Podcasts about assuming

#RingRust with my #NightOfChampions #WWENOC chat... plus I take another dive into my regular Battle Royale With Cheese, as I once again pit #Wrestlecrap against #KayfabeNews... & I watch a #WWEHOF'r skate the fine line of musical copyright infringement, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn  ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:04:40 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 1 0:05:53 Musicular Interlude 1 0:12:45 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 2 0:14:02 Musicular Interlude 2 0:23:10 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Night Of Champions 3 0:23:48 Musicular Interlude 3 0:34:54 Battle Royale With Cheese: Release the Levesque-Helmsley-Rizing-McMaho Cut of Wrestlemania 41! 0:36:50 Musicular Interlude 4 0:46:46 Battle Royale With Cheese: the Wise Man's Final Favour! 0:48:21 Musicular Interlude 5 0:57:19 Assuming the Intermissionary Position  1:06:09 This Week's Macho Fact 1:15:46 Battle Royale With Cheese: WWE Really Loves Modelling Itself After Popular Culture! 1:17:25 Musicular Interlude 6 1:27:54 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: WCW Tunage of Dubious Legality! 1:38:41 Battle Royale With Cheese: Pope Leo Not Be Pimpin' Enough! 1:39:55 Musicular Interlude 7 1:47:18 Battle Royale With Cheese: Our Favourite #WWEHOF Toupeed Cheeto TACO Wants the Doctor of Thuganomics Again! 1:48:43 Musicular Interlude 8 

In this revisited episode of The Observatory, James ‘Fish' Gill joins the show to talk about the delicate art of finding balance in relationships, particularly when dealing with challenging conversations. James, a Perth-based transformational expert in Australia, specializes in heart coaching, yoga instruction, and facilitation. He dedicates his expertise to helping couples, businesses, and community organizations rebuild trust, strengthen connections, and foster mutual understanding. As a heart coach, yoga instructor, and facilitator, James shares his insights on conscious communication, emotional management, and rebuilding trust in various relationships. He delves into the complexities of processing difficult topics, the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions, and the power of understanding our partner's true intentions. Timestamps[02:01] Conscious communication in relationships[08:00] Taking the responsibility for cleaning up your side of your street[10:45] The difference between speaking analysis and speaking our experiences[20:09] Handling our emotions during communication in our relationships[21:05] Assuming ill intent in your partner[28:51] Condemning and condoning in conscious communication[32:41] Trusting that your partner has no ill intent[35:07] Unskillful ways in which we express our love and support for each other[40:55] Understanding what your partner is longing for other than making you suffer[45:18] Mechanisms that amplify conflict[47:50] Even mindedness in relationships[51:04] How to get someone to recognize your goodness[01:00:50] Fish Gill's closing remarks[01:06:10] About Gill's book - How To Fall In Love With HumanityNotableQuotes:“I don't have any agency over what anyone else does or says or thinks or feels ever in any moment; I've only got agency or control over what I'm thinking, feeling, saying and doing.” - Fish Gill [05:41]“How we contribute to conflict and how we sustain it and how we even escalate it actually lies out of our view until we start to see it.” - Fish Gill [08:42]“Speaking to emotions is really the way to go.” - LaRae Wright [16:59]“There is no quicker way to escalate rapture than to assume the badness of someone.” - Fish Gill [21:55]“Human beings are motivated partly by needing our pain expressed, needing our pain diminished or needing our pain tasted by others.” - Fish Gill [33:57]“Victim and villain story is there in our psychology for the purpose of having our pain recognized.” - Fish Gill [59:30]Relevant links:Fish Gill Website: https://www.leadbyheart.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/james_fish_gill/Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast

This episode we are covering the end of the reign of Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou.  We cover the events in the Chronicles, including the death of Nakatomi no Kamatari, the creation of the Fujiwara family, the destruction of Goguryeo, and the continued development of the Baekje refugees. For more, check out the podcast blog at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-128 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 128: Immigrants, Princes, and High Officials. There was a pall over the house, despite the visiting royal retinue creating something of a stir,.  While craftspeople were still hard at work repairing damage from the lightning strike only a few months earlier, that wasn't the reason for the low spirits.  Rather, the house was worried for their patriarch, the Naidaijin, Nakatomi no Kamatari.  He had fallen ill, and despite all the pleas to the kami and the Buddhas , it seemed the end might be near. And so even the sovereign himself had come.  Kamatari was not just a loyal official, but  a close friend of the sovereign, someone who had been there since the beginning.  And so we can imagine how Naka no Oe felt.  He may have been the sovereign of Yamato, but he was still a human being, visiting his friend of some 30 or so years, knowing that for all of the power that he held, there was nothing he could do against the ravages of time and disease.     The year is 668—Naka no Oe has moved the capital to Ohotsu, on the banks of Lake Biwa, and has formally assumed the throne. This episode we are going to cover the last several years of Naka no Oe's reign.  In contrast to last week's dive into Yamato science, this week is going to be a bit of a grab bag, looking at what was going on in Yamato and talking about what was recorded in the Chronicles. And for the most part, the entries for the rest of the year 668 are fairly normal, and yet there are some oddities… For instance, in the fourth month we are told that Baekje sent Mitosapu and others to offer tribute.  And any other time that would be just a normal thing.  Except that at this point in history, Baekje was about as going a concern as a parrot in a Monty Python sketch.  So if the Kingdom of Baekje was no longer a thing, who was it that was sending the tribute? Most likely it was the Baekje communities in exile living in the archipelago.  Remember how many of them had settled around Biwa and in 666, two thousand Baekje people were settled somewhere in the East.  These immigrants  were still being supported by the Yamato government, who were basically subsidizing their settlement for the first three years, during which time they would be expected to make it into a permanent settlement. Based on the way the Chronicles talk about it, these early Baekje communities sound like they were maintaining a kind of kingdom in exile.  With many immigrants from Baekje living together in proximity, they were likely keeping their own groups, with their own language and traditions, at least for now.  It would be interesting to know if there were specific Baekje settlements that have been identified through the archaeological record.   That said, we definitely see Baekje's mark on the archipelago: Physically, there are the Baekje style castles, and various temples following Baekje style layouts.  Of course there were also continental building styles, but some of that was shared across multiple cultures at this point, and one should consider how much Baekje influence might have been found in things that we later see as Japanese. Additionally, Baekje nobles were involved in the court, often given court rank based in part on their rank in Baekje, though it wasn't quite equivalent.  Still,  in time, some of the nobles would trace their lineages back to Baekje nobles and princes. Speaking of princes and Baekje, on the fifth day of the fifth month of 668 —a day that would come to be known as Ayame no hi, or Tango no Sekku, one of the major days of court ceremony—Naka no Oe went out hunting on the moor of Kamafu, known today as Gamou district, near Kanzaki, where 400 Baekje people had been settled.  He was out there with the Crown Prince, his younger brother, aka Prince Ohoama, and all the other princes and ministers.  A grand outing. A month later, however, tragedy struck.  One “Prince Ise” and his younger brother died on consecutive days.  While this was undoubtedly a blow to the court, the interesting thing for our purposes – which also highlights the challenge of interpreting the Chronicles is that we aren't exactly sure who this is referring to.  It's not the first time we've seen this title: we first see a “Prince Ise” show up around 650, during the presentation of the white pheasant that ushered in the Hakuho era, but we later see that that individual had passed away in 661.  We also see the name show up less than 20 years later in the Chronicles for another prince, so this can't be the same.  So this is clearly a position or title for a prince, but it isn't clear if it was passed down or inherited.   One possibility is that “Prince Ise” or “Prince of Ise” was a title for one of the royal sons. IAt this point in the narrative, Naka no Oe had three sons.  Prince Takeru had passed away at the age of 8, but he also had Prince Kawajima, Prince Shiki, and Prince Iga, aka Prince Ohotomo, all sons of “palace women”.  We know, though, that these princes show up later, so I don't think the so-called Prince Ise was one of them.  Perhaps another line?   The term “Prince” might also refer to something other than a royal son.  You see, English translators have often been somewhat cavalier with the way we tend to render titles.  The English term “Prince” has  been used for “Hiko”, “Miko”, or “Ou” (which was probably pronounced “Miko” in many of these cases).  And in English, we often think of “Prince” as the son of a king, but “Prince” can also be an independent ruler of a principality, or may just refer to a person with power in a monarchic state.  Even the term “king” is not unambiguous—early European accounts of Japan during the Warring States period often refer to the various daimyou as “kings”, given the often absolute dominion with which they apparently ruled their particular domains. At this time, the term “Miko”  (also pronounced “ouji”, or “koushi”, or even “sume-miko”) seems rather unambiguously to refer to a “royal prince”, from the lineage of the sovereign.  The term “Ou”, which also seems to be read as “Miko” in some cases, is also the term for “King” and probably more broadly fits the concept of a “prince” as a ruler.  However, in this case, it seems to be equal to the term “Miko”, and may have been used almost interchangeably for a time, though later it would be used to refer to members of princely rank who were not directly related to a reigning sovereign—the grandchildren and so forth of royal princes who did not go on to inherit. In this case, I think the best we can say for certain is that Prince Ise—or the Prince of Ise—was someone important enough to be included in the chronicles – but who he was, exactly, will remain a mystery for now. The following month, the 7th month, was chock full of activities.  First of all, Goguryeo sent envoys by way of Koshi—meaning they landed on the Japan Sea side, probably around Tsuruga.  While this may just have been closer, I suspect it meant they avoided any Tang entanglements traveling through the Bohai sea.  They did run into a spot of trouble, however, as the winds and waves prevented their return. Koshi also shows up as presenting some strange gifts to the court:  burning earth and burning water.  There is some thought that maybe this is something like coal or natural oil deposits. We are also told that in this month, Prince Kurikuma was appointed the governor of Tsukushi.  Kurikuma no Ou appears to have been the grandson—or possibly great-grandson—of the sovereign, Nunakura, aka Bidatsu Tennou.  The position Kurikuma was given was important, of course, overseeing the Dazai, which meant overseeing anyone traveling to the archipelago from the continent. This would be a relatively short-lived appointment—this time.  He would be re-appointed about three years later, which would prove important, as he would be governor there during some particularly momentous events.    Stories appear to have continued about him in the Nagasaki region, and various families traced their lineage back to him. Also in that month, we are told that Afumi, home of the new capital, practiced military exercises—likely in preparation in case of a future Tang or Silla invasion.  Recall we discussed in Episode 126 how the choice of Afumi as a capital site might have been related to its defensibility in the event of such an invasion. At the same time, the court entertained Emishi envoys, and the toneri, by royal command, held banquets in various places. There is also mention of a shore-pavillion, presumably at Lake Biwa, where fish of various kinds came, covering the water.  Interestingly enough, there is another story of a “shore pavilion”, likely the same one, in the Fujiwara Family Record, the Toushi Kaden.  We are told that Prince Ohoama – Naka no Oe's younger brother spiked a large spear through a plank of wood in some kind of feat of strength.  This apparently shocked Naka no Oe, who saw it aa  kind of threat—perhaps seeing that his five-years younger brother was still hale and healthy.  Granted, Naka no Oe was only in his 40s, but his brother Ohoama was in his later 30s.  We are also told that at this time, in 668, Naka no Oe was apparently not doing so well, with people wondering if he would be with them much longer. The Toshi Kaden account seems rather surprising in that it claims Naka no Oe was so shocked by this proof of his brother's vitality that he wanted to have him put to death, suggesting to me that he felt that Ohoama might be a threat to him and his rule.  Ultimately, though, he was talked out of this by his old friend, Nakatomi no Kamatari – the one whom he had plotted with to overthrow the Soga, and whose relationship was initiated by an interaction on the kemari field, as we discussed in Episode 106. Speaking of whom: Nakatomi no Kamatari was still Naijin, the Inner or Interior Minister, and so  quite prominent in the administration. In the 9th month, as a Silla envoy was visiting the court, Kamatari sent Buddhist priests Hoben and Shinpitsu to present a ship to the Prime Minister of Silla, which was given to the Silla envoy and his companions, and three days later, Fuse no Omi no Mimimaro was sent with a ship meant for the King of Silla as well. This incident is also recounted in the Toshi Kaden.  In this case it says that the people, hearing about the gifts to Silla, were quite upset.  After all, it stands to reason:  Yamato was still smarting from their defeat at the hands of Tang and Silla forces, and building up defenses in case of an attack.  They'd also taken in a number of Baekje nobles and families, who may have also had some influence on the court.  We are told that Kamatari himself excused all of this by stating that “All under heaven must be the sovereign's land.  The guests within its borders must be the sovereign's servants.”  In this case, all under heaven, or “Tenka”, is a common phrase used to describe a monarch's sovereignty over everything in the land.  And so, while Silla envoys were in Yamato as guests, they also fell under similar rules, and as such were considered, at least by Yamato, as the sovereign's servants and thus worthy of gifts. The Silla envoys stayed for over a month.  They finally departed by the 11th month of 668, carrying even more gifts, including silk and leather for the King and various private gifts for the ambassadors themselves.  The court even sent Chimori no Omi no Maro and Kishi no Woshibi back with the envoy as Yamato envoys to the Silla court. This all tells us that just as the Tang were working to woo Yamato, Silla was likely doing so as well.  And while Yamato might still begrudge the destruction of Baekje, they also had to face the political reality that Baekje was probably not going to be reinstated again—especially not while the Tang government was occupying the peninsula. So making nice with both Tang and Silla was prudent. Furthermore, though they had been visited by Goguryeo envoys earlier that year, Yamato may have had some inkling that Goguryeo was not in the most powerful position.  Ever since the death of Yeon Gaesomun, the Goguryeo court had been involved in infighting—as well as fighting their external enemies.  One of Gaesomun's sons had been exiled and had gone over to the Tang, no doubt providing intelligence as well as some amount of legitimacy.  What they may not have known was that as Yamato was hosting the Silla envoys, a new assault by the Tang-Silla alliance was advancing on Pyongyang and setting siege to the city.  The Nihon Shoki records that in the 10th month of 668 Duke Ying, the Tang commander-in-chief, destroyed Goguryeo. This would dramatically change the international political landscape.  Tang and Silla had been triumphant—Yamato's allies on the peninsula had been defeated, and what we know as the “Three Kingdoms” period of the Korean peninsula was over.  However, the situation was still fluid.  The peninsula was not unified by any sense of the imagination.  The Tang empire had their strategic positions from which they controlled parts of the peninsula and from which they had been supplying the war effort against Goguryeo.  They also likely had to occupy areas to ensure that nobody rose up and tried to reconstitute the defeated kingdoms.  In fact, there would be continued attempts to revive Goguryeo, as might be indicated in the name we use: by the 5th century, the country was actually using the name “Goryeo”, a shortened form of “Goguryeo”, but we continue to refer to it as “Goguryeo” to distinguish it from the country of the same name that would be established in 918, laying claim to that ancient Goguryeo identity. A bit of spoilers, but “Goryeo” is where we would eventually get the name that we know the region by, today:  “Korea”.  In the Nihon Shoki it is referred to as “Gaori”. But none of that could have been known at the time.  Instead, there was no doubt some exuberance on the side of both Silla and Tang, but that would settle into something of unease.  With Baekje and Goguryeo destroyed, Silla may have thought that Tang would leave, allowing them to solidify their hold and manage those territories as an ally.  If this is what they thought, though, I'm not sure they had run it by the Tang empire just yet. In the Yamato court, there appear to have been separate factions: a pro-Tang faction, and also a pro-Silla faction.  We have to assume, based on the actions in the record at this time, that this was a ongoing debate. The last thing I'll note for the year 668 is attempted theft.  The Buddhist priest Dougyou stole Kusanagi, the famous sword forming part of the imperial regalia, and escaped with it.  Kusanagi, you may recall, was the royal sword.  It was named “Kusanagi” or “grass cutter” because it is said that when Prince Yamato Takeru was subduing the eastern lands, he was surrounded in a field that had been set on fire, and he used Kusanagi to create a firebreak by cutting down all of the grass around him.  The sword was given to him by Yamato Hime, the Ise Princess at the time, and it was thought to have been first found by the god Susanowo inside of the legendary Yamata no Orochi.  We talked about this in Episodes 16, 34, and 35.  Yamato Takeru left the sword in Owari, and it would eventually live there, at Atsuta Jingu, Atsuta Shrine, its traditional home. It isn't clear if Dougyou obtained the sword from Owari or if it was being kept in the capital at the time.  It would have likely been brought out for Naka no Oe's coronation, but then it would probably have been returned to the shrine that was holding it. Dougyou tried to head to Silla with his illicit goods, but wind and rain forced him to turn back around.  This is a fascinating story and there's a lot to dive into here. So first off, let's point out that this is supposed to be a Buddhist priest.  What the heck was going on that he was going to try to run a heist on what are essentially the Crown Jewels of the Yamato crown?  While the sword, mirror, and jewel were still somewhat questionable as the sole three regalia, they were clearly important.  We aren't given Dougyou's motives.  We don't know enough about him.  Was he anti-Yamato or anti-Naka no Oe?  Was he actually a Buddhist priest of his own accord, or was he a priest because he was one of those who had been essentially conscripted into religious orders on behalf of some powerful noble?  Was he a Buddhist who wanted to attack the hold of the kami? Was he pro-Silla, or perhaps even a Silla descendant, trying to help Silla? Or was he just a thief who saw the sword, Kusanagi, as a valuable artifact that could be pawned outside of Yamato? That last possibility feels off.  While we aren't exactly sure what Kusanagi looked like, based on everything we know, the sword itself wasn't necessarily blinged out in a way that would make it particularly notable on the continent.    And if Dougyou and whoever his co-conspirators were just wanted to attack the Yamato government, why didn't he just dump Kusanagi in the see somewhere?  He could have destroyed it or otherwise gotten rid of it in a way that would have embarrassed the government. It seems mostly likely that this theft had something to do with pro-Silla sentiment, as if Silla suddenly showed up with the sword, I imagine that would have been some diplomatic leverage on the Yamato court, as they could have held it hostage.  In any case, the plan ultimately failed, though the Chronicles claim it was only because the winds were against him—which was likely seen as the kami themselves defending Yamato. On to a new year.  At the start of 669, Prince Kurikuma (who we mentioned above) was recalled to the capital and Soga no Akaye was appointed governor of Tsukushi. We mentioned Akaye a couple of episodes back.  He was involved in the broken arm-rest incident, where Prince Arima was plotting against Takara Hime, aka Saimei Tennou, and Akaye's daughter Hitachi no Iratsume, was one of the formal wives of Naka no Oe, who would give birth to the princess Yamabe. Now Akaye was given the position of governor of Tsukushi. This position is an interesting one throughout Japanese history.  In many ways it is a viceroy—the governor of Tsukushi has to effectively speak with the voice of the sovereign as the person responsible for overseeing any traffic to and from the continent.  This also was likely a highly lucrative position, only handed out to trusted individuals. However, it also meant that you were outside of the politics of the court.  Early on that was probably less of a concern.  At this time, court nobles were likely still concerned with their traditional lands, which created their economic base, meaning that the court may have been the political center, but there was still plenty of ways to gain power in the archipelago and it wasn't solely through the court.  Over time, as more and more power accrued to the central court government, that would change.  Going out to manage a government outpost on the far end of the archipelago—let alone just going back to manage one's own estates—would be tantamount to exile.  But for now, without a permanent city built up around the palace, I suspect that being away from the action in the capital wasn't quite as detrimental compared to the lucrative nature of a powerful position.  Later, we will see how that flips on its head, especially with the construction of capitals on the model of those like Chang'an. For now, new governor Soga no Akaye was likely making the most of his position.  On that note, in the third month of 669, Tamna sent their prince Kumaki with envoys and tribute.  They would have come through Tsukushi, and Soga no Akaye likely enjoyed some benefits as they were entertained while waiting for permission to travel the rest of the way down to the Yamato capital.  The Tamna embassy did not exactly linger at the court.  They arrived on the 11th of the 3rd month, and left one week—seven days—later, on the 18th.  Still, they left with a gift of seed-grain made to the King of Tamna. On their way out, they likely would have again stopped in at Tsukushi for provisions and to ensure that all of their business was truly concluded before departing. A couple of months later, on the 5th day of the 5th month, we see another hunting party by Naka no Oe.  This seems to have been part of the court ritual of the time for this ceremonial day.  This time it was on the plain of Yamashina.  It was attended by his younger brother, Crown Prince Ohoama, as well as someone called “Fujiwara no Naidaijin” and all of the ministers. “Fujiwara no Naidaijin” is no doubt Nakatomi no Kamatari.  This is an interesting slip by the Chroniclers, and I wonder if it gives us some insight into the source this record came from.  Kamatari was still known as Nakatomi at the time, and was still the Naidaijin, so it is clear they were talking about him.  But historically his greatest reputation is as the father of the Fujiwara family, something we will get to in time.  That said, a lot of the records in this period refer to him as “Fujiwara”.  We've seen this previously—because the records were being written later they were often using a more common name for an individual, rather than the name—including title—that the individual actually would have borne at the time of the record.  This really isn't that different from the way we often talk about the sovereigns using their posthumous names.   Naka no Oe would not have been known as “Tenji Tennou” during his reign.  That wouldn't be used until much later.  And yet, many history books will, understandably, just use the name “Tenji” because it makes it clear who is being talked about. This hunting trip is not the only time we see the name “Fujiwara” creep into the Chronicles a little earlier than accurate: we are told that only a little later, the house of “Fujiwara” no Kamatari was struck by lightning.  But that wasn't the only tragedy waiting in the wings.  Apparently, Kamatari was not doing so well, and on the 10th day of the 10th month, his friend and sovereign, Naka no Oe, showed up to pay his respects and see how he was doing. Ever since that fateful game of kemari—Japanese kickball—the two had been fast friends.  Together they envisioned a new state.  They overthrew the Soga, and changed the way that Japan even conceived of the state, basing their new vision off continental ideas of statehood, governance, and sovereignty.  Now, Kamatari was gravely ill. What happens next is likely of questionable veracity Sinceit is unlikely that someone was there writing down the exact words that were exchanged, but the Chronicles record a conversation between the sovereign and his ill friend.  And the words that the Chroniclers put in their mouths were more about the image that they wanted to project.  According to them, Naka no Oe praised his friend, and asked if there was anything that he could do. Kamatari supposedly eschewed anything special for burial arrangements.  He supposedly said “While alive I did no service for my country at war; why, then, should I impose a heavy burden on it when I am dead?”  Hard to know if he actually felt like that or not, or if thr Chroniclers were likening him to  Feng Yi of the Han dynasty, the General of the Great Tree.  He was so-called because he would often find a tree to take time to himself.  He likewise was renowned for his dislike of ostentation, much like Kamatari foregoing a fancy burial mound. Five days later, Naka no Oe sent Crown Prince Ohoama to Kamatari's house to confer on him the cap of Dai-shiki, and the rank of Oho-omi.  They also conferred on him and his family a new surname:  Fujiwara, and so he became Fujiwara no Daijin, the Fujiwara Great Minister.  The next day he died.  One source known as the Nihon Seiki, said that he was 50 years old, but according to the Chronicles there was an inscription on his tomb that stated he died at age 55. Three days later, we are told that Naka no Oe went to the house of the now late Fujiwara no Naidaijin, and gave orders to Soga no Akaye no Omi, declaring to him his gracious will and bestowing on him a golden incense-burner.  This is somewhat odd, because as we were just talking about, Soga no Akaye had been appointed governor of Tsukushi, though the Toshi Kaden claims that it was actually Soga no Toneri who was in Tsukushi—but these could also mean the same people.  Why this happened right after Kamatari's death suggests to me that Soga no Akaye may have had something to do with the arrangements for Kamatari's funeral or something similar. Let's talk about this whole incident.  There are many that think the Nihon Shoki has things a bit out of order, and on purpose.  Specifically, it is quite likely that the name “Fujiwara” was actually granted after Kamatari's death, and not on the day of, as it has here.  He may even have been posthumously elevated.  But since the Fujiwara family would go on to be quite powerful, the order of events and how they were recorded would have been very important in the 8th century. By naming Kamatari's line the Fujiwara, the court were effectively severing it from the rest of the Nakatomi.  The Nakatomi family would continue to serve as court ritualists, but the Fujiwara family would go on to much bigger and better things.  This change also likely meant that any inheritance of Kamatari's would go to his direct descendants, and that a brother or cousin couldn't necessarily just take over as the head of the household.  So it's very possible that this “setting apart” of the Fujiwara family immediately upon Kamatari's death is a later fiction, encouraged by the rising Fujiwara themselves, in an attempt to keep others from hanging on to their coat tails, as it were. Also a quick note about the idea that there was an inscription on Kamatari's tomb.  This is remarkable because so far, we have not actually found any such markers or tombstones on burials prior to this period.  We assume that they would have been stone or wood markers that were put up by a mound to let you know something about the person who was buried there.  Over time, most of these likely wore away.  But it is interesting to think that the practice may have had older roots. The death of Kamatari wasn't the only tragedy that year.  We are also told that in the 12th month there was a fire in the Treasury, and that the temple of Ikaruga—known to us as Houryuuji, the temple built by Shotoku Taishi—also was burnt.  It isn't said how bad, but only three months later, in 670, another fire struck during a thunderstorm, and we are told that everything burned down—nothing was left. That said, it seems that they may have been able to reuse some of the materials.  I say this because an analysis of the main pillar of the pagoda in the western compound suggests that the tree it came from was felled in 594. The rest of 699 included some less dramatic events. For instance, in the 8th month, Naka no Oe climbed to the top of Takayasu, where he took advice as to how to repair the castle there.  The castle had been built only a couple of years earlier, but already needed repairs.  However, the initial repair project had been abandoned because the labor costs were too much.  The repairs were still needed, though, and they carried out the work four months later in the 12th month, and again in the 2nd month of the following year, and that stores of grain and salt were collected, presumably to stock the castle in case they had to withstand a siege. I suspect that the “cost” of repairing the castle was mostly that it was the 8th month, and the laborers for the work would have to be taken away from the fields.  By the 12th month, I can only assume that those same laborers would be free from their other duties. Speaking of costs, sometimes the Chronicles really make you wonder what was going through the mind of the writers, because they noted that the Land-tax of the Home Provinces was collected.  Maybe this was the first time it had actually been instituted?  I don't know.  It just seems an odd thing to call out. There was also 700 more men from Baekje removed and settled in Kamafu—Gamou District—in Afumi.  And then there was a Silla embassy in the 9th month, and at some point in the year Kawachi no Atahe no Kujira and others were sent to the Tang court.  In response, an embassy from the Tang to Yamato brought 2000 people with them, headed by Guo Wucong, who I really hope was getting some kind of premiere cruiser status for all of his trips. The following year, 700, started out with a great archery meeting, arranged within the palace gate.  I presume this to mean that they had a contest.  Archery at this time—and even for years to come—was prized more highly than even swordplay.  After all, archery was used both in war and on the hunt.  It is something that even the sage Confucius suggested that people should practice.  It is also helpful that they could always shoot at targets as a form of competition and entertainment. Later, on the 14th day of the 1st month, Naka no Oe promulgated new Court ceremonial regulations, and new laws about people giving way on the roads.  This rule was that those of lower status should get out of the way of those of higher status.  Funnily enough, in the description of Queen Himiko's “Yamateg”, back in the 3rd century, this was also called out as a feature of the country.  It is possible that he was codifying a local tradition, or that the tradition actually goes back to the continent, and that the Wei Chroniclers were projecting such a rule onto the archipelago.  I'm honestly not sure which is which.  Or perhaps they expanded the rules and traditions already in place.  There were also new laws about prohibiting “heedless slanders and foul falsehoods”, which sounds great, but doesn't give you a lot to go on. The law and order theme continues in the following month.  A census was taken and robbers and vagabonds were suppressed.  Naka no Oe also visited Kamafu, where he had settled a large number of the Baekje people, and inspected a site for a possible future palace.  He also had castles built in Nagato in Tsukushi, along the route of any possible invasion from the Korean peninsula. In the third month, we have evidence of the continued importance of kami worship, when they laid out places of worship close to Miwi mountain and distributed offerings of cloth.  Nakatomi no Kane no Muraji pronounced the litany.  Note that it is Nakatomi no Muraji—as we mentioned, the Nakatomi would continue to be responsible for ceremonial litany while the Imibe, or Imbe, family would be responsible for laying out the various offerings. Miwi would seem to be the same location as Miidera, aka Onjou-ji, but Miidera wouldn't be founded for another couple of years. In the 9th month of 670, Adzumi no Tsuratari, an accomplished ambassador by this point, travelled to Silla. Tsuratari had been going on missions during the reign of Takara Hime, both to Baekje and to the lands across the “Western Seas”.  While we don't exactly know what transpired, details like this can help us try to piece together something of the relative importance of the mission. In the last entry for 670, we are told that water-mills were made to smelt iron.  If you are wondering how that works, it may have been that the waterwheel powered trip hammers—it would cause the hammer to raise up until it reached a point where it would fall.  Not quite the equivalent of a modern power hammer, it still meant that fewer people were needed for the process, and they didn't have to stop just because their arms got tired. The following year, 671, got off to a grand start, with a lot of momentous events mentioned in just the first month of the year. First off, on the 2nd day of the first month, Soga no Akaye – now back from his stint as governor of Tsukushi - and Kose no Hito advanced in front of the palace and offered their congratulations on the new year.  Three days later, on the 5th day, Nakatomi no Kane, who had provided the litany at Miwi, made an announcement on kami matters.    Then the court made official appointments.  Soga no Akaye was made the Sadaijin, or Prime Minister of the Left, and Nakatomi no Kane was made Prime Minister of the Right.  Soga no Hatayasu, Kose no Hito, and Ki no Ushi were all made daibu, or high ministers.  On top of this, Naka no Ohoe's son, Prince Ohotomo, was appointed as Dajodaijin. “Dajodaijin” is a new position that we haven't seen yet, and it is one of those positions that would only show up on occasion.  It is effectively a *Prime* Prime Minister.  They were considered superior to both the ministers of the left and the right, but didn't exactly have a particular portfolio.  The Ministers of the Left and the Right each had ministries under them that they were responsible for managing.  Those ministries made up the Daijo-kan, or the Council of State.  The Dajodaijin, or Daijodaijin, was basically the pre-eminent position overseeing the Council of State.  I suspect that the Dajodaijin seems to have been the evolution of the Naidaijin, but on steroids.  Nakatomi no Kamatari had administered things as Naidaijin from within the royal household, but the Dajodaijin was explicitly at the head of the State.  Of course, Prince Ohotomo was the son of Naka no Oe himself, and the fact that he was only 23 years old and now put in a place of prominence over other ministers who were quite likely his senior, is remarkable.  I wonder how much he actually was expected to do, and how much it was largely a ceremonial position, but it nonetheless placed Ohotomo just below his uncle, Crown Prince Ohoama, in the overall power structure of the court. Speaking of which, following the new appointments, on the 6th day of the year, Crown Prince Ohoama promulgated regulations on the behalf of his brother, Naka no Oe.  There was also a general amnesty declared, and the ceremonial and names of the cap-ranks were described in what the Chronicles calls the Shin-ritsu-ryo, the New Laws. Towards the end of the first month, there were two embassies, both from now-defunct kingdoms.  The first was from Goguryeo, who reportedly sent someone named Karu and others with Tribute on the 9th day, and 4 days later, Liu Jenyuan, the Tang general for Baekje sent Li Shouchen and others to present a memorial.  I'm not sure if the Goguryeo envoys were from a government in exile or from a subjugated kingdom under Tang and Silla domination.  The Tang general in Baekje was a little more transparent.  That said, that same month we are told that more than 50 Baekje nobles were given Yamato court rank, perhaps indicating that they were being incorporated more into the Yamato court and, eventually, society as a whole.  That said, the remains of the Baekje court sent Degu Yongsyeon and others with tribute the following month. This is also the year that Naka no Oe is said to have placed the clepsydra or water clock in a new pavilion.  We talked about this significance of this last episode.  We are also told that on the third day of the third month, Kibumi no Honjitsu presented a “water level”, a Mizu-hakari.  This would seem to be what it sounds like:  A way of making sure that a surface is level using water.  There is also mention of the province of Hitachi presenting as “tribute” Nakatomibe no Wakako.  He was only 16 years old, and yet we are told he was only one and a half feet in height—one shaku six sun, more appropriately.  Assuming modern conversions, that would have put him approximately the same height as Chandra Dangi of Nepal, who passed away in 2015 but who held the Guiness World Record for the world's shortest person at 21.5”—or 54 centimeters.  So it isn't impossible. The fact that he is called “Nakatomibe” suggests that he was part of the family, or -Be group, that served the Nakatomi court ritualists.  Unfortunately, he was probably seen more as an oddity than anything else at the time.  Still, how many people from that time are not remembered at all, in any extant record?  And yet we have his name, which is more than most. In the following month, we are also told that Tsukushi reported a deer that had been born with eight legs.  Unfortunately, the poor thing died immediately, which is unfortunately too often the case. And then the fifth day of the fifth month rolled around again. This year there was no hunting, but instead Naka no Oe occupied the “Little Western Palace” and the Crown Prince and all of the ministers attended him.  We are told that two “rustic” dances were performed—presumably meaning dances of some local culture, rather than those conforming to the art standards passed down from the continent.  As noted earlier, this day would be one of the primary ceremony days of the later court. The following month, we are told that there was an announcement in regards to military measures requested by the messengers from the three departments of Baekje, and later the Baekje nobles sent Ye Chincha and others to bring tribute.  Once again, what exactly this means isn't clear, but it is interesting to note that there were three “departments” of Baekje.  It is unclear if this was considered part of the court, or if this was Baekje court in exile managing their own affairs as a guest in Yamato. It is also interesting that they seem to have been traveling to the Yamato court while Li Shouchen was still there, sent by the Tang general overseeing Baekje.  That must have been a bit of an awkward meeting.  We are told that they all took their departure together on the 11th day of the 7th month.  Does that mean they left with the Tang envoy?  Was the Tang inviting some of them to come back?  Or just that they all left the court at the same time. The same month, Prince Kurikuma was once more made Governor of Tsukushi—or possibly made governor the first time, depending on whether or not you think the Chronicles are accurate or that they pulled the same event twice from different sources.  We are also told that Silla sent envoys with gifts that included a water buffalo and a copper pheasant for the sovereign. The 8th month of the year, we hear that Karu of Goguryeo and his people took their leave after a seven month long visit.  The court also entertained the Emishi.  Two months later, Silla sent Kim Manmol and others with more tribute, but this envoy likely found a different feeling at court. And that is because on the 18th day of the 8th month, the sovereign of Yamato, Naka no Oe, took to his bed, ill.  There was a ceremony to open the eyes of 100 Buddhas in the interior of the palace, and Naka no Oe sent messengers to offer to the giant Buddha of Houkouji a kesa, a golden begging-bowl, an ivory tusk, aloeswood, sandalwood, and various objects of value, but despite any spiritual merit that may have accrued, it didn't seem to work.  Naka no Oe's illness continued to grow more serious.  He would continue to struggle for another two months, until, on the 3rd day of the twelfth month, Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, sovereign of Yamato, passed away. For all that we should be careful to avoid the “Great Man” theory of history, it is nonetheless hard to deny that Naka no Oe had an incredible impact on the country in his days.  From start to finish, while one could argue that many of the reforms were simply a matter of time as the archipelago absorbed more and more ideas from across the straits, Naka no Oe found himself in the middle of those reforms.  The Yamato State would never be the same, and he oversaw the birth of the Ritsuryo state, a new state nominally based on laws and rules, rather than just tradition.  It may not be entirely clear, but he also helped inculcate a new sense of the power of the sovereign and of the state, introducing new cultural imaginaries.  Yamato's reach wasn't just vague boasting, but by instituting the bureaucratic state they were able to actually expand the reach of the court farther than any time before. And through those changes, Naka no Oe had, in one way or another, been standing at the tiller.  Now, he was gone, as were many of his co-conspirators in this national project.  Which leaves us wondering:  What comes next? Well, we'll get to that, but not right now.  For now, let us close this episode with Naka no Oe's own end.   Next episode, we can get into the power struggles that followed, culuminating in an incident known as the Jinshin no Ran:  The Jinshin war. Until then, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

