave and Nessa's breathing increased in unison. That was the best part. That the person getting you all excited was just as excited as you. The hunger in their eyes rebounded, building in power like a laser. The frantic energy powered their hands as they tore at each other's clothes. They were stripped bare in short order, at nearly the same moment. Dave put an arm around her back and began kissing her again, turning himself one quarter away and walking toward the bed. As they arrived, she crawled quickly up the bed, turning on to her back and laying her head on a pillow as she reached the headboard. Dave gazed at her as he drew himself up on the bed with Nessa. Her body was smooth and lovely, well maintained, but not young anymore. Quite alluring. Neither washboard abs nor a paunch. Smooth, medium sized tits with a natural sag, medium brown areolas a bit larger than a half-dollar coin, and nipples slightly smaller than a pencil eraser that were fully erect. Below, her bush was neatly trimmed away from her vulva, which was clearly engorged with arousal as her inner petals flowered themselves outward, her outer lips parted slightly, just barely exposing the tip of her clitoris. Her face had dropped any sense of demur acceptance. She needed him. It was time, she was his and he was hers, for this moment. Dave crawled between her legs and positioned himself over her. He lowered himself enough to make contact over much of their bodies, without resting his weight fully on her. His erection sandwiched between them. He lay soft, gentle, languorous kisses on her forehead, cheeks and lips. She hummed her approval. As his kisses proceeded down her neck to her clavicle, her breathing picked up again. Her pelvis rubbed against him, seeking what only he could give her, seeking the fullness she needed to feel. Dave kept kissing and progressing down to her tits, kissing the yielding flesh there as she began to whimper. The yearning radiated from her in palpable waves. Dave repositioned his face to Nessa's, with his hips arched over her core. She steadied her tumultuous hunger, recognizing his preparation. Dave moved slowly until the tip of his organ rested against her wet, open entrance. He thrust forward, smoothly, firmly, penetrating her depths with half of his length over the course of several seconds. Vanessa responded with a cross between a groan and a cry, clutching him tightly with her hands on his shoulder blades. He pulled back out, eliciting a brief whimper until he thrust full length into her, which earned him a moan of pleasure. Her enthusiasm brought Dave quickly to the point of leaking precum, which had the expected effect the moment the fluid made contact with her velvety interior. Dave held her through her serum induced ecstasy. As she settled, she wrapped her arms around his back and looked into his eyes. He kissed her again as he began thrusting once more. Then he lowered his lips to her ear. "You're mine now Nessa. No other man may touch you." She gasped, excited. "Mine to take care of." He felt her shuddered beneath him. "Mine to enjoy." He felt her inner muscles flex and grasp his thrusting cock. "All mine. Your heart." "Yes." "Your mind." "Yes." "Your body." "Yes." "and your will." He thrust deep, holding himself there and working his hips to strike all of her inner surfaces. "Yes! Please David, please more!" Dave began thrusting with more vigor, pounding her sex with his own. Pummeling her interior as she writhed in her enjoyment of his actions. Her hips rolled and bucked. Her hands clutched and groped on his back; and her eyes. Her eyes implored him to take her like a beast. His breathing ragged, he savaged her lower body, stoking his own fires as surely as hers. So lost he was in the primal act, he never noticed his own building arousal until he'd fired off a few spurts into her, arresting her cries of pleasure and replacing them with a primal scream and orgasmic spasms which ended with her flopping to the bed in a naked heap. "Imprinting; imprinting; imprinting ;” October 23, 2020. With the exception of Shawna, who was gone for work, the entire house devoted all of Friday to prom preparation. Lupie went to the store and picked up a few items she'd held off getting until day-of. On her return, she immediately lay into her prep work, getting the cold appetizers ready. Melanie came in to help in the early afternoon, once she had finished curating the song lists. She was the designated DJ for the evening. Becca and Reena both spent time with her a few days prior, nailing down what they wanted to listen to during dinner and dance to after. Liv and Janice were the decorating committee. They left the living room re-arrangement for last, starting that after Dave and the girls went to upstairs to dress. During the day, they set up the unused bedroom as a hotel room. It was close enough to the upstairs bathroom not to break the illusion. And it was well away from Esme's room. Esme was instructed to use the master bathroom from bedtime until after breakfast. By early afternoon, Becca and Reena retreated to the master bathroom to do their hair and nails. Reena did Becca's nails, and then her own. Once that cycle was done, she did Becca's hair and guided Becca through the steps for doing Reena's. Each girl did her own makeup, though Reena added a few touches to Becca's. Vanessa awoke by lunch time. She was tickled when Dave asked her to help out. He wanted a bit more dance practice. Dave was not a dancer. Mel and Olivia gave him some practice, about an hour or so each, on separate days earlier in the week. Those sessions went about how'd you'd expect. Started off with some innocuous club dancing, progressed into something steamy, and wound up in the horizontal mambo. On the plus side, each coed got her dose before prom night. By mutual acclamation, prom night was exclusively for Reena and Becca, and Dave reserved himself during the day as well. With Vanessa, he practiced a few more sedate dance styles, and a couple of the club moves, without the steamy stuff. She was still a bit sore from the vigor of last night. Although, she said so with a smile. Shawna took an early shift that day and arrived home shortly after Dave and Vanessa wrapped up their dance practice. Shawna first changed into an orange halter dress before taking possession of Dave, hauling him off to their tv room where his clothes were laid out. Nessa went downstairs to help Liv and Janice move the living room furniture to the borders of the room, leaving a respectable dance space in the middle. Once Dave and Shawna were both convinced his suit was laying perfectly, with no lint, and all the colors just right, they descended to the living room to wait with the others. Dave initially proposed he come to the master bedroom door and escort each girl downstairs, but they decided they would rather make their entrance on the stairwell, letting everyone, including Dave, see them as they came down. They drew straws to decide order, only to find out that Reena was drawing to go last and Becca was drawing to go first. A bit more communication would have saved them the whole drawing process and the debate on whether to draw straws or flip a coin, or rock-paper-scissors. The other ladies were dressed nice, but not prom nice. Lupie was looking lovely in her dark blue sundress with 2" (~5cm) diameter white polka dots. Mel & Liv wore 'club wear'. For Mel that meant 'liquid look' black pants and a tight white crop top showing a modest amount of midriff. For Liv it was tight jeans and a frilly blue blouse showing modest cleavage. Janice wore a red cocktail dress with her left shoulder exposed, a skirt that hugged her hips gently and fell past her knees. Nessa borro

