Podcasts about assuming

Have you been spinning your wheels trying to create an awkward-free experience for your clients? Are you using the same poses over and over, without really understanding why? Are you unsure of how to communicate with your clients in a way that evokes emotion and connection? In episode 573 of the Bokeh Podcast, returning guest Taylor Fisher walks through her course, The Not-So-Awkward Guide to Posing Couples. Whether you're a new photographer looking to start off with a strong foundation or a seasoned professional looking for ways to breathe new life into your business, there's something for everyone! Tune in as we chat about common mistakes that are made, how trust can be built before and during your sessions, and how you can learn both body language and how to communicate emotion for successful sessions with your clients! The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer's Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast. Show Notes Taylor's introduction (1:50) What was Taylor's motivation to create the guide? (4:50) 3 common mistakes photographers make when hosting a session (7:11) Relying on Pinterest for inspiration Dismissing that building trust is the number one element to getting couples to show up Assuming that giving direction and having a plan will eliminate creativity Where do you get the original ideas to become an expert? (10:49) 4 Pillars to Hosting a Successful, Emotional Couple's Session (18:14) Building Trust Speaking My Language Master Poser Connection Creator or Queen The Not-So-Awkward Guide to Posing Couples course (44:36) Taylor's favorite prompts (48:19) Links: https://bokehbookshelf.com https://www.charitywater.org Episode 162: https://www.photographersedit.com/bokeh-podcast/episodes/design-taylor-fisher/ Episode 558: https://www.photographersedit.com/bokeh-podcast/episodes/how-to-make-more-money-by-refining-your-brand/ www.instagram.com/taylorjonesphotography www.taylorjones.co www.taylorjonesphotography.com www.taylorjones.co/photography-podcast www.notsoawkwardposing.com

Tuesday, 28 June 2022   “For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Acts 8:23   Peter has upbraided Simon for his offer of money to have the power to impart the Holy Spirit to others. He then offered the corrective measure which was for him to repent and pray. Now as an additional poke at him, he says, “For I see.”   Peter discerns the wickedness that fills Simon that he spoke of in the previous verse and he identifies it to him with the words, “that you are poisoned by bitterness.”   The verb is a present participle and the word “poisoned” is a noun, not a verb. It more precisely reads, “that you are being in the gall of bitterness.” The word translated as “gall” is cholé. It means gall or bitter herbs. It is what was given to Jesus in Matthew 27:34 as a painkiller and which He refused to drink. Here, it is used figuratively.   The next word, bitterness, is from the Greek word pikria. It is found only here, and it signifies bitterness, harshness, and such, as in an embittered spirit. This word will be seen in Romans 3:14, Ephesians 4:31, and Hebrews 12:15. In Ephesians 4, Paul notes that this and other negative traits can exist in believers, but they are to be put away.   The two words together give the sense of Simon either being corrupted by (poison) or immune (anesthetized) to bitterness. Peter continues with his words saying, “and bound by iniquity.”   Again, the first word is a noun, not a verb. In essence, “You are being in the bond of iniquity.” It is as if iniquity (unrighteousness) is acting as a force that restrains him in the state of iniquity so that he can do nothing else. It is a word that Paul uses concerning believers, such as in Romans 3:5 and in an ironic way concerning himself in 2 Corinthians 12:13.   It is to be noted that throughout the epistles there are saved believers who are highlighted for their improper conduct and attitudes, but Paul does not question their salvation. They believed and were saved.   The record in Acts concerning Simon says he believed. What he needs is repentance and turning to sound thinking and doctrine, something desperately needed throughout the church and in all ages. If the words used to describe Simon were a statement that he was not saved, it would be a statement against the majority of believers at any given time in their lives after salvation.   Life application: The Bible says that a person is saved by grace through faith. Grace is unmerited favor. It is, therefore, something that no person deserves. It is also something that any person can obtain. Simon was said to have believed in Acts 8:13. Does his belief not merit grace because he is described in such a negative way by Peter? On the contrary, Paul addresses this in Romans in an ironic fashion noting that the “truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory” (Romans 3:7).   In other words, it is like saying, “When a person has done great wickedness and yet is forgiven, it shows the truly great nature of God who will still forgive.” The more sinful a person was before believing, the greater the mark of mercy is granted, and the greater the grace of God is highlighted.   Paul then goes further and says that some actually accused him of basically saying, “Well if this is true then let us sin even more so that God can be even more magnified in His forgiveness of us.” Paul immediately shows that that is perverse thinking and someone who thinks that way is justly condemned for entertaining such an idea.   Simon believed. Assuming (and there is no reason to think otherwise) that he was saved, it does not mean that he suddenly became a person without fault. Rather, in his state, God's grace towards him was shown to be exceptional. Now, what Simon needs is correction (something he has been given by Peter), and turning to the appropriate path.   As you witness to people more and more, you will find that there are many people who truly believe but who are so theologically confused that it will take a long time to sort them out. And some may never get completely sorted out. Paul refers to a couple of men in this state in 1 Timothy 1:18-20. There is a point where you just have to deliver them over to Satan and let them learn their lesson the hard way.   In the end, it is our job to hold fast to what is right, to teach others in this manner, and to live our lives as faithful Christians so that we can be examples for others to emulate. If we do these things, we will be doing our part.   Lord God, help us to be sound in our footing as we walk along the paths of right doctrine and personal holiness. In this, we can lead others as well. Give us the ability to remember Your word, to apply it to our lives, and to call it to memory as need be. With this, we can be the example to others that we should be. To Your glory! Amen.

The CHGO Bulls crew welcomes NBA cap and contracts expert Keith Smith to offer his insight into the Bulls' financial situation this offseason. Assuming the Bulls sign Zach LaVine to a new max-level contract, what other options will Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have at their disposal to improve the roster? Will the Bulls be a luxury tax team in the 2022-23 season? What kind of veterans on modest contracts could be gettable for the Bulls in free agency? Keith answers all these questions and more! SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/CHGOSports WEBSITE: http://allCHGO.com/ BUY MERCH: http://CHGOLocker.com FOLLOW ON SOCIAL: Twitter: @CHGO_Bulls / @Bulls_Peck / @BawlSports / @wontgottlieb Instagram: @CHGO_Sports GET OUR FREE NEWSLETTER: http://www.allchgo.com/newsletter Support us by supporting our sponsors! | Offers from our sponsors: PointsBet: Visit https://bit.ly/3sE8RMe or download the PointsBet App, make a deposit and use code “CHGO” to get 2 Risk Free Bets up to $2000, an annual CHGO membership and a free shirt! Mobile registration in Illinois is here! Athletic Greens: Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. Just visit https://athleticgreens.com/CHGOBulls Strava Craft Coffee: Visit https://stravacraftcoffee.com and use code “CHGO25” to get 25% off your order. OWYN: OWYN is a 100% plant-based protein shake that gives you nutrition that works as hard as you do. Get 20% off your first order at liveowyn.com with promo code “CHGO20”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's show we are taking the conversation with customers in a natural direction. Once we have captured their recommendations beyond improving the relationship, unless it is less than satisfactory. If that is the case don't introduce anything else - fix it! Assuming you are close with the current relationship, then take their storyboard and have them think out-of-the-box - what if we started with a clean sheet of paper? Follow this line of thinking until you have a good idea of what their recommendations means for your business, but before you commit - move on to the next conversation - ideas you have. Topics: CRM/Data Based Reports on the Relationship Suggestions for Upgrades / Improvements New Product & Service Ideas

Números 20: La fatal imprudencia de Moisés.Números 20:1‭-‬13 RVA2015:Toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel llegó al desierto de Zin, en el mes primero, y el pueblo acampó en Cades. Allí murió María, y allí fue sepultada. Como no había agua para la congregación, se reunieron contra Moisés y Aarón. El pueblo contendía contra Moisés diciendo: —¡Ojalá nos hubiéramos muerto cuando perecieron nuestros hermanos delante del SEÑOR! ¿Por qué has traído la congregación del SEÑOR a este desierto, para que muramos aquí nosotros y nuestro ganado? ¿Por qué nos has hecho subir de Egipto para traernos a este lugar tan malo? Este no es un lugar de sembrados ni de higueras ni de viñas ni de granados. ¡Ni siquiera hay agua para beber! Moisés y Aarón se fueron de delante de la congregación hasta la entrada del tabernáculo de reunión, y se postraron sobre sus rostros. Entonces se les apareció la gloria del SEÑOR. Y habló el SEÑOR a Moisés diciendo: —Toma la vara, y tú y Aarón tu hermano reúnan a la congregación y hablen a la roca ante los ojos de ellos. Ella dará agua. Sacarás agua de la roca para ellos, y darás de beber a la congregación y a su ganado. Moisés tomó la vara de delante del SEÑOR, como él le había mandado. Luego Moisés y Aarón reunieron a la congregación delante de la roca, y él les dijo: —¡Escuchen, rebeldes! ¿Sacaremos para ustedes agua de esta roca? Entonces Moisés levantó su mano y golpeó la roca con su vara dos veces. Y salió agua abundante, de modo que bebieron la congregación y su ganado. Luego el SEÑOR dijo a Moisés y a Aarón: —Por cuanto no creyeron en mí, para tratarme como santo ante los ojos de los hijos de Israel, por eso ustedes no introducirán esta congregación en la tierra que les he dado. Estas son las aguas de Meriba, porque allí contendieron los hijos de Israel contra el SEÑOR, y él manifestó su santidad entre ellos.------------------------------------Aquí vemos un capítulo con una sensación agridulce.Primero vemos al pueblo, una vez más, quejándose en el desierto al pasar por la necesidad de agua. Moisés viene ante la presencia del Señor, y el Señor le ordena hacer un milagro que nunca él había hecho delante del pueblo. Dios fue específico al decirle a Moisés que le hable a la roca dándole la orden y la roca brotará agua.Ese milagro era parecido a uno que al principio Moisés hizo y fue cuando le pegó a la roca con la vara. Esta vez debía solamente hablarle. Moisés, frustrado por la actitud de ellos y seguro que Dios podía darles agua de la roca, toma la decisión equivocada de golpear la roca dos veces. Aunque Dios les concedió el milagro de brotar agua de la roca, el Señor se disgustó con Moisés por su actitud desafiante a la orden del Señor. Moisés se dejó llevar por la mala actitud del pueblo y lo hizo con una actitud incorrecta. En ese momento ya no era el Moisés que con mansedumbre quería que Dios se glorificara en el pueblo. En cierta forma lo hizo quitándole la gloria a Dios al decir "¿Sacaremos para ustedes agua de esta roca?" Asumiendo que eran ellos los que tenían la potestad de hacerlo.Es por eso que cuando Dios te da un don o un ministerio espiritual, nunca debemos actuar como si fuera nosotros mismos los que hacemos las cosas que se hacen con los dones de Dios. Nunca debemos quitarle el mérito a Dios.Cuando uno sirve al Señor, Dios hace cosas grandes con esa persona que se pone en las manos de Dios como un vaso útil. Uno sabe que Dios es el que le da a uno la gracia, el conocimiento, la autoridad, el talento. El problema es cuando uno se va apropiando de los logros y el impacto grandioso que uno encuentra en la presencia de Dios. Tengamos cuidado de olvidar de donde proviene la fuente de la bendición y a quién servimos. No olvidemos que solo somos instrumentos en las manos de Dios y que el único que debe ser glorificado es Él. Al final, Moisés y Aarón perdieron el privilegio de entrar a la tierra prometida y, aunque le rogó al Señor que lo dejara entrar, Dios no le pasó por alto esta acción de deshonra. También quiero añadir que nosotros como creyentes debemos tener cuidado y ayudar a nuestro líderes con nuestro comportamiento para no hacerle la carga más difícil de lo que ellos están llevando. Que seamos un apoyo para nuestro pastor, en vez de una carga, y orar mucho por él para que su espíritu nunca se amargue y así no tome alguna acción precipitada que ofenda al Señor.Salmos 106:32-33 dice: "También le indignaron en las aguas de Meriba y por causa de ellos le fue mal a Moisés; porque hicieron que su espíritu se amargara y él habló precipitadamente con sus labios."Soy tu amigo y hermano Eduardo Rodríguez Que el Señor Jesús escuche tu oración y que te dé humildad para honrar al Señor con los dones que te ha dado.

The post Assuming the Worst or Seeing the Heart? appeared first on Oakcrest Church of Christ.

We are creatures of habit, which means we are creatures of assumption--we assume so many things in our lives to be true. But, in our assumption-default, do we assume that God's presence is always over our lives regardless of what we do? Doug Routledge brings God's word to us and asks us to examine the assumptions we all make.

In this Passive Income podcast episode, Owen & Drew talk about the most common (and painful) investing mistakes made by investors. Whether you're investing in ETFs, shares, Bitcoin or property, this podcast will help you avoid the most common investing mistakes.Here's a list of Drew's most common mistakes:Assuming bigger is better - but I love my Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) and Westpac Bank (ASX: WBC) shares!Focusing too much on costs & fees - though low costs are good, they're not everythingTax-driven investments don't always work - negative gearing means you're losing moneyNaïve diversification - having two ETFs doing a similar thing is not diversificationAdding random assets & following the next hot theme - the hype is not a bonafide strategy Not having a real strategy in place - avoid being a collector, a plan might only be one or two pages Assuming every asset always goes up - it doesn'tLooking too often at performance - Drew & Owen would be lucky (unlucky) to check their brokerage account once a month!Get rich quick - emu eggs anyone?Giving in too soon, or changing strategy in the short-term - buy and hold only works if you and hold!Watch the video version on the Rask Australia YouTube page.Take Owen's brand new Value Investor Program, which gives you all the tools and knowledge you need to invest successfully in companies, including valuation spreadsheets, investing checklists and ASX company case studies.Join The Intelligent Investor & saveThis podcast is brought to you by The Intelligent Investor, Australia's premier investment research membership service. Use the code "RASK", to get $100 off your annual membership or get a free 15-day trial (no credit card details required):

There's No Benefit To A Diet Lower In Fat Compared To One That's Moderately Higher In Fat, Assuming That The Fat is Coming From A Healthy Food Like Hemp Seeds And Walnuts -  Joel Fuhrman, MD Joel Fuhrman, M.D. •           http://www.drfuhrman.com/•           Book - The End of Heart Disease: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, six-time New York Times best-selling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing, who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. Dr. Fuhrman coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe his eating style, which is built around a diet of nutrient-dense, plant-rich foods. Dr. Fuhrman has authored numerous research articles published in medical journals and is on the faculty of Northern Arizona University, Health Science Division. He serves as President of the Nutritional Research Foundation. #JoelFuhrman #TheRealTruthAboutHealth  #WholeFood #Vegan #Vegetarian #PlantBasedNutrition  CLICK HERE - To Checkout Our MEMBERSHIP CLUB: http://www.realtruthtalks.com Social Media ChannelsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRTAHConferenceInstagram : https://www.instagram.com/therealtruthabouthealth/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RTAHealthLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-real-truth-about-health-conference/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealTruthAboutHealth    Check out our Podcasts Visit us on Apple Podcast and Itunes search:  The Real Truth About Health Free 17 Day Live Online Conference Podcast Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/23a037be-99dd-4099-b9e0-1cad50774b5a/real-truth-about-health-live-online-conference-podcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0RZbS2BafJIEzHYyThm83JGoogle:https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS8yM0ZqRWNTMg%3D%3DStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/real-truth-about-health-live-online-conference-podcastAudacy: https://go.audacy.com/partner-podcast-listen-real-truth-about-health-live-online-conference-podcastiHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-real-truth-about-health-li-85932821/Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/show/2867272 Other Video ChannelsYoutube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealTruthAboutHealthVimeo:  https://vimeo.com/channels/1733189Rumble:   https://rumble.com/c/c-1111513Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TRTAHConference/videos/?ref=page_internalDailyMotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/TheRealTruthAboutHealthBitChute:  https://www.bitchute.com/channel/JQryXTPDOMih/ Disclaimer:Medical and Health information changes constantly. Therefore, the information provided in this podcast should not be considered current, complete, or exhaustive. Reliance on any information provided in this podcast is solely at your own risk. The Real Truth About Health does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, products, procedures, or opinions referenced in the following podcasts, nor does it exercise any authority or editorial control over that material. The Real Truth About Health provides a forum for discussion of public health issues. The views and opinions of our panelists do not necessarily reflect those of The Real Truth About Health and are provided by those panelists in their individual capacities. The Real Truth About Health has not reviewed or evaluated those statements or claims. 