Have you ever made something and it turned out ok, but somehow it just didn't look right? Maybe you thought those two paint colors would go together, but now you're not sure. Or maybe the furniture arrangement in the living room looked great on paper but it sort of doesn't work now that you see everything in place. I think we've all had those moments. I had one not long ago with a photo I was doing. It wasn't quite right, but since I had to get it done, all I could do was to shrug and sign off on it, whether it was right or not. But if a piece of music we're working on doesn't sound right, we want to fix it, not forget it. I'm sure you know what I mean. You've been working hard on a piece. You muster up your courage to do a recording of it and after a lot of takes, you come up with one that you think is pretty good, without noticeable mistakes or hesitations. Then you listen to it, and something's not right. Is it too slow? Are you not making the dynamics clear? How come it doesn't sound the way it sounds in your head?  This is truly a challenging point, because it can be difficult to know the precise things you need to do to make the music sound the way you want. Assuming that the notes and the rhythms are correct and that you're playing reasonably expressively, what else is there? That's the question we're going to answer today. I'm going to identify three things that are essential to make any piece of music sound “right.” These three are the same whether you are playing a classical piece or a folk piece or a hymn or a pop tune. When each of these is in place, your piece will sound like you want it to. And the bonus is that you have choices. Every one of us harpists makes these choices, but you may not realize the power behind them. These choices are what makes one harpist's interpretation of a piece sound different from another harpist's, even though they both may be beautiful performances. My friend, you have the power to make your music sound right to you; all you need to do is exercise your freedom to choose. Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:  Our 2025 Super Summertime Challenge starts today in the Hub. Participate and win! Download the free Harp Mastery® app. Harpmastery.com Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com Looking for a transcript for this episode? Did you know that if you subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts you will have access to their transcripts of each episode? LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-213  

A Cirrus with fluctuating fuel flow, de-injecting an engine, and fear of overhaul are on tap for this episode. Email podcasts@aopa.org for a chance to get on the show. Join the world's largest aviation community at aopa.org/join Full notes below: Joe has a Maule with a 540 engine in it. The company has a mod to turn the engine to a carbureted version and he's wondering about the legality of something like that. Paul said it happens in the 210 market. Whether it's a good idea is another issue, the hosts say. Joe is unable to run autofuel is the injected version, which is why he's interested in it. Colleen said she'd rather have an injected engine than run mogas.   David wonders how perspective owners are so afraid of TBO. He has a 182 with an engine that's nearly at TBO, and people who contact him are afraid of the high time. The hosts discuss strategies for buyers who may be looking at airplanes with engines at TBO. Assuming the engine is running well, a new owner can fly it on that “borrowed time” while they learn and enjoy the airplane. Alternatively, if the engine truly needs to be overhauled, the time down is obviously a concern for a new owner. Mike said he thinks it's best to buy an airplane with a run-out engine. The price has been discounted for the cost of the engine, the seller is motivated, and worst case you have to overhaul it soon. And every hour and year that you don't have to overhaul it is “free.” And when it does come time to do the overhaul, you get to do it to your spec.   Shalom has a Cirrus that isn't behaving. If he sets the mixture at lean of peak, the fuel flows start to fluctuate. A few minutes later, it will drop off sharply, and then back quickly. The manifold pressure and rpm stay pretty consistent. He's changed the fuel pump and the spider. Nothing has helped. Mike said if there's a constriction in the fuel line between the fuel control unit and the manifold, it can cause oscillating fuel flow and lower flows.

Assuming you're not reading this on your yacht, then the most contentious thing in the world is right beneath you. Since the dawn of agriculture, peasants, farmers, landlords, and states have vied for control of the land. Jo Guldi is the author of the The Long Land War: The Global Struggle for Occupancy Rights. She […]

#RingRust with my #TNAagainstAllOdds, #WarChamber, #WorldsCollide & #MITB chat... & I think cowboys are very odd, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn  ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:03:56 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Against All Odds 1 0:05:21 Musicular Interlude 1 0:13:53 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Against All Odds 2 0:15:06 Musicular Interlude 2 0:24:10 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Against All Odds 3 / Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 1 0:25:23 Musicular Interlude 3 0:37:06 Pay-Per-Review: Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 2 0:38:02 Musicular Interlude 4 0:45:01 Pay-Per-Review: WWE & AAA's Worlds Collide 1 0:46:53 Musicular Interlude 5 0:53:27 Assuming the Intermissionary Position  0:59:13 This Week's Macho Fact 1:08:31 Pay-Per-Review: WWE & AAA's Worlds Collide 2 / WWE's Money In the Bank 1 1:09:47 Musicular Interlude 6 1:18:52 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Imagine What He Could Do To You! 1:29:23 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Money In the Bank 2 1:30:43 Musicular Interlude 7 1:39:20 Battle Royale With Cheese: Fired Mid-Match! 1:41:06 Musicular Interlude 8 