What have we learned in recent years about black holes? Can entangled quantum particles really communicate faster than light? What's the story behind Schrödinger's Cat? And, in this weird liminal space between the holidays, what even IS time, really? Physicist Sean Carroll and Host Ira Flatow tackled those big questions and more at a recent event at WNYC's Greene Space in New York City. Carroll's book The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion is the SciFri Book Club pick for December. Guest: Dr. Sean Carroll is the Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Air Date 12/26/2025 Authoritarian governments are always very focused on making it look like they have everything on absolute lock down. Everyone in lockstep, everything proceeding according to plan. But they do this for propaganda purposes, not because it has anything to do with reality. In fact, the opposite is always true. All of which is to say that conservatives are not in chaos because Trump is particularly chaotic, though he is. They're in chaos because that is the natural result of attempting to enforce monolithic thinking and ideological conformity. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: The Republicans Bucking Trump Part 1 - Today, Explained - Air Date 12-9-25 KP 2: House Republicans Defy Trump; Plus, When WWII Vets Came Home Part 1 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 11-19-25 KP 3: Indiana Republicans Say No to Trump and Illinois Protects Immigrants in Courthouses, Schools, and Hospitals - Good News for Lefties - Air Date 12-13-25 1 KP 4: The Mainstreaming of Nick Fuentes by the Coward Tucker Carlson Part 1 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 11-13-25 KP 5: The Republican Party's 'Civil War' Part 1 - On The Media - Air Date 11-12-25 KP 6: Candace Owens at a Turning Point Part 1 - What Next - Air Date 12-17-25 KP 7: What The Susie Wiles Article REALLY Reveals About The White House - Why, America with Leeja Miller - Air Date 12-17-25 (00:56:36) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR On why chaos is endemic to authoritarian governments DEEPER DIVES (01:02:30) SECTION A: GOP LAWMAKERS A1: Marjorie Taylor Greene Vs Donald Trump Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-21-25 A2: Marjorie Taylor Greene Talks About Leaving Congress Before Walking Out of Interview Early - 11Alive - Air Date 12-10-25 A3: Divorced From Reality Economist Dean Baker Fact-Checks Trump's Primetime Speech - Democracy Now! - Air Date 12-18-25 A4: The Rise of the New Right and MAGA with Laura K. Field Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-17-25 A5: Marjorie Taylor Greene Vs Donald Trump Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-21-25 (01:45:12) SECTION B: STATE POLITICS B1: House Republicans Defy Trump; Plus, When WWII Vets Came Home Part 2 - Start Making Sense - Air Date 11-19-25 B2: The Republicans Bucking Trump Part 2 - Today, Explained - Air Date 12-9-25 (02:01:08) SECTION C: CLASHING IDEOLOGIES C1: The Republican Party's 'Civil War' Part 2 - On The Media - Air Date 11-12-25 C2: The Mainstreaming of Nick Fuentes by the Coward Tucker Carlson Part 2 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 11-13-25 C3: The American Rights Civil War Over Israel with David Austin Walsh Part 1 - The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer - Air Date 11-9-25 C4: The Mainstreaming of Nick Fuentes by the Coward Tucker Carlson Part 3 - It Could Happen Here - Air Date 11-13-25 C5: The American Rights Civil War Over Israel with David Austin Walsh Part 2 - The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer - Air Date 11-9-25 C6: The Rise of the New Right and MAGA with Laura K. Field Part 2 - The Majority Report - Air Date 11-17-25 (02:57:28) SECTION D: CANDACE OWENS D1: Candace Owens at a Turning Point Part 2 - What Next - Air Date 12-17-25 D2: Candace Owens Is Not Your Friend - Hysteria - Air Date 9-25-25 D3: This Toxic Feud Just Got WAY Worse - The Majority Report - Air Date 12-22-25 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Graphic depicting the Republican Party elephant icon on concrete with a giant crack running through it. Credit: Internal composite design, Elements from Pixabay | Pixabay License   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