It’s the final Friday of June, unless something can be done to add another day to the month. I am unaware of any campaign to do so, but perhaps there need to be changes. So, welcome to this 24th day of the fifth interval of what we’ve come to call the two thousand and twenty-second year. This is Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and podcast about the built environment that celebrates 400 editions with this installment that arrives 711 days later. I’m your host, Sean Tubbs. Sign up for a free subscription, but if you opt to pay, Ting will match your initial payment! On today’s edition of the program:Charlottesville’s budget surplus is increasing with revenues higher than originally budgetedCharlottesville City Council will make appointments to the Planning Commission in July You can count on one hand the number of Albemarle residents who voted in the Republican Primary for the 7th Congressional District Changes to Charlottesville Area Transit routes could soon occur as soon as more drivers can be hired First shout-out: The Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign Since the very beginning of this newsletter, one long-time Patreon supporter has used his shout-out to draw your attention to the work of the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign but today let’s talk about National Pollinator Week, which runs through June 26! There will be many events designed to draw your attention to the crucial role that bees and other creatures play in making sure plants reproduce. On Saturday at 10 a.m., Scottsville’s Center for the Arts and Natural Environment will host Allison Wickham from Siller Pollinator Company will lead an introduction to bees and beekeeping. If you're thinking about starting a backyard beehive or are just curious about what's involved with keeping bees, then this is a great introductory class for you. There will even be a honey competition judged by Allison Wickham! For the tuition rate and to register, visit svilleartsandnature.org for a list of all of the upcoming classes. Charlottesville’s FY22 surplus likely to increaseThere’s less than a week until the fiscal new year for Virginia and its local governments. On Tuesday, Charlottesville City Council got an update from interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers on what can be expected in terms of “one-time money” in the form of a financial report. (read the report)“And we see that there’s a projected $14 million surplus for revenue,” Rogers said. That’s higher than the $13 million projected in April. However, Rogers said that number could change as the city’s expenditures have also been down due to various reasons including COVID. “We have a lot of vacancies in our budget, the market has had an impact on our ability to hire as rapidly as we need to,” Rogers said. “While 92 percent of the budget year has passed, we’ve only spent about 85 percent of our budget expenditures. That’s going to release in a surplus.”However, Rogers said the actual surplus will not be known until later in the year after the city’s books are closed and reconciled. One of the reasons why there will be a surplus is due to tax rates increases and assessment rises for personal property and real estate. Earlier this year, Council voted to increase the real estate tax rate to $0.96 per $100 of assessed value. That penny increase applied to the entire calendar year of 2022. Council also opted to keep the personal property rate at $4.20 per $100 of assessed value, also contributing to the surplus. That was over the recommendation of Commissioner of Revenue Todd Divers who suggested reducing it due to a sharp increase in the value of used vehicles. The city also will not bring in as much revenue from Parks and Recreation as originally believed. “During the budget process we budgeted for the idea that we thought we would be fully operational but as you know we’re not and so therefore we are not going to make those marks,” said Krisy Hammill, the city’s senior budget performance analyst. The city has also closed on its latest sale of municipal bonds which are used to finance capital projects. The cost of doing so will increase as interest rates go up. “We closed with about $28 million at a rate at about 3.07 percent, which is about double of what we got last year but it is indicative of the market and still a very good rate,” Hammill said. Council makes appointments, but not yet to Planning CommissionOn Tuesday, City Council appointed Laura Knott and Sally Duncan to the city’s Historic Resources Committee and Dashad Cooper to the Police Civilian Oversight Board. Other appointments included members of the Sister Cities Commission, the Region 10 Board, and the Retirement Commission. However, they did not fill all the open positions.“Appointments to the Planning Commission have been postponed until the July 18 Council meeting,” said Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook. “There were a few people we needed to interview and didn’t have time to do it today and at least one person was not available.”Council will not meet the first week of July. The window to apply for the Planning Commission has closed. There were at least 28 applications for the five seats, including those of sitting Commissioners Karim Habbab, Hosea Mitchell, and Rory Stolzenberg. There will be at least two newcomers because Commissioners Taneia Dowell and Jody Lahendro are not eligible for another term.  There are three at-large vacancies on the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Applications for those positions are due on August 5, 2022. That entity’s next public meeting is June 27, 2022 and there’s no information yet available on their website. In fact, there’s not been a meeting listed on the CRHA website since January 2021. (apply here)City still seeking to fill key vacancies crucial to approval of new buildings Earlier this month, interim Charlottesville City Manager Michael C. Rogers told Council of a shortage of building inspectors. On Tuesday, he said positions are being readvertised and other solutions are being explored. “I have executed an agreement with the University of Virginia’s building official to provide staff capacity to assist us in the permitting and inspections process and they began last week,” Rogers said.Rogers said the agreement will carry into the fall. Albemarle Republicans choose Anderson in 7th Congressional District Voters in Albemarle’s “Small Sliver” within Virginia’s new 7th Congressional District went to the polls Tuesday in the Republican primary. Eight people in all voted in the six way race and half selected Derrick Anderson, the candidate who came in second-place overall. There were two votes for State Senator Bryce Reeves who came in third and two votes for the winner. Yesli Vega received 10,878 votes and will face incumbent Democrat Abigail Spanberger in November. Albemarle County is otherwise entirely within the new Fifth District. I’ve begun reporting on the Fifth District with a new newsletter if you want to join my journey in learning more about the localities within. In today’s two other shout-outs: Code for Charlottesville and local media!You’re listening to Charlottesville. Community Engagement and it’s time for two quick shout-outs. Code for Charlottesville is seeking volunteers with tech, data, design, and research skills to work on community service projects. Founded in September 2019, Code for Charlottesville has worked on projects with the Legal Aid Justice Center, the Charlottesville Fire Department, and the Charlottesville Office of Human Rights. Visit codeforcville.org to learn about those projects. The final comes from another Patreon supporter who wants you to go out and read a local news story written by a local journalist. Whether it be the Daily Progress, Charlottesville Tomorrow, C-Ville Weekly, NBC29, CBS19, WINA, the Crozet Gazette, or some other place I’ve not mentioned - the community depends on a network of people writing about the community. Go learn about this place today!Next steps for Charlottesville Area Transit route changes outlined at partnership meeting Before the pandemic, Charlottesville Area Transit hired the firm Nelson Nygaard to take a look at its routes to suggest changes to optimize service. The study was done but nothing has been implemented so far. The Jefferson Area Regional Transit Partnership got an update at their meeting yesterday.“CAT planned on implementing that system optimization plan last year but they’ve been dealing with driver shortages like every other transit agency in the country so that’s been postponed,” said Jim Baker of Nelson Nygaard. CAT director Garland Williams directed Nelson Nygaard to revisit the route changes to identify how it might be phased into service over time rather than be done all at once. This would include restoring service to pre-COVID levels, expanding service areas in both Charlottesville and Albemarle, and expanding Saturday and Sunday service. Since the pandemic, CAT has run no service on Sundays. “We felt like that’s a pressing need to get some level of Sunday service back on the streets,” Baker said. “So we’re proposing to get the trolley back online, the Route 12 which ran pre-pandemic up the U.S. 29 corridor, and to get service down into Avon Street past the CAT garage for Sunday service. Baker said three routes would see changes as part of the first phase.The Center at Belvedere would finally be served by the northbound journey of Route 11. To make up for the time, there will no longer be service on a loop that runs through the Locust Grove neighborhood.  Route 2 would be split into two services with 2A serving Fifth Street Station and the Willoughby Shopping Center and 2B serving Mill Creek in Albemarle County for the first time on its way to Piedmont Virginia Community College. This would also serve Monticello High School. 2A would run for some of Sunday A second bus would be added to the current Route 6 to improve frequency to 30 minutesThe second phase would make changes to services along the U.S. 29 corridor.Route 7 would be expanded to the Wal-Mart and would travel bi-directionally along Hillsdale Drive and through Seminole Square Shopping Center. Baker said the goal here is to link downtown Charlottesville with Wal-Mart, which is a major shopping destination. Route 5 would no longer travel to the Wal-Mart but would instead have a northern terminus at Fashion Square Mall. Its new southern terminus would be the UVA Hospital. The Sunday-only Route 12 would be eliminated in favor of Route 7 going seven days a week The third phase will implement the rest of the changes. Here are some of them:Saturday service would be introduced to Route 1 Route 3 would be broken into two routes with one traveling solely between downtown and Willoughby Shopping Center A new route, tentatively known as Route 3E, would travel around Belmont and downtownRoute 6 would no longer serve the University of Virginia Hospital via Prospect Avenue. It would also be routed along South First Street as it travels between downtown and the Willoughby Shopping Center. This would add additional service to Crescent Hall.Route 8 serves Stonefield and would be altered to travel south to the University of Virginia Hospital and down to Willoughby Shopping Center via Prospect Avenue. This service would no longer travel downtown. Route 9 would also no longer serve the UVA Hospital and would instead travel to Fashion Square Mall Route 10 would be altered to no longer travel on Stony Point Road and instead would travel bidirectionally through the Pantops Shopping Center on its way between Downtown Charlottesville and Sentara Martha JeffersonWhen will the phases be implemented? According to the presentation, that’s all going to depend on drivers. Six more drivers are needed for phase one, a total of 12 are needed for phase two, and a total of 27 are needed for phase 3. There’s an additional “phase three plus” that’s perhaps not worth detailing because it would need a total of 46 additional drivers. That’s a much higher number than six. “Assuming we can get the pay scale to be comparable to Jaunt and [University Transit System], and we can get six more drivers, that should not be [beyond the reach] and then we can begin phase 1,” Williams said. “The jump, though, is getting authorization from the city and the county to fund us to make the additional resources.” The Regional Transit Partnership meeting was held a couple of hours before a public meeting on the Regional Transit Vision Plan. which is $350,000 in the making. The following illustrates confusion that can come from having planning processes not tied to actual logistics. City Councilor Brian Pinkston asked what the proposed CAT changes had to do with that study.“Is this sort of like a first step towards that larger vision?”Williams said these changes have nothing to do with the Regional Transit Vision Plan. “They didn’t even copy these routes,” Williams said. “They took a whole new approach and said the slate was clean.” I’ll have more from the Regional Transit Partnership and more on the Regional Transit Vision plan in future installments of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Support the program!There’s a lot of information in this installment of this program, which is the 397th edition of the program. About a quarter of you are paying something to help keep Town Crier Productions in business. I have never been a very good salesperson, and won’t overly pitch.But, if you are benefiting from this newsletter and the information in it, please consider some form of support. I am not a nonprofit organization and most of my time is spent in putting the newsletter together, which includes producing the podcast.Supporting the program through a Substack contribution or through Patreon makes it very easy for me to get paid and every single dollar that I get makes me want to work that much harder to serve the community. In just under two years, I’ve produced hundreds of stories that seek to give you information about how decisions are made in our community and in the Commonwealth of Virginia.For more information on all of this, please visit the archive site Information Charlottesville to learn more, including how you too can get a shout-out! Thank you for reading, and please share with those you think might want to learn a few thing or two about what’s happening. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This week, I'm continuing my discussion about the probate process with Judge Edward C. Burt Jr. (aka Ned). We'll dive into what happens if someone dies without a will, the specifics of the full probate process, establishing the authenticity of wills, and Ned's final tips for making probate as simple as possible. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... What happens if I die without a will? [3:36] Diving deeper into the probate process [6:23] How do I file a will? [9:57] Determining the authenticity of multiple wills [12:42] Ned's final tips for simplifying the probate process [14:30] A matter of time If you die without a will, it is known as dying intestate. This means the probate court will have to decide how your assets should be divided up. The process of doing so can be burdensome and expensive, which is why having a last will and testament is highly recommended. Assuming there is a will, the average probate process can take six to nine months. A will should be filed within 30 days of the deceased's passing. Once a notice has been published in the newspaper, anyone has 150 days to file a claim against the estate, and fiduciaries have 60 days to respond to any claim. One of the final steps is filing an estate tax return within six months of the initial passing, but Ned suggests taking care of this as soon as possible because there are no extensions allowed and penalties for filing late. While probate can be a lengthy process, there is a lot you can do while it's still ongoing. If the claims process has concluded and no claims have been filed against the estate, executors are able to request a distribution from the court. You can also sell real estate during the probate process. Most wills give executors that right without probate court approval. Ned recommends including this in your will as a huge probate time saver. If the person who passes away is not the sole owner of any real estate and has less than $40,000 in assets, they are eligible for a streamlined probate process. All it takes is a few forms filed through the probate court, which Ned believes most people can do without professional help.  Establishing authenticity Many people believe their last will and testament should be filed with the probate court upon creation, but this is a common misconception. Original copies of the Will are filed when a person passes away. Lawyers used to hold onto the original copy of a will, but that is rarely the case now because if they misplace it they would be liable for malpractice. If you lose an original will, a conformed copy can be filed with the probate court and may need its witnesses to corroborate the authenticity of the document.  In situations where multiple wills are filed for the same person, determining the authenticity of the deceased's final wishes can be tricky. Testimony is taken from both the witnesses who signed the will and the attorney who facilitated the creation of it to try and sort out the discrepancy. Interested parties can submit any evidence necessary, including professional testimony from experts, to try and prove things like diminished capacity in cases where a secondary will is contested. Listen to this episode for more information on the probate process! Resources Mentioned Simplifying the Probate Process with Probate Judge Edward C. Burt Jr. (Part 1), #101  Connect With Morrissey Wealth Management  www.MorrisseyWealthManagement.com/contact

Whose idea was this?It certainly wasn't mine —Perhaps it is yours?* * *The thread running through this series is the underlying connection, the various links, between Design thinking and Zen, and how they differ from conventional thinking and religion. In considering the topics of the times, such as the spate of school shootings and other mass murders recurring on a daily basis now, it may seem to be stretching this idea to its breaking point. But just consider: What part of these events is not the result of some design of human intent? And how is the design of the conventional response working, or not?After all, the federal government of the United States of America, and the governing bodies of its now fifty states or commonwealths, their counties, parishes (Louisiana) and boroughs (Alaska), cities, and other subdivisions, consisting of the repeat triumvirate of executive, legislative and judicial branches, did not fall out of the sky, like commandments from heaven. It was the product of intense debate documented in the Federalist Papers, and is the subject of continuing conflict concerning the nature of the democracy or republic the powers that be want to see evolve in the future. How is that working out?In Design, we say that you cannot design around human nature. You have to take it into account, warts and all. The design of the government of the USA was putatively intended to limit its powers to those that, if unlimited, would appeal to the worst instincts of human nature. In other words, government of the people, by the people and for the people, as honest Abe put it, is intended to govern, or control, the people themselves. Especially those in power. But we have seen this original design intent corrupted again and again, and by guess who? The people in power at the moment. And those in power have again and again attempted to establish dynasties, wherein they not only retain power for life, if possible, but also hand it down to their children in perpetuity, potentially, like some permanent potentate. As recently lavished upon the royal family, under the rubric of the queen's “platinum jubilee,” with grand — some might say gross — pageantry, in what was formerly Great Britain. Or witnessed in the Trumpist claim to entitlement in the USA. Not to mention the long, sad history of nepotist despots in South America and around the world. There apparently is no limit to human hubris, given the financial means to indulge it.In the face of the many absurdist reality shows on offer, in their disappointment and frustration, people naturally turn to sources of comfort and solace, such as religion or science. This is one of the main themes of my soon-to-drop second book, “The Razorblade of Zen,” positing Zen as a third alternative. But religion gets mixed up with politics, when we begin to see the local melodramas and misuses of governance in the light of a larger plan, namely a “divine plan” of God, who we imagine to be interested in, and intimately involved with, the now-continuous campaigns of mere mortals for earthly power. This generally turns out to be an ugly marriage, birthing many ugly babies. As a current example, some evangelistic sects are reportedly being torn apart by political and ideological conflicts insinuating themselves into the church as wedge issues stressing its fragile fellowship, and begging the question of God's will. Likewise, when we hope for a silver bullet from science, we are often disappointed.Here, in the dark interior of this particular Pandora's box, is where one of the approaches routinely applied in Design thinking may shed some light, or at least raise the appropriate challenges to conventional thinking. We call this particular exercise, “What if?” What if there were no government? How would you govern yourself? What if there actually is no god, at least not of the kind we imagine. Which, truth be told, is inevitably a projection of our own self-nature. What else would you expect from a person, in conceiving the kind of intelligence behind the creation and design of this world? Something inhuman? And therefore having little or no regard for your fate? That would not do. No, God, capital “G,” must surely be like us, or rather, like me. And probably more like me than thee, come to think of it.The concept of a personal God, like that of a personal soul, provides too ready an answer, too often a substitute for confronting inconvenient truths, just another foil for reinforcing our dubious self-identity. Matsuoka Roshi would often address the question of the existence and nature of God. He would say, “In Zen, who is Buddha? You are Buddha! In Zen, who is God? You are god!” He never claimed that he was God, or that he was Buddha. What could he possibly mean?I think we have to ask, What is Buddha? Again — aside from the capitalization indicating the historical Buddha Shakyamuni — “buddha” essentially means “the awakened one.” That is, consciousness itself. If this seems too simple and inadequate, your interpretation does not address the implications of consciousness. Or we might say, the miracle of consciousness. Nobody, not from the scientific end of the spectrum, nor from the religious perspective, really understands this phenomenon. Buddha himself did not understand it. The bare fact of sentient being is not something that can be understood.So if there is such a thing as God, it must have something to do with this consciousness we share with all sentient beings, to differing degrees, of course. Perhaps what Sensei meant is that the very consciousness that raises the question — Who is God? — is the answer to the question. The “sparrow quote” proclaims a belief in the omniscience and omnipresence of God, from the King James Bible:Not one sparrow can fall to the ground without God knowing it. And the very hairs on our heads are all numbered. So don't worry; we are more valuable to him than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)The scientific question here would be “how,” as I suggest in my first book, “The Original Frontier.” How, exactly, does God register this relatively inconsequential event? Perhaps by dint of the sparrow's consciousness — of its own death? Or that of its mate? By the thud of the carcass striking the ground, heard by the local coterie of sentient predators, who would regard it as a snack? Or perhaps the swarm of scavenger rodents and insects who strip the flesh from the bones of the corpse? All of the above?In this analysis, “God” is all consciousness, mutual awareness of all sentient beings taken together. To a person who believes that there absolutely must be a separate “who” behind the “why” and “what” of existence, as well as the “how” — not to mention the “where and when” — it may seem self-evident that there is an “intelligent designer” behind what is arguably the intelligent design of the universe. But such a person, in order to discern the presence, must be ready and willing to consider the absence of God, as well. In other words, to take into consideration the possibility that there is no such God, as proof of concept. Otherwise, their God is an example of blind faith, a belief that is not seriously examined, but only adopted for convenience. If the reality of a benign overseer is to be proven out in one's own experience, it must begin from a baseline of the absence of that presence. The only way to distinguish an object is to separate it from its ground. The inability to do so is a bit like an optical illusion.So, what if there is no God? This would render our knee-jerk conventional resort to such aphorisms and euphemisms as “God's will” and “God moves in mysterious ways” largely feckless, in the face of such horrors as the insanity of war and mass killings, at the hands of our fellow man. Or that the trigger-man is simply “evil,” which in this context is a religious statement. These simplistic pat answers are evasive maneuvers to avoid the question, actually. If there were no God, we would have to consider an alternative approach to the definition of the problem at hand. Which is the essence of Design thinking.Assuming that there is no God on whom we can dump the blame, we have to move in a different direction toward a solution. This is a case of moving “what if” into the logic of “if, then.” If it is true that there is no God — remember, this is just a working premise, not an argument one way or the other — then we cannot turn to God, or our hopeful, self-centered characterizations of Him or Her to resolve our dilemma. We must turn to other sources. And what are those other sources? Usually, government. Back to the justice system and the powers-that-be. But if they are based on the same framework — “In God we trust” — then we are caught in a tautology, a forever self-fulfilling prophecy that can do no more than chase its own tail. “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” How to break out of this cycle?Or we can turn to Science, with a capital “S,” for solutions. The arc of technology certainly holds out some hope that the men and women in white coats are working day and night, feverishly examining new ways to feed the burgeoning populace, shield the earth from the glare of an increasingly angry sun, cleanse the air and waters of the accumulated pollution of the last couple of centuries of industrial exploitation of resources, and so on. Until you discover that most of the work is dedicated to sustaining the interests and incomes of the very corporate powers-that-be who, after all, finance the research. Including the government and its profiteering complex, no longer limited to the military-industrial bugaboo of Eisenhower's farewell address.The so-called “soft sciences,” including such disciplines as sociology and psychology, also seem to offer some corrective, but only palliative, options. More counseling, more mental health assistance, more concern and care. To be layered on top of existing teacher-student-parent, employer-worker-industry, doctor-patient-treatment, and husband-wife-children triangles — to name a few — that are apparently failing to produce intended outcomes, instead resulting in acts of blaming, revenge and violence.As Pogo the Possum famously declared, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” As a young person I was a big Walt Kelly fan, as well as being influenced as a child-artist by Walt Disney's prodigious output. Mad Magazine was a big one as well, later on. These were the social media of my formative years, mainly print, the movies, and the infancy of television. One of the issues that separates generations, making intergenerational collaboration even more difficult, is this cultural disconnect. The images and influences that fill in the background of the passing pageantry of life are also evolving, more rapidly than we are as biological beings. Cultural evolution more readily explains the domination of the human species over its fellow sentient beings, than any increase in fundamental intelligence. We are becoming more and more of a burden on the environment, but are not getting any smarter.Master Dogen is said to have commented that in Zen, we are about the business of developing true intelligence. This implies that there must be a kind of intelligence that is false. One modern meaning of intelligence, in military and international spheres, is data-gathering. That this kind of intelligence can be false is all-too-painfully obvious in miscalculations and errors that have led governments and their military dogs of war into misadventures around the globe, with America as the poster boy, until Russia, under the benighted guidance of their current potentate, Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine. Again. But the kind of intelligence Dogen was pointing to was personal. Your intelligence or mine.Intelligence and sentience, or consciousness, cannot be separated, whatever you may think of the IQ test. In zazen, by unlearning our erroneous views of our own direct experience through the senses, we develop the intelligence side of consciousness, in which perception and conception come more in line with reality as it is, outside our personal preferences. It is this kind of unsentimental, unbiased intelligence that we need to bring to bear on the ever-changing koan of everyday life that we are facing in these challenging times.To be continued.* * *Elliston Roshi is guiding teacher of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and abbot of the Silent Thunder Order. He is also a gallery-represented fine artist expressing his Zen through visual poetry, or “music to the eyes.”UnMind is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.Producer: Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell