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 4 A pandemic survivor's harem continues to thrive amidst chaos.. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 11 For the next hour or so, Andy explored the house on his own while the girls moved things from the car into the house, as well as letting the cats loose into their new environment. He wasn't sure who was more overwhelmed, himself or the cats. The building was immense, feeling both warm and alien all at the same time. Mostly, though, the space felt incomplete. It was a home that had been decorated by a real estate agent, not by someone looking to live in it. Everything was arranged for show not for actual use. He wandered into the gym first and found it stocked with free weights, resistance machines and a small aerobics area, all the machines in pristine condition, never used. Looking at himself in the mirror, he wasn't even sure he recognized himself in this new home. Andy strolled out of the gym and found himself in one of the three living rooms, with a wet bar off to one side. There were several couches arranged around the middle, as well as a handful of lounge chairs. Without warning, Muninn, his Russian blue cat, hopped up from behind one of the couches onto the back of it, which startled the hell out of Andy. As soon as the cat saw him, however, he sauntered over Andy's direction. Andy moved closer and pet the cat, who gave a healthy purr in response. "Yeah, I know, Mun, it's weird for me too. But we live here now, so explore away." "Are ya freaked out?" Aisling said to him as she moved into the room. "It's just a home." "That's just it, Ash," he sighed. "It's a home, but it's not my home, not our home. Not yet. I'm sure I'll get there at some point, but for right now, it's just reinforcing how weird all of this is. I mean, yesterday, there were seven of us crammed into that little tiny condo, and now Eric lives down the street, and we live, here. In the kind of place I never even dreamed about." Aisling moved over, a soft sympathetic smile on her face, as she wrapped her arms around him and held him in an inviting hug for a long moment. "The world's changing, and we have to change with it, Andy. That means we're all going to be a bit out of our comfort zones now and then, but think of it this way,  you can make one of these bedrooms into a full on study, and line the walls with bookshelves, like you said you'd always wanted to do. We'll put your desk in there, and you can turn it into a writer's cozy, a space where you can go and work on your next book and nobody'll bother you. What's wrong with that?" "There's nothing wrong with that, Ash. There's nothing wrong with any of this, except for the fact that I didn't really earn any of it." "Luv," she said to him, "most of the people who get lucky in life, it was right place right time, and all they did was have the good sense not to muck it up. That's what you're doing here. You were in the right place at the right time, and you had the good sense to let me into your bed. And I've been good to you, haven't I?" "Oh god, Ash, you and Lauren and Niko have all been amazing, far better than I deserve,” "There'll be none of that, mister," she scolded, slapping his shoulder. "You've been grand to all of us, and you've helped Eric and Lily get their shit sorted out. I know Jenny doesn't have her head sorted out yet, but when she does, I'm sure she'll thank you. You could've been a right shite about alla this, but instead you've been a stand-up guy. So take a deep breath." Andy stopped and took a deep breath. "It didn't help much." "It helped a little." "Okay, it helped a little." "Are you more bothered by the house, the staff or the fact that there's going to be a lot more women moving into our lives?" "It's a lot of women, Ash." "It will be a lot of women, Andy. Yes, that's absolutely true, but we'll manage it. Besides, the house is nice isn't it?" "Understating things a bit, aren't you Ash?" "Fine," she said with a wry grin, rolling her eyes in his direction. "It's a bloody magnificent place. Just in the tour alone, I wanted to strip down to my knickers and socks and play 'Risky Business' so if you hear 'Old Time Rock'n'Roll' blaring from the hi fi, look both ways when walking through the hallways." "You're changing the subject." "It'll be fine, Andy. Just stop worrying and enjoy this." She moved to sit down in the couch, and picked up a remote control from the coffee table in front of it. She looked around the room for a moment before she finally just pressed the power button on it, to see what happened. From a small overhang across the room, a giant television dropped down and turned on, as concealed speakers all around the room hummed to life. "That is hell of a television." Andy moved to slump down onto the couch next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "And just think, this isn't even the theater room. Let's just relax for a little bit and watch some TV." Apparently whoever had set up their house had given them a deluxe cable package, with every optional channel Andy could think of, and loads he'd never even heard of. They settled on SpikeTV, which was in the middle of a James Bond marathon. They were showing "Goldeneye" and they'd had the luck to turn on right at the beginning. "I've always loved Brosnan as Bond," Aisling said to him a few hours later, as the movie was over. "I don't know that he's the best Bond, but he's my Bond. You?" "He was great, but I've always been a Connery man myself." "You Americans, you all have your own Bond, much like those of us across the pond have our own Doctor. You a fan of Doctor Who, luv?" Andy smirked wryly. "Tom Baker, but if I'm honest, I could watch David Tennant in anything. I watched "Good Omens" last year at least three times. I'm guessing you're a Capaldi girl." "Chris Eccleston's my Doctor," Aisling said. "But I'm glad you didn't say I should be a Matt Smith girl, just because he had a ginger companion." Andy shook his head. "So did Tennant, but neither of them were Irish. Catherine Tate's British and Karen Gillan's Scottish. I'm not an idiot, love." "Bless, Andy," she whispered, as she kissed his cheek. "It's so strange. I feel like I'm missing time, what with all the holidays we've basically skipped over. I was getting my first injections on July 4th, but I didn't even hear any crackers in the sky. Were there any?" "None that I could see, Ash. Halloween's just around the corner. Maybe now that we're in a gated community we'll get trick or treaters." "You think there's children in the estates?" "No idea. I'm not really sure what to expect here. We've barely seen the house, much less the small town that's formed up around it." "That's going to be just as strange, people we can sit and talk with, restaurants we can go and have dinner in, a movie theater filled with people, guaranteed not sick people. It all sounds so wonderful." "I'll talk to Eric, maybe we can get a Halloween costume party together." Aisling cooed at him. "That sounds wonderful." She glanced over his shoulder. "Looks like your maid in here." Andy looked back over his shoulder and saw Yvette standing there, nervously shifting back and forth, before he chuckled and curled a finger in her direction. "C'mon, Yvette. You look like you've got something you want to say." "Simply a request Master. I and the rest of your staff, well, we are having trouble keeping our heads clear. We do not wish to pressure you, naturally, but the longer you wait before imprinting us, the more difficulty we will have executing our responsibilities around the home. It is getting hard to focus." He removed his arm from around Aisling and rose to his feet, a wry smile on his face. "I'll say. I can't help but think about something Groucho Marx once said to his brother Chico." "I'm sorry, I don't know who those people are, Master." "Comedians. Groucho is the one with the bushy eyebrows and greasepaint mustache. Chico used to pretend to be Italian. Groucho would occasionally say to him, 'Chico, I think your accent is slipping.'" Andy grinned as he approached her. "Is your name really Yvette?" The maid visibly blanched. "Am I trouble?" "Answer the question," Aisling said, getting off the couch, heading to join them. "No, ma'am. It's Nicolette." "Are you actually French?" Andy asked. "Second generation, but I was putting on a show. Mr. Marcos seemed to think you might enjoy it." Andy shook his head and laughed. "Fucking Phil." "So you're not angry, sir?" "You don't have to lie to me, Nicolette." He gestured to the maid's outfit. "Do you really enjoy this kind of thing?" She smiled, almost coquettishly, and nodded. "I do, Master. I'm naturally submissive, and this is what I wanted to do in the new world." "Are you bisexual, Nicolette?" Aisling said. "I am, madam, if that's alright." Aisling leaned over and grabbed the girl by her mane of hair and pulled her into a firm, intense kiss that made Andy's breath catch a little. Nicolette seemed caught off guard only for a moment, before she leaned into the kiss, and pressed her busty body against the Irish girl. After they made out for a minute or so, Aisling pulled back and grinned at Andy. "Well, we should make sure the girl gets what she needs, but mama has needs too." Aisling pulled Nicolette with her over towards one of couches. She reached up beneath her skirt and pulled down her panties before stepping out of them. Then she laid back onto the couch and spread her legs, exposing that ginger cunt to Nicolette. "Tell you what. You lick my cunt, and I'll make sure he fucks you good." "Yes madam," Nicolette said as she moved down onto her knees, before Aisling pulled over a footstool. "Thank you madam." The maid moved up to kneel down on the footstool, her hands pressed on the couch, as she moved her lips down to press against Aisling's exposed snatch. Andy walked over towards them as he watched Aisling's fingertips move to get lost in the girl's thick blonde curls, rocking her hips up against the maid's mouth. "Shit, Andy, she's fucking good at this." "Umm, it certainly looks that way, but what if I wanted to see if those titanic tits of hers were real, hmm?" He unbuttoned his jeans, slowly unzipping them. "Oh, I can fix that," Aisling said with a laugh. She pushed Nicolette's face back. "Lay down and turn over. Are those enhanced or natural?" Nicolette rolled over, laying on her back on the footstool before she pulled the top off one shoulder then the other, tugging it down to her waist so her massive tits spilled free, thick and curvy. "All natural, madam. Any excess weight I put on seems to go straight to my tits or my ass and nowhere else." She curved her fingertips around her left tit and pulled it upward, bringing it up so she could lick her large pink nipple while Andy watched. Then she reached down and dragged her skirt upwards, as she moved to push her head onto the couch while Aisling moved up onto her knees, straddling the girl's face. "Come on, Andy, don't keep the poor slut waiting." Andy tugged his jeans and boxers down enough for him to fish his cock out, moving to step out, rubbing the tip of his cock across the maid's twat, finding it was still soaked. "Remember when I told you I never showed my cock to anyone I hadn't kissed, Ash?" "She doesn't want you to show her a good time, love. She's only got one thing on her mind, don't you whore?" "Yes madam," the maid said between licks at Aisling's cunt. "And what is that?" Aisling's question caught the maid off guard. "Ma'am?" "What is the one thing you've got on your mind?" "Being imprinted, ma'am." Aisling reached down and pinched one of Nicolette's nipples hard enough to make the maid yip audibly. "The master likes a dirty mouth on his girls, Nicolette. Maybe Phil didn't tell you that, but as Andy's first girl, it's my job to make sure everyone in the house knows exactly what he likes. So let me ask you again,  what's the one thing you've got on your mind?" "Getting the Master to fuck me, ma'am." "Why?" "So I can be imprinted, to be owned, to belong to him, and be part of his house." "Then tell him." "Yes ma'am." Nicolette pulled her head back for a moment to look up at Andy, and the look on her face was one he was starting to get quite familiar with, a heady mix of need and lust. "Sir, let me offer you my body, my drenched holes for your use. I need to be fucked to belong to you, to feel your jizz blasting inside of my cunt or asshole, marking me as yours, imprinting me, claiming me. Take me, sir. Own me. Fuck my tight young snatch and brand me as your slut, your maid, your little French fucktoy. It hurts, sir, aches. I can't think straight. I'm a rutting bitch in heat, needy for a cock to clear her head. Can I serve you, Master? Will you grant me that privilege? Fuck me, sir. Do it." "Put your mouth back to work, Nicolette, and I will," Andy said, as he pushed his cock along her cunt, feeling her shiver, her body instinctively trying to line it up so his wood would penetrate her. "Yes, Master. Of course, Master." Nicolette slid her head back between Aisling's thighs, pressing her face up against the redhead's cunt, her tongue pushing into the girl. Aisling leaned forward a little bit, reaching a hand forward to grab Andy's face, pulling him closer, kissing him as Andy pushed his cock inside of Nicolette's cunt. Beneath her, Aisling could feel the girl already lost in the throes of her first orgasm, muffling the scream by pressing her hips down against the maid's face. "How is she?" "I think I might have killed the poor girl." One of Nicolette's hands lifted and offered a thumb up gesture to them, which made Andy and Aisling both laugh until Aisling kissed Andy hard again. She reached down and grabbed Andy's hip to pull him hard into Nicolette, slamming his cock hilt deep into the French maid with enough force to make those heavy tits of hers jiggle and bounce. "That's it, Andy. Just rail the girl." "You're trying to make me cum inside of her, aren't you?" "It's working, isn't it?" Aisling giggled a little bit. "I'm giving up my load for the day to her. I want you to fill her cunt so full of cum that there's enough for me to lick a little bit out of her gash when you're done. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Andy groaned a little bit. "You're wicked, Ash." " Umm, just like you want me to be. I have to admit, I'm a little addicted to it, seeing a new slut fuckdrunk on your spunk for the first time, her eyes rolled back in her head, the orgasm so intense that she's trembling like she's been struck by lightning. It make you seem so powerful." "I don't think I can last long," he mumbled. "She's fucking tight." "Then why wait? She wants your jizz. I want you to jizz inside of her. You want to jizz inside of her." She kissed his cheek and then moved nibble on his earlobe. "Go on. Give your newest slut her nut. Fill her up with that hot spunk and claim her. Your girlfriend is telling you to do it. Cream her up. In your house. Make her your slut, your maid, your personal fuckhole. Give to us. Please Master, she fucking needs it. I need it. Cum for us. Flood the little bitch with your cum. Show her who the lord of the house is." Aisling licked her tongue along the shell of his ear, then breathed hot onto his flesh, before whispering, "Own her. Cum!" Nicolette's heels pressed into the small of his back as he pushed his cock hilt deep inside of her cunt and began to erupt inside of her. As soon as the first blast of his jism hit the back of her cunt, Nicolette began to thrash, her heels lifting off his skin as her legs pointed straight up into the air and began to practically vibrate, quaking like she had her own personal earthquake. Eventually Andy's release ebbed back, and Aisling leaned to kiss him once more, her hand reaching up to brush sweat from his face. "Another one bites the dust," she giggled against his mouth before he pulled his hips back, letting his cock slide out from Nicolette's snatch as the girl's legs moved to slump down on the footstool, her whole body lying ragdoll limp, her lips very quietly mumbling that familiar word over and over again. Aisling lifted her hips up and moved back to her feet, shifting Nicolette to move the maid's entire body up onto the couch, cradling the girl's head against the pillow on the armrest. Andy was starting to adjust to tuck his cock away before he felt Aisling's hand stop him. "Just wait there, mister." The Irish girl grabbed a blanket and moved to lay it over Nicolette's unconscious form, covering her up, making sure the maid looked cozy. After Nicolette was properly tucked in, she turned around and kneeled down to lick his cock clean. It had still been glistening with a bit of his cum, as well as juices from Nicolette's cunt, but Aisling gave it a spit shine. Andy could feel himself struggling to get hard again, but as soon as Aisling had his cock clean, she tucked it away. "Tomorrow you can take care of the gardener and the cook." "Fucking this many people is exhausting, Ash." "Awww. Poor baby. Do you know how much sympathy I have for you, half a dozen women craving your cum so much they'll fling themselves at you?" "Very little?" "Not even that much." Andy chuckled, helping Aisling to her feet. "Yeah, I guess that's fair." Chapter 12 Andy awoke the next morning much earlier than he normally did. It was the fact that the bed beneath him was new to him. New bed, new house, but the house itself didn't change as much of his perspective as the bed did. Sure, the four of them had fit in his old bed back at the condo, but the new bed had plenty of room for them to sprawl out if they wanted, and yet, he still awoke with all the girls basically pressing up against him, Aisling and Niko on either side of him, and Lauren mostly draped over Aisling. The cats were nowhere to be seen, although he wouldn't be surprised if they wandered across the bed several times during the night. He did his best to extricate one arm free so he could look at his watch, only to find it was actually nearly nine a.m., far later than he'd expected. The girls remained zonked, and he had to admit, they'd all been up a bit late into the wee hours of the morning just wandering around and exploring the house. He still felt like he didn't have a great handle on the layout of the place, but he figured that would come in time. Determined not to wake anyone, he wriggled his way downward, disentangling the gilded cage of arms and legs he found himself wrapped in. Once free, he was pleased to see that he hadn't woken any of the trio, so he headed into the closet to grab a change of clothes. Immediately, he feared he might have made a terrible mistake, as the walk in closet was larger than the old condo's living room, but thankfully, most of his t shirts were hanging on clothes hangers directly in front of him, and a dresser there seemed to have his pants, boxers and socks. In fact, as he glanced at the walk in closet, he was a little amused to see how little of what he saw was actually his own clothes. Sure, all of his clothes were there, but they took up a fraction of the amount of space the walk in closet had on offer. Each of the girls had carved up their own section of the closet space, although if the Major was to be believed, this wouldn't be enough room eventually. The Major had even suggested each partner consider taking one of the bedrooms of the manor as their own, simply to have their own space, and their own place to keep their clothes. "Personal space is going to be important," she had told them yesterday. Andy had immediately decided it was advice worth heeding. He grabbed a change of clothes and headed towards the bathroom. After stepping foot inside of the bathroom, he closed the door behind him, doing his best to keep the noise volume down, so as to not wake anyone. He imagined the girls would be up any minute now, but saw no reason to get anyone up before they awoke naturally. Some nights they all wore pajamas, but last night, they'd all just piled in one naked mess into the new bed, so the only thing Andy had to take off before he got into the shower was his watch and glasses, setting both on the counter next to his clothes. The shower space was just about the same size as the bathroom in the old condo, but it was a thing Andy had decided he was just going to have to come to terms with. Everything in the new home was going to be bigger, because it had more people to accommodate. It did, however, give him plenty of room to maneuver as he attempted to get the water's temperature to a level he was comfortable with. He hadn't even thought to ask how the utilities of the new home were going to be paid for. He made a mental note to ask someone about it as he stepped under the soothing warm water. Ten minutes later, he'd finished the shower, dried himself off and gotten dressed. As he passed through the bedroom, he could see that while none of the girls were awake yet, they had shifted to make up for his absence, now lined up like three little spoons, with Niko's ass pressed against Aisling's hips, and Aisling's ass against Lauren's hips. The cats had also joined them on the bed, sitting at either corner of it, almost like they were on guard duty. Andy reached down to pet Huginn, and the black cat leaned his head up to lean into Andy's touch. He smirked as the cat slowly pulled away from Andy's hand, but it was only to roll onto his back, exposing his belly, hoping Andy would give it a rub. He patted the plump cat's tummy briefly, but not long enough so that Huginn would think it was a game of Attack The Hand. He didn't want to remain long enough to wake the girls, so he grabbed his phone from the charger on the nightstand, moved to the door of the bedroom and slipped out, closing it shut behind him as he moved into the hallway. The layout of the house was still fuzzy in his head, but he knew for certain that if he wanted to grab some breakfast, he needed to head downstairs. As he wandered downstairs, the cook, Jennifer, he thought her name was, awaited him. She still had on the same apron from the day before, but the clothes she had on beneath it had changed to warmer colors. The t shirt was a light green and the slacks a cream color. "Good morning, sir. Would you like some breakfast?" she asked, a smile beaming at him. She was fidgeting, he noticed, and he was certain that the effects of the vaccine were starting to claw at her. He would have to make sure to take care of both her and the gardener today. "Sure, Jennifer, that'd be nice. Is it Jennifer, or do you prefer Jen or Jenny?" he asked her, as she started to lead him towards the dining room. "Whatever you'd like, sir," she said, demurely. "No," he chuckled, "I'm asking you what you prefer to be called. I don't mind being in charge of the house and all that, but I'm not about to go around deciding what people are called. What do you prefer to be called?" "Jenny, sir," she giggled. "Sorry, sir. What would you like for breakfast today?" "Just, like, a croissant or a bagel with egg, cheese and ham on it? I don't need anything special." "Give me five minutes and I'll whip something up for you." Andy moved to sit down at the dining room table. The chairs were aimed at a much more formal environment, something he was going to have to make sure got corrected. He felt a little bit like Michael Keaton as Batman, sitting at a massively empty table all by himself. He opened his friend group's Discord chat channel and typed in a message to Eric “ you okay in your new place, man? “ but he saw that Eric was off line and didn't respond, so he figured he'd hear back from him later in the day. Phil was up, though, and the two chatted for a little bit while Andy waited for breakfast to arrive. Jenny poked her head in. "Did you want juice or milk, or should I make coffee?" "God, the girls made drink coffee, but I can't fucking stand it. So it wouldn't hurt to put a pot on, but none for me, thanks. I'll just have some orange juice or pineapple juice or whatever." "Got it," she said, dipping back into the kitchen, the swinging door closed behind her. Phil was in good spirits, and let Andy know that he would be behind the wall in the gated community before the end of the week, which meant they could all hang out again. Phil insisted that on Saturday, they should all get together and play poker while the new families intermingled, something Andy agreed to immediately, and suspected Eric wouldn't have any problem with. "Sir, can I talk to you for a minute?" Jenny said, as she brought out a tray with a bagel filled exactly as he'd asked and a glass of orange juice on it. "I don't mean to be rude or impatient, but,” "No no, Jenny, I know. You're having trouble thinking clearly, and would like to get imprinted as soon as possible. Let me eat my breakfast, and then we can go take care of it if you like." "I would like, sir, but that's not it." The girl looked at her hands as she wrung them together nervously before she looked up at him. "May I speak freely, sir?" "Jenny, you're now and forever under orders to always speak freely in the house, okay? What is it?" "It's my partner, sir, Katie." "What about her?" "Well, she, ah, she lied on her forms. Sir." "About, what exactly, Jenny?" Andy wanted to know what was going on, but he was also famished, so he took a bite from his breakfast sandwich, as if encouraging the girl to continue speaking. "It's, well, it's a bit