Podcasts about Alternating

We got SILLY with this one, folks. In this dream-like episode of Girls, Hannah becomes a teacher three minutes after thinking about it for the first time, gets asked on a date, takes him to the worst possible place you could take a first date (where your ex and his new gf are), and the night devolves into craziness between Adam and the world's biggest d-bag played by Zachary Quinto, and Hannah and MRH, who is apparently an evil mastermind. Alternating episodes of "Girls" will keep dropping here on the Sex and the Cidiots feed until they're done! Leave a rate & a review if ya don't mind, and we'll be bffs forever. For the full "Girls" journey, with every episode, video podcasts, and dozens of bonus episodes on movies and other TV shows join us at patreon.com/kevinandjon!

Step into the world of Saadat Hasan Manto, the literary genius whose stories stirred hearts and sparked debates. In this episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, Manto, brought to life by a talented voice artist, narrates his own story—his rise to fame, the controversies that defined his life, and the legacy that endures.  Alternating between Manto's evocative voice and the anchor's compelling narration, this dramatised podcast takes you on an unforgettable journey:  Was Manto a rebel, a genius, or both? Hear his story, told the way only he could tell it—raw, unfiltered, and profoundly human.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[Video below] Floresville Independent School District students and teachers will operate under a hybrid schedule for the 2025-26 school year. The new calendar — which the board of trustees adopted in a unanimous vote during the March 3 regular meeting — will provide students and teachers with 18 non-holiday Fridays off from the school week, by alternating between five-day weeks and four-day weeks during specific periods. According to Assistant Superintendent Rhonda Wade, the district calendar will comprise these alternating schedules: •Five-day week — Aug. 12 through Oct. 9 (first grading period) •Four-day week — Oct. 10 through Dec. 18 (second...Article Link

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONlg9ToDKoY “Chrysalis” navigates the story of Deniz, an enigmatic alien who, upon arriving on Earth, assumes the form of a 20-something girl. Driven by loneliness and curiosity, she becomes captivated by the vibrant Turkish culture. Alternating between the euphoria of her love with a Turkish woman, Melisa, and the aftermath of a tragic loss caused by homophobia in modern Turkish society, the narrative weaves subtle hints alluding to Deniz's true nature, inviting contemplation on whether she is an extraterrestrial or a representation of someone who feels like an outsider within their own country. The story delicately portrays the healing journey of both Deniz and Melisa's grieving mother within a city so capable of profound love, yet at times challenged to extend that love to others. Get to know the writer: What is your screenplay about? The screenplay explores what it means to love in a city like Istanbul- a place that is both beautiful and complicated. Growing up in this country (as with any country), you can find love in every corner within its people. However, there's also a heartbreaking cycle of hate that seeps through, especially towards the LGBTQ community. Istanbul is naturally a loving city, but the struggle to embrace all forms of love has persisted for years. This paradox inspired me to create a story that highlights the loneliness and complexity of being part of a community like this in Istanbul. Despite the hate, I believe the city is and will always be filled with love- sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective to see that love in its purest form is universal. My love is no different than your love. Subscribe to the podcast: https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/ https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

What's better to build strength and muscle ... straight sets or alternating sets? Depends who you talk to, but here's my take on it.#over40sfitness #fitnessmotivation #straightsets******** Want to get 1 on 1 online coaching ********Go here

Today's story: Scientists have discovered the ideal way to boil an egg, ensuring a perfectly firm white and a soft, nutrient-rich yolk. The secret? Alternating the egg between boiling and warm water for 32 minutes. This method preserves nutrients and improves texture—but it requires patience and precision.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/752--Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.--Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/joinHere's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | EmailMentioned in this episode:Ready to improve your listening?Ready to listen fast? Improve your listening with the fast version of this and every episode. The full-speed version is a fresh recording and it sounds just like someone speaking to a native speaker (with no AI or computer manipulation!) You can even listen on a podcast app Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

In this podcast, Dr David Marlin discusses the various aspects of stirrups in equestrian riding, including their historical significance, safety concerns, rider asymmetry, and the forces exerted on horses. David emphasizes the importance of stirrup design, the impact of rider position, and the need for further research in this area.takeawaysStirrups play a crucial role in mounting and stability.There are over 429 patents related to stirrups.Safety stirrups may reduce injury severity during falls.Rider comfort and stability are key factors in stirrup choice.Asymmetry in riders can affect performance and horse health.Forces in the saddle can be significantly higher than expected.Expensive stirrups may not offer additional benefits.Proper footwear is essential for safety while riding.Research on stirrup design is still ongoing and necessary.Alternating between sitting and standing may benefit the horse's back.----To find out more about becoming a member >>> AskAnimalweb.comNot a Member? Join for as little as £6 a month or £8 on a month-by-month basis to access all the test results and have a say in what we test and investigate next. For this, you also get access to all past and future webinars, videos, podcasts, and articles, the opportunity to take part in testing and research and SOOOO much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two stories of Good Neighbors in the Golden State.Listen to the ► Podcast at By Paul_Chance. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.Taking MaziA quiet canyon home echoes with primal cries of lust.By Paul_ChanceTim Cousins came home to the sprawling house in the mountains north of Los Angeles late at night. The winding road to the remote canyon was desolate and quiet. When he made this drive Tim often thought of Los Angeles with its thriving millions no more than 10 miles away. It always amazed him that a simple drive up a twisting road would transport him into another world.He inherited the ramshackle house years ago from a distant uncle he had never known. There was a small trust fund to take care of the expenses and taxes and the single stipulation - he could never sell the house. As a successful construction project manager with a thriving firm in the basin below that was fine with Tim, the old house was the perfect retreat.Here in the mountains the neighbors came and went. Over the years Los Angeles had found the remote canyon and successive waves of postmodern settlers had laid down roots. Some were successful - the Parker family half mile further up the road was thriving. The Davis widow across the canyon seemed to have flowered in this remote and harsh terrain.Others were less successful. The house immediately below Tim's place had traded hands half a dozen times in as many years. The ideal of living in the remote canyons above Los Angeles often slammed into the reality. For many people the remoteness, the isolation, and the lack of services beyond basic electricity and water were too much to bear.Tim gave the downstairs neighbors a couple of more months. He was some sort of music producer, given to expensive suits and a flashy car. She was, apparently, his ingénue. Tim smiled as he thought of her. He had met them shortly after they moved in. He had stopped by to introduce himself and they had been pleasant enough.The producer was filled with that restless energy that drives the truly ambitious and his conversation had been disingenuous and distracted. She had been, frankly, drunk and bored out of her mind. She had flirted with him as a matter of form because that was what was expected of her in the world she inhabited.Since then he had occasionally seen them from his back patio and exchanged waves and shouted hellos but that was about it. Tonight, as he drove past their house, it appeared dark and unoccupied. One of the telltale signs of their return to Los Angeles had been the increasing frequency of absence. Tim didn't mind. One of the things he loved about the canyon was the quiet. His working day was long and chaotic; sometimes he just spent the night in the city below, sometimes for days on end. When he was here he surrendered to the simplicity and silence.He swung his car into the garage, turned it off and then simply abandoned it. It was the custom, here in the mountains, to leave your keys in the ignition. There were two reasons for it. First, if there was an emergency and the neighbor needed the car they were welcome to it. Second, in the unlikely event that crime crept up from the city below, it would be better for them to simply take the car than to come into the house in search of the keys.Tim strode into the empty and dark kitchen, paused long enough to grab a beer from the humming refrigerator, and then slid the accordion glass doors wide open and went out onto the patio. He drug one of the wooden chairs to the railing at the edge overlooking the wild canyon and sat down. At times like this the simplicity of life was an almost unbearable pleasure. Tim sat there, in silence, savoring the moment.In the still and quiet evening the sound of a sliding door from the downstairs house was fairly loud. A moment later a light came on in the pool area. It was the ingénue. She was wearing a black string bikini top and a pair of stylishly ragged blue jeans. She was barefoot and her curly black hair was damp and tousled. She had a brown beer bottle in one hand and she was obviously looking for something.Tim watched as she turned over one cushion after another. Whatever her talent was or was not she possessed a sensual beauty that revealed itself in her movements, an inherent femininity and an unconscious grace. She was also, obviously, slightly tipsy. In the clear night air Tim could hear her cursing softly as whatever she was searching for eluded her.It was somewhere in her search that she happened to look up and notice Tim sitting there. She smiled and waved at him. Tim smiled back and lifted his beer in her return."Oh thank God!" She exclaimed, "Please tell me you are not drinking beer with a twist off top!"Tim laughed, "Not likely.""Stay right there." she commanded. "I'll be up in a moment." She vanished into the house.Tim took another sip of beer and waited patiently. Several minutes passed and he heard the scrape of her sandals as she came around the side of the house and onto the patio carrying a six pack of beer in both hands.A moment later she was sitting next to him and he was handing her a freshly opened beer. She took a long drink and pointed with her bottle at the opener fastened to the rail with a piece of cord and a staple."We'll count that as a fucking brilliant idea."Cold beer in hand they settled into conversation and easy laughter. Mazi had just finished a trying couple of days in LA helping the producer ride shotgun on a new jazz act that he was trying to break. They had developed superstar attitude before they developed superstar talent. Their demands had been both entertaining and insane. When they had insisted on a foursome with Mazi before they lay down their next track she had enough. She stormed out in a righteous fury when the producer seemed to consider the idea for a moment.Her intention had been to come to the house in the canyon, get some of her possessions, and then find a hotel with a spa to retreat into. But when she got here she realized that which she was really craving was the quiet of the canyon. Except, after a pair of strong vodka martinis and deciding to settle down with a beer or two on the patio and a dip in the pool, well, she had lost the bottle opener.Suddenly Mazi jumped to her feet and walked to the far end of patio. Tim watched her go curiously. She reached the end and leaned out over the rail. A moment later she gestured for him to come join her. Tim stood up and strode across the patio. She smiled that award-winning smile at him and raised her hand and wiggled one figure back and forth as if she was scolding him."Did you know that you can see right into the master bedroom from this part of your patio?"She extended her open hand to Tim and then pulled him closely up behind her as she leaned out over the rail on her tip toes."Look!"Tim, curious, amused, and he had to admit aroused by her proximity leaned over to see. She was right, if the blinds were open from this position on the patio he would've had a perfect view into their bedroom.She laughed and looked back over her shoulder at him."Naughty, naughty, naughty! Here I was all upset about a jazz trio thinking I would be the perfect inspirational treat and my own strong but silent neighbor has probably been watching me for the last couple of months!"Tim's laugh was a quiet chuckle."I'm going to have to plead innocent on that one. Now, if I would have known that was the view then I most certainly would've watched at least a time or two."Mazi glanced back over her shoulder and slowly sized him up with her dark eyes. In that moment something changed between them and what had been friendly and flirtatious transformed. A current of electricity ran between them.Tim was suddenly aware of the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed deeper and longer. Mazi watched him as he slowly stepped forward and closed the distance between. She caught her breath when their bodies touched for the first time. Tim felt her then, tight, trembling and hot.Tim leaned into her, pressing her against the rail. The sound she made was half whimper and half moan. It inflamed him. He felt the blood rush into his cock. In a few short seconds it was painfully bound by his pants and deliciously pressed against Mazi's ass. The look in her eyes was half fear and half lust. Tim leaned in and whispered in her ear."If I were to look down into the open window and see you, there, on the bed naked with three jazz musicians vying to sate themselves in your beautiful body I would undoubtedly be driven mad with lust."He took his index finger and placed it just above her navel. She gasped. He slowly traced line up the center of her body, over the lean muscles of her abdomen, trailing across her brown skin until he reached the tiny gold chain that held the cups of her bikini together. With a twist he wrapped it around his finger."I think they would play you like an instrument. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine their hands lifting you, caressing you, pressing your thighs wide apart so that one after another they could lower their mouths to taste you?"With his other hand Tim found the bow that tied the back of the bikini and pulled on the loose end of the string until the knot vanished. Mazi raised her hands to cover her breasts. Tim slowly pulled the bikini away from her body."Whatever modesty you held would be stripped away from you at the caress of their tongues on your cunt, on your clit. You would start to rise to meet them, thrusting your hips upward, trying to draw them deeper into you."Tim slowly pulled her hands away from her breasts. They were small, almost delicate, but beautifully shaped. Her nipples were the color of almonds. Both were already erect, rigid from the trembling lust he could feel beneath him. He cupped her breasts the nipples pressing into his palms. He slowly caressed them, stroking them while he continued to whisper."Soon enough you would lose track of whose tongue was pressing its way between those sweet, wet, swollen lips. The waves of pleasure would ripple through you one after another, each rising higher and higher. When that first orgasm crashed over you would you cry out or shutter in trembling silence?"Mazi whimpered and reached back to grasp Tim by the cock through his pants."Oh, my God!"Tim's moan answered her exclamation. Deep, rumbling, it came from the pit of his stomach, from the root of his cock and Mazi felt the moan cut through her to her core.She barely felt his hands on the buttons of her jeans. A moment and he had stripped them from her and she stood before him naked. He stepped back and stripped his own pants. His cock, free from the confining fabric, leapt upward, a hard and curved testament to his desire. Mazi, her eyes wide, gripped the wooden rail as he stepped to her."After that first orgasm, when your sweet little pussy was dripping, they would drag you on to your hands and knees. One of them would kneel in front of you, his long fingers curling in your hair as she pulled that sweet mouth toward his cock."Tim leaned in and kissed Mazi the first time. She surrendered, melting into his body, losing herself in his heat. The kiss lingered long enough to consume her and then Tim leaned back, took her slender waist into his hands and twisted her back around to press her over the rail."Oh, oh, oh fuck." She whimpered.Tim lifted her slightly, so that she was standing on her tip toes, pinned against the rail, leaning precariously over. He felt her hot slick lips as he bent his knees slightly and maneuvered the thick head of his cock just inside of her."There would be that first moment, when you felt one of them at the entrance to your cunt and you would know that whatever you had planned had slipped completely out of your control. You would know that they were going to fuck you until they were through with you. Then, they would cum, on you and in you, coating you, filling you, drenching you. You would know that despite all of your protestations of innocence, of outrage, that was why you left. Because you are afraid of what would happen if you said yes."Tim plunged into Mazi. She rose to her tip toes and screamed; her voice a wild beast lost in the echoless night. Tim's cock filled her completely. Pain from the sudden penetration vanished into the wave of pleasure that followed as he pinned her against the rail and drove his cock in and out with long fast strokes, the slow dance of their seduction gone in the instant. They descended into the purity of a rough punishing fuck.His hands roamed her body just as his cock flowed within the inner walls of her cunt. She felt him pinch her nipples, the brief fiery pain seeming to cascade down a cord that connected to her swollen clit. She twisted and turned and tried simultaneously to pull away and to plunge him deeper into her. Her voice kept crying out, incoherent words, gasps of pleasure, cries for mercy, commands of faster, harder, deeper.Tim heard her voice somewhere distant, the entirety of his being focused on the sensation of the hot walls rippling down the shaft of his cock. His hands, at times rough, at times tender, roamed over her slender brown body.At one point he realized he had a fist clenched in her dark curls, her head pulled back, her eyes closed, her mouth open, gasping. In his other hand he had one of her almond nipples, pinched tightly between the thumb and finger, stretched painfully outward. Her cries spoke of her pain but the way she slammed her ass back into his thighs, the way her cunt clenched at his cock, revealed she was trapped in that world were pleasure and pain intermingle into a greater whole.It was too much for Tim. He buried himself inside of her and came. He roared, no more than a beast himself, as he thrust so hard he lifted her off her feet and held her dangling half over the rail. He shook as he pumped her full of thick white cum. Each thrust deep into her was accompanied by a jet of cum until finally he was exhausted.He eased her down off the rail and she stood on trembling legs her hands clinging desperately to keep her upright. He stepped back and felt his cock slip out. He looked down to watch the thick rivulets of white cum slide down her soft brown inner thighs.Somewhere in that sight the beast vanished and the man returned. On shaky legs of his own he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the house. She lay curled against his chest, resting her head upon his shoulder, her lips softly kissing his throat as she murmured quietly. He carried her into the master bedroom and laid her gently onto the white comforter that covered the king bed. He stood over her for a moment, looking down at her slender brown form, drenched in sweat, cum slick thighs glistening.She reached up, extending a hand, and he took it and slipped onto the bed, stretching out beside her. She curled against him, her head upon his chest, her hot body pressed against his side, one brown thigh draped over his abdomen. Their breath mingled, rose and fell in tandem, as the swift sleep of the satiated overtook them.The Guest RoomLust spins out of control on an overnight stay.The sound of the door opening wakes me from a sound sleep. There is a moment of confusion as I sit up in bed and blink away, the comforter sliding down to pool in my lap. I remember where I am, in the guest room of the Harris family. I'd come up from southern California to deliver a piece of customer furniture for my friend Jack, whose sister was the charming and beautiful Mrs. Harris.Mrs. Harris, Donna, was what I would call comfortably middle aged. She was home alone when I arrived, her husband having gone to San Francisco for a deposition in the morning. With her help I maneuvered the piece, a rosewood secretaries desk, into the house and up to the second floor. It was a beautiful house, California Modern, overlooking Marin.Once the piece was in place, I was ready to head into town and get a motel room for the night, but Donna insisted I join her for dinner on the patio. I was hungry and readily agreed. We settled in to eat a hearty salad and grilled chicken.Donna was a beautiful woman. In her early forties, she was about five foot three, curvy and soft, bordering on a certain voluptuous temptation. She was wearing blue jeans and a buttoned shirt, with her brown hair pulled back in a small ponytail. I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice her curves or the way the button between her full breasts strained when she twisted and turned. I tried not to stare, but I looked, and she caught me looking a time or two over the course of dinner.One glass of wine led to two and then three, and Donna decided to offer me the guest room for the night and open a second bottle of win. I accepted graciously. I wasn't a total stranger, so the offer was not out of the ordinary. We spent a fun evening listening to music, drinking wine, and talking. About ten o'clock we called it a night.Donna took me up to the guest bedroom, showed me the clean towels and shower, and then turned down the big California King bed before wishing me a good night. A hot shower later I put on my pajama bottom's and slipped into bed. I always prefer sleeping in black cotton pajama bottom's. There I lay, deep in sleep, when the door opened.Donna was standing in the doorway back-lit by the hall light. She was wearing a mid-length champagne nightgown, with lace trim at the hem, sleeves and bodice. It was very light, almost sheer, and the back lighting accentuated every curve. I stared at her openly, only half awake, feeling my cock lengthening, growing harder with the moment.She stood there, still, watching me. I swept the comforter aside and stood up, aware that cock was tenting the pajama bottom's. I heard her intake of breath. I walked across the room to wear she was standing and took her gently by the hand. I led her into the bedroom, across the floor to the full length dressing mirror. I stood her in front of the mirror and moved behind her. She shivered as my cock grazed her round ass. The sensation only made me harder. I looked over her shoulder and whispered in the shell of her ear."This is what I was dreaming of tonight."I placed my hands on her full hips and slowly slid them over her silk gown, sliding them up and across her stomach, sliding slowly, inch by inch. Donna's eyes were riveted on the slow travel of my hands. I reached the rounded curve under her breast and slowly cupped them, lifting them, caressing them. She moaned. I slide my thumbs across the pebbles of her nipples, slowly circling them, feeling and watch them harden. The scent of lust spilled into the room."Such beautiful breasts." I whispered in her ear, "Such gorgeous nipples." I reached up and slid the strap of the gown off one of her shoulders, slowly peeling the gown down and off her shoulder. I leaned in and kissed her bare neck. Her skin was hot. I peeled the gown from her breast, exposing a dark brown nipple, engorged and erect. I caught her nipple between my thumb and finger and pinched it. She whimpered and leaned back into me."Fuck." She whispered, her voice urgent with need.I peeled the gown off her other shoulder and turned her to face me. I reached up and grabbed a handful of her thick brown hair and pulled her head back. I bend my mouth and kissed first one nipple then the other. Alternating back and forth I kissed, licked, sucked and nipped those beautiful breasts until they were glistening with wetness and were surrounded by tiny goosebumps. Donna was trembling and whimpering, her hands running through my hair.I reached down, found the smooth skin of her inner thigh and slide my hand up between her legs. I cupped her cunt in my hand, feeling that burning heat. I curled my fingers and plunged two of them into her. She was so wet and slick they plunged deeply into her, as tight as she was. Her cunt clenched at my fingers."Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck." She whimpered. I slipped a third finger in and twisted my hand back and forth. She clung too me, trembling, as I finger-fucked her. She was slick and dripping wet. Her legs were shaking as her scent spilled into the room as she dripped over my hand.I couldn't take it any more. I reached up with my dripping hand, grabbed a handful of her hair and roughly drug her to the bed. "Oh God! She cried as I threw her onto the bed, face down. I climbed up next to her and lifted her to her knees."On all fours!" I told her, "I want you on your knees, so I can fuck your sweet cunt.". She rose up onto her hands and knees and I moved behind her. She was still trying to her adjust her position when I mounted her roughly. I tore my bottoms down, freed the raging hardness of my cock, and plunged into her cunt. She screamed as each thick inch coursed into her. She was so wet I penetrated her deeply with that first thrust, all the way into, pressing her open.My fingers dug into her soft skin as I pounded my cock in and out of her cunt. She was whimpering and squirming and crying as I bore roughly down on her. I savagely tore her gown off and threw it aside. My fingers dug into the soft flesh of her breasts. I caught her hard nipples and roughly pinched them. I pulled her hair hard, jerking her this way and that as my cock plunged in and out of her went cunt.I found her clit and slapped it, hard, once, twice, three times. On the third slap she went over the top and her body nearly convulsed with the power of her orgasm, burning white hot through her voluptuous form, shaking her. I leaned down and bit her hard on the shoulder and exploded inside of her, my cock surging and pulsing as I pumped jets of hot cum into her squeezing cunt. I spilled everything I had into her, felt her cunt squeezing it out around my thick cock, felt it sliding down her thighs as we collapsed on the bed, my weight bearing her into the mattress.