Extended service plan, yes or no Average EV price vs Average vehicle sold More space needed to stop? Assuming good condition Extended service plans are not warranties actually Condition and care tell the story Price plus deductible is the first repair Extended warranties are a question Extended warranty does not add in the trade in value Keeping it? Yes Always from the maker With a warranty fix or trade is never a question Low repair record equals high resale

Being a citizen of the United States means fulfilling certain personal, political, and economic responsibilities. Learn what these include and how you can take on these responsibilities in this episode! Center for Civic Education

One author has summarized the book of Colossians with the following sentence: "When Christians know the supremacy of Christ in his person and work, they will be transformed and learn to live in his ways as the body of Christ, including forgiving and being reconciled with one another." Assuming that's an accurate representation of the letter—and we'll see in this episode that it is!—this text is packed with significance for each and every follower of Jesus. The unsurprising greatness of Jesus's identity and ministry? Check. The transformation of sinners into his likeness? Check. The need for forgiveness within the body of Christ? Um, check! Thankfully, the theologian who wrote that summary sentence has offered to help us unpack it rightly today. Dr. Adam Copenhaver currently serves as the pastor of Grace Church of Mabton in Mabton, Washington, where his ministry focuses especially on the teaching and preaching of God's word. He has also published a number of works including that which was quoted above, a commentary on Paul's letter to the Colossians.

Welcome to a special five-part podcast series on the New Traliant, sponsored by Traliant. Over this series, we will discuss what is new at the company and key issues that Traliant is helping to lead and define the online training industry in going forward. Over this five part series I will visit with John Arendes, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the company on what is new at New Traliant and what the Department of Justice (DOJ) has communicated to the compliance community regarding its expectations around online training and communications; Maggie Smith, Vice President of Human Resources at Traliant on the role of DEI in your corporate ESG program; and Scott Schneider, Head of Content Development at Traliant on your Code of Conduct and anti-corruption training. In this concluding Episode 5, I visit with Scott Schneider, VP of Innovation at Traliant, on the evolution anti-bribery/anti-corruption training. Why is bribery and corruption a tricky subject to train on? When is training effective? Assuming the movers are aligned, what makes bribery training effective? The importance of practical advice. Resources Traliant Website Scott Schneider on LinkedI

How? Why? We hate it and made an episode about it. We try to figure out why (a lot of) men do this and we come to some surprising conclusions. Let us know the best mansplaining that you have had to endure. If there is anything you would like us to talk about send us a DM on our Instagram instagram.com/unboxingwomen or an email to suchabitch@unboxingwomen.com Use the hashtag #SUCHABITCH to let us know about your personal experiences. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unboxingwomen/message

Today's episode is a unique one. I share with you some stories about assumptions that smart people don't make, and that you shouldn't either when assessing other businesses' success. Read More Here

Eric sources questions from Lynette's viewers and Lynette responds with organic and unrehearsed answers. If you have a question for Lynette and Eric, please either submit your question though YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or email to questions@itmtrading.com. If you enjoyed the Q&A with Lynette Zang, please like, subscribe, and share in order to help Lynette fight the fiat money disease! To submit your question for our next Q&A please email us at, questions@itmtrading.com Have questions about acquiring gold and silver? Call: 877-410-1414 ITM Trading's Official 2022 Gold & Silver Buyers Guide: https://learn.itmtrading.com/buyers-guide-yt?VID=QA6082022 To see Lynette's slides, research links or questions from this video: YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/mmsArB3tBVE FOLLOW OUR NEW CHANNEL: Beyond Gold & Silver ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/c/BeyondGoldSilver?sub_confirmation=1 Viewer Submitted Questions: 0:41 Question 1: Does revaluation of the currency make assets cheaper? 1:19 Question 2: Is recession a tool that the FED will use to bring our inflation rate under control? 4:02 Question 3: When Gold and Silver increase in price, at what point do you begin taking profits? 6:50 Question 4: Assuming that the up-coming recession could turn into a depression, which according to some people might be followed by hyper-inflation, should I hold on to my stocks and hoping for huge gains? 10:48 Question 5: Is it a good time to purchase a home if I can buy it under current appraised value? Follow Lynette Zang ⬇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynettezang/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/itmtrading_zang Podcast: https://anchor.fm/itmtrading Questions on Protecting Wealth with Gold & Silver? Call 877-410-1414 or Schedule a Call for Later Here: ↓ https://calendly.com/itmtrading/youtube?utm_content=QA6082022 __________ Find out if you're properly protected today... ITM TRADING: Helping Build Your Future, Freedom, and Legacy Call Today for Your 1st Strategy Session: 877-410-1414 You can also email us at: Services@ITMtrading.com All Our Videos and Research: https://www.ITMTrading.com/Blog Homepage: https://www.ITMTrading.com ITM Trading Twitter: https://twitter.com/itmtrading Lynette Zang Twitter: https://twitter.com/itmtrading_zang Facebook: https://facebook.com/ITMTrading By ITM Trading's Lynette Zang Call Us Direct for Long-Term Gold & Silver Strategies: 877-410-1414 ITM Trading Inc. © Copyright, 1995 - 2022 All Rights Reserved.

By Glory First, listen to the Podcast at Steamy StoriesEnjoying the summer sun.My introduction to sex in the water outdoors was with my first girlfriend, but always very discreetly at night. Being teenagers, we often had sex outdoors, though the local lake was not a public place to go swimming, much less have sex. We were never caught in the water, though there was a time when a cop shined his light in the car, with my hand still under her shirt.As the years and girlfriends went by, I learned about other places to swim outdoors. Having moved to the countryside, I rented a room from a married couple. On one very hot day, the wife mentioned she knew a small flooded quarry close by, something of a local secret. This was explained while sharing a bowl with me and my then girlfriend, leading naturally to deciding that Chris and I would go swimming.Something that came together quickly, a deflated raft fitting easily into one of the bike's saddle bags. With a couple of large towels in the other bag, ready to ride as normal in the summer, just jeans and a t-shirt under a leather jacket. The quarry was both close and easy to find, turning onto an unpaved entrance road, then taking the first left, going over a rise before seeing the water. It was small and fairly well hidden, but definitely enticing, especially after riding the last 100 yards in dry dust.Going a bit beyond and turning back, the best parking possibility seemed under a shade tree. The bike was not particularly noticeable, separated from the dry dirt track by 5 yards and a fair amount of brush.The place continued to look surprisingly inviting, as if very few people ever came here anymore. We walked to water's edge, not quite a beach, but the area would function well enough to put in the raft and leave our towels and clothes. The water felt refreshing when we put our hands in, kneeling next to each other. Rising, undressing quickly, having already taken off the helmets and jackets, leaving them at the bike.Seeing her pale skin and unshaved red hair was glorious as I inflated the raft. She went in still wearing a thin white t-shirt, saying that the water felt wonderful as I inflated the raft. As soon as it was fairly rigid, I brought it into the water, taking time to look around. We were here on an August work day, but it was obvious that this place had not been worked for decades. The small rusted steam shovel was one of the ways to guess, as was the size of the wild growing trees.Abandoned flooded quarries combine artificial and natural in intriguing fashion, one we were about to experience stoned and naked on a bright summer day. We floated together, each one on a side of the raft, our feet and legs only occasionally brushing. An occurrence that felt fantastic, the hair of her legs creating magical sensations, with neither of us doing anything but floating together.Both of us were too young to have ever had any actual hippy experiences, yet this was a perfect recreation, particularly as Chris never shaved, adding a halo of floating hair around and between her legs. Weed, little clothing, water, glorious sunshine, warm touching skin and cool flowing water. Chris shared the same wonderful horniness of my first two girlfriends, but today, we simply let the currents carry us along.The raft had a rope, prompting her to drift a bit further, a fantastic sight of white skin, erect nipples obvious under the free floating fabric, and an exposed full red bush. Her foot stretched, not quite making the goal obvious, both knowing what games we would be playing, taking a luxurious amount of time to sensually indulge ourselves first.The difference between nudity and sex remained fairly obvious, even with a couple in a relationship. However, floating and growing increasingly attuned to the sensations, we knew that inevitably, our contact would grow ever more delightfully intimate. We were in public in a sense, basically naked in a place without permission to be, yet this had already receded into a fairly minor concern, leg sliding along her inner thigh, at times so lightly that only the hair was being touched.The water was quite clear, making it easy to look at each other's bodies, unshaved hair visible between our legs, over our legs, and under our armpits. The almost transparent t-shirt added its own visual delight, hiding nothing. My cock, much like what I could see of her pussy lips, seemed to be in more of a sensual than sexual mode, communing with the surroundings and each other in relaxed fashion. On the other hand, we were both stoned, and weed was definitely something that made us horny.This was an intimate form of nudity in nature, though we both knew that we would not be stopping any further attraction from developing. She was on the pill, making fucking simple, as we definitely had brought no condoms. To be honest, we had not really made any plans apart from finding cool water on a cloudless hot summer day, using the raft to avoid any need to swim.The contrast between a warm body and cool water was invitingly exquisite, resulting in slowly bringing ever more of our bodies together to experience it. Though we were both clearly turned on, this was still not precisely a sexual encounter. Or possibly better, the sensual had not yet been crowded out by the sexual, to our mutual delight. We were floating in time too, not even knowing when we had left. The sun provided a very rough guide as the day went on, likely spending something like an hour simply letting our bodies float together.As time flowed, we began to intentionally caress, in the most tempting fashion possible. We were used to extended sessions, the longest more than 5 hours of intense sex, but this was something different than pure animal lust. Or not, exactly, but we were on a more ethereal level, one where subtlety and restraint provided a growing allure. Chris seemed to be falling into something of a sexual trance, which was not her normal style.A state that turned out to be perfectly suited to floating in the middle of a flooded quarry, hand starting to slide over a pussy's opened lips, hearing the soft sighing as a finger began to enter an even more fantastic warm wetness. Seeing her spread legs, feeling her soft leg rub gently against my rigid shaft, both of us lost in a mutual haze of natural bliss.Slowly, we went from a haze of sensual pleasure to a more familiar sexual one, though this was our first time having sex together in the water. Or outdoors. Likely it was just as much her first time in the middle of a lake on a sunny summer day as mine, not that we cared. We had seen no one till now, as we went from skinny dipping to starting to have sex.I had been to lakes where being topless or nude during the day was possible, but never so close to home. Chris was normally not really an exhibitionist, though she rarely wore a bra. Seeing her large tits floating as the t-shift moved in the water had been an incredible thrill, and by now, her expression as she looked at my cock made plain that she had no concerns about where we were.Which was paradise when we began kissing. We were both skilled, time ceasing as our lips and tongues met. My fingering made her more passive as my tongue took control. The game changed when her hand found my erect length, soon taking advantage of the resulting wave of sluttiness that overwhelmed me. A soon thoroughly shared sluttiness that only grew as our bodies brushed exquisitely closer, letting the water currents take advantage of us.Our bodies were drifting together inevitably, without thought. We paid ever less attention to our surroundings as we floated together in sensual bliss. The place truly felt deserted except for us, our focus growing ever more concentrated on each other. Even if we could be seen in the water, the odds were good that we would notice first. Though as the pleasure kept growing between us, any concern about being seen was receding in a growing wave of glorious lust. Assuming we would care by this point, with the sensitive slit at the tip of my cock coming into contact with her protruding clit. Looking directly at each other, we could see the familiar turned on expression of a delightfully willing partner. However, there was none of the urgency we normally felt when this turned on.Still enticingly aware of the slightest contact of hair and skin, sensations that seemed to make what what was happening between our legs simply part of a more encompassing shared pleasure, not its main focus. Something that remained true as my fingers moved out of her soft wet tunnel as she slowly pushed my cock down between her swelled welcoming lips. Our sighs were softly animal, bodies joining slowly, her pussy starting to surround my cock head. The contrast in wetness and warmth became fantastic, a tight ring creating a barrier between her welcoming hole and the water surrounding us.This was my first time floating free while having sex, not simply sitting in the water or standing in a pool. Her squeezing stretched cunt felt heavenly, her expression revealing she was in heaven too. Going deeper into her hot wet tunnel was easy enough, taking time, looking at how our bushes began to touch, enthralled at the sight of our fucking. However, floating like this made it basically impossible to use the sort of force typical when fucking, a real surprise. Going deeper had been an easy temptation to indulge, grinding becoming possible by holding her soft ass.Moving back out was a challenge, possible in a certain sense, but without any of the customary motion involved. This inability was not a problem exactly, just unexpected. Leading us to follow another path, one never shared with Chris, who was quite a physical lover. She would often beg to be fucked harder when on her back or hands and knees. When she was the one doing the riding, she would use the full length of my cock to fuck, making her tits bounce hypnotically.Today, her familiar style of fucking was not possible, as the water offered no resistance to push against. It was possible to hold her hips with her back on the raft to provide some motion, along with a fantastic view of my cock sliding in and out of her sexy cunt. However, this required restraint to keep above the water, especially since her mind was completely between her legs.Her pussy became increasingly enthralling as she began concentrating on squeezing its soft wetness along my length. Her nipples were erect, poking up from her breasts, wet fabric not hiding their sexiness in the least. We developed a rhythm between pulsing cock and contracting pussy, along with the gentle rocking of the raft on the water.Our words were soft and distracted, but talking dirty always adds to the fun of fucking. She seemed under a spell in a way, moaning how good it felt to have her fuck hole filled as I told her how sexy she looked under the blue sky. Slowly, our attention became fully focused between our legs, a state never shared with Chris before. Her expression was incredibly turned on, much like my own, as we began entering a zone somewhere sideways of orgasm.This was entering the area of tantric sex, where each sensation leads to another, selfhood dissolving, beyond time. Those who have experienced this understand what is meant, and those who haven't will not quite understand. It comes from something almost resembling stillness, but with unbelievable its intensity. As Chris was discovering, mind completely between her legs, our joining becoming the focus of our merged being, a state effortlessly mirrored in each other.A connection expanding to include our surrounding, sunlight glittering on the water like jewels, the cool wetness providing a perfect contrast to the warm wetness enveloping me. Without the physical motions of fucking, we melded into a single glorious sensation of bliss.Finally, as my cock grew soft, the cool water from the quarry began to enter her pussy. Another surprisingly natural sensation, briefly interrupted by moving closer before I quickly pulled out. By now, it was obvious that a fair amount of time had passed, as her arms had reddened in the sun. Slowly, our minds returned as we began to steer the raft towards where we had entered the water.We saw people starting to move down the opposite ridge, using a path we had not noticed. This was a different route from the one we had ridden, and they moved along the shore as we reached our things. They were maybe 15 yards away as we got out of the water, distant enough to ignore the fact we were naked while still getting a nice view.They were three men, the oldest maybe 21, stopping a couple of yards away. I had put on my pants, but Chris did not care about them seeing her in nothing but a wet t-shirt. The fact that they seemed to be slightly embarrassed yet unable to stop looking at her raptly amused Chris, who mentioned in a fairly low voice that they probably had been watching us.After which she took off her wet shirt to towel off, using matter of factness as a form of modesty. Not to mention a way to give them a bit of a treat since they were unlikely to have ever seen such a lush red head naked before. She then started to deflate the rate, still naked, the hissing air creating another pause.Folding the raft, she put her t-shirt in, then put on her panties, jeans, and boots as I talked a bit with the new arrivals about the lake. She stood up holding the raft in front of her chest, and we said good bye and left. The little cherry on the talk was her being topless when she put on her jacket, then feeling how she hugged me tight as we left, luscious breasts pressed against my back.By Glory First, for Literotica

When a veteran passes away, it currently takes more than two months, on average for VA to process their survivors' claims for dependency and indemnity compensation. But automation is helping to drastically shorten that timeline. Assuming the application's complete, the department can now approve those claims within about four hours – without a claims processor ever having to see it. Kevin Friel is deputy director of VA's Pension and Fiduciary Service. He joined the Federal Drive to talk more about how they've been using automation in his section of the department.

