Podcasts about Apocalyptic

Dean Evans returns to SEN Giddy Up with Gareth Hall to offer his insights and previews for the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington and the G2 Run To The Rose at Rosehill. It pays to listen to Dean Evans interviewed by Gareth Hall on SEN Giddy Up. Tipped Lindermann ($12) and Apocalyptic ($5.80) last week. Tipped On Display ($5.50) and Too Darn Discreet (price from unload) the week before.

Real Life This week's episode is stacked—like a plate at Boar & Barley (Ben barely survived, oh God). Speaking of Milwaukee, Devon had some things to say, and Steven dove into Rick and Morty season 8 on HBO—has the quality shifted? Plus, Marvel's Thunderbolts snuck its way into the convo. Future or Now  Devon brought us back to the Bob-verse world with Dennis E. Taylor's Flybot. He called it “enjoyable” (which is Devon for a glowing review). Near-future tech, asteroid mining, eco-terrorists, and a scrappy AI robot pieced together from spare parts—this one's a cozy puzzle-box of sci-fi. We also asked: is this “Casual Sci-Fi”? “Cozy Sci-Fi”? Someone trademark that. Ben, meanwhile, shouted “Star Trek? Hell yeah, brother” and broke down Noah Hawley's almost-made Star Trek film that would've tied directly into The Next Generation. Read more here. Steven brought his A-game with Alien: Earth episode 5—he swears it's the best Alien movie in a long time. High praise. Book Club  Patron Renee joined us! She told us about her latest comic-con adventures and stuck with us for the whole episode (you love to see it). This week we read “Bears Discover Fire” by Terry Bisson—a story that scooped up basically all the awards back in the early '90s (Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, Locus, Asimov's Readers, you name it). It feels like something straight out of Haruki Murakami—quiet, strange, and deeply human. Oh, and yes, we did wonder aloud: what if it was Banthas Discover Fire?

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports President Trump threatens Chicago with apocalyptic force.

Robert Jay Lifton, who died on September 4, 2025 at the age of 99., was a psychiatrist and author who studied the psychological causes and effects of wars and political violence. In the 1960s, he was part of a group that applied psychology and psychoanalysis to the study of history. By the 1980s and 1990s, he'd began exploring the survivors of atrocities and war in such books as The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide, and moved on to the study of cults and what he called “totalism,” a term for the characteristics of ideological movements and organizations that desire total control over human behavior and thought. At the time of his death, he'd written or co-authored 23 books. On November, 2, 1999, Richard A. Lupoff and Richard Wolinsky had the opportunity to speak with Robert Jay Lifton about his book, Destroying the World To Save It: Aum Shinrikyo, Apocalyptic Violence, and the New Global Terrorism, which focuses on the Japanese Cult that released sarin nerve bas into the Tokyo Subway System. While the interview serves as a time capsule for pre-9/11 America and the world, it also gives insight into the present day and how we'e gotten from there to here. Regarding Donald Trump, in Losing Reality: On Cults, Cultism, and the Mindset of Political and Religious Zealotry, published in 2019, Dr, Lifton wrote this: “Donald Trump is a special kind of cultist. He is in no way totalistic—his beliefs can be remarkably fluid—nor is he the leader of a sealed-off cultic community. Rather, his cultism is inseparable from his solipsistic reality.A considerable portion of his base can be understood as cultist, as followers of a guru who is teacher, guide, and master. From my studies of cults and cultlike behavior, I recognize this aspect of Trump's relationship to his followers, Trump does not directly express an apocalyptic narrative, but his presence has an apocalyptic aura. He tells us that, as not only a “genius” but a “very stable genius,” he alone can “fix” the terrible problems of our society. To be sure these are bizarre expressions of his extreme grandiosity, but also of a man who would be a savior to a disintegrating world.” This interview was digitized, remastered and edited in September 2025 by Richard Wolinsky and is heard in its entirety for the first time. The post Robert Jay Lifton (1926-2025) on Cults and Apocalyptic Violence appeared first on KPFA.

This is a recording of a 4 week class Dr. Matt is teaching on the letter of Revelation at The Point (www.gotothepoint.com). What lenses do you read Revelation with? Revelation 1:1The letter of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ, not a revelation of fear and speculation about the the end of the world.Interpretive Assumptions and MistakesAssumption #1: Revelation is primarily about the “end times”.Assumption #2: What Revelation reveals is a chronological roadmap of the future. Assumption #3: Revelation is about us.How to avoid interpretive mistakes…Step 1: Consider the literary contextGenreEpistle (Rev 1:4, 1:11; Rev 2-3)The Bible (and Revelation) was not written to us, but it was written for us. Prophecy (Rev 1:3, Rev 19:10)17% of the time the words “prophecy”, “prophesy”, or “to prophesy” are used, the verses are in the context of a prediction. (Often about judgement events that will come if people don't repent)83% of the time the words “prophecy”, “prophesy”, and “to prophesy” refer to something else besides prediction. Prophecy does 3 things… It reveals: Who God isWhat God desiresWhat God demands from His peopleApocalypse There are 404 verses in Revelation which contain over 800 Old Testament allusions. So, we must understand the Old Testament to interpret Revelation correctly. Apocalyptic genre is like a political cartoon. It is the writing of oppressed people under the foot of the empire. Apocalypses are overtly political and are meant to critique to governments of this world and call God's people to faithful allegiance to the kingdom of God. Step 2: Know the historical context Struggle and Conflict in Revelation: Kingdom of God vs. Kingdom of Satan, Jesus followers vs. unbelieving Jews, Empire vs. The Church, Truth vs. liesTeam Lamb or Team Dragon?Revelation 1Jesus reveals God to us Jesus reveals us to usYou don't just read Revelation, it reads you!Revelation will reveal the God you worship or your cultural assumptions about God. We become like the god(s) we worshipLet Jesus unveil God and His character to us (The Jesus of Revelation shouldn't look different than the Jesus of the gospels or the Sermon on the Mount)7 Churches (Revelation 2-3)Summary:As a letter, Revelation was written to seven real churches, which implies that its message was understandable to its original readers. As an apocalypse, Revelation uses symbolic language to reveal a God's-eye perspective for the encouragement of Christians living in Caesar's empire. And as a prophecy, Revelation warns the churches against idolatry (Rev 2:14–15). This makes sense given how idols and temples peppered the Asian landscape.Revelation encourages Christians to remain faithful in trials (Rev 2:10, 13). It's no wonder that Revelation would include this, as the threat of persecution was constant.Revelation tells the story of how Satan has inspired an evil, beastly kingdom but that one day the Lamb will rescue the world from it (Rev 12–13; 17–22). That such a story is included is not at all surprising given that the message of the idolatrous empire was etched on every official document and ingrained on every temple.Revelation identifies two groups of people who have been marked out as either Lamb people or Beast people (Rev 7; 13–14). This makes perfect sense because, in the first century, there was only one choice: pledge loyalty to either Christ or Caesar.

This lecture discusses key ideas from the 20th century fantasy and science fiction writer, Philip Jose Farmer's novella The Lovers (which can be found anthologized in his Strange Relations It discusses the narrative setting for the novella, specifically the aftermath of the "Apocalyptic War", in which a virus killed most of humanity globally. After the pandemic, communities of survivors repopulated the Earth, coming from Hawaii, Iceland, the Caucasus, Israel, Central Africa, and Malaysia. At the time of the story, the globe is divided between four super-states. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Get Philip Jose Farmer's Strange Relations here - https://amzn.to/3ivJXtj

Ryan and Ben dig into the new Unearthed Arcana of Apocalyptic Subclasses then discuss differing goals between PCs. Community Pages: Critical Role Campaign 4 details; Designer Insights from Unearthed Arcana: Apocalyptic Subclasses; Todd Kenreck's UA breakdown; Apocalyptic Subclass UA PDF; Grim Hollow D&D Beyond Bundle; Todd Kenreck's preview of Tales of Woodcreek; Silver Dragon Games' … Continue reading "Episode 141 – Apocalyptic Subclasses and Differing PC Goals"

Hydra fights, Dark Sun dilemmas, Unearthed Arcana chaos—what could go wrong? Want more Unearthed Arcana deep dives? The RPGBOT.Podcast has you covered. You can find our backlog of episodes on every major podcast platform, where we break down the latest D&D playtest material and show you how to wrangle it into your campaigns without summoning your own TPK. Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast crew saddles up for an apocalyptic romp through Pathfinder Hydra encounters, the gritty survival world of Dark Sun, and the latest Unearthed Arcana subclasses. We start by revisiting a Hydra battle that demanded every ounce of tactical brilliance (and a fair bit of screaming). From there, we dive deep into Dark Sun—where scarcity, moral dilemmas, and Mad Max vibes dominate play. The hosts then dig into new subclass content: the eco-warrior Circle of Preservation Druid, the crowd-pleasing Gladiator Fighter, the life-siphoning Defiled Sorcerer, and the fear-driven Sorcerer King. Along the way, we tackle the eternal question of whether Strength is viable for Intimidation, explore multi-classing optimization, and share DM tips for balancing player knowledge with campaign secrets. It's a mix of theorycrafting, subclass reviews, and a healthy dose of comedy—because what's Dark Sun without a laugh before the water runs out? Key Takeaways Hydra encounters in Pathfinder = epic, sweaty, and strategy-heavy. Dark Sun campaigns bring unique challenges: scarcity, moral dilemmas, and Mad Max vibes. Circle of Preservation Druids = conservationists with a vengeance. Gladiator Fighters use charisma as a weapon (and crowd engagement as a combat mechanic). Defiled Sorcerers introduce life-draining spellcasting mechanics. Sorcerer King subclasses lean into control, fear, and psionics. Strength for intimidation is officially fun again. Multi-classing optimization remains a go-to for tactical players. Campaign success = good mechanics + solid DM/Player communication. Subclass excitement shows Unearthed Arcana is moving in a promising direction. If you enjoyed this episode, like and subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast on your favorite platform. Share it with your tabletop roleplaying friends—because nothing says friendship like convincing them to fight a Hydra in Dark Sun with only a rusty dagger and a half-baked subclass build. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

