Podcasts about Chambers

In 1997, armored car driver David Ghantt teamed with Kelly Campbell - a pretty former co-worker - and Steve Chambers - a small-time criminal - to steal from the Loomis Fargo vault in Charlotte, North Carolina. The well-planned heist netted $17.5 million, but things started to unravel once they got away. While Ghantt laid low in Mexico to avoid attention, Chambers couldn't stop making high-profile purchases in stolen $20 bills. Soon Ghantt was dodging both the FBI and a hit man, all while his conspirators were flashing cash and making some pretty dumb moves.From SmartLess Media, Campside Media, Big Money Players and iHeart Podcasts comes “CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist.” Johnny Knoxville narrates the story of the second-largest bank robbery in US history, while regular show hosts Rory Scovel and Josh Dean provide commentary. Listeners hear from many of the key players in a story stranger than fiction, but just right for the big screen.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CRIMELESS: HILLBILLY HEIST' BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join Matt, Lucas, Chambers, and Hyalet as they dive into everything they're excited about in 2026! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luxury floral designer Susan Chambers, owner of San Francisco-based bloominCouture. She's a longtime Slow Flowers member whose high-end residential and corporate clients support her sustainable values, which do not compromise her design aesthetic or her approach to seasonal sourcing. Many of you first met Susan when she and her shop appeared in our 2021 book, […] The post Episode 750: Susan Chambers of San Francisco-based bloominCouture – a luxury florist designs with seasonal and local flowers appeared first on Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing.

Nurse inventors, this one's for you.

Now an annual tradition on the Bloomberg Intelligence Tech Disruptors podcast, John Chambers, former Cisco CEO and founder of JC2 Ventures, sits down with hardware analyst Woo Jin Ho to kick off 2026 with his latest predictions for the tech sector and the global economy. Chambers argues that AI is entering a phase of rapid adoption — driving enterprise productivity gains, reshaping capital allocation and compressing winner–loser cycles across industries. The conversation explores AI infrastructure investment, enterprise adoption, cybersecurity risks and the implications for labor markets, M&A, IPO activity and market volatility, with Chambers remaining bullish on AI's long-term impact despite near-term disruption.

In the early 1990s, a beloved first-grade teacher in Pennsylvania began receiving harassing, threatening letters from an anonymous sender. Her school principal, fellow teachers, and the parents of some of her students soon began receiving them too. As the ordeal wore on, the stalker slowly escalated from taunts to vile accusations and death threats—and then, finally, violence. From early on in the case, the police thought they knew the tormentor's identity, but it took 18 months to finally gather the evidence needed for an arrest. The trial to follow would be one of the most bizarre the state had ever seen. The case took twist after twist before reaching a conclusion nobody saw coming. Sources:Forensic Files, episode "Sealed With a Kiss"The Morning Call: https://www.mcall.com/1996/01/21/accused-stalker-says-victim-framed-her/The Morning Call: https://www.mcall.com/1997/01/30/custodian-says-teacher-was-often-upset-testimony-continues-in-pocono-mountain-stalking-case-at-school-fellow-instructors-job-is-at-stake/Pocono Record: https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/2000/12/14/pm-pays-600000-to-settle/51084692007/https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/2000/11/04/odd-teacher-harassment-case-returns/51083383007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&Forensic Files Now: https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/2020/06/27/joanne-chambers-and-paula-nawrocki-strange-lesson/Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=enTwitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-campfire--4251960/support.

We sit down with indie filmmaker Andrew J Chambers to talk about making DIY movie props, the process of getting celebrities into your independent film, the importance of releasing your projects to the public, and so much more.

Join Lucas, Matt, and Chambers are they dive into everything they played in 2025. The good, the bad, the slop. And a Happy New Year to everyone!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early hours of January 1st, Chambers and Fogg's bubble of frivolity is burst by the realities of the world around them. New Year's Day is an annual podcast by Lauren Shippen, starring Andrew Nowak and Briggon Snow. This year's theme is "What'll I Do" by Irving Berlin, recorded by James Lewis in 1924.For more information and to sign up for monthly missives, please visit atypicalartists.co/newyearsday.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week is bitter-sweet. On one hand, we're ranking the best albums to come out in 2025. On the other, it is Alex's final episode on the show. So to send him off, he's also running down his top 10 favorite albums of all-time. Thanks for all the episodes, Alex, best of luck with whatever you move on to next. The show will continue in 2026 with Mike doing solo episodes, as well as periodically having on regulars Tom and Robert. Thank you to everyone who's stuck with us all these years.   Intro/Year Overview 00:00 Honorable Mentions 8:20Alex's Album of the Year 11:27 Mike's Album of the Year 16:10 Alex's No. 2 23:14 Mike's No. 2 26:42 Alex's No. 3 29:47 Mike's No. 3 32:23 Alex's No. 4 39:25 Mike's No. 4 42:53 Alex's No. 5 48:32 Mike's No. 5 49:25 Alex's No. 6 52:22 Mike's No. 6 1:00:19 Alex's No. 7 1:04:08 Mike's No. 7 1:08:07 Alex's No. 8 1:08:22 Mike's No. 8 1:12:50 Alex's No. 9 1:18:16 Mike's No. 9 1:23:27 Alex and Mike's No. 10 1:29:18 Reflecting on Alex's Time on the Show 1:34:19 Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) 1:38:03 Crack the Skye 1:41:53 Frances the Mute 1:47:28 Led Zeppelin IV 1:51:38 Madvillainy 1:54:50 The White Album 1:57:36 Stankonia 2:01:17 Sunbather 2:05:57 Master of Puppets 2:10:46 Deltron 3030 2:13:40 Saying Goodbye to Alex 2:17:21   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/everyalbumever   Merch https://pandermonkey.creator-spring.com/   Mike's EP: Pander Monkey on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple,   Mike on Instagram @pandermonkey Alex on Bluesky @octatron3030 Tom on Instagram @tomosmansounds   History Tom's stuff: Music on Spotify, Apple Podcast on Spotify, YouTube Substack Website   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Mike's List: Birthing by Swans - Album of the Year LSD by Cardiacs Lonely People with Power by Deafheaven Soundtrack to One Battle After Another by Jonny Greenwood The World Is Still Here and So Are We by mclusky In the Earth Again by Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo The Spiritual Sound by Agriculture Noble and Godlike in Ruin by Deerhoof Forever Howlong by Black Country, New Road Thunderball by Melvins 1983   Alex's List: Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse - Album of the Year Lux by Rosalia LSD by Cardiacs Tomorrow We Escape by Ho99o99 Lonely People with Power by Deafheaven The Spiritual Sound by Agriculture Alfredo 2 by Freddie Gibbs GOLLIWOG by Billy Woods Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You by Ethel Cain Thunderball by Melvins 1983

New Year's Eve celebrations in Nelson tonight will have a tinge of sadness, as the city marks one year since Police officer Lyn Fleming was killed on the job. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers will be joining beat patrols in the city tonight. Chambers says he wants to back up staff who were working alongside Fleming a year ago, and to remember her. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith told Andrew Dickens that it was an incredibly tragic start to a difficult year, and people in Nelson are keen to move on. He says they can't wait to put 2025 behind them and to get into 2026. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We would love for you to check out this video, and all of the other videos on our channel, including our weekly live show, Dodgers Dawgs. We would also love it if you followed us on all the Social Media platforms. .✔ www.dodgersdaily.net✔ Twitter @dodger_daily ✔ Instagram dodger.daily✔ Facebook at dodger daily,✔ TikTok at dodgers_daily. Also, please consider donating to Dodgers Daily. This site will always remain free to the viewers, but it takes money and time to operate, so if you would like to show your appreciation by donation, any amount would be greatly appreciated. To do so follow the link below. Link to Donate:https://gofund.me/db54a295#dodgersprospects #dodgersDaily #dodgers #losangeles #lafans #doyers #baseball #mlb #beisbol #MiLB #rcquakes #okcdodgers #tulsadrillers #greatlakesloons #ShoheiOhtani #YoshinobuYamamoto #RokiSasaki #MookieBettsAll Minor League video is courtesy of MiLB. Visit https://www.milb.com/ and consider becoming a subscriber. It's very cheap and is now streaming on all major streaming platforms straight from the MLB app. An MiLB subscription gives you access to every Minor League game, almost all having video feeds.