embarrassing, sir, but, you know that Katie and I are partners, right?" Andy swallowed his mouthful and took a sip from his orange juice before he spoke again. "You did mention it yesterday when you introduced yourselves." He gestured to a chair across the table from him. "Sit, sit. Now tell me what's up?" Jenny looked at the chair like it might bite her, but then nervously moved to sit down, her hands still folded together on top of the table. "So, uh, while I'm bisexual, Katie isn't. Sir. She's strictly a lesbian." Andy tried to keep his face blank. "Alright." "So while she's going to need to intake your jism regularly, she's, uh,” "She's going to be a pain in the ass about it," Katie said, moving into the room, clearly sounding cross. "Is that what you were going to say, Jen?" Katie was dressed in work clothes, having been outside working in the gardens, and had dirt on her knees, although she'd been careful not to drag any loose dirt into the house. "We're so fucked." "Baby, no! I just wanted to explain,” "You just wanted to explain that I wasn't going to do my job to our new boss. That's just great, Jenny! Now we're going to get hauled out of here and thrown in jail!" "Katie, please!" "We're fucked. We're so fucked, just because you had to grow a fucking conscience! I could've faked it! I could've pretended and just gotten through it, but no, you had to,” "Ah Hem!" Andy said, loudly clearing his throat to get both of them to settle down. "Can I interject into this, or do you two want to go on arguing about what I'm going to do without actually knowing anything?" Katie moved to nervously sit down in a chair next to Jenny, looking a little taken aback. "Sorry, sir." "Sorry, sir," Jenny echoed. "Thank you." Andy took another bite from his sandwich, which was delicious, while he let the two women sit in silence a moment, as if almost daring them to start arguing again. They made it past him finishing the sandwich without speaking again, but he was on his last sip of orange juice when Katie, the Hispanic girl, couldn't help herself and spoke again. "I love my wife, sir, and I want to remain faithful to her. And you seem like a nice enough man, but I'm just not attracted to you in any way. Sorry, sir." Andy smiled and shook his head a little bit. "Good lord, they barely told me anything, and somehow I still know more about all of this than you two do. Jenny, are you bisexual, or are you also lesbian?" "Bisexual, sir, but I'm married. To Katie." He nodded. "Look, I get that. So here's your options. If you want, I can tell the army you've changed your mind, and you can go back there, but if you've already been given the vaccination, you're unfortunately going to have to get paired up with some man." "That part's actually true?" Andy nodded. "I'm sure you're already feeling it, that unfamiliar blaze in your body. It'll get worse, a lot worse, until it's harder and harder to think, and you're just a raw, rutting creature, yearning for male sperm of some kind." "How horrible," Jenny whispered. "Better than the disease, Jenny," Katie said, patting her arm. "So what are our other options?" "The obvious one is, naturally, that you both continue to be here, do your jobs, and I simply provide sperm for you to consume. I mean, I could just bring you in towards the end of a session with me and one of my partners, or with Nicolette,” "Who?" Katie asked. "He knows," Nicolette said, standing in the door, leaning against the doorframe. She was wearing another maid's outfit, but it was subtly different than the one she'd worn yesterday. "And he wasn't mad. He even thought the whole Yvette thing was funny." "Or I could just agree to always use the two of you together, but the only person I touch would be Jenny, and Katie could touch Jenny. It's not strictly what you had in mind, but,” "But it would satisfy Katie's insistence that she remain faithful," Jenny said. "Would you be okay with that, baby?" "Okay?" Katie said, rolling her eyes. "Well, I might be able to get to okay eventually, if that's okay with you. Sir." "Come on," Andy said, rising to his feet. "Take me to your room and we'll get you both imprinted." "I'd, I'd rather you not come into our room, sir," Katie said. "If that's okay, sir. I'd like that to be just our special place, mine and Jenny's." "That's fine, but we'll need to have some place to lay you both down once you're done." "I did just fine on one of the couches, Master," Nicolette giggled. "Maybe we should use one of the living room spaces again." "Alright, but let's use one more off to the side." "There's always the lounge out in the pool house," Katie suggested. "I have a pool house? Y'know what, forget I asked. Of course I have a pool house. Fine, let's go out to the pool house. Nicolette, if the girls wake up, let them know I'll be back in a little bit, okay?" "Of course Master," she said with a curtsey, as Katie put her arm around Jenny's waist, and the two started to lead him to the back yard. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, sir," Katie said, as they walked past the pool. Sure enough, on the other side, there was a small house, which Andy could see had showers, a sauna, bathrooms, a small bedroom, and a little lounge. Hell, by itself, it was bigger than the old condo, and clearly this was a little guest house. "But I don't think your sperm is going to do anything for me." "Mentally, sure, probably not, Katie. But on a biological level, you'll find this whole thing is a little surreal. When you meet Niko, you'll get to know what sort of state she was in when she came into my life. She'll tell you the story herself, I'm sure, but from my point of view, she practically assaulted me before I even got her name." Jenny grinned impishly, as she closed the door behind Andy. The lounge had three couches in a U shape pointing towards a massive television, with a picture window on the side wall facing the pool. "I have to admit, that sounds kinda hot." "It was," Andy said, as the two girls pushed him to sit down in the middle of the couch. "A little terrifying, but kinda hot. So how do you want to do this?" Katie leaned up and pressed her lips against Jenny's, as Jenny's hand smoothed down her wife's hip. The kiss intensified and Andy could see the tongues dancing together, as Katie's hand moved to cup one of Jenny's plump tits through the apron before reaching behind her to untie it, pulling it up and over her head, tossing it aside. "I'm thinking Jenny here'll blow you, and I'll just share it at the end, so you have to tell us when you're close. If that's okay. Sir." "That's fine, Katie. If you always want to do it this way, that's fine, or if you want to switch it up now and again, we can do that too." Katie nodded, and reached down to pull Jenny's t shirt up and over her head, exposing the brunette's overabundance of titflesh that had actually been quite concealed by the apron. "We, uh,” She blushed a little bit before continuing, pushing Jenny down to her knees. "We've had threesomes before. I don't mind if Jenny gets a little cock now and then, as long as I'm always there, but it's hard to get men to understand I don't want any. They usually try to pressure me to join in." "Well I won't ever do that, Katie," Andy said. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, although,” Jenny had unbuttoned his jeans, and unzipped them, as the other two continued to talk. Katie smirked, rolling her eyes a little. "As long as you don't care if I say no, you can always ask, sir." "I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind taking your top off as well, so we're all at least a little exposed here." "No, I can do that," she said, unzipping the top of the worksuit. "My tits aren't anywhere near as nice as Jenny's, though." She peeled the top down to her waist, exposing a perky caramel colored pair of tits, capped with darker tan nipples. "You've got excellent tits, Katie," Andy said to her, as she tied the arms of the top around her waist to tie it in place. "And don't you ever take shit from anyone who says otherwise." "Aw, you're sweet, Andy," she said before looking down at her wife. "How's it look, hon? Something you can work with?" Jenny nodded, having fished out Andy's cock, her fingertips stroking up and down it slowly. "It's a good size. I may want to have a ride on it now and again, if that's okay, baby." "Let's take it all one step at a time, okay?" Katie said. She moved to sit down on the couch next to Andy, laughing softly. "She's always been over eager. But I'll probably let you fuck her now and again. And I know she's a very good cocksucker. Her old boyfriend used to brag about it all the time." "Pig," Jenny said, before she wrapped her lips around the head of his cock, letting her tongue brush over it slowly, evoking a shiver from Andy. "Oh! Not you, sir, him." "I figured that one out, Jenny." Andy glanced over at Katie. "So are you both really submissive? Did you really want to do this, be a gardener and a cook?" "Jenny's mostly submissive, and I'm a switch," the Hispanic woman said. "And these were the jobs we had in the before times, just at different places. I was the gardener for some tech millionaire, and Jenny worked in the kitchen at the S F O airport Marriott, so we'll do our jobs well, and the other thing reasonably well." "I just want to make sure I'm not forcing anyone to do anything they don't want to." "We will be sure to tell if you're pushing it. Sir." She laughed slightly at herself, as if chiding herself not to forget to call him that. "Remember, you're going to have to tell us when you're close, sir," Katie said. "I'm a man of my word, Katie." "I hope so." Jenny pushed her head down onto his cock, sliding her lips down a few inches before pulling her head back up. "Oh, if you're going to do it, just fucking do it, Jen." Katie took her hand and pushed on the back of Jenny's head, forcing her face down hard into Andy's lap, until he could feel the girl's lips around the base of his cock, her throat twitching as she was struggling not to gag. Katie leaned in to whisper into Andy's ear. "She fucking loves shit like this." After a few seconds, Katie pulled Jenny's head back, and the girl coughed, laughing throatily, spit dripping from her mouth onto his cock, tears running down her eyes, a crazy smile on her face. "Oh god, I think I fucking came when you did that, Kat." "Well, not to take credit for it, but that was my precum. You're starting the imprinting process now." "I call bullshit," Katie said. "Prove it." Andy decided the best way to do this was to mostly remain out of it, so he took Jenny's arm by the wrist, rubbing her palm over the tip of his cock, which oozed out a little bit of precum, then lifted it up towards Katie, palm facing her face. "Lick. Prove me wrong." Katie cocked an eyebrow at him, then leaned forward to run her tongue along Jenny's palm. As soon as her tongue slurped in that precum, she leaned back suddenly against the back of the couch, pulling up her knees to her chest, her face scrunched tightly as she spasmed violently. Andy was fairly certain that Katie's panties were drenched, but didn't want to embarrass the girl by looking. After a few seconds, Katie's eyes opened again, and she groaned, a sultry wanton sound. "Oh you utter bastard," she moaned. "I know that's all physiological, but fuck was that good,” "You're going to get that same sensation each time you get any of my cum. Both of you. Ash's been with me the longest, about two months now, and she says it's never gotten any less intense, and from time to time, it's even way more intense than that." Katie pushed Jenny's head back down into Andy's lap, forcing her mouth back onto his shaft, as she wriggled in her seat. "How often do we have to have it?" "We've experimented around a little bit with trying to wean a girl off of it, but after about a week or so, it starts impairing logic. Not a lot, at first, but a little bit. It's harder to think clearly, you find sex popping into your head unwarranted more than usual. And by ten days, it's like a painful gnawing hunger. Lauren wanted to try and go two full weeks without, but on day eleven, ah,” Katie laughed softly. "Go on. You said we have no secrets here." Andy nodded with a slight shrug. "She, uh, when I went to take my shower in the morning, she followed me in and forced me to fuck her by trapping me between the wall and the sink. She bent over the sink and braced her hands against it and pinned me. I mostly just stood there, my ass pressed against the wallpaper while she thrust back against me hard and fast. She's, ah, she's a lot stronger than I am." Both girls laughed, although Jenny's laugh was a bit muffled, as she still had most of his cock in her mouth. "I think once a week or so is something we can make work," Katie said, brushing her hand along the back of Jenny's neck. "See? I told you she was good." "Fuck, her tongue keeps teasing against the bottom of my balls. I'm not going to last long like this. You may want to,” "Sure," Katie said, sliding off the couch and onto her knees, off to the side of Andy's right leg. "I know how we can do this." She pulled Jenny's head up and free of his cock before pushing her over to the other side of Andy's legs, his legs pressed together. "C'mere, babe." Katie pulled Jenny close, and then the two women kissed with the length of his cock between them, blocking their lips from reaching each other until they both slid up and kissed with the head of his cock between them. Jenny reached down to fondle his balls, and he felt a second hand join, a little surprised that it was Katie's, as the two tongues danced against each other, and over the head of his cock, and he couldn't resist any longer, his body tensing up as he had a hand resting on either of their shoulders. When that release hit him, he could see Katie's other hand on the back of Jenny's neck, as if holding her in place, as he saw Jenny suddenly reach up and do the same, helping each other to stay locked in place around the tip of his cock, as he blasted a hot load of spunk into their mouths. He felt like he gave at least a few pumps of jizz into each of their mouths, and certainly they were both affected, as each of them began to tremble, the clasp of hands and necks keeping them all in place, as both of them swallowed mouthfuls until finally they could resist no longer and both girls slumped their heads back and to the side, the full weight of their unconscious bodies pressed into the couch. Each of them trembled and vibrated a little, the aftershocks of the process clearly still coursing through their veins. Both girls were quietly murmuring that familiar word, imprinting, over and over again. It took Andy a few seconds to regain his composure, but once he finally did, he tucked his cock away beneath his boxers and jeans, zipping them up and rebuttoning them before he stood up and extracted himself from between them. He moved to lift Katie up onto the couch first, laying the girl out on it, before picking up Jenny, pushing her onto the couch with Katie, draping one arm over the Hispanic girl. Then he picked up an afghan laying in the room and covered them both up, for warmth as much as modesty. It wasn't freezing cold, but Halloween was next week, and California in October could get cold. He assumed the guest house had heating, but didn't even have the slightest idea how to turn it on. He was about to leave, then decided to scout the pool house out a little more. Sure enough, he found a thermostat, and noticed it was set to off, so he set the temperature to 70F and turned it from Off to Auto, hearing a heater kick on along the far side of the building. His work done, he decided to head back inside. He stopped to look at the pool, marveling the fact that he had his very own swimming pool, something southern Californians might have in spades, but certainly came at a premium in the northern California area, where real estate was a scarcity. He'd had dreams of his works being optioned, turned into movies or some such, and hoped that they would make him oodles of money, but the books hadn't developed a big enough audience where Andy would've felt comfortable enough letting someone adapt his works while remaining faithful to what he'd written. A producer had once offered him ten grand for the rights in perpetuity for everything, offering Andy no creative influence, no backend profits and no altering of the deal if things performed well. Andy had, in response, made a Berry Gordy joke that he was sure went over the producer's head, then politely declined. He'd jokingly referred to it to his friends as the "you'll take our money, shut your mouth and like it" deal. But he didn't, he wouldn't and so he didn't have to. In the end, he'd still ended up with a pool. He continued heading towards the house, seeing Niko, wearing just one of his over sized t shirts, although he suspected she probably had panties on underneath. Her arms were crossed over her chest, so he couldn't be sure, but he thought that it was one of his Catherine Wheel t shirts. It looked like the orange corners of the "Ferment" album cover peeking around her arms. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said, as he walked up towards her. "Everyone else up?" "Ash was toweling off when I came downstairs and Lauren was just heading into the shower, so she should be down in a little bit," Niko said to him. If Aisling had fallen into the role of his girlfriend, Niko had worked herself into becoming his right hand woman. Aisling took care of him emotionally, and Niko seemed to enjoy making sure everything was humming along. She'd been the one to structure their packing, and made sure Andy didn't forget anything he would regret leaving behind. Sure, all of that stuff was being brought over, but Niko had made certain that Andy hadn't left anything truly important to other people. "Also, your newest girl is here. She's waiting in the living room. Well, the front living room. One of the front living rooms. The one closest to the door. I signed for her, figured you wouldn't mind. That's her car parked out front, and the Uhaul attached to it has the rest of the stuff from the condo." "Nice." Andy was surprised another girl had arrived so soon, but the Major had made it clear that they would be coming at a steady rate until he was at capacity, which meant at least another nine or so, maybe even as many as thirteen more, although Andy had stressed to the Major that stopping early was absolutely fine. The Major had seemed to think that was funny. They'd walked inside of the house and headed towards the front living room. "What's her name?" "Her name is,” "Taylor!" Lauren's voice shouted as Andy and Niko walked into the room. Sitting on the couch was a young blonde, barely five feet tall, in a white muscle t shirt that didn't cover all of her toned stomach, and a pair of jeans that looked like they were practically painted on. A denim jacket was draped over the back of the couch. The girl's hair was platinum blonde, bordering on white, clearly dyed or bleached, but had dark eyebrows, and Andy could see dark hair down at the roots. She had a gold belly ring and heavy Doc Martin shoes. Small diamond earrings adorned her ears, and around her right wrist was a gold bangle bracelet. Her lipstick was a bright pink. In fact, it was clear that the girl, who looked like she was in her early twenties, had spent a decent amount of time on both her outfit and her makeup, like she wanted to make a good first impression. It was also worth noting that she was more than a little buxom for her small height, the top strained over her large tits enough that Andy could make out a white bra on underneath it. If not for the dark roots, she almost reminded him a little of a smaller version of Lauren. Both girls had a bit of that 'I'm showing off for Instagram' vibe to them, although Andy would never have said it that way to Lauren. "Andy, no fucking way! I do not want that bitch in this house!" The girl on the couch looked like she was about ready to break down crying, as Lauren loomed over her. His Aussie partner had put on a bit more than Niko, in that she was wearing yoga pants and a sports bra. "I'm sorry, Lauren," the girl, Taylor, said. "I'm so, so sorry, baby." "Don't fucking 'baby' me, you whore!" Lauren shouted, turning to walk towards Andy. "This is intolerable! Figure it out!" Lauren kept walking right past him and headed towards the stairs, each step heavy, almost like she was trying to stomp her anger out. "Figure It Out!" she shouted from upstairs, just before he heard the bedroom door slam loud enough to rattle the house. "I take it you know her?" Niko said to Taylor. "Yeah," Taylor mumbled. "I'm her ex girlfriend." Chapter 13 Andy looked at Niko, then at Taylor, then back to Niko, unsure of what to say to anyone. "Look, Niko, can you figure out her side of the story?" he said, gesturing to Taylor. "I'm going to go talk to Lauren and find out what the hell is going on." "Good luck, babe," Niko said, kissing his cheek. "Tell her," Taylor said before stopping, biting her bottom lip in a pout, then starting again. "Tell her if she'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life apologizing to her." Andy didn't know what to say to that, so he walked out of the room and started heading to the stairs, trying to follow the sound he'd heard a minute or so ago of Lauren stomping off. Clearly there was bad blood here, but talking to Taylor first would only hurt Lauren's feelings, so he needed to check on his partner. Once he got to the top of the stairs, he saw Aisling leaning against the outside of the master bedroom door, which was closed. "What's all this then?" she said, jerking her finger to the door. "Lauren stormed in here crying a minute ago and told me to go away." "We just had a new girl show up, and apparently she used to be Lauren's girlfriend. I'm going to go talk to Lauren about it right now." Ash raised her hand. "Are you sure about this, Andy?" He shook his head with a sigh. "No, but I'm not going to sit around and do nothing, so I'm going in there." "You want me to go in with you?" Andy shook his head again. "No, better let me go in on my own." "Don't have to tell me twice. Who's keeping an eye on the ex?" "Niko's down talking to her. You're welcome to join her." "I'll do that," she said, moving to kiss his cheek, much as Niko had done. "You're a good man, Andy Rook. I'm sure you'll figure it out." "I think my spaceship knows which way to go. Tell,” "She knows," Aisling giggled, as she strolled past him and headed to the stairs. Andy moved to the bedroom door and considered knocking, but decided that it would only encourage Lauren to tell him to go away, so he simply opened the door and stepped in, closing the door behind him. He saw his Aussie partner sitting on the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms folded atop of them, her face buried against her arms. "Okay, Laur, tell me the whole story," he said, moving over to sit down on the bed. "Taylor and I dated for about a year. She was even living with me for a few months, until one day I came home from work early and found her banging some guy in our,” She paused, wiping her eyes. "She was fucking some fella in my bed. I threw her out that night, and told her to pick her shit up the next day. I packed it up and left it in the hallway for her so I didn't even have to look at her. I haven't even seen her since." "Okay. What do you want me to do here?" "Do?" She curled her fingers together into fists before forcing herself to relax them. "What I want you to do is throw the bitch out on her ass and leave her to rot in the sun." "I somehow think the Air Force will come pick her up and take her back, if that's what you want." "She deserves a lot worse." "Well, she's already been injected with the vaccine, so the urge for male cum is probably eating away at her pretty badly right now, and you know what that's like." Lauren's face scrunched up. "It's a need, but it's not punishment." "And if I send her away, I'm pretty sure the Air Force is just going to give her to someone else in New Eden, so it's not like I can make her just disappear," he said, sighing softly. "But you're the one with the history here. So you tell me what you want. Should I throw her out? Is that what you want?" "What I want? What I want is for her to be punished and learn some fucking loyalty." "Do you want to be the one to do that?" Lauren rubbed her eyes again, then reached to take one of Andy's hands that had been resting atop of her knee. "What do you mean?" "Phil told me that if a woman partakes of the cum of a man other than the one she's imprinted to, it can have, consequences. Dire consequences. Which means she's going to have to be loyal to our family, if you want her to be a part of it." "She can't just come in without some retribution, Andy," Lauren said, shaking her head. "I won't let her just walk all over me like that." "Lauren. Love. At this point, you have the upper hand. You hold all the power right now. Your ex is here, and more than anything she wants to stay here, it looks like. Right before I came up here, she said she'd do everything she could to spend the rest of her life apologizing to you, to try and make it up to you. Have you talked to her at all since you threw her out?" "I didn't even talk to her when I threw her out, Andy!" Lauren said, tossing her