This month we are featuring a feed drop from Thirst the new series recently launched on The Penumbra Podcast one of the brilliant shows on the RQ Network. This episode is called “Can't Tear My Eyes From You, Chapter 1: Icebreaker.” Thirst is a horror-satire about exploitative entertainment in a crumbling world, Introduction and outro by Billie Hindle. You can listen to the next exciting episode of Thirst by clicking on this link, or by searching for The Penumbra Podcast wherever you find podcasts, on the Rusty Quill website and at www.thepenumbrapodcast.com If you would like to support the creators of Thirst and The Penumbra and access behind-the-scenes content like production scripts, commentaries, blooper reels, and more you can find more information at The Penumbra Podcast: Special Edition.Cast:Marge Dunn as Raine Randolph and ClaudiaAmanda Egbu as Georgia WhittakerEleanore Cho Fellerhoff as Holliday Murdock and LydiaJoshua Ilon as Dennis CruzQuinn McKenzie as Capote Whittaker and DaveMelody Perera as Anouk KalharaStefano Perti as Dennis Lang and BillMarc Pierre as Sergeant Murdock and the “Confess Your Crimes” hostAlexander Stravinski as The Host and Marcus(Trigger warnings can be found at the bottom of this episode description and at the end of the transcript.)-------You can find all of the transcripts here. Transcripts will come out along with the public release of the episode and include all required SFX attributions.On staff at the Penumbra:Ginny D'Angelo -- Head of Merchandise and OutreachMelissa DeJesus -- Script editing teamHarley Takagi Kaner -- Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designerJoelle Kross -- TranscriptionistNoah Simes -- Production managerGrahame Turner -- Script editing teamKevin Vibert -- Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writerRyan Vibert -- Composer and performer of original musicJeff Wright -- Graphic designer--------The triggers below may be relevant to episode 1 of Thirst or to the series as a whole. It is not comprehensive, but a more specific list of triggers is included with every episode. Please consider these as you decide whether Thirst is right for you:- Climate disaster/climate horror- Apocalyptic scenarios- Sudden loud noises- Violence and threats of violence- Abuse of power- Dictatorship, fascism- Characters speaking in ways that suggest prejudice of most kinds: homophobia, sexism, transphobia, racism, ableism, etc.- Body horror and gore- Violence towards animals- Illness, starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, etc.- Public humiliation- Depictions and descriptions of intense military violence- Coercion and manipulation- Sexual scenarios- Profanity- Unwanted sexual advances- Exploitation of people in need- Isolation and abandonment- Gaslighting/propaganda/organized attempts to misrepresent reality Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preached 12-01-24 Rev. Zack Owens 1 Peter 1:10-13

In this episode Karl Buechner (vocalist for Earth Crisis, Freya, Apocalypse Tribe) makes his second appearance, this time alongside Jeremy Mueller and Keith Ward – all are co-authors of the post-apocalyptic book trilogy, “The Unraveling” – which Is a series that is written for middle school age kids, as well as adults. We discuss the first book in the series, “The Unraveling – The Counsel of Crows” (the major themes and storylines), as well as the writing process, book tours, future plans, and more!  From the publisher, “Perfect for fans of Watership Down, Redwall, and The Green Ember, The Unraveling is a sweeping middle-grade fantasy adventure of courage, rebellion, and destiny. With pulse-pounding action, unforgettable characters, and a world as rich as it is dangerous, this is a story for anyone who believes even the smallest hero can change the world.”  You can grab the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and direct from the publisher at https://www.th3rdworld.com/collections/the-unraveling?srsltid=AfmBOormgJ8H0y0dbSRI4GoBJo3vtOaMMQL8ZIA7dkSRxUrM0ahGB2qJ  Audio version of the book is available from Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Unraveling-The-Counsel-of-Crows-Audiobook/B0F7J4GF16?srsltid=AfmBOop8zYwKZJP1LrAi_XFtizKfMOrQd1uZ77aYQ3Wxb6EMCzOpP9UW   As always, please hit the subscribe button if you like and support what we do! You'll get early access to new episodes! Also please leave a review!   Follow us on IG: @bigtruth TikTok: @bigtruthpodcast YouTube: @thebigtruthpodcast   For feedback, questions, sponsorship info contact: bigtruthpodcast@gmail.com For more info: http://www.bigtruthpodcast.com To support the show: http://www.patreon.com/bigtruth   The Big Truth Podcast is proudly sponsored by: - Choppahead Kustom Cycles (IG: @choppahead / www.choppahead.com) - Jeffrey Glassman Injury Attorneys ( www.jeffreyglassman.com )  IG: @gottagetglassman - Tattoo Flash Collective – www.tattooflashcollective.com – use promo code: BIGTRUTH for 10% off your order - Omerta (IG: @omertamia / www.omertamia.com) - use code: BIGTRUTH at checkout for 20% off your order! - Heavy (IG: @heavyclothing / www.heavy.bigcartel.com)

In this lecture, Don Carson explores the distinctive role of apocalyptic literature in biblical theology. Carson highlights how its vivid imagery and symbolism convey transcendent truths about God, moral absolutes, and the ultimate fulfillment of biblical themes. Carson underscores the genre's effectiveness in evangelism, teaching believers to anticipate Christ's return, and revealing the cosmic dimensions of spiritual conflict.He teaches the following:How apocalyptic literature employs vivid imagery to convey transcendent truthsHow Revelation draws upon earlier scriptures, weaving them into a comprehensive vision of God's ultimate purposesWhy the phrase "I will be their God, and they will be my people" reaches its fulfillment in RevelationApocalyptic literature provides a cosmic perspective on spiritual conflictHow this genre highlights the sovereignty of God over all eventsHow the symbolic language of apocalyptic literature invites deeper reflectionWhy preaching apocalyptic texts requires careful exegesisApocalyptic texts remind the church of its eschatological hope and the promise of Christ's return

In this lecture, Don Carson teaches that Jesus Christ must remain the central focus in interpretations of the Book of Revelation. Carson critiques various scholarly approaches that often marginalize Christ, urging that all aspects of Revelation are inseparable from His death and resurrection. Carson underscores that Revelation presents a grand vision of Christ's mediatorial kingship and priesthood, culminating in the New Heaven and New Earth.He teaches the following:Why Revelation should be read with Jesus at its center, as both the agent and substance of God's revelationHow Revelation highlights Jesus's fulfillment of Old Testament themesHow Revelation 1:12–16 draws from Daniel's vision of the "Ancient of Days”Descriptions of Jesus's authority in Revelation are rooted in the initial vision of His gloryJesus's death and resurrection empower Him to open the seals, unfolding God's purposesJesus's authority brings both judgment and salvation–signified by trumpet judgments and the final judgmentIn the new creation, God will have eternal presence with His people

In this lecture, Don Carson discusses the unique nature of apocalyptic literature, emphasizing its distinct historical context and symbolic language. Carson argues that apocalyptic texts like Revelation can be engaging and evangelistically effective. Carson discusses the importance of understanding these texts within their original setting and literary genre to grasp their full theological significance.He teaches the following:Why apocalyptic literature is often perceived as an "alien genre"The Book of Revelation serves as a primary example of apocalyptic literature, offering a narrative framework with divine revelationsHow Revelation presents a cosmic perspective on spiritual realitiesWhy apocalyptic literature employs vivid imagery to convey profound truthsHow Revelation blends apocalyptic and prophetic styles, urging repentance amidst impending judgmentUnderstanding apocalyptic literature requires immersion in its historical and cultural contextHow engaging with Revelation can enhance preaching, offering rich theological insights and eschatological hopeWhy this genre's symbolism invites imaginative engagement in preaching

Bleeding Edge Interviews hits the 75 interviews milestone with a big one! The king of expansive, cinematic, theatrical prog rock talks about his new solo album: Songs No One Will Hear!Pre-order Songs No One Will Hear: https://www.merchandise.nu/en/collections/ayreon-30th-anniversary Facebook: BleedingEdgeShow Instagram/Threads: @bleeding_edge_show Blue Sky: @bleeding-edge-show.bsky.social The Expanse - All-Prog Radio! Available on Live365 and Tune-In Radio!

Season 2, Episode 14 is a pulse-pounding saga! Erika's crew battles marauders in a desperate Zion standoff, as the Ogallala collapse reshapes the nation. TJ Swenson survives a rebel ambush, seizing power while hunting Erika, the Lone Survivor. Major Virgis risks all to free her, uncovering a landowner's secret that could spark a scandal—or war. Can Erika secure her family's future?

Are we living in the final days? From record-breaking earthquakes to floods and erupting volcanoes, the earth is groaning with apocalyptic signs. Are these disasters merely natural events—or prophetic birth pains pointing to the return of Jesus Christ?In this video, we explore what the Bible says about the end times, the shaking of the earth, and how these events align with Jesus' words in Matthew 24, Revelation, and other prophetic scriptures. Could these be the warnings of His imminent return? What should believers be watching for? How do these global events connect to biblical prophecy?

In this gripping episode of Bible Streams, we plunge into the intense and awe-inspiring visions of Revelation 15 and 16. Join Alex, Jo, and Chris as they unpack the seven bowls of God's wrath, the sea of glass mingled with fire, and the climactic cry of “It is done!”.We start with the heavenly prelude in chapter 15, where the saints stand victorious, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. We explore how this worship sets the tone for the final judgments, drawing powerful connections to the Exodus story and God's covenant faithfulness. Things heat up as we move into chapter 16, with each bowl pouring out escalating plagues—from festering sores to a cosmic earthquake that shakes the very foundations of creation. The hosts dive into the meaning of 'Armageddon' and the drying of the Euphrates, pondering what these images meant to the early church and how they speak to us today.With lively banter and a nod to Old Testament echoes like the plagues of Egypt and the prophecies of Ezekiel, this episode brings clarity to the chaos of divine justice. We wrap up by reflecting on the hope beyond the havoc—how the un-creation of the old world paves the way for the new heaven and earth. Whether you're a seasoned Bible reader or just curious, join us for a conversation that balances the weight of judgment with the promise of redemption!Resources"Revelation (NIV Application Commentary)" by Dr Craig Keener– A detailed analysis that bridges the historical-cultural context and application for today."The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament" by Dr Craig Keener – Offers essential historical and cultural insights on the New Testament, including Revelation."Discipleship on the Edge" by Darrell W. Johnson – A study on Revelation that considers its relevance for Christian discipleship."Reading Revelation Responsibly" by Michael J. Gorman – A user-friendly guide to understanding the apocalyptic message of Revelation without fear or misinterpretation.Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram.Subscribe to Bible Streams on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Amazon.

In the apocalyptic imagination, God gives us a wild and lively vision of a world to inhabit now. The old order of things has come to an end. Behold God's new heaven and new earth. Live it now.