Lost At Christmas: Part 1 His First Christmas away from home, & His best gift ever. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at My First time. After my first semester in College, I was eager to go home for the holidays. I was going to school in Rochester, New York, and anybody who'd experienced the lake-effect winters on the Great Lakes would understand my desire to get to somewhere warmer. For me, that somewhere warmer was a long ways away. As a military brat, home was often a moving target, and that winter it was Santiago, Chile, where my father was stationed and where I'd graduated high-school. It was summer in Santiago, and I was looking forward to a pool-party with my old school mates for the Holidays. We didn't have a lot of money, but I was allowed to travel space available on a military flight as a Navy ROTC student. I had to get down to Charleston, South Carolina, and catch an international C1 41 flight that made a loop through Latin America. After finagling a ride to Virginia followed by a very long bus trip down the coast, I finally made it to Charleston AFB. ROTC travel orders in hand, I checked in at the desk, and verified I was on the standby list for the flight leaving on the 23rd. I wouldn't get home until Christmas Day, but better late than never. With pockets nearly empty, a hotel room was out of the question so I slept in the terminal and snacked on the cheapest eats I could get away with. There was a festive mood in the terminal, so many people rushing to get home for the holidays, and I was getting caught up in the feeling, eagerly looking forward to that very long plane ride, first to Panama, then Lima, and finally Santiago. After what seemed an interminable wait, we were an hour away from boarding when I got bumped off the flight by a group of Marines headed to Panama on Active Duty travel orders. I was devastated. The next flight left early the morning of the 26th. At least that one was a huge plane, and nearly empty so I was virtually guaranteed to get aboard, but what was I going to do for Christmas? Looking up at the outgoing flight schedules, I saw a flight listed for Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida. "When is the flight to Tyndall headed out?" I asked the airman behind the desk. "In an hour-and-a-half, and it's all but empty. You want on?" He asked, offering some recompense for my last minute bump. I'd lived in Panama City during 9th and 10th grade, and still had some close friends there, many I still kept in touch with. Maybe I could find someone to spend Christmas with there. It had to be better than sleeping in the terminal for 2 more days. "Please," I told him, "but hold my space for Santiago. I'll be back for that flight." I recalled there being a pretty big Greyhound station in Panama City, so I called Greyhound and checked on a bus being able to get me back in time for the flight. They had one, a 7:30 am bus on Christmas morning would get me back before midnight on Christmas. I could easily make the flight the next morning, even if it were delay a few hours. I bought a ticket, using the emergency Am Ex card my parents had given me when I headed off to college. I'd explain the $67.00 to my parents. I called my family in Santiago with the news. It had to be short call because of the expense, so I let them know I had been bumped but would be there on the 28th. I told them I was headed to Panama City, and would be taking a bus back in plenty of time for my flight. My mother cried, and my father told me to go ahead and use the credit card, but to try to keep the expenses reasonable. By the time I hung up I was pretty depressed, but at least I had a plan. Before I could try to contact anyone in Panama City, an announcement was made and suddenly I was on my way to Florida for Christmas, with no place lined up to stay, and practically broke. I was feeling a bit melancholy, but was determined to make the best of it. So there I was, at Tyndall Air Force Base, at 11:20 pm on December 23rd. I was debating who to try first. I had several close friends nearby and I expected they'd all be home for Christmas. After a short internal debate, I had narrowed it down to two. I had always gotten along well with their entire families, and I was still in pretty regular contact with both of them. Mike lived the nearest to me in the old days. He came from a big family, with 6 siblings, including Peggy, who'd been one of my first real deep infatuations. When I had been in 9th grade she'd been a senior, and was pretty and sophisticated. My yearning for her was unrequited, but I relished the idea of seeing her again after four years. She was a college senior, and would probably be home. I knew they'd welcome me, but I was concerned it would be an inconvenience. They did not have a large house, and it was bound to be crowded, particularly with three college kids home for the holiday. On top of that who knew if they had anyone else in tow? Tommy on the other hand came from a relatively well-off family who always lived well within their means. He had an older brother, who was working in Japan and unlikely to be home, a sister, Sheri, just a year behind us in school, and two much younger siblings, who I guessed would be around 9 and 10 by now. They had a spacious house, each kid had their own room, and I wouldn't be putting anybody out if I stayed there. I'd always had a crush on Sheri, but although I'd dated her best friend, I'd never gone out with her. Getting a chance to see her again would be an extra bonus. Feeling nervous and awkward, I dialed Tommy's number from memory, and luckily got him on the first call. If I'd gotten somebody else, I would have really felt uncomfortable. Tommy's answer was unmistakable. He had a funny way of saying hello when he answered the phone, and the sound of his voice took me straight back down memory lane. "Hee-ello," he answered. "Tommy! Guess who?" I asked. I guess my voice must have been similarly recognizable, since he didn't hesitate a second. "Steve-o! What are you up to? Where're you at?" He answered eagerly. It put a smile on my face. Nice to hear a happy, upbeat voice that seemed genuinely pleased to hear from me. "Funny you should ask. It's a long story, but I'm in a bit of a bind. I'm at Tyndall, and stuck here until Christmas Day." I told him. "What happened to Chile, and Rochester?" He asked. "I was on my way home to Chile, when I lost my seat on the plane in Charleston. I couldn't get out again until the 26th, so when I saw an empty plane headed this way, I just hopped on and hoped for the best." I explained. "That's Great!" He almost shouted. "Not great that you couldn't get home, but great that you're here. You want to stay with us? You can have Greg's room, he won't be here, and I'm sure Sheri and Mom would love to see you. The place is kind of 'down' with Greg canceling his trip home at the last minute. Having you here should cheer things up a bit." He did sound enthused, and I couldn't help grinning in reply. "Don't you think you should check?" I laughed. A scream in my ear was the answer, as I heard half of a shouted conversation. "Mom! Guess Who's In Town." "No, Not Greg." "No, Go Ahead Guess." "Guess Again." "Ok, Ok - Steve." "Yeah, Steve Pelland. He's Stuck Here In Town 'Til Christmas Day." "Of Course I Told Him He Should Come Here, I'll Go Get Him." "I Will." "Yes Mom; Yes; I Won't; I Will." I was holding the phone a little away from my head, and almost missed it when he came back on. "Where should I pick you up?" He asked. "The Main Terminal, you know where that is right?" I answered. "Sure - be there in about 30 minutes. Man, this is Great!" I hung up with a big smile on my face, feeling 100% better than I had just 10 minutes earlier. I stood outside waiting for him, and about 20 minutes later the strings of Christmas lights shut off one at a time, as the place closed up for the night. It was dark and quiet, and I started to get nervous again, wondering if this had been such a good idea. I was 500 miles from my flight home and completely at the mercy of old friends. But as far as friends go, I couldn't do much better than mine, and figured at the least I wouldn't be sleeping in a lonely terminal in Charleston for two days, slowly eating my way through my meager funds. When Bob pulled up around midnight, I could see he'd gotten rid of the VW Bug he'd inherited from his mother upon turning 16, and was now driving his brother's old Two-tone Cougar. We spent a minute saying hi, and loading my gear into the trunk, and then we headed back into town, catching each other up on history. When I had first moved to Santiago, I used to write about once every couple of months, as well as call a couple of times a year. In the beginning I'd written Sheri a lot as well. She was one of the most prolific writers among my old friends, and would typically write twice to me for every one I wrote to her. Over the years, that had degenerated into holiday cards and a surprise call maybe once a year. I knew he was attending Florida State, and that Greg had graduated from Georgetown, and had moved to Japan on business. That was about it. Tommy told me all about the old gang, who was in town, who was going to what schools, what people had been up to. I told him a lot more detail about what I'd been up to. "So," he asked, "Got a girl?" "Not now. Thought I had one after the ROTC Christmas ball, but that seems to have been my mistake." I admitted. "Hard to believe. You always had someone. Every letter, every phone-call, just seems like they didn't stay the same all that long." He teased. "I don't know. I had several relationships last pretty long. Two were more than 6 months long." I argued. "Oh! Six Months!" He laughed. "How about you then," I asked in defense. "Still Erin. Almost two years now." He asked. "Shit. What does she see in you? She could do so much better." I teased. "Oh really? Like how?" "Like me!" I laughed. "Right, like that would ever happen! Don't even think about it, or you'll be sleeping in the street." He was laughing as well. "Not if I called Erin I wouldn't," I shot back. I thought it was a great comeback, but it earned me a sock in the arm. We pulled up to his house, which still looked exactly the same, and things were pretty quiet. They used the same window lights, same roof lights, same bush trimmings year after year. It was just as I remembered. Who says you can't go back? "Mom's got to work tomorrow, so I'm sure she's in bed, and you know Dave crashes early, so we better keep it down. We've got lots to do tomorrow anyway." We entered quietly and put my bag in Greg's old room. Tommy stayed and chatted for a few minutes then bid me good night, telling me to sleep in as long as I wanted, as long as it wasn't past 9:00 am, and left me to get settled. Past 9:00? Now I remembered, they'd always been an early-bird household. For me 9:00 am Was the crack of dawn. Tommy and I had breakfast at about 9:30. He was already chiding me for sleeping in and missing the whole family. We had the house to ourselves. He'd been on the phone arranging our day, and once we'd finished the pancakes, we were off to see Mike and his family. Entering Mike's house was the same as it had ever been, but more-so. People everywhere, noise, laughter, roughhousing, it was all taken in stride by Mrs. Frey. We spent a few hours visiting, and getting fed again before we could leave. Mike's older sister Peggy still looked cute to me, but not the amazing creature my memory had somehow stored away. I had to tease her about the Christmas gift she'd given me three years earlier. She'd bought me a Richard Pryor tape, thinking it was Bill Cosby. When I played it for her in my car, she exploded, calling me names and accusing me of vile intent. At the time I had felt bad, confused, angry and a host of other feelings, now thankfully we could laugh at it. When I'd been 16 I'd been somewhat in awe of her, now things were comfortable. Mike's older brother was home as well, with his live-in girlfriend who seemed awfully ill-at-ease, and must have been at least 5 years older than Dan, maybe more. That was a story I'd have to hear more about. The biggest surprise was Alice. She'd been a few years younger than us. I wasn't sure if she was 16 or 17 now, but she was a bombshell. And she was coming on to me like gangbusters. I was really nervous, with her acting all touchy-feely with her mother and Peggy there. I was suddenly glad I had chosen to stay over with Tommy. With a pretty, stacked girl that seemed so infatuated with me around, I'm afraid I might have gotten into a whole lot more trouble than I needed. When we left there Mike joined us, and it was off to see Jack and Russ. They were a year apart in age. Russ had been in our class, and we'd been friendly with him, but Jack, although a year younger was our buddy. We played on the basketball team together, and when Tommy and I formed our first band, Jack was our bassist. At the Chambers house, we once again reminisced, and had to relive our first 'gig'. We had decided to play in the school talent show. With Tommy on piano and Jack on bass, I played guitar. We had a fourth guy on drums we'd all lost contact with. We had played Elton John, Deep Purple, The Eagles, and The Beatles. We had opened with the opening riff of "Smoke on the Water", and had been a hit. We were pretty lousy, but the audience was our friends, our parents and the parents of our friends, and at the end the parents even took up a collection for us. Pretty heady stuff. We'd called ourselves Bronze Myth, and had already designed our first three album covers before we had our first birthday party gig. Jack had been tall then, and had not stopped growing; he was now 6'7" and was attending University of Florida, playing basketball. He reminded me of the time when we went on our first dates together. I had gone with Kathryn Best, easily the most lusted after girl in the whole school, who was in Jack's class a year behind me. Jack, on the other hand, had gone out with our "Valentine's Day Queen", Anne, who was in my class and almost two full years older than Jack. He was always precocious. There had been a third couple with us, Dennis and Suzanne, and Jack broke the news that Suzanne had gotten knocked up, just before I left to go overseas, and she and Dennis had gotten married. There was a huge scandal, but they stuck together, and had the baby. They lived with Suzanne's parents. Dennis was doing alright, working for Suzanne's father. While we were visiting, several friends dropped in, including the aforementioned Kathryn who lived one street over. Kathryn, the stunning brunette who had the body of a 20 year old when she was 15, and had a beautiful face with features that just slayed me. Kathryn, the very first girl I had gotten to Third Base with. She was as pretty as I remembered, and I found out she was going to be attending Mt. Holyoke the following year, which was an odd coincidence since my girlfriend from High School was a sophomore there. Going out with Kathryn, a year younger than me had been a total fiasco. We'd sat together on an out-of-town bus trip and ranked high enough in the pecking order that we got the right hand seat second from the back. These trips were our biggest dates back then. Ours was a small parochial school, and on the bus trips, the athletes, cheerleaders and student fans all rode the same bug. The 30-90 minute trips were like pep rallies on the way out, and like the back of movie theatres on the way back. There were frequent "hand-checks" and the lights would come one as our coaches would walk the aisle, but it seemed like after our wins, the checks would be a little less frequent. Our win at Pensacola was my first real 'make-out' session, as we cuddled and kissed the whole trip home. I even got a chance to play with her breast through her sweater. Less than a week later I asked her to the movies, and we sat in the back with the two other couples, probably both scared spitless and nervous as goldfish in a blender. We'd started necking, which got more and more intense, and my hands boldly went where no hands had gone before. An hour into the movie I was almost out of control, and feverish with desire, and it seemed she was willing to let me do whatever I wanted. If I'd had a little more confidence, or a little more knowledge, who knows what might have happened? As it is, I went pretty far, probably too far, and I was scared to death afterwards. She was the first girl whose flesh I'd touched underneath her clothing. I didn't call her for several days, and even avoided her at school, not knowing what to say. In short I was a total jerk. Everyone thought we should be together, she was the pretty captain of the cheerleaders, with the big boobs, and I was the Big Jock, playing all the sports, while at the same time excelling in school. She was voted "Most Popular." I was "Most Likely to Succeed." However, in this case it turned out she was "Most Slighted", and I was definitely "Most Inept." After waiting several days, amazingly patient in retrospect, she had tasked her best friend Sheri, Tommy's sister, with letting me know that she thought we shouldn't go out. Next thing you know, she was going out with some geeky looking kid, and she dated him for the rest of the school year. I'd changed schools at the end of that year, and had seen her only infrequently the following year, before moving to Santiago. Outside in the backyard, Kathryn and I walked off together and finally had a few minutes alone. "You know Kat, I don't think I ever apologized for being such an idiot, after our first date. I really am sorry." She was quiet for a while. She had a sad little look. "You know, I waited by that phone night after night, crying myself to sleep. I saw you dodging me at school and it broke my heart." "I was young and stupid. I'd never done Anything with a girl before, and could hardly even believe I was with the hottest girl in school. After all the stuff I did, God, I was so embarrassed that I'd overstepped the boundaries, and I had no idea what to say." She sat down underneath the big tree in the backyard and I sat beside her on the circular bench around it. "You could have said something to Jack maybe, or Tommy, and let them tell me. At least let me know that you liked me, or had fun. Something." She looked on the verge of tears, even 3 years later, and I felt even worse. "I know. I kept kicking myself over it. I was so angry with myself and jealous when you went out with Ricky." I admitted. "He was nice to me when I needed it." "But it seemed such an odd fit. He was a nobody; the only thing he ever did noteworthy was date you." I told her. "He lived two houses down. We'd grown up together, and when my heart was broken he picked up the pieces. He could tell something was wrong, and really made me feel a lot better." She confessed. That brought on a short period of silence. It did let me think better of Ricky, who wasn't just lucky or an opportunist. "You know, that was one of the most memorable moments in my life. Touching a girl like that for the first time. I had no idea what I should do, or what I could do, but I kept looking down the row at Dennis and Suzanne, and figured I should be able to do that too. I was in heaven; you were so amazing to be with." I told her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine. Her palm was moist. "You're telling me? You were the big 9th grader with the learner's permit and motorcycle. Big Man on Campus. The guy every girl wanted. And you wanted me. I had no idea what we should or shouldn't do on a date. I was hoping you knew." We laughed at that, remembering the intensity of those feelings. "Given a chance to do it over, I'd have camped out on your doorstep and professed my undying, eternal love the moment you walked out the door." I told her, half serious. "As I recall, you professed your love for me that evening, just before opening the top of my pants." She said with a wicked grin. I'm sure I blushed mightily. "I can't really ask forgiveness, but I really am sorry. Sorry now and sorry then. I fantasized about you for years afterwards, thinking of what could have happened if I hadn't been such a jerk. You have no idea how many of my fantasies you starred in back then." "If only you'd have let me know. Ricky was my first. It could have been you. Given half a chance, it would have been you." She had moved close and was speaking softly. "And this is my punishment. Knowing how bad I fucked up. Seeing you here, as beautiful as in my dreams, and knowing I've screwed up any chance of being with you." I placed my hand behind her head, stroking her hair. "I wouldn't say you'd screwed up Any chance, but you certainly blew that one." We were looking deeply in each other's eyes, recalling strong, painful feelings. I wanted her now, as I'd wanted her then, with a deep burning need, and I leaned forward those last two inches, and captured her lips with mine. She slid forward and melted against me, kissing me with every emotion boiling to the surface. She took my hand and placed it on her incredible chest, and I squeezed her breast, my thumb reliving that first caress of her nipple from so many years earlier. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, and then broke apart. Her eyes glistened. "I've got a boyfriend." She confessed. I nodded understanding. "If I didn't?" I reached forward pressing my index finger to her lips. "I know. I missed my chance. It's my loss." We just sat side by side a minute, in silence. "You know," she said softly, "what you did to me that night, that was part of the problem." "I know. I'm sorry if I stepped over the line." I said, even now embarrassed at the liberties I'd taken. "No, not anything wrong. What you did to me, how you made me feel. You made me cream my jeans more than once that night. It was the first time I'd ever come. I'd heard about it, but it was almost unreal. Your fingers just drove me wild. It was over a year before another guy was able to do the same." She put her hand between her legs, seemingly remembering that first night. "That makes two of us. I don't know if you knew, but I came in my pants too, and you never even touched me there. By the time I got home I was a terrible sticky mess. I snuck out and threw that underwear away before my mother could find them and ask uncomfortable questions." I told her, laughing. She gave me an odd little look, and then slid around the tree, placing its 3 foot wide trunk between us and the house. She reached out for me, and of course I followed. "Could I, I mean would you mind?" She seemed lost for words. "What? Just ask. I certainly owe you one." I told her. She didn't ask, she just started unbuckling my belt. "I always wondered, and never really had a chance to find out." With the belt open she unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. "I mean, that night, you got to find out pretty much ALL about me, but I didn't; " I lifted my hips and let her pull my pants down a short ways, and then she reached up and pulled my underwear down exposing my fully erect monument to her sexiness. "I knew it, you bastard. Look at that." I didn't have to look. I knew it pretty well. And it was certainly standing tall and making me proud. She took me in hand and stroked me up and down, which after all the discussion and reminiscing was almost enough to get me off. "I just knew it. This should have been my first." She slowly stroked me up and down, and then she leaned over and took me in her mouth for just a second, sucking me deep and then releasing me. That was it. It was too much for me, and I stood up and shot my wad a good two feet out from where we were sitting. She giggled, as she helped me through my release, then pulled my underwear up back over my still dripping cock, and wiped her hand on the front of my briefs, before helping me pull my jeans back up. "If I wasn't tied up, I'd have you paying reparations," she told me as we both stood, and she slapped my hands away from my belt and finished straightening me out herself. "Let's consider it a delayed payoff. If things don't work out for you, maybe we can try it again. Rochester isn't That far from Amherst." Little did I know what the future held in store for us, but that's a different story. We walked back to the house hand-in-hand, laughing at the folly of youth, from the wizened experience of our 18 and 19 years. She had to leave shortly after, as did we, and I kissed her goodbye at the door. Once the door was closed I heard an exclamation from behind me. I turned to Tommy who said, "Now I've seen everything." "Amen," said Jack. "What?" I asked. "After how you treated her after our first date, I was certain you were on her shit-list for life." Jack explained. "Absolutely." Tommy chimed in. "Sheri said that Kathryn fantasized about doing mean and nasty things to you for years. I mean, hell, you did use her pretty bad." "I was a dope. I did some things I'd never done before, and was so embarrassed I didn't know how to even face her. So I screwed up and avoided her. I just made my apologies and we worked things out. I think she understands that I didn't try to be mean; I was just young and stupid. I didn't know what I was doing, and regretted it for years." I told them. "Geez. I always wondered how you could pass on that, when she was so available to you. You really did fuck up, didn't you?" Tommy pointed out. "Yep, not the first time, and I'm certain not the last. But we've buried the hatchet it seems." I answered "I'm just astounded that hatchet isn't in your back." Jack added. We left just a short while after that. We had one last visit to make. Teri Branson was passing through town, and wanted to see us if she could. She was just there for the day, and none of us wanted to miss out on that chance. The summer before 10th grade, I'd practically lived at Teri's. It was football time, and we were doing twice-a-days. We'd have morning practice, then a break so we wouldn't be out all day in the noon-time Florida summer sun. After the break it was afternoon practice. Teri was at our school and I never really knew her until that summer. She lived only a block from Mike, and we had run into her one day out washing the family car. We struck up a conversation, and the rest was history. I spent every football break at her house that summer. Mike didn't play football, but I'd pick him up on the way over there, and we'd hang out. She had a pool table, and a private rec-room with a stand-up arcade game. Her mother would always bring us snacks and drinks. Teri had not been popular, and was new to the school as well. But in a period of just a few months she went from a boyish figured tom-boy, to a devastatingly beautiful teen. Her breasts seemed to almost explode outwards, and once we'd met her mom, we knew where she got it from. She lost some weight, traded glasses for contacts, grew tits, lost the braces, and suddenly this beauty was in our midst, and nobody even knew about her but us. She was our secret. Tommy was going to a different high-school from me and Mike, but we still hung together most of the summer, and we had to let him in on our secret. The closest we'd come to having anything happen was a bizarre game of spin-the-bottle underneath the pool table. Mike, Tommy, me and Teri. Just an excuse for us to take turns kissing her. Her father was being transferred again at the end of the summer. I told her I was going to have a birthday party, and that we were going to play spin-the-bottle, I had hoped she'd be there, but now she was leaving. We were all upset. Tommy suggested we play now, since she couldn't make it then, and we did. It was strange but wonderful. Two weeks later she was gone. We met Teri at the mall, our planned rendezvous. We couldn't miss her; she was the center of a lot of attention. And still gorgeous. We ran up to her and had hugs all around. "I can only stay about 20 minutes," she told us with a pout. "Damn," was all I could say. So the three of us toured the mall, observing all the changes. It had been brand new the year we had been together. We grabbed some drinks, and wandered back outside, our time almost up, and barely even caught up. "Teri, I have a confession." I told her. "I know we acted pretty much like friends, but I was crazy about you. That summer I went home every evening and dreamed of you." "Hell, we all did." Tommy admitted. "We were such idiots," she said. She reached up to my collar and pulled me down for a kiss. Teri stood maybe 5 foot 1, so I had at least a foot on her in height. Bent over I let her kiss me, and I returned it eagerly. Finally she released me. "I was so confused. One day I'd like you, and then the next day you," she said nodding around the group, "and then you. I kept wondering who was going to be my first real boyfriend. I just knew it was going to be one of you. And then it was all over." She looked up at me. "I Still dream about you sometimes." All we could do was laugh it off, and say we'd get together sometime. She was living in Phoenix now, finishing high school, and it looked like she'd be going to Stanford. It was going to be hard to ever make that commute work out, not that she didn't seem like it would be worth the effort. Then her parents drove up. We said hi to her mom (who had been a secret fantasy of mine back then) and then with a last set of hugs it was goodbye to Teri. It was getting late so we dropped Mike back off at his house, driving mostly in quiet. I imagine we were all lost in thought over the quirks of fate and what might have been. For me, it was thoughts of Kathryn and Teri, two incredible opportunities that any teen would kill for, and I'd let them slip through my fingers. We dropped Mike off, but didn't go inside. As it was we were running late, and knew that if we went in, it would be a while before we got out of there. From Mike's it was a 5 minute drive back to Tommy's, but we drove past Teri's old house, just for nostalgia's sake. At Tommy's we were running late. Dinner was going to be at 6:00 pm, and somehow we'd burned the whole day. It was 5:45 before we even walked in the door, and we both wanted to clean up before dinner. The kid's rooms were served by two separate bathrooms, one at the end of the hall, and one off of Greg's room. So I stripped down to my shorts, and went to take my shower. I hadn't expected the bathroom to be full. Sheri was in their, applying the last of her makeup. Fortunately (or unfortunately) she was dressed. When I walked in, she gave a squeal, and came over and gave me a big hug. "I can't believe you're here! You're looking good." She said, stepping back and giving me the once over. "Wow, Sheri, you look great!" was all I could say. She had always been pretty. But the difference between a 15 year old Sheri and this one was night and day. The more mature Sheri was a beautiful young woman. "Thanks," she said, "I'll be out of here in a second, and you can have the place to yourself. I'm dying to talk to you." "I'll be here all night." I joked, stepping back into the room I was using, before my underwear had to undergo any more strain. I sat on the bed waiting, and after just a minute or so she poked her head in and said "It's all yours." She left the door open and walked out the other side of the bathroom. So that was one change at least that I hadn't noticed. Back in the day, this was Greg's bathroom. But since then someone had taken out the linen closet, and the old closet door now opened into Sheri's room. In retrospect it should have been obvious. With Greg away, the bathroom had a lot of stuff in it, although very neat. If I'd opened a cabinet or drawer, I would have seen all the makeup and girl's things. I was using Sheri's bathroom. I rapidly cleaned up and dressed. I was in a bit of a hurry, wanting to still wrap a couple of small presents for my hosts. I had bought several music tapes for my sister as a Christmas present, and decided to gift Tommy with one of them. I also had a photo in a frame for my mom, and decided to make the frame a family gift. It was simple, hand-made by yours truly from apple-wood. After borrowing some paper, tape, and scissors, I was ready to join everyone else just a few minutes later. To be continued in part 2. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts, for Literotica