This episode mostly isn't about sales. But every part of it is dripping with takeaways for sales pros. In it, Darryl is joined by James #SayWhatSales Buckley, Chief Evangelist and Master of Ceremonies at JB Sales (aka J Barrows). In a bumper episode they talk the link between mental and physical health, how that can both impact and echoes your sales career, and an exceptional example of insight you need to pitch right.

 On a beautiful Sunday, I went to the emergency doctor to give me my injection… I was 21 years old and was consuming over 20 drugs a day, and got my daily dose… To make the long story short, the doctor failed to give correct me the injection, and I left my body. I was clinical dead… When I came back in my body, I understood that my life was from the beginning in the hell… I was punished every day, mostly for things I never did… Until I didn't feel anything.I defined my life new, it should be the sum of my happiness. I started with psychology, participated in many groups, began to meditate, became fast spiritual, and all my diseases disappeared.I learned that everything has two poles. We can only experience happiness when we have experienced the opposite feelings, like sadness, anger, frustration,… And most of our time we hold unconsciously on our suffering and can't experience happiness. So faster we release our negative feelings so faster we can feel positive emotions like love, joy… Let go your negative feelings!Assuming that others are always happy, live a perfect life because… This is totally wrong. People can act to be happy, and we interpret their show as reality. Always is something missing or not perfect in our life. Nobody has a perfect life. Why we should focus on what is missing?!Bhagwan or Osho told us we should always be happy. That was for me nonsense. When we separated, my girlfriend and me, I wore black instead of the red that we should wear as disciples of Bhagwan. This gave me the right to be in sorrow.Be what you are, and don't make a show!!!We can't chase happiness or love because we are a vehicle of our feelings. The feelings have the control over us! And that is proved by the brain science through brain surgery and through psychology. There is only a one-way road between emotions and thoughts. This means our thoughts follow our feelings. We can only suppress our feelings, and this will cause diseases and long depressions. We can be thankful for everything that we get, be it a challenge or a fulfilled desire. And that is the game changer. Because with our “Thank you” we connect to the divine. What is with spiritual happiness? I learned that everybody can experience bliss and divine love, regardless of which situation. For that, we need the awakening of the Kundalini and to connect us with the divine. My video: Does chasing happiness work? https://youtu.be/0QmF1YYqu0EMy Audio on Podcast: RELAX WITH MEDITATION or see link in the end. My Audio: https://divinesuccess.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/Podcast.A/Does-chasing-happiness-work.mp3

Assuming you can still afford back yard cookouts - what kind of buns are you buying?  Be careful, you could be fueling insurrection with every bite.  Stigall explains the latest attack on a family business the left is targeting.  Col. Kurt Schlichter joins Stigall to discuss a host of things, including the political sea change occurring in California.  Pick up his new book “We'll Be Back: The Fall and Rise of America.”   And Stigall watched it so you didn't have to - his complete summary of the January 6th show hearings. 

In this special episode David, Matthew, and Patrick discuss whether Nintendo will have a Direct at the usual time with no E3 this year. Assuming there is a direct, your hosts give you their best predictions and hopes for what might be shown off and announced. Listen to Super Switch Headz on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you enjoy podcasts.  Discord: https://discord.com/invite/CWbF4gb Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/switchheadz Website: http://www.switchheadz.com/

Assuming the Kansas City Royals will soon change the tense on their season — from present to future — it's time to begin thinking about what they could bring back in trades. And who are the team's top candidates to deal? On today's SportsBeat KC podcast, beat writer Lynn Worthy and columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian discuss trade value of Royals players and what the return might bring. Also, signs are positive for Salvador Perez with a pair of home runs over the weekend. He got some advice from an interesting source. And starter Daniel Lynch has now had two straight rough outings. What's the problem? Story links: Daniel Lynch victimized by home runs as Kansas City Royals lose opener to Blue Jays Kansas City Royals star Sal Perez sought advice from former hitting coach Terry Bradshaw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Assuming you're in a mostly healthy, happy power exchange relationship, anger is something you're going to have to navigate — your own and your partner's. So this week, we're sharing a few tips and... The post Minisode 57: Tips for Dealing with Anger in D/s appeared first on Loving BDSM.

Are your emails annoying your editor? Are you sending too many followups? Too many story ideas? Are all your messages getting on their nerves? If your pitches are half baked, poorly written, and an overall bad fit for the publication, it really doesn't matter how many you send. You can't send lousy pitches and expect assignments as a reward for not sending them more often. Assuming your pitches are developed with the editor's needs in mind, let's look at the real situation.

What's in this episode:- Assuming the process.- Going the extra mile on your life insurance calls.- Being enthusiastic and genuine with clients.Book your 15-minute consultation call to see if Weaver Sales Academy is a fit for your agency here: https://bit.ly/3CnMjTxText BUZZ to (816) 727-7610 to connect directly with Michael and share your favorites from the episode or learn more about upcoming events and challenges happening in our industry Join Weaver Sales Academy: https://www.weaversa.com/Follow Michael on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themichaelweaverInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/_michaelweaver_/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-weaver-a2940095

Morning Mantra: “It's better to ask than assume.”It is so easy these days to get the wrong idea about something because we communicate through writing more than we talk.A text or an email can be read a multitude of ways.Usually, we read it in the worst way. Assuming the person that wrote it meant to hurt us or criticize us.There is only one way to get a clear answer on the intent, and that is to ask. Just ask.Ask so there is no miscommunication.Ask so there are no misunderstandings.Ask before you respond.Ask before you assume the worse.Because they cannot read your mind, and you can't read theirs either. #BeWillingToAsk #BeHappy #BeHorsey #BeHippie #HorseHippie #MorningMantra #InspirationalQuotes #HorseHippieBoutique #SmallBusinessOwner #WomenOwned

Question Covered: 03:51 – Would it have been morally just for Elrond to have thrown Isildur into the fires of Mt Doom when he refused to destroy the One Ring, as a way to ensure its destruction? 14:02 – I have one question about The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. I do not understand the words Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Father and Son are One Divinity, right? So… how can I offer God to God when there is One God? 17:18 – Have there been any documentaries, or at minimum, speculations of people who have claimed to come back in time from the distant future (with perhaps a story to tell —and what is heading our way)? 20:06 – If you were involved in a teleportation accident that created a duplicate of you, would that person have to confess your sins? 23:40 – If Christ died to Redeem all, would alien scriptures reference an alien Redeemer, or are all aliens Unfallen, thus not needing Revelation and Salvation? Related to this, if Satan knew that the Incarnation would occur on Earth, did he then ignore aliens, thus leaving them Unfallen? Therefore, if and when Humanity travels to the stars, might we be the cause of their Fall? Continuing on this theme, since working with tools was a punishment due to Original Sin, it could be argued that technology is a sign of a Fallen species. Since we haven’t seen any evidence of ETs, might that be proof that aliens are Unfallen? 32:49 – What are your thoughts on Gulf War Syndrome? 39:45 – If a family wanted their child baptized in Klingon or a pre-Christian Babylonian language. Assuming an accurate but not Vatican-approved translation, would it be valid? This is obviously theoretical but speaks to the point of whether a translation or interpretation is assumed to be valid or not before any Vatican intervention on the text. 45:00 – Would it have been possible to hold a spelling bee in ancient Egypt? 48:50 – Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? 51:45 – Is it possible for a species (such as an alien, or an understudied cephalopod) to have a powerful brain comparable to or even greater than our own, but not an immortal soul? …