Hey humans! In this episode, as we continue our series on 'Assuming Positive Intent,' I'm diving further into a topic I believe is one of the most challenging things we navigate: the duality between victimhood and accountability. To pick up from last week, I really break down what victimhood looks like – that mindset rooted in an external locus of control, where we might blame others or circumstances, often stemming from past adversity or trauma, and I don't want to minimize that. I explore the significant costs of this mindset, especially in our workplaces—how it erodes trust, blocks progress, and reduces psychological safety—to really lay the foundation for why understanding this is so critical before we talk about how to shift towards accountability in our next episode. Stacie More episodes at StacieBaird.com.

A new home. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 4 Three days later, the calendar claimed it was a Saturday, but at that point, Andy wasn't sure any of them really knew. During the evening after dinner every day for the past three days, Lily and Eric had retreated to Eric's room immediately as soon as dishes were in the dishwasher, and Andy and Aisling were in Andy's room not long after. The walls between the two bedrooms were thankfully fairly thick, and each room was generating enough noise to drown the other out if there had been any spillover. If anything, Andy actually felt a little sore. Aisling hadn't been lying about fucking him thin. Each day had been a new and interesting work out, and she'd been true to her word “ he hadn't gone to sleep without giving her at least one load for the day. They'd also spent a bunch of time all getting to know one another. Andy knew within just a few minutes that Lily was a good match for Eric “ she knew exactly how much to push him around and how much to let him get his way. Aisling also seemed an ideal match for Andy, and they'd spent much of the Saturday upstairs just in bed, cuddled up watching movies on the television in his room. Late in the afternoon, Andy had starting making dinner for the four of them when a knock came at the door. Aisling was in the living room talking with Lily while Eric has helping him by chopping vegetables. "Who is it, Ash?" Aisling picked through the peephole then opened the door. "Looks like you should make that for five," she called back. "Delivery for Andrew Rook?" a man inside a bio hazard suit said, holding out a tablet. A woman stood next to him, dressed much as Aisling and Lily had been when they'd showed up. "I'm Aisling Blake, his partner," she said. "It okay if I sign?" The man glanced down at his tablet, frowned at it, clicked a few things, then nodded. "Sure, looks like that's okay. Sign here." Aisling took her fingertip and scrawled her name on it, as the woman moved into the room and started heading up the stairs, carrying her little roller suitcase with her. "The door on the left!" Aisling called up. "I'll be up in just a second!" She turned back to the man with a broad smile. "Anything else?" "Nah, I'll be back again soon enough," he said, and Aisling closed the door behind him, turning the deadbolt to lock it. "I'm going to go up and talk to her, Andy, so just hang out for a bit down here, okay?" "I'm cooking anyway, Ash, it's fine." Andy hadn't even gotten a glance at the new woman, but his curiosity was certainly getting the better of him. Still, he also found himself more than a little nervous. Aisling darted upstairs and then a few seconds later, he heard his bedroom door close again. "You've been kicked out of your own room again," Eric teased. "Meh, it's not even my room anymore." "Oh get over yourself," Lily said. They all knew she was joking, even as dry as her humor was. Ten minutes later, dinner was close to done, and Andy was tempted to call upstairs to her when Aisling came down the stairs alone. "Is she not joining us?" Andy asked. Aisling shook her head, and Andy could hear the sound of the shower turning on in his bathroom. "She's already eaten, so she's going to take a shower. After dinner, I'll bring you up to the room." "What's her name?" "Lauren," Aisling said. "You going to tell me anything else about her?" "Nah," Aisling grinned. "So how's the new girl?" Lily said as Aisling moved to sit at the table while Andy went to dish out his cooking “ a spicy chili over rice “ into four bowls before putting the fifth bowl back into the cupboard. "New," Aisling said. "Oh come on, Ash," Eric said. "Surely you can tell us more than that." "Of course I can, but I'm not going to, and don't call me Shirley." For the next few minutes, Lily and Eric peppered her with questions, but Aisling dodged them before she finally just rolled her eyes and stared at them. "You can make your own mind up about her tomorrow, alright? Let her tell you about her rather than me. Now can we talk about something else?" After dinner, Lily and Eric had agreed to clear up the dishes and get them into the dishwasher, so Andy could go upstairs and meet his next partner. Andy was more than a little nervous as Aisling took him upstairs. His own bedroom door was closed and as they stood outside of it, Aisling moved to stand between him and it. "Look, Andy, do you trust me?" He cocked his head to one side then nodded. "Of course, Ash. Why?" "Then just go with me on this, okay?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a blindfold. "Put this on." "Are you serious?" Andy looked down at the blindfold as she handed it to him. "Really?" "Please trust me?" Andy sighed, his shoulders slumped a little bit. "Alright. Alright." He lifted the blindfold up and put it over his eyes. "I feel a bit silly." "It'll all make sense tomorrow, I promise," she said as she made sure the blindfold was covering his eyes properly so he couldn't see at all. "Wait, tomorrow?" "Daddy," she said again, this time a bit more comfortingly. "Trust me." "Ok, Ash. Don't let me regret it." "You won't," she said, as Andy can hear her opening the door to his bedroom. She pushes him gently into the room, stepping with him, closing the door behind them. His room wasn't very empty, so he knew he had to watch his step. Move too far forward and he'd his a bookcase, or his armchair over in the corner next to his electric guitar and his arm. "Okay, now step back and lean your back against the door." Andy took a few steps back and felt his back press into the door, as he felt a hand smoothing along his chest. He thought it was Aisling's, but he couldn't be sure. "Hello, I'm Andy," he said, hoping there was someone else in the room besides him and Aisling. "Shhhh, don't say anything, Daddy," Aisling whispered into his ear. "Just listen, and feel." He could hear the sound of Aisling moving, and felt her hand on his waist, unbuttoning his jeans. "You're going to learn to love this," he heard her say, although he was fairly certain she wasn't talking to him. He could hear the sound of Aisling getting down onto her knees, but he thought he heard a second set of knees hitting the carpet, as he felt a hand tugging his zipper down then reaching beneath his boxers to fish out his cock. As soon as it sprung free, he heard a gasp and then Aisling giggling. "Go on, taste it," she said. "There's a droplet there waiting just for you." Andy felt a tongue lash against the tip of his cock for a second before pulling back, an unfamiliar throaty moan erupting from somewhere beneath him. Aisling giggled again. "Give her just a second, Andy." "Take all the time you need." After a minute or so, Aisling's voice cut through the darkness again. "Well, if you're not going to,” And he felt Aisling's mouth, or at least he thought it was Aisling's mouth, wrap around his cock once more and push down until her lips were wrapped around the base of it, holding there for a long moment before pulling back again. "At least one of us is gonna be an eager little slut, and if you're not gonna " She was in the middle of the word when Andy felt another mouth pushing down hard onto his cock, lodging it right into the back of her throat before coughing a little, drawing back, gasping for air. He started to reach forward, but he felt a hand on his wrist. "No no, Daddy," Aisling's voice said. "Let your new slut work." Not being able to see was heightening his other senses, putting them into overdrive. And yet, even as he felt her mouth sliding up and down his cock, he couldn't tell anything about this new girl who had entered his life. Anything other than the fact she loved his cock. "She's thirsty, daddy," Aisling purred up at him. "You can't see her, but I can, and she's giving you such sloppy head, I think she's desperately trying to get you to cum for her." "I'm not far off," Andy admitted. "One second then," Aisling said as she pulled Lauren back for a moment. She whispered something to the other girl, and then they both moved for a second, and he could hear the sound of one of them getting onto the bed. Then he felt a pair of hands on his hips, pulling him forward. "C'mere, you're going to fuck her face, daddy." "I'm going to what?" he said, as he slowly shimmied forward until he felt like he was near the edge of his bed. He felt a hand around the base of his cock, as Aisling stood behind him, and she moved him around a bit, then her hips pushed forward against his ass, forcing him to thrust into an open mouth that groaned eagerly around him. He tried to pull back a bit, but Aisling pushed him forward until he felt his balls brushing against what he thought was Lauren's nose. That meant, he assumed, she was on her back, maybe with her head hanging just off the edge of the bed. "That's it, daddy, feed her. Feed your newest slut a hot load of your cum. Claim her. Let her taste you." Aisling moaned into his ear. "This is so fucking hot, sir. But you gotta do it. She's yearning for it," she said as her hips moving with his pressed his cock in and out of the unseen girl's throat. "Make her your slut, daddy. Cum in that fucking throat,” Andy could feel Aisling's fingers closing around his balls as they drew up, and before he knew it, he was spurting a hot load of jizz into the throat of a woman he'd never even seen before. While his orgasm was strong, he could feel Lauren trembling beneath him like they were in the middle of an earthquake. The bed was jittering and he tried not to push forward or back until he felt Aisling's hands pulling him back a little bit. "God, this is such a fucking sexy image," Aisling said. "Now just wait here a moment, okay?" Andy nodded, and felt Aisling move around him before sliding up onto the bed. He could hear the sound of Aisling moving Lauren around on the bed. He also thought he could hear someone whispering the word "imprinting" over and over again very quietly. He remembered Aisling doing the same thing the first time she'd gotten a load of his cum inside of her. After a minute or two, Aisling slid off the bed again, and giggled, leaning up to kiss him for a moment. "I think you've earned a treat, Daddy, so give me just one minute more, okay?" "You're driving, Ash," he laughed. He could hear her opening the drawer she'd stored all her clothes in, even as she was stripping out of what she was currently wearing, tossing it into the clothes hamper. Then she pulled on whatever clothes she'd pulled out. Then he heard the sound of what sounded like a lotion bottle opening and then felt a cool liquid dripping onto his cock before the cap snapped back on. He felt her fingers sliding up and down his shaft, smearing the lotion onto his cock for a moment before her hands pulled away as she moved up onto the bed once more. "Okay, daddy, you can take off the blindfold now." Andy reached up and pulled off the blindfold and let his eyes adapt to his room, the lights set to low. On the far side of the bed, there was a body entirely covered by a sheet, which he assumed had to be Lauren. But his eyes only looked over there for a moment before turning to see Aisling in a Hogwarts outfit, on her hands and knees on the corner of the bed. "Let her rest, Andy. You've got to enjoy your treat now." Andy licked his lips as he reached down and pushed his jeans to his ankles before stepping out of them. "It's a hell of an outfit you're rocking there, Ash." She giggled again, looking back at him over her shoulder. "Oh, this is just for a laugh," she said. "No, your treat's something else entirely." "Oh is it?" he said pulling off his socks and his shirt before pushing his boxers down to the floor, then scooping all his clothes up to toss them into the hamper. "Then what is it?" "I've had your cum down my throat and up my cunt, but there's one hole that you haven't had a go at," she whispered. "That nobody's had a go at, other than me, of course. I've had fingers and toys up there, but I'm ready for the real thing." Her fingertips pulled on the skirt, tugging it up higher and higher until it exposed her ass. "Claim all of me, daddy." "Are you sure, Ash?" "Umm, am I not being explicit enough for you?" She brought her shoulders down to the bed as both hands reached behind her and pulled the cheeks of her ass apart. "I want you to take that thick cock of yours and shove it right up my virgin asshole, daddy. I wanna feel you butt-fucking my untouched hole until you toss a load up it and claim that last bit of me that no man's ever had a go at. So you truly fucking own every millimeter of me. I got it, and you, nice and slick. Just, just don't go too fast to start, okay?" "I'll stop the minute you tell me to." "Oh, I won't tell you to stop," she moaned. "Just pause for a second. Now let me fucking feel it already. Take my freckled ass for a fucking hard ride." Andy stepped up to the corner of the bed and rubbed the mushroom head of his cock along that crack, pressing it against that rosebud that she had indeed greased up well. "Don't hold your breath," Andy said, and pushed the tip of his cock through that ring. The moan that Aisling surged into the mattress was carnal, intense and almost overwhelming. Andy kept his hips steady, not giving her any more than that tip, even as he felt her asshole clenching a bit on his shaft, butterfly spasms. "Fuck that's so fucking big, it feels like you've got a telephone pole up me arse." "Want me to " "Give me more." "Are you" "Fucking more, goddamn it. It feels so fucking good, I fucking need it. Take my virgin ass and stuff it full, you motherfucker." Andy tried very hard not to laugh, and placed his hands on her hips, holding her steady, as he leaned forward while pulling her back, until his cock was nearly hilt deep in her ass. It felt ridiculously tight and hot, like a grasp around his cock. He kept his hips still at that point, just lodged up her as his hand smoothed along her back through the uniform. "In your own time, Ash." "So. Fucking. Full," she moaned. "Jaysis, I feel like such a whore. I fuckin' love it. Now plow me, you bastard. Give it t' me." His hips drew back, sliding most of that shaft out before thrusting forward again until his balls slapped against her cunt, feeling exactly how soaked she was. He held motionless a moment again before he repeated the motion. "Harder," she groaned. "What's that?" "Fuck my virgin ass harder, you beautiful boy," she whimpered. "Fuckin' use your bitch." He reached forward and his fingertips grasped a handful of her copper mane right by the root so he could pull her back up onto her hands, and he heard her squeal and felt her shiver as he did. "A bitch should be on all fours." "Fuck yes. Hammer me, daddy. Rail your slut in her virgin shit pipe until you've carved your fuckin' name into it." He started to piston pump in and out of her, knowing he wasn't going to last long. She was mercilessly tight, but after four or five thrusts, she was leaning back into him with as much force as he was drilling into her. "Do it, daddy," she moaned. "Give me my load, your slut needs it, she fucking needs it, daddy. Give her your cum so she knows who she belongs to, claim that fucking ass, oh god, jaysis jaysis jaysis., do it daddy, do it, do it, do it, do it, cum in my ass, cum!" At her coaxing, he relented and when his cock was slammed down to the base inside of her ass, his balls drew up and he started to spurt a hot load into her ass. The minute he did, he felt a splash of wetness against his balls and it took him half a second to realize she was squirting, a stream of liquid splattering against his nutsack and the corner of the bed. Her shoulders slumped back down against the sheets and she started to laugh, much more frantically than her normal giggle. "Omi god omi god omi fucking god, I fuckin' squirted," she said, gasping for air between shots of laughter. "I've never squirted before in me life. That was so fuckin' intense." Andy slipped his softening cock from her ass gingerly, as she rolled over and sat up on her knees, her hands grabbing his face so she could kiss him harder than he'd ever been kissed in his life. She held him there for a long minute before she pulled back just enough for their lips to part. "Thank you so fuckin' much, Andy," she purred at him. "Now let's hop through a quick shower and get to bed. You can meet Lauren tomorrow." "You okay?" he said, brushing a few rogue strands of her hair out of her face for her. "I wasn't too rough?" "I." Kiss. "Fucking." Kiss. "Loved." Kiss. "It." Kiss. "If it's ever too much I'll tell it, but I loved it. I fucking loved it." She blushed a little bit, her eyes closing before they opened again. "I love you, Andy." "I love you too, Ash," he said with a smile. "But let's get that shower. And you're the one who's sleeping with her feet in the wet spot." "Meanie," she giggled, as they headed towards the bathroom. Chapter 5 Not looking under the sheet was harder than it seemed, but after their shower, Aisling had made sure to put herself between him and the body concealed on the far side of the bed. She snuggled up firmly against him and made sure he didn't move too far over. At some point in the night, he must've been accidentally tugging on the blanket because he felt Aisling's fingers pulling his hand up and placing it back over her tits, a tiny little giggle burbling from her half-conscious lips. Andy drifted back off to sleep and slept through the night. In the morning, he was half awake when he heard two voices talking from the foot of the bed. "Does he always crack such a fat in the morning?" an unfamiliar voice said. "A lot of men often wake up hard," Aisling's voice said. "You want to touch him, don't you?" "God help me, I do," the other voice said again. "I really, really, really do." "Then go ahead." "I can hear you, you know," Andy said, reaching up to rub at his eyes. "Ah. Well good day Andy," the voice said. "I'm Lauren." He opened his eyes and sat up a little bit, looking down at the foot of his bed. To the right of his feet stood Aisling, completely naked. She had a huge smile on her face, her freckled hair hanging loose over her shoulders and down across her perky tits. To the left of his feet stood a huge woman. She wasn't heavy, but she was sizable, far taller than Aisling was, and more muscular. Not overly so, but fit, like an athlete. Statuesque. It was hard to gauge how big she was, but from his vantage point, and using Aisling as reference, Lauren had to be over six and a half feet tall. She was blonde, a long dark golden mane that hung over plump tits down to her waist. They were large full tits with very obvious tan lines. In fact, he could also see tan lines forming a mark where he imagined a bikini bottom normally was. She had a small triangle of dark blonde hair over her cunt, with her toned thighs pressed firmly together. One of her nipples had a barbell through it, a simple silver adornment. She also had a silver hoop through her navel. "Hope ya like the view," she said after what Andy felt like was far too long of him being silent. She was gorgeous, but she also looked nervous, maybe even shy, as her striking blue eyes looked down towards his feet. She was older than Aisling, maybe around Andy's age, in her mid-thirties. The accent implied she was Australian or from New Zealand, although it felt like it had faded a bit. "Don't just sit there silently, Andy," Aisling said, slapping one of his feet. "Say something." "You're absolutely stunning, Lauren." He pulled his legs back to sit up, making room for the two girls to get onto the bed. "Far too lovely to be saddled with a wreck like me." Lauren blushed a little as she moved to sit down. "Now don't say that. You're right handsome." "What was yesterday all about?" Andy said, as Aisling slid up further onto the bed. "I'm, uh,” "Go on, honey," Aisling said. "You can tell him." Lauren looked down, placing a hand on his thigh, before she drew in a deep breath and lifted her other hand up to push waves of blonde hair from her face, lifting her face to look up at him. "I've always identified as bisexual, but I've never been with a fella before, Andy. So while I told myself this is what I wanted, I was so afraid when I got here that I froze up." Andy frowned a little bit. "Lauren, if you don't want " Her fingers gripped firmly on his thigh, as she looked up at him, her eyes almost ablaze. "No. No, Andy. I do want. I so want. I'm just, I'm just nervous that I'll be bad at it. Or that you won't want me. I'm certainly not as young and pretty as Aisling is. I mean, just look at her. She goes alright, but I'm worried that I'm just a bit of a prawn." "Prawn?" "Y'know, a dog." Aisling shook her head. "She thinks she's what American cockheads call a butter face." "Oh god, Lauren," Andy said, putting his hand over hers on his thigh, squeezing it tenderly. "You're beautiful. Whatever man told you that you were ugly was out of his fucking mind, stupid and blind." Lauren smiled shyly, licking her lips a little bit. "You think?" "Jesus, Lauren," Andy laughed. "You're out of my league on the best of my days. I wouldn't blame you at all if you didn't want me." "I told Aisling I was nervous when I got here yesterday. I mean, I'd never gone a gobbie in me life, so I was worried that I'd damage yer tackle when I tried, but she told me,” Lauren trailed off for a moment. "She told me that I'd cum my brains out when I got me first load from ya, but I thought she was having a right laugh. And I didn't want you to see me all fidgety, so she said she'd blindfold you and I could take me time. She's a right keeper, that one is." Aisling placed her hand on Andy's other thigh and leaned over his legs, lifting her free hand up to Lauren's face, tipping her head up so she could press her lips against the giant beauty in a tender kiss, which started soft for just a second, then got heated quickly before pulling back. "And I was right, wasn't I? Wasn't the taste overwhelming?" "Crikey," Lauren whispered. "When he came in my mouth, I seized up like an ol' Buick. It was like every nerve in my body was lit on fire. I woke up this morning ready for my next fix." She glanced over at Aisling and smiled before looking back at Andy. "You don't mind me snogging your girl, do you?" Aisling reached over and poked Lauren on the thigh, as if prompting her for something. "Sorry, you don't mind, do you, sir?" The shiver that ran up Andy's spine had to be visible to both women. Their shared kiss only a foot or two over his cock had been one of the hottest things he'd ever seen. The word at the end only redoubled the sensation. "Ah, you two want to have a go at each other and I can leave you to it?" Lauren giggled, a mature laugh from a mature woman, as her hand moved a bit more up his thigh. "We had a bit of fun this morning before you woke up, sir, an' I don't imagine it'll be the last time, but I'm ready for the main course, if ya follow me." "He likes girls on top, so maybe you should just hop on," Aisling prompted. "That true, sir?" Lauren asked, sliding a little forward on the bed, one of her thighs moving across his thighs, straddling them, rubbing his cock with one hand near one of her thighs. "You want me on top?" "If you've never been with a man before, it might be best, so you can set the tempo and depth," Andy said. "I've been fucked before," Lauren said. "A rubber cock can't be that different than the real thing." Aisling started giggling furiously. "Oh, bless. You sweet, naive child. Let me help you to the new world." The redhead moved up on the bed behind Lauren, one hand reaching to grab her hip, the other reaching beneath her to grab Andy's cock, getting it lined up with the other woman's cunt. "Ready?" "It's not going to be that " With a sudden push of her hand, Aisling shoved Lauren's snatch down onto Andy's cock with one fluid motion. Lauren's head shot back, looking up at the ceiling, letting out a filthy, carnal moan, falling back against Aisling, who kept her propped up, her tits pressed against the taller woman's back while Lauren quaked like she was being electrocuted. The moan carried on for a long moment until Lauren sounded out of breath, and suddenly she gasped in another sudden inhale, one hand reaching behind her to grab a handful of Aisling's hair, the other smoothing across her own stomach. "Oh Fuck," Lauren babbled, "I was wrong, I was so bloody wrong, oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck I think I'm still fucking cumming,” "That's it" Aisling said, one of her hands still holding onto Lauren's hip, the other moving up to cup one of the woman's heavy tits in her slender fingertips. "I told you just putting it in was going to set you off." "It's not right, it's not fucking supposed to be like this," Lauren whimpered. "I'm Still fucking cumming shit,” Aisling smirked at Andy who was watching on with awe, feeling Lauren's snatch fluttering around his cock. "And to think, once you cum inside of her, it's going to hit her even harder, daddy." "Fuckin' hell, Ash," Lauren whined, "I don't think I can handle it. It's too much, it's too fucking much." The redhead pressed a kiss against the blonde's neck. "Either you're getting that load or I am," she whispered to her. "Because I'm not letting' it go to waste." "I'm not sure," she mumbled. "Then get off." Aisling started to pull up on Lauren's hips before Lauren grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her hand off her hip and brought it to her belly. "Changed your mind?" "I'm scared," Lauren said, "but I'm excited too. It gets better than that?" "So much better," Aisling giggled. "Daddy knows how to reward his sluts." "Is that what I am?" "Do you want to be?" Andy asked her. "You could just be one of my partners." Lauren's eyes finally rolled back down the back of her skull, turning those blue orbs down to look at him. "I want what you want." "No," Andy shook his head. "This is a decision you make yourself." The tall blonde bit her bottom lip nervously, looking down at Andy's chest before looking up at his eyes. "Say it. I want to see how it makes me feel." "Say what?" "That I'm, you know." Andy smirked a little bit. "If you can't say it, why should I?" She licked her lips, swallowing awkwardly. "Call me your slut." "Is that what you want, Lauren?" She paused then nodded. "I want to hear you say it." "Does it turn you on?" He reached a hand up to her face, lifting her chin a little. "The idea of being my slut?" Her body shivered hard for a long moment before she nodded again. "Say it again." "You're my slut, Lauren." It was almost like waves of pleasure ran through her at the sound of the words. "More." "No," Andy said. "Say it back to me." "Andy.,” she whined, like a child trying to get their parent to buy them a toy. "You say it, and I'll say it again." Lauren mumbled the words so low even Aisling couldn't hear them. "If I can't hear you, you daffy bitch, how do you expect Daddy to?" the redhead said. "I'm your slut," Lauren whispered. "Again," Aisling said, giving the piercing in Lauren's nipple a little turn. "God, I'm his slut." "Who's slut?" "Daddy's." "All together now." "God, daddy, I'm such a little slut for you," Lauren said, the dam finally breaking in her. "I'm your slut, sir. All yours. Can I be your slut?" "Of course you can, Lauren," Andy said with a soft smile. "You're my good girl, my surfer slut." Aisling's hand slid down and started to rub against Lauren's clit tenderly. Those fingertips brushed across that flesh as the blonde writhed on Andy's lap. "How good, keep doing that," Lauren pleaded. One of her hands smoothed along Andy's chest, while the other reached behind her to get lost in Aisling's coppery locks. "You can't wait to feel it, can you?" the redhead laughed. "I remember my first day., my first time, sitting where you're sitting, praying to get a load up inside of me. Thinking it couldn't possibly be as good as they were promising it would be." She leaned in to whispering into her ear. "But you know what? It is. And it's even better." Lauren was rolling her hips back and forth in his lap, trying to thrust down on him even harder. "I want it. I do want it. I need it. God, I must sound like a little junkie in need of a fix." , In a way, you are. We both are," Aisling said, kissing at Lauren's neck. "But if you want it, you've got to ask him for it." "Please, Andy, daddy, master, whatever the fuck you want to be called," Lauren begged. "I'll say anything, do anything, but you need to give it to me. Fill me up. Let me feel a man, my man, coming inside of my cunt for the first time. I want it, more than anything I've ever wanted in my life. Please? I need to know I'm yours. Cum in me. Cum." On that last word, all the resistance Andy had simply melted away, and his body let loose, spurting a load of hot jizz up inside of Lauren's throbbing cunt. She began to spasm and quake atop of him as she felt it before Aisling let the tall Aussie slump forward, laying atop Andy. It was at least a minute before Lauren made any noise at all, before an almost mouse squeak of a giggle purred from her throat against his neck, her face buried in the crook of it. "You okay, Lauren?" Andy said, his hand reaching up to stroke her hair as Aisling laid down next to them, nuzzling in against the other side of Andy's neck. "Oh my god, it's just like being mounted," Lauren said. "I feel warm from the inside out, and kinda dizzy. But it feels amazing." "Right?" Aisling said. "Was I right or was I right?" "Girl, I'm gonna be an addict for this man," Lauren purred. "You and me both, sister." After fifteen minutes or so, the three of them got up and took a shower together. Lauren was indeed taller than Andy was by several inches, not that he minded. He did think, however, he was going to need a bigger shower. Later that day he found out that Lauren was thirty five and she was originally from Sydney, having moving to the Bay Area about seven years ago for a job working for the '49ers as a personal trainer. Aisling and Lauren immediately hit it off, although they made it a point to ensure Andy didn't feel left out. Late in the afternoon, the two of them had retired upstairs to have a little bit of fun together while Andy continued working on his next novel downstairs. "Y'know, when I first saw Lauren," Lily said to him on her way into the kitchen to get a soda, "all I could think of was that Eddie Murphy line." Andy arched an eyebrow at her, not catching the reference. "What Eddie Murphy line?" "You know, in Beverly Hills Cop 2, when he sees Bridgette Nielsen for the first time." Lily looked at him, waiting for the spark of recognition, rolling her eyes when she didn't see it. "You know, 'God damn, that's a big bitch.' You sure you can handle her?" He blushed a little bit. "Not in the least. I'm in way over my head, but I'm thankful for it at least." Lily nodded, closing the fridge. "That's good. Stay humble, stay thankful. But I'll tell you one thing,” "What's that?" "Two down and two to go, but so far you have a Limey and an Aussie, so you damn well better get some American pussy, and you damn well better get some cunt that's at least as dark as I am." She smirked at him. "If the next bitch who walks through that door is French, German, Russian, anything like that, I'ma cuntpunt her ass right outta here, you follow?" "Letting you answer the door for the next few weeks, got it." "Smart man," she said. "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." She started to walk back to the living room, but Andy just couldn't help himself. "Cuntpunt? Really?" "It's when you,” "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's just what it sounds like." "So keep in mind, I'm watching you." "Watch the door!" Andy laughed. "You can decide who to let in or not!" Lily would get the opportunity to decide very soon. Chapter 6 The next few days around the house were mostly spent with everyone getting to know one another. Lauren, in addition to being a personal trainer, turned out to be an excellent cook. A few days after she arrived, it was decided that a grocery run was needed, but Andy felt strongly that he wanted to go as well. It wasn't advised, but it wasn't strictly forbidden any more either. The news had been quite clear about what he needed to do if he wanted to go out “ not only was he required to wear a P95 mask, he also had to wear goggles protecting his eyes and latex gloves covering his hands. It felt burdensome, but he direly needed to get out of the house for a least a short period of time, so he, Aisling and Lauren resolved to make the grocery store run. "I feel like Mad Max in this get up," Andy grumbled as he got out of the car in the Safeway parking lot. "Except for the fact that I'm unarmed." "They won't let us in the shop if you're sporting an axe, love," Aisling said, comforting him. The girls were dressed up in their gear as well, although both of the girls were wearing his t shirts. They'd taken to just going through his shirts each morning and tossing one on, not that he minded. Andy owned a lot of t shirts. It was practically a uniform. "And we're going through supplies much faster these days with more mouths to feed." "An' you need to let me get a bunch more healthy things in addition to your junk food," Lauren said. "And with five people instead of two, we're going through food a lot quicker these days. So you'd better get used to one of us going out for supplies every few days." "Also, you're the one who wanted to come along, Andy," Aisling said. "You could've just stayed home and let us do all the work." "I had to get out of the house before I went stir crazy. You know I haven't been more a hundred feet out of the condo since April. We were told we were in a very high risk area, so we completely quarantined and just had food delivered, but it was starting to rack up quite the bill that way." The trio headed into Safeway, keeping a good distance from everyone else. At the beginning of the year, if Andy had come into this particular Safeway on a Saturday, it would've been a madhouse. Instead, it felt like a ghost town. Some of the aisles were still desperately barren, with supplies like toilet paper down to only a few options, if that. Thankfully, Eric had been smart enough to set up a recurring order from their local CostCo to get toilet paper delivered when they had it in stock. Andy had been tempted to do a CostCo run as well, but as his first real outing in months, he wanted to stick to something where he felt like he at least had a little control. Their local Safeway was located up in the hills a little bit, so it didn't always get as much traffic as grocery stores closer to the freeways. Andy started to move over to grab a shopping cart, only to get the mom armbar move from Lauren, who pushed him back a good step. "Oh no, Andy," she laughed. "We'll push the cart. You just pick things up and put them into the cart with your gloves." "I don't understand what the difference is," Andy sighed. "But okay, okay, I do remember them saying that men weren't supposed to touch shared objects in public spaces, so I'll keep my hands off." "It's like you haven't been trained properly," Aisling giggled. "You watch it, Ash, or I'll bend you over my knee," he teased back. "She'd only enjoy it, Andy," Lauren said, rolling her bright blue eyes as they headed into the vegetable section. Andy mostly let the girls pick up things and put them into the cart, but every so often he would insist on something and would pick it up himself, like garlic. Both Lauren and Aisling questioned the amount of garlic he bagged up and dropped into the cart, but he was insistent that they would use it all before they were back to the grocery store again. They'd gotten close to a full cart's worth of groceries and were standing in the frozen food section, mostly looking for ice cream truth be told, when a familiar voice called to him from a little bit away. "Andy, that you under all that mess?" Sure enough, it was his friend Phil, standing next to a curvy Hispanic woman. Andy might not have been able to recognize Phil at first glance with the mask and the goggles, but the jacket was a one of a kind letterman jacket from a fighting game tournament Phil had won almost a decade ago. "How did you recognize me, Phil?" "I was taking a wild guess, but I don't know anyone else here in the States who would be wearing a Nautilus Pompilus t shirt. Russian alternative rock band t shirts aren't exactly a dime a dozen." Andy paused for a second, and then realized, he wasn't wearing his Nautilus Pompilus t shirt, but Aisling was. He nodded with a slight smile. "Fair enough. We can't exactly talk here, but let's meet up at the base of Mount Diablo, in the park. We can stand far apart enough to talk and still be safe. We've got to drop groceries off, so let's say we meet up in a couple of hours?" Phil looked down at his watch. "Three o'clock? Sure, we'll see you there." They didn't say anything else to each other, just finished up shopping, paying and taking their groceries home. On the way home, Andy explained to Aisling and Lauren that Phil was one of his oldest friends, and that he was one of the people Andy had talked to over voice chat during the days since the quarantine had started, although Phil had been radio silent for a few weeks now. On the way to the park, Aisling and Lauren were peppering him with questions about Phil. They'd talked to a few of Andy's friends on video chat, but they'd only heard stories about Phil. Of course, they'd heard quite a lot of those stories. They pulled into the parking lot at the park and Andy could see Phil's car on the other side. Sitting on the hood was Phil with the woman he'd seen him with in the Safeway. Andy hopped out of his car, along with Aisling and Lauren. They were out in the open and so far from each other that they felt safe not wearing masks and goggles. Andy walked forward, not towards Phil, but towards the wooden fencing. "So Phil, where the hell ya been?" Andy laughed. Phil was a slender enough Filipino but he looked thinner than Andy remembered. He was clean shaven, and while Andy expected him to have a shaggy head of hair, it looked trimmed and coiffed. Phil had an easy going way about him, a casual grace that Andy had always envied. He smiled up at Andy, shrugging a little bit. "So, Andy, this is Audrey, she's my partner." To the right of Phil stood the woman he'd seen her with earlier in the day, but now he could get a better look at her. She was curvy, almost plump, but had a rosy demeanor to her. She was wearing a Street Fighter t shirt that clearly couldn't be Phil's. She was a bit younger than Phil was, but not unbearably so. "Hi Andy!" she said, giving him a big wave. "Sorry I've kept him off the group Discord, but I didn't want to share him until I felt like we were established." "Oh, love," Aisling giggled. "We're all doing that." "Phil, this is Aisling, Ash for short, and this is Lauren," Andy said, rubbing the back of his own neck sheepishly. "Frankly, I'm a little embarrassed they're stuck with me, but they both seem happy enough, so maybe I'm doing okay by them." Lauren nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "Andy's the most humble feller I've met. I think me an' Ash are just a couple'a lucky gals." After a minute or so of silence, Andy spoke again. "So Phil, what do you know?" It was a question designed to cut right through the bullshit. Andy and Phil had been good friends long enough that they'd developed a sort of shorthand, particular words and phrases that they could use whenever and wherever and people wouldn't know exactly what was being said. There was a good reason for it. Phil clicked his tongue. "Okay, here's what I know." Phil had worked for a number of tech companies over the years he'd known him, but for the last four years, he'd worked for Boeing up in Pleasanton. Everything he worked on was classified, but he was known to share nonspecific things from time to time, especially if it affected their gang of friends. "What I can tell you without either of us getting our kiesters thrown in the hooscow, anyway,” "That sounds best." "It's bad, Andy," Phil sighed. "It's very bad. They're downplaying the body count for the media, but truth be told we're looking at over a million so far, probably a lot more. And it's only going to get worse. The internal projections are that we're looking at five million dead Americans before all of this is done." "Jesus," Andy muttered. "One million people dead? Seriously? How are they keeping all this quiet?" "Lots and lots of work," Phil replied. "It's not as bad outside of the US, but that's because other countries started taking it serious long before we did." "Are the rules true?" "I wouldn't be talking to you like this if I didn't think it was safe, Andy. But it's going to get worse. A whole lot worse. People here still aren't taking it seriously. You see the news the other day?" "People crowded into churches, shoulder to shoulder, demanding their faith will keep them safe. Idiots in city hall meetings, claiming the right to not wear a mask if they don't want to." Phil nodded. "It's madness. Half of those people will be dead before year's end, and I don't think we're going to have a lid on this until next year. We're living through Spanish Flu Part 2: Electric Bugaloo." "Five million dead? That's like one percent of the country. How the hell are they going to keep it all quiet?" "As much smoke as possible," Phil grumbled. "Keep the cover going until it's untenable. People are going to notice eventually, but the lockdowns are going to keep things contained for a while. But guys like you and me, we need to stay as safe as possible. Because we're high risk." Aisling scowled at him. "How so? I thought the elderly and immuno compromised were the most at risk." "They are," Phil said, nodding again, "but beyond that, it's men between the ages of thirty and forty five. That's where the majority of casualties have been so far. Thankfully, you and me, we're buffered pretty well." "What do you mean, buffered?" Phil smirked, giving a tiny shrug. "Let's just say we've been doing some vaccine testing in rather unusual and unorthodox ways. Did your libido used to be this high all the time, Ash?" She blanched for a moment. "I thought it was just the cabin fever, but now you mention it, I've had a slight buzzing of sexual need since they gave me those shots. What the hell did they do to me?" He raised a hand to calm her down. "Relax, it'll even out eventually. But it's designed so that you're protecting your partner, swapping fluids, giving him regular dosages of the natural antibodies you're building up inside." "Why not just give men the shots directly?" Lauren asked. "Because when we've tried it, it's been fatal." Phil took out a vape pen and inhaled a drag off of it before blowing the vapor back out. He'd been a smoker when they'd first met, but Andy had convinced him to quit. The legalization of pot in California had helped some, naturally. "But if a woman with the vaccine is having regular sexual activity with a man, he's getting a nontoxic dose, and both parties have about 70% resistance to the virus. I wouldn't have put Andy down as polyamorous, but it's going to strengthen your armor even more, my man." Andy smirked, looking at his feet. "I actually put no preference, so it looks like I'm going to get a full slate." "Nah, you'll probably stay where you are. Unless you got rated something ridiculous." "Me and Eric got rated level 5s." Phil nearly dropped his vape pen, his eyebrows raising. "Are you shitting me?" Andy laughed and shrugged a little. "How the fuck did that happen?" "The guy coming to test us was a fan of the books, so I gave him an ARC of the new one that's been delayed a few months. As a way of saying thank you, he rated me and Eric as level 5s." Phil chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "You son of a bitch. I'm not even rated a level 5 and I work for the goddamn military on goddamn black ops shit." "Allegedly," Andy added, grinning back. Phil nodded. "Allegedly." He dragged the word out before he looked up then shook his head. "You're gonna get two more, huh? Good lord, I'm both jealous and terrified for you all at once. How are you going to keep all those personalities from conflicting?" "I'm going to do my best to stay the hell out of their way, mostly." "That's not going to work forever, luv," Aisling said to him. "It's not like we're going anywhere, even when this virus recedes." "You say that now, but,” "No, they're always going to say that. Isn't that part of the public facing info about the pairing system?" Phil said. It was Andy's turn to raise his eyebrows. "No, whatever you're implying, it isn't public knowledge. But you're already in for a penny.." "Might as well be in for a pound, I guess," Phil answered, nodding in agreement. "Alright, but keep this just between us, okay?" "Well, I'll tell Eric, Eric's partner, and my other two partners when they show up, but other than that,” "Yeah, well, that's what I meant by us, alright? Okay, so here's the deal. Do you remember the first time they got a bit of you in them?" "You mean,” Lauren started. "I think you know what I mean." Both Aisling and Lauren blushed and grinned widely. "Most intense thing that's ever happened to us," they both said. "What do you remember right after though, Andy? Just you. They'll both have been passed out." Andy stroked his goatee for a second then snapped his fingers. "They kept mumbling a word over and over, so quiet I could barely make it out, something like, imaging?" Phil shook his head, taking another drag off his vape pen. "Not imaging, imprinting. You're bonded now. Mated for life, like walruses." "You mean penguins," Andy corrected. "It's penguins that mate for life. And what does that mean here, mated for life?" "You're intertwined on a chemical, biological and physiological level in a way we can't even begin to comprehend," Phil said, exhaling another cloud of mist. "If you go away from one another for more than a couple of days, you'll start to feel nervous, anxious, fidgety. After that, it'll be panic attacks, cold sweats. Past that, nervous breakdown. Unless, of course, the other person is dead, in which case that doesn't seem to happen." He shrugged a little bit. "We're kids playing with the building blocks of life here, man. We don't even know what we don't know. But you, Lauren and Ash, you're a unit now. And anyone else you add into that will be as well. I mean, why do you think that questionnaire is so damn long? We don't want to screw up anybody's lives trying to help them. Besides, another of the side effects is that being in each other's company will produce natural dopamine to keep things relatively smoothed out, helps you get past the small stuff, and let's face it, it's all small stuff at this point." "And this is happening all over the country?" "Shit, no," Phil sighed. "We've barely gotten this off the ground in the Bay Area, and all the tech for this shit is here. There are governors all across the country absolutely in arms against this plan, saying they'll fight it tooth and nail, keep people from getting the vaccine until it doesn't have any of these crazy side effects." "I assume you're still working on that." "Of course we're still working on that," Phil said, rolling his eyes. "I'm just baffled by how many goddamn Republicans insist a semi viable solution isn't a solution at all. Even if we were just hitting high risk areas, we could manufacture enough of this current formula to inoculate sixty or seventy million people in this country, all of whom would be 70% resistant to it." "They claiming it's a sin against god or something?" "Worse. But, I guess, more honest." Phil had a slightly bitter laugh filling the air. "They're angry they can't make a buck off of it. Now, of course, there are factions that are just going ahead and doing it anyway. Front line medical workers, emergency services, and a few branches of the armed forces, and their associated contractors. Of course, the whole Bay Area is taking part in it as well, so I guess I would've gotten treated either way." "So we're resistant but not immune?" "Fuck, man," Phil groaned, "I'm not promising you won't get the virus at all, but even if you do, it won't be life threatening. That said, you sti