Lost At Christmas: Part 1 His First Christmas away from home, & His best gift ever. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at My First time. After my first semester in College, I was eager to go home for the holidays. I was going to school in Rochester, New York, and anybody who'd experienced the lake-effect winters on the Great Lakes would understand my desire to get to somewhere warmer. For me, that somewhere warmer was a long ways away. As a military brat, home was often a moving target, and that winter it was Santiago, Chile, where my father was stationed and where I'd graduated high-school. It was summer in Santiago, and I was looking forward to a pool-party with my old school mates for the Holidays. We didn't have a lot of money, but I was allowed to travel space available on a military flight as a Navy ROTC student. I had to get down to Charleston, South Carolina, and catch an international C1 41 flight that made a loop through Latin America. After finagling a ride to Virginia followed by a very long bus trip down the coast, I finally made it to Charleston AFB. ROTC travel orders in hand, I checked in at the desk, and verified I was on the standby list for the flight leaving on the 23rd. I wouldn't get home until Christmas Day, but better late than never. With pockets nearly empty, a hotel room was out of the question so I slept in the terminal and snacked on the cheapest eats I could get away with. There was a festive mood in the terminal, so many people rushing to get home for the holidays, and I was getting caught up in the feeling, eagerly looking forward to that very long plane ride, first to Panama, then Lima, and finally Santiago. After what seemed an interminable wait, we were an hour away from boarding when I got bumped off the flight by a group of Marines headed to Panama on Active Duty travel orders. I was devastated. The next flight left early the morning of the 26th. At least that one was a huge plane, and nearly empty so I was virtually guaranteed to get aboard, but what was I going to do for Christmas? Looking up at the outgoing flight schedules, I saw a flight listed for Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida. "When is the flight to Tyndall headed out?" I asked the airman behind the desk. "In an hour-and-a-half, and it's all but empty. You want on?" He asked, offering some recompense for my last minute bump. I'd lived in Panama City during 9th and 10th grade, and still had some close friends there, many I still kept in touch with. Maybe I could find someone to spend Christmas with there. It had to be better than sleeping in the terminal for 2 more days. "Please," I told him, "but hold my space for Santiago. I'll be back for that flight." I recalled there being a pretty big Greyhound station in Panama City, so I called Greyhound and checked on a bus being able to get me back in time for the flight. They had one, a 7:30 am bus on Christmas morning would get me back before midnight on Christmas. I could easily make the flight the next morning, even if it were delay a few hours. I bought a ticket, using the emergency Am Ex card my parents had given me when I headed off to college. I'd explain the $67.00 to my parents. I called my family in Santiago with the news. It had to be short call because of the expense, so I let them know I had been bumped but would be there on the 28th. I told them I was headed to Panama City, and would be taking a bus back in plenty of time for my flight. My mother cried, and my father told me to go ahead and use the credit card, but to try to keep the expenses reasonable. By the time I hung up I was pretty depressed, but at least I had a plan. Before I could try to contact anyone in Panama City, an announcement was made and suddenly I was on my way to Florida for Christmas, with no place lined up to stay, and practically broke. I was feeling a bit melancholy, but was determined to make the best of it. So there I was, at Tyndall Air Force Base, at 11:20 pm on December 23rd. I was debating who to try first. I had several close friends nearby and I expected they'd all be home for Christmas. After a short internal debate, I had narrowed it down to two. I had always gotten along well with their entire families, and I was still in pretty regular contact with both of them. Mike lived the nearest to me in the old days. He came from a big family, with 6 siblings, including Peggy, who'd been one of my first real deep infatuations. When I had been in 9th grade she'd been a senior, and was pretty and sophisticated. My yearning for her was unrequited, but I relished the idea of seeing her again after four years. She was a college senior, and would probably be home. I knew they'd welcome me, but I was concerned it would be an inconvenience. They did not have a large house, and it was bound to be crowded, particularly with three college kids home for the holiday. On top of that who knew if they had anyone else in tow? Tommy on the other hand came from a relatively well-off family who always lived well within their means. He had an older brother, who was working in Japan and unlikely to be home, a sister, Sheri, just a year behind us in school, and two much younger siblings, who I guessed would be around 9 and 10 by now. They had a spacious house, each kid had their own room, and I wouldn't be putting anybody out if I stayed there. I'd always had a crush on Sheri, but although I'd dated her best friend, I'd never gone out with her. Getting a chance to see her again would be an extra bonus. Feeling nervous and awkward, I dialed Tommy's number from memory, and luckily got him on the first call. If I'd gotten somebody else, I would have really felt uncomfortable. Tommy's answer was unmistakable. He had a funny way of saying hello when he answered the phone, and the sound of his voice took me straight back down memory lane. "Hee-ello," he answered. "Tommy! Guess who?" I asked. I guess my voice must have been similarly recognizable, since he didn't hesitate a second. "Steve-o! What are you up to? Where're you at?" He answered eagerly. It put a smile on my face. Nice to hear a happy, upbeat voice that seemed genuinely pleased to hear from me. "Funny you should ask. It's a long story, but I'm in a bit of a bind. I'm at Tyndall, and stuck here until Christmas Day." I told him. "What happened to Chile, and Rochester?" He asked. "I was on my way home to Chile, when I lost my seat on the plane in Charleston. I couldn't get out again until the 26th, so when I saw an empty plane headed this way, I just hopped on and hoped for the best." I explained. "That's Great!" He almost shouted. "Not great that you couldn't get home, but great that you're here. You want to stay with us? You can have Greg's room, he won't be here, and I'm sure Sheri and Mom would love to see you. The place is kind of 'down' with Greg canceling his trip home at the last minute. Having you here should cheer things up a bit." He did sound enthused, and I couldn't help grinning in reply. "Don't you think you should check?" I laughed. A scream in my ear was the answer, as I heard half of a shouted conversation. "Mom! Guess Who's In Town." "No, Not Greg." "No, Go Ahead Guess." "Guess Again." "Ok, Ok - Steve." "Yeah, Steve Pelland. He's Stuck Here In Town 'Til Christmas Day." "Of Course I Told Him He Should Come Here, I'll Go Get Him." "I Will." "Yes Mom; Yes; I Won't; I Will." I was holding the phone a little away from my head, and almost missed it when he came back on. "Where should I pick you up?" He asked. "The Main Terminal, you know where that is right?" I answered. "Sure - be there in about 30 minutes. Man, this is Great!" I hung up with a big smile on my face, feeling 100% better than I had just 10 minutes earlier. I stood outside waiting for him, and about 20 minutes later the strings of Christmas lights shut off one at a time, as the place closed up for the night. It was dark and quiet, and I started to get nervous again, wondering if this had been such a good idea. I was 500 miles from my flight home and completely at the mercy of old friends. But as far as friends go, I couldn't do much better than mine, and figured at the least I wouldn't be sleeping in a lonely terminal in Charleston for two days, slowly eating my way through my meager funds. When Bob pulled up around midnight, I could see he'd gotten rid of the VW Bug he'd inherited from his mother upon turning 16, and was now driving his brother's old Two-tone Cougar. We spent a minute saying hi, and loading my gear into the trunk, and then we headed back into town, catching each other up on history. When I had first moved to Santiago, I used to write about once every couple of months, as well as call a couple of times a year. In the beginning I'd written Sheri a lot as well. She was one of the most prolific writers among my old friends, and would typically write twice to me for every one I wrote to her. Over the years, that had degenerated into holiday cards and a surprise call maybe once a year. I knew he was attending Florida State, and that Greg had graduated from Georgetown, and had moved to Japan on business. That was about it. Tommy told me all about the old gang, who was in town, who was going to what schools, what people had been up to. I told him a lot more detail about what I'd been up to. "So," he asked, "Got a girl?" "Not now. Thought I had one after the ROTC Christmas ball, but that seems to have been my mistake." I admitted. "Hard to believe. You always had someone. Every letter, every phone-call, just seems like they didn't stay the same all that long." He teased. "I don't know. I had several relationships last pretty long. Two were more than 6 months long." I argued. "Oh! Six Months!" He laughed. "How about you then," I asked in defense. "Still Erin. Almost two years now." He asked. "Shit. What does she see in you? She could do so much better." I teased. "Oh really? Like how?" "Like me!" I laughed. "Right, like that would ever happen! Don't even think about it, or you'll be sleeping in the street." He was laughing as well. "Not if I called Erin I wouldn't," I shot back. I thought it was a great comeback, but it earned me a sock in the arm. We pulled up to his house, which still looked exactly the same, and things were pretty quiet. They used the same window lights, same roof lights, same bush trimmings year after year. It was just as I remembered. Who says you can't go back? "Mom's got to work tomorrow, so I'm sure she's in bed, and you know Dave crashes early, so we better keep it down. We've got lots to do tomorrow anyway." We entered quietly and put my bag in Greg's old room. Tommy stayed and chatted for a few minutes then bid me good night, telling me to sleep in as long as I wanted, as long as it wasn't past 9:00 am, and left me to get settled. Past 9:00? Now I remembered, they'd always been an early-bird household. For me 9:00 am Was the crack of dawn. Tommy and I had breakfast at about 9:30. He was already chiding me for sleeping in and missing the whole family. We had the house to ourselves. He'd been on the phone arranging our day, and once we'd finished the pancakes, we were off to see Mike and his family. Entering Mike's house was the same as it had ever been, but more-so. People everywhere, noise, laughter, roughhousing, it was all taken in stride by Mrs. Frey. We spent a few hours visiting, and getting fed again before we could leave. Mike's older sister Peggy still looked cute to me, but not the amazing creature my memory had somehow stored away. I had to tease her about the Christmas gift she'd given me three years earlier. She'd bought me a Richard Pryor tape, thinking it was Bill Cosby. When I played it for her in my car, she exploded, calling me names and accusing me of vile intent. At the time I had felt bad, confused, angry and a host of other feelings, now thankfully we could laugh at it. When I'd been 16 I'd been somewhat in awe of her, now things were comfortable. Mike's older brother was home as well, with his live-in girlfriend who seemed awfully ill-at-ease, and must have been at least 5 years older than Dan, maybe more. That was a story I'd have to hear more about. The biggest surprise was Alice. She'd been a few years younger than us. I wasn't sure if she was 16 or 17 now, but she was a bombshell. And she was coming on to me like gangbusters. I was really nervous, with her acting all touchy-feely with her mother and Peggy there. I was suddenly glad I had chosen to stay over with Tommy. With a pretty, stacked girl that seemed so infatuated with me around, I'm afraid I might have gotten into a whole lot more trouble than I needed. When we left there Mike joined us, and it was off to see Jack and Russ. They were a year apart in age. Russ had been in our class, and we'd been friendly with him, but Jack, although a year younger was our buddy. We played on the basketball team together, and when Tommy and I formed our first band, Jack was our bassist. At the Chambers house, we once again reminisced, and had to relive our first 'gig'. We had decided to play in the school talent show. With Tommy on piano and Jack on bass, I played guitar. We had a fourth guy on drums we'd all lost contact with. We had played Elton John, Deep Purple, The Eagles, and The Beatles. We had opened with the opening riff of "Smoke on the Water", and had been a hit. We were pretty lousy, but the audience was our friends, our parents and the parents of our friends, and at the end the parents even took up a collection for us. Pretty heady stuff. We'd called ourselves Bronze Myth, and had already designed our first three album covers before we had our first birthday party gig. Jack had been tall then, and had not stopped growing; he was now 6'7" and was attending University of Florida, playing basketball. He reminded me of the time when we went on our first dates together. I had gone with Kathryn Best, easily the most lusted after girl in the whole school, who was in Jack's class a year behind me. Jack, on the other hand, had gone out with our "Valentine's Day Queen", Anne, who was in my class and almost two full years older than Jack. He was always precocious. There had been a third couple with us, Dennis and Suzanne, and Jack broke the news that Suzanne had gotten knocked up, just before I left to go overseas, and she and Dennis had gotten married. There was a huge scandal, but they stuck together, and had the baby. They lived with Suzanne's parents. Dennis was doing alright, working for Suzanne's father. While we were visiting, several friends dropped in, including the aforementioned Kathryn who lived one street over. Kathryn, the stunning brunette who had the body of a 20 year old when she was 15, and had a beautiful face with features that just slayed me. Kathryn, the very first girl I had gotten to Third Base with. She was as pretty as I remembered, and I found out she was going to be attending Mt. Holyoke the following year, which was an odd coincidence since my girlfriend from High School was a sophomore there. Going out with Kathryn, a year younger than me had been a total fiasco. We'd sat together on an out-of-town bus trip and ranked high enough in the pecking order that we got the right hand seat second from the back. These trips were our biggest dates back then. Ours was a small parochial school, and on the bus trips, the athletes, cheerleaders and student fans all rode the same bug. The 30-90 minute trips were like pep rallies on the way out, and like the back of movie theatres on the way back. There were frequent "hand-checks" and the lights would come one as our coaches would walk the aisle, but it seemed like after our wins, the checks would be a little less frequent. Our win at Pensacola was my first real 'make-out' session, as we cuddled and kissed the whole trip home. I even got a chance to play with her breast through her sweater. Less than a week later I asked her to the movies, and we sat in the back with the two other couples, probably both scared spitless and nervous as goldfish in a blender. We'd started necking, which got more and more intense, and my hands boldly went where no hands had gone before. An hour into the movie I was