A new assignment for George and Schumacher. Charlotte and Gen. Adams are ready to close the deal. Will Gov. Lewin help Samantha? Gen. Wilkes updates the Consul. Henry Hobbes and Dr. Schnieder begin to execute their plan. Cast: Scene 1 Capt. Roberts : Pete Lutz Mayor Schumacher : Scott Slagle Lt. Ramsay : Van Riker George Cooper : J Dean Garcia Soldier : Daniel French Scene 2 Charlotte Knox : Ilana Labourene Marie Knox : Katelin Curtis Sen. Harper : Rosanna Jimeno General Adams : Rich Green Sen. Michaels : Anne Ghrist Assistant : Daniel French Scene 3 Samantha Cooper : Victoria Fancki Susan Cooper : Nina Bricko Gov. Lewin : M A Doerfler Sheriff Dietz : Daniel French Nick Hobbes: Joe Brillion Scene 4 Consul Nathaniel : Blake Benlan Vice-Consol Calhoun : Katelin Curtis Benjamin Danton : Spencer J Fredrick Gen. Wilkes : Van Riker Dr. Meighan : Rosanna Jimeno Lars : Daniel French Scene 5 Henry Hobbes : Pete Lutz Dr. Schneider : Spencer J Fredrick Jailer : Nina Bricko   Production, Music, Foley, and Sound Design by Daniel French at Fishbonius Sound Design     Transcipt Generation Zombie Season 2, Chapter 2 “Unknown Expiration Date” by Steven Chisholm   NARRATOR: DZ-6, Porterville Town Hall ROBERTS: You certainly have exquisite taste in furniture, Schumacher. Is this desk of yours mahogany?  SCHUMACHER: Nothing so lavish, I'm afraid. It's cherry wood. ROBERTS: Nevertheless, a fine piece… Lieutenant Ramsay, you have the battle plans for Embalmersfield on hand? RAMSAY: Yes, sir. SOUND: UNRAVELING OF MAP. ROBERTS: Place it on the desk, if you will. SOUND: SMOOTHING OUT MAP ON DESKTOP. Wonderful. SCHUMACHER: You really do have this raid all planned out. ROBERTS: Yes, but there's been a slight change in plans. SCHUMACHER: Change in plans? SOUND: APPROACHING FOOTSTEPS. SOLDIER: Pardon the interruption, sir. ROBERTS: What is it, Private? SOLDIER: Corporal Cooper is here to see you. ROBERTS: Let him in. SOUND: SOLDIER DEPARTS ROOM. GEORGE ENTERS. George, how can I help you? GEORGE: It's done.  ROBERTS: Yes, I can smell the smoke on your uniform. You did a fine job, Corporal. GEORGE: (TIMID) Thank you, sir. Proud to serve the Life Guard. ROBERTS: I hope you understand why I had you do that. GEORGE: To prove my loyalty to the ULZ… And to preserve the sanctity of the living. ROBERTS: Yes, but you must understand what lead Leanne to such… unfortunate circumstances. Carelessness, sure. But we wouldn't be discussing her premature departure if not for the actions of your sister. It was not I that forced your hand, nor was it your own free will. Samantha, your own blood, was the one that set the blaze. It was treason that reduced Leanne to ashes. Do you understand, Corporal? GEORGE: I understand that she must pay for her crimes. ROBERTS: Good. Now that I'm assured of your allegiance, I must say, you've arrived at the perfect time. GEORGE: You have an assignment for me, sir? ROBERTS: Oh, yes. One that involves Mr. Schumacher, here. SCHUMACHER: Me? ROBERTS: You see this beautiful desk, Corporal? Cherry wood, I've been told by Schumacher. Where once this material was a great tree, producing oxygen for us living folk, now it is mere lifeless timber. But despite being felled, it still serves a purpose. Not nearly as noble a purpose as when it was living, but nonetheless, it functions as a desk on which to plan our annexation of Embalmersfield. Schumacher is much like this tree. He once lived a nobler life but had that privilege stripped away by undeath. Despite his breathless existence, he's still here to serve a purpose, and it's up to you, George, to see that he fulfills his obligation to the living.  SCHUMACHER: I gave you Porterville. What more can I do? SOUND: UNRAVELING PAPER. RAMSAY: Captain, here are the plans you asked for. ROBERTS: Thank you, Lieutenant… Corporal, would you kindly take a look at these? SOUND: ROBERTS HANDING PAPER TO GEORGE. GEORGE: It's… If you don't mind my asking, what am I looking at, Captain? RAMSAY: Allow me to explain, George. This line here, this is you and Schumacher. GEORGE: You have us… You have us heading to Embalmersfield? Alone?  ROBERTS: Correct. SCHUMACHER: As devoted as I am to your cause, you can't expect me to go on this suicide mission. RAMSAY: This isn't a preliminary attack. At least, not in the way you two are envisioning. George, here, is simply to escort you to the outer perimeter of Embalmersfield. A chaperone of sorts to ensure that you're not beset upon by any free-roaming Life Guards. SCHUMACHER: Am I some offering to the enemy? RAMSAY: You're a refugee. SCHUMACHER: I don't understand. ROBERTS: Schumacher… You're going to seek sanctuary in the city of Embalmersfield. You're going to be the mayor who braved the battle and escaped. And when they welcome you with warm blankets and hot cocoa – or whatever it is your kind do for comfort – you're going to cozy up to Governor Lewin. She's no doubt caught wind of the annexation of Porterville, and who better to trust with their defense plans than someone who's faced the might of the ULZ themselves? Schumacher, I'm once again asking you to be our man on the inside.  SCHUMACHER: I… ROBERTS: I'm confident your faith in the ULZ has not wavered. SCHUMACHER: No. No, it has not. ROBERTS: Thank you. And you, Corporal. I know I can trust you with delivering the mayor to his destination. GEORGE: Yes, sir. ROBERTS: Excellent. Ramsay has been kind enough to outline your route. Follow that path closely, and you shouldn't run into trouble. Do you have any questions? GEORGE: Yes, Captain. When do we start? ROBERTS: Meet Ramsay at sunset by the northwest entrance to Porterville. He'll get you both situated. GEORGE: Will do, sir. ROBERTS: You're dismissed, Corporal. SOUND: DEPARTING FOOTSTEPS. SCHUMACHER: And me? ROBERTS: You're free to leave, too, Schumacher. SCHUMACHER: Okay. I'll see you in Embalmersfield, Roberts. ROBERTS: Look forward to it. SOUND: DEPARTING FOOTSTEPS. ROBERTS: Oh, one more thing, Mayor. SCHUMACHER: What's that? SOUND: GUNSHOT. SCHUMACHER: What the–What the hell did you do that for?! ROBERTS: You can't expect them to think you got out of Porterville completely unscathed, can you?    NARRATOR: DZ-1, a crisis room in the White House MARIE: (YAWN) Tired. CHARLOTTE: You're tired? You can take a nap right here. MARIE: I want my bed. CHARLOTTE: You can have your bed after I'm through talking with my friends, here. HARPER: Mrs. Knox, pardon my manners, but is it necessary that your child be privy to our conversations? MARIE: Privy! CHARLOTTE: If only there was someone I could trust to watch her. HARPER: Someone you can trust? Madam, is everything okay? MICHAELS: What about her usual caretaker, Margaret?  MARIE: Bad Margaret! SOUND: DOOR OPENING. ADAMS: I apologize for my tardiness, Mrs. Knox. CHARLOTTE: Apology not necessary. But, before you come in, can I have a quick word with you outside? ADAMS: Of course. CHARLOTTE: Excuse me, please. Come on, Marie. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS, AS CHARLOTTE MOVES TOWARD CRISIS ROOM ENTRANCE. DOOR CLOSING. CHARLOTTE: Has she said anything, yet? ADAMS: She's remaining tight-lipped, Madam, but I'm confident she's withholding something from us. We've just begun a search of her quarters. If something comes up, you'll be the first to know. CHARLOTTE: How long can we reasonably hold Margaret? MARIE: (UNCOMFORTABLE GROAN) ADAMS: We're certainly running out of time. Legally, she can remain detained for another twelve or so hours. CHARLOTTE: Then let's hope we can get something out of her by then… Come on, let's get back in there. SOUND: DOOR OPENING. FOOTSTEPS TO SEATS AT TABLE. Mrs. Speaker. Senator. You both have my sincerest apologies for the delay. ADAMS: Speaker Harper. Senator Michaels. Always a pleasure. HARPER: Welcome, General. MICHAELS: Yes, hello. MARIE: Hi! CHARLOTTE: I called this meeting to discuss any further intelligence you all may have gathered. As you're all well aware, the Vice President remains on a diplomatic mission in the Zombie's Republic of China. With her absence extending until the eve of the centenary, it's fallen on us to determine our next steps. HARPER: I'll reiterate what I said during our last meeting, as I'm sure the Senate Majority Leader will agree, I believe appropriate action is to quell this rogue Life Guard unit and seek reparations after. As Danton said, there's no need to declare war. MICHAELS: Even if you wanted to, Madam, you do not have the votes in Congress to pass a formal declaration of war. HARPER: But speaking of Danton, I've yet to establish any communication with him since touching down in the ULZ. Though, with President Knox's recent correspondence, it appears negotiations are still underway, despite this misstep from LZ-4. ADAMS: Misstep? With all due respect, Mrs. Speaker, it was a god-damned genocide.  HARPER: And you're seeing to it that it doesn't happen again. Am I correct? ADAMS: The 40th infantry will touch down in Embalmersfield within the hour. But further lives are at stake. If the Consul is unable to gain control over this rogue regiment, there is sure to be bloodshed. MICHAELS: Congress is not yet prepared to declare war, General. ADAMS: Did you hear any utterance of that word leave my lips, Senator? MICHAELS: No, I did not, but we've received reassurance from President Knox himself that the ULZ has this situation under control. Let us not also forget that Embalmerfield is also receiving the help of LZ-11. ADAMS: And if evidence points to the contrary? MICHAELS: Then you will have the full support of Congress to do as you please. Just know that the commander-in-chief also has a say. I've communicated our response to LZ-1, and they are aware of our accompanying reinforcements in Embalmersfield. Both regiments have received orders not to engage with one another and to instead address the threat from LZ-4. ADAMS: Pardon me if I take less credence in their reassurances. A division of their army has lain waste to a town full of innocents, after all. HARPER: The time for drastic steps is not now. I think we all agree, our top priority is stamping out this band of saboteurs. CHARLOTTE: Our top priority is getting my husband back. MARIE: I miss dad. CHARLOTTE: I know, dear. Me, too. MICHAELS: Nevertheless, the president is still engaging in negotiations with the Consul, and until he's– SOUND: KNOCKING ON DOOR. CHARLOTTE: (SIGH) Can someone see who that is? SOUND: DOOR OPENING. ASSISTANT: Excuse the interruption, Madam. We've just received further correspondence from the president. CHARLOTTE: Another recording? So soon? ASSISTANT: Yes, Mrs. Knox. CHARLOTTE: Well, if you could all pardon me while I listen to this, I'd be greatly appreciative. I will send for you when we can resume this meeting. SOUND: ADAMS, MICHAELS, AND HARPER GET UP AND BEGIN LEAVING THE ROOM. MARIE: Bye-bye! CHARLOTTE: General, if you wouldn't mind sticking around for this. ADAMS: Oh, of course, Mrs. Knox. SOUND: ADAMS RESUMES SITTING AT HIS CHAIR. DOOR CLOSES AS MICHAELS AND HARPER DEPART. CHARLOTTE: It's great to hear my husband's voice, General, but I can't shake the feeling that something's off. ADAMS: I don't think you need me to tell you my position on the matter.  CHARLOTTE: I mean, I always knew communication with the ULZ was shoddy, but how is it I'm not able to speak directly to him? ADAMS: I agree with your suspicions. Something isn't adding up, which is why I took the liberty of tacking on some extra reinforcements to Embalmersfield.  CHARLOTTE: Extra reinforcements? What do you mean? ADAMS: I've directed the 75th Ranger Regiment to defend Embalmersfield. CHARLOTTE: Jesus, General! You don't think that's a little overkill? ADAMS: With two ULZ regiments converging on the city – friend or foe – we can't be too careful. CHARLOTTE: (SIGH) Let's hope our suspicions are false, then. MARIE: Bed now? CHARLOTTE: Soon. Very soon.   NARRATOR: DZ 6, the Governor's Office in Zonal Capitol, Embalmersfield SAM: … And that's when Sheriff Dietz helped us escape. We were pursued by the Life Guard but were fortunate enough to shake them before arriving here. LEWIN: I'm… speechless. And you're sure of what you saw? NICK: Yep, homicidal soldiers-in-training. Zombies in cages. DIETZ: And I can attest to everything following their arrival in Porterville. LEWIN: If what you say is true. We must get word to the president. DIETZ: Good luck with that. From what I hear, he's so entrenched in those peace negotiations in the Consulate, hardly anyone can get a hold of him.  LEWIN: I'll make some calls. The public must be made aware of these zombie traffickers. Who knows how many ULZ loyalists reside within our borders? And what could they be doing with those poor kidnapped folk? NICK: Target practice, for one. Immolations. Who knows what else? They'd run out of matches if they were to execute every captured zombie. SAM: Nick's right. My brother talked about Life Guard members being ordered to transport “cargo” to LZ-1. Conveniently, those missions were around the time a whole batch of zombies would suddenly go missing from our cells.  SAM'S MOM: Oh, George… I wonder how wrapped up in this mess he is.  LEWIN: (STRESSED SIGH) Well let's hope we can rely on those troops coming from LZ-11.  DIETZ: Come again? NICK: LZ-11 troops? LEWIN: That's right, you've probably been a bit preoccupied, but the Consul has offered the help of LZ-11's Life Guard to defend Embalmersfield against the rogue Life Guard units. Fortunately, we've received word that the 40th infantry will be touching down any minute, so in the event that LZ-11 is a Trojan horse, our troops should handily stamp that out. SAM: A Life Guard regiment ordered to protect zombies? I never thought I'd hear anything like that. Life Guard soldiers – at least where I'm from – are taught to despise the undead. Taught to kill them at any and every opportunity. SAM'S MOM: Governor, they're called “Life Guard” for a reason. They would never raise a hand to their own. LEWIN: Do you expect me to just call off their reinforcements? I'm afraid it's a bit late for that. NICK: What's that supposed to mean? LEWIN: The LZ-11 troops are set to arrive by tomorrow morning. SAM: Can you order them to camp just beyond the border? Or at least intercept LZ-4's force south of here? Allowing Life Guard within the city is a recipe for disaster. LEWIN: For Christ's sake, I'm not a tactician. But they're landing in the airfield on the outskirts of the city. I've been in communication with General Adams, and he assured me that we have the full support of the federal government. My heart goes out to the people of Porterville, truly. It was unforgivable what those LZ soldiers did, but we have something they didn't have. Time and a whole lot of guns coming our way. SAM: Then use this time wisely and find a way to keep those soldiers out of your city.  LEWIN: Okay, but right now, those reporters are tearing at each other's flesh to find out about you lot. I need to give the people answers. Once this press conference is over, I'll consider negotiating LZ-11's defensive position. SAM: By then, it could be too late. LEWIN: Listen, I know you all have been through hell, but there's nothing to worry about here in Embalmersfield. Sam, you and your mother have known nothing but the LZ your whole life, but we here in the DZ are well-versed in the might of our military. If you think even two LZ regiments can stand against one of ours, you're sorely mistaken. DIETZ: This girl ain't been wrong yet. I urge you to at least consider what she's said. LEWIN: Like I said, it's been taken into consideration. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to address the people. SAM: You're making a mistake taking this so lightly. LEWIN: Help yourselves to whatever you need. SOUND: DEPARTING FOOTSTEPS. DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES. DIETZ: And this is why I always say, you can never rely on a politician.   NARRATOR: LZ-1, a crisis room in the Consular Palace. CONSUL: I'm starving. This meeting was supposed to start half an hour ago. LARS: The catering is on its way, your Consulship.  CONSUL: This shouldn't be taking so damn long. CALHOUN: Not at all. The script wasn't nearly as comprehensive as the previous one. SOUND: DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING. DANTON: I apologize for my tardiness. The president was not very cooperative. CONSUL: If he wants to continue playing games, he can see just how serious we were about our threat. DANTON: Believe me, I kept reminding him about his daughter, but the man's at the end of his rope. Can't blame him really. Being outsmarted by someone working right under your nose must be a significant blow to your ego. CALHOUN: (SIGH) As long as he continues to do our bidding, we won't have to take any unnecessary steps. CONSUL: Leave it to the UDZ to elect such a stubborn, impertinent leader. Nevertheless, Danton, you can take a seat now… General Wilkes, I trust LZ-11 is still en route to Embalmersfield? WILKES: Landing tomorrow, as scheduled. From the airfield, they will march into Embalmersfield and set up a loose – albeit staged – perimeter within the southern border of the city. Fortunately, we were able to reroute more gas canisters to their regiment from LZ-7, so they're well equipped to take Embalmersfield. Of course, the remaining variable is when Captain Roberts intends to launch an invasion on Embalmersfield.  CALHOUN: Has no one communicated the plans to him? CONSUL: No, he will not know anything of this until the day of his attack. An LZ-11 messenger will relay the plan to him on the day, but Captain Roberts is too much of a liability to wantonly relinquish such information. WILKES: Yes, and I've been assured by Doctor Meighan that the canisters LZ-11 have on hand should be enough to cover Embalmersfield and the surrounding districts. The canisters will remain on the C-130s stationed in the airfields after arrival. Just before LZ-4's attack, they'll take off with a skeleton crew to loose the canisters over the city's defenses and most populous neighborhoods. There's likely to be creases in coverage, but our forces should be able to eliminate any surviving targets. DANTON: Is there a plan to hold the city? WILKES: According to the wind predictions, the gas should make the region uninhabitable to the undead for at least a full 24 hours, and the canisters should cause minimal damage to the city's infrastructure. We have LZ-10 on standby. When given the order, they will reinforce Embalmersfield and man the defenses abandoned by the UDZ's troops. CONSUL: Their armaments will make a lovely addition to our military. WILKES: Precisely, your consulship. Despite this change in pace, our invasion should go off without a hitch. And Doctor Meighan's shipments continue to remain on schedule. It won't be much longer until every one of our regiments has enough gas to extinguish an entire city. CONSUL: Ah, and may the living prosper once more. SOUND: KNOCKING ON DOOR. LARS: I'll get it SOUND: DOOR OPENING. Lars : Oh, my apologies. It seems lunch isn't quite ready. CONSUL: Well, then who's at the door? MEIGHAN: Greetings, Consul. CONSUL: Ah, yes. Doctor. Please come in. MEIGHAN: I'm afraid I have some… unfortunate news. CONSUL: (PERTURBED) Go on. MEIGHAN: It's the White House, sir. We've lost communication with our woman on the inside, Margaret. She never filed yesterday's vaccination report for Marie. CONSUL: Could it be that she simply forgot. MEIGHAN: She's a very capable professional, sir. She's not one to forgo something so important as this. DANTON: Wait, you're saying that Marie hasn't received her latest vaccination? MEIGHAN: And without you there, Danton, we have no one else to administer it. CALHOUN: What will happen to the girl if she doesn't receive the vaccine? Will she simply re-zombify? MEIGHAN: The vaccine triggers a response in the patient's bone marrow. Think of it as jump-starting a car. Every injection stimulates the body's stem cells, which in turn produce white blood cells. At some point, her body may retain the ability to produce its own white blood cells, but for now, the vaccine is the only thing setting this production in motion. Over time, her immune system will become weaker as these cells die off, and given her apparent immunity to zombification, the common cold, alone, could be enough to kill her. CONSUL: Thereby giving up our leverage over Knox. MEIGHAN: Precisely. DANTON: That is, of course, worrying, but more concerning still is Margaret. CONSUL: How do you mean, Danton? DANTON: I've noticed she was growing a subtle affinity for the child. Assuming she's been detained, I'm not so sure how long she can keep her lips sealed when it's Marie's life on the line. CONSUL: She'd betray the ULZ for one of them? DANTON: With all due respect, your Consulship. Not one of them. She is indeed one of the living now. Though, for how long, I don't know.   NARRATOR: LZ-1, the cellblock beneath the Consular Palace. HOBBES: Guards! Someone! Anyone! Something's wrong with this man! SCHNEIDER: (SPUTTER, COUGH, and GROAN) HOBBES: I think this man's sick! Anyone?! JAILER: (ANNOYED) I'm coming. I'm coming. HOBBES: He just started gripping his stomach. Rolling around on the ground. Moaning and such. SCHNEIDER: Ugh… (WEAK) Please… JAILER: Christ, man. You look paler than this lumbering stiff next door. HOBBES: Never mind that, this man clearly needs help. SCHNEIDER: (WHEEZE) I can't… (WHEEZE) I can't… breathe. JAILER: Let… Uh, let me go get a doctor. HOBBES: This guy is a doctor. SCHNEIDER: Chest… (WHEEZE) Chest compressions… Please. JAILER: CPR? I ain't done anything like that since I was a greenhorn in the Life Guard. Don't suppose they teach you any first aid in the UDZ, huh? HOBBES: What? Of course not. Just do as he tells you. Look, he's miming it now. JAILER: How do I know he's not faking it? HOBBES: I don't think it's normal for your kind to be that color. Besides, he's half your size. SCHNEIDER: (WHEEZE and COUGH) JAILER: Aw, hell! SOUND: JAILER FIDGETS WITH RING OF KEYS. JAILER: I can't have another prisoner die on my watch. It'll be off to LZ-5 for me. SOUND: PRISONER DOOR OPENS AND JAILER APPROACHES SCHNEIDER. HOBBES: Hurry! JAILER: Okay, so… Lay still, why don't you?! Okay, I just place my hands here and… Oof! What the hell?! SCHNEIDER: (SOUNDS OF STRUGGLING) JAILER: Hey, let go of my rifle! (GRUNT) I said stop! Let go! SOUND: GUNSHOT. SCHNEIDER: (DYING BREATH) JAILER: No… No, no, no. This can't… You saw it, right? You saw it all. He was trying to take my rifle from me. It was… It was self-defense, yeah? HOBBES: Dr. Schneider, no… You… You killed him. JAILER: I didn't kill nobody.  SOUND: FOOTSTEPS TOWARD THE BARS. JAILER TAPS HIS GUN AGAINST THE BARS. And you're going to corroborate that story or else I'll make sure you're first in line at our next barbeque. You understand? HOBBES: You already took my son from me. Your worst can't beat that. JAILER: Look, I'm just asking you to tell the truth of it, got it– SOUND: SCHNEIDER HITS THE JAILER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. (PAINED GRUNT) SOUND: JAILER FALLS TO THE GROUND.  HOBBES: (HUSHED) You did it! Great job! SCHNEIDER: You were right; your kind really can't feel a thing.  HOBBES: I–I'm sorry you got shot. That wasn't part of the plan. Do you know if that life-restoring vaccine you guys got will work with a hole in your chest? SCHNEIDER: (SIGH) Tempt fate by saying I have almost nothing to lose, and then this happens. I, unfortunately, know little of what the vaccine does outside a brief explanation from that homicidal maniac, Dr. Meighan. If they intend to use it on the UDZ, especially with the states of decay of most citizens, then I presume it'll work on me. Besides, the bullet narrowly missed my heart. HOBBES: Well, here's hoping it works. Either way, I appreciate your sacrifice. SCHNEIDER: I really underestimated how quickly the virus would take hold. HOBBES: Right, but let's get a move on. I'm sure all this commotion will eventually garner some attention. Not to mention, that jailer seemed like he had a thick skull, so he could be up at any moment. SCHNEIDER: Okay… SOUND: JINGLING KEYS. Why is it prison guards always have such heavy sets of keys? HOBBES: Oh, and don't forget the rifle. SCHNEIDER: Rifle? You know how to use this thing? HOBBES: You don't think I'd pass up on the chance to fire guns at my armor prototypes, did you? SCHNEIDER: Makes sense. HOBBES: Now, get me out of here, and let's go find Nick.   End of episode.

On Thursday June 29th, 2017 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will  present a symposium on the topic of Assumption of God and Goddess Forms  in magical ceremonies. Call in guests will include Frater Heracles John  Sheffield whose new rituals and articles suggested the topic, Soror  Urania Ann Finnin whose Celtic Church, the Roebuck, has been doing these  operations for years, and Soror Ariel Jo Carson of Feraferia who will be  presenting a Lammas Rite at Rivendell in August, so if you would like to attend this meeting of the minds on the subject of being God and Goddess-like,   tune in and we shall bring the heavens down to Earth.

My guest today is Aswath Damodaran, a Professor of Finance at NYU's Stern School of Business. Aswath is one of the clearest teachers of investing and finance in our industry and through his blog, books, and YouTube has open-sourced his wisdom for decades. This conversation is a masterclass of key investing concepts. We discuss inflation, narratives, disruption, the evolution of alpha and edge, and his thoughts on ESG. Please enjoy this great conversation with Aswath Damodaran.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.   -----   This episode is brought to you by Canalyst. Canalyst is the leading destination for public company data and analysis. If you're a professional equity investor and haven't talked to Canalyst recently, you should give them a shout. Learn more and try Canalyst for yourself at canalyst.com/Patrick.    -----   This episode is brought to you by Brex. Brex is the integrated financial platform trusted by the world's most innovative entrepreneurs and fastest-growing companies. With Brex, you can move money fast for instant impact with high-limit corporate cards, payments, venture debt, and spend management software all in one place. Ready to accelerate your business? Learn more at brex.com/best.   -----   Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.    Past guests include Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossus   Show Notes [00:02:43] - [First question] - How he thinks about inflation as a now dominant force [00:04:33] - Why inflation is so important across the spectrum [00:09:02] - Big lessons from other periods of historically high inflation writ large [00:10:45] - Reasons why equities as an asset class struggle in high inflation environments [00:15:21] - The relationship betweens goods versus services in times of high inflation [00:16:59] - Broader economic implications especially for income inequality [00:19:03] - The Fed taking inflation seriously now when they didn't and thoughts on the policy response to today's situation [00:21:05] - How smart companies are defensively adjusting to inflation [00:24:38] - Thoughts on returns on invested capital with emphasis on invested capital  [00:27:46] - The importance of a capital allocation skill-set for executive team members [00:29:32] - Further historic lessons and how he's being defensive against inflation [00:33:09] - Lessons learned about Amazon valuing them every year since their inception [00:37:50] - How to figure out a new company's narrative and the story they're telling [00:42:25] - Whenever he sees Thanos in the Avengers he thinks of Amazon [00:44:51] - Thoughts on Facebook, Apple and Microsoft [00:48:26] - The evolution of edge and the search for alpha [00:54:37] - Whether or not there's utility in studying other investors  [00:57:16] - Skill versus luck and the most common valuation mistakes he's made [00:59:09] - Assuming long-term growth rates and changing company life cycles [01:02:02] - Momentum and Value investing in today's market [01:07:24] - Differences between interest rates and discount rates in regards to inflation [01:10:29] - Thoughts on equity risk premium in a market like this [01:12:00] - How today's market affects early stage equity investment [01:14:36] - The growing popularity of ESG and his seemingly contrarian view on it [01:24:03] - Nature of disruption as a force and companies that are protected from it [01:28:24] - Assigning a disruption risk premium when valuing companies [01:31:17] - Characteristics that will define the most successful leaders over the next decade [01:32:52] - What he makes of Elon Musk buying Twitter [01:34:24] - Other major topics he has a divergent view on  [01:38:37] - Narrative And Numbers; The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him [01:38:55] - Teaching with a goal of changing mindsets 

Assuming the lights to be from a car, Barton drove toward them in order to intercept any unauthorised trespassers. The lights vanished when he arrived at the site where he had last seen them, but now he found his vehicle mired in the soft desert sand. Walking approximately two miles back to base, the sergeant intercepted a patrol and they radioed for a tow truck. When the truck arrived and everyone returned to the Sergeant's vehicle, they found 3-toed tracks measuring 14 inches long with what appeared to be a clawed digit at the heel. The wind was blowing soft sand and the footprints were filling in rapidly, making any precise identifications difficult. But whatever "it" was that left the tracks had completely circled the truck as if inspecting it and then walked off on two legs into the desert.