In this special holiday week episode, Mike sits down with comedian Alex Edelman, fresh off a Tony Award for his show Just For Us and a spot on the Time 100 list. They discuss the "liquid dynamics" of a Comedy Cellar audience, the art of bombing while testing new material, and why jokes about the Israel-Gaza conflict are the hardest tightrope in comedy right now. Edelman explains why comedy thrives in doubt rather than certainty, how he uses "invisible pillars" to structure a narrative, and why he believes a joke should be "conversant with the moment, not beholden to it." Plus, Mike offers a critique of the mockumentary format glut in modern sitcoms. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠GIST INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Gist List at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pesca⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠

Happy Boxing Day! Let's talk about transitions and what you need to declutter or add to resemble where you are going. We are all transitioning into the new year. I'm sharing the smallest shift you can make to be more intentional with what you want to get out of 2026. How are you planning with that anticipatory energy of things to come when the ball drops at midnight on New Years Eve? Transition So yes, we are all transitioning into a new year. We have this anticipatory energy as to what could happen for us in 2026.  For me personally I'm thinking about a "new me" too. I know this is common for this time of year but if you have been listening to the podcast you know this has been on my radar in 2025. I have adjusted and transitioned into a person who works out. I shared some habits I've made with my workout schedule, water consumption, increasing my movement, and changes in my eating habits this past year.  Increasing my workout frequency, it dawned on me that I may need to buy more clothes for pilates. I've transitioned into a person that works out. But my workout clothes did not reflect that. I started in gardening shorts and Organize 365® v-necks. Time to make my clothes reflect my intentions.  You see, I find it beneficial to set my environment to match the intention of the transformation I'm working towards. It's a small shift that has had a big impact. So I will be getting a few new items for working out. Because I am now a person who works out.  When you consider transitions you have made this year it may require changes in wardrobe, equipment, and maybe your office, to do, be, and have what you want in 2026. You kids too will transition. Maybe they need new age appropriate toys, better fitting clothes, or even a uniform for a new club they joined. Transformation How can you signify to yourself that you have changed? The smallest yet effective thing I have done in my transformation processes is to make my environment match how I identify with myself. I needed new clothes that a person who works out wears. I needed a new water bottle once I realized the office has reverse osmosis and the waste I was creating with my bottled water; because I'm a person who drinks water.  I want you to carefully consider what did you learn in 2025 and what new habits will be going into 2026 with you as a result of who you transformed into.   Transition – > Transformation Put it all together? Planning Day is the perfect time to really reflect on all these ideas. How do you use your time now? What habits did you change? Are you choosing a word of the year? It's the time to decide what habits are going with you into the new year,  set some intentions, and make your environment match those intentions. We'll take six combined hours between Prep Planning Day(2 hours on 12/29) and Planning Day (6 hours on 12/31) to look at your time to see where you can pop in new things to try out that will support your intentions. And if a large project like sprucing up a room or getting a PhD is part of the transformation you can get to planning what that will look like with your real life, your real family, and your real goals.  EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® Planning Day Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media