almost out of control, and feverish with desire, and it seemed she was willing to let me do whatever I wanted. If I'd had a little more confidence, or a little more knowledge, who knows what might have happened? As it is, I went pretty far, probably too far, and I was scared to death afterwards. She was the first girl whose flesh I'd touched underneath her clothing. I didn't call her for several days, and even avoided her at school, not knowing what to say. In short I was a total jerk. Everyone thought we should be together, she was the pretty captain of the cheerleaders, with the big boobs, and I was the Big Jock, playing all the sports, while at the same time excelling in school. She was voted "Most Popular." I was "Most Likely to Succeed." However, in this case it turned out she was "Most Slighted", and I was definitely "Most Inept." After waiting several days, amazingly patient in retrospect, she had tasked her best friend Sheri, Tommy's sister, with letting me know that she thought we shouldn't go out. Next thing you know, she was going out with some geeky looking kid, and she dated him for the rest of the school year. I'd changed schools at the end of that year, and had seen her only infrequently the following year, before moving to Santiago. Outside in the backyard, Kathryn and I walked off together and finally had a few minutes alone. "You know Kat, I don't think I ever apologized for being such an idiot, after our first date. I really am sorry." She was quiet for a while. She had a sad little look. "You know, I waited by that phone night after night, crying myself to sleep. I saw you dodging me at school and it broke my heart." "I was young and stupid. I'd never done Anything with a girl before, and could hardly even believe I was with the hottest girl in school. After all the stuff I did, God, I was so embarrassed that I'd overstepped the boundaries, and I had no idea what to say." She sat down underneath the big tree in the backyard and I sat beside her on the circular bench around it. "You could have said something to Jack maybe, or Tommy, and let them tell me. At least let me know that you liked me, or had fun. Something." She looked on the verge of tears, even 3 years later, and I felt even worse. "I know. I kept kicking myself over it. I was so angry with myself and jealous when you went out with Ricky." I admitted. "He was nice to me when I needed it." "But it seemed such an odd fit. He was a nobody; the only thing he ever did noteworthy was date you." I told her. "He lived two houses down. We'd grown up together, and when my heart was broken he picked up the pieces. He could tell something was wrong, and really made me feel a lot better." She confessed. That brought on a short period of silence. It did let me think better of Ricky, who wasn't just lucky or an opportunist. "You know, that was one of the most memorable moments in my life. Touching a girl like that for the first time. I had no idea what I should do, or what I could do, but I kept looking down the row at Dennis and Suzanne, and figured I should be able to do that too. I was in heaven; you were so amazing to be with." I told her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine. Her palm was moist. "You're telling me? You were the big 9th grader with the learner's permit and motorcycle. Big Man on Campus. The guy every girl wanted. And you wanted me. I had no idea what we should or shouldn't do on a date. I was hoping you knew." We laughed at that, remembering the intensity of those feelings. "Given a chance to do it over, I'd have camped out on your doorstep and professed my undying, eternal love the moment you walked out the door." I told her, half serious. "As I recall, you professed your love for me that evening, just before opening the top of my pants." She said with a wicked grin. I'm sure I blushed mightily. "I can't really ask forgiveness, but I really am sorry. Sorry now and sorry then. I fantasized about you for years afterwards, thinking of what could have happened if I hadn't been such a jerk. You have no idea how many of my fantasies you starred in back then." "If only you'd have let me know. Ricky was my first. It could have been you. Given half a chance, it would have been you." She had moved close and was speaking softly. "And this is my punishment. Knowing how bad I fucked up. Seeing you here, as beautiful as in my dreams, and knowing I've screwed up any chance of being with you." I placed my hand behind her head, stroking her hair. "I wouldn't say you'd screwed up Any chance, but you certainly blew that one." We were looking deeply in each other's eyes, recalling strong, painful feelings. I wanted her now, as I'd wanted her then, with a deep burning need, and I leaned forward those last two inches, and captured her lips with mine. She slid forward and melted against me, kissing me with every emotion boiling to the surface. She took my hand and placed it on her incredible chest, and I squeezed her breast, my thumb reliving that first caress of her nipple from so many years earlier. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, and then broke apart. Her eyes glistened. "I've got a boyfriend." She confessed. I nodded understanding. "If I didn't?" I reached forward pressing my index finger to her lips. "I know. I missed my chance. It's my loss." We just sat side by side a minute, in silence. "You know," she said softly, "what you did to me that night, that was part of the problem." "I know. I'm sorry if I stepped over the line." I said, even now embarrassed at the liberties I'd taken. "No, not anything wrong. What you did to me, how you made me feel. You made me cream my jeans more than once that night. It was the first time I'd ever come. I'd heard about it, but it was almost unreal. Your fingers just drove me wild. It was over a year before another guy was able to do the same." She put her hand between her legs, seemingly remembering that first night. "That makes two of us. I don't know if you knew, but I came in my pants too, and you never even touched me there. By the time I got home I was a terrible sticky mess. I snuck out and threw that underwear away before my mother could find them and ask uncomfortable questions." I told her, laughing. She gave me an odd little look, and then slid around the tree, placing its 3 foot wide trunk between us and the house. She reached out for me, and of course I followed. "Could I, I mean would you mind?" She seemed lost for words. "What? Just ask. I certainly owe you one." I told her. She didn't ask, she just started unbuckling my belt. "I always wondered, and never really had a chance to find out." With the belt open she unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. "I mean, that night, you got to find out pretty much ALL about me, but I didn't; " I lifted my hips and let her pull my pants down a short ways, and then she reached up and pulled my underwear down exposing my fully erect monument to her sexiness. "I knew it, you bastard. Look at that." I didn't have to look. I knew it pretty well. And it was certainly standing tall and making me proud. She took me in hand and stroked me up and down, which after all the discussion and reminiscing was almost enough to get me off. "I just knew it. This should have been my first." She slowly stroked me up and down, and then she leaned over and took me in her mouth for just a second, sucking me deep and then releasing me. That was it. It was too much for me, and I stood up and shot my wad a good two feet out from where we were sitting. She giggled, as she helped me through my release, then pulled my underwear up back over my still dripping cock, and wiped her hand on the front of my briefs, before helping me pull my jeans back up. "If I wasn't tied up, I'd have you paying reparations," she told me as we both stood, and she slapped my hands away from my belt and finished straightening me out herself. "Let's consider it a delayed payoff. If things don't work out for you, maybe we can try it again. Rochester isn't That far from Amherst." Little did I know what the future held in store for us, but that's a different story. We walked back to the house hand-in-hand, laughing at the folly of youth, from the wizened experience of our 18 and 19 years. She had to leave shortly after, as did we, and I kissed her goodbye at the door. Once the door was closed I heard an exclamation from behind me. I turned to Tommy who said, "Now I've seen everything." "Amen," said Jack. "What?" I asked. "After how you treated her after our first date, I was certain you were on her shit-list for life." Jack explained. "Absolutely." Tommy chimed in. "Sheri said that Kathryn fantasized about doing mean and nasty things to you for years. I mean, hell, you did use her pretty bad." "I was a dope. I did some things I'd never done before, and was so embarrassed I didn't know how to even face her. So I screwed up and avoided her. I just made my apologies and we worked things out. I think she understands that I didn't try to be mean; I was just young and stupid. I didn't know what I was doing, and regretted it for years." I told them. "Geez. I always wondered how you could pass on that, when she was so available to you. You really did fuck up, didn't you?" Tommy pointed out. "Yep, not the first time, and I'm certain not the last. But we've buried the hatchet it seems." I answered "I'm just astounded that hatchet isn't in your back." Jack added. We left just a short while after that. We had one last visit to make. Teri Branson was passing through town, and wanted to see us if she could. She was just there for the day, and none of us wanted to miss out on that chance. The summer before 10th grade, I'd practically lived at Teri's. It was football time, and we were doing twice-a-days. We'd have morning practice, then a break so we wouldn't be out all day in the noon-time Florida summer sun. After the break it was afternoon practice. Teri was at our school and I never really knew her until that summer. She lived only a block from Mike, and we had run into her one day out washing the family car. We struck up a conversation, and the rest was history. I spent every football break at her house that summer. Mike didn't play football, but I'd pick him up on the way over there, and we'd hang out. She had a pool table, and a private rec-room with a stand-up arcade game. Her mother would always bring us snacks and drinks. Teri had not been popular, and was new to the school as well. But in a period of just a few months she went from a boyish figured tom-boy, to a devastatingly beautiful teen. Her breasts seemed to almost explode outwards, and once we'd met her mom, we knew where she got it from. She lost some weight, traded glasses for contacts, grew tits, lost the braces, and suddenly this beauty was in our midst, and nobody even knew about her but us. She was our secret. Tommy was going to a different high-school from me and Mike, but we still hung together most of the summer, and we had to let him in on our secret. The closest we'd come to having anything happen was a bizarre game of spin-the-bottle underneath the pool table. Mike, Tommy, me and Teri. Just an excuse for us to take turns kissing her. Her father was being transferred again at the end of the summer. I told her I was going to have a birthday party, and that we were going to play spin-the-bottle, I had hoped she'd be there, but now she was leaving. We were all upset. Tommy suggested we play now, since she couldn't make it then, and we did. It was strange but wonderful. Two weeks later she was gone. We met Teri at the mall, our planned rendezvous. We couldn't miss her; she was the center of a lot of attention. And still gorgeous. We ran up to her and had hugs all around. "I can only stay about 20 minutes," she told us with a pout. "Damn," was all I could say. So the three of us toured the mall, observing all the changes. It had been brand new the year we had been together. We grabbed some drinks, and wandered back outside, our time almost up, and barely even caught up. "Teri, I have a confession." I told her. "I know we acted pretty much like friends, but I was crazy about you. That summer I went home every evening and dreamed of you." "Hell, we all did." Tommy admitted. "We were such idiots," she said. She reached up to my collar and pulled me down for a kiss. Teri stood maybe 5 foot 1, so I had at least a foot on her in height. Bent over I let her kiss me, and I returned it eagerly. Finally she released me. "I was so confused. One day I'd like you, and then the next day you," she said nodding around the group, "and then you. I kept wondering who was going to be my first real boyfriend. I just knew it was going to be one of you. And then it was all over." She looked up at me. "I Still dream about you sometimes." All we could do was laugh it off, and say we'd get together sometime. She was living in Phoenix now, finishing high school, and it looked like she'd be going to Stanford. It was going to be hard to ever make that commute work out, not that she didn't seem like it would be worth the effort. Then her parents drove up. We said hi to her mom (who had been a secret fantasy of mine back then) and then with a last set of hugs it was goodbye to Teri. It was getting late so we dropped Mike back off at his house, driving mostly in quiet. I imagine we were all lost in thought over the quirks of fate and what might have been. For me, it was thoughts of Kathryn and Teri, two incredible opportunities that any teen would kill for, and I'd let them slip through my fingers. We dropped Mike off, but didn't go inside. As it was we were running late, and knew that if we went in, it would be a while before we got out of there. From Mike's it was a 5 minute drive back to Tommy's, but we drove past Teri's old house, just for nostalgia's sake. At Tommy's we were running late. Dinner was going to be at 6:00 pm, and somehow we'd burned the whole day. It was 5:45 before we even walked in the door, and we both wanted to clean up before dinner. The kid's rooms were served by two separate bathrooms, one at the end of the hall, and one off of Greg's room. So I stripped down to my shorts, and went to take my shower. I hadn't expected the bathroom to be full. Sheri was in their, applying the last of her makeup. Fortunately (or unfortunately) she was dressed. When I walked in, she gave a squeal, and came over and gave me a big hug. "I can't believe you're here! You're looking good." She said, stepping back and giving me the once over. "Wow, Sheri, you look great!" was all I could say. She had always been pretty. But the difference between a 15 year old Sheri and this one was night and day. The more mature Sheri was a beautiful young woman. "Thanks," she said, "I'll be out of here in a second, and you can have the place to yourself. I'm dying to talk to you." "I'll be here all night." I joked, stepping back into the room I was using, before my underwear had to undergo any more strain. I sat on the bed waiting, and after just a minute or so she poked her head in and said "It's all yours." She left the door open and walked out the other side of the bathroom. So that was one change at least that I hadn't noticed. Back in the day, this was Greg's bathroom. But since then someone had taken out the linen closet, and the old closet door now opened into Sheri's room. In retrospect it should have been obvious. With Greg away, the bathroom had a lot of stuff in it, although very neat. If I'd opened a cabinet or drawer, I would have seen all the makeup and girl's things. I was using Sheri's bathroom. I rapidly cleaned up and dressed. I was in a bit of a hurry, wanting to still wrap a couple of small presents for my hosts. I had bought several music tapes for my sister as a Christmas present, and decided to gift Tommy with one of them. I also had a photo in a frame for my mom, and decided to make the frame a family gift. It was simple, hand-made by yours truly from apple-wood. After borrowing some paper, tape, and scissors, I was ready to join everyone else just a few minutes later. To be continued in part 2. Based on a post by Tx Tall Tales, in 2 parts, for Literotica