#RingRust with my #WarChamber, #WorldsCollide & #MITB chat... & I wig out for a very entertaining veteran, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn  ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:04:48 Pre-Per-View: Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 1 0:06:18 Musicular Interlude 1 0:14:08 Pre-Per-View: Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 2 0:14:25 Musicular Interlude 2 0:22:28 Pre-Per-View: Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 3 0:23:13 Musicular Interlude 3 0:31:22 Pre-Per-View: Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 4 0:31:37 Musicular Interlude 4 0:40:26 Pre-Per-View: Major League Wrestling's War Chamber 5 0:40:57 Musicular Interlude 5 0:53:46 Assuming the Intermissionary Position  -= EXPLICIT =-  0:59:01 This Week's Macho Fact 1:07:19 Pre-Per-View: WWE & AAA's Worlds Collide  1:08:09 Musicular Interlude 6 1:17:50 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: What's Up With Killings Future Endeavours! 1:30:05 WWE's Money In the Bank 1:30:49 Musicular Interlude 7 1:39:39 Battle Royale With Cheese: When WWE & AAA's Worlds' Collide! 1:41:16 Musicular Interlude 8  1:51:27 Podcast Extra 

Seven years have passed since we last saw an updated version of Shimano's flagship mountain bike group. Assuming you weren't holding your breath, and as a result are still with us, then today is the day of the update.Yes, new XTR Di2 M9200 is here. It represents Shimano's delayed entry into true wireless shifting, and brings with it a number of other interesting developments (a new brake oil, anyone?).In this episode, Escape Collective's Dave Rome and Alex Hunt sit down with Shimano North America's MTB Product Manager, Nick Murdick. The North American offices of Shimano have been playing an increasingly significant role in the development and design of Shimano's next generation parts, and Nick has been at the centre of that for the new XTR.This episode speaks candidly with Murdick about the new group, some challenges faced, some decisions behind the details, and a few teases of what may still be to come. Alex and Dave wrap up at the end with a few quick thoughts. Meanwhile, you'll need to visit our article on Escape Collective to find all the nuanced details and ride impressions of the new XTR product range.A chunk of this episode (along with our written report) is free for all to enjoy and learn from. However, as Escape is wholly member-funded (which means this isn't sponsored or paid content), you will need to be a member of Escape Collective in order to hear it all.

The CHGO Bulls crew discuss freshly sourced rumors that the Chicago Bulls will not keep Coby White and Josh Giddey, but only one of them. Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm reported in his Substack that multiple Eastern Conference personnel figures believe the Bulls are “unlikely to retain both Josh Giddey and Coby White.” Assuming the Bulls sign Giddey to a long term contract in a few weeks, what does that mean for White? Will the Bulls shop him this summer, or perhaps keep him until the 2026 in-season trade deadline? What will Arturas Karnisovas seek in return if he does decide to move on from Coby? Peck, Big Dave and Will Gottlieb break down all the possibilities. Plus, the guys debate whether “The Shrug” is the most iconic Bulls moment - or even the most iconic NBA moment - on the Anniversary of Michael Jordan going bananas from downtown in the 1992 NBA Finals.

In this episode of my 'Assuming Positive Intent' series, I wanted to share a personal insight that really struck me, especially as I've been feeling a bit exhausted from a big push at work. I talk about the crucial difference between falling into a 'victimhood' mindset and practicing 'self-compassion,' and I offer one simple but powerful shift I've been using. I'm finding this helps me foster empathy and move from that reactive place to one of empowerment - I hope that it helps you, too! Stacie More episodes at StacieBaird.com.

Galatians 5:16-18 Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music by Jeff Foote

B2B CMOs know positioning matters—but too often, it vanishes when sales starts talking.   In this episode, positioning guru April Dunford pulls back the curtain on the disconnect between marketing and sales and shares exactly how to build a sales pitch that wins. Drawing from her book Sales Pitch and decades of experience, April shares a battle-tested framework for building pitches that set the context, overcome indecision, and spotlight your unique value—without overwhelming buyers or falling into feature hell.  Key Mistakes:  Mistake #1: Treating positioning as marketing-only  Mistake #2: Assuming sales will “get it” if you hand them positioning docs  Mistake #3: Building sales pitches without a clear, compelling structure In this episode: Why positioning is the starting point for every winning pitch  How marketing can frame the problem so sales doesn't chase the wrong story  Why leading with your company history stalls momentum  What smart pitch sequencing sounds like in action

#RingRust with my tantric #TNAunderSiege #WorldsCollide #AEWDON #BorderBrawl #MITB & #wweBattleground chat... & I pay musicular tribute to a 1st-ballot #WWEHOF'r, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn  ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:05:44 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Under Siege 1 0:09:53 Musicular Interlude 1 0:18:34 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Under Siege 2 / NXT's Battleground / All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 1 0:22:39 Musicular Interlude 2 0:30:20 Pay-Per-Review: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 2 0:33:14 Musicular Interlude 3 0:40:51 Pay-Per-Review: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Border Brawl 0:42:58 Musicular Interlude 4 0:50:16 Assuming the Intermissionary Position   0:55:02 This Week's Macho Fact 1:02:45 Pre-Per-View: WWE & AAA's Worlds Collide / WWE/s Money In the Bank 1:06:12 Musicular Interlude 5 1:14:03 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: RIP to a Real Amurrican! 1:26:19 Battle Royale With Cheese: Viva La Rudo Adminstracion Spacio Aeronatico! 1:27:46 Musicular Interlude 6 1:35:54 Battle Royale With Cheese: Break-a-Wish 1:36:55 Musicular Interlude 7  1:46:24 Podcast Extra 

HT2270 - Beyond the Circle of Our Fellow Photographers One of my lifelong regrets about photography has been that the audience for most fine art photography, particularly for contemporary photographers, are other photographers. Who shops in the photography section in your local bookstore? Assuming, that is, that it has a photography section. Show your appreciation for our free weekly Podcast and our free daily Here's a Thought… with a donation Thanks!