Jared was already a fixture on the show in 2019? Time flies. Enjoy this classic rewind ep, and look forward to new Fuckery next week. Do you want some cool merch? Check out the store here- https://www.niceguysonbusiness.com/merch Need podcast production? We've got your back. https://turnkeypodcast.com/contact Your Voice, your message, fully produced. Leave a voice mail for the Nice Guys: 424-2DJ-DOUG – (424) 235-3684Need help podcasting? http://www.TurnkeyPodcast.comJoin our Nice Guys Community. http://www.NiceShortCut.com No time to get to this, but you can read the blog here: 12 Worries Every Entrepreneur Has (or they are lying) Show notes written lovingly by the most anonymous man (or woman) in the world. Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In 2025, the crack team of intrepid presenters here on CrowdScience have been on some incredible adventures. They've wondered whether water is wet, and gone a hunt for a missing tangerine. They've wondered why animals swallow rocks, imagined what would happen if the earth spun backwards and pondered whether atoms are immortal. But, as the year draws to a close, Anand Jagatia is wondering… have they REALLY been paying attention? Time to put them to the test! In this special programme, Anand gathers the other four presenters into a studio together – Caroline, Alex, Marnie and Chhavi, for an end-of-year quiz – and you can join in at home! Presenters: Anand Jagatia, Caroline Steel, Alex Lathbridge, Marnie Chesterton and Chhavi Sachdev Producer: Emily Knight Editor: Ben Motley(Photo: CrowdScience presenters in the studio with purple background Credit: BBC)

Time for my year in review! Breaking down my revenue streams, what YouTube paid me in 2025, goals for 2026, and so much more! How'd 2025 go for you?FREE CLASS - The Business of Influence: https://event.webinarjam.com/gp60q/register/p5oxltmyJoin my free community, DOWN TO BUSINESS, to connect with me and other viewers: https://www.skool.com/down-to-business-with-latasha-5593/

PPOV388 PROPHECY UPDATE: Persecution, Global Tyranny, ApostasyThe signs are all around us. Over 340 million Christians face persecution worldwide. Governments are criminalizing gospel preaching. Pastors are being arrested for quoting Scripture. Global tyranny is rising, just as Daniel 7:23 predicted.But here's the hope: these aren't random events. They're prophetic markers pointing to Christ's soon return. From Europe's censorship laws to apostasy creeping into the church, we're watching biblical prophecy unfold in real-time. The harlot system of Revelation 17:6 is taking shape before our eyes.Yet we have the "blessed hope" of Titus 2:13—Jesus is coming back! Don't let fear grip you. Let these signs awaken you to the urgency of the hour. Stand firm in truth. Share the gospel boldly. Time is short.Are you ready for His return?#EndTimesProphecy #Persecution #BiblicalTruth #BlessedHope #Revelation17

Time to visit January 2021 now - and a special Bugle episode with Andy and Nish as they, like the rest of us, struggled to come to terms with the year we had just had. It's Bugle issue 4179 - Daddy Daddy, Please Don't Leave.Hear more of our shows, buy our book, and help keep us alive by supporting us here: thebuglepodcast.com/Listen to Producer Chris on Mildly Informed https://www.youtube.com/@MildlyInformedPodThis episode was produced by Chris Skinner and Laura Turner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a Special Edition of the Two Man Power Trip with host John Poz, as he shares the top 10 Christmas Movies of all Time. Poz will talk about Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Jingle all the Way, Christmas Vacation, Christmas Story, Elf, Scrooged, and so much more!Follow us on Twitter and IG @TwoManPowerTripStore - Teepublic.com/stores/TMPT

Alle Thyng Hath Tyme: Time and Medieval Life (Reaktion, 2023) recreates medieval people's experience of time: as continuous and discontinuous, linear and cyclical, embracing Creation and Judgement, shrinking to ‘atoms' or ‘droplets' and extending to the silent spaces of eternity. They might measure time by natural phenomena such as sunrise and sunset, the motion of the stars or the progress of the seasons, even as the late medieval invention of the mechanical clock was making time-reckoning more precise. Negotiating these mixed and competing systems, medieval people gained a nuanced and expansive sense of time that rewards attention today. Gillian Adler is Assistant Professor of Literature and Esther Raushenbush Chair in Humanities at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She is the author of Chaucer and the Ethics of Time (2022) Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Across the globe, democracy is in crisis - in the UK alone, it has been rocked by Brexit, the pandemic and successive attempts by governments to bypass legal norms. But how did this happen, and where might we go from here? Jonathan Sumption cuts through the political noise with acute analysis of the state of democracy today - from the vulnerabilities of international law to the deepening suppression of democracy activism in Hong Kong, and from the complexities of human rights legislation to the defence of freedom of speech. Timely, incisive and wholly original, Challenges of Democracy: And the Rule of Law (Profile Books, 2026) applies the brilliance of 'the cleverest man in Britain' to the most urgent and far-reaching political issue of our day. Jonathan Sumption is a British judge and historian, who served as a Supreme Court Justice for six years. He is the author of the Sunday Times Bestseller Trials of the State, Law in a Time of Crisis, and Divided Houses, which won the 2009 Wolfson History Prize. Charles Coutinho, PH. D., Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A documentary film crew encounters a deadly giant snake. Join us as we chat about the meta movie genre, Ice Cube's good day, and an impressive way to balance a laptop. Then we see if 1997's Anaconda stands the Test of Time.