Join Matt, Lucas, and Chambers as they pick their favorite timeless Christmas characters from lore/canon. Merry Christmas one and all! Hope you got your favorite video game from a person you love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join me for this holiday tradition with the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce's  "Magic of the Season" at Bella Sera  in Canonsburg.  I had the pleasure to record with local businesses, chamber leaders, and community members gathered for a festive year-end celebration filled with shout-outs, networking, and holiday cheer. The event highlighted the United Way of Washington County's Holiday Helping Hands drive for local seniors, volunteer opportunities like the build-a-bike event, and a warm spirit of giving and community support. I'm especially grateful to be part of the Chambers dedication to strengthen local connections and making a positive impact beyond business.   Happy Holidays to all my listeners and viewers. Make sure to Subscribe and Follow on Spill with Me Jenny D's Youtube channel link below. www.youtube.com/@Spillwithmejennyd     If you would like to be a guest or speaker please fill out the disclaimer on Jenny D's website. https://www.spillwithmejennyd.com/

Destiny K. Chambers is a seasoned marketing executive with a strategic approach to driving brand awareness and market leadership. With over 13 years of experience, she has a proven record of not just steering marketing initiatives, but igniting brand growth and achieving measurable business outcomes. Most recently, as Vice President and Head of Marketing at /prompt., she leveraged this expertise to spearhead the unification of marketing strategies across /prompt., Lippe Taylor and twelvenote, driving a cohesive vision for the agency's future.Chambers has a dynamic background in leading successful agency marketing campaigns at renowned organizations such as Young & Rubicam, WPP, and VML, consistently driving impactful large-scale activations both nationally and globally. Her influence extends beyond individual campaigns; she actively contributes to the direction of the marketing landscape as a member of the prestigious LIONS/ANA CMO Growth Council and the Forbes Communications Council. Previously, she shaped industry conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion as Chair of the New York Festivals Advertising Awards' DE&I Advisory Board.Further showcasing her commitment to societal improvement, Chambers is a former Youth Empowerment Program leader and proud alumna of Urban Underground, where she supported youth-led social justice campaigns. As a skilled public speaker and writer, she has shared her insights and expertise at prominent events such as Cannes Lions, Advertising Week NY, AfroTech, and WAATBP and featured in distinguished publications such as Forbes, Adweek, Ad Forum, Ad Age, PR Week, Campaign Brief, and Little Black Book.

Since the inception of this program, one topic that has lingered on my list of “must do episodes” has been looking back on the 2009 film Soul Killer. This was the first film I worked on when I arrived in Los Angeles back in 2005. I literally lived there for 2 weeks and was working on a movie set. On that day I met his episode’s guest writer/director Bob Canode and star Kelly Chambers. I would go on to work on the film during multiple shoots either running sound or operating a boom mic. In a few scenes I did some background acting. Bob even made sure to kill me in one. I wanted to go back down memory lane with the two of them and recollect on the film, which is somewhat of an undiscovered treasure. The time was especially prescient to check this one off as they are currently in production on the sequel – Soul Killer 2 – as we speak. They share a little bit of what is happening with that production best they can. This was a joy to reconnect with the two of them and I hope you enjoy it. If you’d like me to trot down more of my past in episodes in the coming year, please shout it out on the socials or comment on the YouTube version. -Brandon The Brandon Peters Show will return Wednesday with the Traditional Holiday Episode with Pres Maxson & “The Night They Saved Christmas” (1984) TECHNICAL INFORMATIONVocalsBrandon – Shure SM58-LC (Recorded with Zoom)Kelly – Laptop Microphone (Recorded with Zoom)Bob – Laptop Microphone (Recorded with Zoom) Post ProductionNCH Wavepad Masters Edition v8.38NCH MixPad Masters v5.22The Levelator 2 RUNTIME: 54 minutes

This week, Kris welcomes LaVonda Paul, a trailblazing early childhood leader and fourth-generation entrepreneur, for an inspiring conversation about legacy, leadership, and the power of showing up. As the owner of Small Impressions Child Development Center in Taylors, South Carolina, LaVonda has spent 19 years building a community-first program. In the episode, LaVonda talks with Kris about how she's cultivated deep trust with families, built a rock-solid team culture, and gone all-in on advocacy, helping shape policy while showing up for children, parents, and educators alike. She opens up the community programs she's launched and why she might just run for office one day. This is a powerful look at what it means to lead with heart, purpose, and unapologetic commitment.   Key Takeaways: [7:37] LaVonda shares the origin of Small Impressions, which she's led for 19 years. With 90 students currently enrolled, she prioritizes quality over quantity and deep relationships with families. [8:57] Her journey in early childhood education began at the Urban League of the Upstate and in after-school programs, where she realized the impact she could make by working with younger children. [10:13] LaVonda reflects on launching her center while going through a divorce, raising a one-year-old. Her leap of faith led to a thriving business — now co-run with her husband, Curtis. [11:40] Fun fact: LaVonda is afraid to fly, but that doesn't stop her from being a world traveler! [13:34] LaVonda details what sets her center apart: low staff turnover, deep parent engagement, teacher-parent conferences, onsite therapy, and advocacy for families. [17:27] She's active at the state level, working with lawmakers and Chambers of Commerce to advocate for childcare investment and workforce development in South Carolina. [18:06] LaVonda explains her entrepreneurial drive as generational — a fourth-generation business owner who didn't want to live with "shoulda, coulda, woulda" regrets. [19:41] LaVonda explains running her school like a real school, where she acts as more principal than babysitter. [21:53] Kris and LaVonda talk about the importance of taking ownership when mistakes happen. [31:59] Lavonda's advocacy work includes training for childcare workers, as well as expanded services and access for children with behavioral or developmental needs. [33:06] What's next for LaVonda and Small Impressions?   Quotes: "I'm about quality as opposed to quantity. I don't want to pack out my classroom because I don't want to lose my sense of being able to connect with my students, um, being able to connect with my families." — LaVonda [8:10]   "That speaks volumes within itself, that children and families believe in our program here, that they stay with us, five, six years. I have a family here that's been here for 12 years." — LaVonda [9:02]   "I'm a risk taker. I'm gonna jump off that cliff. One or two things are going to happen, either God's going to catch me before I fall, or he's going to give me wings and teach me how to fly, but he's taught me how to soar." — LaVonda [10:40]   "It's better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all. So why not try to create something special with my own ideas?" — LaVonda [18:32]   "Take ownership when you screw up. Take ownership when you don't always get it right." — Kris [22:34]   Sponsored By: ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) Use code CCSC5 to claim a free course!   Mentioned in This Episode: Kris Murray @iamkrismurray The Child Care Success Company The Child Care Success Academy The Child Care Success Summit Grow Your Center Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal Small Impressions Small Impressions Facebook First Steps South Carolina