One in two people quit over their manager, but here's the thing: this relationship is actually a two-way street, and there's way more you can control than you think. Most managers get about 4 hours of leadership training per month, so it's up to us to manage up. In Powrsuit fashion, we lead with self-leadership and serve up actionable tips on how to crack your manager's communication code, stop making assumptions, and take control of the dynamic. When you're stuck with each other anyway, might as well make it work, right? Loved what you heard? Pass it on and leave us a 5-star review! 'Til next week, Powrsuiters! Got a topic you want us to discuss? Email us at ⁠hello@powrsuit.com⁠ Join Powrsuit on LinkedIn and Instagram, and be sure to check out our Membership Network at ⁠www.powrsuit.com.

Hi my loves

#RingRust with my #DoubleOrNothing #AEWDON & #wweBattleground chat... & I play some classic 90s Puroresu wrestling tunage, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn  ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:05:49 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 1 0:07:18 Musicular Interlude 1 0:17:56 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 2 0:18:47 Musicular Interlude 2 0:30:21 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 3 0:30:57 Musicular Interlude 3 0:38:57 Pre-Per-View: All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing 4 0:40:10 Musicular Interlude 4 0:49:13 Assuming the Intermissionary Position   0:54:52 This Week's Macho Fact 1:08:30 Pre-Per-View: NXT's Battleground 1 1:10:44 Musicular Interlude 5 1:18:53 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Watashiniha Warui Kusegāru! 1:30:24 Pre-Per-View: NXT's Battleground 2 1:32:56 Musicular Interlude 6 1:40:30 Pre-Per-View: NXT's Battleground 3 1:41:12 Musicular Interlude 7  1:48:40 Podcast Extra 

Rick Smith is an internationally recognized educator, facilitator, and author specializing in Authentic Relating and Awakened Leadership. With over two decades of experience, he has engaged more than 100,000 individuals across fifteen countries, focusing on cultivating presence, vulnerability, and inner authority in leadership contexts.  Rick's journey began in education, where he authored the best-selling book Conscious Classroom Management, which has sold over 250,000 copies worldwide. Transitioning from classroom teaching to personal development, he now facilitates workshops and retreats that blend practical tools with deep presence, guiding participants toward unconditional self-love and integration.  Awakened Leadership & Authentic Relating Retreats:  https://www.thetenderedge.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com    This episode:  In this conversation, Therese and Rick explore the themes of personal growth, vulnerability, and the journey of awakening. They discuss the importance of compassion, both towards oneself and others, and how embracing our inner voices can lead to deeper self-acceptance. The dialogue touches on the challenges of navigating nervousness and self-judgment, the power of vulnerability, and the significance of assuming the best in ourselves and others. They also delve into the complexities of trauma, relationships, and the beauty of authentic conversations, ultimately highlighting the transformative power of presence and connection.   "Love is unconditional." "Vulnerability is power." "Assume the best in people."   Youtube format: https://youtu.be/3y9TcPOLP8Q   Takeaways - The awakening process is often painful and challenging. - Nervousness is a common human experience that can be embraced. - Vulnerability is a source of strength and connection. - Compassion towards ourselves and others is essential for healing. - Inner authority allows us to stand up for ourselves without apology. - Assuming the best in others can foster understanding and compassion. - Trauma can be a pathway to personal growth and empowerment. - Authentic conversations can deepen relationships and understanding. - Letting go of control can lead to greater presence and peace. - Embracing uncertainty is a part of the human experience.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Journey 02:56 From Teaching to Awakening 05:54 Befriending Our Inner Voices 08:49 Navigating Nervousness and Duality 11:44 Compassion in a Polarized World 15:02 Inner Authority vs. Inner Apology 17:52 Embracing Vulnerability and Self-Validation 20:40 The Power of Presence in Challenging Times 23:53 Scarcity Mindset and Comparison 32:14 Embracing Vulnerability and Family Dynamics 34:57 The Bamboo Analogy: Growth and Patience 38:47 The Power of Vulnerability 43:03 Healing Through Trauma and Connection 47:45 Compassionate Encounters with Men 51:50 Navigating Vulnerability in Business 55:44 Letting Go of Control and Trusting the Process   Host Therese Fallentin; coach, facilitator and business hippie.  https://youtu.be/3y9TcPOLP8Q  https://www.instagram.com/magefoelelsen.podcast/  https://herring-tambourine-n2td.squarespace.com/ https://magefolelsen.com/hjem    Music by my roommate, Hansine Killingmoe Såstad   Keywords personal growth, awakening, compassion, vulnerability, self-acceptance, inner authority, trauma, relationships, healing, mindfulness

Why does doing good service design often feel like an uphill battle...Okay, I'm on a mission this year to find the best recipe for BBQ Chicken Wings (recommendations are welcome, by the way).Over the weekend, I was experimenting with a new one (I'd give it an 8.5/10), and then it struck me.I can have the most delicious recipe, but if my guests turn out to be vegetarian, we spontaneously decide to go out for dinner, or the kids are just tired of eating chicken again, it won't matter. No one will appreciate my tasty chicken wings, no matter how hard I try.And obviously, the problem isn't with the recipe itself.Well, you might be surprised how often this exact scenario plays out in our work in service design.We pour our hearts and souls into crafting solutions that should create a positive impact on users and our organizations. Yet, somehow, a lot (maybe most?) of these well-designed solutions never actually see the light of day.Is it because they are bad solutions? Assuming you know what you're doing, most likely not.So, there must be something else going on. Are there other critical success factors (like knowing your guests are vegetarian) that we tend to overlook when we're so focused on perfecting the "recipe"?It turns out there are (which probably isn't a huge surprise to many of us).So what are these other success factors? And most importantly, how do we understand them and maybe even turn them in our favour?That's what we discuss in this episode with our returning guest, Brad Alphonso.Brad has led numerous service design initiatives from the initial idea all the way through to implementation inside a large, regulated, and pretty complex organization. He's open about the fact that not all of these initiatives had the impact he hoped for, but over the years, his success rate has gone up significantly.In this episode, we look back and reflect: Was it luck? Was there a magic breakthrough, or did the 'game' itself change somehow for him?So if you want to move the needle with your work, instead of it feeling like a constant struggle, this episode offers important clues – around understanding your organisation's real momentum and how decisions actually get made – that could help you navigate much more effectively.This conversation made me reflect on the fact that I see so many talented service design "players" out there. And I do wonder how many of us are, at times, playing the wrong game... let's try not to be that person.Keep making a positive impact!Take care,~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to Episode 22804:00 Brad's hopes for the conversation06:00 Challenges in Brad's role09:30 Business challenges11:00 What gives teams headaches13:00 Service design definition15:00 Current operating systems20:30 Importance of service design24:45 Problem ownership27:00 Alternative O.S. for solving wicked problems30:00 Types of tools used32:00 Strategy document examples33:00 Three questions to ask your CFO34:30 What is "good enough"?36:30 Observing changes in your work39:45 Tools for clarifying the operating system42:00 Avoiding naivety45:00 Winning the 'game' as a toolkit 47:00 What are we missing?49:00 Obvious next steps - idea to inception53:00 Why some projects fail55:00 Pitfall perspective - pre-mortem activity56:30 Summary of the Alternative O.S.58:00 Question to ponder --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-alphonso --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- Join our private community for in-house service design professionals. ⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle

#MARKETS: ASSUMING THE GLOOMIEST IN APRIL.   LIZ PEEK THE HILL. FOX NEWS AND FOX BUSINESS1941

For more information on how to control your anger, visit angersecrets.com.Compassion can be a game changer when it comes to managing anger. In this episode, anger management expert Alastair Duhs shares a powerful story about a man named James, who almost let his rage take over in a hospital parking lot. But instead of acting on his anger, James had a moment of realisation that completely shifted his perspective. Understanding what others might be going through can help calm the storm of anger. By asking oneself what might be happening for someone else, you can create better responses and stronger relationships. Listen to learn how compassion is a key tool to transform anger into understanding.Key Takeaways: Understanding that anger often stems from misunderstanding situations can help immensely. Compassion is a powerful tool that can transform anger into understanding and calmness. When anger rises, pause and consider what the other person might be going through. Assuming the worst in others can lead to explosive anger and regrettable actions. Recognising that everyone has their struggles can help you respond with compassion instead of anger. Choosing to respond with empathy rather than reacting in anger can save relationships. Links referenced in this episode:For more information (and FREE resources) of how to control your anger, visit angersecrets.com.For a FREE training on how to control your anger, visit angersecrets.com/training/.To learn more about The Complete Anger Management System, visit angersecrets.com/course/.

NEWS: Sotto open to assuming Senate presidency again | May 17, 2025Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.netFollow us:Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebookInstagram - https://tmt.ph/instagramTwitter - https://tmt.ph/twitterDailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotionSubscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digitalSign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newslettersCheck out our Podcasts:Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotifyApple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcastsAmazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusicDeezer: https://tmt.ph/deezerStitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcherTune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein#TheManilaTimes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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#RingRust with my #CMLLvsMLW, #WWEbacklash & #UnderSiege chat... & I derezz some of your favourite wrestling themes, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn  ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  RECORDED LIVE @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:05:58 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash 1 0:07:09 Musicular Interlude 1 0:14:46 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash 2 0:15:25 Musicular Interlude 2 0:24:39 Pay-Per-Review: WWE's Backlash 3 0:25:07 Musicular Interlude 3 0:37:09 Pay-Per-Review: Major League Wrestling & Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's Lucha Azteca 1 0:39:39 Musicular Interlude 4 0:47:23 Assuming the Intermissionary Position   0:52:45 This Week's Macho Fact 1:04:38 Pay-Per-Review: Major League Wrestling & Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's Lucha Azteca 2 1:05:38 Musicular Interlude 5 1:19:30 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Say His Name & Play 3 Songs! 1:32:47 Pay-Per-Review: Major League Wrestling & Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's Lucha Azteca 3 1:33:32 Musicular Interlude 6 1:42:08 Pre-Per-View: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Under Siege 1:43:35 Musicular Interlude 7 

Today's agenda:  Yep, that's a power trip! Cringe corporate speak: one off Hot topic: coaching and dealing with difficult coworkers: how to work effectively (even when they're jerks!) Defining what "difficult" means is hard, especially in the HR world Assuming the best intent and playing dumb Are you okay? Gatekeeping and lack of consideration Productive conversations can make things better BTW: check out our Besties newsletter this week for helpful discussion guide questions and prompts Knowing when to document and escalate You can only control yourself (so don't waste your time or peace on someone else!) Questions/Comments  Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you're the first to know about our In-Person Meetings (events!) at ⁠https://www.hrbesties.com⁠. Follow your Besties across the socials and check out our resumes here: ⁠https://www.hrbesties.com/about⁠.  Subscribe to the HR Besties Newsletter - ⁠https://hr-besties.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠ We look forward to seeing you in our next meeting - don't worry, we'll have a hard stop! Yours in Business + Bullsh*t,  Leigh, Jamie & Ashley Follow Bestie Leigh! ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@hrmanifesto⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/hrmanifesto⁠ ⁠https://www.hrmanifesto.com⁠ Follow Bestie Ashley! ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@managermethod⁠  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/managermethod⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/⁠ ⁠https://managermethod.com⁠ Follow Bestie Jamie! ⁠https://www.millennialmisery.com/⁠ Humorous Resources: ⁠Instagram⁠ • ⁠YouTube⁠ • ⁠Threads⁠ • ⁠Facebook⁠ • ⁠X⁠ Millennial Misery: ⁠Instagram⁠ • ⁠Threads⁠ • ⁠Facebook⁠ • ⁠X⁠ Horrendous HR: ⁠Instagram⁠ • ⁠Threads⁠ • ⁠Facebook⁠ Tune in to “HR Besties,” a business, work and management podcast hosted by Leigh Elena Henderson (HRManifesto), Ashley Herd (ManagerMethod) and Jamie Jackson (Humorous_Resources), where we navigate the labyrinth of corporate culture, from cringe corporate speak to toxic leadership. Whether you're in Human Resources or not, corporate or small business, we offer sneak peeks into surviving work, hiring strategies, and making the employee experience better for all. Tune in for real talk on employee engagement, green flags in the workplace, and how to turn red flags into real change. Don't miss our chats about leadership, career coaching, and takes from work travel and watercooler gossip. Get new episodes every Wednesday, follow us on socials for the latest updates, and join us at our virtual happy hours to share your HR stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. 1 Samuel 5 - 1:10 . 1 Samuel 6 - 3:44 . 1 Samuel 7 - 8:39 . 1 Samuel 8 - 13:05 . Proverbs 27 - 16:43 .   :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

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. 1 Samuel 4 - 1:02 . 1 Samuel 5 - 6:07 . 1 Samuel 6 - 10:07 . 1 Samuel 7 - 15:02 .  :::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

“Making progress is soul-crusher free." "We can control how we react to it." "Assume positive intent."   Episode summary | In this conversation, Tim Leake, founder of Let's Lightbulb, discusses how to make work enjoyable and productive. He shares insights on creativity, collaboration, and the importance of humor in high-stakes environments. Tim emphasizes the need for leaders to be generous and supportive, creating a culture where everyone can thrive. He also highlights practical strategies for overcoming soul-crushing moments in the workplace and the ripple effect of generosity in leadership.   R.O.G. Takeaway Tips | Creativity and speed are unfair advantages in today's fast-paced world. Assuming positive intent can transform team dynamics. Humor and levity can create a psychologically safe environment. Generosity in leadership fosters deeper connections and opportunities. Collaboration requires structure to be effective and efficient. Soul crushers are often invisible but can be addressed through proactive measures. Listening is a critical skill for effective leadership. The more value you give away, the more it comes back to you. Creativity is essential for solving problems in any field.   Chapters |  00:00 Introduction to Tim Leake and Soulcrushers 01:41 The Courage to Create: Tim's TEDx Experience 05:24 The Concept of Soul Crushers and Their Impact 10:25 Empowering Work: Making Work Fun Again 15:58 Practical Strategies to Combat Soul Crushers 19:36 Creativity as a Core Element in Problem Solving 21:30 Leveraging Humor and Levity in Business 24:20 The Multifaceted Benefits of Fun in Work 25:51 The Impact of Fear on Communication 28:30 Creating Psychological Safety in Teams 32:45 The Power of Generosity in Leadership 37:37 Building Relationships Through Generosity 44:18 The Ripple Effect of Generosity 46:43 Sparking Creativity in Teams 48:21 The Importance of Listening in Leadership   Guest Bio | Tim is a founder, facilitator, and crusher-of-soul-crushers at Let's Lightbulb — a consultancy that helps leadership teams accomplish twice as much in half the time, through creative and strategic workshop facilitation. He specializes in running High-ROI Off-Sites and Solution Sprints for executive and leadership teams. Additionally, he's an Executive Trainer at AJ&Smart, often called the world's best facilitation training company. He's been using facilitation, creativity, and innovative thinking to help businesses drive revenue for over 25 years. Before creating a company of his own, Tim spent nearly a decade as the Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer for RPA, one of the largest independent agencies in the U.S. Prior to RPA, he was a global innovation and transformation facilitator and speaker with Hyper Island — helping companies (including General Mills, Target, Ikea and many more) thrive in a constantly changing digital world. He began his career on the creative side of the advertising industry, where he was a Creative Director & Director of Creative Innovation at Saatchi & Saatchi NY, and got his start at TBWA/Chiat/Day, as a copywriter working on world-famous efforts like the Energizer Bunny and Taco Bell Chihuahua campaigns. He's a frequent speaker at international events including the Cannes Festival of Creativity (France), Hyper Island (Sweden), CPH Transform (Copenhagen), Dani Komunikacija (Croatia), AToMiC (Canada), Advertising Week (USA), SXSW (the country of Texas), and more.   Guest Resources:  www.letslightbulb.com Humor, Seriously by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas Humor That Works by Andrew Tarvin   Bridge Between Resources: 5 Degree Change Course Free N.D.I. Network Diversity Index  Free Generosity Quiz    Credits: Tim Leake, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc. Coming Next: Please join us next week, Episode 233, Special Guest, Sydney Cummings Houdyshell.

Fantasy Baseball Live – May 11, 2025 – 3:00 pmSegments 1 and 2 – Review of the weekend gamesMicrosoft Teams:Additional Questions:1.Are the Padres this good, or are the Rockies this bad? They lost 13-9 on Friday, 21-0 on Saturday, and we shouldn't forget about the doubleheader loss to the Tigers on Thursday (21-3). The Rockies' run differential is -134, having nearly lapped the second-worst run differential in the league, the Baltimore Orioles. 2.Corbin Burnes shoved against the Dodgers on Saturday. Good to see.3.Cade Horton wins his first game as the bulk innings guy. Were you happy with what you saw?4.Ranger Suarez looked great in his second outing, but It was against the Guardians. He has Pittsburgh next Friday. Are you starting him?a.Lance McCullers was awful yesterday. I started him against the White Sox and danced with the devil, but not yesterday. Should I be done with him or keep him on my bench for a while? His sinker (fastball) is down to 91.6 MPH, and while his slider is still missing bats, it got destroyed, as did his change-up.5.Casey Mize hits the IL with a hamstring strain. This one hurt for me as I have him in a number of leagues. Assuming a short IL stint, I still look at the matchup before starting him, but he has yet to have a blow up. Should I start him with confidence going forward?6.Jasson Dominguez had three home runs on Friday. Judge with two more home runs on Saturday and is now leading the league with 14 and batting average (.396). Just a ridiculous start to the season.Segment 3 – Waiver WireSegment 4 – Closer ReportClose

Send us a textIn this eye-opening episode of The Daily Energize, host Spencer Jones dives into the often unnoticed habit of assuming—how we create stories in our minds about other people, situations, and outcomes without truly knowing the facts. From misinterpreting someone's intentions to projecting our own fears, assumptions can quietly shape our reality and limit our growth.Spencer shares a personal reflection that led him to realize how frequently assumptions show up in everyday life and how they influence our thoughts, emotions, and actions. With his trademark energy and honesty, he invites you to become more aware of the stories you're telling yourself—and to challenge them.Get ready to break free from the assumptions that might be dimming your light.