Two stories of Good Neighbors in the Golden State.Listen to the ► Podcast at By Paul_Chance. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.Taking MaziA quiet canyon home echoes with primal cries of lust.By Paul_ChanceTim Cousins came home to the sprawling house in the mountains north of Los Angeles late at night. The winding road to the remote canyon was desolate and quiet. When he made this drive Tim often thought of Los Angeles with its thriving millions no more than 10 miles away. It always amazed him that a simple drive up a twisting road would transport him into another world.He inherited the ramshackle house years ago from a distant uncle he had never known. There was a small trust fund to take care of the expenses and taxes and the single stipulation - he could never sell the house. As a successful construction project manager with a thriving firm in the basin below that was fine with Tim, the old house was the perfect retreat.Here in the mountains the neighbors came and went. Over the years Los Angeles had found the remote canyon and successive waves of postmodern settlers had laid down roots. Some were successful - the Parker family half mile further up the road was thriving. The Davis widow across the canyon seemed to have flowered in this remote and harsh terrain.Others were less successful. The house immediately below Tim's place had traded hands half a dozen times in as many years. The ideal of living in the remote canyons above Los Angeles often slammed into the reality. For many people the remoteness, the isolation, and the lack of services beyond basic electricity and water were too much to bear.Tim gave the downstairs neighbors a couple of more months. He was some sort of music producer, given to expensive suits and a flashy car. She was, apparently, his ingénue. Tim smiled as he thought of her. He had met them shortly after they moved in. He had stopped by to introduce himself and they had been pleasant enough.The producer was filled with that restless energy that drives the truly ambitious and his conversation had been disingenuous and distracted. She had been, frankly, drunk and bored out of her mind. She had flirted with him as a matter of form because that was what was expected of her in the world she inhabited.Since then he had occasionally seen them from his back patio and exchanged waves and shouted hellos but that was about it. Tonight, as he drove past their house, it appeared dark and unoccupied. One of the telltale signs of their return to Los Angeles had been the increasing frequency of absence. Tim didn't mind. One of the things he loved about the canyon was the quiet. His working day was long and chaotic; sometimes he just spent the night in the city below, sometimes for days on end. When he was here he surrendered to the simplicity and silence.He swung his car into the garage, turned it off and then simply abandoned it. It was the custom, here in the mountains, to leave your keys in the ignition. There were two reasons for it. First, if there was an emergency and the neighbor needed the car they were welcome to it. Second, in the unlikely event that crime crept up from the city below, it would be better for them to simply take the car than to come into the house in search of the keys.Tim strode into the empty and dark kitchen, paused long enough to grab a beer from the humming refrigerator, and then slid the accordion glass doors wide open and went out onto the patio. He drug one of the wooden chairs to the railing at the edge overlooking the wild canyon and sat down. At times like this the simplicity of life was an almost unbearable pleasure. Tim sat there, in silence, savoring the moment.In the still and quiet evening the sound of a sliding door from the downstairs house was fairly loud. A moment later a light came on in the pool area. It was the ingénue. She was wearing a black string bikini top and a pair of stylishly ragged blue jeans. She was barefoot and her curly black hair was damp and tousled. She had a brown beer bottle in one hand and she was obviously looking for something.Tim watched as she turned over one cushion after another. Whatever her talent was or was not she possessed a sensual beauty that revealed itself in her movements, an inherent femininity and an unconscious grace. She was also, obviously, slightly tipsy. In the clear night air Tim could hear her cursing softly as whatever she was searching for eluded her.It was somewhere in her search that she happened to look up and notice Tim sitting there. She smiled and waved at him. Tim smiled back and lifted his beer in her return."Oh thank God!" She exclaimed, "Please tell me you are not drinking beer with a twist off top!"Tim laughed, "Not likely.""Stay right there." she commanded. "I'll be up in a moment." She vanished into the house.Tim took another sip of beer and waited patiently. Several minutes passed and he heard the scrape of her sandals as she came around the side of the house and onto the patio carrying a six pack of beer in both hands.A moment later she was sitting next to him and he was handing her a freshly opened beer. She took a long drink and pointed with her bottle at the opener fastened to the rail with a piece of cord and a staple."We'll count that as a fucking brilliant idea."Cold beer in hand they settled into conversation and easy laughter. Mazi had just finished a trying couple of days in LA helping the producer ride shotgun on a new jazz act that he was trying to break. They had developed superstar attitude before they developed superstar talent. Their demands had been both entertaining and insane. When they had insisted on a foursome with Mazi before they lay down their next track she had enough. She stormed out in a righteous fury when the producer seemed to consider the idea for a moment.Her intention had been to come to the house in the canyon, get some of her possessions, and then find a hotel with a spa to retreat into. But when she got here she realized that which she was really craving was the quiet of the canyon. Except, after a pair of strong vodka martinis and deciding to settle down with a beer or two on the patio and a dip in the pool, well, she had lost the bottle opener.Suddenly Mazi jumped to her feet and walked to the far end of patio. Tim watched her go curiously. She reached the end and leaned out over the rail. A moment later she gestured for him to come join her. Tim stood up and strode across the patio. She smiled that award-winning smile at him and raised her hand and wiggled one figure back and forth as if she was scolding him."Did you know that you can see right into the master bedroom from this part of your patio?"She extended her open hand to Tim and then pulled him closely up behind her as she leaned out over the rail on her tip toes."Look!"Tim, curious, amused, and he had to admit aroused by her proximity leaned over to see. She was right, if the blinds were open from this position on the patio he would've had a perfect view into their bedroom.She laughed and looked back over her shoulder at him."Naughty, naughty, naughty! Here I was all upset about a jazz trio thinking I would be the perfect inspirational treat and my own strong but silent neighbor has probably been watching me for the last couple of months!"Tim's laugh was a quiet chuckle."I'm going to have to plead innocent on that one. Now, if I would have known that was the view then I most certainly would've watched at least a time or two."Mazi glanced back over her shoulder and slowly sized him up with her dark eyes. In that moment something changed between them and what had been friendly and flirtatious transformed. A current of electricity ran between them.Tim was suddenly aware of the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed deeper and longer. Mazi watched him as he slowly stepped forward and closed the distance between. She caught her breath when their bodies touched for the first time. Tim felt her then, tight, trembling and hot.Tim leaned into her, pressing her against the rail. The sound she made was half whimper and half moan. It inflamed him. He felt the blood rush into his cock. In a few short seconds it was painfully bound by his pants and deliciously pressed against Mazi's ass. The look in her eyes was half fear and half lust. Tim leaned in and whispered in her ear."If I were to look down into the open window and see you, there, on the bed naked with three jazz musicians vying to sate themselves in your beautiful body I would undoubtedly be driven mad with lust."He took his index finger and placed it just above her navel. She gasped. He slowly traced line up the center of her body, over the lean muscles of her abdomen, trailing across her brown skin until he reached the tiny gold chain that held the cups of her bikini together. With a twist he wrapped it around his finger."I think they would play you like an instrument. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine their hands lifting you, caressing you, pressing your thighs wide apart so that one after another they could lower their mouths to taste you?"With his other hand Tim found the bow that tied the back of the bikini and pulled on the loose end of the string until the knot vanished. Mazi raised her hands to cover her breasts. Tim slowly pulled the bikini away from her body."Whatever modesty you held would be stripped away from you at the caress of their tongues on your cunt, on your clit. You would start to rise to meet them, thrusting your hips upward, trying to draw them deeper into you."Tim slowly pulled her hands away from her breasts. They were small, almost delicate, but beautifully shaped. Her nipples were the color of almonds. Both were already erect, rigid from the trembling lust he could feel beneath him. He cupped her breasts the nipples pressing into his palms. He slowly caressed them, stroking them while he continued to whisper."Soon enough you would lose track of whose tongue was pressing its way between those sweet, wet, swollen lips. The waves of pleasure would ripple through you one after another, each rising higher and higher. When that first orgasm crashed over you would you cry out or shutter in trembling silence?"Mazi whimpered and reached back to grasp Tim by the cock through his pants."Oh, my God!"Tim's moan answered her exclamation. Deep, rumbling, it came from the pit of his stomach, from the root of his cock and Mazi felt the moan cut through her to her core.She barely felt his hands on the buttons of her jeans. A moment and he had stripped them from her and she stood before him naked. He stepped back and stripped his own pants. His cock, free from the confining fabric, leapt upward, a hard and curved testament to his desire. Mazi, her eyes wide, gripped the wooden rail as he stepped to her."After that first orgasm, when your sweet little pussy was dripping, they would drag you on to your hands and knees. One of them would kneel in front of you, his long fingers curling in your hair as she pulled that sweet mouth toward his cock."Tim leaned in and kissed Mazi the first time. She surrendered, melting into his body, losing herself in his heat. The kiss lingered long enough to consume her and then Tim leaned back, took her slender waist into his hands and twisted her back around to press her over the rail."Oh, oh, oh fuck." She whimpered.Tim lifted her slightly, so that she was standing on her tip toes, pinned against the rail, leaning precariously over. He felt her hot slick lips as he bent his knees slightly and maneuvered the thick head of his cock just inside of her."There would be that first moment, when you felt one of them at the entrance to your cunt and you would know that whatever you had planned had slipped completely out of your control. You would know that they were going to fuck you until they were through with you. Then, they would cum, on you and in you, coating you, filling you, drenching you. You would know that despite all of your protestations of innocence, of outrage, that was why you left. Because you are afraid of what would happen if you said yes."Tim plunged into Mazi. She rose to her tip toes and screamed; her voice a wild beast lost in the echoless night. Tim's cock filled her completely. Pain from the sudden penetration vanished into the wave of pleasure that followed as he pinned her against the rail and drove his cock in and out with long fast strokes, the slow dance of their seduction gone in the instant. They descended into the purity of a rough punishing fuck.His hands roamed her body just as his cock flowed within the inner walls of her cunt. She felt him pinch her nipples, the brief fiery pain seeming to cascade down a cord that connected to her swollen clit. She twisted and turned and tried simultaneously to pull away and to plunge him deeper into her. Her voice kept crying out, incoherent words, gasps of pleasure, cries for mercy, commands of faster, harder, deeper.Tim heard her voice somewhere distant, the entirety of his being focused on the sensation of the hot walls rippling down the shaft of his cock. His hands, at times rough, at times tender, roamed over her slender brown body.At one point he realized he had a fist clenched in her dark curls, her head pulled back, her eyes closed, her mouth open, gasping. In his other hand he had one of her almond nipples, pinched tightly between the thumb and finger, stretched painfully outward. Her cries spoke of her pain but the way she slammed her ass back into his thighs, the way her cunt clenched at his cock, revealed she was trapped in that world were pleasure and pain intermingle into a greater whole.It was too much for Tim. He buried himself inside of her and came. He roared, no more than a beast himself, as he thrust so hard he lifted her off her feet and held her dangling half over the rail. He shook as he pumped her full of thick white cum. Each thrust deep into her was accompanied by a jet of cum until finally he was exhausted.He eased her down off the rail and she stood on trembling legs her hands clinging desperately to keep her upright. He stepped back and felt his cock slip out. He looked down to watch the thick rivulets of white cum slide down her soft brown inner thighs.Somewhere in that sight the beast vanished and the man returned. On shaky legs of his own he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the house. She lay curled against his chest, resting her head upon his shoulder, her lips softly kissing his throat as she murmured quietly. He carried her into the master bedroom and laid her gently onto the white comforter that covered the king bed. He stood over her for a moment, looking down at her slender brown form, drenched in sweat, cum slick thighs glistening.She reached up, extending a hand, and he took it and slipped onto the bed, stretching out beside her. She curled against him, her head upon his chest, her hot body pressed against his side, one brown thigh draped over his abdomen. Their breath mingled, rose and fell in tandem, as the swift sleep of the satiated overtook them.The Guest RoomLust spins out of control on an overnight stay.The sound of the door opening wakes me from a sound sleep. There is a moment of confusion as I sit up in bed and blink away, the comforter sliding down to pool in my lap. I remember where I am, in the guest room of the Harris family. I'd come up from southern California to deliver a piece of customer furniture for my friend Jack, whose sister was the charming and beautiful Mrs. Harris.Mrs. Harris, Donna, was what I would call comfortably middle aged. She was home alone when I arrived, her husband having gone to San Francisco for a deposition in the morning. With her help I maneuvered the piece, a rosewood secretaries desk, into the house and up to the second floor. It was a beautiful house, California Modern, overlooking Marin.Once the piece was in place, I was ready to head into town and get a motel room for the night, but Donna insisted I join her for dinner on the patio. I was hungry and readily agreed. We settled in to eat a hearty salad and grilled chicken.Donna was a beautiful woman. In her early forties, she was about five foot three, curvy and soft, bordering on a certain voluptuous temptation. She was wearing blue jeans and a buttoned shirt, with her brown hair pulled back in a small ponytail. I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice her curves or the way the button between her full breasts strained when she twisted and turned. I tried not to stare, but I looked, and she caught me looking a time or two over the course of dinner.One glass of wine led to two and then three, and Donna decided to offer me the guest room for the night and open a second bottle of win. I accepted graciously. I wasn't a total stranger, so the offer was not out of the ordinary. We spent a fun evening listening to music, drinking wine, and talking. About ten o'clock we called it a night.Donna took me up to the guest bedroom, showed me the clean towels and shower, and then turned down the big California King bed before wishing me a good night. A hot shower later I put on my pajama bottom's and slipped into bed. I always prefer sleeping in black cotton pajama bottom's. There I lay, deep in sleep, when the door opened.Donna was standing in the doorway back-lit by the hall light. She was wearing a mid-length champagne nightgown, with lace trim at the hem, sleeves and bodice. It was very light, almost sheer, and the back lighting accentuated every curve. I stared at her openly, only half awake, feeling my cock lengthening, growing harder with the moment.She stood there, still, watching me. I swept the comforter aside and stood up, aware that cock was tenting the pajama bottom's. I heard her intake of breath. I walked across the room to wear she was standing and took her gently by the hand. I led her into the bedroom, across the floor to the full length dressing mirror. I stood her in front of the mirror and moved behind her. She shivered as my cock grazed her round ass. The sensation only made me harder. I looked over her shoulder and whispered in the shell of her ear."This is what I was dreaming of tonight."I placed my hands on her full hips and slowly slid them over her silk gown, sliding them up and across her stomach, sliding slowly, inch by inch. Donna's eyes were riveted on the slow travel of my hands. I reached the rounded curve under her breast and slowly cupped them, lifting them, caressing them. She moaned. I slide my thumbs across the pebbles of her nipples, slowly circling them, feeling and watch them harden. The scent of lust spilled into the room."Such beautiful breasts." I whispered in her ear, "Such gorgeous nipples." I reached up and slid the strap of the gown off one of her shoulders, slowly peeling the gown down and off her shoulder. I leaned in and kissed her bare neck. Her skin was hot. I peeled the gown from her breast, exposing a dark brown nipple, engorged and erect. I caught her nipple between my thumb and finger and pinched it. She whimpered and leaned back into me."Fuck." She whispered, her voice urgent with need.I peeled the gown off her other shoulder and turned her to face me. I reached up and grabbed a handful of her thick brown hair and pulled her head back. I bend my mouth and kissed first one nipple then the other. Alternating back and forth I kissed, licked, sucked and nipped those beautiful breasts until they were glistening with wetness and were surrounded by tiny goosebumps. Donna was trembling and whimpering, her hands running through my hair.I reached down, found the smooth skin of her inner thigh and slide my hand up between her legs. I cupped her cunt in my hand, feeling that burning heat. I curled my fingers and plunged two of them into her. She was so wet and slick they plunged deeply into her, as tight as she was. Her cunt clenched at my fingers."Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck." She whimpered. I slipped a third finger in and twisted my hand back and forth. She clung too me, trembling, as I finger-fucked her. She was slick and dripping wet. Her legs were shaking as her scent spilled into the room as she dripped over my hand.I couldn't take it any more. I reached up with my dripping hand, grabbed a handful of her hair and roughly drug her to the bed. "Oh God! She cried as I threw her onto the bed, face down. I climbed up next to her and lifted her to her knees."On all fours!" I told her, "I want you on your knees, so I can fuck your sweet cunt.". She rose up onto her hands and knees and I moved behind her. She was still trying to her adjust her position when I mounted her roughly. I tore my bottoms down, freed the raging hardness of my cock, and plunged into her cunt. She screamed as each thick inch coursed into her. She was so wet I penetrated her deeply with that first thrust, all the way into, pressing her open.My fingers dug into her soft skin as I pounded my cock in and out of her cunt. She was whimpering and squirming and crying as I bore roughly down on her. I savagely tore her gown off and threw it aside. My fingers dug into the soft flesh of her breasts. I caught her hard nipples and roughly pinched them. I pulled her hair hard, jerking her this way and that as my cock plunged in and out of her went cunt.I found her clit and slapped it, hard, once, twice, three times. On the third slap she went over the top and her body nearly convulsed with the power of her orgasm, burning white hot through her voluptuous form, shaking her. I leaned down and bit her hard on the shoulder and exploded inside of her, my cock surging and pulsing as I pumped jets of hot cum into her squeezing cunt. I spilled everything I had into her, felt her cunt squeezing it out around my thick cock, felt it sliding down her thighs as we collapsed on the bed, my weight bearing her into the mattress.