Join Matt, Lucas, and Chambers as they jump into what they loved and what they hated about The Game Awards 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part 1, Forbes Contributor Clem Chambers predicted that Bitcoin & crypto will continue being a bear market throughout 2026. In Part 2, Chambers predicts the NASDAQ & AI will surge up like a balloon, and then will pop, with prices crashing in 2026-2028.Clem's Bitcoin PredictionsChambers says that either BTC will “never” get to $1 million or it will get there in 12 years. Specifically, he breaks down its future rise in these steps:$250k in 2030$500k in 2034$1 million in 2038Connect with Clem* Clem Chambers Alpha channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ClemChambersAlpha* X (Twitter): https://x.com/ClemChambers​* Personal site: https://www.clemchambers.com* LinkedIn (Online Blockchain / ADVFN profile): https://uk.linkedin.com/in/clem-chambers-756145196​* Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/chambers.clem/​ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter athttps://wanderlearn.comIf you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* Facebook* Twitter* YouTube* Instagram* TikTok* LinkedIn* Pinterest* TumblrSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ftapon.substack.com

Michael Berry sits down with retired Green Beret and physician Dr. Pete “Doc” Chambers to discuss his run for governor, why he believes Texas needs bold leadership, and his plan to secure the border and protect freedoms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A possible win for the General Practice Owners Association, as they take on the so-called healthcare duopoly and cost pressures. Their proposal for a breakaway Primary Health Organisation is gaining traction, with 116 GP practices, covering 833,000 enrolled patients, showing interest. If approved by Health New Zealand, it would become the country's largest PHO, representing around 16% of total enrolments. General Practice Owners Association Chair Dr Angus Chambers told Heather du Plessis-Allan that there's widespread dissatisfaction within the GP community. He says some of it's because PHOs have gone off their path and are doing things that aren't best for GPs, but they've also had years of underfunding and woeful workforce planning. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest on this episode of The Member Engagement Show is Hillary Chambers, Manager of Global Meetings and Events for the Higher Education Users Group (HEUG), a leading global user community in higher education built on Higher Logic's online community software. Hillary also leads planning and promotion for Higher Logic's annual Super Forum conference. We talk about how to maximize engagement at every stage of the event lifecycle and how to apply some community strategies to successful event planning. Topics include: Have events fully bounced back post-Covid? Event timelines and planning for an event. Learning from attendee feedback. Distinguishing between a blip and a real trend in sentiment. Handling the awareness and communication process. Getting event ideas by listening to the community. Using community to find and foster speakers. Using video to communicate event information. The pain points faced in today's event planning. The balance: making a live event a can't-miss while not excluding virtual attendees.   Helpful Links Christin Berry podcast episode on data Super Forum 2026  

Alright, if you have followed the podcast for any length of time, you know that I (Luau Lou) have this weird ambition to do a podcast with my childhood buddy, Christopher Tupa, where we just talk. It's not about gaming. It is not even really tangent to the theme of This Ol' Dungeon, but I inflict it on you all nonetheless. This year instead of another Halloween episode, we branch off to Christmas! So, if you need the company of conversation, turn us on. If not, you may want to pass. If you have thoughts of your own about some of the topics we cover, please write in at thisoldungeon@gmail.com. Or drop some messages on our Facebook page.  Both Christopher and I (and Edwin!) will be on The Crawl for the Cure this Saturday (12/13/25).  Here's the blurb: Live on the DCC Mayhem Twitch Channel:   Time Judge / System / Adventure 7:00:00 AM CK Chuck Cumbow - Castles & Crusades - The Dark Crypt of Nagízotl 10:00:00 AM Judge Brendan Lasalle - Xcrawl Classics - The 36 Chambers of Xcrawl 2:00:00 PM Judge Tim Deschene - DCC/MCC MASHUP - Powerman and Defenders of the Cosmos 5:00:00 PM Judge Edwin Nagy - Dungeon Survivor - The Sweetest Curse 8:00:00 PM Judge Luau Lou/Insanti Clawz - Mutant Crawl Classics - A Convenient Stop with Special Guest Chris Holmes 11:00:00 PM Director Randy Miller - Horror Cinemas Classics - Legion on the Lakefront with Special Guests Paul Fricker (Chaosium) and Jon Hook (Modern Mythos)   Additionally, Freelance Artist Christopher Tupa will be putting up the incredible artworks pictured for raffle, as well as hanging out in the dcc_mayhem Twitch chat to take your requests for custom artworks! Starting at $25 for a black ink drawing and starting at $50 for color, this is NOT an opportunity you'll want to miss!   The memorial play-a-thon is in memory of Jerry Stefek: gamer, father, friend and altruist. We tragically lost Jerry to aggressive lymphoma in 2018. ALL proceeds will be given to cancer research and patient assistance through Tiltify to the American Cancer Society!

Clem Chambers has been a Forbes contributor for 20 years. His predictions have often been surprisingly accurate, so it's worth listening to what his crystal ball has to say about 2026.VideoConnect with Clem* Clem Chambers Alpha channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ClemChambersAlpha* X (Twitter): https://x.com/ClemChambers​* Personal site: https://www.clemchambers.com * LinkedIn (Online Blockchain / ADVFN profile): https://uk.linkedin.com/in/clem-chambers-756145196​* Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/chambers.clem/​Perplexity wrote...Clem Chambers has generally predicted a capped upside for Bitcoin this cycle around the low‑hundred‑thousands, followed by a sharp “crypto winter” pullback, with much higher long‑term potential over multiple halvings.​Key cycle targets* In a 2024 article, he suggested that after breaking the old 60k~60k 60k high, a reasonable peak for this halving cycle would be around 120,000 USD, using a simple “previous peak × 2 after halving” rule of thumb.​* In late 2024, he wrote that moves from 100,000 toward about 110,000–120,000 USD still looked “sensible,” while 150,000 was “not impossible” but more stretched for this cycle.​* In late 2024, commentary quoted by financial media, he said Bitcoin might top out near 120,000 USD and that he had exited around 100,000, expecting the current cycle to be near its peak.​Downside and crash scenarios* In mid‑2023 roundtable comments, he floated a possible downside as low as 13,000 USD in a bearish scenario, but said a more likely level for that bear phase was around 25,000 USD by the end of 2023.​* In a 2025 Forbes piece on crash scenarios, he discussed how far Bitcoin could fall from its then‑high around 126,000 USD, describing a roughly 30% drop to below 90,000 as part of an expected post‑peak correction within the halving‑driven cycle framework.​* In a 2025 Kitco/iHeart interview, he warned of an imminent “crypto winter” that could push Bitcoin back into roughly the 40,000–60,000 USD range after the current cycle peak.​Longer‑term views* Chambers has repeatedly framed Bitcoin as “digital exit gold,” arguing that the four‑year halving cycle tends to drive a rough doubling of price each time, which in his view supports the idea of much higher prices over multiple future cycles rather than a straight line to extreme targets in this one.​* In a 2025 debate, he allowed that Bitcoin could reach very high levels, such as 1 million USD per coin, but only over a much longer horizon—on the order of a decade and multiple halvings—rather than in the current 2024–2025 bull phase.ConnectSend me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTaponYou can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at https://wanderlearn.comIf you like this podcast, subscribe and share!On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:* Facebook* Twitter* YouTube* Instagram* TikTok* LinkedIn* Pinterest* TumblrSponsors1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles!3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker.5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in.6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ftapon.substack.com

It's the episode about the major media consolidation of 2025 - Paramount and Netflix are competing to feed on the corpse of Warner Bros… what're they competing for? Why do these companies keep eating one another? Will David Ellison have enough fun playing Movies? All this, and wacky tales of kung fu teachers and more therein. Get the whole episode on Patreon here! TF Merch is still available here! *MILO ALERT* Check out Milo's tour dates here: https://www.miloedwards.co.uk/liveshows Trashfuture are: Riley (@raaleh), Milo (@Milo_Edwards), Hussein (@HKesvani), Nate (@inthesedeserts), and November (@postoctobrist)

How do you build real allyship and create cultural change that actually sticks?This episode is one every leader should spend time with. Not because it's “nice to know,” but because the future of your culture depends on it.Lee Chambers, Founder & CEO of Male Allies UK, brings the kind of clarity and challenge most workplaces avoid. We talk about what it really takes to:Redefine outdated masculine stereotypesBuild workplaces where everyone feels seen, valued, and able to thriveLead in a way that strengthens culture rather than protects egoIt's a conversation that will stretch your thinking, spark uncomfortable-but-important questions, and give you practical ways to lead with more intention and courage.We also dig into Lee's research on young people, AI companionship, and how boys today are making sense of identity, relationships, and society. Some of it is hopeful. Some of it is confronting. All of it matters, especially if you're a parent or you lead the next generation.We cover:00:00 – Introduction 01:02 - What courage looks like for leaders today 02:31 – Why quiet courage matters as much as big gestures 03:49 – The tough decision to break with convention 06:06 – How stepping into new spaces changes your perspective 08:08 – The power of career “squiggles” and non-conformity 10:05 – Shedding old identities and building new ones as a leader 12:14 – What do boys really think about society? Surprising research findings 16:07 – Why boys care deeply but struggle to know how to help 20:08 – The decline of physical spaces for social connection 21:24 – Boys, girls and the challenges of communicating across gender 23:33 – Judgment vs. curiosity - what's holding us back? 27:20 – Navigating polarisation and building empathy at work 34:08 – Can younger and older generations find common ground? 43:50 – The rise of AI companions and what it means for young people 52:23 – Everyday bravery and the value of small changes over time 54:43 – How to focus on influence and control in uncertain timesDon't miss this thoughtful and practical conversation for anyone working in leadership or looking to create real change at work.

There is a world of difference between the NHS from its beginnings in 1948 and the NHS as it is now. In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Dr Ruth Chambers OBE, co-director of Raparu Consult CIC and a visiting professor at Staffordshire University, for a conversation on her book, “Our NHS for better or worse?”. Chambers discusses her personal experience as a GP in the NHS, including the discrimination she faced as a woman, and analyses the notion of ‘burden' in respect of the National Health Service, as well as differences in mental health care now and her proposed ‘Prescription for Change'. You can listen to episode 228 of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series – on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podbean, and pretty much wherever else you download your other podcasts from.

Lessons from Scrooge on assisted suicide.  __________ Learn more about Truth Rising at truthrising.com/colson.

How judges and school staff in Louisville created one of the first truancy diversion programs in the country, a state senator makes history in Kentucky, and Renee Shaw visits Pikeville to see what the region is doing to become a major tourism destination.

In this episode of the Ideas on Stage podcast we spoke with Ravinol Chambers. Ravinol is a filmmaker, storyteller and founder of Be Inspired Films, a B Corp creative agency helping purpose-driven organisations communicate with clarity and confidence.A former monk turned moviemaker, he's spent more than a decade guiding leaders to show up on camera in a way that feels natural, human and compelling.His work spans TEDxLondon, the NHS, Oxford University and the Cabinet Office, with multiple international awards and six consecutive Drum Recommends wins for Best Video Production Company in the UK.Ravinol also hosts the Storytelling for Social Impact podcast and leads the Storytelling Clarity Sprint, helping teams cut through noise and tell the story that truly moves their audience.In this episode we talked about video storytelling for speakers, speaking with confidence on camera, and how organisations can share stories that truly connect.What You'll Learn:- How to make sure your stage talks are filmed well- What setup you need to record professional videos at home- How to combine sound and visuals to build strong video stories- How to tell stories that focus on people, not your company - How to shape your message so your audience truly caresIn This Episode:00:00 - Introduction09:18 - How to Prepare Video Teams Before Your Talk10:54 - Why Speakers Shouldn't Look at the Camera13:33 - What TED Gets Right About Filming Talks20:20 - The Minimum Setup to Film at Home24:09 - How to Overcome Nerves on Camera25:36 - Why Shorter Videos Take More Work29:45 - Why Extra Energy Works on Camera33:28 - How to Tell Stories Without Making Yourself the Hero40:59 - How to Use B-Roll to Bring Stories AliveWe hope you enjoy it! ———————Ravinol Chambers: - Website: https://www.beinspiredfilms.co.uk/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravchambers/ - Instagram: @beinspiredrav- Storytelling for Social Impact podcast: https://www.beinspiredfilms.co.uk/podcast - Jack's Story (Neurodiversity & Police project): https://www.beinspiredfilms.co.uk/#jacksstory ———————IDEAS ON STAGE RESOURCES - Books: ‘Confident Presenter' – free copy (https://bit.ly/confident-presenter-free) and ‘Business Presentation Revolution' (ideasonstage.com/business-presentation-revolution/book/)- The Confident Presenter Scorecard: https://ideasonstage.com/score  - Free Web Class: https://www.ideasonstage.com/uk/events/   - Free Mini-Course: https://bit.ly/confident-presenter-mini-course  #IdeasOnStagePodcast #VideoStorytelling #StorytellingForBusiness #PublicSpeaking #PresentationSkills

T.J. Chambers, my latest Cool Friend, is one of my favorite people on the planet. One of those friends you can go without seeing for a bit and then immediately just pick right back up where you left off. Well, that's how this episode starts, and it keeps flowing from there. T.J. and I last spoke on a podcast in 2019, and since then he's had a show on SyFy, hosted many panels at cons, and become a writer/producer for the Mythical team, doing a ton of work with Rhett and Link over on the regular network, as well as the fascinating Wonderhole project! Also one time we got our butts handed to us at a Marvel trivia event with another incredible Cool Friend, that it has become a legendary ass-whooping.Look, we talk about a lot on this episode. So much, in fact, that before we knew it, he had to leave the Mythical offices so the crew could lock up. This means, while we coasted through the regular episode, we were unable to record the bonus content in time, and have decided to record it again later this week in order to post it on the Patreon for you all!Anyways, please enjoy, make sure to follow @tjchambersla on the Instant Gram, watch Rhett and Link's Wonderhole, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes, exclusive shows, custom tiers and even more from Jeff and T.J. down the line!