Across the globe, democracy is in crisis - in the UK alone, it has been rocked by Brexit, the pandemic and successive attempts by governments to bypass legal norms. But how did this happen, and where might we go from here? Jonathan Sumption cuts through the political noise with acute analysis of the state of democracy today - from the vulnerabilities of international law to the deepening suppression of democracy activism in Hong Kong, and from the complexities of human rights legislation to the defence of freedom of speech. Timely, incisive and wholly original, Challenges of Democracy: And the Rule of Law (Profile Books, 2026) applies the brilliance of 'the cleverest man in Britain' to the most urgent and far-reaching political issue of our day. Jonathan Sumption is a British judge and historian, who served as a Supreme Court Justice for six years. He is the author of the Sunday Times Bestseller Trials of the State, Law in a Time of Crisis, and Divided Houses, which won the 2009 Wolfson History Prize. Charles Coutinho, PH. D., Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Lewis runs through each club in the NRL to break down any news, signings or talking points that have happened in depth. He finishes off talking through r360, rule changes and any other news around the game. Time stamps for all clubs listed below (3:35) Bears(17:30) Roosters(32:45) Storm(45:20) Broncos(51:50) Raiders(57:00) Souths(1:03:35) Cowboys(1:09:30) Warriors(1:16:05) Panthers(1:21:10) Bulldogs(1:28:25) Knights(1:34:05) Eagles(1:43:10) Sharks(1:47:30) Dolphins(1:57:15) Titans(2:05:30) Dragons(2:12:30) Eels(2:21:00) Tigers(2:34:20) News, r360, rule changes, other talking points. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

La inteligencia artificial ha sido el gran hito tecnológico de 2025, un año en el que la revista Time ha reconocido a los arquitectos de la IA como las personas más influyentes. Como ha explicado José Ángel Cuadrado, coordinador digital de COPE, en 'Herrera en COPE', herramientas como ChatGPT ya son utilizadas por 800 millones de personas cada día, mientras que empresas como NVIDIA han disparado su valor bursátil hasta convertirse en una de las compañías más punteras del mundo.Esta revolución tecnológica trae consigo la aparición de nuevas profesiones, como la de orquestador de agentes de IA. Según Cuadrado, se trata de un perfil profesional capaz de controlar varios sistemas de inteligencia artificial para que trabajen de forma autónoma en la consecución de objetivos, dando inicio a lo que se conoce como la era agéntica.Un ejemplo concreto lo ha ofrecido Enrique Polo de Lara, director general de Salesforce en España, quien ha adelantado que en 2026 un agente de IA ...

El 26 de diciembre, España afronta frío y lluvias, con alertas costeras; Canarias goza de estabilidad. Temperaturas bajas en el interior (4-12°C) y suaves en costa, con nieblas. El mensaje navideño del rey sobre convivencia genera reacciones mixtas: apoyo (PP, PSOE), silencio (VOX) y rechazo (Sumar, separatistas). Internacionalmente, Venezuela libera 99 presos políticos, visto por la oposición como maniobra. Estados Unidos intensifica su acción militar en el Caribe contra narcotráfico y bloqueo petrolero venezolano. Donald Trump mantiene una política dura contra el Estado Islámico en Nigeria. La DGT obliga al uso de la baliza V16 conectada desde el 1 de enero de 2026, sustituyendo al triángulo. Este dispositivo luminoso señaliza incidentes desde el vehículo, reduciendo el riesgo de atropello (25 muertes anuales). Su conectividad virtual alerta a otros conductores; solo balizas homologadas son válidas. Time nombra a los arquitectos de la IA influyentes de 2025. La IA es omnipresente ...