Michelle Dowd is a contributor to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, TIME magazine, Alpinist, The LA Review of Books, LA Parent Mag, and other national publications. She was raised on a mountain in the Angeles National Forest where she learned to navigate by the stars and forage for edible plants. Her memoir, Forager: Field Notes on Surviving a Family Cult, showcases her life growing up on an isolated mountain in California as part of an apocalyptic cult, and how she found her way out of poverty and illness by drawing on the gifts of the wilderness. Michelle's Links https://mdowd.substack.com/subscribehttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1643755773/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_10?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1http://%20https//www.amazon.com/Forager-Field-Surviving-Family-Memoir/dp/1643751859/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JBFK26STB2PK&keywords=forager+field+notes+on+surviving+a+family+cult&qid=1697988673&sprefix=forager%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1Ryan Anthony here! If you would like to support my channel please consider:buymeacoffee.com/truththath7Thank you for all of your support and for helping to make this channel a reality :)

Quaranteam-Northwest: Part 1 Pandemic Survivors, Harems and the Pacific Northwest. Based on a post by Break The Bar. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. To combat the deadly Duo Halo virus, the government will change the lives of Harrison Black and his friends out in the hills of Oregon. In return, Harrison finds a new purpose to his life in the midst of losing his family history. The House Guest. I glanced away again, relatively certain that Erica hadn't noticed my involuntary glance down at her cleavage but not overly worried. The grocery store parking lot was only half full, but we were waiting out front and I felt like we were in a bread line in Soviet Russia. The only good news was that it was a warm spring for Oregon State, and a clear day, so Erica and I weren't bundled up in jackets or anything. Of course, we were still getting used to the masks. "This feels ridiculous," Erica said, adjusting the bandana covering her lower face. She'd done her makeup as usual, with soft but smoky eyeshadow, and her thick dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun. Erica was a well-put-together lady, with the hips and bust of a woman who had aged perfectly into her thirties. I'd known her through our late twenties, and I wasn't ashamed to say I thought she'd only gotten hotter with time. Her black jeans clung to her hips and ass, and the black sweater she was wearing unzipped over a ripped band t-shirt accented the v of her cleavage that I'd been trying not to glance at. "At least it's not the middle of winter," I said. "Imagine this going on in January, in a snowstorm?" "We'll never need to see that," said the old man in front of us in line. He was wearing a hunting gaiter, but it was riding low on his upper lip. "This ain't the first virus, it won't be the last. Couple of weeks and the panic will die down. We'll have practically forgotten it by the fall, I bet." "Hopefully," Erica nodded. They'd announced the quarantine two weeks ago, and it had gone into effect last week. My roommate Leo and I had invited Erica, his sister, up from Portland; she was going to be cooped up in her apartment alone for the two-week shutdown and we had plenty of space on my old family property. Erica had made the drive the day before the statewide quarantine kicked in, having locked up the Tattoo Parlor she managed, and it had been a week of sun, hiking and ATV tours through the property, along with teaching her how to throw an axe and shoot some archery. Next week we were planning to show her the ropes on gun safety, and let her try out some of my grandfather's old hunting rifles. Erica was game for it all, and it felt like a mini vacation for all three of us. What Leo and I hadn't planned for was making meals for three instead of two, and so now a week in Erica and I were braving a trip into town trying to figure out exactly what we were and weren't supposed, or allowed, to do. Erica turned to say something to me, but her sentence was cut off by the heavy thrum and backfiring of a pair of ugly pickups rumbling into the parking lot of the grocery store on jacked-up wheels, halfway to 'monster truck.' They parked near the back, near my own truck, both vehicles with the stupid 'truck nuts' swinging from the hitches on the back and one of them with a big confederate flag sticker in the back window. "Jesus, I thought rednecks were supposed to come from the South," Erica muttered. "There are rednecks in every part of every country," I sighed. "Ask me about German rednecks sometime. Those people are weird." Five men unloaded from the two pickups, and I could see someone still sitting inside one of the cabs. I immediately took in everything I needed to know about the men; my brain couldn't shut off the instinct. Five military-aged males, three who looked like they could handle a bit of a fight. None of them were carrying firearms, no obvious sign of concealed weapons, but several had utility knives sheathed on their belts. Not that uncommon out here in the foothills of western Oregon. Three of them were wearing army surplus combat boots, one was wearing what looked like steel-toe construction boots, and one was wearing hiking boots. Their clothes were blue-collar casual. Rough, in other words. None of them were wearing any form of a mask. The debate was still out in the news; first, we were supposed to wear masks, then they said it wasn't going to be helpful, and now they were saying wearing masks might be the most important thing. Everyone seemed confused about the issue, but everyone in line outside the grocery store was wearing one of some sort or other. "Are they seriously going to just?" Erica muttered. The rednecks were heading straight for the entrance to the store, looking to bypass the ten or so folks in line ahead of us and another six behind us. I could see the panic in the eyes of the pimple-faced teen manning the door. He had no fucking clue what to do about it. "Ah, shit," I muttered, already stepping out of line. "Harrison," Erica cautioned me. "It's not worth it. What's the point?" "If not me, then who?" I asked her, then raised my fingers to my lips and blasted a whistle that echoed across the parking lot. Everyone turned and looked at me. All the folks in line, the rednecks as they were about to bull their way past the boy, and the beleaguered kid who I'd already watched bumble through explaining the line to annoyed people, let these alone belligerent assholes. "Hey," I yelled, but tried to keep my voice more friendly than commanding. "How about you guys show some respect to the folks out here and just grab a spot in line?" "How about you suck my nuts? We aren't sheeple, we know our rights," one of them yelled. "Yeah, this place can't deny us service, we've got rights," another shouted. "There's a difference between rights and being polite," I said. "Old folks are waiting to get their groceries, you boys can wait fifteen minutes." "You got a problem with us?" Another one shouted. "You know who the fuck we are?" "Harrison," Erica sighed. "I ain't got a goddamn clue who you are," I said. "And I don't care beyond the fact that you're acting like assholes." Two of them immediately started coming towards me down the line, the other three hesitating a moment before following. Fuck. I'd been hoping they were just some bully idiots, but the two in the lead were way angrier than they should have been. "Take a few steps back and don't get involved, E," I said quietly. "I'll be fine, but you can't get involved, Okay?" "Harry, what the actual fuck? There are five of them. This is a fucking parking lot. We should just call the cops!" she whispered back. "I'd listen to your fella," the old guy in the gaiter said. "We got one State Trooper somewhere in thirty square miles of here; would likely take too long to do any good." "You wanna say that to my face, you fucking fuck?" one of the men said. I'd taken a few more steps out of line, and he got up within a foot of me with his teeth bared and a fist raised threateningly. "I'm a god damned sovereign citizen, and I got every right to protect my dignity, honor and good name against fucks like you." "Yeah," I said, looking down at him as I breathed in deep and let my full size loom over him. The guy was probably 6'1 or so, but I was 6'6 in my stockings and had an extra couple inches over that from my own hiking boots. "I said you guys are acting like assholes, and otherwise I could give one single shit about who you think you are." "You motherfucker, I'm gonna," "Harrison?" One of the three guys in the back asked. He was one of the ones I'd identified as not being much of a fighter. "Harrison Black, right? You played Defensive End at Eisenhower." "Uh, yeah," I said. "That was a while ago though..." "Oh man, dude. It's me, Barry O'Callahan. I was a year behind you," the guy said. "Guys, this dude almost single-handedly ran our high school defense. Didn't you end up joining the military or something?" "Yeah, yeah," I said, squinting and looking at Barry. "Really? Barry O?" "Heh, yeah I filled out a bit since I was a junior," the man laughed, his gut jiggling with the effort. "And then I filled out a bit more. How are you doing, man? When did you get out of the service?" "Well, I'm doing fine, Barry. Been out going on seven years. But this is a bit awkward," I said. The interruption had been as confusing a moment for the two hotheads in their group as it had been for me. They were looking back and forth between us, trying to decide if they were still mad at me, or mad at Barry, or were just giving it up. "Oh, yeah. Uh, don't worry guys, Harrison is cool, Okay?" Barry said. "Dude, are you just in the area visiting or what?" "I've been up at the family place for the last few years since Pop died," I said. "Oh man, I'm sorry," Barry said. "But hey, can't believe we didn't run into each other until now. Who'd a thunk, huh? Here dude, you should come out to the clubhouse sometime. We'll grab some brews, catch a game or something." Barry pulled a crumpled matchbook out of his shirt pocket and handed it to me. The front had a WWII-style blonde pinup girl on a navy background with a white star behind her, invoking the flag. The Golden Beaver and an address was printed in tiny letters on the backside. It would have been a funnier innuendo if they weren't referencing the Oregon state flag. "Yeah, maybe," I said. "Come on, guys," Barry said, slapping his two hot head friends on the shoulders. "Let's get in line. Nice seeing you, Harrison." "Yeah, you too Barry," I said. And then shook my head as the five men headed back towards the end of the line. "What the fuck was that?" Erica asked me as I joined her back in line, and we moved up a couple spaces as the teen at the door let more people into the store. "Honestly, I thought I was about to spend the night in county lockup," I said. "Fuckin' Barry O." "He seemed like a fan of yours," Erica smirked. "Big high school football star, huh?" "I was a little above average at best," I said. "And I wasn't an idiot. Easy to look good when the rest of the team sucks." I looked down at the matchbook again and shook my head, showing it to Erica. She snorted and took it. "Is this real? Please tell me you aren't going to go join their little redneck club." "Not likely," I said. "It's a wannabe militia group. Bunch of swinging cocks with no sway." "What?" "Cause they're so small. It's a tiny penis joke." Erica smirked again and rolled her eyes. "You child. Can you do me a favor?" "What's that?" I asked. "Maybe, for the foreseeable future, you keep the whole Walking Tall routine to a minimum?" "I'm sorry, did you just make a Dwayne Johnson, early 2000s movie reference?" "Yeah, I did," Erica grinned. "What are you going to do about it?" "We need to get you to watch some better movies," I laughed. "Hey, son," the old man ahead of us said quietly. "Seriously, could you have taken those guys?" I glanced back at them at the end of the line, muttering to each other. "Probably, if I was right. If I got three of them, the other two wouldn't have done anything." "Heh. Would have liked to have seen that," the old man grinned. "Don't encourage him," Erica said. "He hasn't gotten into a fight on my watch yet, I don't want him to start now." "Yeah," I said. "But that's mostly because you're the one who usually starts throwing punches at the bar." "Hey, a guy gets handsy, I put him in his place," Erica shrugged. "No 'Walking Tall' shit, my ass," I snorted. "You two make a fine, rowdy couple," the old man said. "Oh, we're not a couple," Erica said. "Just friends," I said. "He's my brother's roommate," Erica clarified. "I'm just visiting." The old man raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Alright. Well, maybe you two should consider toning down the flirting then. You're likely to attract bears with all the hormones you're putting out." "Erica, Erica! No, you cannot punch him," I said, holding her back. "Hey, Erica? Can we talk to you for a minute?" Erica looked up from her phone with a cocked eyebrow and a pensive smile. I immediately realized how weird and out of character our approach was. She was lounging on the couch in the living room, her sketchbook tossed to the side with a half-finished something scribbled out in frustration like she'd been trying to work but just couldn't get it right. I knew how she felt, having had the same frustrations ever since the quarantine had been announced. "Sure guys, what's up?" she asked. I let Leo sit down next to his sister on the couch as she sat up, and I took my usual chair. It had been my Father's up until he passed; I'd avoided it the first month after he died and I took over the family homestead. Then when my older sister Valerie and her family came to stay for that summer, she practically pushed me into it. 'It's just a chair,' became our catchphrase for the summer as we sorted through the belongings of our parents and grandparents. "I'm sorry," I said as I settled into the chair. "This is already coming off weird. Erica, it's nothing." "You're making it seem like it's something," Erica said. She turned to her twin. "What's going on?" Leo and Erica were both a couple of years older than me, but once you were into your early thirties that kind of stuff meant a lot less. Leo had the looks of a classic Italian paisan with thick dark hair, a hawk beak of a nose and bushy eyebrows. He was built thin and a little lanky, and was usually ready with an eager smile and word of encouragement for anyone he met. That's probably why we'd gotten along so well when we started rooming together; his positive attitude had been just what I needed coming out of the Army. Erica had a lot of the same features as her brother; the thick dark hair, the ready smile, the energetic sparkle in her eyes; but she also had a sensuality to her that I can't say I'd ever noticed in Leo. She was a little more patient, a little more sure of herself and willing to take charge of things. And that control went all the way to her fitness, as she hadn't let herself slide even through quarantine. Leo sighed. "No, it's nothing. Well, I mean I guess it's something, but it's not," "How about we just say it, instead of talking about talking about it?" I said. "Yeah," Erica nodded. "How about that?" "Well, uh, Harrison?" Leo looked at me, which I guess was fair considering this was my house at the end of the day. "Erica, we're almost a month into the quarantine now," I said. "I know that when we invited you down out of the city to stay with us, it was supposed to only be for a couple of weeks. 