In this episode, Daniel Barnett considers the impact for employers and lawyers on the proposed removal of the cap for the unfair dismissal compensatory award.Important: this episode was recorded before the government's amendments were considered by the House of Lords, so the content may become out of date if the House of Lords rejects the Commons' amendments to the Employment Rights Bill.

Surrounded by the Lords of Doom, Sanction sits as a testament to endurance. It has been held by every major faction in Krynn's history, so let's take a deeper look at this integral port city. You can buy Age of Mortals here: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/557/age-of-mortals-3-5?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtu.be/9bMF0ncsuv0 Transcript Cold Open It was once held by the Dragonarmies and even features three temples and volcanoes, but in the Age of Mortals, it has taken a drastic turn. Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today I am going to talk about Sanction. I would like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga YouTube members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron, you can even pick up Dragonlance media using my affiliate links in the description below. I am referencing The Atlas of the Dragonlance World, the Tales of the Lance Boxed Set, The Dragonlance Fifth Age Dramatic Supplement Game, and War of the Lance & Age of Mortals sourcebooks for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below! Discussion On the northeastern shores of the New Sea, ringed by the jagged Khalkist Mountains and overshadowed by three howling volcanoes, stands a city whose very foundations tremble with fire. A city of lava-choked streets, ancient temples, hidden tunnels, and the beating heart of the Dragonarmies. This is Sanction—the City of Doom. Long before its name became synonymous with darkness, Sanction was a sturdy mountain town guarded by cliffs and blessed with a natural harbor sheltered by stone. It served as the eastern anchor of the Solamnic trade road, moving granite from its quarries and tar from its pits to the wider world. The Khalkist Mountains hemmed it in on three sides. Only two passes were widely known: North, through the plains of Estwilde, and East, along the road to Neraka. Yet mountain villagers whispered of a third path—a hidden trail climbing high across the shoulders of the peaks later known as the Lords of Doom. But everything changed when those mountains awakened. After the Cataclysm, the land convulsed. New chasms tore open. The sea surged inland to create the New Sea itself. And three monstrous volcanoes burst from the earth: the Northwest peak, Mount Thunderhorn, the Northeast peak, Mount Ashkir, and the Southeast peak, Mount Grishnor. Together, they towered nearly 4,000 feet above the city and even above the local Doom Range of the Khalkists. By 287 AC—sixty-five years before the War of the Lance—they were already active, spewing ash and fire into the sky as the stolen eggs of the metallic dragons were secreted into their fiery bowels. Whether the Cataclysm awakened them or created them outright remains a mystery. But their presence reshaped the city—and doomed it. By the time the Companions arrived, Sanction was a furnace. Widening streams of lava threaded directly through the city. Stone bridges arched over molten rivers. The air grew thick with fumes—hot enough that breath itself burned. What little flat ground remained was packed with misery and desperation. The streets were a maze of twisting alleys lined with: ancient warehouses near the docks, hastily built structures toward the east, brothels, slave markets, and slums, and rotting timber houses beside smoke-scoured stone. The central district—split in half by a major lava flow—was a sprawling slum and a favored haunt of the Dragonarmy troops. And above it all, three temples loomed on the volcanic slopes like the dark gods watching their sacrifice. When the Dragonarmies seized Sanction, they expanded far beyond the city's limits, raising three enormous military encampments on the mountainsides to the east: The Southern Camp with around 6,000 goblins, hobgoblins, and humans, and 500 tents. It was Hellishly hot, overcrowded, and chaotic. The Eastern Camp featured approximately 820 ogres, minotaurs, trolls, and hill giants, and 120 large tents, and it was a brutal, dangerous, but less crowded force. The Northern Camp featured approximately 3,000 draconians, and 230 tents, and was strict, orderly, and disciplined. These forces more than replaced the half of Sanction's original population that fled the volcanic devastation. The city was now the principal port and fortress of the Dragonarmies, surrounded by a ship blockade and fiercely guarded passes. And the true heart of that dark power lay within the three temples. On the slopes of the volcanoes stood three massive structures, each rising above the slums and smoke: The Temple of Huerzyd — The White Temple in the Northwest. It was the only pre-Cataclysmic temple in Sanction that was dedicated originally to the true gods. It was abandoned, neglected, and avoided by the Dragonarmies. It was secretly the heart of Shadowpeople culture. And below the temple, the Shadowpeople carved a labyrinth of rooms featuring 12 chambers, the great Shadowhall, six clan caverns, mushroom farms for sustenance, and three trapped tunnel passages extending under Sanction. These hidden ways allowed them to spy, assist prisoners, and ultimately save dragon eggs from corruption. The Temple of Duerghast — The Black Fortress in the Southeast, was dedicated post-Cataclysm to a false god of human sacrifice. Its upper levels included an arena, cages, and bloodsport chambers. The lower levels had cells, torture rooms, and execution chambers. The Dragonarmies repurposed it seamlessly. Shadowpeople carved tunnels behind one row of cells to rescue captives. Duerghast was a fortress of cruelty—perfect for tyranny. The Temple of Luerkhisis — The Dragon's Head is in the Northeast. It is the largest and most infamous temple. It is cut into the volcano in the shape of a vast dragon's head. This was the center of Takhisis's power in Sanction. Ariakas resided here during the War of the Lance, in a suite complete with a map room. After Ariakas's death, Kitiara took over his chambers and command. The upper levels held worship halls, libraries, and quarters converted for military use. But its darkest secret lay hidden in the bowels of the temple: The Chambers of Corruption Here, in five guarded rooms, the eggs of good dragons were perverted through dark rituals. In the sixth chamber, amid roaring firepots, stood the Altar of Corruption itself—the cradle of the draconians. And from here, a tunnel—known only to the Shadowpeople—crossed a bridge above the volcanic fire into the Cavern of the Old One, eldest and wisest of their race. Without these tunnels, the metallic dragons would never have been freed. Even after the war, Sanction remained a desperate, volcanic ruin filled with criminals, mercenaries, and the stern memory of tyranny. But after the Chaos War, a stranger arrived. A man cloaked in secrecy and resolve: Hogan Bight. Through means never fully explained—magic, pact, or sheer audacity—he calmed the volcanoes. Eruptions lessened. Lava flows shrank. And Sanction slowly became livable. Bight united wharf rats, ex-soldiers, sailors, and desperate citizens into a disciplined force. He brought law, order, and the beginnings of prosperity. Until Mina and the One God swept across Ansalon. Sanction fell again. Bight vanished. And the people suffered under divine tyranny. When the War of Souls ended, Hogan Bight returned—alive but changed—and resumed leadership of the battered, resilient city. Modern Sanction is a contradiction: It was born of fire, yet clinging to hope. It's surrounded by mountains, yet tied to the sea. It was defined by tyranny, yet strives for freedom. And it is scarred by tunnels, temples, and molten rivers, yet continuously is rebuilt. Its harbor remains fortified by natural cliffs. Its streets still wind through ash and stone. And the Lords of Doom continue to watch, eternal and ever-threatening. But Sanction survives. It always survives. From a peaceful trade town to a volcanic wasteland…from the laboratory of the Dragonarmies to the refuge of the Shadowpeople…from tyranny to reform, from fall to rise, again and again…Sanction endures as one of Ansalon's most dramatic stories of destruction and defiance. In the shadow of the Lords of Doom, The City of Doom refuses to die. Outro And that is all I have to say about Sanction. What do you think of this port city? Will evil ever reclaim it? And finally, will it have any import in the years following the Age of Mortals? Leave a comment below. I would like to invite you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos, and click the like button. It all helps other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content. Thank you for watching — this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga, and until next time, remember: Come along, Solostaran, I'll help. We old men have to stick together. Too bad you're such a damn fool.

Carol Brittin Chambers joins Kyle to discuss some of her most popular pieces, as well as some of her brand new works for musicians of all ages! They also discuss practical solutions for marching band and concert band from the band director perspective.To gain access to all show notes and audio files please Subscribe to the podcast and consider supporting the show on Patreon - using the button at the top of thegrowingbanddirector.comOur mission is to share practical  advice and explore topics that will help every band director, no matter your experience level, as well as music education students who are working to join us in the coming years.Connect with us with comments or ideasFollow the show:Podcast website : Thegrowingbanddirector.comOn Youtube The Growing Band Director Facebook-The Growing Band Director Podcast GroupInstagram @thegrowingbanddirectorTik Tok @thegrowingbanddirectorIf you like what you hear please:Leave a Five Star Review and Share us with another band director!

Episode Synopsis:Are social clubs and community groups as benign as they claim to be, or are many of them part of a Sovereign Military Order set in opposition to the God of the Bible?We talk about this and much more, including:How do the Rotary Club and Chambers of Commerce fit into the Illuminati System?What symbolism is embedded in the American Flag and the Great Seal of the United States?What role does the celestial entity Ashtaroth play within the system?Why are the Confederated Forces of Darkness changing to the Leviathan system?What do the seven letters to the seven churches tell us about the evil forces behind Catholicism?Original Air DateDecember 3rd, 2025Special GuestJessie Czebotar of Kingdom Living with JessieShow HostsJason Spears & Christopher DeanOur PatreonConsider joining our Patreon Squad and becoming a Tier Operator to help support the show and get access to exclusive content like:Links and ResourcesStudio NotesA monthly Zoom call with Jason and Christopher And More…ORP ApparelMerch StoreConnect With UsLetsTalk@ORPpodcast.comFacebookInstagram

In this episode of The Eric Coffey Show, Eric reflects on why he left Florida to plant himself in the heart of federal activity—because real opportunity often sits closest to the fire. Joined by seasoned former senior executives from NIH, USDA, and major federal organizations, the conversation touches on the importance of showing up, investing in community, strengthening your credentials, and positioning yourself inside key socioeconomic and professional groups. Eric pulls back the curtain on why proximity, collaboration, and continuous self-development will determine who thrives as new coalitions and high-level industry connections are formed. Key Takeaways Proximity creates opportunity: Being close to federal decision-makers accelerates relationship-building and access. Sharpen your credentials: Use downtime to update certifications, join associations, and stay active in professional groups. Engage the ecosystem: Chambers, NCMA chapters, and socioeconomic organizations open doors most small businesses never tap into. Learn more: https://federalhelpcenter.com/ https://govcongiants.org/  Watch the full Youtube Live here: https://www.youtube.com/live/c7fV-oJd74k

We're back with one of our most very favorite people and Oakes local, Kausha Magill, to talk Chambers of Commerce. This episode explores how Chambers of Commerce can stay relevant by embracing collaboration, experimentation, and a regional mindset. It's a practical, uplifting look at what happens when chambers evolve with the times instead of sticking to the "Well, this is how we've always done it."  About Kausha: Kausha lives on her family's farm and ranch about 15 miles north of Oakes. She and her husband Chuck, have been married for 30 years and have three children: Dalton, who is married to McKinzee, and their daughter, Nellie Mae (soon to be a big sister!); Addison and her husband, Parker; and their youngest son, Garret, who is engaged to his lovely fiancée, Morgan. They are so proud to say that their sons are part of the family farm/ranch and so that legacy will continue for the Magill homestead. Their daughter is also involved in agriculture and has started her own Ag Marketing business, where she designs and produces bull sale catalogs along with other creative advertising for ag-related businesses.   Kausha was an English Teacher in her early days then worked side by side with her husband for several years until their sons were able to be involved in the day-to-day operations. Then, the wonderful opportunity to become the Oakes Area Chamber of Commerce Director became her part-time job, and she's been serving in that capacity for nearly six years!   She can honestly say that she's never had a day when she dreaded coming to work and finds her job to be incredibly rewarding. She gets excited thinking about young people coming back to Oakes because it's a thriving small town! She loves being able to help our chamber membership promote what they have, whether that is merchandise, services, opportunities, or events for the public, as well as just promote Oakes as a whole.   In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family (especially her new granddaughter!) and work on puzzles and read in the winter. Her summers are usually filled with outdoor activities, along with riding horses as much as she can!   In this episode, we cover: Why regional collaboration may be the next evolution for rural chambers. How the Oakes Chamber uses progressive leadership and strong governance to stay relevant. Union Square: how a bold park project became a community hub in year one. What makes board recruitment work in a small town. Why ideas need a place to land, and how chambers can become that place.  Links + Resources Mentioned: Oakes Chamber Website: https://oakesnd.com/chamber Oakes Chamber Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oakeschamber/ More about Union Square: https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/teens-in-oakes-transform-downtown-with-new-union-square-park Sponsor Spotlight: The Yellow Bird The Yellow Bird is a longtime favorite and friend of Growing Small Towns and our Executive Director, Rebecca. The Yellow Bird is a family-owned, all-natural skincare company committed to keeping things pure, simple, and safe. Their products are made with real ingredients you can pronounce (and actually read on the label), free from synthetic chemicals, and gentle enough for the whole family—especially anyone with allergies or sensitivities. Founded by Nicole, who grew up in a home that prioritized holistic living, The Yellow Bird was born from a simple truth: what we put on our skin matters. Their mission is to make effective, affordable skincare using minimal yet powerful ingredients like coconut oil and essential oils. You can shop their full line online, including on Amazon. Use https://www.theyellowbird.co/?ref=REBECCAUNDEM for a discount when you shop!  Want to get your business in front of our audience? We are looking for podcast sponsors! Each season, we feature a select group of Small Business Partners—brands that share our mission to celebrate small-town life and big ideas. With a 4–6% average Facebook engagement rate (well above the industry average), 2,600+ loyal followers, and 45,000 monthly content views, we have an amazing, highly engaged audience of people who can't wait to learn more about you. When we feature you, your story, and your product/service, it's like a friend's recommendation, because it is. Want to know more? Reach out to us at hello@growingsmalltowns.org We have a membership! Join the GST Club — a virtual support community built for those leading change in small-town America. For $30/month, you'll get twice-monthly live calls with Rebecca, access to a private network of fellow small-town changemakers, replay recordings, frameworks, and early access to GST events. It's for anyone from volunteers and entrepreneurs to city officials who believe small towns deserve big ideas and better leadership. Part think-tank. Part pep-talk. Part creative jam session. All support.  We Want to Hear From You! We really, really do, and if you'll let us, we'd love to feature your actual message just like we did with Terri's (with your permission, of course!) Some of the best parts about radio shows and podcasts are listener call-ins, so we've decided to make those a part of the Growing Small Towns Podcast. We really, really want to hear from you! We're have two "participation dance" elements of the show: "Small town humblebrags": Call in and tell us about something amazing you did in your small town so we can celebrate with you. No win is too small—we want to hear it all, and we will be excessively enthusiastic about whatever it is! You can call in for your friends, too, because giving shout-outs is one of our favorite things.  "Solving Your Small-Town People Challenges": Have a tough issue in your community? We want to help. Call in and tell us about your problem, and we'll solve it on an episode of the podcast. Want to remain anonymous? Totally cool, we can be all secretive and stuff. We're suave like that.  If you've got a humblebrag or a tricky people problem, call 701-203-3337 and leave a message with the deets. We really can't wait to hear from you!  Get In Touch Have an idea for a future episode/guest, have feedback or a question, or just want to chat? Email us at hello@growingsmalltowns.org   Subscribe + Review Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of The Growing Small Towns Show! If the information in our conversations and interviews has helped you in your small town, head out to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver relevant, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more small-town trailblazers just like you!  