Max and Q cover the latest happenings in the world of Bitcoin, privacy and much more. AOBFTF datesSamourai reminder - Over 11k sigs nowSamourai/Prime competitionWoB panel video releasedDecaf diariesNEWSBlockstream Jade vulnerabilityBitcoin Keeper changes modelMetamask launches Bitcoin support using BDKUPDATES/RELEASESFountain v1.4.0Robosats v0.8.3-alphaNew Dojo OSP websitePassport Core v2.3.11Igloo webBTCPay v2.3.0Cake Wallet v5.6.5Zeus v0.12.0EducationBull Wallet Passport tutorialCool AI promo vidNunchuk 'Definitive guide to Bitcoin Inheritance'BM post by Zack Shaprio about Samourai pardonHELP GET SAMOURAI A PARDONSIGN THE PETITION ----> https://www.change.org/p/stand-up-for-freedom-pardon-the-innocent-coders-jailed-for-building-privacy-tools DONATE TO THE FAMILIES ----> https://www.givesendgo.com/billandkeonneSUPPORT ON SOCIAL MEDIA ---> https://billandkeonne.org/VALUE FOR VALUEThanks for listening you Ungovernable Misfits, we appreciate your continued support and hope you enjoy the shows.You can support this episode using your time, talent or treasure.TIME:- create fountain clips for the show- create a meetup- help boost the signal on social mediaTALENT:- create ungovernable misfit inspired art, animation or music- design or implement some software that can make the podcast better- use whatever talents you have to make a contribution to the show!TREASURE:- BOOST IT OR STREAM SATS on the Podcasting 2.0 apps @ https://podcastapps.com- DONATE via Monero @ https://xmrchat.com/ugmf- BUY SOME STICKERS @ https://www.ungovernablemisfits.com/shop/FOUNDATIONhttps://foundation.xyz/ungovernableFoundation builds Bitcoin-centric tools that empower you to reclaim your digital sovereignty.As a sovereign computing company, Foundation is the antithesis of today's tech conglomerates. Returning to cypherpunk principles, they build open source technology that “can't be evil”.Thank you Foundation Devices for sponsoring the show!Use code: Ungovernable for $10 off of your purchaseCAKE WALLEThttps://cakewallet.comCake Wallet is an open-source, non-custodial wallet available on Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux.Features:- Built-in Exchange: Swap easily between Bitcoin and Monero.- User-Friendly: Simple interface for all users.Monero Users:- Batch Transactions: Send multiple payments at once.- Faster Syncing: Optimized syncing via specified restore heights- Proxy Support: Enhance privacy with proxy node options.Bitcoin Users:- Coin Control: Manage your transactions effectively.- Silent Payments: Static bitcoin addresses- Batch Transactions: Streamline your payment process.Thank you Cake Wallet for sponsoring the show!MYNYMBOXhttps://mynymbox.netYour go-to for anonymous server hosting solutions, featuring: virtual private & dedicated servers, domain registration and DNS parking. We don't require any of your personal information, and you can purchase using Bitcoin, Lightning, Monero and many other cryptos.Explore benefits such as No KYC, complete privacy & security, and human support.(00:00) INTRO(00:41) THANK YOU FOUNDATION(01:38) THANK YOU CAKE WALLET(02:44) Christmastime(05:35) Decaf Diaries(07:54) Waiting on FTF(09:09) Pardon Samourai(10:24) Donate to PardonSamourai, Win A Passport Prime(11:55) Q @ Watch Out Bitcoin(13:20) Jade Security Disclosure(16:48) Keeper Changes Models(20:57) Metamask Adds Bitcoin Support(23:52) BOOSTS(26:36) Q's Mince Pies(29:35) Fountain 1.40(30:42) Robosats 8.3-Alpha(31:04) New Dojo OSP Website(31:44) Passport Core Firmware 2.3.11(32:10) Igloo Web (32:59) BTC Payserver 2.3(33:44) Cake Wallet 5.6.5(38:10) ZEUS 0.12.0(41:57) Bull Wallet & Passport Tutorial(42:42) Nunchuk Inheritance Guide(43:43) Zack Shapiro on a Samourai Pardon(44:09) QUESTIONS!(55:25) THANK YOU MYNYMBOX