'Two weeks to flatten the curve' and all that shit. But things don't seem to be getting any better." "No, it's fine," Erica said, sitting up straighter in her seat and pulling away from her brother. "I know I've been imposing on you guys. It's fine, I can head back down to Portland and I'll just," "Jesus Christ, Erica," Leo said. "We're not kicking you out." "You're not?" she asked. I realized that she was clenching her fists in her lap so hard she was trembling slightly. "Not a shot, E," I said. "We just wanted to make sure that you knew we want you to stay as long as you want or need. We love having you here." For the first time in my life, I saw Erica's lower lip tremble. "Really?" she asked. Back in the city she was the manager of one of the most successful tattoo and piercing parlors in the state, herding artsy workers that acted like cats with constant access to catnip. Erica was firm but fair with her artists, managed a clientele that ran the gamut from rich and entitled assholes to meth'd out deadbeats, and kept her own skills sharp with constant discipline and practice. Every time we had hung out in the years before the quarantine, I'd always been struck by how forceful a personality she was; she could smack talk with the best of them, manhandle a drunk in a bar like an experienced bouncer, and laughed loud and full-bellied. Seeing her on the verge of tears was a shock, and I realized we probably should have had this talk two weeks ago. "Yes, of course we do," I said. "God, you're practically family, Erica. I don't think I could let you go back and stay in the city right now. We love you." The damn burst and as thick tears began to pour over her cheeks and streak her dark eyeliner she reached out and pulled Leo into a hug with one arm. She beckoned for me with the other and I crossed the space to wrap her up in a hug as well. "Thank you," she whispered quietly between us. "I know you guys wouldn't; but still. Everything going on out there, and the way the city is right now... I just didn't" "It's going to be fine," Leo said to his sister, squeezing her harder. "You'll see." She kissed him on the cheek, then turned and kissed me on the cheek as well. "Thank you." I gave her a bit of a squeeze in return. "We'll need to go get some more of your stuff, I guess. You only came down here with a duffle bag." She laughed. "God, yes," she said and tried to wipe her tears. "I can go up there. I could use some more underwear, ha-ha." "Too much information!" Leo said, releasing his sister. She sniffed hard to clear her nose and wiped her cheeks some more to clear her spilt makeup and tears. Erica had a sort of post-punk or light goth style, with thick eyeliner and soft but smoky eyeshadow. For someone in the tattoo business, she had relatively few piercings, just two in each earlobe and a single small, silver nose ring on one nostril. She made up for it with a pair of full sleeve tattoos on her arms and a collection of assorted smaller tattoos on her legs. "What, you don't want to hear about me sweating through my bras?" She laughed at her brother. "Come on, Leo, we're all adults here." I laughed at her teasing and she squeezed me to her with the one arm she still had around my shoulder. She turned and kissed me on the cheek again. "I can go down to the city by myself, you guys don't need to risk yourselves for me. All the news reports are saying this thing is extra dangerous for men." "No, we'll help," I said. "We don't know how long this thing will last, so we'll bring the pickup and you can bring your car. And if you get exposed, you'd bring it back here with you anyways, so we might as well try and do it as fast as possible. Three sets of hands will make things go easier." "Okay," she nodded, then with a last squeeze of my shoulders she eased away and stood up. "Okay. Well, damn, guys. This feels like a fucking weight lifted off my shoulders. I've felt like I've been overstaying my welcome, not that you guys did anything to make me think that. I just,” "It's fine," I said. "We understand." "I don't," Leo said. "You've been all up in my personal space since the dam womb. You never had a problem with it before now." "Come here, you twerp," Erica laughed, slapping her brother on the arm. "Alright, alright," I said. "Come on, children. Let's make a plan here. No time like the present, if we get everything ready we can head out tomorrow."   Leo and I had first become roommates when he sublet me a room as I came out of the military seven years ago and wanted to move back to the Portland area. Then, when my father passed and I needed to move back to the family property, Leo had been more than happy to come on up with me instead of trying to find someone new to take over my half of the house lease. The old ranch-style house I'd grown up in had plenty of room, and my mother had died a few years before Dad, so it worked out for both of us. Even before the quarantine was announced we'd both been working from the homestead; my freelance illustration and concept art gigs kept the bills and property tax under control and food on the table, and Leo had swapped to making artisanal furniture in his little shed workshop instead of the house framing and cabinetry he'd been trained in. The old barn made a decent new workshop for him after a couple of upgrades, and once I'd gotten a satellite installed for point-to-point internet service we were... Well, we hadn't exactly been living the technological dream, but we had what we needed. The drive down to Portland from the homestead outside Jewell took a bit over an hour and a half on a good day with moderate traffic. It only took us an hour, in the middle of the day. I drove my truck, the cover on over the bed, and Leo rode with Erica in her car. The highways were practically empty, and for a while the drive almost felt like just a beautiful day out; other than the thick sweater I was wearing, and the work gloves I'd duct taped to the cuffs. I also had a pair of bandanas hung around my neck, ski goggles sitting on the passenger seat, and the hood of my sweater pulled up. It was the middle of a hot spring and I was sweating my ass off in my own truck just in case of death by viral infection. Even in the last couple of weeks, all the messaging online from the Government about what to do for safety felt like it had been conflicting with itself constantly, and when Leo and Erica tried to do more research they couldn't even figure out which politician or government body to listen to, let alone find something useful and convincing. So we went all out. Driving through the suburbs was a bit of an experience. One neighborhood would be completely desolate, not a single person outside and everything locked up tight. The next would be full of people outside on the street, walking dogs and kids running around playing. Most of them had those medical masks on, but it looked like people were out on summer vacation or something. The neighborhood after that was mostly shut down like the first, but one of the houses easily had thirty vehicles parked around it and was hosting some sort of party going on in the front and back yard. Somehow, despite the world feeling so alien, I still found driving through the city even weirder. Getting into the urban center where Erica had a small apartment near the Tattoo Parlor was like we'd hit the end of the world. Even more than in the suburbs, the near complete lack of people was shocking. We could go entire city blocks without seeing another car, and then suddenly we'd come across a food delivery driver peddling down the middle of the city street on a bike. The only other motorized vehicles I saw were one dude on an electric scooter having the time of his life, and ambulances speeding down the streets with their lights running. They didn't even bother with the sirens. Crackle, crackle. "Hey, Harrison? You read me? Over." I picked up my handheld radio and pressed the button. "Yeah, I read you, Leo. Over." "So we need to take a detour. There's a bunch of stuff online about this Autonomous Zone thing. Protestors in the middle of the city. We're going to avoid it. Over." "Yeah, sounds good. I'll follow. Over and out." I shook my head. The protests had started about a week ago. Halfway across the country, a man had been shot by police; investigations were ongoing, but no one looked good in the situation. Not the cops, not the man, not even the bystanders who had filmed the whole thing instead of intervening. It was a shit show all around, and it had sparked protests that I could only assume were fueled by people feeling so trapped in their own lives. Portland, ever a liberal center of activism, had been a hotbed every night. Vigils and marches every afternoon and evening. Then the riots started at night. We drove down a couple of streets that looked like we'd left the United States behind and entered a foreign warzone. I'd seen streets in Kabul during my deployment that had looked similar; the only thing missing from the burned-out cars, graffiti and general detritus were bullet scars on the walls. Windows that weren't boarded over were smashed. Storefronts were burnt out, looted, or both. It took us an extra twenty minutes to drive all the way around the 'autonomous zone.' By the time we pulled up into the alley behind Erica's apartment building, I was feeling sick to my stomach. A pandemic. Riots. What was next, a natural disaster? I'd seen some of the world; not a lot, but enough. Some of the best and worst places. We were supposed to be better than this. Taking the back stairwell was part of the plan. We didn't want to draw any attention from people; for all that Portland was that liberal bed of activism I'd just been thinking about, it was also still an urban center plagued by theft, crime and people trying to take advantage of each other. With no one on the streets, I'd suggested that pulling up out front made us more of a target to people looking to cause trouble, or attracting the attention of overzealous police. I pulled my truck in next to Erica's car and hopped out. "Alright, make sure you lock up," I said. "Harri, please," Erica said, sliding down her own ski goggles over her eyes. We were all bundled up now, with multiple face coverings each. "I've lived in the city about eight times longer than you ever did. I know how to handle myself." "Yeah, I know," I said. "I'm just a little anxious." "It's fine, dude," Leo said. "Let's just get this done." Erica let us into the building, keying in through a back door, and up through the stairwell. We didn't see anyone on the way up, and she led us through the halls to her apartment. As she let us in, one of her neighbors opened their door and stuck their head out. "Erica? Dear, is that you?" It was a woman, maybe in her fifties. "Hey, Dianne," Erica said. "It's me. I'm just here to pick up some things, and I brought my brother and his roommate to help out." Dianne stepped fully out of her apartment. She was dressed comfortably and had her silvering blonde hair pulled back into a bun. Most notably, she wasn't wearing a mask or any other sort of personal protection. "It's so nice to see you, Erica!" she said. "It's been quiet up here the last few weeks. I have to say, I never thought I'd actually miss your early morning banging around, but I do." "Ah, Dianne," Erica said, holding up her hands. She was wearing rubber gloves, duct taped at the wrists to her sweater just like my work gloves were. "We really shouldn't get any closer than this." "Oh, dear, it's fine," Dianna said. "I've been cooped up in the apartment for a week now, the only person who comes over is Mr. Jones from 5C for coffee every few days. I'm sure you've been just as safe, living out of the city." "No, really Dianne," Erica said. "I don't mean to be rude, but we're only here to get some of my things and go. And I know Mr. Jones is probably lonely up there, but it's not safe for you two to get together for coffee. You should really just skype each other or something." "Oh, I already have to do that Zoomy thing to see my grandkids," Dianna scoffed. "But fine, fine. It's good to see you, dear. Try not to take things too seriously, it won't be good for your health." From inside Erica's apartment, I couldn't help but shake my head. "Dianne, maybe you need to take things more seriously," Erica said. "I'd hate if anything happened to you, but more importantly I'd hate for your grandkids to never get to see you again if you got sick." "Well, I guess..." Dianne trailed off. "Goodbye, Dianne. It was nice seeing you," Erica said in that tone of voice that was just shy of 'politely fuck off,' then followed Leo and me into her apartment and shut the door. "God, that woman," Erica said. She peeled down the pair of gaiters she was wearing over her face. The top layer was a winter covering Leo and I usually used in the middle of winter when we were snowmobiling, and the second was a much thinner one we used in the summer when A T Veeing. "We should be good in here, no one's come in since I left." I peeled down my bandanas and sighed. "I'm sure she's nice, but that lady needs a reality check." "I just hope she isn't someone else's reality check," Erica said. "Alright. I'm going to start in the bedroom. Leo, can you go through the living room and grab anything you think we might want in terms of DVDs and stuff? And Harrison, do you mind doing a check-over of the kitchen? I'm pretty sure I got rid of all the immediate perishables before I came down, but I might have missed some things that could've gone for a couple weeks." We split up and went to work. I cleaned out a few old condiments that Erica had missed and collected some canned and boxed food that would travel easily, along with some of the more specialty cooking equipment Erica had made of point of mentioning. I wasn't sure what an 'air fryer' did, but she made it sound like it was a gift from God, so I was willing to pack it up. "All done in the kitchen," I said, standing in the doorway to Erica's bedroom. She was rummaging in her closet. Her bed was covered in clothes and a couple of pieces of luggage, and everything looked like a mess. "Okay, hold on," she said, then