In this episode, Paul will talk about his all-time hero, other than his father, Mr. Nikila Tesla. Paul takes a deep dive into what he would think Tesla would think of where we are today. Did we achieve his dreams and desires, and do we think he would approve of the way we produce energy and sell it today. Well join Paul for this great walk into the mind of Tesla.Listen as Paul Abernathy, CEO, and Founder of Electrical Code Academy, Inc., the leading electrical educator in the country, discusses electrical code, electrical trade, and electrical business-related topics to help electricians maximize their knowledge and industry investment.If you are looking to learn more about the National Electrical Code, for electrical exam preparation, or to better your knowledge of the NEC then visits https://fasttraxsystem.com for all the electrical code training you will ever need by the leading electrical educator in the country with the best NEC learning program on the planet.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/master-the-nec-podcast--1083733/support.

In this episode, Eric dives into the power of screen share videos and how they can enhance your YouTube channel, engage your audience, and make your content more impactful. If you're looking to deliver valuable, visually-rich information, screen share videos are the way to go. Eric shares practical tips for creating these videos, explains why they work so well, and highlights the tools you need to get started. Tune in to learn how to make your videos stand out and keep your audience coming back for more. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why screen share videos are ideal for educational and how-to content. How screen sharing caters to visual learners and increases viewer engagement. Examples of content types that benefit from screen sharing: Business tutorials (accounting tools, spreadsheets, etc.) Content creation workflows (editing videos, adding B-roll, podcast editing). Design tips (photo editing in Photoshop, fixing white balance). Techniques for integrating screen share into your video production: Using a face bubble overlay for personal connection. Alternating between screen share, face bubble, and studio shots for engagement. Real-life analytics: How Eric's screen share videos outperform other formats. Why screen share videos are effective across niches, including comedy and interviews. Tips for starting your own screen share video journey. Favorite Apps To Record Screen Share Videos: QuickTime Descript Riverside.fm Listen To Past Podcast Episodes: The Reality of Work, Opportunities, and Family: Struggling to Make Money in a Capitalist World How To Transform a Single Video Into 10 Pieces of Compelling Content For All The Platforms Spotify For Creators: The Rebrand, Vertical Video Clips, Video Monetization, Big Promises, and My Honest Take Connect with The Podcast Haven: Homepage LinkedIn Blog YouTube Instagram

On today's episode of The Wholesome Fertility Podcast, I dive into the fascinating world of cold plunges—a trending wellness practice that seems to be everywhere lately. I explore the science behind cold exposure, its incredible health benefits like boosting mood, metabolism, and reducing inflammation, and how it impacts fertility for both men and women. Drawing on both scientific insights and Traditional Chinese Medicine perspectives, I share practical tips on how to use cold plunges mindfully and discuss when and how they might be most beneficial. Whether you're curious about trying a cold plunge or wondering how it fits into your fertility journey, this episode offers a balanced and intuitive approach to this powerful practice.   Takeaways   Cold plunges boost mood, energy, and metabolism by activating the sympathetic nervous system. Brown fat activation improves metabolic health and insulin sensitivity. Helps regulate testicular temperature for male fertility but may lower testosterone levels. Reduces inflammation, improves circulation, and supports metabolic health for female fertility. Best done during the follicular phase, not during menstruation. Alternating cold and hot exposure stimulates yin and yang balance. Limit to once a month to avoid creating a "cold" pattern or energy depletion. Pay attention to how your body feels; avoid if it feels draining. May benefit those with PCOS or insulin resistance. Pair with heat exposure for a balanced effect. Avoid overdoing extreme temperature practices for fertility balance.   Research on cold plunges:  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3895006/#:~:text=Cold%20exposure%20increased%20metabolic%20rate,in%20body%20weight%20or%20adiposity   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33764169/   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9518606/   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1890772/   For more information about Michelle, visit: www.michelleoravitz.com   The Wholesome FertilityFacebook group is where you can find free resources and support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/   Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/     Transcript:     [00:00:00] Welcome to the Wholesome Fertility Podcast. I'm your host, Michelle Orbitz, and today we're going to be talking about a hot topic, but it's not so hot. We are talking about cold plunges and you may have heard about the benefits. It seems to be, again, a hot topic, something that you see many people talking about. You see lots of influencers getting to cold plunges. You see them popping up in all kinds of spas. So I wanted to talk about the benefits and not just the benefits, but if they are good for fertility, I often get the question asked by my patients and my fertility clients. So let's dive in.  So, let's talk about the science behind cold plunges, really what they do to the body and what they really are. So cold plunges is really going into very, [00:01:00] very cold water, like ice water for a short amount of time. So it could be 30 seconds, it could be up to a few minutes, which honestly I could never do a few minutes of it, but it's really just immersing the body in very cold water and then coming out. Obviously you don't want to stay too long because that's not healthy either. And what that does is it actually activates your sympathetic nervous system, which is the fight or flight response. And when that happens, it actually like stimulates the body and a surge of beta endorphins and noradrenaline occur, and that can impact your energy, it can impact your mood, it also activates brown fat tissue and increasing metabolism, so many different health benefits can occur, and that includes increasing metabolic rates, so It can force the body to work harder to maintain its core temperature, and then what it also does is it forces [00:02:00] the blood to go inwards so that the heat is protected and the blood goes towards your organs. It's also shown to help with insulin sensitivity, so it can improve your response to insulin. And since it helps with metabolism, it can also help with weight management. I personally have done cold plunges in the past, and I will say that it has a very relaxing impact on my body. , not relaxing when you're doing it. Absolutely not. It's very, very stressful actually. And you can feel stressed when you're doing it. And it also causes you to breathe really fast. and it causes, you could definitely feel the stress. So when you're going through that, you're obviously going through some stress cause your body's not used to taking that temperature. But then after you get out, you start to feel the endorphins and you start to feel really relaxed. When I have done it, I've done it in a spa setting where you can [00:03:00] do the cold plunges and then you can go into a warm environment and then go back and forth a couple of times. So what that could do is it actually from a Chinese medicine perspective, what I see it as is that you are forcing yin and yang. mechanism in your body by doing that, it actually wakes up that yin and yang response in the body. And it forces you to go from really cold to really hot to really cool to really hot. And what that can do is when you're forcing that dial, that your body's going to start to regulate itself. It almost instigates or It prompts the body to regulate itself and create balance. There have been a lot of studies that have been published, and it has been found to show lots of health benefits, including health and mood, cardiovascular health. So it definitely seems to be beneficial overall for the health. Now, when it comes to male fertility, the idea is, is[00:04:00] that temperature is really important and it plays a very, very important role when it comes to the testicles. And sperm production requires a temperature of about 3. 6 to 7. 2 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the core body temperature. And this is why the testicles are located outside of the body. So you may have often heard that for male fertility, it's important that they don't heat up the testicle area. So many times people will say not to go into spas or saunas or steam rooms and to avoid hot tubs. And that is the reason why is because having that high temperature is going to cause issues with the sperm production. But it also is the reason why a varicose cell impacts sperm health is because the varicose cell is basically a varicose vein, a vein that's [00:05:00] expanded in the testicular region. for your attention. And where there's blood, there's heat. So because it's expanded, there's more blood volume and that blood volume creates more heat around that area, which impacts sperm production. So the thought is, is that , cold plunges can also maintain the optimal temperature for sperm production by lowering the temperature of the body. However, what's been shown in some cases is that cold stimulation actually decreases testosterone levels by sometimes up to 10%. Is something to definitely consider. So the question is, should you as a male start to do cold plunges or should you just avoid heat and that is. definitely something to consider. So  When it comes to female fertility, we know that other benefits are reduced [00:06:00] inflammation for cold plunges, stress reduction, improved circulation, metabolic health. So these are all things that can definitely benefit female fertility. , Now, my thing is, is that I would not suggest to do this all the time if you were to do it. I think that doing it once in a while, maybe once a month, and then also including some, heat exposure for women back and forth, just once in a while to reset the system of the body probably won't hurt. And if anything, it might activate the body and create a more calm response in the body. And as I always say, it's really important to listen to your body. Ultimately, when you feel good, you feel good. it is your body speaking to you and communicating that whatever you're doing makes it feel good. So it is important to follow that. However, if you feel more fatigue, more drained, then your body's telling you maybe don't do it too much. I [00:07:00] personally think because it is an extreme type of stimulation, it might be best to Do this more of a once in a while thing, so no more than once a month, and it might be beneficial to do it once a month because you are stimulating , the yin and yang response for a female body, and you're also possibly lowering inflammation for both male and female. However, doing it more, could also impact having too much cold in the system and I often talk about this in general, that with female fertility specifically, it's important to keep a warm womb and to also not put your feet on cold tile. I always talk about drawing up cold. Now that is also a chronic thing. So doing this all the time. Is a different story than to do it really quickly and then you're right out and then your body has enough time to [00:08:00] regulate so that you're not really doing this chronically and you're not creating like a cold pattern from this quick exposure. So there's a difference between doing something habitually and chronically versus doing something for a quick exposure. It also might help for specific conditions. So my thought would be based on the fact that it lowers inflammation, And of course, again, there's not a lot of studies on this. So this is just really my perspective on it. The fact that it lowers inflammation and the fact that it can increase metabolism and increase insulin sensitivity, I would say it may benefit anybody who's a little more overweight or has PCOS with insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance. So I would say why not try it out, try it once and then don't do it like too many times, too much[00:09:00] repetition. I would definitely try it like about once a month just to get things stimulated. I would also say that I would avoid doing this during the menstrual cycle. I would do this only in the follicular phase after the bleed before ovulation. That would be the only time that I would suggest doing this  for women. I would also listen to your body and not overdo it, not stay too long inside the cold plunge especially if it's your first time and you're not used to it. So, test it out. But again, isn't something that I suggest doing on a regular basis. And similarly, I would say the same thing with hot yoga. Hot yoga is great once in a while in moderation, especially if you tend to be something called yin deficiency, you find that your fluids are low, you tend to be more dry, your skin is dry, and you're thirsty a lot. I would definitely suggest,[00:10:00] not to do hot yoga all the time. And I would say I would only suggest it once in a while.  If you have a strong constitution that is able to withstand the heat and not get fully, fully depleted for those individuals, I would definitely say once in a while to do hot yoga if it really relaxes you, that's okay. My concern is not to get too depleted by extreme heat or extreme cold. And so it's important to really consider that when you're trying to conceive, you don't want to overdo anything and cause too much stress on the body. A little stress is okay. That's actually normal and it actually helps your body to get stronger. But you just don't want to overdo it. So it really, a lot of this is intuitive. A lot of it is common sense. A lot of it is really paying attention to your body and your body sensations and what your body's telling you. So that is my two cents on the cold plunges. I know this [00:11:00] is a little shorter of an episode compared to what I usually do, but , I felt like it was an important thing to address because it does seem to be a topic that comes up a lot as of late so Those are my thoughts on it. I definitely think it can Stimulate that yin and yang balance by forcing the body. Sometimes that's okay, but you just don't want to do this all the time. So I hope that helped you answer your questions if that was on your mind. And I want to say thank you so much for tuning in today, and I hope you have a beautiful day.