Alle Thyng Hath Tyme: Time and Medieval Life (Reaktion, 2023) recreates medieval people's experience of time: as continuous and discontinuous, linear and cyclical, embracing Creation and Judgement, shrinking to ‘atoms' or ‘droplets' and extending to the silent spaces of eternity. They might measure time by natural phenomena such as sunrise and sunset, the motion of the stars or the progress of the seasons, even as the late medieval invention of the mechanical clock was making time-reckoning more precise. Negotiating these mixed and competing systems, medieval people gained a nuanced and expansive sense of time that rewards attention today. Gillian Adler is Assistant Professor of Literature and Esther Raushenbush Chair in Humanities at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She is the author of Chaucer and the Ethics of Time (2022) Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Time to play some catch up! In this episode, we get to meet award-winning filmmaker of His Three Daughters, Azazel Jacobs. Full disclosure: this chat (and the one that will constitute my next episode too..shh!!) was actually recorded back in the spring, but life things and other deadlines kept pushing it, and now here I am embarrassingly in early winter only publishing it now. But, as it happens, I was already playing catch up with Azazel, who had released the magnificent His Three Daughters - starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne - about the year prior, which had come off a nice run of awards notice, including the prestigious Robert Altman award at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards. So it was great fun to look back on his eventful year, which felt like a bit of a breakthrough into a new echelon of visibility and acclaim for him. We talk a lot about that film, including what it was like to work with this cast, and with such a deeply heartfelt and personal story. We talk about his early foundational films he found as he was discovering his voice, his love of cinema, and how he comes at the art of moviemaking. It was a great chat, and even though it's coming out a bit late, I think you'll still find a lot to love about this deep talk with a talented filmmaker. Thanks for listening. 

This week on Facts vs Feelings, Liz Loza breaks down moves that could win you your fantasy league! She also pulls back the curtain on what really goes on behind the scenes of the show. Then Producer Quentin comes prepared with a strong holiday take before Liz and Producer Alex jump aboard the Polar Express.

Time to declare a winner for this year's Fantasy Heroes League! Will Matt continue his utter domination or will a new winner rise and finally take the power from this evil despot! Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/mcucast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join The Stranded Panda Community! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strandedpanda.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/spchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us a textEverything You Need to Know: Before Your First Hotel Takeover | Episode 224In this special Christmas episode of The Swing Nation Podcast, the top-rated podcast about non-monogamy and swinging, Dan and Lacy sit down to talk about a topic that's especially relevant as we head into a brand-new year: hotel takeovers. With New Year's being the granddaddy of all swinger hotel takeovers, there's no better time to break down what these events are really about and how to get the most out of them.Dan and Lacy walk you through the ins and outs of hotel takeovers—from what to expect, how to prepare, and common mistakes first-timers make, to how these events differ from clubs, cruises, and resorts. Whether you're brand new to the lifestyle or a seasoned traveler, they share practical tips to help you feel confident, connected, and ready to party.They also introduce their newest venture, Electric Pleasures, an alternative lifestyle music festival–inspired hotel takeover brand, and explain how it's designed to stand out from the rest. With a focus on music, energy, community, and immersive experiences, Dan and Lacy are setting the stage for unforgettable events as we party into 2026 and beyond. This episode is equal parts education, excitement, and holiday hype—perfect listening as you plan what's next on your lifestyle journey.Open Instincts NEW YEARS TicketsElectric Pleasures Events- The Swing Nation - Main Website Quick Navigation Website: -- (Find all our social media links & more!)- Swinger Society - Our Website to meet, connect & events Swinger Society Discord Our Facebook Group- Swinger Websites -Kasadie 90 day free trialUsername: TheSwingNation SDC 14 day free trial Username: TheSwingNation** Use code 36313 for 14 days free! **- Merch & More -Order Your Merch Here!- Lacy's Fun Links -VIP OnlyFansPREMIUM OnlyFans-- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS --IKNOWMYSTATUS: Test Like a Porn StarUse Code LifeStyle and get 15% OFFShameless Care: ED MedicationUse Code TSN at checkout for $30 off your order!Promescent® Make Love Longer, It's Time for Great SexUse Code SwingNation for 5% off!Sing it Bikinis:  adjustable one-size styles, thoughtfully crafted to flatter every body type.Support the show- Thank you for the support! -