she reappeared and dumped what looked like an entire department store's worth of bras out onto the bed. "Can you start packing this stuff up? Don't worry about folding or sorting it, I'll fix it all once we're back at your place. Then I can grab everything I need from the washroom and we'll be done." "Sure," I said, and we squeezed past each other so she could duck into the washroom. Once she was gone, I just chuckled and shook my head at the mess she'd already made. "I don't think this is all going to fit in these bags." I got to work, and soon three of the four pieces of luggage were stuffed full. That's when I made it to the pile of bras. I glanced out the door, and quickly picked up a fancy looking one and checked the tag. "Damn, Erica," I chuckled. It was obvious she was a busty girl, but 36E? I wouldn't have guessed. Then again, I wasn't exactly a bra aficionado. I wouldn't even know if I'd seen D's or E's or what, the sizing just sort of confused me enough that I couldn't care to look into it any further. I carefully began packing her daintier things into a bag, and below the bras was a pile of panties; and only a few of them seemed like they were designed for comfort and not show. There were strings, there was lace. I held a particular red number and shook my head again, trying to do my best not to imagine Erica wearing it and failing. I shoved it into the bag with the rest. "Incoming," Erica said, bustling back into the room with her arms full of canisters and bottles and all sorts of things from the bathroom. She dumped it all on top of the panties in the bag. "Usually I'd be a lot more organized with this," she sighed. "But I just feel... being in the city feels kinda gross right now." "Hmm, I feel it too," I said. I picked up the last handful of her underwear and put them on top of the cosmetics stuff. "Oh my God," Erica said, grabbing the bag from me. "I can't believe; God, this is embarrassing." She was grinning and her cheeks had heated up as she quickly zipped up the luggage and turned to me. "I didn't realize you'd work that fast." "Hey, I've seen ladies' underwear before," I laughed. "It's not a big deal." "Yeah, but you haven't seen my underwear," she chuckled along with me. "At least you saw the nice stuff. I left most of it here when I came down; wasn't exactly thinking about showing off the goods, ya know?" "Hey, anytime you want to show off, you just let me know," I laughed. "I tried not to pry, but some of them looked pretty hot." "Oh, my God," she said, face palming her embarrassment. Then her smile turned teasing. "Then again, we could always play you show me yours, I'll show you mine. I'm sure the girls would be happy for some more freedom around the house." She squished her upper arms together to pop out her chest a bit under her sweater. Now it was my turn to smirk and blush a little. I was just starting to try and figure out what to say when Leo came in from the front area of the apartment. "Think I'm about done up here," he said. "Anything else, sis?" Erica snickered and punched me in the arm. "That's probably it. I was just teasing Harrison about feeling' up my panties though." "Dude!" Leo said. "Oh, come on," I said. "You know I wouldn't." "Still..." Leo trailed off. "Whatever. Just leave my sister's granny panties alone." "You think I wear granny panties?" Erica said, then turned back to the bag and started unzipping it. "Well, let me just show you some of these..." "Nope, no, nada, nyet!" Leo said, covering his eyes with both hands and turning out of the room. "I do not need to know. Too much information for me!" Erica snorted and shook her head, re-zipping the bag. She winked at me and gave me another friendly punch on the arm. "Thanks again for helping with all of this, Harrison." "No problem at all, E," I assured her. "No, no," she said. "Seriously. Thank you. You guys didn't need to come out here; it feels sort of silly to say, but you're technically risking your lives for me right now." "Well, chivalry ain't dead yet, I guess," I said. "I guess not," she laughed. She leaned in and kissed my cheek. "It's nice. Just don't go making a habit of it, I don't need some White Knight savior act out of you or my brother." "Deal," I said. We got everything out into the front hallway of the apartment, and it ended up being more than we could hope to carry down in one trip. The end result was that we made the first trip down, started loading everything into the bed of the pickup, and while Leo and Erica went back up for another load I stayed down with the vehicles. The thing about inner cities, we'd all learned quickly when we originally moved in, was that you took a risk when you left things in your car. Well, if you had a car to begin with, but if you did and people could see in then it was likely your shit was going to get stolen. So there I was, sitting on the open back gate of my pickup with double bandanas over the bottom half of my face and ski goggles over the top, when two men rounded a corner further down the wide back alley and stopped. They looked at me and the cars. I looked at them. One of them was wearing a medical mask, while the other had a knit wool balaclava on with nothing but his eyes showing. I'd never really considered it before, what with us living out in the woods away from most people, but at that moment I realized how simple it must be to do crime when everyone was expected to wear masks. I watched them. They eyed up the vehicles. I stood up. They watched me do it. I slammed the gate of my truck shut. They watched me do it. I walked around to the passenger door of the truck cab, pulled out the hard case I had stowed under the seat, grabbed my Dad's old Colt 1911 and slid a magazine home. The men kept their eyes on me, not batting an eye even though I was now holding a loaded firearm. I leaned against the back of my truck and watched them right back. Eventually, Leo and Erica came back down and I didn't mention the men or the pistol, which I tucked onto the passenger seat of my truck while we were moving things around. I left the door open so that I could keep easy access. Erica and Leo went up for one last load, and I entered another long staring match with the two men. They hadn't moved and were about fifty yards away so I couldn't tell if they were talking to each other. I swear I must have been sweating bullets under my sweater and gloves and various masks. I don't know if my adrenaline had spiked like this since seeing combat while deployed. Not even the grocery store parking lot showdown a few weeks ago had been like this. Finally, Erica and Leo came down with the last load, we got everything stowed away, and got back into our vehicles. I took a moment to unload and re-stow my firearm, and as Erica and Leo pulled away in her car I watched as the two men came up the alley and entered Erica's apartment building through the door we had been using. Maybe they had just been waiting to use the door, playing it safe with us. Or maybe it was something else. I wouldn't ever know. It took three days for us to start feeling... safe wasn't the right word. 'Less apprehensive' is where I ended up landing. Coming back from the city had been as smooth as driving out, but once we were home we all had this feeling of being dirty. It felt silly even at the time, but we ended up hosing each other off outside with the garden hose before heading in to take some long, hot showers. Was that ineffective? Probably. Did it make us feel better? Maybe, a little. When none of us were showing any symptoms of getting sick by the third night back, we all decided to crash and start a new show together on Netflix that night after dinner. I ended up in the living room first and was starting to scroll through the menus to find something we might like when Erica came down the stairs in her own comfy clothes. She was wearing baggy, low-riding sweatpants and a black tank top that I very quickly realized was bouncing way more than usual with each of her steps down the stairs. Erica walked over to the TV sitting area and flopped down onto the couch across from me, absentmindedly reaching up and tying her hair back into a loose and messy bun. "What?" she asked me when she realized I was staring at her. "Nothing," I said. "You just... you look good. Like that." She rolled her eyes. "It's just makeup, Harrison." What she meant was she wasn't wearing any. For the first time ever, even including the month that she'd already been staying with us, I was seeing Erica without makeup on. It was sort of shocking, honestly; whatever magic she did in the mirror, with her kit, it was like she could change the very structure of her face. Usually, she had an almost angular predatory look, with sultry and smoky eyes and sharp cheekbones leading down to a perfect set of clean and bright red lips. Now she looked brighter, more girl-next-door. Sure there were imperfections; soft lines under her eyes, little freckles and blemishes that got hidden by foundation, but her eyes were brighter, and her smile was wholesome. "Just don't feel like you need to be anything but comfortable, E," I assured her. "I like this look on you." She sighed and gave me a smirk. "Alright, charmer. What are we watching?" I tossed her the remote and let her start scanning through the list of new shows. Besides her lack of makeup and apparent lack of a bra, she was still her usual self. Both of her arm sleeves were bared by the tank top; her left arm was a colorful splash of a dozen of her favorite Pokémon from the original 150, all water-themed. Her right was Star Wars themed and focused on a pinup Femme Boba Fett on her outer upper arm, along with a couple sexy lady Stormtroopers, a Princess Leia in the requisite golden slave bikini, and Padme in the ripped-up white arena fight outfit. Not to mention the Yoda on her inner forearm and chili Chewbacca just below her armpit on her bicep. Her tank top also showed off the two heart tattoos on either side of her clavicle, and the half-mandala tattoo that sat on the back of her neck at the hairline. Erica's legs, while currently covered by her sweats, were a more eclectic collection of random and unplanned tattoos dating back from her start in the industry; some were done by her own hand, others by fellow apprentices, and a few even by the apprentices she'd eventually trained over the years. "Heads up!" Leo said, bounding down the stairs in his own sweats and a hoodie, vaulting over the back of the sofa and landing heavily next to his twin sister. "Jesus Christ," Erica said, ducking away to narrowly avoid getting kicked in the back of the head. She turned and hit Leo in the shoulder. "Watch it, you monkey!" "Takes one to know one," Leo laughed, swiping away her hands as she tried to hit him again. Soon the two were involved in a swearing match as Erica was leaning over Leo, trying to tweak his ears and drop a wad of spit down on his face, while he tried to both ward off her hands and push her away at the same time. Their easy sibling rivalry and goofing off usually wasn't this physical, but it still had me laughing and wondering all the same. I'd never had that with my sister; she was about seven years older than me, so we hadn't ever had that sort of a relationship. To be honest, I was also a little interested in the sibling scrap because Erica's tits looked fucking great jostling and bouncing around in her tank top, and a part of me hoped a boob would pop out in the chaos. Unfortunately, I couldn't be so lucky and the duel ended with both of them panting, sitting next to each other, with no boob appearance. "What are we watching?" Leo asked. "I dunno, we hadn't picked yet," I said. "Let's watch this," Erica said, seemingly at random, and selected some sort of a baking show. "Aw man," Leo said. "These competition shows are always so scripted." "They make me hungry," I said. "Maybe I should start baking more." "Yes," Erica said. "Now we're watching every season just so you can get more good ideas like that, Harri." The show was easy to follow and clearly designed like every other Food Porn-style "reality" competition. Other than the deliciously described food, the only thing actually keeping my attention was the host. "She's hot," Erica said during one of the transition scenes, right after the host had finished showing the TV audience the differences between a mousse and whipped cream. It had involved a lot of whisking very fast. "Not my type, but I can see it," Leo said. "She's got too much of a Fifties Housewife vibe going on." "That's just because she's so proper British," Erica said. "Look at her, she's gorgeous. And fucking stacked under those pretty dresses. What do you think, Harri?" "I'm with you, I think she's definitely hot," I agreed. "And I really dig the accent." "I bet she's a fucking freak in bed, too," Erica said. "No way!" Leo argued with his sister. "Look at her. She's all syrup and sweetness. I bet she's dry as a desert down there, and you couldn't fit anything in due to the stick up her ass." "Nuh-uh," Erica shook her head. "I'd put money on her having a filthy mouth off-screen. Just swears like a fucking sailor. And,  Hmm, I bet she probably says she's straight, but has plenty of experience with girls from her Prep School days." "Sure," I laughed along. "Makes perfect sense. Anything else?" "I bet she's got a cum fetish," Erica said. "Look at her eyes when she's talking about glazing. She's practically creaming her conservative little dress. And she definitely likes a cheeky finger up the bum to really set her off." All of us were laughing now, and the conversation faded as we struggled to get control of our giggles. By the time the first episode was over, we were hooked despite the silly concept, and let it play. We got four episodes in before Erica called it quits. "That's enough for me tonight, boys," she said, yawning and stretching her arms wide. Her right arm rubbed roughly against Leo's face on purpose, just to bug him as he pulled away. "I'm off to bed. Good night!" She bounced up off the couch and made for the stairs, her hips swiveling in her low-waisted sweats. They'd ridden lower, and she was showing a bit of a whale tail with her lace thong panties peeking over the waistline. "Dude," Leo said, snapping my vision from his sister as she walked up the stairs. "Uh," I hummed, and slowly raised both arms in an awkward shrug. "What do you want me to do?" "Just... don't make it a thing," he sighed, then flopped over onto his side. "She's my sister. You wanna watch Deadpool?" Visitors The rumble, sputter and hum of the approaching ATV broke my concentration as it cut through the quiet warbling of my shitty Bluetooth speaker long before Leo pulled around the trail bend. The thick foliage up here in the foothills, far at the back end of my family property, created a weird dampening effect so I hadn't heard him until he was almost on top of me. The rumble cut through the thick greenery now and was followed by the crunching of the tires biting into th