Hannah and Adam have some tension over their new living-apart situation, and about how many bananas Adam likes in the morning, but hey: they keep banging in spite of it. Hannah takes Elijah over to finish the interview with Patti LuPone (and her husband), and finally quits GQ before doing maybe the most unforgivable series of things we've seen this only sort-of forgivable character ever do! Marnie almost works with a photographer she admires at the new gallery before a newly sober Jessa swoops in, and then Marnie closes the episode with a real 1-2 punch of an open mic performance with Desi, and a briefly closed doors performance with Ray. Alternating episodes of our Girls pod go to the Sex and the Cidiots normal feed, while EVERY episode — along with dozens of movies, all of Carrie Diaries, and S1 of Desperate Housewives — are available over on Patreon.com/KevinandJon. Join us and thanks for all the support, Cidiots!

You ever done some Zebra Striping?The trend has been around for a while, but now there's a term for it. Alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage is... Zebra Striping. Seems the practice may be a bit more refined than just having glass of water after a few beers, but it ain't new.Is your January still dry?Nate is dry, I'm kinda moist, and Brian is nearly drowning. But if you're still dry we've got a mocktail recipe using Guinness 0 that you might want to try out. If you're in the pool with Brian we also have some tips on pairing beer and whiskey. Now we're talking.Is beer good for you or not?Science can never agree on this, or anything health related it seems. The Surgeon General wants to expand the warning on beer to note that it can cause cancer. At the same time another group of scientists say they've re-confirmed that moderate alcohol consumption can have health benefits. Our suggestion, play it cool and enjoy life.This week in News We Thought Was Done Years Ago, the Stone vs. Molson Coors judgment has been upheld. Molson Coors has to pay out a big chunk for their Keystone marketing that Stone said confused consumers. Seems the courts agree.In some good news for brewers the TTB has added several common brewing adjunts to their exemption list. This means if a brewer already has an approved beer they can add these ingredients without the need for a new approval. We'll take all the good news we can get, even if it's small.Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSSFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!

We have a great episode for you today, powered by awesome listener questions! How about planning the road from a 100 kg bench press to a 200 kg bench press? Or what about active recovery, is it really a thing to sweat about? Ten questions, all in all. See the timestamps below. Timestamps: 05:10 – Question 1: How would you plan the road from a 100 kg to a 200 kg PR in the bench press? Roughly! 15:50 – Question 2: What is active recovery, and does it work? 20:10 – Question 3: My feed is overflowing with videos about how important it is for us stiff-necked office gnomes to train the hip flexors, but I can't remember even hearing the word hip flexors from you guys … Is this something you need to worry about, and if so how? 24:10 – Question 4: Alternating dumbbell curls or both arms simultaneously? Which is more disco, and how much sweating the details is it to care about the difference? 29:00 – Question 5: If you can't or don't want to strength train more than 90 minutes a week spread over 2-3 sessions, and don't have higher ambitions than to bench your body weight, deadlift twice that, and squat somewhere in between, is there any reason to go beyond a beginner's program? 35:00 – Question 6: Do you have a training program that you return to again and again? 37:50 – Question 7: I have a question about the set point theory, meaning if you lose weight, the body wants to try to restore it, restoring what you once weighed. But if you lose weight and then put on muscle mass until you reach the original weight, is the body "satisfied" then? Or is it more connected with the amount of body fat, so if the body finds its way back to the "status quo" + the new muscle mass, it results in a higher new total weight? 43:00 – Question 8: I want to get brutally strong in dips. I currently train 1-2 times a week, practicing handstands and freestanding handstand push-ups. I see some OK results, but I feel that I could improve more if I were properly structured. I've been using the app since 2019, and before I started training calisthenics, I pushed my bench press PR around +20kg with Benchpress Boogie, and similar in squats and deadlifts. I know that your programs work well for me, and I miss the structure they gave me. Do you have any tips? 47:00 – Question 9: What sets do you count as warm-up? I use your app, and, for instance, if my program says 5x5 for the first exercise I usually do like 5-6 sets with 6-12 reps building up to that weight, but the two final sets are fairly tough. Should I log those sets as warm-up or working sets? Ps. The total weight for the workout is not unimportant for my satisfaction 51:00 – Question 10: What is the biceps circumference at which you don't have to quote studies anymore, and can just drop truth bombs instead? *** Do you like what you hear so far? Please leave a five-star review in your podcast player. And hit that follow button! You can also follow us on Instagram. You'll find Daniel at @strengthdan, and Philip at @philipwildenstam. Become a part of our community on Facebook here. *** This podcast is brought to you by Styrkelabbet AB, Sweden. To support us, download the world's best gym workout tracker app StrengthLog here. It's completely ad-free and the most generous fitness app on the market, giving you access to unlimited workout logging, lots of workouts and training programs, and much, much more even if you stay a free user for life. If you want a t-shirt with ”Train hard, eat well, die anyway”, check out our shop here.

Editors - Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo GLADIATOR 2 editors Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo first teamed up when Sam worked as her assistant editor on the tv series RAISED BY WOLVES (2020).  From there, Claire brought Sam as her assistant to his first Ridley Scott feature, THE LAST DUEL (2021).  He would assist Claire one more time for Scott's HOUSE OF GUCCI (2021) before getting the promotion to co-editor for NAPOLEON (NAPOLEON). Released twenty-four years after the original GLADIATOR (2000) film, GLADITAOR 2 takes place sixteen years after young Lucius witnesses the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle.  In the long-awaited sequel, Lucius must enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home. With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people. CLAIRE SIMPSON Claire first worked for Ridley Scott on his 1987 film SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME.  Even though that was only her fifth film credit, she was already an Oscar-winning editor having won the big prize for cutting PLATOON (1986) the year prior.  She also cut director Oliver Stone's film SALVADOR (1986) during that time.  Claire would go on to do other films with both Oliver Stone and obviously Ridley Scott, and she would also receive an Oscar nomination for her work on the 2006 film, THE CONSTANT GARDENER. SAM RESTIVO Aside from his work with Claire Simpson and Ridley Scott, Sam has worked as an assistant editor on TV series like THE WALKING DEAD (2014) and BETTER CALL SAUL (2015) as well as being an additional editor for features such as THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017) and ROBIN HOOD (2018). Editing GLADIATOR 2 In our discussion with GLADIATOR 2 editors Claire Simpson and Sam Restivo, we talk about: Alternating big and small projects with Ridley Scott Working with baboons in suits How Ridley edits with a brick The built-in logic of action editing If all else fails, get a reaction from the royal box The Credits Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs Learn all about what's new with Avid Media Composer Hear Sam talk about cutting NAPOLEON Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

In episode 97 of the BaT Podcast, Alex, Zac, and Randy talk about the car- and BaT-related things that make them happy. Alternating between tongue-in-cheek and heartfelt, the wide-ranging discussion covers the merits of the first-gen Panamera; the curious state of the modern movie industry; a healthy dose of Batman (note the solo cap); discovering the I-5 rally stage out of Grapevine, California; defending the tall gearing of the five-speed NSX; a heretofore unknown appreciation of the donk (that's with a "k," folks, don't get too excited); turbo cars masquerading as N/A cars; revisiting prewar daily drivers; the various ways in which a vintage BMW might set itself alight; the joy of knowing a reliable mechanic for one's unreliable car; track time in a haggard Ferrari; a little back-patting; the struggles of Chrysler, timeline debatable; the upcoming Jaguar brand redesign; T-top desires; a hard, if unscientific, look at modern car enthusiasm; an appeal for updates on what people are doing with their BaT purchases; some thanks thrown to your humble podcast servant; a controversial wheel choice; and some Thanksgiving motherly love. Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode: 1:45 2011 Porsche Panamera S 3:08 All the BatBaT your heart desires 6:20 TV's Original Batmobile barris.com 6:44 1989 Batmobile | From Batman (1989) Petersen Automotive Museum 7:26 1955 Lincoln Indianapolis Frist Art Museum 17:44 2024 Genau AutoWerks Rally Drive Toward a Cure 22:03 2018 Buick Regal TourX Essence 33:29 2025 Acura Type S Acura 41:37 22-Mile 2023 Chrysler 300C 46:20 1983 Ferrari 308 GTB Quattrovalvole 48:21 1988 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 5-Speed with T-tops! 50:00 911r seller page 59:07 428-Powered 1969 Ford Mustang Convertible 5-Speed 59:16 1998 Mitsubishi Rosa 26-Seat Passenger Bus 59:21 1986 Chevrolet D10 Blazer M1009 CUCV Diesel 4×4 1:00:18 18k-Mile 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 1:00:52 1999 Chevrolet Suburban K2500 LT 7.4L 4×4 1:03:11 26k-Mile, Ex–Alois Ruf Jr. 2004 RUF Rturbo Coupe Got questions for the BaT staff or suggestions for our next One Year? Don't hesitate to let us know! Write to podcast@bringatrailer.com and we'll do our best to address them.