House, funk, soul, disco, reggae, hip hop, afrobeats, UKG, drum & bass and all manner of beats for open-minded listeners. Fresh releases and classic gems, presented by DJ D'Francisco direct from London. New episode every Sunday night. Catch the pod live every Friday afternoon on www.musicboxradio.co.uk 3-5 UK time, as a podcast or at www.mixcloud.com/francisco Contact: fdisco@hotmail.com / @frankiedisco54 Tracklist: J. Chambers, Qyor & Natural High Jamaica - Liberation Addis Pablo - Selassie Souljahz Dub Johnny Osbourne & The Prophets - Keep That Light Meduulla - Melanin Monroe Large Professor - Kick Da Habit A Tribe Called Quest - Bonita Applebum Sean Falyon - Don't Know How William Florelle ft. Lua - Next Time I'll Learn (Mad Villains Remix) Stone Roses - Fools Gold (Drums and Bass Stems Edit) Nubian Twist, Fatoumata - Chasing Shadows The Rail Band - Dugu Kamabele Saraga - Bang At Me Funky Green Dogs - Reach For Me (Paul Woodford Remix) Mount Rushmore - You Better (Es Cavallet Mix) Nayeh - Drowning EVM128 - Realtime Wookie - Battle ft Lain Mala X magugu - Militant Don DJ Die ft Inja - 2 Gutter 4 Dem Jubei ft. Flowdan - Say Nothin Decius - Nutrition Position (Type 1) SWAG - Everything I Learnt I Learnt on Acid Jack Frost - Clapham Me Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want

Sara Chambers is back to celebrate the launch of her new book, Do It Fat: An Unapologetic Guide to Taking Up More Space Regardless of Your Size. She has done incredible work opening herself up for her own growth and for the good of so many others around her. I am so excited for you to learn more about Sara and her message.Sara Chambers is a brand strategist, TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and the CEO of Elly and Nora Creative, a full-service agency that builds brave, bold, brag-worthy brands for entrepreneurs who are ready to lead with purpose and power. With a background in marketing, PR, and communications for nonprofits and a variety of personal and lifestyle brands, Sara has spent nearly two decades helping thought leaders clarify their message, amplify their mission, and own their space. She's also the founder of Chicks Who Give a Hoot, a nonprofit mobilizing women entrepreneurs as a force for good through media, mentorship, and community.Tune into this episode to hear:What set Sara on her journey to grapple with why she (and so many women) struggled to be at home in her bodyWhy our feelings about our bodies too often keeps us playing smallWhat Sara needed to let go in order to write with more nuance and depthHow Sara's experiences with clients brings a unique lens to the bookThe invaluable support and accountability Sara received from the No BS community throughout the writing processLearn more about Sara Chambers:Elly and Nora CreativeInstagram: @sarachamberscreativeDo It FatDo It Fat WorkbookResources:No BS Clients LabNo BS Agencies MasteryThe Price to Freedom Calculator™No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook GroupStart reading the first chapter of my bookPiasilva.com

In this deeply personal tribute episode of Business Coaching Secrets, Karl Bryan and Rode Dog reflect on the legacy and lessons of Adrian Ulsh, Karl's business partner and "big brother" of 17 years, who recently passed away. They discuss the principles, temperament, and business philosophies that defined Adrian's impact on their company, their clients, and the entire coaching industry. Karl shares invaluable insights into the operating system Adrian helped create, actionable strategies for growing and coaching small businesses, and practical approaches to prospecting and retention—all inspired by Adrian's stoic focus and unwavering dedication. Key Topics Covered The Legacy and Principles of Adrian Ulsh Karl Bryan shares heartfelt stories about Adrian Ulsh's influence, describing Adrian as the true "man, myth, legend" and the stabilizing force behind their partnership. Family first: Adrian's definition encompassed team members, clients, and the broader community. Wild loyalty, consistency, and frugality as core values that drove business and personal success. Building and Installing a Business Operating System The "Jumpstart 12" framework: Twelve core areas for incremental business improvement and profit acceleration. How small, strategic changes (2-5% gains in multiple areas) compound to produce powerful growth. The importance of standards over goals and repeating proven stories for impact. Real-World Example: Coaching a Landscaping Business Step-by-step, Karl details how Adrian would apply the Jumpstart 12: controlling costs, defining a market-dominating position, bundling services, creating compelling offers, joint ventures, upselling, and cross-selling. Emphasis on practical, low-friction implementation—no magic pills, expensive hires, or complicated training. The Magic of Incremental and Compounding Growth Why professionals focus on what could go wrong, systematize improvements, and avoid "hopium." Operating by numbers: using math and real metrics, not emotions or wishful thinking, to guide decisions. Client Prospecting and Scripting Mastery Adrian's approach to outreach: short, personalized, authority-driven messages sent consistently. Leveraging connections (Chamber, BNI, local hangouts), offering value, and asking for opinions to initiate real conversations. The importance of sending multiple messages daily, not expecting instant results, and using results—not emotions—as a barometer. Notable Quotes "He didn't have goals. He had standards. Create standards for yourself." — Karl Bryan "You want to build a great company, you want to build a great product—consistency and focus over talent all day long and twice on Sunday." — Karl Bryan "Don't get too up. Don't get too down… Warren Buffett doesn't walk into a boardroom all hopped up on hopium." — Karl Bryan "Send it out 50 times a day. If you want results, don't just do it once." — Karl Bryan (on outreach) Actionable Takeaways Focus on Incremental Improvements: Apply the Jumpstart 12 framework and aim for small (2-5%) gains across multiple business areas to produce exponential results. Systematize Everything: Build clear standards, document your operating process, and repeat proven stories and tactics for better client outcomes. Be Relentlessly Consistent: Don't chase perfection or get lost behind the screen—take steady, focused action daily on outreach and client delivery. Eliminate Distractions: Legendary business success comes from eliminating everything except your one core focus—whether it's live events, lead generation, or client retention. Outreach with Authority and Value: Use short, confident messages that reference known connections or groups. Focus on ideas and feedback to open doors. Let Results Be the Guide: Track progress by cash in the bank, referrals, and new clients—not emotions or subjective feedback. Serve the Fat Middle: Target the mass market of SMB "newbies," not just the 4% of $1M+ businesses, for scalable growth and reduced risk. Resources Mentioned Profit Acceleration Software™ (by Karl Bryan): Core tool to implement the Jumpstart 12 and Deep Dive 40 operating systems, delivering instant value to small business clients. Focus.com: Business coaching platform and software hub. Networking Groups: BNI, local Chambers of Commerce, Yacht Club, Golf Club—where coaches can build authority and prospect for clients. Group Coaching Software: For scaling to more clients with higher efficiency. Six Figure Coach Magazine: Free coaching industry resource: Get it here If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe, share with fellow coaches, and rate the show! Join our thriving community and level up your coaching business at Focused.com. Ready to implement these strategies? Get a demo of Profit Acceleration Software™: https://go.focused.com/profit-acceleration

The Epstein Files bill blasted through Congress with numbers you almost never see anymore—427-1 in the House, and then it slid through the Senate with unanimous consent like it was greased. On paper, that looks like a triumph of transparency and a rare moment of unity. But let's not kid ourselves: Washington doesn't suddenly grow a conscience overnight. When politicians from both parties lock arms this tightly, it's usually because they believe it protects them rather than exposes them. The speed of the vote and the lack of debate feel less like courage and more like a calculated move—an attempt to get ahead of a tidal wave they know is on the horizon.Now the bill sits on Trump's desk, waiting for his signature, and everyone in D.C. is acting like this is the final step before sunlight floods the entire Epstein network. But the truth is, nothing is guaranteed. Signing a bill is not the same as releasing the records, and this administration has already signaled that “national security” and “ongoing investigations” will be used like bulletproof shields. If this turns into another stall tactic, another reroute, or another sanitized dump of heavily blacked-out PDFs, then this near-unanimous vote will go down not as a victory for transparency—but as the largest bipartisan cover-your-ass maneuver in modern political history. The real test isn't the vote. It's whether the files actually see daylight without being shredded, scrubbed, or neutered beyond recognition.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Senate expected to send Epstein files bill to Trump - ABC News

Come join Matt, Hyalet, and Chambers as they chat about the latest nominees from the Video Game Awards 2025! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Epstein Files bill blasted through Congress with numbers you almost never see anymore—427-1 in the House, and then it slid through the Senate with unanimous consent like it was greased. On paper, that looks like a triumph of transparency and a rare moment of unity. But let's not kid ourselves: Washington doesn't suddenly grow a conscience overnight. When politicians from both parties lock arms this tightly, it's usually because they believe it protects them rather than exposes them. The speed of the vote and the lack of debate feel less like courage and more like a calculated move—an attempt to get ahead of a tidal wave they know is on the horizon.Now the bill sits on Trump's desk, waiting for his signature, and everyone in D.C. is acting like this is the final step before sunlight floods the entire Epstein network. But the truth is, nothing is guaranteed. Signing a bill is not the same as releasing the records, and this administration has already signaled that “national security” and “ongoing investigations” will be used like bulletproof shields. If this turns into another stall tactic, another reroute, or another sanitized dump of heavily blacked-out PDFs, then this near-unanimous vote will go down not as a victory for transparency—but as the largest bipartisan cover-your-ass maneuver in modern political history. The real test isn't the vote. It's whether the files actually see daylight without being shredded, scrubbed, or neutered beyond recognition.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Senate expected to send Epstein files bill to Trump - ABC News

To get live links to the music we play and resources we offer, visit www.WOSPodcast.comThis show includes the following songs:Jessie Chambers - Fall Right Back FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYLucie Glang - Phoenix FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYELVA - Rollercoaster FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYCharlotte Rosetti - Borrowed Time FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYSwan Mack - Unready FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYLucciana Costa - Your Love Makes Sense To Me FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYCarlee Morales - BUTTERFLIES FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYThe Sirens - These Words I Write FOLLOW ON BANDCAMPIsabel Suarez - TROUBLE FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYFrances Becker - This Haze FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYSonora Pines - When Our Time is Done FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYArtemis Dara - At Cycles End FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYJeannine Barr - The Wind FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYSilver Reeds - Quiet Place, Drowning Man FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYTamara L. Wilson - Let Love Show (Samba Remix) FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYFor Music Biz Resources Visit www.FEMusician.com and www.ProfitableMusician.comVisit our Sponsor Profitable Musician Newsletter at profitablemusician.com/joinVisit our Sponsor Bandzoogle at: http://www.bandzoogle.comVisit our Sponsor Mairose at https://linktr.ee/mairose26Visit our Sponsor 39 Sources of Income at profitablemusician.com/incomeVisit www.wosradio.com for more details and to submit music to our review board for consideration.Visit our resources for Indie Artists: https://www.wosradio.com/resourcesBecome more Profitable in just 3 minutes per day. http://profitablemusician.com/join

In 2020, the Almeda Fire ripped through Jackson County. The catastrophic blaze destroyed more than 2,600 homes between Ashland, Talent, Phoenix and Medford, according to Jefferson Public Radio. The “Think Out Loud” team traveled to Southern Oregon during the spring of 2025 and talked to residents about how they’re thinking about fire in their communities now. In Ashland, the city and the forest are tied together. The watershed, which provides the source of Ashland’s drinking water, is more than 15,000 acres of potentially combustible forestland. Chris Chambers is the city’s forestry officer. He’s been a member of Ashland Fire And Rescue since 2002 and has worked on the city’s wildfire planning efforts. Along with city, federal and tribal partners, the Ashland-based Lomakatsi Restoration Project focuses on ecological resilience in Oregon and Northern California. Its restoration projects are spread throughout the region. Marko Bey is the executive director and founder of the organization. Belinda Brown is the tribal partnerships director. Chambers, Bey and Brown shared how they think about wildfire resilience and how they approach their work in their communities during a conversation we recorded with them and first aired in June 2025.