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Oscar nominated for her film The Edge of Democracy, which documented the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and the rise of Jair Bolsonaro, Petra Costa returns to the subject of Brazil's fragile democracy in Apocalypse in the Tropics. Streaming now on Netflix, Apocalypse explores the relationship between evangelical Christianity and the far-right, following the televangelist Silas Malafaia in his work campaigning for Jair Bolsonaro. Petra joins the podcast to discuss this precarious moment in Brazilian politics and its significance for democracies around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The biblical witness is a book of hope. From Abraham and Sarah through the Apostles, people of faith placed their hope in the promises of God and God's covenant with them. However, when Jesus' spiritual path of radical compassion became overshadowed by the Roman Empire, God's work of redemption was increasingly pushed aside. Too many Christians have embraced a secular version of hope that depends on a mythical idea of human progress. But this is not the hope seen in the Israelite community of Moses or the disciples of Jesus. www.TheLoftLA.org

Can't Tear My Eyes From You, Chapter 1: Icebreaker. Hoping to win a grand prize that promises safety and security in frightening times, a young couple prepares to join a reality TV competition. Cast:Marge Dunn as Raine Randolph and ClaudiaAmanda Egbu as Georgia WhittakerEleanore Cho Fellerhoff as Holliday Murdock and LydiaJoshua Ilon as Dennis CruzQuinn McKenzie as Capote Whittaker and DaveMelody Perera as Anouk KalharaStefano Perti as Dennis Lang and BillMarc Pierre as Sergeant Murdock and the “Confess Your Crimes” hostAlexander Stravinski as The Host and Marcus(Trigger warnings can be found at the bottom of this episode description and at the end of the transcript.)-------You can find all of our transcripts here. Transcripts will come out along with the public release of the episode and include all required SFX attributions.On staff at the Penumbra:Ginny D'Angelo -- Head of Merchandise and OutreachMelissa DeJesus -- Script editing teamHarley Takagi Kaner -- Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designerJoelle Kross -- TranscriptionistNoah Simes -- Production managerGrahame Turner -- Script editing teamKevin Vibert -- Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writerRyan Vibert -- Composer and performer of original musicJeff Wright -- Graphic designer--------The triggers below may be relevant to episode 1 of Thirst or to the series as a whole. It is not comprehensive, but we will include a more specific list of triggers with every episode. Please consider these as you decide whether Thirst is right for you:- Climate disaster/climate horror- Apocalyptic scenarios- Sudden loud noises- Violence and threats of violence- Abuse of power- Dictatorship, fascism- Characters speaking in ways that suggest prejudice of most kinds: homophobia, sexism, transphobia, racism, ableism, etc.- Body horror and gore- Violence towards animals- Illness, starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, etc.- Public humiliation- Depictions and descriptions of intense military violence- Coercion and manipulation- Sexual scenarios- Profanity- Unwanted sexual advances- Exploitation of people in need- Isolation and abandonment- Gaslighting/propaganda/organized attempts to misrepresent realityYou can find early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, at The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last time Peter Wehner, who I've always imagined as America's conscience, appeared on the show to talk about the “ethical darkness” that has fallen upon America, I suggested that this was an “important” interview. Today's conversation is much more important than being simply important. Based on Wehner's recent Atlantic piece about why MAGA evangelicals have turned their back on PEPFAR, the American relief agency saving the lives of millions of Africa's AIDS victims, this is a conversation about America's heart of moral darkness. It's not just Trump who has African blood on his hands, Wehner argues, but most of his evangelical supporters who are unmoved by the destruction of PEPFAR. For the first time in my many conversations with Wehner, he was visibly moved by both the cruelty of Trump and the indifference of his supposedly Christian supporters. 1. Trump's Destruction of PEPFAR is "Wanton Cruelty" "This to me was an act of wanton cruelty. You really had to go out of your way to think how can I kill millions of people quickly inefficient. And they found one way to do it, which is to shatter USAID, which is the main implementing agency for PEPFAR."2. The Scale of Death is Staggering and Real-Time "There is an adult being lost every three minutes, a child every 31 minutes. And ending PEPFAR could result in as many as 11 million additional new HIV infections and nearly 3 million additional AIDS-related deaths by the end of the decade."3. Trump's Hold on Evangelicals is Unlike Anything in American Politics "I think it is closer to a cult of personality than it is to a normal political party... I think in some senses, the truest thing Donald Trump said in the 2016 campaign was when he said that he could go on Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and he wouldn't lose support. And I think that turned out to be not hyperbole but prophetic."4. Evangelical Silence Reveals Their True Moral Priorities "In 2014, World Vision announced that they would hire at some levels of the organization, people who were in same sex marriages. And it was like a bomb going off in the evangelical world... Between 3,000 and 3,500 sponsors of kids primarily in Africa... Were ended... And now you have a situation... about what destruction of PEPFAR has done and will do and you can get barely get a peep out of them."5. This is About Mass Death, Not Policy Disagreement "Yeah, no, that is what I'm saying. I'm saying there will be a lot, lot more before this is done. There will be millions... We're talking really, really significant numbers. And that's an enormous amount of death, an enormous of suffering, and it's completely unnecessary."I hate the term “moral urgency”. But this is a morally urgent conversation about America's descent into a heart of darkness. Wehner exposes the cruelty and stupidity of destruction of the PEPFAR program. Even in the time you've spent reading this, a couple of African children will have died because of the callousness of MAGA disregard for human life. Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Davida Kelley : Children of God Apocalyptic Sex Cult Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