Crashing Lightening and Rolling Thunder. In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand. Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected.. “You will never appreciate having to follow a difficult order until you have to give one.” (Late, late Saturday Night) Had I been alone? There are few perks to a solitary lifestyle. One of the few is the freedom from others; and by that I mean you don't have to decide if you care about people you don't know. You are free. Your emotions are free, your decisions are free and your time is your own. Selfish in the best way. Libra took my keys after we arrived at my apartment building and raced ahead to make sure that Timothy and Odette, if either was awake, would be forewarned. Casper clung to me as she always did. Estere took the lead since I also had to do pack mule duty. Brooke carried the few things that were beyond me. The rain was turning from a drizzle to a downpour. Odette had a friend over; a female acquaintance. Timothy; Timothy was in the middle of a very successful date night. Now I had the joy of being an auditory spectator in my domicile's sexcapades. "Shouldn't she be taken to a clinic, or something?" the friend blurted out. I didn't know her enough to decide if she was nervous, flippant, or secretly cruel. Casper dug in tighter. I had to dump the luggage to deal with her heightened anxiety. Libra, Brooke and Odette picked up the slack while Estere soaked in the ambiance of my dwelling. The look she gave me was one of amusement and intrigue. This was hardly the lair of the one and only Amazon Prince. It was sublime and comfortable. It had a nomadic quality she found familiar. Being in a fortress has its comforts. Being in someone else's fortress is far less comfortable. Estere was quietly accounting for every knife, mallet, or other potentially fatal piece of housewares. Brooke, Libra and Odette were already ordering and organizing my life ;  what did they need to get and how would they get it? "So; you are Odette's; friend," the unknown woman stated. Snapping at her was unduly unfair to Odette, who put up with mountains of my insane lifestyle. "Yeah, that's me. Cáel Nyilas; self-made troublemaker," I confessed. "You?" "Delilah," she answered. "What happened to her?" Casper flinched. "Nothing that being reminded about what a wonderful friend she is won't help heal," I cautiously responded. "She is hanging out with me and some friends for the weekend." "Cut it out, Delilah," Odette sighed. "Who are you really, anyway?" Delilah was smooth, I had to give her that. "Odette, what do you mean?" Delilah stood up. "Delilah, or whoever you are, I'm not such a wonderful person that people I've known two days come home with me," Odette lectured. "Now, I kept you here until you could meet Cáel, so why don't you return my courtesy and tell us what's going on?" Odette was keeping Libra and Brooke in my room thus out of play. Timothy climaxed. Good for him. Out in the living room, Delilah made a stutter step. She was frozen by Estere's silenced weapon pointed at her. "You were spotted by a rank amateur," the Hashashin noted. "Who are you with?" "You people are nuts," Delilah flushed with panic. Nice touch, but that panic didn't reach her cold, calculating eyes. "Damn Delilah," Odette shook her head. "You need to watch more television. BBC America has this nice drama called Orphan Black where the exact same thing happened. I knew you were lying to me in twenty minutes. I was nice enough to not bring the Death Squad across the street over to deal with you. They wouldn't have cared whether I was being paranoid or whatever. They would have dragged you out and killed you on general principle. You owe me." "I don't know what's wrong;” Delilah got out. There was a rapid knocking at the door. Shielding Casper behind me, I backed up in that direction. "Last chance," Odette looked at Delilah sternly. "That's the Death Squad." Sure enough, I checked and it was two Amazons in full gear. I opened up and the two edged in around me. "Ishara; status please," the leader asked. "Estere Abed is a diplomat for her Protocol faction, there should be records of Brooke and Libra on file and Odette belongs here. Casper is behind me; special case. That woman," I motioned to Delilah, "is of unknown origin." "Miss, lay down on the floor, on your stomach; arms out to your sides," the leader brought her UP-40 up, aimed at Delilah. "This is insane," Delilah sounded really frantic. Not in the eyes though. "Lie down, or three rounds in the chest," the Amazon team leader related calmly. "Last chance." Delilah decided that she wasn't cut from a fanatic's cloth. She went down like a pro. The two Amazons closed in. I spotted the third of the four woman team at my door, keeping watch. The two inside efficiently bound her hands behind her back and patted her down for weapons; none. "She is in violation of the truce," the leader pointed out. "Should I dispatch her now?" "Wait!" Delilah squawked. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on him and protect him, not hurt him. Fuck, don't kill me for this." "Who are you working for?" Estere came closer. Delilah hesitated so both Estere and the number two Amazon drew their knives. "Fine! Fine. All I have is a name and I'm only supposed to tell him," she pleaded. There was a moment of uncertainty. "She'll tell us," Estere knelt beside Delilah. Now Delilah's panic was real. "Wait," I stated. I motioned Brooke and Libra to move around the crowded room and comfort Casper. "Well," I sighed as I went on my hands and knees beside Delilah's head. The Amazon leader had her hand on the woman's head, pressed tightly to the ground. "Sibeal," Delilah whispered. Mom. "Do you have any way of contacting this person?" I asked. "No. It is not how I work," she said and finally I caught it. The accent. I looked to the leader. "Look at her hands and tell me what you see," I asked the Amazon. I went back to resting on my knees. "Hard; callused from repetitive weapons practice. Short nails. She's very fit," the Team Lead kept up the examination. "I apologize Ishara. She's a soldier." "Let her go," I commanded. The Amazon only paused for a moment before cutting her bonds. Delilah moved cautiously as she moved to a cross-legged position. "You don't have to answer me, but I'd appreciate some honesty. You're English. Would that make you MI-5, or MI-6?" It wasn't as huge a leap as it looked. Who could Mom trust? In this case, a government operative would actually be safer for her and she had to have decades of Illuminati information inside her head. Delilah had one reason to be honest; her mission. "MI-5 is counter-intelligence," Delilah grinned as her British accent came out to play. "M I 6. S I S is foreign intelligence. I'll let you figure it out." "Good enough," I stood then helped her stand as well. "You can stay; starting Monday. I need a break, okay?" Delilah nodded. "Deal. Now do me the courtesy of telling me why I'm here?" she asked. "Love. Deep, abiding love," I looked right into her soul. Crisis averted. Delilah 'agreed' to go with my guardians to 'work things out'. Delilah was curious as to why they called Cáel Nyilas; Ishara. She also congratulated Odette on figuring something was up. Odette told her not to feel bad about it; reference all the psycho bitches that showed up in my life. Brooke headed out to gather some more belongings for herself and Libra because; my vote not even elicited; they were going to hang close to Casper and I for a few more days. Libra and Estere headed out to that authentic Italian pizza joint I'd taken Libra to earlier since my food stockpile was abysmal and the neighborhood was far from safe this late at night. Odette took Casper to my bedroom so that Casper could talk with her parents in Delaware. Timothy and his date emerged from his room. It was Sovann Mean, who I had met before and gotten along with. It took me all of two seconds to figure out what had happened. Sovann had asked Timothy out because Timothy never thought Sovann was interested in him. Sovann was a second generation Cambodian-American and had this stoic demeanor he raised up whenever he was nervous, ensuring Timothy's confusion. "Hey Cáel," Sovann smiled at me. "Still being good?" That was code for me being 'straight'. It still weirded me out a bit; Sovann was a serious weightlifter, like Timothy and I, but a head shorter, so he looked stockier than he really was. When he smiled, his whole face lit up too. It was the Khmer 'twang' that always sounded out of place to me. "We will not discuss the number of women who were here mere moments ago," I joked wearily. "Timothy, I apologize for coming back early; shithead-intervention shut things down in the Hamptons." "No problem, Bro," Timothy came and gave me a man-hug. "With your newfound wealth, we may need to convert the sofa to a sleeper-sofa," Timothy semi-joked. "Oh yeah, and that girl down the hall; when I told her your father died, she baked you some cookies. They're in a tin by the toaster. They really are pretty good, too; walnut and caramel chip." That sounded tasty. I guessed that meant I finally had to meet the women. Sovann came up and fist-bumped me as Timothy went for the refrigerator. The doorbell rang. I wondered who had forgotten what as I swung the door open. Lighting exploded outdoors, our lights flickered and thunder shook the apartment. It was Uncle Carrig. As the old song said 'he looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone'. His eyes wore a harried, feral look. His bellow, as he charged, rolled over me like the amplified heartbeat of a hellish primate. I had no time before he was on me. Down we went. I tried to push him off of me. His suit was soaked with rain and blood, some of it had to be his own. In his right hand he held a dull aluminum cylinder with a metallic suction cup on the bottom. Sovann kicked Uncle Lumpy in the side of the head. Inflicted on a normal man, that would have driven him off me. Lumpy released his hold on my shoulder and backhanded Sovann. The Cambodian went flying in the direction of the sofa despite getting a leg block up. I had a flash of Timothy going for his home deterrent system, aka the crowbar. Odette began yelling. The cylinder was coming down. Carrig's left grabbed my chin, fixing my head in place. I opted to use both my arms to stop his right, and the device, from coming down. I bought a little time. Timothy's blow came down on Lumpy's left shoulder, weakening the hold, but not enough. The device slammed into my forehead. I felt a burning pain as a portion of the flesh beneath the cup was flash-fried away. More pain, then a little pressure and finally nothing. In those seconds before my mind spun out of control, I had the oddest sensation there was something inside my brain. Searing agony; existence lost all meaning and I was gone. (One week later) They say pain in the brain is illusionary. Of all your nerve cells, only a tiny fraction are devoted to pain. The rest do the important work of keeping your body functioning. The brain is on top of it all and it has better things to do that register pain; or so I was told. To be somewhat fair, what I felt wasn't exactly pain. It was the sensation that something was crawling around inside my psyche, doing something. Sharp, tingling jolts shocked my body parts at regular intervals. Painful in their own way, yet not so much I couldn't concentrate. I opened my eyes. The lights in my room had been dimmed, but not enough that I couldn't see the six ladies standing about; doing nothing. I recognized my present lodgings as Havenstone Post-classical Modernism (total lie; I'm not an interior designer). The six ladies turned, looked at me, then closed in slowly. A staring contest was in the offing when two people entered the room from the door at the foot of the bed. It then occurred to me that little sonic indicators on the machinery surrounding me were chirping loudly. One woman was a physician's assistant I knew from an earlier bout at Havenstone Medical. She had performed CPR on me. The other woman; she was the senior-most recruit from my father's graveside service. She looked positively grim. My dry throat requested some water then I attempted to rise. A problem instantly revealed itself. I was strapped down on my bed. The ankles, wrists and a neck/head brace kept my movements to a minimum. There was a side benefit to this imprisonment. That body-wide jolts? My body was wired up to a system that had needles piercing my muscle clusters. Amazons prided themselves on being physically fit and their tolerance for pain. My muscles hadn't atrophied during my; coma and the price was this constant, low-level pain. I still wasn't sure that was the reason I was bound. The PA maneuvered a plastic bottle with a spout to my lips and gave me a brief squirt. A few seconds later I got another and then a third. "Okay," I rasped. "What's going on?" "You have been in an unresponsive state for 7 days, Ishara," the 'senior' told me. "Why are you here?" I coughed. "I mean, why aren't you on the job?" She blinked. "Your life was imperiled so we decided that five of us would be around to monitor you and keep you safe," she answered. "What's with everyone else?" I huffed. The two looked at me. The quiet six were of no help. "Fine, what are you ladies doing here?" I asked the women originally in the room. No answer. "Ishara?" the PA worried. That was when it dawned on me that the two and the six weren't interacting on any level. "How many people are in the room?" I asked my housemate. She paused. "There are three of us, Ishara. You, me and the attendant," she answered. "How many people do you see?" "Well shit," I muttered. Then the first of the six spoke to me. Actually, she mouthed to me. It took me a moment to realize she was giving me her name. The next one started. "Device," I snapped to the 'senior'. As she hesitantly reached for hers, I began rattling off the names. When the sixth one gave me her name, the group dissipated into the ether. "Who are these women?" 'senior' requested. "Find out," I sighed then, "It is important." She nodded. Now that the specters were gone, the mortals began to come in. Right off the bat, I was confirmed in my status as "prisoner". They wouldn't free me when I requested it and they made no attempt to conceal their hostility to my fellow Isharan. The agenda was decided without me; they were going to check me out mentally, then I was off to see Hayden. Why was I imprisoned? My brain was a maelstrom of activity across a broad spectrum of regions and lobes. What had happened? They didn't know. The suction cup had stabilized the tube which was really a firing mechanism. When the device was able to detect and aim for a specific part of my brain, the longitudinal fissure, it shot a rod three-quarters into my cranium. A laser had burned through the skin and skull with surgeon-like precision so a barb of unknown construction could go deep into my brain. Then it 'detonated'. That was one of the problems the medicos of Havenstone were facing. The device had been so badly damaged when it unleashed its energy that they could no longer divine its function. What they did understand was that while my neural network was going super-nova, it wasn't killing me. They leapt on the idea of mind control. That theory sounded pretty lame to me, but I was the one tied down, with one ally in a room full of people bred to mistrust all males. The next approach; was I sane? The PA offered that I was seeing phantasms. 'Wait'. "Go," I directed the senior. "Take care of the business I have given you then tell Buffy and Helena what you've found out. You are wasting your time staying here." She nodded and left. It was more "common sense" rather than any sense of my leadership that made her leave. But that done; I concentrated on the entirety of the message so that it settled upon my soul. I relaxed, shut my eyes and let the world float by. It took them a minute to notice my noncompliance; any positive contribution on my part had slipped so far down in their expectations. "Ishara?" one of the SD chicks inquired. I opened one eye, then shut it. There was nothing to be done. "What is he doing?" that Amazon asked a physician. She, in turn asked me. I took a deep, cleansing breath and continued to ignore them. "There is nothing wrong with him," the physician noted. "He is being childish." That went beyond disrespectful. As a quirk of Amazon society, they had left me my knife strapped to my arm. To take it would have been an insult my tiny house could not have borne; essentially declaring me incompetent. I was heading that way, but not yet. That didn't stop them from deriding me until a lull finally developed. For a moment, I thought I was alone. I was intrigued by the words suddenly aimed my way. "Mr. Nyilas?" an unknown female inquired. I opened an eye. Woman; bad suit; and a badge. What the fuck? I was in Havenstone. "Special Agent Virginia Maddox with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I'd like to ask you a few questions," she began. "Okay," I cleared my throat, "as long as we are clear I am one misstep away from invoking my Miranda Rights." She worked that one over for a second. "Do you know why your uncle attacked you?" "Honestly, I'm curious as to why I'm still alive," I tried to shrug. "Carrig and I never got along, if you consider when I first met him we fought and the second time he stabbed me in the forehead," I explained. "How long did you and your uncle fight; the second time?" she asked. "Um; six second," I guessed. "How is Lumpy doing, anyway?" "Lumpy?" "Uncle Carrig." "He's dead." "Seriously; fuck. What killed him?" "We are working that out. He was beaten, stabbed; by three different blades, shot 67 times by five different firearms, only two which we have recovered," Virginia stated. "We also think he was hit by two cars, one dump truck and a subway." "Well; yeah; Uncle Carrig was looking a bit rough when I answered the door," I confessed. Lumpy had to have been on a freaking quest to go through all that to get to me. Subway? He was hit by a subway and walked away. Most people barely leave a recognizable corpse. "How are Odette, Timothy, Casper and Sovann?" I recalled. She looked at her phone. "They are mostly fine. Casper Winslow was taken to the hospital in shock and was released to her parents," she said. "The other three were taken to the Emergency Room, treated for minor injuries and released," Virginia informed me. "The other four women were a more delicate manner." "Four women? Could you be more specific?" "Your bodyguards." "Could you be more specific?" "For a person with supposedly limited financial means, a lower income lifestyle and a humble background, you appear to have a small army hovering around you, high society friends, and lawyers who are on a first name basis with Supreme Court Justices," Virginia noted. "Lady, half-way through Day Two on this job, I almost gave it all up and biked my ass down to Terra del Fuego to live the sane life of a paranoid recluse," I sighed. "Why didn't you?" "Cause I'm an idiot. I was hoping a crackerjack investigator like you would have figured this out by now," I grinned. "How do you know I'm any good at my job?" she sent a sultry lip twist my way. Yes; pinned to a bed I could still attract the ladies. Having hundreds of little needles in me made the prospects for a quick sexual romp unlikely. "Javiera chose you for this assignment," I told her. "You have to be a woman because this is Havenstone and you have to be clever because this is a lunatic asylum." "Touché," she acknowledged my above average mental status. Next came a list of names. It took me a few seconds to focus on them. "Oh, what happened to them?" I inquired. "What makes you think anything happened to these people?" she parried. "Oh, I'm betting Javiera gave you a list of names and there is only person left alive out of that group," I felt introspective. "I wonder where Anima is hiding." "What happened to those people?" she persisted. "I don't know. I've been napping for the past week, but I'm betting they all met nasty ends," I told her. "Why were these people murdered?" "Were they murdered, or are they merely deceased? See, if I give you my opinion, you will have to pursue that line of inquiry which will only hurt one person who has already been hurt enough and save somebody who shouldn't be saved," I explained. "Why do you get to determine who gets saved?" Virginia pressed. "As opposed to who? You and Javiera? That's laughable. Why don't you go down the net worth of the families of those unfortunate corpses, then tell me how balanced your justice system would be? Please understand, I don't hold you and your profession in contempt," I met her hardening gaze. "To prove to me that I'm wrong, all you have to do is honestly tell me that high-priced lawyers, legions of specialists that confuse juries and enormous bank accounts to keep the appeals going indefinitely while the guilty roam about on bail equates to the legal process working fairly and impartially," I reposted. "That's not the same thing as;” she got out before the door opened and several people traipsed in, including three SD personnel. Last came Troika and she was coldly furious. "I was promised more time with Mr. Nyilas," Virginia protested. She was ignored. "Ishara, you are coming with us," Troika snapped. To be fair, the medical attendant wasn't overly torturous as she pulled out the muscle stimulatory aids and applied the bandages. It still sucked. That was ameliorated somewhat by the read I was getting of Troika. I waited for the last restraint to be removed before speaking. "I refuse to go with you," I stated firmly even as I sat up. See, I needed something to happen that was beyond my ability to obtain. "Take him," Troika directed two of the SD babes. My captors had gone out of their way to make sure these Amazons weren't ladies I knew. "Stop," I declared with authorities. "You cannot touch me against my will as that violates Hayden's ban on me entering blood feuds and wrangling me anywhere against my will constitutes a blood feud in Ishara's eyes." "It is Hayden's order," Troika snapped. "Has she lifted the ban? If not, these ladies will be breaking Hayden's decree." Troika harrumphed then gave Hayden a call. For the purpose of this meeting, the ban was lifted. That was what I needed so off I went. I waited until we got in the elevator and were heading up before launching my strike. Pamela would have been so proud. If Troika had given me an ounce of dignity, I couldn't have pulled it off. As it was, the first stab took her just under the left eye, the second punched through her cheek and spitted her tongue. The third nearly severed her upper lip and then the SD were on me. "Blood Feud!" I screamed. "You stole from me!" Troika was about to come back at me, knife in hand. One of the SD got in the way. What I had done was illegal; blood feuds needed to be approved; except for one tidbit of law Pamela taught me and it was about to come into play. "You cannot wound him while he is in our custody, Troika of Šauška," the Amazon protested. Troika gargled something through the ruin of the left side of her face. "I will peel off a meter of your flesh for this insult," she managed to oozingly communicate before we reached the top floor. For my part; "Unhand me." They didn't. "Unhand me, or am I no longer Head of House Ishara." "Do not attack her," the SD leader stated. "Would you care to explain to me why you are giving me that order?" I mused. "Please, Ishara," the woman ground out. "Do not attack Troika of House Šauška." "Very well. I pledge that from this point until the end of this meeting, I will only act against Troika in my own defense," I promised. "Now give me your sidearm." "You may not bear a weapon in Hayden's presence," the SD leader reminded me. "I asked for your weapon, not your legal advice," I insisted. Another shot of bigotry. "I will not. You are not acting rationally," she stated. Troika snorted. That was okay, because I saw an excellent substitute close by. My deviation from the group was so casual, they barely noticed. I wasn't making a fast break to nowhere. I walked up to the wall and, Vranus be praised, yanked one of a pair of matching battle axes off the wall. Support studs went flying. Like all weapons in Havenstone, this one was real. The SD closed ranks, boxing me in. "You may not bear a weapon in Hayden's presence," the SD leader was at the end of her patience with me. "You are incorrect," I glowered. "There are two occasions I may bear a weapon in proximity to the High Priestess. One is in defense of her person. I am not here to defend her." Harder than any kick to the head; they paled then the anger set in. "How dare you?" the SD leader seethed. "The proof of the necessity of my action stands before me right now; an Amazon defying a House, a First Ancestor and a Goddess on her own initiative and in defiance of everything her ancestors fought, bled and died for," I glared. "Give me the axe," the leader insisted. "No. You will have to fight me for it," I made my stand. She was about to do just that when one of the others spoke. Tears were slowly eking a way down that one's cheeks. "Step away from Ishara, or I will kill you," she told her leader. "You are wrong and Ishara is right though it sickens me to admit it." To add to the macabre, one SD trooper aimed at my 'savior' and the fourth aimed at the third. Civil war. "You know what he plans to do," the leader stated. "It is not our place," the second Amazon insisted. "I cannot face my ancestors letting this abomination pass." "He is the abomination," the leader persisted. "No. The abomination is any full-blooded not of the Council deciding what the Council will and will not do. We now know there were once male Amazons. By the will of our ancestors it was so. Never before have we, the elite of the Host, acted as if we knew better than they," the second Amazon said with righteous conviction. "Go," the leader mumbled softly. The woman on the verge of killing her was most likely a close and trusted friend. Grappling with that sudden rift between sisters was occupying her mind at that moment, not my escape. I moved around her, keeping out of the line of fire as best I could and went with Troika to Hayden's portal. I didn't thank the woman. That would have been insulting because what she did, she did for her people and the hundred thousand that had come before her. Finally we rolled out the Old Kingdom Hittite/Amazon. "See what you have done," Troika hissed. I didn't bother to reply. I was sure, dressed in light green scrubs, I cut a valiant and imposing figure. "Cáel Ishara, what took you so;” and then Hayden saw it. For a second, Saint Marie almost cut me off. Katrina stood up. She wanted to stop me. In her mind, Hayden was one of our allies, but, as I had told her, she (Katrina) didn't get it either. Madi, Beyoncé, Fatima and Krasimira were also present and now highly disturbed. "Take yourself to the cliffs," I announced clearly as I dropped the axe on Hayden's desk. She had stood at my final approach and bore hate my way. "The Goddess Ishara rejects you and has taken herself from the Temple. House Ishara has lost faith in you. Your insults are lengthy and I do not feel like wasting any more time with you." "How dare you?" Hayden spat. "All the times I have shielded you and this is how you repay me? You were a mistake from the beginning." "A mistake we can rectify right now," Fatima snarled. She rose up and drew her knife. "Excuse me, but didn't we gather here for a different purpose?" Krasimira mused softly. "Kill him and end the curse," Madi growled. "Oh; in that case can you kill me first?" Krasimira sighed. "I see no need to postpone the continuation of my chat with my mother." At Krasimira's age, her mother was most likely dead. "Krasimira, you cannot defend him!" Fatima wailed. "Defend him? I am not standing in your way, Fatima. I do know that the statue of Ishara fractured and fell into two pieces in the Temple," she related; certainly retelling information they already had. "House by house, we see nothing but the back of those who fought before