After months of spending time with and getting to know a construction contractor partnership we got to the point where they thought, “We really need help.” After a few days, they came back and said, “I think we'll really be ready in about six months… what do you think?” This is a multi-million dollar, 40-employee business where each partner is having to stay at the office till 10 pm many evenings just to ensure that all of the moving parts of their business and life is being held up.  They are spinning plates, juggling balls, throwing hail mary's, and hoping that when all is tallied up at the end of each year that they have more money than when they began.   I asked simply, “what will be different in six months?” They looked at each other at a loss for thought, “probably nothing” they replied. In that moment I had a decision to make, give in to their excuses, or tell them the truth. The truth is that they have the bones of a great, legacy business and yet they are at risk of losing their friendship and their family if they continue down the hair-on-fire path they were currently on. I decided to respond with the mind of a coach instead of the mind of a placater, “you need to make time to begin right now…you have no time to waste, and if you do kick the can down the road, you will never get that time back…and time is ticking fast.” They did not hesitate and we began a powerful coaching relationship. Not everyone is ready for coaching.  In fact, we have a 26-point checklist that each of our coaches use to determine the fit of an ideal client. There are three questions we ask in particular that tell us if an entrepreneur and business owner are ready for a coaching relationship. First, are they willing to make time for coaching and implementation? We are told by many business owners, I can't find the time.  You will never magically find time… there is no more time to be found.  We are all allotted the same quantity distributed at the exact same frequency.   There is no more time to find.   Instead, will you manufacture your schedule in such a way that you prioritize the content of your coaching to learn, install, and implement?  You must take the time you have and make it conform to your vision.  Coaching is not primarily counseling where you layout a problem and then discuss psychological mechanisms to leverage in the future when those situations arise (although there is plenty of psychology in coaching). Coaching is game-planning, forethought, scouting, play-calling, no-nonsense communication, enforcing repetition, accountability, and motivation.  Coaching is not cheerleading and empty flattery. You are being coached for one reason... to be liberated from business chaos, so you can make time for what matters most.  Second question we ask is, "Is the business owner or entrepreneur willing to do everything we ask them to do based on the roadmap?" A sports coach is not taking implementation cues from the player…a sports coach is leading the player into the direction they wish to go.  Want to win a championship?  It is the coach's job to help you get there.  Want to build a team legacy?  It is the coach's job to help you get there.  I've seen it before when the coach loses her zeal for accountability, repetition, and implementation, rarely does the player take that responsibility on themselves.  The coach creates a roadmap for the player. Is the player willing to follow the roadmap even when it seems incongruent?   A final question we ask is, “does the business owner or entrepreneur have more money coming in the front door than is going out the back door?” We have become too comfortable with what I'll call day-to-day debt.  Assuming that it is normal and customary for us to credit-card and line-of-credit ourselves into and out of situations. We can brag on our profit and loss statements all day, but we all know inherently those are usually numbers on a page instead of cash in accounts. In every business we have ever worked with, there are leaks, holes in the financial hull of the business.  It is normal, but we should never be lulled into being ok with the holes long-term.  Instead, we want to plug the holes and shutter the back door where appropriate payables get shipped out, but everything else is retained for reinvestment or just fun profit! If the business is in a tailspin habit of spending tomorrow's deposits on yesterday's payables, it is hard for anyone to help that situation without major intervention.   We're not looking for perfectly healthy businesses, we are looking for business owners and entrepreneurs who have real desire to grow, to do things differently, leading them to a place where they are liberated from chaos.   In short, it is time to hire a coach when you are ready to do things different, to make time for the things that really matter, and follow principled leadership and wisdom in the mapped-out repetition of great discipline that leads to freedom.

In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Dave Dowling to discuss the top five mistakes that people tend to make with perennial cut flower plants. Whether you're a home gardener or a commercial cut-flower grower, Dave offers tips for avoiding these common perennial planting mistakes: 1. Not having weed management practices in place. You can't use chemical treatments on perennial beds, you'll need physical methods of weed prevention that match the growth habit of the plant (clump-forming vs. spreading). 2. Planting a perennial in the wrong place. Pay attention to the particular sun and water needs of each plant and place them in an environment where they'll thrive. Recognize that there are some perennials that you will not be able to grow on your property due to environmental conditions. 3. Planting the wrong variety. Did you know that there are different varieties of perennials produced specifically for cut flowers? Make sure you're purchasing the correct varieties that grow tall for cut flower production, not the dwarf varieties that are grown as bedding plants. 4. Not having a watering plan for your perennials. While most perennials, once established, may survive a drier season, they probably won't thrive and may not flower at all. Perennials need regular irrigation to achieve maximum flower production. 5. Assuming that perennials are less work than growing annuals. Perennials have their own maintenance requirements, including weeding, watering, and fall cleanup. Some perennials need to be dug up and divided every few years. Some are short-lived and need to be replanted every few years. *PRO TIP* For a decent volume of cut-flower production, Dave recommends planting at least 25 plants of each variety of perennial that you want to grow. If space is limited, planting a handful of perennial varieties in larger volumes is better than planting just a few plants of more varieties, which won't yield enough of any one thing to sell. Links & Mentions Dave's online course, published by The Gardener's Workshop: Flower Farming School Online: Bulbs, Perennials, Woodies, and More! Published by the ASCFG: Postharvest Handling of Cut Flowers and Greens Purchase from Dave at Ball Colorlink: wholesale perennials for cut-flower production The Field and Garden Podcast is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-wining author of Vegetables Love Flowers and Cool Flowers, owner of The Gardener's Workshop, Flower Farming School Online, and the publisher of Farmer-Florist School Online and Florist School Online. Watch Lisa's Story and connect with Lisa on social!