In this solo episode of The SuperLife Podcast, Darin Olien dives deep into the true biology of energy—not motivation, not stimulants, not willpower, but the mitochondria themselves. Inspired by a groundbreaking conversation between Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Martin Picard, Darin reframes energy as an emergent property of how we live, not just what we eat or how much we sleep. This episode explores how mitochondria act as signal translators, listening to your food, stress, sleep, movement, emotions, purpose, and environment—and turning those signals into either vitality or depletion. Darin connects cutting-edge mitochondrial science with real-world practices around recovery, meaningful stress, consistency, connection, and alignment, showing how true longevity and resilience are built at the cellular level.     What You'll Learn in This Episode 00:00  – Welcome to SuperLife & the mission of sovereignty and vitality 00:32 – Thera Sage sponsor: family-built healing tech & red light 02:10 – Why this episode is different: diving into cellular energy 02:42 – Inspiration from Huberman & Picard's mitochondria conversation 03:11 – Rethinking mitochondria: not just ATP, but information processors 04:03 – Energy as potential for change, not calories or fuel 04:39 – How thoughts, emotions, food, and stress shape energy 05:05 – Energy is dynamic, adaptive, and responsive to how you live 06:02 – Mitochondria as signal integrators: sleep, hormones, purpose, connection 06:50 – Mitochondria as antennas, not factories 07:16 – Translating life experience into biological energy 08:09 – Why we don't feel "energy," we feel energy flow 08:53 – Flow states, purpose, and why passion creates vitality 09:32 – Different organs, different mitochondrial roles 10:26 – Why energy optimization is not one-size-fits-all 10:49 – Energy resistance: the hidden cause of fatigue and burnout 11:47 – Chronic stress, poor sleep, and ultra-processed food as energy blockers 12:12 – Why recovery is non-negotiable for longevity 12:20 – Caldera Lab sponsor: clean, performance-driven skincare 14:20 – The danger of constant output without recovery 14:45 – Sleep as a mitochondrial reset and repair system 15:40 – Exercise, adaptation, and why recovery completes the signal 16:22 – Intentional stress vs. chronic stress 17:29 – Food as information, not just fuel 18:05 – Time-restricted eating, fresh food, and metabolic signaling 18:27 – Meaning, purpose, and emotional states as cellular inputs 19:23 – Mitochondria, aging, and the potential reversibility of decline 20:06 – SuperLife framework: alignment over optimization 20:37 – Consistency beats intensity at the cellular level 21:19 – Stable rhythms: sleep, nourishment, hydration, movement 21:45 – Stillness, meditation, and parasympathetic repair 22:35 – Growth requires both resistance and recovery 24:44 – Connection, community, and loneliness as biological signals 25:27 – Eliminating fatal conveniences to restore vitality 26:02 – Your mitochondria are listening—change the signals 26:21 – Honoring Huberman & Picard's contribution to human health 27:12 – Energy flow as the foundation of a SuperLife 28:11 – Closing reflections and invitation to apply this work     Thank You to Our Sponsors Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off Caldera Lab: Experience the clinically proven benefits of Caldera Lab's clean skincare regimen and enjoy 20% off your order by visiting calderalab.com/darin and using code DARIN at checkout.     Join the SuperLife Community Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns — beyond social media restrictions: Weekly voice notes Ingredient deep dives Wellness challenges Energy + consciousness tools Community accountability Extended episodes Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien     Find More from Darin Olien: Instagram: @darinolien Podcast: SuperLife Podcast Website: superlife.com Book: Fatal Conveniences     Key Takeaway "Your mitochondria are not broken. They are responding perfectly to the signals you give them. Change the signals, and your energy, resilience, and life will follow."     Bibliography & Sources Here is the bibliography based on the sources referenced in the document, formatted with direct links to the scientific papers, books, and the podcast episode. Primary Source Material Huberman, A. (Host). (2025, December 15). Improve Energy & Longevity by Optimizing Mitochondria with Dr. Martin Picard [Audio/Video podcast]. Huberman Lab. Link to Episode Picard Lab. Mitochondrial Psychobiology Group. Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Link to Lab Website Key Scientific Literature & Books Hood, D. A., Memme, J. M., Oliveira, A. N., & Triolo, M. (2019). Exercise and Mitochondrial Biogenesis. Physiological Reviews, 99(1), 669–715. Read Study Lane, N. (2015). The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life. W.W. Norton & Company. Book Link López-Otín, C., Blasco, M. A., Partridge, L., Serrano, M., & Kroemer, G. (2013). The Hallmarks of Aging. Cell, 153(6), 1194–1217. Read Study Mattson, M. P., Moehl, K., Ghena, N., Schmaedick, M., & Cheng, A. (2018). Intermittent Metabolic Switching, Neuroplasticity and Brain Health. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 19, 63–80. Read Study Picard, M., & McEwen, B. S. (2018). Psychological Stress and Mitochondria: A Systematic Review. Psychosomatic Medicine, 80(2), 126–140. Read Study Picard, M., & Shirihai, O. S. (2022). Mitochondrial Psychobiology: Foundations and Applications. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 43, 102–110. Read Study Speakman, J. R., & Selman, C. (2011). The Free-Radical Damage Theory: Accumulating Evidence Against a Simple Link. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 26(1), 33–39. Read Study Wallace, D. C. (2015). Mitochondria and Cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 12, 685–698. (Note: Often referenced alongside his Annual Review of Genetics work on aging). Read Study