us. Five of my augurs had shorn their hair and thrown themselves into the fire. I can do nothing except report what I have witnessed. I cannot appeal to Ishara to lift her curse. I hope one of you can because if you can't and you kill her CLEARLY designated heir we shall all go down to ignoble ends," the Keeper of Records remained serenely poised as she delivered her doom-laden news. "By the way, Troika, what happened to your face?" "He stabbed me," Troika burbled. "Let me kill the bastard." I half-turned. Saint Marie interposed herself between the two of us. "Cáel, lift the curse," Saint Marie demanded. "Lift your damn curse," Fatima and Madi chimed in. "Cáel, lift the curse and then we can discuss things," Hayden tried and failed to sound humble. "If every woman in this rooms fatally slits their own throats in the next fifteen seconds, I'll plead to Ishara to lift the curse," I said. There wasn't a headlong rush to commit suicide. The only one so inclined was Krasimira. I motioned her to stop. "Well, I think we are done here. I have to go and try and cobble my life back together. You ladies have fun pulling off your 'Thelma and Louise' final act while I figure out some way for House Ishara to survive the upcoming war," I shrugged. Of course they didn't let me leave. Fatima on one side, the Golden Mare in the middle and Troika on the other. She had to be in a shitload of pain. "Lift the curse. If we are going to war, we need to be whole," Saint Marie urged me. "No." "Why should I stop these two from killing you right now?" she glared. "Because he is an Amazon," Krasimira muttered. "You should need no better reason. Ah; this is why we must die; thank you Cáel Ishara," she concluded. "A terrible sadness has gripped our people for as long as I have been Keeper. I found it lurking in the shadowy corners of my office when I was elevated. I now imagine it haunted my predecessors for some time as well. At least I will pass on knowing the name of our assassin." "The assassin is right here," Fatima spewed her hate at me. "You are correct," Krasimira chuckled. "The assassin is indeed in this room. Its name is Amazon. I need a moment, please." She stood and walked to the doors. What she wanted didn't take long at all. "Gun," we heard her request. The magazine fell to the ground. The sole bullet did not follow. Krasimira walked tenderly into the office as if every step tore like fishhooks at her flesh. "Take yourself to the cliffs, Hayden," Krasimira intoned as the one-shot pistol fell on Hayden's desk. "I no longer know you." Krasimira took in the whole room. "We show anger when we should show humility. We are proud of our shame. We are arrogant of our weaknesses. We have heaped insult upon insult on our ancestors yet are now aghast that they turn away from us," she shook her head. Her gaze settled on Saint Marie. "I am not one warrior alone, but one of a thousand warriors who have fought before me'; isn't that part of the oath of every member of the Security Detail swears?" Katrina fell to her knees. "Please Cáel. Please save us," she begged me. Something was very wrong with that. "How dare you?" Fatima howled at Katrina. Instead of being ashamed, Katrina's supplicant's face turned first into a grim grin, then one of gallows laughter. "And that is why we are all going to die," Katrina declared as she stood once more. "We are too proud to ask a man for help. We know what Ishara's curse is doing to us. You clearly don't care. You would rather die than admit that our damn ANCESTORS have placed a male here and now. Open your eyes!" she nearly screamed. "They sent a MAN for a reason; to open our eyes before we kill ourselves." You scream 'what gives him the right?' Ishara gives him the right. Nothing else matters. What I am asking you is 'what gives you the right to reject Ishara?' because that is what we have done. How could she make her will any more plainly obvious to us? Cáel has never stopped trying to save us and you two want to gut him like a lamb, or (to Saint Marie) break his body. Hayden, I will not place my rejection upon your desk. You have been as much a mother to me as my actual birth-mother. I love you. Since we first met, I have only wanted to make you proud of me and serve your will. What has gone wrong? How have we come to this? You were the one who told me we had to find a way to save our race; and now, when it stares us in the face; Why can't we accept it? How have I failed you, Hayden? What did I do wrong to not prepare you for this moment? It was my duty to keep you informed in all things and I can find nothing to excuse my failure," Katrina had gone from disappointed to heart-broken. Katrina prized herself on being able to stay ahead of any crisis. Here, at her greatest challenge, she hadn't been able to help her friend and mentor survive this calamity. I imagine that was the final blow for Hayden. Katrina had risen up through the Havenstone system as Hayden's protégé and had given Hayden her all. "Until this moment, I have never considered myself a coward," Hayden murmured. "You are blameless Katrina. In the final analysis, I sacrificed my courage for my life. And now I have neither. I can regain my courage here at the end and be true to the duties I was given," Hayden's resolve strengthened with each word. She took out a piece of paper and created a list. "Saint Marie, on this list are traitors to the Host. Gather these Amazons and prepare them to challenge my accusation." Saint Marie stepped forward, took the paper and quickly read it. "Hayden, this includes a third of the Council!" she gasped. "I am well aware of who I have accused. Please see to my final command, old friend," Hayden sighed. I could see a terrible weight lifted from her; the cliffs. "Final;” Saint Marie and Katrina groaned. "Yes. I will dine tonight with my family, then take myself to the cliffs with the dawn. I feel that will be a good end for me," Hayden mused. "Will Ishara forgive me, Cáel?" "No Hayden. It is not her way, but I will. There will be a place in Ishara's halls for you. I pledge you that," I suddenly felt a sorrowful pit in my stomach. Into that romantically tragic scene, Krasimira snorted with amusement. Eyes turned to her. Hayden shook her head, held up a hand to forestall the Keeper until she rounded the desk and left her office for the last time. "Who is on the list?" Fatima stormed up to the Golden Mare and looked over the list. "I am on this. So are you Troika," Fatima growled. "This is insane. We'll destroy Hayden over this; this; piece of filth." "I don't care if I'm on it, or not," Madi seethed. "I'm with you." "There is a small manner of little known law you may wish to be aware of," Krasimira chuckled. "The ruling of an honorably deceased High Priestess may not be challenged." "You two are under arrest," Saint Marie whipped out her pistol. Being with the SD, she was allowed to be fully armed in the High Priestess's presence. "What do you mean?" Fatima looked to Krasimira. "Cáel has killed you all and he didn't even mean to," Krasimira gave a dry chuckle. "By his act of kindness to Hayden, which I now think Hayden was counting on, our former High Priestess goes to an honorable death; taken into the Halls of Ishara in death. Unable to challenge Hayden's decree, you are all going to be executed and your names stricken from the rolls. You will wander aimlessly for all eternity while Hayden will live in the company of her sisters thanks to a man and his love for someone who was clearly his enemy," Krasimira kept snorting at the dark comedy. "Your sole avenue of spiritual survival lies with a man you tried to kill mere moments ago." "This is insane," Troika shouted and came at me. The room exploded with the sonic resonance of a pistol firing. I may have imagined it, but it appeared the bullet took Troika at the juncture of the right eyebrow, nose ridge and right eye. Whatever the entry point, the 45 ACP slug painted the wall behind her with her grey matter. Saint Marie turned quickly on Fatima. "Troika wasn't on the Council, so I could kill her for attempting to murder someone who was. I can't kill you immediately, but please believe I will put a bullet where it hurts if you don't do exactly what I say," the Golden Mare menaced. The debate was truncated by the four Security Detail ladies storming the room. Orders were dispensed and the wheels of Amazon society burst into motion. A side effect of my stunt was I had put Saint Marie in charge until the full Council could meet to create some sort of Regency Council to pilot the ship. There was zip gratitude aimed my way on her part and I didn't blame her one bit. I was headed out before things got too organized. I wanted some 'me' time. "Cáel Ishara, we have not resolved the matter that brought us to this disaster," Saint Marie growled. I was at the door. I looked over my shoulder at the Golden Mare, turned back toward freedom and saw Pamela. "Shoot me," I told Pamela. I was grappling with the horror of what I had just said when I returned to the darkness. MOTHER-FUCKER! I hate women! (Mutter; mutter; mutter) I became aware of my hazy, fugue-like dream state. Sadly, it was familiar and undoubtedly going to become even more familiar while I lived. "Upset with me, Cáel?" she asked. "You had me tell my friend to shoot me; yeah, Ishara, I'm a little cranky right now." "The question was rhetorical. I can read your mind," the Goddess snorted. "What happened to me?" "She bounced a bullet off your skull. You'll be okay. I am the Goddess of Medicine after all," she reminded me. "From an era when trepanning was popular. Color me unimpressed. Oh; and I apologize." "You will get me the fortune cookie next time," she lilted. Something crucial occurred to me. "Hey! I haven't had sex in a week. That hasn't happened to me in four years." "I don't think you are ready for that stage of our relationship yet," she tickled my nose. "Wait; did you just put me in the Friend Zone?" More laughter. "Seriously," I sighed. "Hayden?" "I forgive you," she soothed me. "Forgive me? I killed her. That is not okay. Wasn't; " "No, my Cáel. We are a blood-thirsty society and the ultimate mistakes are answered with the ultimate punishments. I cannot fully express my pride in you for what you did, even in opposition to my will." There was a pause in our relationship and conversation. I thought she sensed my turmoil and aided me in finding some level of peace. With her kind of entity, I would never be sure. "What did Carrig do to me?" I asked. "I don't know." That was not what I expect. Evasion; yes. The ugly truth; no. "I find the concept of an omniscient, omnipotent deity to be self-defeating," she mused. "Sort of negates the whole Free Will thing," I bantered. "Besides, what is the point of beseeching a being that already knows what's going to happen to you and would have saved you if that is what they wanted?" "Yeah," I groaned sarcastically, "I much prefer the divine ones who randomly fuck with your life because they can, rarely provide useful information and won't even put out on the second date." "I know this will cause you pain yet I will say it anyway; I love you." Yeah; I was suddenly wishing Pamela had missed and hit me between the eyes. "Very well, what can I do for you that would make you happier?" Inside of second. "Clever boy. Are you sure?" "Yes." "Done. I can no longer read your mind." A few seconds passed. "This is annoying. Is this what it is like dealing with me; this 'not knowing'?" "Yes and you proved it by the way," I murmured. Several more seconds. "This is really annoying me. Pick something else." Pause. "What does it prove?" "You love me," I grinned. "Love without freedom is illusionary. Freedom of thought is the basis of hope and hope drives all endeavors." A long pause. I was a bit curious about what was happening to my body. "Please." "No." "I could give you a divine gift; speak in tongues; regeneration; long life?" "Nope. Not happening." "I still love you." "Now I can say I love you and know I mean it." "That's unfair; clever and insightful, but unfair," she teased me. "What about the curse?" "Re-forge my statue at the Temple and the curse will be lifted. Be your regular creative self when you do so." Pause; divine sigh. "I need to send you back now. Oh, and make love to the first woman you see. It is important." "What? Why is it im;” and I felt the weight of my body and the throbbing of my temple. (Augurs don'ts and don't give a fuck abouts) I didn't want to open my eyes; really, truly, deeply. I had been dared by both guys and girls to pick up a certain female at a variety of events, even when they came with company. I'd done it because I'm that kind of low-life. Being pre-ordained to sleep with some chick felt wrong to me. It was cheating. I sincerely wished she hadn't been touching my face. Yes, someone was running their slender, feminine fingers over my forehead, eyebrows, eyelids, nose; yadda. "Ishara, I must speak with you," the strange woman implored. My eye movement had given my wakefulness away. I pried open my lids and looked up into the face of a living ghost. Her skin was albino pale with obvious veins and blue capillaries beneath the surface. Her ocular orbs were a deep milky white, with a tinge of light blue. I could barely make out the pupils. Her hair was whiter than Pamela's. From the structure and musculature of her hands and face; it was as if a perfectly healthy human woman's body was in a constant frantic battle against death. My senses expanded to embrace more of my resting place. I was in Katrina's office on the sofa. Katrina was not present. Buffy, the 'senior', Pamela, Rachel, Krasimira, the super-pale chick and two House Guard I didn't recognize were nearby. Despite my head throbbing to the beat of fiendish jackhammers, I managed to sit up. This upset the lady touching me as my movement broke our contact. "Ishara?" she pleaded. "That's it. From now on its Yakko Ishara, Wakko Ishara and Dot Ishara. Let's end all of this confusion over this 'which Ishara are we really wanting to talk to?' bullshit. So, what do you want?" I groaned. "I'm claiming the 'Yakko' spot, by the way." "Ishara?" she pleaded again. Was she protesting me taking the oldest Warner brothers' spot? Yeah, I was the youngest one of the pseudo-divine trio, but I absolutely owned the role of smart-alec. "She is an Augur," Krasimira explained. "The poisons she takes to put her in a receptive state to the ancestors, goddesses and the spiritual currents of the universe leave her blind and deaf to the mortal world. She communicates normally, but needs to be touching your lips to know what you are saying. Her name is Tadêfi and she has a message for you," she finished. "Give me a sec," I put my thoughts together despite my pain. Buffy shoved a glass of water and three pills my way. I downed them gratefully. Buffy was clearly distressed. I was getting the crap kicked out of me a lot and, in theory, it was her job to stop such things from happening. "Buffy, we couldn't have foreseen Carrig coming after me the way he did. He slipped through the seams of very good security," I tried to comfort her. "Pamela shot me on the Goddess/Dot Ishara's orders. She can only communicate with me when I'm in a near-death state," I said. "I have a new mission for you." I needed to keep her mind busy with things other than me. Buffy was action-oriented and I was giving her a doozy of a task. "Obtain at least five of the bullet casings from the battle that took my Father's life. Give them to Krasimira. They are to be melted down with the original statue and recast into a new symbol of the Goddess. We will be a melding of the old and the new," I ordered. Yes, I was sacrificing a priceless ancient artifact for a current political agenda. I'm reprehensible. Kimberly would be ashamed. "Now, who were the women whose names I gave you?" "They are all deceased 'Runners', Ishara," the senior told me. Oh; that made sense. "Tomorrow we induct them into House Ishara," I stated. "Ishara, they are dead," senior repeated. "Do you believe the souls of Amazons go to the houses of their ancestors after dying?" I posed. That took a few seconds to soak in. My almost albino was getting truly distressed so I took her hand and put it on my lips as I asked the latest question. "Oh;” the senior and Buffy both muttered. "All those 'Runners'; their spirits wander aimlessly for eternity bereft of companionship and a place to call home," I told them. "That is a crime," I continued. "Even as Ishara moves forward, we must be honest about our past. Those women earned a place in the Host. They were unduly denied their promised afterlife and we will start rectifying that tomorrow." Their looks broadcast their interpretation of my declaration: I was a wonderful child who had won first place for our team at the State Fair. Now that she was back in the communication loop, the augur calmed down. "You have a message for me?" I 'asked' her. Halfway through, I stopped enunciating. "Yes, Ishara. My dead sister stepped back through the flames and told me you;” she began. "No; stop," I told her. "Everyone leave." They honored my wishes and departed except; "What are you still doing here?" I asked the House Guard who remained. Now that I had a chance to study her, I realized she bore the same cuneiform designation as Krasimira. "I am her guardian. I am always at her side," the woman explained rather heatedly. She was certainly not a fan of the man in mankind. "By all means; have it your way. Augur, your message is unimportant. Write it down and have it sent out as a memo for everyone in Havenstone to read. Someone may tell me about it. I'm horrible with my e-mail, so I probably won't read it myself," I growled. This shit stopped now. I stood and made to leave. The augur swatted out and grabbed my arm when she hit it. "Ishara, you must;” and I lightly slapped her face. The guardian drew down on me. "How dare you?" the guardian seethed. "I am thinking the same thing; 'how dare you?'" I rumbled. "How dare you decide what messages she does, or does not, deliver?" "Tadêfi has something important to tell you," the guardian growled. "Augurs died to bring you this message." "Clearly the message isn't important enough for you to leave the room," I countered. "I took bullet to the head so I could talk to the Goddess Dot Ishara." I was going to enjoy calling my matron pain-in-the-cranium that. She was probably less amused. "I'm about out of patience with you smug, delusionary superior sluts demanding things from me as if you weren't my underlings," I glared. "Get with the program, or get out." Though I had told her to get out, I was the one leaving. I needed clothes, a shave and a chance to get my bearings. I didn't need those two. Tadêfi tried to speak again. I put my hand to her lips to stop her again then raised her hands to my lips. "I do not want to hear what you have to say," I related. "If you try to tell me what you have been told, I will purposely ignore it and cut out your tongue for your insolence. Your sisters died in vain because your guardian has decided what you say is not worth her leaving the room for us to talk in private. Sleep well with the dying screams of your sisters' agonies echoing in your mind and know your fellow Amazons have wished this fate upon you. Good-bye." "How; augurs are sacrosanct and their messages are rare and crucial to the Host," the guardian sputtered. "Didn't know, don't care and could care less what you think is crucial for the Host," I sighed as I started walking away. "What is happening?" the augur wailed. "Her visions are lacerations on her soul," the guardian howled. "Does her pain mean nothing to you?" Those two had to be incredibly tight, the guardian watching the augur scarred and worn down by the task she had been chosen for; and not being able to help. "Not enough to keep me here," I answered at the door. "She's your buddy, not mine and I have a plateful of unhappiness already set before me." I opened the door. "Is there a problem?" Krasimira inquired as I stepped out. She had a guardian too. Pamela was also close by and strategically placed to dispose of said guardian. "Her bodyguard told me to ignore Tadêfi, so I am," I muttered. I hurt. The pain-killers had yet to kick in; and I'd just come out of a coma. Fuck'em. If Ishara wanted me to nail that girl, she was going to have to step up on her level of assistance aimed my way. I accepted that she had her limitations, but so did I. "Cáel Ishara, is that precisely what she said?" the Keeper was being diplomatic. "No; what do I call you?" "Krasimira, Cáel," she answered. "I do not believe it was Tadêfi's intent to be ignored. May I mediate?" "No," I replied. "I will talk with Tadêfi alone, or not at all. Quite frankly, half the time you women open your mouths, I want to kick you off the roof of this building. Either I see some damn humility; your words, Krasimira; or I carry on the Amazon tradition with Ishara and her legion of former 'Runners' while the rest of you are throttled by your pride." Do note that the Executive Services floor was very active and several members heard my statement loud and clear. "May we please try this meeting one more time?" she requested. Her bodyguard nearly choked on Krasimira's gentle, conciliatory tone. "I could not consider myself an Amazon and deny the Keeper's suggestion on this matter. Let's give it one more shot," I conceded. All I was asking for was 'nice'. I wasn't deluded into thinking Krasimira was suddenly my fan. She was simply acting on the enlightenment that her ancestors and goddesses had revealed. We headed back into Katrina's office. As with any divine direction, she knew she had two choices; harm, or heal. She had accepted responsibility that to heal her people, the spirits had chosen a male. Liking me had nothing to do with it. Being true to her oaths and nature as an Amazon were the acting forces here. Amazons survived, first and foremost. They feared nothing, not even change. Her fellows had denied the need for change based solely on pride and Krasimira recognized that now. Back in Katrina's office, the guardian was trying to calm her nearly hysterical charge. I would have been much happier if we had been more alone. The room had become crowded with ghosts during my short absence. Krasimira, who was following, bumped into me. "Ishara?" she whispered. As unfortunate as that was, Tadêfi's blind eyes following the fixed stares of all the ghosts in my direction was worse. I squeezed my brain for an appropriate bit of trivia that would put my depression on its ass. There was this movie by M. Night Shakalaka-ding dong (or something like that) about a boy who saw dead people. The hero; the man trying to help the boy; he turned out to be a ghost as well who didn't figure that out until the end of the flick. But, it got better. Using the numerous ghostly gazes like searchlights pinning down an escaping convict, Tadêfi ran right into my arms. That was a pretty remarkable feat; a blind girl in an unfamiliar room covering four meters flawlessly. But, it kept getting better. All the ghosts started to yammer, clambering for attention. Tadêfi began to weep piteously. I had to wonder if this was Ishara's penalty for keeping my mind free of her meddling. No one else seemed to understand what the fuck was going on. Krasimira was the augur wrangler, not in tune with the spirits herself. She was also the Supreme Litigator, which necessitated her being able to interact with the mortal world on a constant basis, so I couldn't hold her lack of spiritual mojo against her. My instincts were telling me that screaming and yelling was pointless. The cacophony was incredibly vexing, but I could deal. Tadêfi couldn't. I was looking at this dilemma from the wrong angle. Instead of taking on the hundreds, I would take on the one. I placed one of the augur's hands on my lips then placed my hands over her ears. My hope was that since I could interact with the restless dead, my flesh could act as a buffer to their insistent beseeching of us for recognition of their numerous appeals. My first song was one of the melodies sung to me by Oneida's kin while I fought off her Death Pledge. Bit by bit, a tiny fraction followed by the greater whole, I pulled Tadêfi back from the brink of insanity. Eventually, she began mumbling a different refrain into my chest. "My ears work better than my lip-reading," I chided her playfully. The ghosts hadn't stopped their pleas for attention. It was the sonic and tactile sensation of my song upon her fingers and the fluctuation of my lungs in pushing forth the music that allowed her to focus on her mortal coil. As we sang together, eventually with her teaching me a few new ballads, we shut the world out. Once our shared reality collapsed down to just the two of us, the babble diminished then finally faded away. "May I relay my message now?" Tadêfi requested. "No, we have to have sex first," I replied. Whoops; shit-storm. What followed was a blur. "I can't have sex," Tadêfi murmured. "The touch of a man would corrupt me." Plus. "She is an augur," her guardian declared firmly. "She must remain a virgin." Plus. "Cáel Ishara, augurs cannot be;” Krasimira's tongue became tied. "You go, Tiger," Pamela tossed out there. "Tadêfi, where are you right now?" I began my rotation of responses. "Why does she have to be a virgin? And, thanks Pamela. That was less helpful than normal." "I aim to disappoint, Cheetah," Pamela smirked. I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was. She; Tarzan. Me; Cheetah, the Immortal baby chimpanzee. Just what I needed. "It is the law," the guardian moved to separate us. "She must not be touched by a man," Krasimira stated. "Not having intercourse is implied. If she has been corrupted, why did the spirits continue to surround her after Cáel's touch?" "Keeper, this cannot be allowed," the guardian changed her focus. "I agree in that this is your choice to make," Krasimira countered. "Without knowing the missive, you must decide what your charge may, and may not, do. Your oath is to her personally, not to me or any other entity. Consider what the task of guardian truly is before deciding." The convoluted decision: what was the chief duty of a guardian; the message, or the messenger? The augur could convey urgency yet was powerless to act without the guardian's permission. She had to trust her guardian with the basics of life. The guardian; she had to trust what could not be sensed, or even fully understood. "Why; why this condition?" the guardian returned her gaze to me. I could have been a dick. "Dot Ishara told me to have intercourse with the first woman I saw when I woke up," I said. "If you hurt her, I will kill you," the Amazon threatened. "First off, Tadêfi, would you like to fool around?" I might want to get my potential sex partners permission before proceeding. You know; not be a rapist. "I don't know what you want, but if this is what we must do," Tadêfi acquiesced. "First time sex is going to be painful, so be prepared," I cautioned both young women. "If you;” the guardian repeated her threat. "Cáel, you should give daily thanks I don't leave a trail of dead bodies everywhere you go," Pamela declared with malicious menace. "So many pretentious bitches; I tell you, my ability to tolerate your forgiving nature is being sorely tested, damn it." Wow, was that totally ass-backwards, or what? As a side note to life: I was going to receive a serious beat-down the second my sexual tryst ended. Two pernicious women: Buffy; I had been damaged by someone who wasn't her. There was no way she'd forgive me for that. And Pamela; I had sent Estere away to escort Libra instead of keeping the assassin close. Without a doubt, I had taken Pamela away from some odious errand conducted on my behalf, yet without my knowledge. Yes, some serious torment was headed my way. Back to the girl at hand. Back to being the 'me' I wanted to be. Oink! With torturous reluctance, the guardian made to leave. "Wait," I called out. "You can stay if you join us." Yes, I was angling for a three-way with a women who wanted to make line drives with a five iron using my nuts for golf balls; and the blind and deaf girl. I couldn