The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty, you have just over four thousand weeks.Nobody needs telling there isn't enough time. We're obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we're deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and “life hacks” to optimize our days. But such techniques often end up making things worse. The sense of anxious hurry grows more intense, and still the most meaningful parts of life seem to lie just beyond the horizon. Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks.Oliver Burkeman is a feature writer for The Guardian. He is a winner of the Foreign Press Association's Young Journalist of the Year Award and has been short-listed for the Orwell Prize. He wrote a popular weekly column on psychology, "This Column Will Change Your Life," and has reported from New York, London, and Washington, D.C. His books include Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals and The Antidote: Happiness for People who Can't Stand Positive Thinking. Get Four Thousand Weeks Here: Amazon US Amazon AUSPre-order my new book 'The Path of an Eagle: How To Overcome & Lead After Being Knocked Down'. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/thestorybox. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Paul and Donna are hired by Prince Waldo Charming to find his lost love - his only clue?  A shoe. Cast List Donna Bella - Julie Hoverson Paul Bette - Joel Harvey Goldy Taylor - Rhys Torres-Miller Prince Waldo - Morgan Brown Alexander - Will Watt Rumplestiltskin - Philemon Vanderbeck Miss Barbara - Robert Cudmore (YAP Audio) Espadrille - Reynaud LeBoeuf Music by  Somewhere Off Jazz Street      Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com) Editing and Sound:   Julie Hoverson Cover Design:  Julie Hoverson "What kind of a place is it? Why it's a private detective's office in a time sort of like the 1940s, can't you tell?" ******************************************** PUMPS AND SPECTATORS - B&B Investigates, episode 2 Cast: Announcer Donna Bella Paul Bette Goldy Tailor - secretary Prince Waldo Charming Baron Alexander/Cindy Espadrille gruff "stepsister" Barbara, housemother/fairy godmother OLIVIA     Did you have any trouble finding it?  What do you mean, what kind of a place is it?  Why, it's a Detective Agency, can't you tell?  MUSIC Scene 1.    SOUND    PHONE RINGS, PICKS UP GOLDY    B&B Investigations, may I help you?  [beat, then turns belligerent]  Look, it ain't gonna happen.  ... No.  Because the boss don't help no one find tarts.  Nope.  Never. SOUND    HANGS UP DONNA    Another missing good time girl? GOLDY    Nahhh.  Queen of hearts.  Ya know. DONNA    Oh.  Patticakes.  Well, if anything real comes in, I can handle it.  [annoyed] Just 'cause Paul's not back from the enchanted brute convention as early as he was supposed to be doesn't mean the office shuts down.  He may be off doing who knows what with his furred and fanged cronies, but I'm sure he knows he can trust me to take on whatever-- MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER Scene 2.    GOLDY    Man, she had it bad.  A case of sea green envy for what the boss might be getting up to with his old college chums.  So what they were mostly frogs, bears, and the occasional walrus - she'd heard the sort of thing they used to get up to-- DONNA    What are you doing? GOLDY    Filling in.  The boss should be back any minute, and then -- DONNA    Look, I don't need anyone else horning in on my - our voiceovers. GOLDY    I just figured you might not want to be the one pouring your heart out in a narrative conceit.... DONNA    So you thought you'd pour it out for me?  [sarcastic] Thanx. Scene 3.    SOUND    DOOR OPENS, JINGLE OF BELL MUSIC ENDS ALEXANDER    Pardon the interruption, ladies.  May I announce Prince Waldo Charming? SOUND    STRIDES REGALLY IN, FOLLOWED BY AN ENDLESS ENTOURAGE. DONNA     Did you have to bring the whole box of toy soldiers?  The office is only so big. ALEXANDER    [consults with the prince, then]  Atten-hut!  About face!  March. SOUND     ENDLESS FEET LEAVE AGAIN ALEXANDER    The prince apologizes for the intrusion, but he prefers to keep this as informal and ‑ahem- low-profile as possible. DONNA    Sure.  I can see that.  Why don't you step into the office over here? MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER Scene 4.    DONNA    So this was the infamous prince Waldo - the biggest royal catch of the last eight fishing seasons, and far too wily to let himself get hooked.  Every princess, rich society dame, screen siren, and various other lesser gold diggers had set their bait for him, and he swam serenely past them all.  I'm not among the anglers myself, since I already had my own trophy in sight- my own partner, Paul Bette, away now drinking with his cronies and doing whatever they please in the name of "old times". GOLDY    [side of the mouth] You're staring. DONNA    Huh?  GOLDY    [side of the mouth] He's about to get a restraining order. DONNA    Oh, um--  Office, right. MUSIC OUT Scene 5.    SOUND    OFFICE DOOR CLOSES DONNA    Well?  What can I do for you? PRINCE    Coffee? DONNA    Certainly. SOUND    CLICK OF INTERCOM GOLDY     A package just came for you. DONNA    Busy now.  Goldy?  Three coffees, please?  One too hot, and two just right?  Yes. SOUND    INTERCOM OUT DONNA    So, what brings you to a private investigator? PRINCE    I don't think we need to discuss it until he arrives.  DONNA    [barely polite]  What?  [exasperated noise]  He is due back soon, but I can help you just as well.  My name's on the door too.  Well, my initial, anyway. PRINCE    [bland, disinterested] Oh?  Lovely.  I hope you don't mind, but I find this is really a masculine sort of problem. DONNA    There are potions for that, you know. ALEXANDER    [incensed]  Young lady, what are you intimating? DONNA    That maybe he doesn't live up to his name? ALEXANDER    What's wrong with Waldo? DONNA    I meant Charming. PRINCE    I'll have you know-- SOUND    DOOR SLAMS OPEN PAUL    Coffee?  Donna?  Why don't you let me deal with these good gentlemen.  DONNA    What? PAUL    [muttered] Go to voiceover. Scene 6.    MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER DONNA    [spitting words] So I left the boys to it. PAUL    [vo] What Donna didn't know was that I'd been listening on the intercom and knew she'd been about to scratch the eyes out of a very powerful prince-- DONNA    It wasn't his eyes I'd be aiming for-- PAUL    And it wouldn't do us any good to get on his wrong side. DONNA    Does he have a right one? PAUL    So rather than subject her to more of the prince's royaler-than-thou attitude, I decided to step in and let her off the hook. DONNA    [softening] Oh! PAUL    Scoot. DONNA    Leave the intercom on.  [blows him a kiss] VOICEOVER MUSIC FADES Scene 7.    DONNA    I'll just scoot then and go get my nails done or something, shall I? PRINCE    While nothing could possibly enhance your already considerable beauty, I'm certain that's precisely what you need.  [kisses her hand] SOUND    FOOTSTEPS, DOOR Scene 8.    DONNA    Yup.  Definitely need to get my nails sharpened. GOLDY    Come on.  Let's hear what they have to say-- PRINCE    [on intercom]  Bit of a temper, has she, that girl? PAUL    [on intercom, fading to normal voice halfway through]  You don't know the half of it.  She's passionate about everything. PRINCE    Ah.  Well, then.  Let me get down to the problem at hand.  I think you will understand, Mr., um-- PAUL    Bette.  Paul Bette.  Just call me Paul if you like. PRINCE    Paul.  Quite.  And you may call me Prince Charming. PAUL    Charmed.  [waits for a laugh, nothing]  Ah.  Your case? PRINCE    Well, I have a passing acquaintance with an old school chum of yours, Prince Freddie Grenouille, and he says you are top of the line - both for cleverness and for ... ahem... discretion. PAUL    Absolutely.  Anything you say won't leave this room. PRINCE    Good.  I'm sorry to take so long to come to the point here, but this is a very delicate and stressful situation, and I am truly truly desperate. PAUL    Go on. Scene 9.    MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER PAUL    I'd seen it all, from paternity suits to clearing up the occasional "carriage under the influence" charge.  And the royals were often the worst.  They could get away with pretty much anything, as long as they were willing to risk the occasional fairy charm or gypsy curse.  MUSIC CHANGES DONNA    But Charming had never been a "bad boy" - at least not in any way that made it into the scandal rags-- PAUL    Hey, what's with the-- DONNA    My new voiceover music just arrived by special messenger.  I'm trying out a couple of different pieces.  What do you think? PAUL    Um... DONNA    You don't like it.  PAUL    It's a little ... perky. DONNA    Fine.  Go ahead and finish up.  PAUL    Are you ...annoyed? DONNA    [snapping] No.  VOICEOVER MUSIC CHANGES BACK TO NORMAL PAUL    Charming did have a nearly spotless record.  He was an athlete - Greco-roman wrestling, fencing, and polo, a supporter of the arts - even acted in a few charity plays from time to time.  A general bon vivant.  No dark side, or so everyone thought... VOICEOVER MUSIC OUT Scene 10.    PRINCE    [vibrant] So when I danced with her last night, it was like we'd known each other for ever! PAUL    Did you happen to catch her name? PRINCE    Only Cindy.  When I asked her last name, she merely smiled and changed the subject - she was so alluring! PAUL    And you want me to-- PRINCE    [desperate] Find her.  I must see her again.  You can't possibly understand the pressure a thirty-uh-something prince is under to find a bride.  PAUL    I can see that would be awkward. PRINCE    Women are constantly being shoved at me from all sides, and - frankly?  I can't stand most of them.  They're such insipid little birds.  They tell me how fascinating I am, and then proceed to show they know nothing at all about me.  They profess to like all the things I like, then don't even know how to spell jai-alai, let alone play it.  PRINCE    [continued] I've spent years carefully keeping clear of marriage, since it would mean I'd have to spend my entire life with  a silly little twit, and would be obligated to listen to her chirp. PAUL    And this Cindy? PRINCE    [raptured] Completely different.  She dressed marvelously, but didn't feel compelled to give me the names of all her tailors.  She danced like a dream, but didn't demand I take her for one more spin around the floor, or suggest we walk out on the balcony.  And when she said she liked the things I like, she - she actually did! PAUL    Can you give me a description? PRINCE    About my height - in heels - long glossy dark chestnut hair - a few shades darker than your young lady's auburn - rather like Alexander's here - huge luminous eyes, and long artist's fingers on very strong hands. PAUL    Hmm.  Alexander, was it? ALEXANDER    [slightly panicky] Sir? PAUL    Can you add anything? ALEXANDER    I wasn't--  I was with a sick friend last night. PAUL    Ah.  That's awkward.  [to prince] Do you have any other clue to her identity? PRINCE    Oh, yes.  Alexander, the bag. ALEXANDER    Sir. SOUND    BAG PLOPPED ONTO DESK, SOMETHING PULLED OUT PAUL    A... shoe. PRINCE    She ran away at the stroke of midnight, and left it behind. PAUL    Can I keep this? PRINCE    But - she'll need it, when I find her again. PAUL    I mean to go over it for clues.  I'll get it back to you. PRINCE    [sigh of relief] Well, yes, then.  I thought-- nevermind. PAUL    I have my own female troubles - I have no plans to try and horn in on yours. ALEXANDER    You think any woman would throw over [too warm] such a Charming price, for a big brute of a private eye? PAUL    [chastened] No.  [tries to chuckle]  Course not.  But I do have to warn you, sire-- PRINCE    Yes? PAUL    This girl.  If she deliberately made herself such a mystery, there may very well be a good reason. PRINCE    like what? PAUL    She could be anything - a commoner, a ghost, a transformed hedgehog-- ALEXANDER    Nonsense! PAUL    The point is, you need to face reality and understand that there could be something very shady about her. PRINCE    I don't care.  She's the only woman I've ever felt this way about, and I plan to marry her - come what may.  You find her for me.  I shall handle the rest. Scene 11.    MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER PAUL    Chauvinist or not, Charming was determined, in that way that only princes in love can be.  It was that particular brand of love that drives one to climb unclimbable mountains and fight unkillable dragons, and what do they get at the end?  Married. MUSIC CHANGES DONNA    Like Charming said, most princesses were simpering idiots with more hair than brains, and I should know - I may not be one myself, but I went to the same prep school. PAUL    This?  You decided on this? DONNA    Give me a break.  I can't tell how they're gonna sound until I try them out. PAUL    This is awful. DONNA    Fine.  Let me see the shoe, and we'll go on from there. MUSIC OUT Scene 12.    SOUND    SHOE SET ON DESK PAUL    There. DONNA    Nice. SOUND    HE SITS IN CHAIR PAUL    Do you think it's a little... large? DONNA    A bit bigger than mine. PAUL    Really, I guess I never really-- DONNA    Look at my feet? PAUL    [leering a bit] I never make it down that far... SOUND    SHE SITS UP ON DESK DONNA    Really? PAUL    Really.  [slight growl] DONNA    Question.  When I left, did the prince and his friend -uh- make it down that far? PAUL    What do you mean? DONNA    What were they looking at? PAUL    They just watched you leave. DONNA    I didn't hear you growl-- PAUL    Well, of course--  [suddenly worried] Oh-- you actually notice when I do that? DONNA    [dreamy]  Of course I do.  I don't mind when you-- um, get annoyed on my behalf. PAUL    [deep breath]  I think we're getting a bit off track here. DONNA    Right.  Shoe. PAUL    No, left.  Shoe.  Anything? DONNA    It's a Dolce-geppeto.  They're pricey, but not extortionate.  Too bad she didn't mention her dressmaker - that would have been a much better clue.  PAUL    Well, how many places sell these shoes? DONNA    Assuming she's local, maybe six of the big boutiques downtown. PAUL    You wanna take those, then?  Go ask questions? DONNA    Um... No.  PAUL    You don't want to go shopping for shoes?  I mean, [scared] you're going to leave me to hit all these fancy ladies' shoe shops? DONNA    I have some ideas of my own to follow up on, and the shoe isn't going anywhere.  Tell you what, if you don't get a hit on the shoe in 24 hours, I'll take it.  PAUL    But - but how do I even ask? DONNA    Here. SOUND    INTERCOM BEEP DONNA    Goldy, could you come in here? SOUND    DOOR GOLDY    Yeah? DONNA    Take this to Rose & Snow's and ask for the style number.  Then ask them if they have any record of someone buying this shoe in this size in the last two weeks. GOLDY    I don't do legwork.  I ain't as young as I used to be. DONNA    Buy yourself a pair of shoes - on the office - while you're there. GOLDY    Gimme that! SOUND    SNATCH, DOOR SLAMS PAUL    [brightening] So I could just send her round to every store? DONNA    Not at a pair of shoes per trip.  We'd run through our entire commission. PAUL    What? DONNA    I said they weren't cheap.  One pair we can add in as a legitimate expense - past that...  [shrug]  Once you get the style nunmber, you can phone the rest.  Well, I'm heading out. SOUND    JUMPS DOWN OFF DESK DONNA    Need anything? PAUL    [a bit lost, watching her]  Um, no... DONNA    Chow! Scene 13.    MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER PAUL    Wo.  [deep breath]  I thought over the content of our discussion and realized there was something she was keeping back - that secret smile, the strange questions - but while we were talking I couldn't take my eyes off her, sitting on my desk like that, one silk-seamed leg crossed over the other.  [growl]  She doesn't even seem to notice the effect she has on me, and I'm not sure whether that makes it worse or better - if I tell her, she might just stop, and then I won't even get this much of a-- MUSIC CHANGES AGAIN DONNA    What is this, a beer garden?  They sent me the wrong box, I'm sure of it. PAUL    It's not so bad - for a polka. DONNA    Hmph.  You done yet? PAUL    Uh, yeah - I'll talk to a few folks while I'm waiting for Goldy to get back. DONNA    [beat] There are things men just don't see, and which it's probably better they don't.  A picture was painting itself in my head, and while it wasn't a particularly tricky answer to the problem of find the girl, it also wasn't likely to have the happiest of endings.  Why?  I added up a size 11 shoe, a lady who could spell jai alai and a prince who didn't stare at my backside as I left the room, and I got a very queer answer indeed. MUSIC     STARTS TO FADE DONNA    And it was an answer I wasn't sure my wonderful he-man partner would be at all happy about, which is why I went alone to a boarding house we used to rather snottily call Gamma Alpha Ypsilon, back in my own sorority days.  SOUND    FEET ON PORCH, KNOCK ON DOOR Scene 14.    ESPADRILLE    Yes? DONNA    Hi, I'm a P.I. and I'm-- SOUND     DOOR SLAM DONNA    [sigh] SOUND    KNOCK ON DOOR DONNA    I'm not going away.  You can talk to me, or you can talk to my partner, and he ain't gonna understand. SOUND    DOOR FLUNG OPEN BARBARA    What do you want? DONNA    I'm looking for someone, and I think she might be known here. BARBARA    For this you come around annoying my girls?  Scaring poor Espadrille half to death? DONNA    I have no interest in making trouble for anybody.  Please.  I just have some questions and would rather not shout them to the entire world.  Can we talk? BARBARA    [deciding] You tell me what you need, I decide if I'll ask anyone else.  Come on - my parlor's over here. MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER Scene 15.    DONNA    So I outlined the problem, and Miss Barbara was very upset by the whole situation - she said she was sure Cindy wasn't one of her ...boarders, but that she would ask around.  She didn't give me much hope, though. Scene 16.    MUSIC OUT BARBARA    Tell the poor boy it will never work.  Two worlds, all that.  He would have to be willing and able to take her as she is - warts and all, as they say - and the chances of that are - pfft! DONNA    You might be surprised. BARBARA    Honey, I ain't been surprised in years. VOICEOVER MUSIC CUTS IN Scene 17.    PAUL    Were you using the old music again? DONNA    I ...forgot.  Sorry.  But the new stuff is pretty cringe-worthy. PAUL    Keep trying, sweetheart.  You'll find something. DONNA    I hope so.  Did you need the voiceover? PAUL    Only if you're finished.  DONNA    [sigh] Yeah, I guess so.  I need to think. PAUL    So I checked with the photographers from last night's big bash - and found that the mystery just deepened.  This Cindy was a slick sister - seemed to always know where the snappers were and managed to keep her back to them all night.  Only once did they catch half a profile, head and shoulders with just a glimpse of the side of her face - I told him to blow it up and send it over, along with a dozen of the dress, figuring maybe Donna could play name that dressmaker.  Then I decided to catch up with an old friend... MUSIC OUT Scene 18.    SOUND    BANGING ON A DOOR RUMPY    [muffled, hung over] Bugger off! SOUND    CLINKING OF COINS PAUL    One, two, three-- SOUND    DOOR IS FLUNG OPEN RUMPY    If it ain't me old pal, Bette.  Git yourself inside here - that daylight's too damn bright. SOUND    SHUFFLING FEET PAUL    It's dark out. SOUND    A COUPLE OF STEPS RUMPY    Then what am I doing asleep?  SOUND    BONK PAUL    Ow! RUMPY     [amused] Gotta watch them rafters, you old beanstalk you. PAUL    [strained, cause he's bending over]  I need you to find out about someone for me.  A woman. RUMPY    Your sweet partner?  She running around with other ...dicks? PAUL    What?  What do you--? RUMPY    Nothing.  Just wondering maybe she plying her trade - and I do mean detecting, no offense, [sarcastic] my friend - elsewhere. PAUL    Of course she's not.  She wouldn't-- RUMPY     You're probably right.  So who did you want me to check over? SOUND    CORK OUT OF JUG PAUL    [musing] There wouldn't be time, anyway - though she didn't want to take on the shoe-- RUMPY    [gulping, then] Whazzat? PAUL    Nothing.  Um.  Right.  A woman who was spotted at the Prince's June Glam ball last night.  No one seems to know who she was, and she didn't, apparently, have an invite. RUMPY    [way sarcastic] Yeah, one look at me, and you just know I'm up on the society pages.  PAUL    I don't think this dame's "society."  I think she's working an angle on the prince, and I want to know if there's a whisper anywhere.  RUMPY    What's in it for me? PAUL    This, now-- SOUND    CLINK OF TWO COINS PAUL    And twice that if you can deliver. RUMPY    C'mon, Bette, old buddy, old pal - I'm gonna haveta drink around for this, maybe float some people.  Play the game. PAUL    Keep your receipts. SOUND    A COUPLE STEPS, THEN SOUND    BONK! PAUL    Ow! MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER Scene 19.    PAUL    I started the wheels in motion, but nothing would turn up for a couple of days - if ever.  [beat]  Donna?  Are you there?  [beat, then worried]  I figured she just didn't like the case - she certainly didn't seem to take a shine to that prince.  He was handsome, in that tall, cold, blonde princely sort of way, and she always says she hates those guys.  [beat]  Donna? DONNA    Busy now.  I'll fill in my part later. PAUL    Where are you?  Maybe I can come by and help? DONNA    Nope.  Just interviewing the prince's friend.  You go ahead and keep the--  Oops, gotta go! PAUL    The friend?  Dark haired, willowy, handsome, not so tall.  Not a good train of thought to catch, since like any other express, it runs non-stop.  [up]  I'll just go back to the office then, shall I? DONNA    [chuckling breaks off] Hmm?  Oh, sure.  See you in a bit. PAUL    [growls] MUSIC OUT Scene 20.    SOUND    DOOR SLAMS OPEN HARD GOLDY    I see someone's in a bright and shiny mood. PAUL    No calls. SOUND    STOMPING FEET, OFFICE DOOR YANKS OPEN, THEN SLAMS VOICEOVER MUSIC - new tune, not too bad. GOLDY    What did she do? DONNA    What? GOLDY    Oops - I'll get out of-- DONNA    Wait, what did who do? [waits a second]  Goldy?  Chicken.  Fine.  Music hold. SOUND    MUSIC CUTS SUDDENLY SOUND    TELEPHONE RINGS GOLDY    B&B Investigations, how may--  DONNA    [filter] What were you saying? GOLDY    Oh.  Boss is kind of upset is all.  Figured, um... DONNA    [filter, warning] What? GOLDY    Well, when he starts slamming doors, he's usually annoyed... um... with-- you? DONNA    [filter, long breath to get her composure back] I am in the middle of something, but-- Soon as I'm back, we're going to have a-- GOLDY    Oops - call coming in.  buh-Bye! SOUND    PHONE HANGS UP Scene 21.    ALEXANDER    Were you finished with me?  DONNA    Not quite, but I don't think we can talk here.  I need you to come to my suite at the Andersen Arms.  Tonight at 7 p.m.  Alone. ALEXANDER    Really, miss Bella, I don't think-- DONNA    Sweetie, you're not my type.  But we need to talk somewhere a bit more private.  ALEXANDER    [cautious and concerned] Talk? SOUND    SCRIBBLING A NOTE ON PAPER DONNA    It's regarding the welfare of the prince, and you know how people leap on-- SOUND    HANDING PAPER OVER ALEXANDER    Hmm?  [reads, gasps, the a bit frightened] Yes, of course.  I'll-- I'll be there. Scene 22.    NEW MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER - KIND OF ROMANCEY DONNA     Now to figure out how to tell Paul I wanted to handle a denouement on my own.  GOLDY    You want I should tell him? DONNA    Will you stop jumping in on the voiceovers?  We have enough trouble sharing them as it is. GOLDY    Fine.  I was gonna tell you where the boss is.  But since you obviously have everything well in hand-- DONNA    Where is he?  [beat]  Goldy?  Hold. Scene 23.    MUSIC CUTS OUT SOUND    PHONE RINGS DONNA    Come on... PAUL    [on phone] Hello? DONNA    Oh, drat. PAUL    [on phone] What?  Donna? DONNA    Paul, I-- PAUL    [on phone] I've found Cindy. DONNA    You have?  Where? PAUL    [on phone] Well, a good solid lead.  Should have my hands on her by this evening, but she's a tough cookie to nail down.  DONNA    Crumbs! PAUL    [on phone] What? DONNA    If you nailed down a cookie.  Nevermind. PAUL    [on phone] Why are we talking on the phone?  Why don't you just come on into the office? DONNA    I - I've got a terrible headache.  Think I'll go home and lie down.  Be fresh in the morning.  Bye! PAUL    [on phone] Donna?  [normal]  Donna? SOUND    HANGS UP THE PHONE PAUL    Damn.  Headache, my eye. SOUND    PHONE RINGS, keeps ringing PAUL    Goldy?  You wanna get this? GOLDY    [off] Nah - it's probably her again. PAUL    But it's your job to answer the phone... GOLDY    [off] I'm on my break. SOUND    PHONE PICKED UP PAUL    [sighs, then tries to mimic Goldy's voice] B&B Investigations, how can I help you? GOLDY    [off] Oy... RUMPY    [on phone]  You got a cold, Bette?  Or just drinking alum? PAUL    [normal]  Stuff it.  What you got, Rumpy? RUMPY    [on phone]  [chuckles]  What you got for me? PAUL    I'll meet you tomorrow. RUMPY    [on phone]  Nuh-uh.  [sighs]  My expense account musta grown from magic beans - it's just about sky level now. PAUL    We didn't-- RUMPY    [on phone]  Oh, it'll be worth it.  Bring your wallet to the Andersen Arms right away.  I'm in the lobby. SOUND    PHONE HANGS UP Scene 24.    MUSIC FOR VOICEOVER - STILL THE LAST MUSIC DONNA WAS USING, ROMANTIC PAUL    What the--?  This is... Donna's music?  [gulps]  The Andersen Arms was a classic old building on Mermaid street, and Donna had lived there for-- RUMPY    Did you bring the clinkage? PAUL    I'm not there yet.  This is still the voiceover. RUMPY    [chuckles] Nice grooves.  You going soft, pal.  PAUL    It's Donna's new music. RUMPY    So she's going soft? Hmmm... PAUL    Look, I'll be there in a second! RUMPY    No skin off my nose. PAUL    [sigh] Fine.  I arrived.  Done. MUSIC FADES OUT Scene 25.    RUMPY    Took you long enough.  Cross my palm, and I'll tell you all. SOUND    COINS CLINK RUMPY    That's what I'm talking about.  I've got one interesting tidbit-- PAUL    Shh.  Hide! RUMPY    What? PAUL    That fellow, who just skulked in.  I know him. RUMPY    Friend of yours? PAUL    A client.  RUMPY    Hmm.  Is this a consultation? PAUL    Hold that thought.  I'll be back to get my coins' worth. SOUND    STORMS IN THROUGH REVOLVING DOOR RUMPY    [going off] I'll start you an account. ORIGINAL VOICEOVER MUSIC STARTS PAUL    Nope.  [beat]  Go away.  [beat] I'm not saying anything. MUSIC ENDS IN A HUFF Scene 26.    SOUND    ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN SOUND    HEAVY STRIDES, KNOCKING ON A DOOR DONNA    [off]  Huh?  Hello? PAUL    Open up. DONNA    [dramatic gasp] Paul?  SOUND    DOOR OPENS, HE PUSHES IN DONNA    What?  What's wrong with you? PAUL    It's highly unprofessional, you know. DONNA    Well, I should say so! PAUL    To just waltz in here like this-- DONNA    Ye-e-es. PAUL    And--  What? DONNA    Are you apologizing? PAUL    What?  No.  Where is he?  I saw him in the lobby-- DONNA    [gasp]  You came here because--  You thought - [gasp]! PAUL    What am I supposed to think? DONNA    I solved the case, but you're not going to like the answer. PAUL    What makes you think I won't? SOUND    WATER RUNS IN THE BATHROOM PAUL    [growls] DONNA    That's why.  Look, I was about to do the big unveil, but-- PAUL    [plaintive] Without me? DONNA    [softening] You'll understand.  Can you keep quiet? PAUL    Of course I can.  SOUND    BLOWDRYER RUNS PAUL    [growls] DONNA    Hmm? PAUL    [sheepish] O-k. SOUND    KNOCK ON THE DOOR DONNA    That will be the prince. SOUND    FEET, DOOR OPENS Scene 27.    DONNA    Come in, your royal highness. SOUND    HESITANT FOOTSTEPS PAUL    No entourage? DONNA    Ssh.  Thank you for coming alone. PRINCE    [upset] I haven't much choice.  Alexander is nowhere to be found. PAUL    Your pal from the office? PRINCE    We've been chums since childhood.  I feel rather exposed without him along. DONNA    It must have been awkward, then, that he couldn't make it to the ball. PRINCE    It was the first he ever missed.  Too bad,  I think he'll like Cindy. DONNA    They probably have a lot in common. PAUL    [suspicious]  They do...? DONNA    You better have a seat, sire.  This is likely to get a little awkward. PRINCE    But have you found my Cindy? DONNA    Yes. PAUL    [quiet] Yes? PRINCE    Where is she? SOUND    DOOR OPENS, HEAVY FOOTSTEPS BARBARA    Right here.  Come on out, honey. SOUND    SLOW BARE FOOTSTEPS SOUND    CHAIR ALMOST TOPPLES AS PRINCE SPRINGS UP PRINCE    Darling! CINDY    [vexed] Oh, dear!  Why did you bring him here? DONNA    Hold on!  Sorry I didn't warn you, Cindy.  Sit down, your highness. PRINCE    But my darling, don't you want--? I thought we-- we clicked. PAUL    [musing quietly, gets it] Like they'd known each other for years.  [groan, gets it]  Oh. DONNA    Shh.  PRINCE    But you're the only woman I've ever loved. CINDY    And you're about to despise me. PRINCE    That could never happen. CINDY    Yes it can.  [voice lowers to Alexander, then ruefully]  I'm just lucky you're a bit nearsighted, Waldo. PRINCE    What?  Alexander? BARBARA    She prefers Cindy when she's all dolled up. CINDY    [Cindy again] I really do. PRINCE    But... is it a spell? CINDY    No.  It's just-- BARBARA    Go on, hon.  There's no going back now. CINDY    I could probably spin you a grand story about being enchanted, or cursed, but none of it is true.  Unless you count love as some kind of magic. PRINCE    Love? CINDY    I never meant it to be more than one night.  One chance to dance... with you.  But you - you just had to [wistful] go all manly and try and find me!  Barbara convinced me it's better to let you know, rather than leave you searching forever. BARBARA    Trust me, he'd eventually find some clue to who you are.  The higher the hopes, the harder the fall, and all that. CINDY    Don't worry, I've already - I mean Alexander has already - applied for a quest permit, and I plan to absent myself from court for a decade or so. PRINCE    I say - I'm the prince here.  Don't I get any say? CINDY    Yes.  [deep breath, bracing herself]  BARBARA    [comforting] I'm right here. DONNA    Me too. CINDY    Go ahead. PRINCE    I-- I suppose I never thought about you that way, Alexander. CINDY    [wilting] Of course. PRINCE    Until I saw you at the ball. CINDY    [startled, perking up a bit] Oh? PRINCE    Perhaps there is some magic.  To love. CINDY    But you don't want me.  I mean you want this-- the surface-- when underneath, I'm-- PRINCE    My best friend?  What's so wrong?  I've met far too many beautiful girls I can't stand to be near.  You do something to me. CINDY    [gasps ecstatically] [their voices fade for a bit] Scene 28.    DONNA    I wish it could work for them. PAUL    Really?  It seems an odd match.  Really odd. DONNA    What's wrong with an odd match?  Love's all that matters.  Though I do have one concern.  Babs? BARBARA    [sniffling a bit at the romantic moment]  What?  Yes?  Oh, go on - I'm all verklempt. DONNA    I get choked up too.  But, what about when they're supposed to--you know-- have kids? BARBARA    Oh that's a piece of cake.  There's always a baby in a peach pit, or I have this deal with the marsh king.  You'd be surprised how often these kinds of things happen. PRINCE    [fading back in] But how will it ever work? PAUL    [clears throat]  May I? DONNA    What?  Really? PAUL    I'm not one to stand in the way of true love.  You said Alexander applied for a quest permit - no reason he shouldn't go, disappearing from court, about the same time Prince Charming-- PRINCE    Oh, you can call me Waldo. PAUL    Thank you, your highness.  [back to the point] At the same time that Waldo meets Alexander's distant cousin Cindy, who sneaked into town to surprise him and ran into the prince instead.  DONNA    Oh, and, if you can, you should do a little bit of almost being seen together, which will take a little quick change action, but we can help with that, right Barbara? BARBARA    Quick change is practically my middle name. PAUL    Alexander can send a letter now and then, eventually rescue a damsel in distress, and settle down in a kingdom far far away.  PRINCE    There's only one thing left to do! DONNA    Oh? PRINCE    I hope you remembered to bring that shoe.  It will have to do until we can get rings... BARBARA    [choked up] I'll start planning the reception! Scene 29.    OLD VOICEOVER MUSIC PAUL    So, the prince found his true love.  DONNA    Love's funny that way. PAUL    And all Alexander's-- DONNA    --Cindy's-- PAUL    --years of devotion paid off. DONNA    Waldo better appreciate all he's-- she's done. PAUL    There's just not enough pronouns-- DONNA    --Particularly since some of your friends are definitely "it"s. PAUL    Hah. Hah. DONNA    Speaking of those, how was the enchanted beasts reunion? PAUL    [down] Fine.  Every year there's less of us left - too many with their curses broken, or married with better things to do. DONNA    [hopeful]  It's in the air.  Love, I mean. PAUL    [growls, close] Yeah... [backing off] I mean, they make a cute couple... GOLDY    [exasperated] Oh, shut up and kiss her already. PAUL & DONNA    What? GOLDY    You heard me.  Think quick - I'm on double overtime just to be in this voiceover. CLOSING  