In her new book Apocalyptic Authoritarianism: Climate Crisis, Media, and Power, University of Toronto media scholar Hanna E. Morris argues that whether they realize it or not, some climate journalists, obsessed with preserving a self-determined “moderate center,” are deploying some of the same tropes and reinforcing some of the same narratives as the extreme right. Even as they see themselves defending democracy and confronting the climate crisis, these media elites might be contributing to a prize sought by both the MAGA right and the fossil fuel industry: Preventing the emergence of a hopeful, democratic, and class-defying movement against climate change. Earlier this month, Morris spoke with Drilled about the who gets to choose which climate solutions are “right” and which ones are “wrong,” what the media's divergent treatment of the Green New Deal and the Inflation Reduction Act reveals about its entrenched biases, and why a sense of fatalism and inevitability seems to pervade so much mainstream climate coverage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the podcast, Texas Land Commisioner Dawn Buckingham discussed the devastating floods in Texas, highlighting the area's vulnerability to flash floods and the unprecedented water levels that caused significant destruction. Dr. Buckingham noted the loss of 94 lives across six counties, with 75 in Kerr County and 27 at Camp Mystic. She praised the community's resilience and the efforts of first responders. Dr. Buckingham and Amanda Head also briefly touch on the reduction in illegal border crossings from 95-99% due to improved federal policies and the importance of community support, exemplified by local companies like H-E-B.You can follow the Land Commissioner on X (formerly Twitter) by searching for her handle: DrBuckinghamTX.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This special episode of The Whole Church Podcast, in collaboration with Systematic Geekology, delves into the intricate parallels between science fiction, horror narratives, and biblical apocalyptic literature. At the forefront of our discussion is the salient point that both genres, while seemingly disparate, engage with themes of eschatology and the human condition, provoking thoughtful discourse on the end times. Joined by esteemed guests, including Ryan Does, Leah Robinson, and Will Rose, we explore how the fervent fan bases of these genres resonate with theological debates surrounding eschatological interpretations. As we navigate through various narratives, we will uncover the underlying fears and hopes that both horror and sci-fi reflect, paralleling the complexities found within scriptural texts. Ultimately, our conversation seeks to illuminate how these narratives can foster a deeper understanding of our shared humanity and theological perspectives.A compelling convergence of theological discourse and genre analysis unfolds as Joshua Noel and TJ Blackwell welcome esteemed guests, including Ryan Does, Leah Robinson, and Will Rose, for a profound exploration of the intersections between Sci-Fi, Horror, and Biblical apocalyptic literature. The quintet engages in a thoughtful dialogue, dissecting the intricate narratives that unfold within these genres, highlighting the shared thematic elements of existential dread, societal critique, and the human condition. They delve into the apocalyptic motifs present in both Biblical texts and contemporary storytelling, elucidating how these narratives serve as mirrors reflecting humanity's deepest fears and hopes regarding the unknown future. Central to the discussion is the comparison of the passionate fanbases surrounding Sci-Fi and Horror properties to the fervor exhibited by Christian theologians engaging with eschatological themes. The conversation navigates through the nuances of interpretation, the nature of belief, and the consequences of differing perspectives. The guests articulate a vision for unity within the church, advocating for a deeper understanding of the diverse interpretations that exist within both fandoms and faith communities, ultimately positing that both realms can learn from one another in their respective quests for meaning amid chaos.Takeaways: In this special crossover episode, we explore the intersection of horror and sci-fi narratives with biblical apocalyptic literature, examining themes of chaos and hope. The discussion highlights the parallels between fan cultures in sci-fi and horror and the debates among Christian theologians regarding eschatology. We reflect on the significance of stories in shaping our understanding of humanity's struggles and the unknown, drawing connections to both fiction and theology. The episode advocates for a broader understanding of apocalyptic literature, emphasizing its role as a source of hope amidst chaotic narratives and societal issues. We contend that both horror and sci-fi serve to explore the human condition, revealing our fears and aspirations in a complex world. Listeners are encouraged to engage with narratives that challenge their perspectives, fostering a deeper appreciation for the diversity of stories within and outside of faith contexts. Our favorite Sci-Fi and Horror stories as listed in the recording:AlienThe PredatorThe ThingFrankensteinStar WarsJurassic ParkDead SpaceDoctor WhoInvisible KingdomScreamGet OutHouse on Haunted HillGodzillaEvent Horizon The TerminatorFalloutDuneBlame!SunshineMarvel's Thor.Check out all of the other shows in the Anazao Podcast Network:

This special episode of The Whole Church Podcast, in collaboration with Systematic Geekology, delves into the intricate parallels between science fiction, horror narratives, and biblical apocalyptic literature. At the forefront of our discussion is the salient point that both genres, while seemingly disparate, engage with themes of eschatology and the human condition, provoking thoughtful discourse on the end times. Joined by esteemed guests, including Ryan Does, Leah Robinson, and Will Rose, we explore how the fervent fan bases of these genres resonate with theological debates surrounding eschatological interpretations. As we navigate through various narratives, we will uncover the underlying fears and hopes that both horror and sci-fi reflect, paralleling the complexities found within scriptural texts. Ultimately, our conversation seeks to illuminate how these narratives can foster a deeper understanding of our shared humanity and theological perspectives.A compelling convergence of theological discourse and genre analysis unfolds as Joshua Noel and TJ Blackwell welcome esteemed guests, including Ryan Does, Leah Robinson, and Will Rose, for a profound exploration of the intersections between Sci-Fi, Horror, and Biblical apocalyptic literature. The quintet engages in a thoughtful dialogue, dissecting the intricate narratives that unfold within these genres, highlighting the shared thematic elements of existential dread, societal critique, and the human condition. They delve into the apocalyptic motifs present in both Biblical texts and contemporary storytelling, elucidating how these narratives serve as mirrors reflecting humanity's deepest fears and hopes regarding the unknown future. Central to the discussion is the comparison of the passionate fanbases surrounding Sci-Fi and Horror properties to the fervor exhibited by Christian theologians engaging with eschatological themes. The conversation navigates through the nuances of interpretation, the nature of belief, and the consequences of differing perspectives. The guests articulate a vision for unity within the church, advocating for a deeper understanding of the diverse interpretations that exist within both fandoms and faith communities, ultimately positing that both realms can learn from one another in their respective quests for meaning amid chaos.Takeaways: In this special crossover episode, we explore the intersection of horror and sci-fi narratives with biblical apocalyptic literature, examining themes of chaos and hope. The discussion highlights the parallels between fan cultures in sci-fi and horror and the debates among Christian theologians regarding eschatology. We reflect on the significance of stories in shaping our understanding of humanity's struggles and the unknown, drawing connections to both fiction and theology. The episode advocates for a broader understanding of apocalyptic literature, emphasizing its role as a source of hope amidst chaotic narratives and societal issues. We contend that both horror and sci-fi serve to explore the human condition, revealing our fears and aspirations in a complex world. Listeners are encouraged to engage with narratives that challenge their perspectives, fostering a deeper appreciation for the diversity of stories within and outside of faith contexts. Our favorite Sci-Fi and Horror stories as listed in the recording:AlienThe PredatorThe ThingFrankensteinStar WarsJurassic ParkDead SpaceDoctor WhoInvisible KingdomScreamGet OutHouse on Haunted HillGodzillaEvent Horizon The TerminatorFalloutDuneBlame!SunshineMarvel's Thor.Check out all of the other shows in the Anazao Podcast Network:

The conversation with Dr. Gale Pooley centers on their groundbreaking book Superabundance, which refutes decades of apocalyptic Malthusian thinking by demonstrating—through hard data—that as population increases, so does abundance. Using the innovative metric of “time prices,” which calculates how much time a person must work to afford basic goods, Dr. Pooley shows that global prosperity has skyrocketed over the past two centuries. This conversation dismantles myths of inevitable resource scarcity by highlighting how human ingenuity, freedom, and market-driven innovation have made the world richer, healthier, and more capable of solving its own problems. We also explore the psychological and cultural roots of anti-human, scarcity-driven ideologies. Figures like Paul Ehrlich and movements such as radical environmentalism promote a view that more people means more problems, but the data reveals the opposite: population growth, when coupled with freedom, is the greatest engine of human progress. The conversation linked the fear of the future to a broader cultural pessimism—fueled by ignorance of history and technophobic fatalism—and calls instead for a renaissance of gratitude and creativity. Far from being a cancer on the Earth, the individual—when free to think, speak, and trade—is a net good. Superabundance Book - https://amzn.to/4nqGQlF Cwic Media Website: http://www.cwicmedia.com

Let's learn from the book and life of Daniel! What is an apocalyptic dream? How can we navigate them when we receive them and how are they released to HELP the believer and not just terrify us? Stay tuned as we dive in!

The newest Michael O'Brien novel is riveting, relevant, and thought-provoking. Get Your Copy of “Letter to the Future” here: https://ignatius.com/letter-to-the-future-ltfh/   In our sit-down interview with Michael O'Brien, we asked him about his newest book, “Letter to the Future.” Michael reveals which character he most resonates with and explains how this novel is different from every other apocalyptic book. While he does not try to predict the future, his fictional work highlights some of the moral, spiritual, and interpersonal wisdom one can glean from such troubled times.   SUBSCRIBE to our channel and never miss an episode of the Ignatius Press Podcast. You can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Follow us on social media: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPress Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ignatiuspress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ignatius_press/

This week, we're sharing an interview with Talia Lavin, author of Culture Warlords: My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy. In this chat, we speak about her more recent book, Wild Faith: How the Christian Right is Taking Over America. There's a lot in the book, most of it pretty disturbing (especially, I'm sure, for anyone who is ex-vangelical) and there is discussion of hateful ideology and child abuse and corporal punishment, though not in lurid detail, so listener discretion is advised. We hope to cover related topics in the future. Links: Newsletter: https://buttondown.com/theswordandthesandwich Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taliainteralia/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/swordsjew.bsky.social . ... . .. Featured Track: Voice Of God Is Government by Bad Religion from How Could Hell Be Any Worse

Gamers are buzzing about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, releasing this Thursday. Directed by Hideo Kojima, the game continues the story of Norman Reedus' "Sam Porter Bridges" in a world where the line between life and death blurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Book of Revelation is known as Apocalyptic literature and has fascinated scholars for centuries, each giving his or her own interpretation. It wasn't until the Restoration, though, that we received the keys to understand its message. With the help of Joseph Smith's questions and the Lord's answers, we learn that the Book of Revelation discloses vital information about the last days. It is filled with God's direction for Jesus' Second Coming and the end of the earth. The keys to understand it were given in the day it was needed. It is a book for our day. Join Dr. Lynn Hilton Wilson as she unfolds the keys of the Book of Revelation that help decipher its teachings and prophetic direction.