In this episode, I discuss the natural limits of muscle growth and how genetics play a role, my daily Legion supplement stack, the best time to go to the gym lots more. As always, these questions come directly from my Instagram followers, who take advantage of my weekly Q&As in my stories. If you have a question you're dying to have answered, make sure you follow me on Instagram (@muscleforlifefitness) and look out for the Q&A posts. Your question might just make it into a podcast episode! If you like this type of episode, let me know. Send me an email (mike@muscleforlife.com) or direct message me on Instagram. And if you don't like it, let me know that too or how you think it could be better. — Timestamps: 05:27) Natural gains (10:28) Reverse cardio after a cut? (11:49) High reps vs. low reps fatigue? (13:12) Deadlift utility? (16:39) BLS exercises (19:28) Alternating vs. simultaneous curls? (19:55) Supplement stack (21:44) Extra lateral raises: overkill? (23:08) Weightlifting belt (24:13) Shoulder impingement help? (24:43) Best training time — Mentioned on the Show: KSM-66® Ashwagandha The Shredded Chef Lunar Whey+ Plant+ Recharge Creatine Monohydrate Stim-free Pulse Pulse Triumph (men) Ascend Balance Fortify Triton Elevate

Cáel's tombstone: For the love of women, women put him here.In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.Listen and subscribe to the ► Podcast at Connected..

What are the long-term gains of educated investment decisions? The COVID pandemic triggered fear and uncertainty, with many wanting to sell everything amid the stock market's 30% drop. However, disciplined investors maintained their perspective and followed their investment policy. This approach, coupled with proper financial planning, often results in a stronger portfolio after market crashes, helping investors avoid costly mistakes. In contrast, a friend who sold his business for $10 million was initially hesitant to invest in the stock market due to a lack of education, but with advice to seek higher yields and follow a well-planned asset allocation strategy, he increased his earnings from 0.05% to 4.5% annually. Throughout Jesse's monologue, he highlights examples where educated, deliberate, and disciplined decisions helped grow people's portfolios and prepare them for their long-term goals. Joe Saul-Sehy of Stacking Benjamins, returns to the podcast for the second half of the show. Jesse and Joe each brought 5 questions to ask before retirement - ideally long before retirement. Alternating, back and forth, they discover how few of these questions are about money. Sound investment and retirement planning isn't just about the number going up, but also about what you're going to do with the money you accumulate. Many of us plan to enjoy plenty of golfing during retirement, but, who among us can say we'd like to golf every day for 20 years? Join Jesse and Joe on an exploration of the questions you need to ask when planning your retirement.   Key Takeaways:• Have you taken your mental and physical health into consideration when planning your retirement years? • How long do you expect to be retired? And what do you plan to do with your time? • Find something you can passionately be involved in during your retirement years. • Why “chasing kids” isn't a great retirement plan. • How to simplify your savings plan and make the most of it. • What engineers can teach us about planning for the unknown unknowns.   Key Timestamps:(02:14) - Jesse's Monologue: Putting a Dollar Sign on Financial Planning (07:23) - Car Loan Decision Making (08:24) - Backdoor IRA Contributions (10:11) - Choosing the Right Home Location (14:01) - Understanding Cash Balance Plans (20:48) - Interview: Joe Saul-Sehy (22:08) - Top Questions for Retirement Planning (37:40) - Creative Solutions for Health Insurance in Retirement (39:20) - Behavioral Aspects of Investing (41:26) - The Fee Wars and Financial Planning (45:36) - Asset Allocation and Investment Choices (48:45) - Health and Healthcare in Retirement (53:05) - Maintaining Relationships in Retirement (57:46) - Protecting Yourself in Retirement (01:01:06) - Giving Back to the Community (01:07:58) - Conclusion and Podcast Information   Key Topics Discussed:The Best Interest, Jesse Cramer, Rochester New York, financial planner, financial advisor, wealth management, retirement planning, tax planning, personal finance, retirement lifestyle, FIRE lifestyle, mental health, physical health   Mentions:Website: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-saul-sehy-b3426b31/ What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life's Third Age by Ken Dychtwald and Robert Morison Keys to a Successful Retirement: Staying Happy, Active, and Productive in Your Retired Years by Fritz Gilbert   More of The Best Interest:Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