In this episode, Dave Nason demonstrates how to create and use text replacements, short snippets of text which are substituted with frequently used words, sentences, or emojis when typed, on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. This may be useful if you, for example, need to frequently give people directions to your home. Rather than manually type out the directions, you could configure a text replacement so that several sentences could be inserted simply by typing a few characters of your choosing. You may also wish to use it to speed up typing longer words, or even to type emojis that you use regularly.On iOS and iPadOS, text replacements can be created and managed in Settings > General > Keyboard > Text replacement. Here, you can double-tap an item to edit it, or delete it using the "Delete" rotor action. To create a text replacement, double-tap the Add button in the upper right corner, type or paste the word, sentence, or emoji you want inserted in the "Phrase" field, type the text snippet in the "Shortcut" field, and double-tap Save.On macOS, text replacements can be created and managed in System Settings > Keyboard > Text replacements. Navigate the table using the up and down arrow keys, Tab to individual cells to edit them, or delete them using the Remove button. To create a replacement, click the Add button, type the text snippet in the "Replace" field, type the text you want to be inserted in the "With" field, and click Add.Assuming your devices are signed into the same Apple Account, text replacements are synced between them, allowing you to, for example, create text replacements on your Mac, and use them on your iPhone or iPad.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers' names, voices, or content.Dave: Hello there, David Nason here. I hope you are doing well. Today I wanted to give you a quick demo of how to use text replacements or typing shortcuts on both iOS and macOS. Text replacements are a really handy feature for speeding up your typing, helping you type out regular words or phrases or even you know, full on sentences that you want to type more quickly.Dave: You can type as little as two characters as your shortcut and then you hit space or punctuation like a full stop or a comma and it will expand out into the word or phrase that you have set. So it's really handy. There's probably three key ways which I use it. One would be for kind of longer sentences that I need to type semi-regularly. So, for example, directions to my house.Dave: If a friend is coming over or a taxi driver or a delivery person, that kind of thing. Rather than having to type out those directions each time I'm in that situation, I have a shortcut set up. So I type D-I-R-1. and I hit space and it will turn into those directions. I have one that's Dior2 as well, which is a more detailed version of those directions.Dave: I also use it then, number two, for kind of regular words and phrases that I might use when I'm texting people or emailing. I borrow some of these from contracted Braille, others I have made up myself. So things like YD for yesterday, TM for tomorrow, TAFN…

Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday) - Acts 13:14, 43-52; John 10:27-30While last week's readings invited us to see differently, this week's readings (on this Good Shepherd Sunday) invite us to hear differently. Jesus says that His sheep hear his voice and follow him. Assuming that is still true today, where are those instances that we hear the voice of Jesus? And how do we carve out a place in the whirlwind to make room not only for the voice of God, but gaining the courage to go where He invites us?As this podcast winds down on its five-year run, you will see me (and hopefully hear me!) thank many people in the coming weeks. I sincerely hope that I don't leave anyone out. But as always, I wish to thank you - the listener - for inspiring me and making this such a joy. I'm humbled by your presence. Have a question or comment? I can be reached at pdjoezenk@gmail.com

#RingRust with my #CMLLvsMLW, #WWEbacklash & #CrockettCup chat... & I ban TNAJ Francis from diving, in this week's #3WayDanceOff! #TagMeIn  ~ ~ ~ I'd like to hear from you! Please drop me a line @ ring-rust@hotmail.com {Subject Line: Ring Rust} & let me know what you like {or dislike} about my show! I'm always on the lookout for constructive criticism {if you want playlists again, start giving me feedback, people!}  ~ ~ ~ Check out my #Unboxing videos, all that snazzy anti-social media & support all my shows http://markjabroni.mysite.com/ ~ ~ ~ RECORDED LIVE @ the Holy Smackdown Hotel in Sunny St. John's NL!  RECORDED LIVE @ CHMR FM in sunny St. John's NL! Learn more @ https://www.chmr.ca/ If you want to contribute to Betty Cisneros' Stage 4 Cancer treatment, please donate @ https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-betty-battle-her-cancer-away & if you wanted to contribute to the surgeries of wrestling veteran Lufisto, you can check out her store @ http://www.lufisto.com/store-1/ SHOW NOTES... 0:04:37 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Backlash 1 0:06:17 Musicular Interlude 1 0:20:56 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Backlash 2 0:22:34 Musicular Interlude 2 0:33:19 Pre-Per-View: WWE's Backlash 3 0:33:44 Musicular Interlude 3 0:48:26 Pre-Per-View: Major League Wrestling & Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's Lucha Azteca 1 0:49:10 Musicular Interlude 4 0:57:21 Assuming the Intermissionary Position   1:02:05 This Week's Macho Fact 1:10:34 Pre-Per-View: Major League Wrestling & Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's Lucha Azteca 2 1:11:11 Musicular Interlude 5 1:21:48 This Week's 3-Way Dance-Off: Say His Name & Play 3 Songs! 1:35:57 Pre-Per-View: National Wrestling Alliance's Crockett Cup 1 1:36:48 Musicular Interlude 6 1:46:31 Pre-Per-View: National Wrestling Alliance's Crockett Cup 2 1:47:06 Musicular Interlude 7 

In this episode of Sexy Marriage Radio, we explore the complexities of relationships, focusing on the concept of regressions and how they affect emotional functioning. We discuss the different types of regressions, the impact of stress, and the contagious nature of regression in relationships. Our conversation emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and understanding one's emotional state to improve relationship dynamics. Takeaways Understanding regressions can empower individuals in relationships. Acute regressions are short-lived but impactful. Steady state regressions can go unnoticed and affect daily functioning. Stressful life events can trigger regressions. Recognizing triggers is crucial for managing regressions. The emotional state of one partner can influence the other. Communication is key to navigating regressions in relationships. Self-awareness helps in identifying personal regressions. High meaning situations can exacerbate emotional challenges. Assuming one is regressed until proven otherwise can lead to better self-management. Enjoy the show! On the Xtended version … In the XTD, we described what regressions look like - now we cover what you can do about them. Join us to find our. Sponsors … Everylove Intimates: Add spice and connection to your marriage with a Date Box. Get 20% off with our code SMR at https://everyloveintimates.com/smr Academy: Join the Academy and go deep The post Understanding Our Functioning Is The Key To A Better Marriage #727 first appeared on Sexy Marriage Radio.

We all do it. When there's silence, ambiguity, or the absence of clear feedback, we fill in the blanks with stories. But here's the problem: our minds don't reach for generous interpretations.  They default to criticism, fear, and doubt. Whether it's giving a talk, navigating a friendship, or reflecting on ourselves, we often assume the worst, even when reality is far more kind. Evolutionary survival instincts, societal conditioning, and inner critics keep us stuck in fear-based thinking. What if there was a powerful alternative (spoiler alert, there is!) - reconnecting to the present moment, our curiosity, and embodied awareness brings us back to center so that we can really see the truth in front of us. But what happens when we let those made-up stories dictate our behavior, disconnecting us from others and ourselves? In this episode, we unpack the human tendency to assume the worst, especially in the absence of feedback. We dive into how we can stop making up stories and start living from wonder instead.   Things You'll Learn in This Episode -From defensiveness to discovery Why does your mind automatically assume the worst when you don't have all the information? How can you retrain it to lead with curiosity instead? -The power of “I'm making up a story” How does owning your internal narrative out loud open the door to deeper connection, especially in moments of tension or misunderstanding? -The loop of awareness What happens when we shift attention between ourselves and others, and how can this “loop” help us co-create instead of self-isolate? -Reconnect through the body Why does presence live in your body, not your head, and how can physical awareness stop fear from spiraling into self-doubt?   About Your Hosts Katie Hendricks, Ph.D., BC-DMT, is a pioneer in body intelligence and conscious loving with over 40 years of experience. Known internationally as a presenter and seminar leader, she focuses on authenticity, responsibility, and appreciation in conscious living. She co-authored 12 books, including best-sellers Conscious Loving and Conscious Loving Ever After and she has appeared on over 500 radio and TV programs. Sophie Chiche is a seasoned coach and consultant who has worked with thousands of individuals and teams globally. With a focus on helping people live fully expressed lives, she guides clients and facilitates group sessions to remove obstacles and design meaningful lives. Sophie has developed unique methods, mindset shifts, and healing modalities to create lasting change.   Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so the show reaches more people!

Our multi-track recording robot had server trouble at the time that I needed to download the recording so what's posted here is my local backup recording; quality is a bit compromised from our typical. #282nd for 1nd May, 2025 or 3311! (33-Oh-Leven, not Oh-Eleven, OH-Leven)http://loosescrewsed.comJoin us on discord! And check out the merch store! PROMO CODEShttps://discord.gg/3Vfap47ReaSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LooseScrewsEDSquad Update: ​Miola's still borked, so we're retreating out of PPMC who as a faction didn't care the last time we asked and when we asked again, their discord is like Mars after the 3rd Expedition, a ghost town​Assuming control of BD+49 3937 is on hold as we've been in a war pending D12​LTT 10482 and Kaupatak are our next targets for regaining control unless we get locked into perma-wars there as well.​We were retreated out of Tripu, not that we cared much All details in the #standing-orders and/or the #loose-screws-factions channels of the Discord.PowerPlay Update: - Cycle 27Niceygy's Power Points - https://elite.niceygy.net/powerpoints​We made a new Stronghold in NLTT 2969, we did it!◦Rares got us over◦A ton of bounty hunting completed​Updates to PP this week in Trailblazers Update 3Orders: Reinforce - NLTT 2969 (a little more), TamorAcquire - Wolf 10Undermine - Find out more in the LSN-powerplay-hub forum channel.Galnet Update: https://community.elitedangerous.com/​Powerplay Standings (Nicey's are better)​Migration and Economic Boom in Colonized System◦In game lore for customzing stations (buy Arx)​New Community Goal - Mine Platinum for the Commie Dissident or the Liberal President - make lots of credits and get a free long range abrasion blaster, or 2, or even 3 if you play your cards right.Dev News: ​Trailblazers Bug Update◦Economy Changes◦Population Growth Changes◦Law and Order◦Colony Ship Names◦Port Customization◦Powerplay Updates (care of jnTracks)◦Issue Tracker, not JN Tracker Fixes◦Bug Fixes◦https://www.elitedangerous.com/update-notes​FU◦Panther Clipper!Discussion:​Trailblazers Update​Panther Clipper

There are many reasons why so many brands struggle—and ultimately fail—in the food service industry. Spoiler: it's not because their products aren't good. It's often because they underestimate two crucial factors—demand and logistics.This week, Nick is breaking down the common misconceptions, especially among those moving from retail to food service. One of the biggest mistakes? Assuming that retail success will automatically carry over. The food service world plays by different rules, where product performance often matters more than packaging or branding.Listen for practical strategies to help build real demand and streamline logistics to thrive in this competitive space.TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro01:54 - Understanding the Food Service Industry05:45 - Common Misconceptions in Food Service11:41 - The Importance of Marketing in Food Service15:00 - Strategies for Success in Food ServiceRESOURCESPortillo SalesCONTACT Nick: nick.portillo@portillosales.com

In this episode I explore the concept of perfectionism and offers actionable advice for overcoming it. As part of the 'Top Trends in 2025' series, I'm focusing on the importance of assuming positive intent and my aim is to highlight the detrimental effects of perfectionism on personal and professional growth. Some of the strategies includes recognizing the signs of perfectionism, embracing mistakes as learning opportunities, practicing self-compassion, focusing on progress over perfection, and setting realistic goals. I'm encouraging you to adopt a mindset that values the journey over the destination, and to create time-bound limits to avoid endless striving for perfection. Enjoy, Stacie More episodes at StacieBaird.com.

"Share your likes before your concerns." "Life is not a dress rehearsal."   Episode summary | In this engaging conversation, Nomi Bergman shares her journey from a challenging childhood in athletics to becoming a successful leader in the technology sector. She emphasizes the importance of kindness, generosity, and positive intent in leadership, drawing from her experiences at Bright House Networks. Nomi discusses the significance of creating a supportive work culture, the value of timely feedback, and the power of personal growth through action. She also reflects on her family background, the lessons learned from mistakes, and the impact of mentorship. Throughout the conversation, Nomi inspires listeners to embrace their authentic selves and to lead with kindness.   R.O.G. Takeaway Tips | Generosity in leadership fosters a positive work culture and builds trust. Sharing likes before concerns enhances team collaboration and morale. Kindness is a powerful leadership trait that can lead to greater success. Assuming positive intent can help navigate workplace challenges. Learning from mistakes and taking corrective action is crucial for personal growth. Creating a culture where employees can say 'yes' leads to better customer service. Timely feedback is essential for effective communication and improvement. Everyone has a unique story to share that can inspire others. Life is not a dress rehearsal; take action and live authentically.   Chapters |  00:00 Introduction to Nomi Bergman 02:04 Nomi's Early Life and Background 04:25 Overcoming Challenges in Athletics 06:56 The Importance of Generosity in Leadership 12:11 Creating a Positive Work Culture 14:17 The Hello Friend Campaign at Bright House 16:44 Assuming Positive Intent in Leadership 17:41 Learning from Mistakes and Taking Corrective Action 20:56 The Benefits of Kindness and Collaboration 22:19 The Shift from Right Answers to Teamwork 23:07 Reinventing Leadership Style through Kindness 25:07 The Strength of Kindness in Leadership 26:52 Delivering Feedback with Kindness and Clarity 29:31 The Power of Humility in Leadership 32:34 Finding Your Voice and Sharing Your Story 34:36 The Importance of Action and Kindness 41:53 Life Lessons: No Dress Rehearsal 42:20 The Lasting Impact of Kindness   Guest Bio | Nomi Bergman is the President of Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership, where she brings visionary leadership to a portfolio of innovative companies in the technology and media sectors. She previously served as President of Bright House Networks, where she led over 8,500 employees and helped grow the company into the sixth-largest cable operator in the U.S. before its merger with Charter and Time Warner Cable. With more than 25 years of experience, Nomi is a seasoned operator, technologist, investor, and advisor known for developing strategies that elevate product delivery and customer experience. She began her career in Management Information Consulting at Arthur Andersen, building a foundation in analytical thinking and systems optimization. Nomi has been recognized with the CableFAX Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into The Cable Center's Hall of Fame in 2018. She is deeply committed to inclusive leadership and mentorship, serving on various boards and supporting initiatives that advance equity and opportunity. A passionate advocate for human-centered innovation, Nomi brings both heart and strategy to every endeavor. She is also a proud wife and mother of three daughters, balancing executive leadership with family values at the core of her life and work.   Bridge Between Resources: 5 Degree Change Course Free N.D.I. Network Diversity Index  Free Generosity Quiz    Credits: Nomi Bergman, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc. Coming Next: Please join us next week, Episode 231, Special Guest, Jason Henkel.

We don't see the future. We predict it — and sometimes we predict disaster before it's even possible. Catastrophizing is a mental reflex. It's your mind, desperate for control, drawing monsters where none exist yet. In this episode, we explore the quiet space between stimulus and story — the moment you could choose curiosity over certainty. Relationships, careers, self-worth: all suffer when we confuse our imagined outcomes with inevitable truths. But if we learn to watch the story unfold without believing it, something remarkable happens. We reclaim possibility. You'll leave with: Understanding of how the brain creates fear to protect itself Tools for building awareness instead of reaction A framework for making peace with uncertainty — and using it to grow The psychology that makes false fears feel real Stop letting your brain run disaster drills for things that haven't happened. Tune in. Workshop - Building certainty in an uncertain world

Reproductive Mental Health, Intersectionality, and Systemic Barriers: An interview with Dr. Loree Johnson Curt and Katie chat with Dr. Loree Johnson about the intersections of reproductive mental health, race, and systemic injustice. Dr. Johnson shared powerful insights about the shame, grief, and medical trauma that many clients face, especially Black women and other folks from historically marginalized communities. We dive into how therapists can hold safer, more informed spaces for clients experiencing infertility and pregnancy loss, and how systemic racism and historical harm continue to shape reproductive healthcare today. Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com! In this podcast episode, we talk about reproductive trauma, systemic barriers to care, and the need for cultural humility in therapy We were honored to sit down with Dr. Loree Johnson, LMFT, PhD—an expert in reproductive mental health who brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to the conversation. We explore how therapists can better support clients navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, and trauma, especially clients from marginalized communities. What do therapists often get wrong about reproductive mental health? ·    Avoiding the conversation about infertility and pregnancy loss because therapists feel undertrained or uncomfortable ·   Therapists overlook the impact of race, history, and oppression in reproductive trauma ·   Assuming fertility issues affect only straight, cisgender couples ·   Minimizing or misunderstanding the grief associated with pregnancy loss and infertility What is the role of systemic racism and historical trauma for Black women seeking reproductive care? ·    Mistrust of the medical system due to real, generational harm (e.g., J. Marion Sims, Henrietta Lacks, Tuskegee) ·    Myths of hyper-fertility in Black women and the erasure of infertility struggles in communities of color ·   Disenfranchised grief and cultural stigma around fertility challenges ·   Weathering: the cumulative impact of chronic stress and racism on physical and reproductive health How can therapists show up better for clients who are experiencing infertility and pregnancy loss? ·   Learn the terminology and processes around fertility treatments and pregnancy loss ·   Create space for conversations around sex, reproduction, and grief—even if it's uncomfortable ·   Practice cultural humility and intimacy: be willing to be wrong, to sit with pain, and to build trust ·   Acknowledge your own limitations and biases while staying curious and committed to learning ·   Be prepared for these conversations—even if you don't specialize in reproductive mental health Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement: Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Assuming the Cavs & Thunder sweep what ever mid teams they draw in round 1, we're back to break down each of the 2v7, 3v6, 4v5, matchups and give series score predictions. Any upsets? Any surprise picks to go to the WCF/ECF...and beyond? We give you our predictions for what should be an amazing NBA finals.

In this episode, Michael Blank delves into the art of raising capital for real estate, highlighting the importance of using other people's money to build a real estate empire. He discusses the common mistakes people make when raising capital and shares insights on overcoming these challenges.Key Takeaways:Understanding Limiting Beliefs:Many aspiring real estate investors struggle with the idea of raising capital due to limiting beliefs, such as "I can't do it," "I don't know anyone with money," and fear of using sales tactics.Avoiding Common Mistakes:Going online for raising money without prior experience is a common mistake.Assuming the money will follow once you have a deal is misleading.Start raising capital before securing a deal by using a sample deal package.The Importance of Networking and Education:Real estate investors should educate themselves and others about the benefits of real estate investing.Networking and leaving a positive impression are crucial in building relationships with potential investors.Referrals and Expanding Your Network:Always ask for referrals to expand your network and potential investor base.Stay in touch with potential investors to nurture relationships.Leveraging IRA Money:Many people have significant funds in IRAs or 401(k)s. Educate potential investors on how they can invest their IRA money in real estate.Scaling by Raising Money Online:Once you've raised money one-on-one successfully, transition to online platforms to scale up.Building a strong online presence requires more than just a website; it involves creating valuable content and having a clear target audience.The Who, Not How Mentality:Emphasize finding partners who can help fill gaps, such as those who can raise funds while you focus on finding deals.Connect with MichaelFacebookInstagramYouTubeTikTokResourcesTheFreedomPodcast.com Access the #1 FREE Apartment Investing Course (Apartments 101)Schedule a Free Strategy Session with Michael's Team of AdvisorsExplore Michael's Mentoring ProgramJoin the Nighthawk Equity Investor ClubReview the Podcast on Apple PodcastsSyndicated Deal AnalyzerGet the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session467/

It's a wild ride through Trump's economic madhouse! MAGA media drools over his “genius” as markets flop, flail and fail.  Who's really pulling the strings as small businesses and farmers drown in tariff terror while Tesla cashes in, and a China war looms.Kids' deaths are twisted into vaccine propaganda, and Trump's DOJ hunts critics like a dictator on a rampage. From measles myths to mRNA rebellion at the STATE level—America's hanging by a thread!MAGA Media: The Stock Market Flipped NOT Trump!!We're told Goldman Sachs screamed "recession" at 12:57 PM, only to yank it back 73 minutes later.  Outlets like Breitbart, ZeroHedge, FOX etc are drooling and twisting themselves into knots praising Trump's supposed "genius."Was it a blunder, capitulation, “Art of the Deal”, or calculated chaos?Why is it reprehensible for the Fed Chair to manipulate markets and economy, but genius for a President to do so?  It's just like the predictable partisan reactions to tax increases and mRNA vaccines, depending on whether they love or hate Trump, divorced from realityDid Trump capitulate to collapsing markets?  What was the final straw?Presidential overreach by claims of “emergency” are exactly what Trump did 5 years ago with “Covid”, done by both parties to start wars, and now to unilaterally and arbitrarily manipulate the economy.  Is it finally a bridge too far for even Republicans in Congress?Assuming this much power and exercising it capriciously invites claims of “insider trading” — and those claims have arrivedTariff Terror: Small Businesses Bleed While Wall Street WinsMom-and-pop shops are collateral damage in Trump's trade war carnage! A tattoo supplier near Philly faces ruin with 125% Chinese tariffs doubling costs overnight, while Tesla and Amazon rake in double-digit gains. The little guy's crushed—again—as Trump's cronies cash in. Where's the “America First” now? Trump/Navarro “China War” Ignites: Prelude to Physical War?     It's a tariff poker game with sky-high stakes!  What other cards does Xi have up his sleeve?      With the exception of the first 20% which was leveling up, the Xi has matched Trump.     Farmers brace for fallout as China targets them (again) and U.S. firms. Will Congress Fight Back Against Presidential Tariff Tyranny?     A dozen GOP heroes dare to defy Trump's dictator playbook! Would you want Obama or Biden to have this “emergency” dictatorial power?     A Republican has sponsored a bill that aims to leash presidential tariff power with  sunset clause and congressional veto— but will they survive Trump's wrath? The Constitution hangs in the balance as the MAGA machine gears up to crush dissent! Gold Shines as the World Burns: Chaos Conspiracy Unveiled      Is this the great reset in disguise? A deliberate demolition of stability? Tony Arterburn, DavidKnight.gold, looks at how gold has been a relative island of stability amidst the chaos created  by Trump     From the 2020 crash to Russia's ruble rebound and the dollar's descent into “candy wrapper” status, they reveal how governments, institutions, and even technocrats are sprinting toward physical gold as the ultimate lifeline.Children's Health Defense Debunks “Second Measles Death” Lie — NEITHER Death is From Measles     Panic erupts as media screams “measles killed two kids!” and RFK Jr.'s jumping on the MMR bandwagon, hawking shots like a carnival barker.  He attempts to mildly walk back some of the false info and hysteria but caves to CBS     Eight-year-old Daisy Hildebrand didn't die from measles—she was killed by the greatest threat to all of us — death by hospital/doctor.  Yet Texas Department of Public Health blatantly lies to the public along with the media The Viral Brady Brunch “Measles” Episode Pulled in 2019, 50 YEARS LATERIt was produced/owned by Paramount.  They STILL own it so do you believe the measles episode was pulled for some copyright or IP issue?  The actress who played “Marsha” lashes out at antivaxers who are using it to show life before BigPharma lies.  Is it OK to use the false death of an 8 yr old to panic the public? States Pushback Against mRNA Vaccines and MandatesThere's no help coming from Washington.   The original plan, practiced for decades, relied on state governments to enact.  If we stop it, it will be at the state level. Trump's DOJ Targeting Critics, Continuing Biden's LawfareTrump's executive order — ordering the DOJ to stalk ex-staffer Miles Taylor and election chief Chris Krebs, branding their critiques “treason”! Biden & Trump lawfare, if unchecked, will spiral into totalitarian terror!If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-show Or you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to DavidKnight.gold for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to TrendsJournal.com and enter the code KNIGHTFor 10% off supplements and books, go to RNCstore.com and enter the code KNIGHTBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

Have you ever caught yourself assuming the worst—about people, situations, or even your own future?   You're not alone.   Our brains are wired to focus on the negative—a survival mechanism that can easily turn into a habit of pessimism.   On today's show, I want to share three simple questions I use to retrain my thinking and stop jumping to worst-case scenarios.   Join me on Cabral Concept 3349 as we explore how to stop assuming the worst, rewire your mindset, and cultivate a more positive outlook on life. Enjoy the show, and let me know your thoughts!   - - - For Everything Mentioned In Today's Show: StephenCabral.com/3349 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!