Industrial Society and Its Future, is otherwise known as “The Unabomber Manifesto,” written by Ted Kaczynski. Kaczynsnki is a terrorist who killed three people, and injured twenty-three others, by sending bombs through the mail, between 1978 and 1995. He used his terror campaign to exploit the negativity bias of media and pressure the Washington Post and New York Times into publishing his 35,000-word anti-technology manifesto. Obviously, what Kaczynski did was horrible, but his manifesto is a thought-provoking, albeit extreme, perspective on technology. And so here is my summary of Industrial Society and Its Future. Leftism creeps towards totalitarianism The manifesto begins with a seemingly out-of-place rant about leftism creeping toward totalitarianism: According to Kaczynski, leftists have low self-esteem, are defeatist, and hate themselves. They hate success, and feel the groups they try to protect are inferior. They are overburdened by guilt over their natural drives, and so want to turn into issues of morality things that don't have anything to do with morality, such as policing the use of words to which they themselves have applied negative connotations. Anti-left is not far-right When people hear anti-leftism, they tend to assume the person with those views is far-right. But it's worth noting that's not Kaczynski's view. A quote, for example: [Leftists] want to preserve African American culture. But in what does this preservation of African American culture consist? It can hardly consist in anything more than eating black-style food, listening to black-style music, wearing black-style clothing and going to a black- style church or mosque. In other words, it can express itself only in superficial matters. In all ESSENTIAL respects most leftists of the oversocialized type want to make the black man conform to white, middle-class ideals. In sum, Kaczynski is anti-left, because ultimately leftists still work to preserve the industrial system. This appears to come out of “left-field,” but the meat of the manifesto is more coherent, and later we'll better understand why he brought up his views on leftism. Industrial society robs us of the “Power Process” As industrial society progresses, Kaczynski says, people lose more and more freedom. This makes them miserable, because it robs them of what he calls the “power process.” The power process consists of four main elements: A goal Effort put forth toward that goal The attainment of that goal Autonomy in pursuit of that goal To be happy, a person needs goals that require effort, a reasonable rate of success in achieving those goals, and personal control throughout that process. We replace the power process with “surrogate activities” You might think we, in industrial society, have many goals we pursue and attain through effort, but Kaczynski says we merely pursue what he calls “surrogate activities.” Surrogate activities are artificial goals, because they aren't for the purposes of meeting our basic biological needs, and so aren't totally fulfilling. He says we merely think surrogate activities, such as our jobs, are fulfilling, because we have to do very little in industrial society to meet our basic biological needs – such as eating, or having shelter. So, we've never felt true fulfillment. All we do is either easy or impossible He says there are three kinds of drives we experience in the pursuit of goals: 1) minimal effort, 2) serious effort and 3) impossible. The power process, he says, is more about group two, or serious effort. Our surrogate activities require minimal effort. But at the same time, many other things are impossible in industrial society, because we don't have control over them. For example, our security depends upon decisions made by others, such as safety standards at a nuclear power plant, how much pesticide is in our foods, and how much pollution is in our air. Somebody else makes these decisions for us, and in many cases we can't even know if what we're being told is true. As technology grants freedoms, it takes them away He points out that technology seems to grant us freedoms, but it really takes them away. As each advance in technology is collectively accepted, we lose control in some new area. Cars have become so ubiquitous you can't walk in many places. So you need to get further integrated into the industrial system by getting a drivers' license, insurance, and registration. Or, you can take the bus and have even less freedom. As we're increasingly able to alter our genes, it will become harder to enforce a code of ethics. First, genetic engineering will be used to treat genetic diseases, then further alterations will be seen as “good.” The upper class will decide what's good or not, until we have a genetically-engineered upper class, and a distantly-lower class taking genetic rolls of the dice. (This is already happening, as gene splicing is being used to treat diseases such as sickle-cell anemia, meanwhile a scientist in China crossed the agreed-upon ethics line and genetically-engineered children.) We'll outsource decisions to computers, until we no longer understand ourselves the decisions the computers are making. So we'll keep them running to keep the system afloat. At that point, the machines will be in control. Kaczynski thinks mood-altering drugs are over-prescribed, often just to deal with the psychological stress of living in industrial society. If more people need, say, antidepressants to tolerate living in a depressing world, that world is then allowed to get even more depressing, until the drugs are a requirement. (This reminds me of the soma everyone in modern society takes in the dystopian science-fiction book, Brave New World. That book has also been made into a series.) My thoughts: Coronavirus and the power process I couldn't help but think about this loss of control Kaczynski describes as I watched people's behavior during the coronavirus pandemic. While I personally chose to follow protocols and get a vaccine, it was an interesting moment when industrial society clashed with individual autonomy. To sustain industrial society – which is so ubiquitous it's impossible to “opt-out” – institutions deemed it necessary to make blanket decisions on the behalf of individuals. Some people weren't cool with that. Whether their reasoning made logical sense was irrelevant – the emotional roots of their reactions were understandable. Industrial society and the gig economy One thought-provoking quote from the manifesto sounds like a prediction of the gig economy. It has been suggested, for example, that a great development of the service industries might provide work for human beings. Thus people would spent [sic] their time shining each other's shoes, driving each other around in taxicabs, making handicrafts for one another, waiting on each other's tables, etc. This seems to [me] a thoroughly contemptible way for the human race to end up, and [I] doubt that many people would find fulfilling lives in such pointless busy-work. They would seek other, dangerous outlets (drugs, crime, “cults,” hate groups) unless they were biologically or psychologically engineered to adapt them to such a way of life. Industrial society makes us fear mortality Your immediate reaction might be that industrial society is worth the lack of control. It increases average lifespan, and prevents early deaths from infant mortality, disease, or relatively easy fixes, such as an appendicitis. Kaczynski says our obsession with longevity and staying youthful is a symptom of our lack of fulfillment, due to the disruption of the power process. If we lived lives full of autonomous struggle toward goals that directly met our biological needs, we would be more at peace with aging and death. A quote: It is not the primitive man, who has used his body daily for practical purposes, who fears the deterioration of age, but the modern man, who has never had a practical use for his body beyond walking from his car to his house. Activism is a surrogate activity He then ties the disruption of the power process back to his criticism of leftism. He says leftists' surrogate activity is activism, or joining social movements. They have a goal, and struggle toward achieving that goal, but they'll never be satisfied. This, he says, is how leftism creeps toward totalitarianism. Once one goal is achieved, another will be invented. The proposed plan: let the system destroy itself His entire manifesto is written from the perspective of “we.” He poses as a group of people called “FC,” standing for “Freedom Club,” and presents a strategy for his goal of destroying industrial society, and replacing it with primitive society. Kaczynski points out that modernity separates us from our local communities. We break ties to family and move, so we can work a job, in the name of efficiency. He advocates for living in small groups, and growing his anti-technology movement by having as many children as possible. The conflict line: masses vs. power-holding elites Interestingly, he says to draw the conflict line in this movement between the masses and the power-holding elites, and cautions specifically against turning it into a conflict between those who are revolutionaries and those who are not. This is some impressive strategic thinking, as it was also mentioned in the book, Blueprint for Revolution. I interviewed the author, Srdja Popovic, on episode 179. Popovic pointed out, for example, that Occupy Wall Street was a poorly-branded movement, because it drew a conflict line between those who could participate by camping out in the financial district, and those who could not. Calling it “the 99%” would have drawn a more effective conflict line. Don't strive for political power Counterintuitively, Kaczynski advises to not try to gain political power. He says that if the “green” party were to get voted into office, it would cause massive unemployment, they would get voted out of office, and it would turn people off to the party. He supported free trade agreements such as NAFTA, because he felt it would further integrate the industrial system, making it more likely it would collapse, and causing such a collapse to be more widespread. He says to be anti-left – and this is where we start to see the motives behind his seemingly-out-of-place opening rant. He doesn't want to see leftists take over his movement, because he thinks they would replace the goal of eliminating modern technology with their own goals. He says leftists will never give up technology because ultimately they crave power. Basically, he doesn't want to work within any existing structures of industrial society. He instead wants to see living in industrial society get so bad that the hardships can only be blamed on the system. Small-scale technology is more robust than large-scale He says small-scale technology is robust to shocks – local things such as planting crops, raising livestock, or making clothes. He points out that when the Roman Empire fell, people in villages could still make a water wheel or steel. But the aqueducts were never rebuilt, their road-construction techniques were lost, and urban sanitation was forgotten. Media manipulation, aka, why the Unabomber killed people Many people these days are surprised to find out that the Unabomber Manifesto contains intelligent and coherent ideas. They merely think of Ted Kaczynski as a mentally-ill murderer. If he's so intelligent, why did he kill people? In the manifesto itself, Kaczynski explains that he felt this was the only way to get his message out. He reasons that if he had merely submitted his writings to a publisher, they would have been rejected. If they had been published, they wouldn't have attracted readers, because everyone is too distracted by entertainment. So, he says, “In order to get our message before the public with some chance of making a lasting impression, we've had to kill people.” Our obsession with violence caused violence As explained in my Trust Me, I'm Lying summary, humans have a negativity bias, and so media has a negativity bias. Ironically, this is a case where our paranoia about negative events apparently caused negative events. Newspapers and news shows covered Kaczynski's terror campaign for more than fifteen years, until he sent his manuscript, typed on a typewriter, to several newspapers, essentially saying: Publish this, and I'll stop killing people. What Kaczynski did to get coverage makes the tactics Ryan Holiday confessed to look like actions of a saint. His bombings were “pseudo-events” with very real consequences. Assuming this was truly Kaczynski's strategy – and not a backwards-rationalization he came up with after doing what he simply wanted to do – was it an effective strategy? His reputation precedes him, such that people resist taking his manifesto seriously, given what he did. While he got his words published, even nearly thirty years after his last bombing, it's hard to see his words through the dark cloud of his crimes. The manifesto helped catch the Unabomber Publishing the manifesto was an effective strategy for law enforcement in catching Kaczynski. Attorney General Janet Reno gave the okay for the Post and Times to publish the manifesto. This put it in front of enough people the FBI was finally able to identify the anonymous killer. Kaczynski's brother's wife recognized him from what he said in the manifesto. Was this the explosion before the implosion? Reading Kaczynski, I can't help but wonder, If he could have held off a little longer or been born in a different time, might he might have been able to tolerate society? Kaczynski's terror campaign spanned a peak in what Marshall McLuhan calls “mechanical technology.” As his campaign was ending, in 1995, the internet was proliferating – an “electric technology.” This was a world where having a job meant commuting to an office, following a dress code, and working within a hierarchical organization. Once you were home, your only contact with others besides your family or people you called on the phone was media fed to you through your television or radio, or through objects that had to be transported, such as paper books, magazines, records, or VHS tapes. The internet has de-mechanized our world But the internet has further de-mechanized our world. More creators, such as myself, work with near-complete autonomy, outside of traditional hierarchies. People connect with one another around interests. We communicate without borders. As Marshall McLuhan described in Understanding Media (which I summarized on episode 248), mechanical technology “explodes” our world – an unfortunate but apt metaphor in this context. Mechanical technology compromises our individuality to turn us into cogs that fit together, while electric technology “implodes,” allowing our individuality to once again blossom. In 1998, the Washington Post reported that Kaczynski nearly confessed to a psychologist, in the late 60s, that he fantasized about being a woman. He didn't confess, and later cited that as the moment he decided to become violent. Maybe if his gender dysphoria had been more acceptable, his path may have been different? Today's society may not be the small-scale society Kaczynski envisioned, and this electric implosion certainly has its problems, especially as it conflicts with the structures in place from the mechanical world. But, maybe it would be just a little less pressure, so as to prevent trying to blow up the place. About Your Host, David Kadavy David Kadavy is author of Mind Management, Not Time Management, The Heart to Start and Design for Hackers. Through the Love Your Work podcast, his Love Mondays newsletter, and self-publishing coaching David helps you make it as a creative. Follow David on: Twitter Instagram Facebook YouTube Subscribe to Love Your Work Apple Podcasts Overcast Spotify Stitcher YouTube RSS Email Support the show on Patreon Put your money where your mind is. Patreon lets you support independent creators like me. Support now on Patreon »       Show notes: http://kadavy.net/blog/posts/industrial-society-and-its-future-summary/

Paul Hill, Ralph Wilkins and Dr. Jenifer “Dr. Dust” Millard host. Damien Phillips, John Wildridge and Dustin Ruoff produce. The Discussion:  Getting back in the studio. Watch us recording in our behind the scenes 10th Anniversary show. Inspiring children to think about careers in science. Listener's emails about swearing in the podcast and…   The News: Our favourite Welsh satellite space company, Space Forge. Rocket Lab's attempt to catch a falling rocket booster with a helicopter. More JWST updates! Jeff Bezos buys every western rocket (that's not owned by Musk) for the next 5 years. UK Space Energy initiative's concept for a Bond villain style space-based solar power plant.   The news discussion:  The ongoing saga of Boeing's Starliner spaceship.   Q&A: Blue Origin have New Glenn and New Shepard rockets, named after American pioneers of spaceflight. Assuming that this isn't going to just be the men, does this mean that in the future we can expect a rocket called “New Ride”?  From our good friend Andy Burns in the UK.   www.awesomeastronomy.com   Bio: Awesome Astronomy is a podcast beamed direct from an underground bunker on Mars to promote science, space and astronomy (and enslave Earth if all goes well).   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

1 Samuel 4 - 1:02 . 1 Samuel 5 - 6:07 . 1 Samuel 6 - 10:07 . 1 Samuel 7 - 15:02 . Today, Israel goes to battle against the Philistines. They assume that if they bring out the ark of the covenant to the battlefield, that it's presence would either oblige God to win the battle for them or that the object itself has some kind of mystical power. They are sorely mistaken, and the Philistines promptly defeat them and capture the ark. Assuming that their victory is a victory over Israel's God, the Philistines place the ark in Dagon's temple. Time and again, however, the Lord silently causes destruction, catastrophe and misery for the Philistines wherever the ark is taken, until finally, they become so desperate they put it on a cart and send it back where it came from. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

1 Samuel 5 - 1:10 . 1 Samuel 6 - 3:44 . 1 Samuel 7 - 8:39 . 1 Samuel 8 - 13:05 . Proverbs 27 - 16:43 .  When Israel went to battle against the Philistines they assumed that they could bring out the ark of the covenant to the battlefield, and that it's presence would either oblige God to win the battle for them or that the object itself had some kind of mystical power. They were sorely mistaken, and the Philistines promptly defeated them captured the ark. Assuming that their victory is a victory over Israel's God, the Philistines place the ark in Dagon's temple. Time and again, however, the Lord silently causes destruction, catastrophe and misery for the Philistines wherever the ark is taken, until finally, they become so desperate they put it on a cart and send it back where it came from. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Rahn, Eric Williamson, and the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org