Joey is my brotha from another motha. He also has a Ph.D. in New Testament from Aberdeen University, is the Dr. Craig L. Blomberg Endowed Chair of New Testament at Denver Seminary, and is the author of several books and peer reviewed articles. In this conversation, Joey walks us through the four main lenses scholars use to assess the main focus of Romans: Reformational, Apocalyptic, Heilsgeschichte (Salvation-History), and Reading Romans Backwards. To listen to our "extra innings" conversation, head over to Theology in the Raw's Patreon page to become a member of the Theology in the Raw community.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ann Foley is the costume designer behind the grounded and detailed wardrobes of the hit show The Last of Us. In this episode, Foley (whose extensive career also includes work on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and She Hulk) sits down with Who What Wear Senior Fashion and Social Media Editor Tara Gonzalez to discuss the costume design process for The Last of Us season 2. Foley shares the journey of developing character-driven styles, the inspiration behind the apocalyptic fashion and how it reflected the different environments, and the subtle styling changes that marked character growth after a five-year time jump. She reveals the challenges of costuming an apocalyptic world, why The Last of Us is technically a period piece, the significance of specific items like Joel's jacket and Ellie's Converse, and the collaborative process with actors and showrunners that brought the characters to life.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ann Foley is the costume designer behind the grounded and detailed wardrobes of the hit show The Last of Us. In this episode, Foley (whose extensive career also includes work on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and She Hulk) sits down with Who What Wear Senior Fashion and Social Media Editor Tara Gonzalez to discuss the costume design process for The Last of Us season 2. Foley shares the journey of developing character-driven styles, the inspiration behind the apocalyptic fashion and how it reflected the different environments, and the subtle styling changes that marked character growth after a five-year time jump. She reveals the challenges of costuming an apocalyptic world, why The Last of Us is technically a period piece, the significance of specific items like Joel's jacket and Ellie's Converse, and the collaborative process with actors and showrunners that brought the characters to life.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

**On Tuesday evening, C. Derick Varn will join us AGAIN for Macro ‘n Chill, our weekly community gathering. While listening to this episode, we will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion about Part Two. June 17th, 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Click HERE to register The second half of Steve's conversation with Derick Varn goes into the history of the socialist movement from the 1960s to the present. Derick traces some of the current factionalism back to the ideological battles between Trotsky and Stalin covered in Part One of this series. This includes the debates on ‘socialism in one country' versus international socialism. He covers further divisions within Trotskyism, the Red Scare's successful suppression of the CPUSA, and the formation of the Black Panthers. He describes the rise of Maoism, its influence on student movements in the West, and further ideological splits. Steve and Derick emphasize that historical developments are always connected to the material conditions of their time. Even the Bernie Sanders movement. They talk of the struggles intrinsic to past and present socialist organizations and reflect on the modern implications of these ideologies and the challenges of organizing under current capitalist conditions. “In the ‘Eighteenth Brumaire,' Marx talks about how all great revolutions play-act a revolutionary moment of the past. So, for him... he talked about the English Civil War and the Bible, and the French Revolution, and the Roman Empire.  “We are stuck LARPing the past because we don't know what the future is.” C. Derick Varn is a poet, teacher, and political theorist. He is the host of Varn Vlog. He was a reader at Zer0 books from 2015 to 2021. He spent most of the 2010s outside the U.S. in the Republic of Korea, Mexico, and Egypt. He is the author of the poetry collections, Apocalyptics and Liberation and All the Bright Etcetera. https://varnblog.substack.com Find all his links at https://allmylinks.com/dionysuseatsyou

More than 260 people are dead after an Air India flight bound for London crashes into a residential neighborhood. Karishma Mehrotra of the Washington Post is in Delhi. She tells us what she's learned about how the disaster happened. A potentially game-changing vaccine against Lyme disease is currently in clinical trials. A scientist in Nova Scotia – where ticks are rampant and ravenous – says it can't come fast enough. Dozens of states join forces to try to prevent the bankrupt biotech company from selling millions of people's DNA, and other deeply sensitive data. A Montreal business owner says last year's Formula One race was a fiasco, but the city seems to have gotten its act together for this weekend's big event. A Cambridge University professor became so spellbound by the many murders in medieval England that he began to map out where they all took place, and he's thrilled to death that his project has just been published. The asteroid we once feared would hit the Earth has switched targets, and may now be on course to smack right into the poor innocent moon. As It Happens, the Thursday edition. Radio that supposes it's for the crater good.

What used to take decades now takes minutes!  That's a big deal.  Think about it.  Knowledge.. the ability to know something and communicate it is nearly instantaneous.  And that ability, in this timeframe in which we live, speaks volumes about the importance of Bible prophecy, how it's being communicated, and our responsibility for conveying such knowledge with divine accuracy. Subscribe to the Podcasts so you don't miss a new episode. Check us out on FB @ "The Critical Musts" with Bill Nordstrom. Or, head to our website at "billnordstrom.buzzsprout.com"All episodes are graciously produced by our friend Rich Webb.

**This Tuesday evening, C. Derick Varn will join us for Macro ‘n Chill, our weekly community gathering. While listening to this episode, folks will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion. June 10th, 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Click HERE to register This episode is the first of a two-part discussion delving into historical splits within socialism. C. Derick Varn, the host of Varn Vlog, has an extensive background in philosophy, anthropology, and history. He takes us from the First and Second Internationals to the ideological divergences of Trotskyism and Stalinism. He also discusses the factions within Leninism, the impact of World War I on socialist strategies, and the emergence of Trotskyist and Marxist-Leninist thought. The episode navigates through key historical figures, including Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin. Of course it wouldn't be Macro N Cheese without a look at Modern Monetary Theory and its place in a discussion of socialist theory. C. Derick Varn is a poet, teacher, and political theorist. He is the host of Varn Vlog. He was a reader at Zer0 books from 2015 to 2021. He spent most of the 2010s outside the U.S. in the Republic of Korea, Mexico, and Egypt. He is the author of the poetry collections, Apocalyptics and Liberation and All the Bright Etcetera. https://varnblog.substack.comFind all his links at https://allmylinks.com/dionysuseatsyou .

#Londinium90AD: Gaius & Germanicus debate the significance of the 1964 apocalyptic thriller, "Fail Safe," and why Kyiv may not understand the irony. Michael Vlahos. Friends of History Debating Society. @michalis_vlahos 1956 PEACEMAKER B-36

Salvo by Randy Higgins PhD Amazon.com Randyleehigginsphd.com This book was written in the state of breathless Samadhi, on a cell phone. Pithy mystical aphorisms began arriving from "ourselves in the future". These future selves have survived the cataclysm we are currently undergoing and want to extend a hand to help us through the Apocalyptic labyrinth safely to the other side. This journey is not what is expected. The price of admission to the New Earth turns out to be realization of every terror we've ever imagined. Turns out, it was only ourselves we were afraid of in the first place! The final reward is the acceptance and embracing of this glorious terrifying Self. What we were looking for is what is looking for us. Randy was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. After graduating summa cum laude from Virginia Tech and receiving a master's degree in Family Therapy, he completed his doctoral degree at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA. By far, most of his education was delivered by the "School of Hard Knocks." His gift is in seeing the miracle in everything, even in a tragedy -- even in the current global catastrophe. He is now back in the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the house he grew up in, where he is looking forward to growing old and dying. Or not.

WE'RE ON TOUR! Get Your Tickets Here: https://floridatourida.com/ In this episode of Ninjas Are Butterflies, we dive into the wildest headlines that feel like they were ripped straight from a sci-fi novel. First, we unpack the bizarre plan of a Walmart billionaire who wants to build a utopian city from scratch in the middle of the desert. Is it the future of urban living or just a really expensive Sims game? Then, things heat up—literally—as we talk about the massive underwater volcano discovered off the West Coast of the United States. Should we be worried, or is it just another reminder that the Earth is constantly trying to kill us? Finally, we head to the swamps of Florida to meet the legend, the myth, the smelliest cryptid of them all: the Skunk Ape. Is Florida's version of Bigfoot real, or just another guy who didn't shower after a Gator game? Join us for conspiracy theories, questionable science, and plenty of laughs as we tackle the weirdest news on the internet.This episode has everything: dystopian dreams, seismic nightmares, and cryptid creatures lurking in the humidity. Tune in for laughs, theories, and more questions than answers. New episodes weekly. Follow us now so you don't miss the next unbelievable story. Get MORE Exclusive Ninjas Are Butterflies Content by joining our Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/NinjasAreButterflies NEW EPISODES EVERY FRIDAY @ 6AM EST! Ninja Merch: https://www.sundaycoolswag.com/ Start Your Custom Apparel Order Here: https://bit.ly/NinjasYT-SundayCool Keywords: utopian desert city, Walmart billionaire city, underwater volcano US West Coast, Florida Skunk Ape, Bigfoot Florida, weird news podcast, strange news stories, Ninjas Are Butterflies, cryptid podcast, bizarre headlines podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the afternoon of May 9, 1980, four heavily armed men walked into the Security Pacific Bank in Norco, California and demanded $20,000 in cash. Having seen the men enter the bank with their guns, employees of a different bank across the street called the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and deputies responded immediately.When the bank robbers were confronted in the parking lot by law enforcement, a shootout began that would ultimately span more than forty miles across two counties, and when it was finally over, one sheriff's deputy and two of the perpetrators were dead, eleven others were wounded. Moreover, the assault caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage from the nearly 2000 rounds that were fired, hitting houses, buildings, cars, among other things.Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesBennett, Lorraine. 1980. "Suspects in Norco holdup charged with 120 felonies." Los Angeles Times, May 15: 3.Gorman, Tom. 1982. "Kidnapping victim tells of ordeal at bandits' hands." Los Angeles Times, January 15: 22.Houlahan, Peter. 2020. "Norco '80: Before the bank robbery." Los Angeles Daily News, June 2.—. 2019. "40 years later, the aftermath of a deadly bank robbery still lingers in a small SoCal city." Los Angeles Magazine, May 28.—. 2020. Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History. Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint.Malnic, Eric, and Mike Goodman. 1980. "Suspect put up barbed wire at home." Los Angeles Times, May 11: 1.Schaub, Michael. 2019. "Apocalyptic robbers botched a SoCal bank heist." Los Angeles Times, June 7.Stein, Mark. 1980. "Shaken witnesses: 'There was fear...'." Los Angeles Times, May 11: 3.Sun News Service. 1982. "Trio guilty in Norco holdup, deputy's murder." San Bernardino County Sun, July 24: 1.Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“The spiritual decline of the earth is so far advanced that people are in danger of losing their last spiritual strength, the strength that makes it possible even to see the disintegration and to recognize it as such.”   Martin Heidegger, Introduction to Metaphysics Carl Jung held a pessimistic view of the future of Western […] The post Carl Jung's Apocalyptic Vision first appeared on Academy of Ideas.