Episode 179: Impact of intermittent fasting Impact on T2DMFuture Dr. Carlisle explains the physiology of fasting and how it can help revert type 2 diabetes. Dr. Arreaza adds details on how to do intermittent fasting. Written by Cameron Carlisle, MSIV, Ross University School of Medicine. Comments and edits by Hector Arreaza, MD, FAAFP.You are listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California, a UCLA-affiliated program sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home. This podcast was created for educational purposes only. Visit your primary care provider for additional medical advice.What is type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM)?-Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and impaired glucose regulation. -This impaired regulation can lead to hyperglycemia, contributing to complications in a myriad of organs: heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, etc. (target organs). According to the CDC, more than 38 million Americans have T2DM (about 1/10 people). -Multiple mechanisms are believed to contribute to insulin resistance in obese patients with T2DM, such as increased lipid deposition throughout the body and systemic inflammation.What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)? Intermittent fasting (IF) has recently gained popularity as a dietary approach for health benefits, but it has been around for thousands of years. IF is an eating pattern that alternates between eating and fasting (no calories consumed) over a specific period of time. When you are fasting, you are allowed and encouraged to keep drinking water and non-caloric drinks, like coffee, tea, and even homemade bone broth.-According to the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC), 10% of Americans engage in IF daily. -According to Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist and IF expert for over 25 years, a mechanism called “metabolic switching” is seen with IF. This is when your body runs out of glucose and starts burning fat (i.e., fatty oxidation). These metabolic changes can help protect your organs and reduce the risk of chronic conditions, like T2DM. Common IF methods: Time-restricted eating: Most common method, involves eating within a specific time frame (e.g., the 16:8, 18:6, 12:12 method is also common.  [16:8 means you have 16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating.]Alternate-day fasting: Alternating between fasting days and normal eating days.  [Find more info in The Complete Guide to Fasting, by Jason Fung, who is a nephrologist, he explains that alternate-day is basically eating every other day, which would give 36 hours of fasting, but if you are a beginner you can try a 24 hours fasting, in short, not eating breakfast any day of the week and having lunch 4 days a week, and dinner every night.]5:2 diet (aka periodic fasting): Maintaining a normal diet for 5 days, with 2 days (usually non-consecutive) of caloric restriction (25% of normal caloric intake; e.g., 500 calorie meal). IF is strongly believed to improve metabolic health in individuals with T2DM by reducing insulin resistance via increasing insulin sensitivity, promoting weight loss (patients with obesity and DM… AKA patients with diabesity), and enhancing lipolysis via fat oxidation.While fasting, the body goes through several phases that affect how energy is metabolized. Between 0 and 4 hours after eating, the body enters a feeding state, using glucose as its main energy source. After fasting for 12-16 hours, the body enters ketosis and starts to use fat for energy. Within 24-36 hours, autophagy begins, a process that recycles damaged cells and allows for cellular repair. This process can have great benefits for people with T2DM, such as improved insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation. Pathophysiology of Implementing IF in T2DM. -IF is thought to increase insulin sensitivity by decreasing fatty tissue in the body (i.e., visceral adipose tissue), which is correlated to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is defined as higher than normal circulating insulin levels needed for a glucose lower response, which is thought to be the culprit for the generation of T2DM. It means you need high levels of insulin to keep glucose normal. -Obesity is an important risk factor for T2DM. Visceral adipose tissue functions as an organ via the secretion of adipokines (cytokines or cellular messengers produced by adipose tissue): leptin and adiponectin. Leptin: proinflammatory, leading to chronic inflammation. Patients with higher BMI levels and increased insulin resistance were found to have increased leptin levels.[Leptin is a good hormone at normal levels, but there is leptin resistance] Adiponectin: anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects. Higher adiponectin levels result in decreased hepatic gluconeogenesis, enhanced glucose absorption, and enhanced skeletal muscle and hepatic fatty acid oxidation. Levels drop as visceral fat increases. -Dr. López-Jaramillo, a Colombian endocrinologist and researcher, and colleagues published a review in 2014 examining the imbalance in the levels of leptin and adiponectin in individuals with metabolic syndrome. This imbalance (increase in leptin and decrease in adiponectin) is linked to obesity and insulin resistance, which has been shown to increase the risk of T2DM. It has been shown that IF has resulted in the reduction of leptin levels and increased levels of adiponectin, which leads to decreased insulin resistance and increased insulin sensitivity. -IF allows pancreatic beta-cells to rest by not having to secrete insulin constantly. This allows the beta-cells of the pancreas to improve in function over time. In addition, IF has been shown to lead to noticeable weight loss and loss in body fat, both of which play an important contribution in managing T2DM. Research demonstrates that this weight loss increases insulin sensitivity and decreases the need for insulin therapy, making IF a powerful approach for improving metabolic health. AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) and Its Role in IF and T2DM Recent research has highlighted an important enzyme seen in IF, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays a vital role as an important energy sensor in cells. It is activated when cellular energy levels are low, such as during IF. A 2020 research study in Nature Reviews Endocrinology explains that activation of AMPK aids in suppressing gluconeogenesis and stimulates fatty acid oxidation, leading to optimal energy balance and reduction of visceral adipose tissue accumulation, a major contributor to insulin resistance and T2DM progression. AMPK is upregulated during fasting, which enhances glucose metabolism and reduces insulin resistance. This is imperative in managing T2DM, as it counters the effects of insulin resistance associated with T2DM.Exercise, which also promotes AMPK activation, complements IF and can promote a synergistic effect in improving insulin sensitivity and promoting fat burning, New Research Findings on IF and T2DM -The EARLY (Exploration of Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Overweight/Obese Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) study is a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open (2024). Findings In this randomized clinical trial study found that a time-restricted eating window significantly improved fasting glucose levels and HbA1c levels in individuals with T2DM. The study examined the effect of a 16-week 5:2 meal replacement (5:2 MR) fasting plan that consisted of five days of normal eating and 2 days, nonconsecutive of restricted diet (500-600 calories). This group was examined alongside a group of patients who took metformin 0.5 g BID and empagliflozin 10 mg QD. The study wanted to investigate the changes in HbA1c in Chinese adults with early T2DM.-The study was a randomized clinical trial of 405 adults, and a study showed that the 5:2 MR approach led to better glycemic control at 16 weeks compared to the counter treatments with metformin and empagliflozin. The 5:2 MR group had the greatest reduction in HbA1c (-1.9%), followed by metformin (-1.6%), and empagliflozin (-1.5%). The 5:2 MR plan also revealed the greatest weight loss (-9.7 kg), followed by empagliflozin (-5.8 kg), and metformin (-5.5 kg). -This research suggests IF, such as 5:2 MR, can be a powerful tool in the management of T2DM and improving metabolic health. This study can potentially open doors for healthcare providers to provide the 5:2 MR approach for individuals as an effective initial lifestyle intervention. However, follow-up studies are needed to assess the effectiveness and durability of the 5:2 MR.Safety and Risks of IF in T2DM. -IF when combined with glucose-lowering medications (e.g., insulin, sulfonylureas, GLP-1 agonists) can increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Also, prolonged fasting can lead to nutrient deficiencies if not planned carefully. Patients should be counseled on maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet during non-fasting days. -IF is not suitable for everyone. Children under the age of 18 should not try IF due to needing proper calories for adequate development and proper growth. Also, it is recommended that pregnant or breastfeeding women do not undergo IF. It is advised that people with eating disorders should not try IF. -Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as kidney stones or gastroesophageal disease should speak with their doctor before trying IF. Also, patients on insulin or other glucose-lowering medications should adjust their dose and talk with their healthcare providers to prevent hypoglycemia during fasting. It is recommended that each person speak with their doctor to discuss the safety and risks of IF and see if it would benefit the individual before starting IF. -Many studies have explored the benefits of IF at the micro level revealing its cellular benefits and on a macro level of the body as a whole. However, more research is needed to confirm the long-term effects of IF on glycemic control and its sustainability as a therapeutic approach for T2DM. Conclusion:-IF shows potential for improving glycemic control, promoting weight loss, and enhancing metabolic health in individuals with T2DM. Despite its benefits, IF may present with risks, such as hypoglycemia, nutrition deficiencies, or dehydration in certain patients. Therefore, it may not be suitable for all individuals. It's important to monitor patients who engage in IF, especially for patients with T2DM. Patients should follow up with their doctor for individualized IF plans in patients with T2DM. ______________This week we thank Hector Arreaza and Cameron Carlisle. Audio editing by Adrianne Silva.Even without trying, every night you go to bed a little wiser. Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast. We want to hear from you, send us an email at RioBravoqWeek@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. See you next week! _____________________References:Albosta, Michael, and Jesse Bakke. “Intermittent Fasting: Is There a Role in the Treatment of Diabetes? A Review of the Literature and Guide for Primary Care Physicians - Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology.” BioMed Central, BioMed Central, 3 Feb. 2021, doi.org/10.1186/s40842-020-00116-1.Blumberg, Jack, et al. “Intermittent Fasting: Consider the Risks of Disordered Eating for Your Patient - Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology.” BioMed Central, BioMed Central, 21 Oct. 2023, https://clindiabetesendo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40842-023-00152-7.De Cabo, Rafael, and Mark P. Mattson. “Effects of intermittent fasting on health, aging, and disease.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 381, no. 26, 26 Dec. 2019, pp. 2541–2551, https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra1905136.Guo, Lixin, et al. “A 5:2 intermittent fasting meal replacement diet and glycemic control for adults with diabetes.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 7, no. 6, 21 June 2024, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.16786.Herz, Daniel, et al. “Efficacy of Fasting in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Narrative Review.” Nutrients, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Aug. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10459496/. Herzig, S., & Shaw, R. J. (2018). AMPK: Guardian of metabolism and mitochondrial homeostasis. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 19(2), 121-135.Longo, V. D., & Mattson, M. P. (2014). Fasting: Molecular mechanisms and clinical applications. Cell Metabolism, 19(2), 181-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2013.12.008López-Jaramillo P, Gómez-Arbeláez D, López-López J, et al. The role of leptin/adiponectin ratio in metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation. 2014;18(1):37–45.Mattson, Mark P., et al. “Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes.” Ageing Research Reviews, vol. 39, Oct. 2017, pp. 46–58, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2016.10.005. Patikorn, Chanthawat, et al. “Intermittent fasting and obesity-related health outcomes.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 4, no. 12, 17 Dec. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.39558.Sharma, Suresh K, et al. “Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Glycaemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” TouchREVIEWS in Endocrinology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10258621/#:~:text=In%20IF%2C%20eating%20habits%20are,the%20risk%20of%20developing%20T2DM.Xiaoyu, Wen, et al. “The effects of different intermittent fasting regimens in people with type 2 diabetes: A network meta-analysis.” Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 11, 25 Jan. 2024, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1325894. Theme song, Works All The Time by Dominik Schwarzer, YouTube ID: CUBDNERZU8HXUHBS, purchased from https://www.premiumbeat.com/.

In this week's Local Marketing School episode, Emily Steele interviews Alisha Espey, the Program & Events Director at the Downtown Davenport Partnership. We dove into one of the area's biggest festivals, Alternating Currents, and all the details that go into drawing big crowds and executing on powerful partnerships across the city. Alisha discusses how she and her team create awareness and leverage local expertise as well as the power of placemaking and community-driven events. We discuss measuring success beyond traditional metrics and the value of creating a sense of shared ownership in community projects. We close out with a look at some fun upcoming experiences coming to the Quad Cities region!  TUNE IN FOR TOPICS LIKE: 2:43 Alisha's journey from entertainment to wineries to the Downtown Davenport Partnership  10:07 The art of placemaking 12:46 Serving as the Festival Director for Alternating Currents, a music, film, comedy and art festival in Davenport 15:25 Attracting locals and visitors alike to attend events 16:50 Festival scaling strategies 19:41 Increasing foot traffic for area small businesses during events 23:38 Measuring success of events and activations 27:26 Building a cornerstone event in your city 31:01 What's coming up next for Downtown Davenport  Listen to this week's Local Marketing School conversation! Other episodes you'll enjoy if you enjoyed Alisha's episode: #9: Integrating Into the Community and Keeping Social Media Fun | Hannah Kirkpatrick, Fareway #14: Attracting Locals and Visitors with Engaging DMO Strategies | Rachel Greiner, Experience Grand Rapids Don't hesitate to reach out! We'd love to hear from you on Instagram and find out which episodes you're enjoying the most. Your feedback is so important to us! Please take a moment to rate the show and leave a review - it supports our ongoing Local Marketing School journey and helps us develop more content that addresses what you're hoping to learn more about! Find Alisha: LinkedIn Find Downtown Davenport Partnership: Website | Instagram | Facebook Find Alternating Currents: Website | Instagram | Facebook Connect with Host Emily: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Follow Local Marketing School on Social: Instagram | TikTok  Follow Hummingbirds on Social: ⁠Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Ready to work with local influencers? Download our free guide!  Curious what type of influencer you should be working with? Take our quiz!  This podcast is produced by Hummingbirds. Learn more about Hummingbirds at hummingbirds.com.

This week we're excited to present a conversation with director Mati Diop on Dahomey, a Main Slate selection of the 62nd New York Film Festival.  Dahomey opens at FLC on October 25, with Q&As opening weekend. Get tickets at filmlinc.org/dahomey The African kingdom of Dahomey, which ruled over its region at the west of the continent until the turn of the 20th century, saw hundreds of its splendid royal artifacts plundered by French colonial troops in its waning days. Now, as 26 of these treasures are set to return to their homeland—now within the Republic of Benin—Diop documents their voyage back, transforming this rich subject matter into a multifaceted examination of ownership and exhibition. Alternating images of nocturnal melancholy and debates among students at Benin's University of Abomey-Calavi about what should be done with the objects, Dahomey brilliantly negotiates a lost past and an unsure present. All NYFF62 feature documentaries are sponsored by HBO. This conversation was moderated by NYFF Main Slate selection committee member Justin Chang.

If you're an injured runner we can help you get back to running pain-free. Click the link to book a free call with us https://matthewboydphysio.com/booking/ Running Fundamentals Course https://matthewboydphysio.com/running-fundamentals-course/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/matthewboydphysio/ Annual Training Plan Template Summary Periodization is a training method that involves focusing on different aspects of training at different times of the year. It can be intimidating, but it is actually quite simple. Most recreational runners already periodize their training without realizing it. The five primary periods of periodization are strength, base, build, race, and recovery. Strength period focuses on increasing muscular strength, base period establishes a foundation of fitness, build period focuses on race-specific training, race period is for the actual race, and recovery period allows for rest and mental rejuvenation. Alternating between strength and base periods during the off-season is recommended. Takeaways Periodization involves focusing on different aspects of training at different times of the year. Most recreational runners already periodize their training without realizing it. The five primary periods of periodization are strength, base, build, race, and recovery. Alternating between strength and base periods during the off-season is recommended. Periodization helps prevent injuries and optimize performance.

Welp, Mr. Pump is dead and it's time to go to the funeral and a) mourn, if you're a normal person, b) whine like a hangry toddler if you're Adam or c) network for your now dead e-book if you're Hannah. When God shuts a door on your e-book he opens a window for a real book in this case, at least until legal problems get in the way, and Hannah takes out her frustration on Caroline, leading to a possible end of the sibling roommate experiment. Marnie goes to Ray's for some constructive criticism and a quick romantic (?) diversion, and Shosh finally gets a little sick of Jessa. Welcome to the club, Big Sho! Alternating episodes of "Girls" are dropping on the main feed here while EVERY episode is over on Patreon.com/KevinAndJon! Thanks for the support, everybody.